childhood mares
Halley Ware
A pale slice of butter slid down his tilted stack of pancakes, placed in front of him by the maroon
manicured hands of their tired waitress, as he sipped on his Coca-Cola intently.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
It was around three in the morning on one of the nights his mom couldn’t sleep. They sat across
from each other in one of the many vinyl booths crowded against dark windows, that stretched across the
length of the little diner, and she told him which rerun of a nightmare she was avoiding this time.
“Your dad was there, but I was much younger...” she paused, gesturing her head very wildly towards
him; her eyes were strained and the thin skin surrounding them sagged with insomnolence.
He dripped some of the maple syrup onto the table.
“...About your age, but it didn’t seem to make a difference to him. He took my hand and led me
towards the basement,” her excitement faded with the word, as usual, it was like a dark presence made itself
known with even the slightest mention of the place, “your grandparents’ basement,” she inhaled deeply.
manicured hands of their tired waitress, as he sipped on his Coca-Cola intently.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
It was around three in the morning on one of the nights his mom couldn’t sleep. They sat across
from each other in one of the many vinyl booths crowded against dark windows, that stretched across the
length of the little diner, and she told him which rerun of a nightmare she was avoiding this time.
“Your dad was there, but I was much younger...” she paused, gesturing her head very wildly towards
him; her eyes were strained and the thin skin surrounding them sagged with insomnolence.
He dripped some of the maple syrup onto the table.
“...About your age, but it didn’t seem to make a difference to him. He took my hand and led me
towards the basement,” her excitement faded with the word, as usual, it was like a dark presence made itself
known with even the slightest mention of the place, “your grandparents’ basement,” she inhaled deeply.
Michael instinctively shivered, like one of the monsters from past nightmares was crawling across
his skin, the same way they would crawl from the basement to get him. He’d only ever seen the inside from
the faded wooden window that—when it wasn’t fogged up—was just large enough to look down on the
stained concrete and pull-string light bulb that he swore had a slight sway. His mother always told him to be
careful when he visited, but she would never join them, and his father was often too busy with his practice.
He hated his grandparents' house, and he never understood why he had to go because they weren’t even his
mother's legitimate parents.
“But it was not the same inside. It-It was our bedroom,” she looked confused, as if she were
experiencing the dream for the first time.
Michael’s butter knife pressed through the sticky fluff, scraping one of the strawberries printed on
the center of the ceramic. His mom’s expression let up as the noise momentary drew her attention away
from the mare. The pink rounds of her cheeks raised with the corner of her lips.
his skin, the same way they would crawl from the basement to get him. He’d only ever seen the inside from
the faded wooden window that—when it wasn’t fogged up—was just large enough to look down on the
stained concrete and pull-string light bulb that he swore had a slight sway. His mother always told him to be
careful when he visited, but she would never join them, and his father was often too busy with his practice.
He hated his grandparents' house, and he never understood why he had to go because they weren’t even his
mother's legitimate parents.
“But it was not the same inside. It-It was our bedroom,” she looked confused, as if she were
experiencing the dream for the first time.
Michael’s butter knife pressed through the sticky fluff, scraping one of the strawberries printed on
the center of the ceramic. His mom’s expression let up as the noise momentary drew her attention away
from the mare. The pink rounds of her cheeks raised with the corner of her lips.
“He was being so charming,” she sighed reminiscently towards the tabasco sauce that sat untouched
on the edge of the table, “as usual. But I could still feel the dark presence that consumed that basement. He
was confused about why I was so uncomfortable, and every attempt he made to comfort me only brought me
more unease. My body took hold of a panic. I couldn’t help it. I-I had to push his hands away. I had to leave
him,” she twisted her ring between fingers, “but I wanted him to hold me again—Why could I not just let him
hold me?”
Michael interrupted her regretful shaking when he reached his little hand to rest on top of hers,
spreading his fingers to avoid snagging them on her cold and raised diamond. Her surprised look let him
know that she had gotten so lost in her nightmare that she had forgotten that he was there, listening. She
reciprocated his invitation back into reality with a sad smile.
“I miss him too,” his words lured a single tear from the lingering pool of her vision.
on the edge of the table, “as usual. But I could still feel the dark presence that consumed that basement. He
was confused about why I was so uncomfortable, and every attempt he made to comfort me only brought me
more unease. My body took hold of a panic. I couldn’t help it. I-I had to push his hands away. I had to leave
him,” she twisted her ring between fingers, “but I wanted him to hold me again—Why could I not just let him
hold me?”
Michael interrupted her regretful shaking when he reached his little hand to rest on top of hers,
spreading his fingers to avoid snagging them on her cold and raised diamond. Her surprised look let him
know that she had gotten so lost in her nightmare that she had forgotten that he was there, listening. She
reciprocated his invitation back into reality with a sad smile.
“I miss him too,” his words lured a single tear from the lingering pool of her vision.