The Cackle

• Talia Mehlis, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2022

Fred sat down on an oak bench in a garden he was strolling through. Exuberant Flowers and bushes exploded all around him, adorning the lush land even more: red roses, blue orchids, yellow dandelions, white daisies and colossal trees with emerald green leaves.
He plucked a sparkling blueberry from a nearby bush and threw it in his mouth. Fred pulled a red coat that matched his flaming red hair tighter around him. Rain splattered aggressively on nearby trees before gently falling into the bushes, where they disappeared.
Fred gazed up into the sky, where stars trailed through like freckles on a face. They sparkled at him as if to say 'hi'. He tried to count them but gave up at 72. The rain was ruining the beautiful atmosphere with its appallingly brown mud. The grey fog was like a curtain, preventing Fred from seeing beyond the golden brown trunks of the trees.
Fred closed his azure eyes and smelled the crisp air that poured around him, thanks to all the foliage and blossoms that showered the flourished meadow. He wanted his 3-year-old sister Madelyn to be here, but she would probably eat the plants or inhale the rainwater through her nose. Nevertheless, he always felt at peace and relished the calming noises and exquisite view. But the tranquillity that was once there deceased when Fred heard an eerie moan that sounded similar to a baby's cackle.
Fred looked around, frightened. He was alone in the garden, yet he could help but feel that he was being watched. Apart from the rain pouring down violently, there was no movement.
He hoped he had just imagined it, but he heard it again; it was definitely a baby's cackle. Fred knew he should run, but curiosity got the best of him, and he decided to look around.
The baby's cackle sounded gleeful, and it horrified Fred. What scared him is he felt he knew that voice. The cackle flowed through the garden like an echo, and he followed the sound of the voice.
But then it said something that sent shivers down Fred's spine: "Freddddyyy."
Fred tried to calm down. It wasn't like the creature could hurt him. But when the thing talked again, it was more of a question: "Freeedddyyy?"
How did it know he was here? Before Fred could think, he heard the creature start to sob. He panicked. He wanted to see where it was, so he followed the voice.
The crying got louder until it led him in front of a strawberry bush.
Fred took a deep breath and looked behind the bush and… A MUD MONSTER! The thing had a baby's body and was crawling around in the mud, getting its body dirty.
But wait…it wasn't a monster. Instead, the thing smiled and started to laugh adorably when it saw Fred.
Fred's fear evaporated. "Madelyn," he scolded, picking her up, "you aren't meant to be here! Let's get you cleaned."
They returned to the house, Madelyn cooing in his arm and getting mud on his shirt.