I stop in front of the door and hold my breath. Through the silence I can hear whispers within.
"Is Daddy a monster?"
Lexi's whisper tears into my soul. My little girl knows what's happening. The last threads of childlike innocence are slowly stretching and fraying, straining to the breaking point.
"No, stupid," Steven bites back. "He's just sick. He's going to be okay. You just wait and see."
"Stevie, when is Doctor Kibble man coming back?"
I cover my mouth and stifle a laugh.
"He told Mom that he would be back in a little bit," Steven reassures her. "Don't worry."
"Daddy hurt Mommy," Lexi starts to choke up. She knows.
So do I. I didn't mean to do it. But, I'm a danger. My whole family is in danger. That's exactly why I need to end this.
Part of me wants to wait for Kinnelson to get back here. Part of me wants to believe that he has the cure and it will work and I'll be back to normal in no time. Most of me knows its bullshit. There may very well be a cure, but there isn't one now, at least not one that can save me.
"Lexi? Steven?" I speak as softly as I can. "Please, come out. It's okay. I'm okay."
There's nothing but silence beyond the door. Not a scream or a breath - not even a rustle - it is quiet.
I press my forehead against the door. "Kids, please. Daddy's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."
I hear the click of metal on metal as a hand wraps around the door knob. My eyes immediately divert to it as a reverberation spans out through the door when the spindle catches on the latch bolt. I feel the plunger recede into the door.
Light shines through the minute air gap of the opening door. A little eye peeks out at me just above the handle. I drop to my knees and hold out my arms. The door flies open and my little angel leaps into my arms.
"Baby girl," I hug her tighter than I ever have. "I love you so much."
Lexi pulls back and puts her hands on my cheeks. Her eyes lock on mine.
"Daddy," Lexi's voice interrogates. "Why did you hurt Mommy?"
"Oh, baby," I don't even try to lie. "Daddy is very sick."
"Are you turning into a monster?"
I nod.
"What about Doctor Kibbleson?"
I laugh. The joy doesn't last, though.
"The doctor can't help me, baby," I choke back tears. "It's too late for me."
Lexi's lips curl downward into a frown. I know she wants to cry, but she's being such a big girl.
"Oh, little lady," I comfort her. "I know its --"
Pain slams the side of my head as a flash streaks across my eyes. Muscles involuntarily contract, pulling my head to my chest.
Oh, God! Michael, don't let it take you! Get them out of here! No!
I tighten my grip on the little brat's arms. She screams and hollers as I squeeze tighter and tighter. Blood trickles out around my fingertips as my nails dig into her flesh.
"Leave her alone!"
The boy bounds out of the room. Something's clenched in the little fucker's hands, but I can't tell what it is. He swings at me. A flash of black races toward my head and smashes into the side of my face. My eyesight whites out and I'm seeing stars.
The little bitch bites my hand and starts trying to wriggle free. Nice try, you aren't going anywhere.
"Little fucker!"
I grab a handful of the boy's hair and slam his fucking head into the wall. He swings and catches me again, the nuisance. I slam his head into the wall again and again. Finally, the drywall buckles and I put the little bastard's skull through it. It doesn't take very long for his arms to fall limp. I drop his ass to the floor and turn back to the other one.
She twists and writhes around. I can't get a grip on her no matter what I do. The goddamn kid won't hold still and she's starting to piss me off. Enough of this shit. I'm done playing around. Fuck trying to contain her.
I grab her by the hair and lunge in. I close my jaw around her neck. My teeth sink into flesh, although there's not enough meat on this one to fill someone half my size. The blood tastes good, though. It’s sweet and... young - a delicacy.
Her screams begin to muffle. Blood showers us both as it trickles into her air passage. The fight is leaving her as the little shit chokes on her own blood.
My God, Michael!
Who is this... God? There is no fucking God.
I drop the little one on the ground; there's nothing else I can get from her. The boy, on the other hand? That's a different story.
I grab him by his shirt and yank his little ass closer to me. I wipe my finger across his upper lip to gather as much of the blood from his dripping nose as I can. The crimson hits my tongue and I marvel at its sweetness.
