[ WP ] A child writes a eulogy for a monster .

Martin sat quietly on the windowsill, waiting for Zach to start. It was pretty out of the blue, but could Martin refuse Zach on anything anymore? Zach was Martin's little boy, his laughing little baby, but he stood there, facing his closet, so solemn... 
 
 Then suddenly Zach let out a sigh, and began reading off his paper monotonously. 
 
 `` Today I'd like to commeminate Rylax, the monster in my closet. I never really knew him, and I did n't know his name, because he never told me it, even when I asked. He never really talked to anyone I do n't think, so I when he did n't tell me his name I thought no one knew, so I might as well make up one, and Rylax was really cool,'' he read off the crumpled paper. 
 
 Martin could n't help but smile at Zach, even if he knew where all of this came from. 
 
 `` Anyway,'' Zach continued, finally remembering to breathe between reading each sentance aloud, `` Rylax was n't too nice. He'd like to scare me at bedtime and make the house creak. I never liked opening the closet because of him. But a little while ago, I opened the closet and could n't find him. So I looked again the next day. And the day after that, and he still was n't there.'' Zach paused to turn over the paper he wrote his eulogy on. `` So I relized that he was gone. And at first I thought that was a good thing. I did n't want him around, so he left.'' 
 
 Martin suddenly rememebered his ring finger, and how weird it was not to have his ring finger on. Then he started to look around and see Zach's dirty laundry and dusty toys. Martin started feeling worse by the second. 
 
 `` But, then knew it was n't a good thing. What if Rylax really did n't leave, but is just really shy? Or, what if he did die, but he was so lonely before that he was just mean? So I started feeling sorry for Rylax, and I gave him a name, and I tried to be his friend. But he still is n't there. And then I made this for him, just in case Rylax does n't come back.'' 
 
 Martin took a deep breath. He was n't ready for this. 
 
 `` Rylax, if you're in that closet, I want you to know I'm not afraid of you anymore. I know what it feels like to be alone. And if you're not in there, then I'm sorry I was never nice to you. I'm a big boy now, and mommy use to say that big boys can admit their mistakes. Bye, Rylax.'' Zach set down the paper and turned around, wiping the snot off his face with his sleeve. 
 
 Martin was worse off. Tears were streaking down his face and his breathing was ragged. As soon as Zach turned around Martin grabbed him and hugged him so tight it was all he could do to take himself off his son. After a moment he gathered himself again and looked at Zach in the eyes. Zach was so small- he was only 7- and yet he was n't crying. Martin could only smile at himself. 
 
 `` Mommy would be so proud to see you now. As proud as I am.'' Zach wiped his face of snot again. `` C'mon, you wan na get some ice cream, little man?'' 
 
 `` Yeah,'' was all Zach could muster. He grabbed Martin's hand and the two left the room together. 
 

