I had taken care of my baby alone since his birth. My beautiful, perfect son. I didn’t think I could love someone so hard until he had been put in my arms for the first time. Life wasn’t always easy being a single mother, but every time he laughed, every time he showed me some interesting rock he had found outside while exploring, every time he told me he loved me would make it worth it. There wasn’t a thing in the world he could do that would make me hate him.
Yet, as much as I loved my son, he had a habit of bringing those things home. They would somehow look like me, sometimes a bit too much, and sometimes not enough. They could communicate to an extent, but their intentions were always clear. They would latch onto my baby, try to manipulate him, get inside his head, do everything they could to make him want to leave me. I couldn’t allow it. My love for him, my being his mother couldn’t allow it. So I would drive them away every time, scare them, cuss at them, play tricks on them even threaten them, and my baby boy would come back to me every time.
He would look at me with those big eyes apologizing and telling me that once again I was right. That I was the only person in his life who wanted what was good for him, and he would become mine and only mine once again. Some time had passed but my baby remained unchanged, just his perfect self, and we remained that perfect unit we had always been until he brought something scarier than usual home.
He had gone off to college even though I told him there was no need for that. That I would support him and that he needed to stop looking for trouble. He didn’t listen to me.
I opened the door so excited to see my beautiful son’s face, but before I saw it all I could look at was that long bony hand that was resting on my child’s shoulder. His innocent face carrying a beautiful smile not realizing the danger lurking right next to him.
-« Mom I’d like you to meet Vanessa. »
I stayed quiet and stuck, like I had walked in industrial glue.
-« Mrs.Collins? »
‘Vanessa’ was feigning surprise at my reaction. She knew what she was but my poor boy didn’t. She knew I could see the claws and the yellow teeth and the gaping jaws, but all he could see was me in her face.
I plastered a fake smile on my face. I knew I wouldn’t beat the monster like that, I needed to be smart. My son needs to see the horror to free himself of it.
« Hello, sorry it was a long day come in make yourself at home. »
My baby and that thing crossed the threshold of my home and sat down on my couch. I watched in disgust as the creature was still so close to my son physically. It made me sick to my stomach. I couldn’t bear to watch.
« Mom? »
« Hm? » I answered distracted. There was so much tension in the room I had stopped paying attention to his words.
« Well aren’t you happy? » He asked me with nervousness in his voice.
« Happy about what? » What could I possibly be happy about. That against all of my warnings he still brought darkness into this house? That he keeps going against my wishes? He interrupted my train of thought once again.
« Vanessa and I are going to have a baby. »