"SUSPENSE'

I awoke with a start. It was pitch black and I couldn’t see a thing, but I felt a presence. A strange, unearthly presence.

My wife got into a very bad car accident, years ago. Her doctor said she was lucky to be alive. I’m so grateful that I still have her here, but I feel sickened at the thought of her going through all that pain and therapy. Sometimes, I wish I would have been put in her place just to understand how much pain she was in, as well as to keep her from going through that pain. After the incident, I went through a great depression. My wife was away, in the hospital, for many months afterward. I went insane, not being able to see my wife for so long...I started going to therapy to get these disgusting thoughts out of my head. Eventually, we went back to somewhat normal. 

Five years after the incident. It was December 21st, 2010. Nights like this were starting to feel normal. I’d be waiting for my wife to get off her night shift, alone in the cold, dark night. We didn’t have any kids, so it would just be me. I’d inevitably fall asleep, and I would wake up at 5am from a kiss on the cheek. But tonight felt different. Strange, abnormal. I don’t understand it, feeling the kiss tonight felt like a thousand eyes had replaced it. Even thinking about the possibilities makes me uneasy. That night kept repeating itself.  But every night, it felt like more eyes would be added onto the ones that were already there. 

I hated the feeling. I started going back to therapy, but it didn’t help. All she would take down was, “You’re hallucinating the kiss”, “Maybe it has to do with your childhood”, etc. I never understood why she would say that. One day, it became unbearable. I needed to see my wife again. I never got to see her for less than three seconds. I just wanted to feel her touch against my skin again. All I wanted was a hug from her. 

I began drinking caffeine at night to try and keep me awake at night, so I could see my wife when she got home. She didn’t come home that night. Maybe she had a late shift. I fell asleep, once again. The night repeated itself. I fell asleep late and woke up early from a kiss on the cheek. I tried hard, extremely hard, to keep myself awake. 

Tonight, I decided to stay in our bedroom and wait. Usually, I would have sat in the dining room. I waited. And waited. And waited. Daylight came. I wondered. Where is my wife? I tried to call her, but it automatically went to voicemail. I don’t understand. I tried to sleep, but I just couldn’t. The eyes were still there. They petrified me. Who was there? Why were they there? Questions of all sorts invaded my head until my wife was no longer all I was worried about. I eventually fell asleep. When I woke up from my slumber, I had an aching pain in my legs. I suppose I had a reckless night. It’s unusual. Usually, I sleep soundly.

Every night, the eyes would whisper inaudible noises at me. I, once, picked up what they were saying very vaguely. 

“Why...us?”

 I was so confused. I hadn’t done anything. I woke up with scratches on me, accompanied by bruises. One night, my vision was extremely sharp. I noticed the blood dripping. Dripping from their dismembered bodies, dripping from their tormented faces... I understand now. 

I remember now.