Page 20 of Monsters' Touch

Oh god. I’m definitely insane. No question about it. I should just check myself into the nearest mental facility and call it a day. It probably won’t even be that bad. Crazy people get to wear comfy clothes all day and eat pudding cups.

I like pudding.

“What’s happening? Why is she aware?”A different voice.

“I don’t know, but clearly it’s addled her mind. She’s rambling about pudding.”Yet another different voice. In my head. And I still can’t see anything!

Something in me snaps. The last remaining twig of restraint I have breaks clean in two and I yell into my mind.HOLD THE FUCKING PHONE. HOW MANY OF YOU ARE THERE IN HERE?!

For a moment, everything is silent and I fear now I’ve gone deaf in addition to blind.

“You’re neither, dear host. You’re merely stronger than any of us anticipated.”

Another. That makes four. Four distinct voices in my head.

“Yes. There are four of us.”

I’d figured that out myself, but the confirmation made it that much worse.

I blow right past the thumbnail stage and try to reach for the cuts on my arm but, yet again, I find I don’t actually have a body anymore.

“You all better explain what the hell is going on, or I’ll—“

“She’s overriding everything,”a voice calls out sharply.

“You bet your fucking ass I’m overriding everything. This is my head! Get the fuck out of it!”

I can’t feel them leave because I have no senses to feel with. But I do see a light. Brilliant and white like the way everyone who’s had a near death experience describes heaven.

It’s either the light at the end of this weird tunnel or the train coming to flatten me out. Obviously, I hope for the first.

Beeping. Steady, rhythmic beeps, familiar but not.

Industrial antiseptic burns in my nose.

And slowly the blazing white light has shadows and shapes. The shapes crisp up into a full color scene before me.

And my heart falls to the hospital room floor.

“Mom!”

A shell of herself, frail and small, one boney shoulder poking out of the blue gown she wears.

“There you are, sweety. You were talking nonsense for a second.” She tries to smile, but only manages a slight quirk of her lips.

I collapse onto the edge of her bed and take both her hands in mine.

“I see you finally read my messages.”

My chin dips to my chest as guilt winds its way through my stomach and into my throat. “I—um. Where’s Dad?”

“Oh, he went back to the house to shower. He’ll be back soon.”

Hot tears sting my eyes, but I keep them from falling. I won’t cry in front of her. Not now. Not when she’s the one fighting for her life.

“When?” I ask softly.

“I found out it came back about a week ago.”

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