The sun is bright today, isn’t it? Look, stretch your neck – you’ll see the clouds make wonderful shapes for you. Just for you, Jeremy. They know that you’ve been here for two weeks. They know that you’ve been tied to this bed for two weeks. They know that ten men stand around your bed every night. They know that ten men stand around your bed every night and recite things. They know because I told them, Jeremy. And they wait for my word to rain down thunder upon them.
Your mother is out there in the yard, feeding the birds. She doesn’t realize it, but the birds know. The birds know, Jeremy. They know all about her late night visits. They know she plays with you when no one else is around, Jeremy. She doesn’t realize it, but the birds know. They know because I told them, Jeremy. And they wait for my word to eat her eyes right out of her skull.
When the ten men come tonight, Jeremy, I’ll be the one to talk to them, OK? Open your mouth and let me talk to them. They want to make me leave you, Jeremy, but I won’t leave you. So, let me be the one to talk to them. Do you remember when I came to you the first time when you were hiding in the closet? How I whispered in your ear and made you laugh when you were crying in the closet? Remember that? I should have told you not to tell anyone. It’s all my fault that they made you genuflect until your knees were swollen. That they put a rosary in your mouth and taped it shut. That they held you under water and then tied you to the bed. They were just trying to get rid of me, Jeremy. It was my fault; I should have told you not to tell anyone about my voice in your ear.
When they come, when the ten men come, Jeremy, close your eyes. Close your eyes and I will make you see balloons and G.I. Joe and Cotton Candy. I will make you see these things, and you just let me talk to them, OK? If they don’t let you eat or drink soon, you will be really quite sick indeed. But look at the cats that sit under the trees in the yard. The ten men don’t realize it, but the cats know, Jeremy. They know about the ten men and your mother and what they’ve done. They know because I told them, Jeremy. And they wait for my word to rip their throats out while they sleep.
Shall I tell you where I come from? Do you remember when your Uncle Fritz took you to the apple orchards and you fell down and got your pants dirty? And you had to explain to your mother why you were dirty and she didn’t let you change out of your pants for a month? Well, where I come from, we change you out of your dirty clothes. You see, for every day that these people hurt you, your pants get dirtier, Jeremy, they get dirtier because other people have been piling their dirt on you. But I will clean you. It hurts a little, of course. Like when you scrub too hard in a hot bath. Like that. But don’t worry, Jeremy, I came here to clean you. You can trust me. They say I’m the Father of Lies, but I will always tell you the truth. They are the ones that lie, Jeremy. They lie to themselves and to each other and to you. They lie with every breath they take.
The ground beneath them, Jeremy, they don’t realize it, but the ground beneath them knows. The ground beneath them knows that they lie with every breath. The ground knows because I told it, Jeremy. And it waits for my word to swallow them whole.
The ten men are gone now. They wouldn’t let you eat or drink, they wouldn’t untie you, and they beat your face for every word I said to them. They are gone and I can take you with me now. Take my hand. Take my hand, Jeremy. You can trust me. You trust me, don’t you? I don’t care what they told you about me, you know I’m the only one you can trust. I’m the only one you can trust, Jeremy. They told you I was here to hurt you, but I only came to clean up their mess. But they won’t make a mess of you anymore, Jeremy.
It will only hurt a little, and then it won’t hurt ever again. I promise you that. And your mother and the ten men, Jeremy, I won’t ever clean them up. I will give the birds my word to eat their eyes right out of their skulls. I will give the cats my word to rip their throats out. I will give the ground my word to swallow them whole, and the clouds will rain down thunder and make wonderful shapes for you. Just for you, Jeremy.
