The Guardian

Char had been a miserable child. Everyone knew it. Her mother used to say “She was born with a frown”. It was all in good fun at first; 2 years of Char’s life were a wash of “Oh, she’s just a grumpy little thing isn’t she?” and “Oh what a little sourpuss”

Char, born Charlotte Ann, was not a sourpuss or a grumpy little thing. Char was just, cautious. Char knew things. Things that others around her seemed ignorant to, or at least they were pretending they were. It started very small. Like, when you’re in a crowd and there are so many faces that it’s easy to miss one. Char’s earliest memory, was of Her being in the background.

Her.

This woman, this silent, unmoving woman. Just standing in the background of her 5^th birthday party. Big eyes staring deep into Char’s. It wasn’t a big deal. Nothing to be afraid of. It was an outdoor birthday party. Maybe she’d been a neighbor.

But then after that day

The Woman always seemed to be, around. Char would have a ballet recital, the Woman would be somewhere in the audience, just watching. Unmoving, silent, watching. It didn’t frighten Char, not as much as it unnerved her. The Woman seemed to only be just in the distance; In the street, at family events. Sometimes when Char would go to the grocery store with her mother, the Woman would be there; Staring directly at Char. The night before her 10^th birthday, all that changed.

Char was laying in bed, staring up at her glowing moonscape stickers on her ceiling. When she felt that all too familiar unease. That feeling you get when you’re being watched.

She rolled to her side assuming that she would see her mother standing in her doorway, as she so often did when she came to check on Char before bed.

But there

in the door-frame

Stood the figure of the Woman. THE Woman. Her skin was gray, pulled tight onto her skull. Her eyes were so wide it was as if she had no eyelids at all. She stood in Char’s doorway, looking deeply into Char’s eyes. Unblinking. Char didn’t feel afraid, just confused. Until of course she spoke

“Why…..don’t you give mama a smile….” her voice was a decibel so high that she could have broken glass with a soft giggle. Char Smacked her hands over her ears. Not turning away from those eyes. The Woman reached out her hands toward Char. Long skeletal fingers with cracked and broken nails stretched toward her with unnatural strain. They seemed to grow longer with each passing second.

“A SMILE DARLING! SHOW MAMA A SMILE!” The woman opened her mouth so remarkably wide, as if she was about to gobble up char in one gulp. Her tongue was long and pronged like a lizards. Her teeth were all too straight. There were too many of them….at least 50, no 60 teeth all crammed into that ungodly wide mouth.

“SMILE!” The woman lunged at Char, she closed her eyes and screamed

When Char opened her eyes she saw her mother in the place of where the Woman had stood, and the sun was shining through her window. He mother held a large stack of pancakes with a candle in the center.

“Happy Birthday my sweet Charlotte Ann! You’re the big 1-0 today!” Her mother’s perky voice was a small comfort.

“It must have been a dream” She thought

Char was afraid to go to sleep that night. She was afraid that she’d see the woman at the bus stop, or at her birthday party, or even at school. She was afraid that the dream would come back. What if the dream came back, and the woman caught her? Char suffered through a morning of upbeat birthday singing, cupcakes brought to her 4^th grade class in the middle of math. Char had always felt a bit disconnected, but today she like she was in a trance. Art class came, and Char finally felt a release. She loved to paint and draw, her favorite was when they’d learned about charcoal rubbing.

“Today Children, I want you to choose what medium you want to express yourselves. I have set up the supplies on this table here, and you will have the next hour to create whatever your heart desires!” a child raised their hand

“Yes Freidrick?”

“Freddy, Miss, Miss? What if I want to do a large or tiny painting?”

“You can create whatever your heart desires!”

“So it doesn’t have to be medium?”

The whole class giggled. Without answering, the teacher gestured to the table and everyone got up to pick their art supplies.

When Char walked over though, she found a set of colored pencils that were all….dark. All deep colors like navy blue, onyx and night sky. She picked it up, as well as a sketch notebook, and went back to her desk.

She started with onyx. Char drew a big oval shape, and colored it in just so, just enough leaving a space in the center. She pulled out a gray pencil and began to draw a face in the center of the oval. She drew tight cheekbones, and twisted lips. She looked up for a moment, afraid she’d see the Woman standing in the classroom. But there was nothing. Only the other kids painting clowns and race cars and their favorite TV character. She almost didn’t notice her teacher coming up behind her.

“Oh, and what do we have here Charlotte?” Char looked up into her teacher’s eyes. She watched as they went from curiosity, to confusion. Then, her teacher’s eyes began to widen, and her mouth fell agape.

“Oh my God” She whimpered “Charlotte see me after class” her voice shook with what sounded like anger. She slid the picture off the table away from Char.

“What did I do?” Char thought.

When the bell rang all of Char’s friends and classmates scurried off to recess, but she stayed behind. Her Teacher sat at her desk in the corner of the classroom, looking intently with furrowed brow at Char’s picture.

“Miss Hutchinson?” She spoke meekly. “Is there something wrong with my drawing?”

Miss Hutchinson said nothing. For what felt like an eternity she gaped at the drawing, as if not knowing where to begin.

“Charlotte” Miss Hutchinson Croaked “where did you get the idea to draw this….this THING?” Her voice was breathy and loud, as if she wanted to whisper but was too panicked.

She held the picture up to Char so that she was face to face with what had been haunting her. The wide eyes and teeth, the sickeningly taut skin, all staring back at Char.

“She follows me”

“Follows...she FOLLOWS you? So this thing is something that you’ve seen? This is some ONE you know?” Before Char could answer Miss Hutchinson grabbed her cell phone and began frantically dialing.

“Yes, Yes Paul? I need to speak to Paul please. It’s urgent.” Char let her eyes wander towards the door to the classroom. There, standing in the side panel window, The Woman stood. She smiled at Char.

And for the first time, Char smiled back

“Paul! Oh my God I’m so glad I caught you.” Char arose from her chair. She wasn’t afraid or unnerved. It was time

“Paul, it’s happening again. She came back. One of the students in my class. I need you to come right away with your equipment” Miss Hutchinson looked toward Char as she hung up the phone.

“Everything is going to be OK Charlotte” Char turned her head, locking eyes with Miss Hutchinson.

“Show Mama a Smile”

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