The Monster Truck Under The Bed
Nicholas De Marino
About the Author:
Nicholas De Marino needs a hug. Poetry in Radon Journal and Horrific Scribblings. Fiction in BULL and Hell Itself. Read his monthly column (fnord) in foofaraw. ¡Viva SFPA y Codex! No awards but some nominations. More at nicholasdemarino.blogspot.com.
The Monster Truck Under The Bed
I clutch my Indians cap
Ceiling fan spins out — “Ready!”
Mickey lamp shifts down — “Set!”
Peach nightlight fogs the bedroom — “Go!”
I wave Chief Wahoo like a checkered flag
Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!
VROOM! VROOOMM!
TROLLCAR screams out
From under the bed
Monster truck engine roars
Shocks shake
And giant wheels crush everyone
“Donut!” I whisper-yell
TROLLCAR rips up rag rug
And tears apart Danny
The neighborhood bully
Who mocks the way I talk
Tears him into big fat chunker chunks
“Pogo!” I mumble-shout
TROLLCAR wheelies
And bounces on Mrs. Stern
The lunch aide who makes me play kickball
With the jerk butts who laugh when I run
Crushes her into a uggo pancake
Then TROLLCAR cuts the engine
And I dive into bed
As Daddy punches open the door and yells
“Bedtime!” and “Quiet!”
And “Don't you dare leave this room!”
And slams closed the door
Vroom! Vrooomm!
And TROLLCAR revs up again
Smaller, quieter
And I pee in the trashcan
Because it's bedtime
And I don't dare leave this room
“Power out,” I swallow-scream
TROLLCAR tornadoes through my class
“Back flip,” I mutter-shriek
TROLLCAR uses my teacher as a ramp
“Front flip,” I gulp-bark
TROLLCAR lands on the principal
Then TROLLCAR cuts the engine again
And I fake sleep
As Daddy punches open the door and yells
“Quiet!” and “Or else!”
And growls
And slams closed the door
vroom!
trollcar putters, tiny, puny
insignificant, and, and, and …
And I jump on the bed and roar
“HIT DADDY! RUN HIM OVER!
And “AGAIN! AGAIN!”
As TROLLCAR sprays blood and guts everywhere
END