He Returns

Four: The m******e

My body is sinking into the chair, giving me the illusion of falling. Not wanting to die, I wake up confused and screaming, as if it were still happening. A male flight attendant runs up to me mortified, asking me,’ Are you ok? What is happening? Did you see something?’

Stuttering, I have the gust to reply,’ I’m fine thanks, it was only a dream,’ and flash a not very convincing smile.

I have never missed my little daughter and wife as much as I do now. Shy, silent, soothing laughs in front of the slight burn of fire, hot chocolate with marshmallows, and maroon, barbour, and monochrome pajamas sitting perfectly on the fragile bodies of the most important people in my life. No one could take that special day away from me. At least so I thought. 37 years ago my house was raided. Apparently, all the luck in the world was mine in the most traumatic ten minutes of my life, and now she is gone. They are both gone.

My little girl’s head was shining with lasers coming from the neighboring house. The corner of my eye catches a glimpse of her last neon red smile as her head explodes into millions of tiny peaces splattering all over the room. The cold air hits my face, my wife’s screams burst my eardrums and I smell something rotten, and that is when I realize that it is my daughter. Magnesium strikes my tongue, a mushy rubbery and bony texture enters my mouth. I am not surprised that zombies always go for the brain, as it does indeed taste magnificent, but that was only for a fracture of a second. A foot is being submerged in the stomach and pieces of its body shatter and spill over the laminated wooden floor like a stream floating into a river. Intestines, lungs, and heart lay on the floor and only its skin hangs loosely on the skeleton. It is carelessly trod on, stepped over, and jumped on by men in black costumes, bulletproof vests, and balaclavas.

People are shrieking, giving orders, and my wife is crying her heart out for the loss of the only thing that kept her alive. They are dragging her by the arms, holding tight, moving her against the wall. One of the men, presumably the leader, proceeded to take my wife’s top off, showing her innocent, naked body. Rage filled my mind, as I watch this. Imogen just died, I can’t let those filthy men hurt her. Blindly, I swing my fists left and right hitting whatever I land on.

 Soft, smooth skin reaches my hand and I hear a grunt. ‘Yes!’ I think to myself,’ I hit him!’. All three men jump at me all at the same time. One of them heads for the nuts, leaving a slashing pain coursing through my veins, another punches me in the stomach and the boss starts strangling me with the mustard, holographic tinsel.  Rough plastic scratches on my throat and my adam’s apple pushes in, choking me. Coughs and struggling for help emerged from my dying mouth, but they just laughed maniacally and tightened the grip on my neck. Everyone was focused on me, no one remembered my wife, she had an advantage.

I heard a faint wail of police cars coming as I slowly lost consciousness, but then all of a sudden, the grip loosens as I hear a gunshot and the bursting of a door. Blood covers her whole body, but I can make out the shape. It is my wife with the gun that they shot my daughter with. Air rushed back into me just in time to see the police arrive and tell the two remaining men to put their hands up in the air. One tall policeman kneels down next to me and checks my pulse. A nod rises from him towards the remaining policemen. As they handcuff the men and escort them to the car. Louise was kneeling on the floor devastated, and I tried to comfort her with all the power I had left in my fragile body, but it didn’t work.

Hundreds of police officers walked in and out that night and the following day. Neither of the men wanted to confess to what has happened, they have only said that the shot man planned all of it, that he was the one behind it. When Louise heard those statements, she was furious. No one has ever disrespected a little child that she knew as they have. Especially not her daughter. Her mind wasn’t stable for a good few years, but the new family has helped her, until that night.

I was interrogated at the police station, and I was trying to keep my cool, but what would happen next I  would have never expected. After about an hour of sitting with the police, I came back to the hotel we were temporarily staying at. Everyone along the way that I met has been super kind regarding what has happened. No questions asked, no rude comments. Just,’ It’ll be ok.’ and,’ They will rot in prison!’.

Lost of all energy, I open the grey wooden door to my room and I fall to the ground. My eyes swelled up and I fell with a thud onto the floor. My precious wife was hanging from the ceiling, her face was violently pale and she was emotionless. Beside her,  was a little note, that just said ”I’m sorry, but my life is a mess. For a long time, I have been happy when I was with you and Imogen, but now that she… That she is dead… I cannot cope with it. It has been going downhill anyway, and I wanted to do it, but now there is a perfect situation for it. Just make them pay”