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HAWKINS, INDIANA — 1986.
STEVE WENT COMPLETELY SILENT.
He sat there, staring at her for what felt like an eternity. Tess was growing anxious, waiting for him to say something.
"S-Steve?"
He looked away from her, shaking his head for a second. Theresa frowned, wiping tears from her face as she tried to lean toward him to see his face.
"Steve, please say something," her voice shook, reaching out a hand to place on his shoulder.
"You're not planning on keeping it, right?"
Tess's mouth fell open slightly, taken aback. "Uh– I– yeah?"
He laughed, dryly. "No you're not. You can't be a mother."
Steve's face was covered by shadows, Theresa shaking her head. Something was wrong here.
"What– what do you mean?"
"You really think you're ready to be a mother?" Steve laughed again. "You can't handle that kind of responsibility."
Tess's chin trembled, unable to comprehend what she was hearing. This had to have been some sort of sick joke.
"Stop it," she muttered, almost pleading, holding back a sob. "Please, stop."
Steve raised his head just then, and Theresa let out a scream. His eyes were completely white, glazed over as she backed up into the car door.
When he spoke, it was not his voice. "You're a terrible person, Theresa," this monster pretending to be Steve sneered, Tess pulling on the door handle to try and get out but it seemed like it was glued shut.
"You're a liar. You think you deserve to be loved by anyone? After all you've done?"
"Stop," she begged, turning and banging on the door helplessly. "Stop!"
Theresa squeezed her eyes shut, burying her head in her arms to try and drown out the words echoing through her brain, unable to escape it.
Tess!
She heard her name once, then again, prying her eyes open with a gasp for air.
Turning to her left she saw Steve sitting there with a hand on her shoulder, his eyes no longer all white. He had a deep frown on his face, Tess trying to regain her composure.
