John sat in the corner of the dark, empty room. His knees pulled up to his chest as he rocked back and forth. Struggling to forget, trying so hard to get the memory out of his head. It wouldn’t leave. It wouldn’t go no matter what he did. It was still there, fresh in his mind. The memory of his death. He remembered the event so vividly. So surreal that there’s no way it could have been a dream, but it had to be. There’s no other way. It had to be a dream, because you don’t remember your death. You die and then it’s done. It’s over. At least that’s what John thought. For most people he was right, but there were mistakes in his life that made his situation different. As he sat in the dark room, void of everything except the soft echo of his whimpers, tears slowly streaming down his cheeks he had to relive the memory of his death and the mistakes leading up to it over and over again.

A few days ago, when things were still normal, John was invited out to a bar with a group of friends. As the group bar hopped from place to place, laughing drunkenly and playing pool with each other John noticed a girl that seemed to be at every bar they went to. He didn’t think much of it at first but, when she appeared for a third time at the same place they went to he started to think that maybe it was a little more than a coincidence. Focusing more on the girl, he could tell she was attractive even without the beer goggles he had on. He caught her looking over at the group a few times now that he was aware of her. Laughing a little bit, he nudged his friends shoulder.

“Hey, you see that girl over there?” John asked his friend Tom, nodding over to the girl that was causally sitting at a table by herself drinking a cocktail. “Does she look…I dunno, familiar to you at all?”

Tom raised an eyebrow and glanced over at the girl for a moment, giving a shrug. “Nah, don’t think I’ve ever seen her before. Why? You know her?” His attention quickly going back to the pool game. Laughing and celebrating as Mike scratched “You know you’re not supposed to put the white ball in the hole?”

Mike scoffs and hands Tom the stick that they’re sharing “Oh, whatever. Go fuck yourself. We all know nobody else is doing it!” John laughs a bit with Mike as Tom starts to chalk the stick.

John glances back over to the mystery girl and decides to continue the conversation as Tom walks around the table, trying to figure out a good shot. “No, I don’t know how she is. Or, well. At least I don’t think I do. I swear she’s been everywhere tonight and I’ve caught her looking over here a couple times even.”

Mike takes a swig of his beer and gaps his elbow into John’s shoulder afterwards “Maybe she’s just into one of us! It’s probably me though, sorry Tom!” He gives a drunken laugh as Tom just ignores him, bending down and taking a shot. Sinking a striped ball into the corner pocket. Standing back up and reexamining the table.

John shrugs a bit and takes a gulp of his own drink “Yeah, I guess that might be it. I dunno, I just get a weird vibe from her you know? Like. Somethings not…normal? I can’t really describe it. Maybe I need to lay off the whiskey.”

Tom nods a bit as he bends over to take his next shot. “That sounds like a good idea. You always get a little paranoid with whiskey.” He answers as he lines up his shot. Hitting the cue ball off of the side and pocketing his second ball in a row.

Mike is the first to speak up as he wraps his arm around John’s shoulders “That sounds more like quitter talk to me! Come on! The night’s barely gotten started and you already wanna slow down?!” Taking another big swig from his bottle and slamming the empty bottle down onto the edge of the pool table as Tom studies the position of the balls again. “Imma grab another beer, and I’m getting another one for you too John! So hurry and finish that!”

John sighs and looks over at Tom who just shrugs at him before bending down and taking another shot. Finally missing one as John chugs down the remainder of his drink before Mike returns with two more beers, celebrating as he sees it’s finally his turn to play.

The night carries on and eventually the group moves on to another bar. John doesn’t see the mystery girl at first and starts to relax about the whole think. Believing it truly was just in his head. They stay at that bar until closing time and as they leave the bar someone taps John on the shoulder. Mike and Tom are both in front of him, and the hand feels small and feminine. Not thinking too much about it, he turns around. Gasping and jumping back a bit as he sees the mystery girl that had been following the group all night.

The girl giggles and steps forward to close the gap that was just created between them as John jumped back in shock. She was a few inches shorter and had to smile up at him as she beamed a warm, genuine smile to him. “Hi! I’m Mary! Sorry if I startled you!” She giggles again, still beaming a warm smile towards John.

John finally having overcome the shock for the most part laughs nervously. Again, stepping away from Mary to reclaim some personal space that Mary quickly fills back in with a quick step towards him. “Oh, no…that’s okay. Um..well, did you…need something, Mary?” John replies uncomfortably as Mary seems to not understand what personal space is.

“Oh! Not really!” she giggles again “I was just waiting to go home with you is all!” She stands there smiling, rocking back and forth on her heel and the ball of her feet as she happily waits. Not so much waiting for an answer, just waiting for them both to leave and finally go home together.

As John stutters and stammers, struggling to find the right words to deny this girl that seems so intent and convinced that she’s going home with him Tom and Mike finally realized that he wasn’t following them. Mike yells out to him from across the street. “Hey! You coming or what?”

Tom looks confused, as he seems to recognize Mary from the other bar but lets it be when John yells back to them. “Yeah! Yeah, I’m coming! Just give me a sec!” They both nod. Tom sitting down on the steps of a nearby building and Mike letting out a loud irritated groan. John turns his attention back towards Mary and offers a nervous smile to her “Sorry about that, but uh…where were we? Oh, yeah…I don’t really know how to say this but..you’re not coming home with me. Sorry.” He almost winces as he tells her, as if expecting to set off an emotional explosion.

Instead she just giggles and puts her hand on his chest. “Oh, you’re silly! Of course I am! We’re going to go home together and then we can be boyfriend and girlfriend!” She steps closer, embracing John in a hug and resting her head on his shoulder.

