SHE CAME BACK WRONG

she came back wrong

January 11^th.

Her eyes. There’s something different about her eyes. They’re smaller, I think. And her eyebrows-they’re straighter, less arched. The shape of her cheeks have changed. She came back different.

    We only have polite, frivolous conversations. She rests her head on my shoulder as she used to when we watch TV, but I feel a deep sense of unease. She acts like nothing is wrong.

    I didn’t dare say a word when she first came back. She was sitting at the kitchen table, with scones and two cups of tea. Just sweetly smiling amongst the pale pinks and beiges of our apartment, with no wounds or marks at all. I didn’t dare say a word.

 

January 19^th.

We don’t have sex. The intimacy of it terrifies me now. Each night when we lie next to each other, my heart races. I am afraid.

    All we had was each other really. I am unemployed and she worked. She goes to work now and I wonder if they notice. She had a few friends, I had just one. Can they feel it? They didn’t know she was gone, they don’t know what happened… but how can they not notice?

 

January 20^th.

Today she wore a green jumper and I saw all of her points.

 

January 31^st.

She woke me today with breakfast. A muffin. She sat at the end of the bed and watched me eat. The shape of her was wrong- like a drawing by someone who couldn’t quite master how to draw anatomy.

    Her eyes stayed trained on me, and her mouth was fixed in a triangular grin. I wasn’t hungry but I ate it, and once she finally left I sat there for a long time. I have not slept right since she came back.

 

February 10^th.

Every time she leaves I breathe a sigh of relief. But I still can’t unwind. My mind is still bothered.

 

February 11^th.

She has friends over tonight. My only friend was busy so I stay in the bedroom.

    I ventured out to get a beer. She turned from her friends and watched me the whole time. They didn’t notice but I did. I felt her eyes on me. The edges of her mouth are too sharp.

 

February 12^th.

In the middle of the night I woke up with her on top of me. Her hands were on my throat. She looked less human than I’d ever seen her. She was wild and her eyes were black pits. She whispered “What did you do?”

    I began to cry. The first time I’ve cried since she died.

    I stayed awake the rest of the night. She moved around the room and packed a bag. I was paralysed with fear.

    She’s gone now.

 

February 14^th.

I still can’t sleep. There was a knock on the window just now- on the second floor.

Reviews

[Zanne]

I love it, I wish there was more, really want to know what happens next. Well done.

[Claudia Stark]

Excellent, I love the way you don't know where this is going. it's so sparse but descriptive great job!