Short story about a foul child?

May 11, 2007 4:55 PM

Name That Short Story: a horror story-within-a-story about a foul child with a drunk father.

A mother tells her son a bedtime story about a foul child.

The child winds up beating a dog - his dog? - with a rubber hose, shouting "JUST LIKE DADDY!" as he does so. But then the child winds up disappearing completely through magical means.

That's the story within the story, and it ends there. And after his mother leaves the room, the child goes to the doorknob and finds it doesn't work. His room has been sealed off from this universe, and now he has disappeared himself.

Also, I think the child could have named Prince, but I could be wrong.

posted by Sticherbeast to media & arts (3 comments total)

"Good Night, Sweet Prince" by D. W. Taylor. It's in the anthology Scare Care edited by Graham Masterton.

The child was named Nicholas. "Prince" was the name of the boy within the story.
posted by Lucinda at 5:59 PM on May 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

Boom, headshot, Lucinda! You're a genius.
posted by Sticherbeast at 6:00 PM on May 11, 2007

Also - the story doesn't quite end the way you've got here, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone else.
posted by Lucinda at 6:00 PM on May 11, 2007