THE HOLE
By Bret Mitchem
It was 14 years ago I fell down this hole. I was 8 years old when it happened. I remember it very well. It was the day after my birthday. I was playing with my new toy gun. Running around, shooting at imaginary enemies. Mama always warned me about the hole. "You stay the hell away from that god forsaken hole" she would say before every time I went outside to play in the backyard. She got me so paranoid about it that I use to imagine all sorts of nasty scenarios. I even imagined walking past the hole and a monstrous Troll lunging out and grabbing me. Taking me down into it's lair forever. It got so I wouldn't even go near the area of the backyard.
But on this day I was not paying any attention to where I was stepping. I was running from tree to tree, laughing and looking into the sky. When I fell down the hole, it felt like a very long fall. I can still see daylight at the top, but it is far away. It's not so bad down here. The worst thing is that the only food I get to eat is worms. Sometimes I get lucky and a big bug will happen by. They are much better than the worms. One time, a bird fell dead from the sky, right into my lap. Let me tell you, that was like Thanksgiving for me.
It does get cold sometimes. And lonely. Very lonely. Except when I get to see my friend Jennifer. Which is not very often, but is sure great when it happens. She can never stay very long when she does come. I always wish she could stay with me here. I love her! The first night she came to me was about a month after I fell down here. I spent that first month mostly crying and yelling for help. Of course no one ever came. I had just about given up on anyone finding me. I was starting to realize that I would have to stay down here forever. All alone, forever.
Then one night when I was sleeping, I heard a voice. A girl's voice. Soft and sweet as can be. She said "Are you there?" As I came awake, I thought it was my Mom, finally rescuing me. I filled with excitement and cried out "Mama?" My heart sank as I realized this was not my Mom. The young girl giggled at me. I started to become afraid but the girl told me "Don't be scared!" Her voice was so friendly and she was so pretty. I started to feel at ease with her right away. We didn't talk about much that first night. But other times we have sat and talked for hours. Talked the whole night right through once or twice.
One time I wondered out loud why my Mom never came to find me. How could she not think to look in the hole for me? Jennifer told me that my mama just didn't care that much about me. She said that she heard my Mama tell my Daddy that she was happy that I was gone. That made me real sad. I didn't know why Mama would be happy with me being gone. But I started not missing Mom as much.
Jennifer told me what happened to her as well. Turns out, as luck would have it, she fell down this very same hole. Only a long, long time before I did. She said that she spent many years living in this hole. Eating worms and singing songs to occupy herself. Eventually she died and was able to escape. She tells me that one day I will die and I will be able to get out of the hole too. But she always tells me that I should enjoy my time in the hole. Because being dead is not so great either. Even if you can go anywhere you want to. She says it's even colder and there are scary things. Things like the nasty troll I use to imagine. And things even worse.
So, I try to make the best of it. Jennifer taught me some songs to sing. And there is always plenty to eat down here. And there is no Troll. But when that day does come. And I do finally get out of this damn hole. I am going to find my Mama. I am going to walk right up to her and ask her "Why the hell didn't you ever put some boards over that fucking hole?"
- - -
Bret Mitchem is a starving artist, musician and writer. He has no qualifications for any of these, but never lets that deter him.
By Bret Mitchem
It was 14 years ago I fell down this hole. I was 8 years old when it happened. I remember it very well. It was the day after my birthday. I was playing with my new toy gun. Running around, shooting at imaginary enemies. Mama always warned me about the hole. "You stay the hell away from that god forsaken hole" she would say before every time I went outside to play in the backyard. She got me so paranoid about it that I use to imagine all sorts of nasty scenarios. I even imagined walking past the hole and a monstrous Troll lunging out and grabbing me. Taking me down into it's lair forever. It got so I wouldn't even go near the area of the backyard.
But on this day I was not paying any attention to where I was stepping. I was running from tree to tree, laughing and looking into the sky. When I fell down the hole, it felt like a very long fall. I can still see daylight at the top, but it is far away. It's not so bad down here. The worst thing is that the only food I get to eat is worms. Sometimes I get lucky and a big bug will happen by. They are much better than the worms. One time, a bird fell dead from the sky, right into my lap. Let me tell you, that was like Thanksgiving for me.
It does get cold sometimes. And lonely. Very lonely. Except when I get to see my friend Jennifer. Which is not very often, but is sure great when it happens. She can never stay very long when she does come. I always wish she could stay with me here. I love her! The first night she came to me was about a month after I fell down here. I spent that first month mostly crying and yelling for help. Of course no one ever came. I had just about given up on anyone finding me. I was starting to realize that I would have to stay down here forever. All alone, forever.
Then one night when I was sleeping, I heard a voice. A girl's voice. Soft and sweet as can be. She said "Are you there?" As I came awake, I thought it was my Mom, finally rescuing me. I filled with excitement and cried out "Mama?" My heart sank as I realized this was not my Mom. The young girl giggled at me. I started to become afraid but the girl told me "Don't be scared!" Her voice was so friendly and she was so pretty. I started to feel at ease with her right away. We didn't talk about much that first night. But other times we have sat and talked for hours. Talked the whole night right through once or twice.
One time I wondered out loud why my Mom never came to find me. How could she not think to look in the hole for me? Jennifer told me that my mama just didn't care that much about me. She said that she heard my Mama tell my Daddy that she was happy that I was gone. That made me real sad. I didn't know why Mama would be happy with me being gone. But I started not missing Mom as much.
Jennifer told me what happened to her as well. Turns out, as luck would have it, she fell down this very same hole. Only a long, long time before I did. She said that she spent many years living in this hole. Eating worms and singing songs to occupy herself. Eventually she died and was able to escape. She tells me that one day I will die and I will be able to get out of the hole too. But she always tells me that I should enjoy my time in the hole. Because being dead is not so great either. Even if you can go anywhere you want to. She says it's even colder and there are scary things. Things like the nasty troll I use to imagine. And things even worse.
So, I try to make the best of it. Jennifer taught me some songs to sing. And there is always plenty to eat down here. And there is no Troll. But when that day does come. And I do finally get out of this damn hole. I am going to find my Mama. I am going to walk right up to her and ask her "Why the hell didn't you ever put some boards over that fucking hole?"
- - -
Bret Mitchem is a starving artist, musician and writer. He has no qualifications for any of these, but never lets that deter him.
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