huxo

It had been a long day. Sixth grade was difficult. I had homework in three subjects, and a test to study for. I dumped my heavy backpack on my bed and headed into the kitchen for a snack.

I ate my peanut butter sandwich slowly, reluctant to start my homework. The house was strangely quiet. My mother had her head out the window, stringing wet clothes out on the line. Chris was at soccer practice. Erin hadn't made a peep since I had gotten home. That was both uncharacteristic and troubling.

After licking the crumbs off my plate and washing the dishes to kill more time, I dragged myself back to the bedroom. There, my backpack sat waiting for me. I dug to the bottom of the bag, looking for my rubber pencil case. My fingers brushed against something soft and wispy. My hand shot back out of the bag. Long strands of familiar brown hair stuck between my fingers. I pulled the bag wide open and dumped out all my books. After upending the bag and patting its bottom, a large clump of hair fell to the floor. Erin's hair!

I breathed in sharply, holding Erin's hair in my hand. The closet door creaked behind me. I tiptoed over to it and jerked the door open. Erin, three-years-old, squatted behind my long winter coat among the sneakers and roller skates. I snapped on the light bulb and she squeezed her eyes shut. Her hair, which had previously hung all the way down her back, was cut into short, chaotic layers all around her head. Her bangs had not been spared and were chopped completely off on the right side.

"Huxo made me do it," Erin exclaimed, eyes still shut. In her right hand she clutched a green pair of safety scissors in the shape of an alligator. Long strands of hair still remained in its plastic blades.

Huxo was one of Erin's imaginary friends. There were three - Bunny, Ho Ho and Huxo. Bunny and Ho Ho were variations of the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. Their influence was benign and playful. Huxo, however, was devilish. He encouraged all sorts of mischief in Erin. Huxo had persuaded Erin to hide the cat in the refrigerator and flush him down the toilet. Huxo sometimes committed crimes himself, scribbling over my homework or coloring the bedroom walls. This, however, was the most serious action Huxo had ever taken.

"Maaa!" I screamed, my tonsils exposed.

Erin rushed out of the closet, baring the safety scissors. I backed away from her, hands wrapped protectively around my pony tail.

"Maaa!" I screamed again.

"Shhh! Don't tell. I can fix it. See?" Erin picked up clumps of her hair and stuck them on top of her head. Wisps slid off her head and fell around her like noodles.

"What are you screaming....OhmyGodJesusMaryandJoseph!" My mother dropped the clothespin she had been holding and shielded her eyes, unable to look. Erin broke into a wide grin and patted the top of her head.

"Huxo did it Mommy!" My mother gurgled and gasped, unmoving. I picked up a clump of hair and handed it to my mother.

"See Ma? she hid it in my backpack."

My mother groaned. "Oh God. Oh God. Look at your hair! Look at your head! I gotta get you to the beauty salon. Jesus Christ!"

My mother plucked Erin up off the floor, holding her at arm's length as if she were infected. Erin beamed. My mother held her upside down and shook the excess hair off of Erin, who giggled with glee.

"Noreen. Please clean this mess. I have to get this fixed." Holding Erin like a package under her arm, my mother grabbed her purse and swooped out the door, trailing along a string of JesusMaryandJosephs.

I dutifully swept up all of Erin's hair and hid the safety scissors under my mattress. Piling my textbooks onto my desk, I sighed at the work in front of me. With my math textbook sprawled out in front of me, I reached for my rubber pencil case. It wasn't on my desk, in my backpack or on the floor. I surveyed the room, unable to find it anywhere.

From behind me, I heard the slight creak of the closet door. My blood ran cold. The hair on the back of my neck stood at attention. I turned and saw that the closet door was slightly ajar. With my hands out in front of me, I rushed to the door and flung it wide. Staring into the darkness, I clicked the light on and bent down into the closet, moving stuffed toys and baseball gloves aside. There, behind a bowling ball, I found my rubber pencil case and snatched it out of the closet. I stood and slammed the closet door shut.

Back at my desk, I stared at my homework, distracted. A jumble of equations taunted me. My eyes kept returning to the closet door expectantly. I thought of Erin's innocent eyes, and the fear sometimes in her voice when she mentioned Huxo. I wondered, and a chill shot up my spine. I stacked my books carefully and carried them out to the kitchen table. I didn't believe in ghosts or goblins. The boogeyman had nothing on me. But Huxo...? I decided not to take any chances. Besides, the light in the kitchen was much better for my eyes.