The (After) Life Of The Party...

He Came From The Ceiling But Left Through The Floor

"If these sheets were the states, and you were miles away, I'd fold them end over end to bring you closer to me... I'm lost in empty pillow talk again." - If These Sheets Were The States, All Time Low.

"It's just for a few days, I promise it'll be fine!"
She's sitting up in bed, the covers wrapped around her.

"Honey, you're just paranoid, we can just up security here, you don't have to -"

"Meagan I do! You don't know what this guy can do. It's one thing me being here but you and the kids? No, definitely not."
I rest my head in my hands. I told her she had to go with Bronx and Saint to her parents. She told me she had to go with me to therapy.

"You can't just let him take over our lives like this Pete! Don't you get it? That's what he wants!"
"I don't care what he wants! I'm not letting him touch my family!"
"BUT WHAT ABOUT YOU?!"

Saint starts crying next door. Note to self: Early morning rows are not good for babies. Meagan sighs.
"I'll go get the baby up."
My eyes follow her as she leaves the room defeated, her boyfriend deranged and paranoid in their bed. These sheets feel like states.

-----A week later-----

"Dad! I wanna go out!"

"I know you do, just... not today ok?" He looks at the floor. "Dad's tired. We can watch a movie though? Just until Meagan gets back with Bronx."
" 'Kay."

I can't let him outside. Not now. He has to be close to me. I'm a suicide bomber, I need to keep him close so he can't be taken away but I'm happy to have him hurt me.

I turn the TV on. Pick up a movie. Don't fully process which one. Shove it in. Bronx comes back in, snuggles up on the couch next to me. I relax a little, just enough to let him know I'm ok, and I'm here. I will protect him. Film starts to play.
It's halfway through, some scene where a hobbit is stealing treasure from a dragon when something goes wrong. My eyes have been on my son the whole time, but when it happens they're darting all around, alert like a dog. The film's stopping. Just bad connection just bad connection. The screen flickers, and then the strangest thing starts to happen. The image on the screen starts to become distorted, the pixels stretching and collecting at certain points.
Rustle. Something's outside something's outside something's outside. I hold sleeping Bronx close. No no no.

Then, like the fanfare of a nightmare, the gross feeling of a disaster, a voice.

"I'm coming Petey..."