Incredible Times

Chapter 13

I enter the dimly lit room with light feet. I squint to adjust to the darkness that envelopes the air, and I can barely make out the dining room table and a few chairs. 

I tiptoe across the hardwood floor, trying to not bump into the furniture. I am nearly to the window when a door creaks near me.

I whip around to see a figure standing in the door frame, light pouring in from the room behind it. 

"Who's there?" a voice says. 

I slowly approach the figure in the doorway. As I get closer, I can discern a broad chin and a tuft of hair sticking straight up in the shadows.  

I stop two feet in front of the person and see a familiar handsome face, barely recognizable in the dark. 

I feel like I should be mad, but all I feel is relief when I realize that it's Bob. I toss my arms around his neck, and he pulls me in a tight embrace. 

"I missed you," I whisper into his shoulder. 

Bob kisses my cheek and says, "I missed you too." 

I pull back to get a better look at him. To my horror, I find myself staring into the masked face of Mr. Incredible. 

I shake Mr. Incredible's arms off my waist and take several steps back. I dip my head in embarrassment, and am shocked to see that I'm not wearing normal clothes. Instead, my eyes are greeted with an upside-down Elastigirl logo that glints in the dim light. 

"No, no, no..." 

Worry crosses Mr. Incredible's face as I bring my hands to my head. 

"What's wrong, Elastigirl? Don't you love me anymore?" 

The room begins to spin, and shrill voices mock me in the shadows. 

'Look what you've done...' 'Should've told him sooner...' 'He must feel horrible...' 'Your worst enemy...' 

My eyes snap open, and I find myself in another dark room. My breathing slows as I realize that I'm in my own bed, in my own house. 

It was just a dream, Helen, I tell myself. 

I sit up and draw my knees to my chest. A layer of sweat seeps through the back of my nightshirt, chilling my spine in the cool air of the bedroom. 

After I've calmed back down, I sink back into the pillows with a dejected sigh. It's been several days since I found out the truth, and each day has brought sleepless, terror-ridden nights. 

I flick on the lamp next to me, knowing that I won't be able to get back to sleep anytime soon. I put on my robe and slippers, and wander out into the living room. 

I flop onto the couch wrapped in a thin blanket and begin to think about the whole situation, which isn't necessarily the best idea. 

How could I have been so blind? I condemn myself. The signs were there, and I was stupid enough to look past all of them. 

All of the puzzle pieces fit perfectly. Bob and Mr. Incredible both have super-human strength, they drive the same car, they even have the same scent, among other things. The only thing that doesn't match is the way that each one treats me. 

I bury my face in my hands and shut my eyes tightly as tears begin to form.

I can't even place the blame on him though, because I'm equally guilty. Neither of us had the guts to share our secret, and in the end, we were both hurt because of our insecurities. 

My despair makes way to anger, and I clench a nearby throw pillow with my hands. All I want to do is destroy something. I pull my hands apart with as much strength as I can muster, but the seams of the pillow remain intact no matter how hard I try. I toss the pillow across the room in frustration and slouch back into the cushions.