1 A.M.
There was light.
Such gorgeous, brilliant light.
Then hunger. I was dying. I needed something. Anything.
Lurching forward, I stung my hand on the nightstand and clasped something round. Without thinking, I popped it into my mouth, shuddering as it started dissolving on my tongue. Vision blurry from sleep, I managed to trip out of the blankets and to the bathroom, where I turned on the sink and cupped my hands beneath the diamond water, taking a gulp to help swallow my food.
A shuffle of feet, then a voice. “Henry?”
Mellie. An angel, truly. She was bright and furious, loving and gentle. I smiled at her.
“No worries, Mel. I’m okay. I just needed water.” Her eyes traveled from my face down to my disheveled shirt and rumpled pants. Her lips formed a look, a stern look.
“Back to bed. You need to sleep off those pills.”
“Pills?” What was she talking about? She stared at me, expression torn. Eventually, she did speak softly to me.
“Back to bed, my love.”
That was Mellie for you. Always taking care of others.
“You always take care of me,” I noted gently, trailing along like a vapor cloud. “Let me take care of you for once.” She turned around, offering me a small smile.
“No, Henry. For now, I will take care of you. Okay?” I sighed. Why couldn’t she understand?
“Mellie, I want to take care of you.” She looked down. Why was she always sad? It was either sadness or anger. Never joy these days. “Why can’t you let me make you happy?” I pleaded. Her eyes were two pools of laughter and pain.
“Rest, Henry. You’ll have a clear head in the morning.” But I had a clear head now. Yes, I could see all the colors slowly seeping into my vision, turning me into a dazzling rainbow.
“I’m clear,” I said, voice far, far away. Off in Neverland, fighting Captain Hook. “I’m colors.” I could see tears forming in her eyes. They were the most beautiful shade of blue.
“I know, honey,” she whispered, voice breaking. “I…” She cut herself off then shook her head. “Back to bed.” Her voice was calm again, reassured. “Back to bed, Henry. Come on.” I laughed.
“Why? I can be fighting Captain Hook right now.” She flinched.
“Please.” My resolve wavered. I could feel the bubbles pop along my spine.
“You want me to go to bed?” She nodded once.
“Please, Henry.” Another sigh left me. I suppose I could sleep. For her.
“Alright, my love.” I leaned in, kissing her softly. She stiffened as I pulled away and sulked back to bed. “I’m in bed now. Goodnight.” As I closed my eyes, the whole world dissolved into sparkles, into bursts of orange, yellow, red.
Red.
A brilliant orange seeped into my bones, into my soul, carving out shapes and patterns that had me laughing. “So silly.” A dark green enveloped me, casting me to the floor. I hit the ground with a thud, groaning. Eyes snapping upward, I caught sight of a shadow flitting across the window, then slithering down the hallway. “Mellie…” I whispered hoarsely, “we aren’t alone.” I had to protect her. She didn’t think I knew her anymore. She didn’t think I was capable. I had to prove her wrong. I was her protector. She would always have me to protect her from harm.
For her.
I would do it for her.
Squaring my shoulders, I pushed off the floor and followed the darkness.
1:30 A.M.
The shadow was on the phone. Speaking. Hissing. Snarling.
I needed to subdue it. Kill it. I needed to drive it out of our home, protect Mellie and myself, keep us safe. Sacred vows echoed in my head: to honor, love, and cherish. Protect each other through thick and thin.
I crept closer, keeping an eye on the shadow. There was a collection of knives in our kitchen. I could use that to keep the thing down. Mellie would be so proud once she saw what I had done, what I could do to protect her. But first, I needed the creature contained. My hand darted out to the knife rack, drawing the blade. The shadow turned and I was upon it, tackling it and driving the blade toward the leg.
The creature bucked, an inhuman sound leaving its throat. I caught a glimpse of the vein, so similar to a human’s. But this thing wasn’t human. I needed to defeat it. Its skin was sickly and pale, bumps scattering its forearms. “You’re not hurting us,” I snarled in its face, the knife still buried in the thing’s leg.
“P-Please…Henry!” it gasped, voice light but strained, filled with pain. Good.
“No. You don’t get to plead. Mellie is going to see that I can protect her.” Eyes, pained and filled with immense sorrow, looked at me. They were Mellie’s eyes. What was this thing?
“You evil bastard.” I reared up in shock. “How dare you try to deceive me with her? You can’t! Mellie…she’s mine! You can’t do that!” I slapped it, hard. It cried out. It…it sounded human. It could manipulate its voice? What kind of alien was this? I quickly took off my sock and stuffed it in the thing’s mouth. “Stop talking. Mellie needs to see you. She needs to see that I can protect her.” I dragged the thing by its injured leg down the hallway, ignoring its whimpers. Mellie was going to be so proud of me.
But…where was she? The bed was rumpled in her place, the covers thrown back. A house-shoe was strewn off to the side, near the window.
“Where is she?” The proud smile slipped from my face. My heart pounded like a drum in my chest. Oh God…where was she? I sprinted into the bathroom, lungs closing up. I threw on the light and stared. No. No. NO.
I stormed back out, grabbing the slimy creature and throwing it against the wall. “Where is she?” I howled. “Where is my wife?” It shook. The beast had the audacity to shake. “What have you done? Where is she? What did you do to her? You can’t keep her from me!” My voice cracked. “I need her.” I sprinted out of the room, leaving it crippled against the wall and ran into the garage. “MELLIE?”
The living room.
The dining room.
The kitchen.
Inside the laundry room.
The bathrooms.
The basement.
Gone. Gone. All gone.
“MELLIE?!”
