I awoke just enough to roll to my right side and curl my arm around my love's sleeping body. I half-smiled as my fingertips expected to meet soft skin and gently flowing hair. I blinked a few times at the realization that the bed was empty. I pushed myself up a bit while scanning the side of the room. My eyes fell to the slim hallway of the adjoining bathroom. My body relaxed into the bed a bit at taking note of the closed door. I closed my tired eyes, but was determined to stay awake to give her one last kiss before drifting back into sleep.
Minutes passed. My brow furrowed as my ears strained to hear any noises from the bathroom. The room was completely silent; save for the soft flutter of a ceiling fan that pushed a gentle breeze upon my back. Worry began to tingle at my spine as I lied still and listened. Maybe something wasn't right. Perhaps she wasn't feeling well. I pushed myself from the bed once again while taking another look at the door. I rolled back to my left side to stand from the bed-
“Jesus Christ!” I shouted involuntarily as a figure hovered directly above me from my side of the mattress.
I pushed myself back in retaliation. The figure didn't budge; it merely stood idle as if watching me intently. It was much too dark within the room to make out detail, but the shadowy blob was clearly Human and feminine.
“Baby?” I asked while carefully crawling toward the figure, “You ok?”
It was her. I recognized the shape of the body that stood before me, along with the familiar fragrance of soap and shampoo that she used. I pushed myself from the edge of the bed and made my way toward her. I saw her turn to face me in the darkness, but no sound escaped her.
“Jenny, what the hell?” I said with a hint of playfulness while putting out my arms toward her exposed shoulders, “If you wanted to scare me, you did a good-”
I immediately leapt back and cursed upon touching her skin. I sucked at my fingers as they began to blister.
“Seriously Jenny, what is going on?” I said with more volume as I walked over to the wall switch, “Do you need to go to the hospital?”
I remained there, my good hand upon the switch, the figure again turning itself to face my direction.
“Cover your eyes, all right?” I said before pressing my hand firmly to the switch, “Bright light.”
I snapped the switch on, the resulting brightness causing my eyelids to clamp shut. I stood there for a few blind moments, my blurry vision slowly returning to me.
“Jenny, what-”
Jenny's gaze was focused directly upon me, despite the sudden change in light. A deep, complete redness stained the whites of her eyes, a blackened center staring blankly. Her mouth was open in a round shape, as if singing without sound. She stood rigid, her amber hair falling about her shoulders and face in tangled and ruffled clumps.
“Baby, what's wrong?”
A trickle of fear licked at my toes as she continued to stand and stare from across the room. We stood in complete silence for several moments, my mind scarcely willing to believe what was taking place before me as reality. Suddenly, a noise began from somewhere within Jenny's throat. It sounded akin to a choir vowel, although placed so far back in her vocal chords that it came out as raspy and uneven. Her mouth still didn't move. The wavy sound filled the space.
“This is too weird, Jenny!” I found myself shouting at her, “Cut it out, all right? You got me!”
Still, nothing. Her voice seemed to pierce at my eardrums. Those eyes were still focused intensely upon me, unblinking. I forced myself to move to my nightstand, which was a mere foot away from Jenny. She moved once more to stare at me, but made no additional movement. I snatched at my cell phone upon the wooden surface.
“You're sick,” I said to her, although it was largely stated aloud for my own comfort, “I'm going to call your mom before we go, ok? She can meet us there.”
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