I was 12 years old that day. It had been raining consistently about a week straight in our area, but, seeing as both our parents’ were either working or drunk, my best friend Luke and I were forced to trudge home in the downpour. I pulled my cheap, dirty yellow raincoat tighter about myself as we turned off the main road into the wooded area where both our families lived.
“Batman would totally kick Superman’s ass,” Luke said, pushing his wet blonde hair out of his eyes. “He has all kinds of gadgets and is the best fighter in all of the comics. I really don’t think it would be a competition.”
I couldn’t help but to scoff. “You can’t be serious. Superman may look human, but he’s an alien, man. He would flatten Batman like a pancake if he wanted to. Batman would stand no chance at all, whether he’s the best fighter or not.”
“That’s the thing, though. Superman doesn’t kill, right? Especially not humans. So Batman would have that advantage.”
“And even then, he would still never be able to kill Superman.”
There were voices. Luke and I slowed to a stop, noticing three older boys up ahead. They were standing in a circle around something, maybe an animal, and were yelling at and taunting it. The biggest of them, who I recognized from his red hair as Tommy Vance, was holding a large stick. I saw him kick at whatever was down on the ground in front of the boys.
“Let’s just keep walking, maybe he won’t notice us,” Luke said quietly, barely moving his mouth, but I shook my head.
“That could be my dog he’s messing with, or yours. I’m getting a closer look.”
I began walking directly towards Tommy and his crew. Luke, though hesitant, followed behind me. As we got closer, I could make out what Tommy was saying.
“…shove this stick right up in there, how would you like that, huh?”
There was a girl sitting on the ground, completely naked, her arms wrapped around her knees, which were up to her chest. She had long, wet hair that was black as night, and large, otherworldly green eyes. Despite her position, I did not see fear in those eyes; I didn’t even see anger. If anything, she looked almost disappointed. One of Tommy’s lackeys noticed me and nudged him on the arm.
“Look, it’s our two bestest friends, Tommy.”
Tommy turned, his all-too-familiar sneer forming on his face when he saw us. “Ohh, Daniel and Luke, what great timing. I know the two of you will never fuck a girl, so maybe I’ll let you watch us.”
“Leave her alone Tommy.” My fists were clenched. Tommy looked astounded that I had spoken back to him.
“What was that, you little shit?”
“You heard me. Let her go, she’s probably cold and just wants to go home, like the rest of us.”
Tommy spat on the ground. “Why don’t you make me?”
I turned, beginning to walk away. When Tommy turned his attention back to the girl, I made my move. I struck him in the back of the head and he yelled, staggering forward. His friend came at me, hitting me in the stomach, while Luke threw slug at his other friend. I kneed my attacker in the balls while Tommy came at me, hitting me twice in the face. I fell to the ground and he kicked me in the stomach; I coughed as Luke ran forward, trying to tackle Tommy, who simply pushed him aside and kicked him as well. Luke kicked at Tommy’s ankle, which earned him a stomp to the face. I tackled Tommy from behind, taking him to the ground, but then his friend yanked me off of him and threw me in the direction of the girl.
Bleeding, I stood up, putting myself between her and the boys. Tommy looked angry, but he seemed to have had enough; Luke and I had never fought back before.
“You’re lucky my old man’s expecting me at home. I’m gonna kick both your asses during lunch tomorrow.” He and his crew walked off. Luke was wiping blood off of his face, but I turned to the girl.
“Are you okay?”
She only stared back up at me with those intense green eyes.
“Don’t worry, I’m not like Tommy. He’s an asshole. Where are your clothes? Where do you live?”
She didn’t look like she understood a single word I was saying. I reached out a hand towards her. “Come on, you can come and have dinner at my house. My parents can call yours.”
The girl stared at my hand for a moment, and then she reached her own up; I can’t exactly describe the sensation I felt when she touched me, but it was seemingly warm and yet very cold at the same time; It lasted for only an instant, and then she was standing, her eyes baring into mine.
Luke was turning red, and it wasn’t from the blood. “I’ve never seen a girl naked before.”
“Oh, that’s right!” I quickly whipped off my raincoat and wrapped it around her.
“Come on.” She took my hand, and then the three of us continued through the woods. By the time we made it home, the rain had stopped.
