Erik and the Monster talked for hours.
When the Monster finished telling everything—his truth, his pain, his view of the world—Erik stood still for a long time.
Then, shaking his head, he muttered,
"No… No, it's wrong. Not all humans are like that. You're the real monster."
And then he ran.
He ran so fast, his face looked like he'd seen a ghost in that garden.
But when Erik reached home…
he saw something even worse.
His mother—dead.
He rushed into the other room and saw his father lying on the floor…
And above him, holding a bloodied knife his neighbour was attacking