Zipper

3.5

The clock's big hand was near the seven, and the closer it got, the more excited Emmy got. Soon Eric would be home. She tried to be patient, like Kat had told her. Focusing on her toy horse, Emmy brushed its long black tail again and tries, but fails, to braid it. She clasps a bow at the end anyway, as though it were her best masterpiece and smiled to herself.

"There you go," she told the horse. "Ready for the big horse show."

"Emmmmmmmeeee."

The voice came like a rasp, overlapping and crashing into itself. It didn't sound human and it made her jump, finding footing immediately. The brush and horse falling from her hands, she took off at a sprint toward her bed. She pounced inside and flung the blanket over her head, shaking like a leaf.

Whatever that was—no thanks, please! "Pretend it's not there, it'll go away, pretend it's not there, it'll go away," she whispered to herself.

"Emmy?" The voice was more clear now. "I'm sorry, don't be scared."

Emmy peeked out of the blanket to see Zipper standing in her bedroom. She smiled and waved at Emmy in a friendly way. Emmy stared silently. Where did she come from all of a sudden? she wondered. She knew that Kat couldn't see or hear Zipper for some reason.

"H-how did you get in here?" Emmy said. "What was that...that voice? Did you do that?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I was just playing," she said. "Do you forgive me?"

Emmy checked her door. Shut, even though it was open before. Kat liked Emmy to keep her door open at all times. Did Zipper shut it? Emmy stared at Zipper's wide eyes. Eyebrows turned up like a pleading puppy.

"Why are you here?" Emmy asked.

"I'm your friend aren't I?"

For some reason, that question felt awkward. Emmy wanted to like Zipper, but she was kind of weird. What kind of friend just shows up in your house? What kind of friend is invisible?

"Why can't mommy see you?" Emmy asked, ignoring Zipper's question. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be Zipper's friend or not.

"She doesn't want to see me."

"Why?"

Zipper shrugged. "Most people don't want to see me. They think I'm strange." She made her eyes roll around, one clockwise the other counterclockwise, when she said strange.

Emmy giggled and so did Zipper. You think that's cool wait til you see this. Zipper extended a hand over the toy horse that Emmy had just dropped on the floor and abandoned. The horse stood up and shook its mane! It swished its tail as if it were alive, then started galloping around the room.

"Wooooow," Emmy said.

The door clicked open and the horse fell.

"What are you doing?" Kat asked. She had a basket of laundry at her hip. One hand on the basket, the other on the door.

Emmy looked toward Zipper, but saw only air where she had been.

"I was...I was just playing horse show," Emmy stammered.

"With the door closed? We don't close this door remember? What if you got hurt somehow and had to call for me? Can I hear you with the door closed?" Kat kept her voice calm and patient, but Emmy knew she was upset. She always got upset when she couldn't see or hear Emmy, as if she'd die if she couldn't see her.

"I'm okay, mom," Emmy insisted.

"Good. Just keep the door open, please."

"Okay," Emmy said.

Kat went down the hall with the laundry basket and Emmy looked around. She couldn't see Zipper anywhere. She was a little...different, but so cool. How does she have magic? Emmy wondered. Is she a fairy godmother? Like on Cinderella? They have magic like that.

She hopped off the bed and opened the closet. Nobody. She looked under her bed and there was Zipper looking back at her. She held up her finger in a hush movement, pointer finger pointing straight up to her nose. The she faded into the darkness under the bed at exactly the same time that the front door clicked open.