What the Fuck Now

"Pete, you need to live your life with Sally," said Ashleigh. "I'll be waiting for you when it's truly your time. Butch is a ghoul. He exists only to kill things and drain their life force. Remember all of his pets from when he was a child? Those weren't accidents or bad luck. He was learning. He's ready for people now and he's only fourteen. You have to stop him before it's too late."

"What do I do?" asked Pete.

"He doesn't have any supernatural powers," said Ashleigh. "He's half human." Then Ashleigh kissed Pete and was gone.

Pete and Sally went home. At first he tried to get what had happened out of his mind. But then he saw Butch looking at Sally. Butch had a twisted look on his face. "Butch, Sally and I are going out to get something to eat," said Pete. "Should we bring it back, or do you want to come with us?"

"Bring it back, Dad," said Butch. "I'll set the table while you're gone. You know I hate being away from the house."

Pete and Sally went to McDonald's. It was Butch's favorite place to eat. On the way back they stopped off at home depot and at the veterinary supply store.

Pete loaded Butch's happy meal up with enough horse tranquilizers to put an elephant to sleep for a couple of days.

The three of them sat at the table and began eating. "How far along are you?" Butch asked Sally.

"Only 6 weeks, Butch," exclaimed Sally. "How did you know?"

"I just do," said Butch. Pete really didn't like the way Butch was smiling. A few minutes later Butch's head dropped into his food. Pete picked Butch up and sat him in a chair in a corner of the basement. The corner had bare brick walls and a cement floor. Pete pushed the chair back all the way into the corner and mixed his ready mix cement. He made sure the chains he'd used on Butch's hands and ankles were secure. The he got out his drill. He used masonry bits and drilled holes in the brick walls to secure the soundproofing materials. When he was done with that he began building a wall across the front of the corner creating a very tiny triangular chamber for his demonic son to live out his life in.

Since Butch was only half human he'd never starve to death. Since he wouldn't die from starvation he'd never become a powerful ghost.

Butch woke up just as there was only space for a few more bricks. He started trying to jump around in the chair to free himself.

"That's what you get you little bastard," spat Pete. "You killed my wife. You're not going to kill Sally and our child.

Pete bricked up the last section of the wall. He put drywall over it and painted it the same color as the rest of the basement.

He hung pictures on it and put a TV in front of it. Over the years Butch would always howl and scream as loud as he could on Halloween night, begging for someone to free him. No one ever did. Sometimes Pete and Sally and their kids would have a Halloween party and invite people over. Most of their guests thought that Butch was only a part of the party entertainment.

Throughout the years Butch got weaker and weaker and finally simply stopped bothering to scream even on Halloween.

Pete finally died and went to be with Ashleigh at the ripe old age of 85. As he walked into the light with Ashleigh, Pete said, "Actually Ash, it's a lot worse than cheating, when it's with a ghost."

That's the end of all the endings. Happy Halloween.

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