I had just gotten home from work. I had long shifts, working 10–12 hours, so I made it a habit to put her asleep when I could.
She was already dressed for bed once I came in the door, waiting for me.
In full routine, I carried Marie to her room and tucked her into bed.
Tired out by the day, Marie grumbled in a sleepy voice.
"Daddy, can you tell me that one story tonight?"
"Sure, Which one do you wanna hear?"
"The princess and the frog, Cinderella, The little red riding hood?"
"You already told me those"
She grunted, interrupting me.
" Hmmm."
"Okay, what about Jack and the bean stalk?"
Now frustrated, she yelled.
"No! One I haven't heard yet! The teacher read that one last week."
What do I do, I know exactly the best at making stories up.
I remember when I weirded the kids in my class with a story I made up about my parents.
My thought was paused as Marie spoke again.
"Actually, I do have a story I want to hear!"
" What story?"
"The one about you!"
She excitedly exclaimed.
I stopped.
I never really spoke about myself anymore, I forgot a lot of things since the accident a while back.
I had to relearn my information, names of those around me, and stuff like my favorite food. But maybe I can remember enough now.
"I'll tell you how me and your mom met"
"NO! I want to hear about how you died!"
"What do you mean? Daddies right here"
Taken aback by the sentence, I chuckled it off.
But she didn't respond to my laughter.
She looked at me with unphased eyes.
"You don't remember, do you, daddy?"
"OK! It's time for bed"
I said, but her expression didn't change, like she didn't hear anything I said.
Then she slowly turned to face me.
Smiling with an expression that was oddly unsettling, almost uncanny.
"You don't remember, do you"
I was shaken, but couldn't believe what I was seeing in front of me.
"Remember what."
Time stood still as she stared at me for a few seconds. Each tick of the clock getting seemingly louder, filling up the silence in the room.
"How you came to hell."
The lights began to flicker, and I felt an ominous aura envelope the area.
I glossed around the room, trying not to take my eyes off her.
When I turned back, chills ran down my spine while I watched her face begin to melt. Her skin peeling away like a molting crab, revealing the bloody red flesh beneath and her underdeveloped cheek bones.
On the Inside of her face, it were empty voids where her eyes would have been.
I couldn't hold it anymore, so stunned, I let out a scream.
Then from behind me, I heard Khalissa speak.
"Is everything alright?"
when did she come from the room, was she watching this whole time.
Did she see everything that was going on?
I felt a warm breath on my neck, I turned slowly.
Her neck stretched across the room, bones cracking as it elongated unnaturally.
I whispered. "What the fuck—"
My head was racing, and my chest felt like it was going to burst.
"Daddy, can you see it?"
I ignored her to focused on how Marie was staring into my soul with her pitch-black eyes
What the hell was that thing?
" Do you see it, honey?"
"See what, my dear?"
I tried to act naturally. What are these things?
Demons?
Monsters dressed as humans playing house with me?
Khalissa started to advance toward me
What have these last three months been, then?
I can't collect my thoughts, nothing makes sense anymore.
My memories began to blur.
Who am I?
Khalissa looked at me with worry in her eyes.
So much so I believed that maybe I'm just seeing things right now.
"Why do you look like your heart's about to pop out"
" I can tell. You see it don't you "
A stammered over my words.
"Seriously, what are you talking about."
Then I felt a tug on my shirt. There stood Marie in front of me.
" Look!"
A bug crawled out Marie's hollow socket
causing me to cringe instinctively
When I looked up, Khalissa's warm expression was darkened.
Her face was about a foot away from mine.
I knew not to take my sight off her.
"I knew it, you're a bad liar."
Suddenly, a sharp pain arose in my chest.
My skin gradually expanded, and the bones bulged outwards,
I screamed in agony as my chest ripped open.
Where my heart and lungs once were was red, stained white fur glistened in the light.
A rabbit's head emerged from my chest, its red eyes staring back into mine. I couldn't understand anything that was happening.
Its red eyes burned themselves deep into my mind, while the pain shot through my body, from my toes to the tip of my skull.
My vision blurred as I swayed in and out of consciousness.
I could hardly make out that he looked at me and pondered for a second
"Oh! Let's get you patched up."
It snapped its fingers, and my wound disappeared instantly.
Now it was floating about two feet in front of me.
At this point, it couldn't even surprise me.
"Who the hell are you?"
With a commanding voice that made me tremble, it uttered.
"It's not your turn to talk yet."
Suddenly, it was as if my mouth had been sewn shut.
I touched my face, no, my mouth had disappeared.
"Did you enjoy your last dream? Not that you could tell me."
"Welcome to your hell."
It tilted its head.
*In a generic mob boss voice*
"Whatcha never seen a flying talking rabbit?"
This thing was toying with me.
" HUH!???"
Its eyes popped out like some cartoon character, the rabbit spun around fast, then turned back now with comically large teeth and biting a piece of straw.
"The place you're going is very special. Think of it as a game. You'll go through challenges and gain otherworldly abilities."
Now it was wearing an angel costume.
"For now, you'll be held in the break room. Do whatever you want."
A sudden pause.
It dropped its sitcom act.
"But remember—don't die."
Everything faded to black.