The girl ate dinner with my family, but didn’t speak a word the entire time; She simply looked between us, observing our movements and conversations. As soon as she finished her food she stood, walked over to the door, and left without giving any of us another glance. I ran up to the open door, staring out after her. She glanced back at me, then vanished into the darkness.
I began to see her repeatedly out in the woods and, over time, began to form a friendship with her. Luke snuck some of his sister’s clothing out for her, and the three of us would sit in the grass, eating sweets and enjoying life. I brought my textbooks from school and flash cards, trying my best to teach our new friend, who I called Michelle, about any and everything. Though she still never spoke, there was understanding in those eyes; I would bring her food from my own house, but on the days I couldn’t find her, I often wondered what she ate; I also noticed that she had a habit of staring up at the sky, her eyes seemingly searching for something that was not there. This habit would increase tenfold whenever it rained.
When I was sixteen, I asked Michelle if she wanted to come to the school dance with me; She nodded, clearly excited to finally go with me to a more public place. I bought her a dress and took her to the dance with me in my truck. She was so enamored with the decorations, the lights, and the other students I couldn’t help but smile all night. Three years later, I married that beautiful, quiet girl.
I learned sign language and taught it to Michelle; I took her hunting with me, though she would never touch a gun; and we spent many nights just lying in the grass, like we used to as kids, staring up at the stars in the sky. During these moments in particular, Michelle would sometimes look at me, as though she wanted to say something; I would sign to her, ask her what was up, but she would simply lay back down and close her eyes. I had asked her multiple times about where she had come from, and she would never answer me; She would, however, look up at the sky.
Our firstborn was a boy who we named Simon; A couple of years later our little girl Sarah was born. The two of them were like gifts sent from Heaven to Michelle; They grew up speaking like any other kids would, but seemed to understand their mother without even needing to learn sign language. They would know if she wanted them to do their homework, or take out the garbage, or feed the dog without a single word or hand movements. It was truly remarkable, but I chalked it up to the connection a mother has with her kids, that even a father cannot understand.
I caught my daughter Sarah one night as she opened her bedroom window and leaned out of it, her green eyes fixated on the moon. I rushed into the room and grabbed her, pulling her away and falling to the floor. “Jesus, honey, what are you doing? You could have fallen!”
“Don’t you hear it daddy?” she asked, looking into my face.
I strained my ears, listening to the sounds of nature through the window. “Hear what, sweetheart?”
“It…it’s looking for us.”
“What’s looking for you, Sarah?”
Sarah stared into my eyes, then, with surprising strength, burst out of my arms and rushed over to the window again.
“Listen, daddy, don’t you hear it? It sounds so…beautiful…”
“There’s nothing out there, hon-“
“I hear it too.” Simon was in his pajamas, standing in the doorway. “I would try to explain it to you, but…you would never get it.”
And with that he turned and went back to his room, closing the door behind him.
After nailing Sarah’s window closed, I told Michelle about what the kids’ had said to me. She proceeded to stay up all night, standing out on the front porch, staring up at the sky. She didn’t move until the sun came up and it was time to take the kids to school.
A couple of months later, Luke hosted a barbeque at his place; My family was invited as well as his brother Joshua’s. We got a kiddie pool for the kids and I brought plenty of whiskey for us adults to enjoy ourselves. Luke, already drunk off his ass, challenged me to arm wrestle; I obliged and he beat me, much to his wife and son’s enjoyment. Seeing as we were all outside, I decided to go and take a piss in the backyard. I was humming a song as I headed to the back when something caught my eye. It was my son, Simon.
He was standing in the middle of the yard, his chest thrust outward, his entire body spasming as he stared up at the sky. His eyes were completely white, and there seemed to be a sort of greenish aura around him, similar to a toy or paint that glows in the dark. I froze up, entirely unsure of what I was witnessing or what I should do. Was he having a seizure? Could he have been bitten by a snake, or a rabid raccoon?
Before I could make a move, a figure darted forward, moving faster than a deer. It was Michelle; She took Simon to the ground, seemingly breaking him from his trance. She looked into his face, her own full of terror, and he grimaced.
“Son! Son are you okay?” I called out, and he glanced at me.
