Boy in the Shed

This week's Prompt, A Garden Shed, A Long Lost Relative.

A door creaked outside. Dave jumped out of bed. “What the Hell?” he shouted, looking at the clock on the bedside table: 12:01. 

“Go and have a look”, Sally said, turning over and pulling the quilt up.

“Me, why me?” Dave slowly put his legs out of bed, showing his reluctance to go and investigate.

“Oh, ok, I'll go,” Sally jumped out of bed, grabbed her nightgown and her phone, turning on the torch as she walked down the stairs. She unlocked the back door and went outside. There was an eerie silence. She stopped. Dave bumped into her “Bloody hell, Dave” 

“What's that smell”? He asked.

She gave him a look. He shrugged his shoulders.

"The Shed, someone has been in the shed," Sally said as she walked toward it, her flashlight guiding her path. "Footprints, look, I see footprints."

Dave was clinging to the wall, “Maybe we should ring the Police, they might still be in there”

Sally pushed open the shed door, and a waft of musty wet animal came out. “I think it's a dog”, she said, walking in.

“Dogs don't know how to break locks, Sal”, he said, looking over his shoulder. “Come on, let's call the police.

Walking inside, all Sally could see were shadows being cast from her torch, so she turned it off. “HI”, she said in a low tone.

A noise sounding like an injured animal came back, “I think it's hurt”, she said. “Here”, Sally dragged the lawnmower out of the way, passing it to Dave, then came out a box of plant pots. “I can see it, it looks like a dog, but hang on, it has…”  

Dave stopped her shouting, “Sally, get out, let’s lock it in and call the police” 

Sally gave him a stern look, “It's changing, it's not a dog, it's a little boy, give me your robe he's freezing, 

“A dog, a boy, what the hell are you talking about”? Dave grabbed for a spade, “Move, I can get it from here”

Sally moved further into the shed. “It's ok, don't worry,” she said, putting her hand out to comfort the boy. “Come on, come to me”, nudging a few inches further, Sall was now passed the door. “It's ok, my name's Sally, what's yours”?

“You're asking a frigin dog what's its name, Sal, have you gone mad?”

“Shush, Dave.” Sally pushed a box of Christmas decorations out of the way. The moonlight shone through the window. She could see the coarse fur running down his back, and his shoulders started to click as they transformed. His claws began to disappear, and small, delicate fingers with nails took their place. No longer a creature of myth living in the shadows, but a boy with tousled hair and questions in his gaze. Finding another box with old blankets in, she wrapped one around the boy, who was shivering. “Come on, let's get you inside where it's warm.”

“What's this?” Dave picked up a ball of fluff. “It looks like next door's rabbit, with…” Dave heaved as though he was going to be sick. “Its head's missing.”

Sally walked into the living room with her arm around the boy as Dave walked behind still holding the spade, “Put it down, Dave, can't you see he's terrified?”

“Terrified…, you just pulled a werewolf out of the shed”

“Maybe I got it wrong”, knowing she wasn't, but she needed for Dave to calm down. “Look, it was dark, the shadows were playing tricks with me. Look at him, does he look like a dog, a wolf? No, he's a scared little boy, so sit down and calm down”  

Lying in front of the fire, the boy was getting warm. He opened his eyes, looking around, not knowing where he was or who the two people were looking at him. He sat up, remembering he was naked, and grabbed the blanket.

“It's ok”, Sally put her hands out “It's ok, we won't hurt you”.

“Where am I”? a squeaky voice came back.

“You're on Earth, where do you think you are?” Sally hit Dave on the arm, 

“You are in our house, in Manchester, do you know how you got into our shed”?

Looking around, trying to take it all in, “I don't know these things”, pointing at the television, “What is that?, and that?” now pointing at the light in the centre of the ceiling.

“Ok, can you tell me what it's like where you come from, do you have houses like this?” waving her arm around the room.

“No, I live in the woods, in a cave with…,” he stopped talking as though he had remembered something significant. “My Nan, where is my Nan?” he jumped up, now standing.

Sally thought he looked about eight or nine. She heard Dave behind her on the phone, “Yeah, number Ten Donking Street, he was in the shed naked, he says he's not from around here and he's never seen a television before…, ok, ten minutes, thanks”

“Dave, what have you done?” She gave him a look that usually meant you're in big trouble.

“I've called the authorities, obviously something is wrong, he's either lost his memory or he's been held captive, either way, we are not qualified to do this.

A few minutes later, the front door banged open, and footsteps could be heard coming down the hallway. Sally looked around, saying in a startled voice, “Mum”

Just as the boy said, “Nan”.