The next day at the kindergarten, the atmosphere was unusually tense. The overcast sky outside cast long, dim shadows across the classroom, adding to the eerie feeling that had settled over Lily since her conversation with Henny’s parents. Henny seemed even more withdrawn, her face pale and her eyes wide with fear.
During afternoon storytime, Lily noticed Henny sitting alone in a corner, clutching a worn stuffed rabbit. Concerned, she walked over and knelt beside her. “Henny, are you okay?”
Henny looked up at Lily, her eyes filled with an unsettling mixture of dread and resignation. “Miss Marsh, can I talk to you?”
“Of course, sweetheart. Let’s go somewhere quiet.”
Lily led Henny to a small, secluded reading nook at the back of the classroom. They sat down on the floor, and Lily gently took Henny’s hand. “What’s going on, Henny? You can tell me anything.”
Henny took a deep breath, her voice trembling as she began to speak. “He was in my room last night, Miss Marsh. He was standing right next to my bed.”
Lily’s heart pounded in her chest. “The man from your closet?”
Henny shook her head, her eyes wide with terror. “No. It’s not just a man. It’s the Boogeyman. That’s what he called himself.”
A chill ran down Lily’s spine. “The Boogeyman?”
Henny nodded, tears streaming down her face. “He whispered it to me. He said, ‘I’m the Boogeyman, and I’m coming for you.’”
Lily felt a wave of fear wash over her, but she tried to remain calm for Henny’s sake. “Henny, what did he look like?”
Henny’s voice dropped to a barely audible whisper. “His face was twisted and wrong. His eyes glowed red, and his mouth was full of sharp teeth. He was reaching out for me, Miss Marsh. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t scream. I just lay there, frozen.”
Lily squeezed Henny’s hand, her own hands trembling. “I’m so sorry, Henny. I wish I could make him go away.”
Henny looked up at Lily, her expression one of pure despair. “He’s getting closer, Miss Marsh. Every night, he’s closer. I’m so scared. What if he takes me away?”
Lily felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. “Henny, I promise I’m going to do everything I can to protect you. You’re not alone.”
Henny nodded, her fear momentarily giving way to a flicker of hope. “Thank you, Miss Marsh.”
The next morning, Lily arrived at the kindergarten early, her mind still reeling from Henny’s confession. She resolved to call Henny’s parents again, determined to make them understand the gravity of their daughter’s fears. But as the children began to arrive, she noticed something was off. Henny wasn’t there.
Lily’s heart sank as she waited, hoping Henny would walk through the door. Minutes turned into an hour, and still, there was no sign of her. A knot of dread tightened in her stomach. Just as she was about to call Henny’s parents, the phone rang. It was Mrs. Olsen.
“Miss Marsh,” Mrs. Olsen’s voice was barely recognizable, choked with sobs. “Henny... Henny’s gone.”
Lily felt the room spin around her. “What do you mean she’s gone?”
“She... she passed away last night. The doctors don’t know what happened. They said it was some kind of natural cause, but... but she looked so scared, Miss Marsh. Her face... her body...”
Lily’s blood ran cold. She sank into a chair, her mind racing. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I’m so, so sorry.”
Mrs. Olsen’s sobs echoed through the phone before she hung up, leaving Lily in stunned silence. She sat there, numb, trying to process the devastating news. Henny’s terrified eyes and haunting words replayed in her mind. The Boogeyman. He had come for her, just as she feared.
Lily felt a crushing weight of guilt and helplessness. She had promised to protect Henny, but in the end, she had been powerless to save her. Tears streamed down her face as she thought of the little girl who had been so scared, so alone.
Henny’s death cast a dark shadow over the kindergarten. The children sensed something was wrong, and the usual cheerful atmosphere was replaced with a somber silence. Lily went through the motions, her heart heavy with grief.
That night, as she lay in bed, Lily couldn’t shake the image of Henny’s terrified face. The Boogeyman wasn’t just a figment of a child’s imagination. He was real, and he had taken Henny away. The shadows in her own room seemed to move, and for the first time, Lily understood the true horror of what Henny had faced.
Comments