I had a knack for finding monsters. Starting with my own pa, I never found a man I could trust. No matter how hard I tried, after the “honeymoon phase,” they just snapped.

Ronny was the worst. At first he was sweet. He gave me flowers and compliments. He wasn’t like anyone I’d ever been with. We married and he bought the house. We were supposed to fix it up together, but we weren’t handy. I’m guessing that’s what started the drinking and hitting.

“You’re so stupid!” he’d yell, spit spraying from his drunken mouth. Then he’d finish with a slap.

The night it got real bad, I locked myself in the basement. I don’t even remember what set him off. I do remember my head cracking the drywall, though. I retreated to the basement and laid on the cement floor, crying and trapped like an animal. Then I heard the whispering.

It was the man who lived in the walls, or at least that’s what he told me. I shoulda been scared, but after dealing with Ronny, a man in the walls didn’t seem that bad. He asked me if I was ok and told me Ronny was a piece of shit. Nothing was funny about the situation, but I laughed.

“I could fix it. If that’s what you want.” He said. Yeah, I did want the drywall fixed I told him. Then I fell asleep.

I slept too long. When I went upstairs, Ronny was at work. The wall was fixed. Not just the part my head had bounced against. The whole wall. I showed Ronny when he got home. He just grunted and opened a beer. He passed out and I went to the basement.

“Hey, why’d you do that?” I asked the empty room, “It looks real good, but now I’m gonna have to do some serious work on this place.”

“You don’t deserve this. I’ll do the work, if you want.” He said.

“Thanks.” Then I slept.

The house got better everyday, but I never saw the man. I’d just go to the basement every night and thank him. He’d tell me he could fix Ronny if I wanted, but I told him not to.

Then Ronny finally caught on that I wasn’t the one making repairs. He got real drunk and accused me of cheating and called me every name under the sun. He started punching walls. I got scared, so I went to the basement. Ronny followed me and started giving me the beating to end all beatings. My blood splattered the walls.

“Please,” I sputtered, “Please, I want you to fix him!”

And he did. Ronny was gone and I finally saw the man in the walls. He was a literal monster. But I wasn’t scared. I laid on the floor and he laid beside me. I took his hand.

“Why’d you do that?” I asked, my breath ragged.

“It’s what you wanted.” He said. Then I fell asleep.