Monster's Game

A black-haired man sat, bouncing his knee on a big tan couch. He risked a quick glance at the clock.

“12:15?” He tightened his fist. “She’s almost an hour late!”

Then as if triggered by his words, there were three short, quick knocks on the door.

“O-oh! Yes! P-please come inside, Miss Sterling!” Excited, Brandon Westley, age 38, stood up for the young lady’s entrance as he had been taught to do when he was young himself.

The door creaked as it opened ever so slowly. A young girl with blue ribbons in her dark red hair peeked inside, her bright green eyes studying the inside of the neutral hotel room. A smile lit up her face as she saw Brandon welcoming her inside.

“Miss Sterling, I should say you look cute today. Just like your father.” he said, noting her light blue sweet Lolita dress.

She closed the door behind her as she said “Can you stop calling me that! Just call me ‘Ada’ or ‘Adalaide.’ It is my name, Papa!”

He smiled uneasily, and nodded as he said “As you wish, Adalaide. It is more fitting anyway, since we are practically family.” He motioned for her to sit and as she plopped down in a soft, tan lazy chair, he took his own seat.

“I’m sorry I was late, Papa! Matt drove me, but there was tr-traff-ic? Yeah! Traffic! And then, after he dropped me off, I couldn’t find the room for the longest time!! Oh! And I woke up late!” Ada sounded excited, as if she thought Brandon would be proud of her for being almost an hour late.

“It’s okay, Ada. I don’t need an explanation now. We’ve lost a lot of time so we really need to begin now.” Brandon explained quickly.

Adelaide was overcome with a sudden change. The air about her became a sinister seriousness.

“Yes, we should. I guess it would be fitting.” she said almost darkly. “So what do you wanna know first?”

Ada smiled, the aura changed in almost and instant. Brandon continued fiddling with his tape recorder, Ada’s almost bipolar changes going unnoticed.

“Well, I want to start at the beginning.” The tape recorder clicked as he pressed the record button and signaled the beginning of the interview by saying “Okay Adalaide, where would you like to begin?”

Adalaide leaned back to lay on the chair, deep in thought.

“Hmmm…” she tapped her temple with her index finger. “My Daddy did some scary things… I’ve heard that they are things only a monster could do…”

“Things a five year old shouldn’t see?” Brandon inquired.

“I’m six!” she pouted at him, leaning forward to glare at him.

“Well, Ada, you were five at the time, were you not?”

Ada let out a long sigh, leaning back again. “I guess you’re right…”

“Would you please continue?” Brandon knew they had only a limited amount of time.

“Oh, right. Umm…” Her eyes suddenly lost their light, they told a thousand stories locked inside her mind that no one would ever know, never understand. They threw salt in old wounds, but she did not cry. No, she would never cry. The last of her tears were taken from her by her fathers gruesome actions.

“He picked me up from school. Just a normal day in my kindergarten class. He took me home and I changed from my school clothes while he made dinner. I can’t remember what… we… ate… but after we were done he helped me put on my shoes, get into the car, and he started driving. I asked him where we were going, but he told me it was a surprise.” she paused.

“Where did Cain take you?” Brandon asked, trying to get her to continue.

Ada pretended not to hear, and layed her small hand over her lifeless eyes. “Mmm…” she yawned as if she were tired.

“Ada! Where did your father take you?” Brandon slightly raised his voice to get her attention.

A strange smirk came across her face. “To the residence of Eavangeline Smith.” The dark aura was back in an instant as the grin stretched wider.

“This was-” Brandon was cut off.

“Yes, this was his first victim.” The small red-head almost sounded excited, and she quickly continued. “He said to wait in the car. That he had to finish preparations for his ‘little princess’. I did as he told me.” Her smile widened to the point of showing her brilliant white teeth. “I should have known something wasn’t right. My tummy started aching when he went inside and while I waited.”

“And he was inside doing… what?” Brandon asked, intrigued.

“Finishing preparations of course! I’ve said it once, please don’t make me repeat myself! I hate that!” Ada raised her voice angrily, rubbing her temples.

“Oh.. Please forgive me..” Brandon said. “Keep going, Ada.”

“When he came outside to get me he asked if I was ready, and I nodded. I went inside with him and….” She stopped to think.

“Yes? What did you see?” Brandon inquired.

“Ha! What a sight it was!” Ada chuckled darkly. “I knew he’d go far, but not this far! Not the first time!” she began laughing.

“What had he done to her, Ada?” Brandon was disgusted by this point. “Why are you laughing?”

“Ohh temper, temper. I’ll get to it! First, the reason for my laughing is of no concern to whomever this tape will be shown to! Second, do not rush me!” Ada yelled rather loudly.

Brandon did not say a word. He was smart enough to see he’d crossed a line, it was obvious, but that’s not what stopped him. Adalaide, the young girl he had known since she was born, daughter of his best friends from high school, had never so much as raised her voice to anyone. Heart of gold now seemingly dark and full of rage. He could see something was different. All too different, even though she’d been a witness to murder. Sure, it would break her, but it would not mold her to something so different as this.

Somewhere in the back of his thoughts, even now in the beginning, he knew what was going on deep inside the mind of six year old Adalaide Sterling. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but he knew subconsciously that something was not quite right, and it had nothing to do with just Ada’s mind alone.

“I walked into her home, her dining room to be exact. My Daddy’s gift was nothing you’d expect…” She let out a soft giggle, morbid rather than cute. “Creative, I’ll give him that.” she paused, taking a look out the window.

“What was it? What did you see in Mrs. Smith’s dining room?” Brandon questioned carefully.

“Ha! She was already dead.” Adalaide paused to gather her next thought. “Tied to her dining room table. Blood covered her, the table and the carpet, but only a little. Like a light dusting of red snow.” she paused, smiling at her own simile. “Melted, of course. I wont go into detail about how she was killed, I’m sure you and your people know all about that. You interviewed cops before you even asked me, correct?”

Brandon opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by the high pitched, electronic beeping of a watch.

“Oh! I’m terribly sorry, Adalaide! We’ve run out of time!” he hurriedly turned off his watch and the tape recorder. An awkward, toothy grin came to Ada’s face.

“That’s too bad, isn’t it?” She stood up, gathering her things slowly.

“We’ll pick up on this next week, same time. Try to be on time next week, Ada.” Brandon pleaded, making his way to the door.

“Yes, I’ll try.” Ada promised, lagging behind. “Goodbye, Brandon.”

Brandon waved quickly and walked out of the door. Ada smiling another small, distorted smile.

“Monster, monster-” Ada began to sing before the aura changed again, and her eyes widened, filling with tears. She looked around, nervously.

“P-papa? H-he must have l-left…” She began to cry, falling into the big tan chair once more, sobbing. “You scared him… Why are you so mean?” The small girl laid on the chair for a few minutes before pulling herself together and walking out of the room.