Children laughing

Crystal woke to the sounds of her children laughing and making a ruckus. It was too early in the morning for this. She got out of bed and slipped on her robe and house shoes. “Kelly? Tony? What are you doing in there?”

The kids got louder as she walked down the hall. She thought she could hear the living room television, because unfamiliar voices were making jokes and cracking them up in the process. The TV was on, alright. But it had the word MUTE in green at the top right hand corner of the screen. “That's strange,” she started to say, but then noticed the stranger in her home. He sat in the recliner. Her children, Kelly and Tony were jumping up and down in joyous delight.

“And then he threw the pie and hit Mr. Widdle!” said the stranger.

They laughed at this, throwing their hands in the air and running around and flopping onto the carpet.

A fever rose in her so hot, she felt her blood begin to boil. “Kelly. Tony.” She wanted their attention, and spoke with a firm voice. The voice of a mother alarmed. The voice she used to command and protect. “Come here.”

The stranger, the bald man was smiling. He paid her no notice. He only watched the girl and boy leave his side and cross the room crying “Mommy! Mommy!” The children were oblivious to the danger.

Crystal's voice came out feral, “get out of my house. NOW!”

The children froze.

“Kids, go to my room,” she snapped at them. “Mr., I'm calling the police. If you know what's good for you, you'd better leave.”

“Crystal, there is no need for alarm,” got up from the chair.

“Do I know you? Don't come any closer or I swear you'll regret it. Kids, I said go to my room.”

The children screamed and ran down the hall.

“Now, what did you go and do that for?”

“Why is this psycho so calm?” She thought. Her skin began to crawl with something cold. She dared not look away to see what it was for fear this man might lunge for her. She grabbed a lamp and yanked it from the wall socket. The crawling intensified. She saw a flash. A split second of an image, but it was enough. Her husband on the floor of the hospital. Not just her husband. There were other bodies next to his. “What's going on? Who are you? Why are you in my home?” She screamed at him. She feared being raped and killed, and her children dying at the hands of this man. Psychos are capable of anything.

“I am not interested in your sex. I have a higher purpose. However, my plans do not include you.”

It got colder in the room. She wet herself and lost control of her bowels. She felt the tiny ice pricks as the crawling creatures bit her. So cold. She was tired. She had to protect her children. She could not let this man destroy her family.

A voice in her head told her, “your children are safe.”

She believed it. It was true. She decided it would be good to go to sleep now. Darkness fell across her field of vision, but she never felt herself hit the floor, nor did she feel her head bash against the end table on her way down.