My body quivers as I prepare to indulge my appetite. The girl hardly satisfied me. All she did was feed my yearning for more.
This one isn't going to put up a fight, so I can take my time. But, where do I start? Should I did his eyes out of his head first? Or, should I just jump right to the main course?
Main course, it is. I turn the little fucker's head and lunge in. My teeth sink into flesh, uncontested.
I close my eyes and flick my head. A chunk of meat tears free and I pull back to savor it. As I do, the sounds of a baby crying invade my senses.
My eyes flick open. The dead boy is no longer in my arms. Swaddled in cloth, a tiny baby stares up at me, blue eyes locked on mine.
"What the fuck is happening?"
My pulse races. Where am I? The room around me is no longer as it was. I'm in a hospital room. A solitary bed lies in the center, occupied by a sleeping woman.
It's Kari, Michael.
A pained scream explodes in the air around me. The scream of a baby, horrified and hurt, breathless and scared. I look down at the child, its neck tore open and full of blood. The little blanket drenched in crimson.
It's my little boy!
"Oh, God," I scream out. "No! God, no!"
My babies... what have I done?
"Michael!"
I snap to attention at the familiar voice. Doctor Kinnelson is in the doorway. A pistol is held firmly in his hands, sighted in on me. All color is drained from his face. Shimmering speckles of tears form at the corners of his eyes.
"Oh, Michael," he swallows hard. "What have you done?"
"Doc," I stand up. "You gotta help me!"
"Stop," he hollers as his grip tightens on the pistol. "Don't come any closer, Michael."
He shakes his head as he stares at me, his mouth curled into a frown. Unable to maintain his lock on me, his eyes divert, first to Amy and then Kari.
He kneels down next to Kari, careful to keep the pistol pointed at me. His free hand reaches to her neck. The sigh that escapes his lips lets me know she is still alive. But, should she be? I can't let her see me like this.
I lift me foot and step forward. Kinnelson leaps to his feet and steps back, pistol pointed directly at my head.
"I failed, Michael," Kinnelson admits. "I know you can't understand anymore, but I failed you."
What does he mean "can't understand"? I can understand him perfectly!
It instantly hits me like a freight train. There was never any medium. I am one of them. I am one of them, and my greatest fears - the thing I feared most of all - is now a grim reality. I am cursed to relive the horror of everything I do for eternity.
I take another step.
"I'm warning you, Michael," Doctor Kinnelson growls at me. "Stay back!"
No. I'm not going to stay back. I can't. I've done enough and I don't want to do anymore.
"Dammit," Kinnelson yells as I step towards him.
Kill me.
Walking towards him does little good. Hesitation pours from his aura like a plague. He doesn't want to do it.
"Kill me, God damn you!"
My words accomplish nothing but to confirm that my metamorphose is complete.
I flail my arms and charge. This is my last resort.
"I'm sorry, Michael," he
says as he closes his eyes and squeezes the trigger.
The most welcome sound...
We're free...
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shawn W. Salzman is the author of "Order of the Wolf" and the upcoming "Hellbenders" and "The Elder Diaries". He currently resides in southern Wisconsin with his family.
Table of Contents
DEDICATION
5: 00 PM HOUR FOUR
2: 00 PM THE ZERO HOUR
3 PM HOUR TWO
4 PM HOUR THREE
6: 30 PM HOUR FIVE NOW
7 PM HOUR SIX
8 PM HOUR SEVEN
9 PM HOUR EIGHT
10 PM HOUR NINE
11 PM HOUR TEN
MIDNIGHT HOUR ELEVEN
1 AM HOUR TWELVE
2 AM HOUR THIRTEEN
3 AM HOUR FOURTEEN
4 AM HOUR FIFTEEN
5 AM HOUR SIXTEEN
6 AM HOUR SEVENTEEN
7 AM HOUR EIGHTEEN
8 AM HOUR NINETEEN
9 AM HOUR TWENTY
10 AM HOUR TWENTY-ONE
11 AM HOUR TWENTY-TWO
12 PM HOUR TWENTY-THREE
1 PM THE FINAL HOUR
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The Final Day [Complete Edition] Page 15