Entertaining

by Rudra Ramdial

The evening was not going well. I was tired after working a long day correcting papers at the University and Mr. Waller didn’t seem to be interested in being at the house. My wife Amy had a fixed, bright smile on her face and she was trying to engage Mr. Waller in conversation but nothing was working.

Finally she turned to me and said, “Why, John, Mr. Waller hasn’t seen that trick you do. Why don’t you show him?”

“Oh, no,” I said, “I’m much too tired. Besides I doubt Mr. Waller would want to see it.”

“Oh do,” Amy insisted. “It would make the evening and I’m sure he would really enjoy it.”

I glanced at Mr. Waller, who looked bored and noncommittal, and said to Amy, “Well, all right, I’ll do it.”

“Good,” she said happily.

I began the trick by showing him my palms and he stared at them without interest. Then I began to let the hair grow on them and he looked surprised. I sprouted hair all over and at the same time my skull changed, becoming longer, and my teeth grew as well, so very sharp they were. Mr. Waller screamed and he left his chair and ran for the door but I sprang after him and I went right for his plump throat that pushed over his white collar...

* * *

Afterwards, while Amy and I cleaned up what was left of him, she smiled and said, “He was a very nice man, but he was not really the best company to have over.”

I had to agree with her.