The baby monitor blares.

He steamrolls over to my side of the bed, tapping: "Babe, will you PLEASE shut that thing up?"

I shuffle into the nursery to feed and cuddle my boy. He's a noisy one. He keeps me up but I don't mind. I hope to hear his first words.

The baby monitor blares.

He screams from the box beneath my garden bed, pounding:  "Babe, will you PLEASE open this thing up?"

I roll over and cuddle his pillow. He's a noisy one. He'll keep me up but I don't mind. I hope to hear his last words.
 

Michael Arnzen teaches the writing and study of popular fiction at Seton Hill University. His dark flash fiction appears in such online venues as Minima, Shadowkeep, Insolent Rudder, Horrorfind and Champagne Shivers. Arnzen's novel, Grave Markings, was recipient of both the Bram Stoker Award and the International Horror Guild Award in 1995. He invites readers to visit his home page at http://www.gorelets.com/.