This Is The En-

I wait for him on the couch dressed up in a modest colonial style dress- so different from what I was used to. My eyes flick between the door and the camera propped on the mantel, it’s black lens shuttering and rotating junkily. When I got married to Mark, I didn’t think this what I was to get, a housewife constantly watched. A knock sounded on the door, and I faintly smiled for the camera before standing and peeking through the door crack, swinging it wider at the sight of my formally dressed husband, our matching rings twinkled as he ripped of his mask letting it fall onto the couch. He grinned and took my hand.

“Afternoon my-” he paused with a knowing smile. I gave a halfhearted smile back and only nodded before letting him in.

This place was weird. You know those old- outdated black and white movies, right? This place was drained of color too. Not literally, I guess. The grass was still green, and the sky was supposedly still blue. I was a big conspiracy theorist back in the day. The oddest part was these dreadful masks we wear- everywhere.

“I made a small meal for us…” I told him and he moved to the kitchen after hefting his gray work bag to the hook it always sat on. I heard a gasp from the room, and I hurried in. he gazed at the meal I had worked meticulously on for the day.

“Esther- I mean this is wonderful but-” he glanced wildly around the room, avoiding looking at the pink set table, a fine steak meal with rose petals laying around, a box of bland tasting chocolates laying in the center by the candles. I smile and tap his shoulder he whirled around grasping my shoulders catching me by surprise.

“Esther no. I know you’re a woman and all-, but you seriously can’t be this dumb.” I winced at his view on the female sex but pulled away and planted a kiss on his cheek effectively shutting him up.

“I disabled the cameras Mark; we can have a single night.” he looked down at me pushing the hair out of my face. “ok, one night…” he whispered. I grinned triumphantly and sat across from his seat which he took promptly.

We dined through the night, and I could swear he was relaxing. his family was like this too. it was the weirdest thing before this happened. He was a ‘wild child’ of sorts, I guess. My family warned me away when we started dating, and I will never forget my mom's face when I left. His parents had shown up after our wedding and spoken to him for hours. I was stuck like a child in the living rooms like a spoilt child and when he came out of the room the atmosphere had changed totally. He was grim as a reaper, and he sat me down once his parents left- small grins on their pale faces.

“We have to leave” he would say. I put up a small fight hardly being allowed to say goodbyes to my distraught mother and stony-faced father. So, we left the living world and entered this dystopia of bland pain. I couldn’t escape if I wanted. Mark seems happy here, so do the neighboring families. His parents live here too, up in a nicer district of the town.

He set down his cup and leaned back in his chair. I smiled holding out a hand to him, he grinned and took it. “Which cameras did you disable?”

I laughed lightly, “every single one except the doorway one, just in case.” he cocked his head and in seconds was at my side lifting me from my chair. I giggled and let him whirl me around, my feet hardly ever touching the floor.

“I wish we had music” I told him later while was slow waltzed around the kitchen and into the living room.

He nodded, “Can’t let the neighbors know dear.” I understood and didn’t push it; content with what we had in the moment.

We settled on the couch, and he ran a hand through my hair kissing my cheek lightly before I turned to him allowing him to kiss me on the lips for the first time since our wedding months ago.

I hate this place for tearing my love from me. making my Mark an emotionless machine like everyone else here. I was scared I would become one too. Nights like these would keep my mind to myself.

But Nothing ever lasts. No. Not even Love.

A knock came on the door, and we froze. The knocking repeated, more angrily this time. We locked gazes and in a flash we were scrambling to stuff the petals and dining ware into the oven, snuffing out the candles and hoping the scent would wander out and away. Just as mark was finishing up and the knocking had become almost incessant, I smoothed down my apron i had quickly donned and put a cheery smile on my face.

Opening the door a crack i peered out.

“Hello?”

“Esther Hewlett?”

“Yes, that’s me- My husband is home- I’m not alone.” I said warily only able to see the brim of a hat matched with a man's deep voice.

“Before I enter mam, your masks?” he said reprimanding like I was a child. I made a small sound leaving the door open as I scurried to slip on my mask, I yelled for Mark then too.

“Markus! Masks! We have a visitor!” he yelled a muffled sound back, and I hoped he was finishing up stuffing things away.

When I turned though, the man in the hat was inside, peering around and his lean fingers gliding on the smooth surface of the table my father had made for us as a wedding gift. I felt a shiver go up my spine as I looked at the- thing now that I see it in the light.

This creature did not have a mask. It’s horrifyingness was on display. mark entered and made a small sound before running up and falling to his knees before the creature in the hat.

“Please- please no. She’s good- We’re good.” The creature cocked its head it’s voice raspy now instead of the deep manly voice I had heard in the darkness of our front porch.

“You are Markus Hewlett, son of a creator.”

Mark nodded and I frowned now terrified of what was happening. Why was my husband- the one I trusted with my life at this… things feet- if they were even considered feet.

“For that you I will spare- But her fate is more than sparing.” Mark shook his head. “NO- just- I mean, no, let us stay together. Please.”

I heard a whoosh from behind me and let out a small scream at the sight of a fire billowing out from our oven quickly spreading on the wooden counter tops.

Why did I ever leave my parents? Why did I agree to follow Mark here?

“We need to go mark- Fire.” I told him desperately more scared of that than the creature mark was staring at, his eyes sunken in.

“Markus Hewlett, you knew what would occur when you married her. It is her duty as a Hewlett woman, just as your mother before her.”

At these words I freaked.

“I’M RIGHT HERE TALK TO ME- WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?” The fire screeched as it tore into a metal toaster, sparks flying.

Mark turned to me his eyes wild, the fire reflecting in them.

“Run Esther- run to the basement -escape to the forest behind the barrier.” he spoke the barrier with a halting voice and i too blinked at the thought of escaping over the electrical fencing, a single touch enough to kill a man.

The creature shifted and he rasped out words once more- this time to me.

“Do not leave Esther. Your fate is here- not in the human world.” I flinched as he laid a hand on my shoulder and caught my gaze forcing me to become trapped in his dark pupils. Ignoring Mark who screamed by me, held back by the strength of the creature.

“You will rule my dear.” I flinched at the endearing words forbidden here.

“This place is meant for you. No harm will come to you- in a few years you will return to this humble abode and live with your husband, just follow me love, you will have everything to your access only.”

I tilted my head, the fire bringing me back to my senses as it grew in size, small rose petals floating and crisping in the air.

“RUN ESTHER!” Mark screamed one last time, and I flicked back to my senses. I ran, straight into the fire, the creature lunged for me once before hauling mark out of the burning house. I screamed in agony as the fire nipped at my skin, my clothes igniting in seconds as I made it to the other side of the fire- before realizing I was trapped now too.

I felt a tear slip down my cheek, then evaporating in a moment. I wasn’t even allowed to cry here now as I burn to death.

I remember in school learning about burning to death. Stop, drop, and roll they said. I couldn’t roll here. I curled in a corner as the fire encroached in, my sobs turning to agonized screamed at my flesh seared and curled on its self- my blood boiling inside. I heard shouts from outside too while I died. I wondered what fate I would have had if I never ran. At least now I escaped this place for good. I see my mask untouched on the smoldering couch still as fire blinds me and my screams turn to hoarse cries and my lungs fight to move. This is the en-