John tries to step away from her grip, but she’s clinging on too tight. “Uh…no. I actually. I already have one of those. A girlfriend I mean. So, I just. Well, I mean. I don’t want another one. So if you could just….” He again tries to pry her arms off, this time he manages to do so. Smiling a bit as he gently pushes her a step away. The smile instantly disappearing as he sees the emotionless face that Mary as. Her eyes that just a few moments ago were glowing with happiness and glee now seemed like dark abysses of hatred and malice.

“You will be mine. You’re mine! I will make you mine!” she screams into his face and stomps off. Disappearing around the corner of the building and leaving John standing there. Frightened and scared.

Tom comes over after hearing the commotion from across the street. Tapping on John’s shoulder gently “Hey man. You okay? She seemed real crazy.” John nods silently and starts to walk across the street towards Mike with Tom.

The walk home is a bit awkward as Mike tries to lighten the mood with jokes, but John is too shaken by the psycho girl that yelled at him and Tom is feeling tired and ready for bed. Mike gives up trying to keep the party alive about halfway home and they walk the rest of the way in silence. Tom and Mike both go into the rooms to crash and John drops down onto the couch. Thanking them for letting him crash at their place when they drink and then passing out.

John groans as he wakes up. Rubbing his head and sitting up in the bed he was lying in. Scooting to the side of the bed, his feet not even touching the ground as they dangle off the side. Reaching behind himself and scratching at his bare back. Jumping down off the bed and walking to the bathroom. Turning the faucet on, but the knob doesn’t even turn. No matter how hard he tries.

Through the hangover he starts to remember things. Questions start to appear. How did he get into a bed? Whose house is this? Why does everything look plastic? Was this just some kind of hung over waking dream? All the questions running through his throbbing head were silenced as the earth started to shake. It didn’t feel like an earthquake though. There was a quick shake, then it stopped. And another quick shake, that seemed more intense than the last. Then another, this time there was a booming sound in the distance.

A rhythm started to form with the shaking and the loud booming sound. Both getting more and more intense as time went on. Then, suddenly, it all stopped. There was no shaking. No booming. Everything was silent again. As John looked around the room he was in cautiously he found a window. Going towards the window, trying to look out and see what was going on outside when suddenly a giant, green eye filled the window.

John yelped and jumped backwards, tripping and falling backwards onto his butt. A loud, familiar giggle echoed through the air as the giant eye started at him with intensity John had never felt before. “Good morning! Sorry if I startled you!” the happy, giggly voice of Mary rang through his ears like a church bell.

As her voice rang in his ears, even more questions flooding his mind. One question was at the front of his mind as he stood back up slowly, cautiously, approached the window. “Mary…? Is that….is that you? What happened?!”

Another giggle shook the air as she pulled away from the window a little bit to reveal her entire face. Her hand busting the door in and reaching for John. He quickly scrambles to try and run away from the hand, but her fingers grab his leg. Making him fall and bust his face onto the hard-plastic ground. Mary doesn’t seem to care though as she drags him out of the door. Dangling him upside down in front of her face. Smiling that same warm, genuine smile that she wore last night. “I made you mine, you silly goose!” she brings you other hand up and pokes him in the chest a couple times. Smiling as she watches him sway back and forth. “Now we can be boyfriend and girlfriend and be happy together forever! Isn’t that great!”

Fear has taken over John’s body and he can’t find it in himself to answer. Coughing a bit from the hard jab to the chest. Mary’s face hardens a bit as she starts at John. Her lips pursing a bit as she waits for an answer. “I said. Isn’t that great?” Annoyance filled her voice as she asked much more forcefully this time. A clearly displeased look spread across her face.

John quickly nods up and down. Still hanging upside down by his foot, all the blood rushing to his head. “Yeah, yes…this…that’s great!” He has to bring his hands up to his mouth to keep himself from barfing as he becomes dizzy from the motion of dangling upside down.

Mary coos at his answer. Seeing him cover his mouth, she brings a finger and gently places it under his back. Cradling him in the palm of her hand now. “Awww I’m sowwy baby…I forgot you were drinking a lot last night…is my precious baby still hung over?” She baby talks down to John as he rests cradled in her palm. Nodding a bit in response, thankful for the lack of motion and the apparent understanding from Mary.

“Don’t worry. I have a sure fire hang over cure just for my baby!” She answers with giddy excitement. “Now, I have a full day today, so after I make you feel better it’ll be a few hours before I’m back. Is that okay?” John just nods weakly. Wanting his nauseous, head throbbing, pain filled existence to be cured. “Great! See you in a couple hours then sweetie!” She answers happily and giggling as she reaches down with her free hand. Grabbing John’s head between her thumb and index finger. Giving it one good solid twist. The last thing John heard was the loud popping and snapping of his neck and the overpowering giggle of Mary as she twisted his head off.

Watching as the red gemstone lit up and a naked body crawled out of it. John was being reborn through the power of the gemstone that Mary held on her palm. Smiling down at the little passed out body that wasn’t awake yet. Tossing him down into a shoe box carelessly and shoving it under her bed.

She discarded the body and wiped the blood off her hand with a tissue, tossing it in the same bin as the body. Giggling and leaving the room. “Be back soooon!” Calling out in a sing song voice before she walked out her bedroom door. Shutting it behind her.

John awoke suddenly. Gasping in air and looking around. Crawling backwards in shock and panic. His eyes darting around, but not seeing anything in the pitch blackness of the room. He tried to remember how he got there but he couldn’t. All he could remember was…Mary. And death. Struggling to come to terms with the reality of what just happened he curled up into a ball in the first corner he could find and started to cry.