As light hits the corner of my eyes, I realize I'm in a new house, like I normally am. I don't know how it happens, but every night since an incident when I was 5 I always wake up in the same body, but in a different home, one where I'm family. I woke up to a new reality, and I know that someone, something, is doing this. I see them every night take me away to a new family. I don't know why. It's like a curse. My real name is Jason, but today, my family today calls me Tyler.
"Come down, breakfast is ready. Tyler, you don't want to be late for school!" I hear my new mother shout. I quickly put on what seems to be a school uniform. Next to me, sleeping in a spaceship themed bed, is a younger brother, Derek.
After brushing my teeth, I run downstairs. I greet my new mother. She's a middle aged, missing a tooth, and a bit overweight. Her gray-blonde hair is cut to her shoulder. I eat a breakfast consisting of eggs and bacon before heading onto a new bus.
At school, I'm greeted by a longtime friend who I've never met. Her name is Sophie. "Tyler, did you get the math assignment?" I nod, but my eyes are staring at the strange windows. They glitter in the sunlight. Outside is only a field and some trees, but the windows look...different.
"Tyler is everything alright?" Sophie asks. I shrug. Tomorrow, I'll have a new friend who I've also never met. "I have a bit of a headache." She smiles, her brown hair bobbing a bit. "I'm sure you'll get better."
The rest of the day passes like a blur. I don't complete homework, since I'm never back in the same spot tomorrow. Instead, I find that my new house has a wii and gladly spend the rest of the day using it.
Suddenly, I see a little girl run through the hallway and enter a bedroom, shutting the door quickly. I hadn't seen her before. She's small, most likely 5 or 6, and she giggles as her dark black hair bounces in the air.
I sit up and follow her into the room...where I find that its empty. Instead, I see a small bed and dresser, with walls colored baby pink. A few pictures of the family are on the nightstand, and the entire room is coated in a layer of dust.
"Don't go in there!" Derek grabs me by the arm. "It's Clarise's room." I nod, trying to make sure that he doesn't realize that that name means nothing to me. "Oh, yeah." I respond.
Derek slams the door shut. "You wanna play wii bowling?" I nod, trying to prevent any further dialogue about Clarise.
I couldn't wrap my head around why I had seen that girl. If she wasn't real, then what was I seeing? Was I going insane? I decide to just forget the matter, since it caused be great distress. After another hour of playing, we're called to the dinner table. My mother is there, baking a steaming meatloaf. I always hated meatloaf, but eat it anyway.
My mother gives me a smile and a hug, but all I feel is a chill down my spine. I never liked being touched by anyone. Not even 'loved ones'. I notice that its just the three of us, no other parent and no Clarise.
"Well, Uncle Damien is coming to stay for a few weeks. I think he's coming tomorrow morning by train. We can greet him when he arrives." She smiles with the same crooked smile she's been given all day, and starts talking about some distant relative that I will never meet. I silently wait for the meal to be over, before going back to playing wii. Something bothers me about the name 'Uncle Damien'. It feels like a name I want to escape.
Eventually, my mother enters the room again. She kisses me on the cheek, and I shiver. "What's gotten you so into the wii all of a sudden? Shouldn't you be doing your homework?" I shrug.
"It's due in two days, not tomorrow. The teacher isn't very strict about completing homework, either." She sighs. "I just want to check on you and make sure you're alright, sweetie. Love you."
"Love you." I respond a bit too quickly, forcing the words out of my mouth for a woman I had only known for a day.
At night, after I've brushed my teeth and went into my bed, I find myself staring at the ceiling. I wonder what family I'll be with tomorrow. Perhaps they'll be mean, like a week ago. Maybe they'll be a different religion. Maybe they'll live across the country and speak in a funny accent. Maybe I'll be in a family of 10, or maybe I'll be the only child.
As I think about all these memories, I hear the door creek, and a bit of light is let into the room. I see a figure. It's the little girl again. I look at Derek, who's sleeping right next to me. He doesn't even quiver.
She tiptoes into the room, and as the light catches her dress, I see that there's blood all over it.
Suddenly, her body changes, and she becomes a black monster with pure white eyes. Her arms and legs grow long, and her sharp claws allow her to climb onto the ceiling. As she climbs towards me, a thick, scarlett red tongue extends out from her mouth. It barely touches me before I close my eyes, hoping that this is all some bad dream.
I jolt awake. I look beside me, and I see Derek, still slumbering soundly. My bed is the same, the walls are the same, the room smells the same, and then it hits me: I didn't change houses. Whatever mysterious figure shifted me from family to family had kept me in the same one.
"Derek, I-"157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYcpRmNnLK
It's then I see Uncle Damien, staring right at my bed. He watches my every movement like a hungry tiger, ready to kill. I realize why I'm still with this family. I'm perfect meat.
ns 15.158.61.23da2
