MARIEL

16~ The Humanoid ~

Mariel had almost forgotten to contact the other deacons of the church to alert them of the situation. The head deacon agreed to hold a short service as it was too late to tell the whole church that 'Sunday was cancelled'. Relieved that someone competent could take charge of Fr. Jerome's beloved flock, Mariel had thanked him profusely.

"Please, please keep us updated," Deacon Williams had pleaded. "Fr. Jerome is very much adored and the church members will want to know."

After promising, Mariel, had ended the call and had fallen asleep next to his father's bed in an uncomfortable wooden chair. He slept deeply, barely awakening to the sound of the hospital staff entering the room to check Fr. Jerome's vitals. While he slept, he dreamt, and he dreamt that his father had opened his eyes, smiled, and said he was ready to go home... that he was sorry about the scare. When the dream continued, it turned from a hopeful desire into a nightmare. As Fr. Jerome made his way to exit the hospital room, a dark, blurry, figure blocked the doorway and raised a shotgun. Mariel felt the explosive sound in his sleep as the figure fired the gun and racked it as a sea of flesh and blood rained from the air where his father's head had been.

Slowly, Mariel's eyes opened in the darkness. Feeling nauseated, he turned his head to look at the hospital bed. For the first time, he felt relief that Fr. Jerome was still in the hospital bed, unconscious instead of a headless torso on the ground.

Unable to sit any longer, Mariel stood and glanced at the clock on the wall. Almost midnight. This day had begun with a hope of having coffee with the girl he adored, and now ended in the hospital with his father fighting for his life. Or perhaps he was not fighting. For a moment, Mariel considered the thought. What, exactly, kept Fr. Jerome here? The man was passionate about his church, serving the community, loving Mariel...but he ultimately had the desire to be with God and he most definitely deserved that afterlife. Realistically, Mariel did not feel that he, himself, deserved the amount of love Fr. Jerome had for him, and for a brief second he almost wished his father could find peace.

However, he realized he was projecting. That peace he wanted for Fr. Jerome? He wanted it. Mariel knew deep down that his father had all the peace necessary to grant him an enjoyable life... and that it was his own personal feelings interjecting how he viewed Fr. Jerome living his life.

Mariel reached for the aged hand of his father and looked at him. "Should be me," he mumbled, watching the steady rise and fall of Fr. Jerome's chest.

'Yes, you wish,' the mean voice said, behind him.

"Leave me alone," Mariel whispered.

'Why don't you like to talk to me? I am your true family. I've been with you since you were conceived.'

Mariel began to sweat. He turned and, to his startlement, saw the dark figure he had seen in his dream sitting in his chair. The figure was nothing more than, as in his dream, a black, blurry humanoid.

The humanoid sat with his legs crossed and his hands in his lap. The head was cocked to the side. There were no eyes, but Mariel knew he was being watched.

"What do you want from me?" Mariel said through his teeth.

The head cocked to the other side. 'I like fucking with you. I'm stuck with you until further notice.'

Mariel's lip quivered. "What does that mean?"

The head cocked to the opposite side again. 'Never you mind. But while I'm here we should be friends. Yes?' The hands clapped together ecstatically.

"Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God -"

'Don't!' The humanoid lunged from the chair and, with an aggressive flash, the face was in Mariel's. 'So help me, I will kill your dad.' The voice had deepened to a sinister growl. The humanoid remained in his face, cocking his head back and forth until he retreated back to Mariel's chair. 'Now,' he said cheerily. 'We don't want that do we? Wouldn't look good, your dad's brains all over you and the hospital bed.' Shrilly, the humanoid laughed for multiple seconds, stopped abruptly, then crossed his legs again and cocked his head once more.