“I’m sorry Dad…I really am, I didn’t mean to…it reached out to me and I…I…”
Without a single trace of thunder or lightning, it began to rain. I looked up at the sky, which had quite suddenly been overrun by gray clouds. The rain was coming down hard. I felt a terrible sense of dread as I stood there; Something was moving behind the clouds.
“Only Luke would have a barbeque on the one day it rains this week.” Joshua came up to me and patted me on the back. “What are y’all doing back here? Let’s get back to the front, we’re gonna take all the meat in. Oh and Simon I have your book, didn’t want it to get wet.”
He began approaching my wife and son, and that was when it struck. A large, humanoid thing swooped down from the sky, seizing Joshua and soaring upwards all in one motion. I could hear Luke and the women screaming; The thing, which I could barely see due to the rain, was huge; It was surely over seven feet tall, completely covered in black skin that seemed to be oozing slime. I watched as it ripped Joshua in two, sending a waterfall of blood and innards down onto his family below.
Michelle and Simon were up and running now, headed for the front of the house. I followed behind them, as Luke’s wife, Martha, picked up Sarah, who was staring up in wonder. All of us were making a dash for the front door, but Martha was the next target; The thing rammed into her back, causing her to fall forward and drop Sarah.
“Noo!” Luke screamed, but the thing had grabbed his wife and shot back up into the air. I ushered my own family and Luke’s kids and nephew into the house before grabbing onto him.
“Come on!”
“No, it took my wife, goddamit it took my wife-“
I yanked him as hard as I could and the two of us stumbled into the house. I slammed the door behind us and locked it. I turned around, looking at Simon and Sarah, who were huddled around their mother. Luke’s kids were crying, as was Joshua’s wife; Luke had disappeared into another room.
“Michelle…Michelle, honey, do you know what that is?” I signed to her, but her eyes already told me the answer. Luke reappeared, his shotgun in hand.
“Luke! What are you doing, you’re gonna get yoursel-“
Martha was thrown violently through the window, striking me in the back. I fell to the floor, the wind knocked out of me, and stared into what used to be her face. Whatever the fuck that thing was, it had already ravaged her; Blood was spreading in a pool on the floor.
“You motherfucker!” Luke aimed his gun at the window, but in an instant the thing had him by his neck and pinned to the wall. Now I could see it clearly: It had a bald head that protruded at the top, with a face that had several pure black eyes, no nose, and a mouth that had rows of sharp, black teeth, not unlike a shark’s. It had a long, thick black tail that writhed about like a snake, and a massive chest and arms, it’s skin slimy and black, seemingly dancing all about it’s body in constant motion.
Luke tried to maneuver the shotgun but the thing tore his arm off and threw it and the gun to the side; The arm landed on the floor, causing the finger to pull the trigger, sending a single bullet right at my family.
The gunshot pierced Michelle’s arm and she grabbed at it, leaning forward. Instinctively, I made my way towards her as the creature crushed Luke’s head swiftly between it’s hands like a grape. I had barely made it over to my family when it grabbed me next and slammed me, hard, into the wall. I will never again feel the absolute horror that pulsed through me as I stared into those soulless, black eyes.
“No!” Michelle hissed, her voice booming louder than thunder, and the entire house shook. She was pointing a finger at the creature holding me, and it turned it’s head to look at her. They considered each other for a moment, and then it released me; I slid down to the floor as it vanished into thin air. I glanced at my wife, who was looking sadly at me. Her skin began to change, rippling into black, oozing flesh. Her hair shrunk up into her head and her eyes turned from green to black. Before she had completely changed, however, she too vanished right before my eyes.
“Michelle? Michelllle!” I ran outside, staring up into the sky. I ran all around the house, looking for my wife, searching the heavens, but she was gone; The rain had stopped.
That was a few years ago. Life has gone on; Simon is in middle school now, and he and Sarah have adapted to life as much as they can without their mother; We have survived. I still look after Luke’s kids as well, making sure they have everything that they need, and though I know deep down it’s not my fault, I still feel immense guilt that they are growing up without their parents. The tears have stopped, but the sadness will always remain.
It is strange, though. Sometimes when it rains, I feel as though she is with me; I can feel her presence, as though she’s letting me know that she’s okay. The kids will sit out in the yard, getting drenched as they stare up into the sky, and I watch them and smile.