It was the third room that shocked him. He opened the door and lying in the middle of the room was a skeleton. Bits of flesh hung from its ribs. For one brief moment, he saw the skeleton move.

            Clyde gasped and slammed the door. He then noticed another baby. This one was cute bouncy and black. The baby crawled quickly toward him. He watched the baby until it stopped and sat down with a plop on its diaper. It eyed him and he eyed it back. Then, without hesitation, the baby raised its hands.

            Despite the screaming reservations in his head, Clyde scooped the baby up and charged down the steps. He looked around. The first baby was gone. He went to the front

door and tired the knob. It would not open. He pulled hard. Nothing. Clyde set the baby down and yanked with both hands. No good.

            He then felt the baby pulling itself up his leg. He looked down as it bit into his calf.

            “Ow!” He screamed and pulled the baby off his leg. It chewed on the chunk of Clyde passively and stared at him. Blood streamed down its chin, a piece of his pants hung from its mouth. It went right o chewing like a cow. He had the idea that it was teething or something and laughed crazily.

            Clyde backed away and noticed another baby crawling out from the kitchen. He went to the window and pulled his jacket off. He swung his fist toward the window. It didn’t shatter. Clyde was very scared now. He pounded a second time and then a third.

            “Upstairs,” he huffed and limped toward the banister.

            His leg pained him but he made it to the first door on the second floor and kicked it open. Inside were babies. Some were naked; some were dressed in jumpers, some only in diapers. They crawled toward him. He slammed the door shut. It opened. He slammed it shut again. It opened slowly this time.

            He ran/limped to the next room his face streaming with sweat and whipped open the door. Inside, more babies came after him. He shut that door and watched as it opened slowly, like the first. He turned his to the right and saw the babies scampering out the first door. Some sat up and cried. Most continued toward him a strange flat look in their eyes.

            Clyde dashed into the third room. There were no babies there and he slammed the door. He stepped over the skeleton and went to the far window. Outside an old man watched the house silently. Clyde could see him and he locked his eyes with the old man’s who simply cast his stare downward looking at his scuffed shoes and ambled away.

The babies had pushed the door open and were rolling in like tiny soldiers. They surged forward. Clyde stood his ground. The first baby reached for him. Clyde kicked it hard. The baby flew back and struck the far wall with an audible splat. It fell to the ground. Some of the babies grabbed and devoured their tiny brother. Still others came on and he kicked at them. He crushed the skull of second baby and then a third. They would not relent and came at him, a flowing tide.

Clyde screamed, but there was no one outside except a lone man walking in front of the house whistling. The man stopped as if he heard something. Clyde pounded on the window. Five babies had crawled up onto his back and he felt them gouge into this flesh. He sank to his knees with a piercing bellow. Outside the man stopped whistling and looked at the house again.

Clyde whimpered the babies swarmed on him, chewing him slowly apart.

“Help me…,” he whispered.

THE END