An Unwanted Visitor

Alister remembered what it was like to slide across an empty ice rink. The cold air would seep into the creases of his skin and bones. Smiling fondly, he put down a set of worn-out ice skates. He sat there for a few minutes soaking in the smell of old leather. His memories of ice skating were a comfort to him like no other.  He basked in the feeling, knowing he would eventually have to acknowledge the hole in the roof a few yards away. 

He had been quietly reading in the loft when he first heard wood crackling, as if it was bending in. As he set his book down, he heard the snap. It was from the attic. A place Alister took no guilt in avoiding. The attic was where he stored his childhood knick-knacks. Alister twisted the doorknob open and tripped over his old ice skates. He held them and reminisced, slowly realizing how cool the room was. He looked up at the ceiling and noticed the wood had bent downwards in a circular shape revealing the stars above. He looked back down, setting the skates away.

The comfort of nostalgia dissipated as a feeling of unease overtook his mind. He turned around taking in every aspect of the room. It was a small and quaint basement space. It seemed mysterious and dimmer than it usually was. Something about the familiarity of the room was lacking. 

The periodic noise of a clock filled his ears. Had the clock been there before? He stared confusedly at the hands of the clock as it moved counterclockwise. It was broken. 

Perhaps it was his mind. His eyes fixated on a small door across the room. Like the clock, he didn’t remember it.

Before he could even begin to wonder, his eyes widened and his confusion was replaced by the feeling of bubbling fear. His heart was pounding. He was sure he had seen the doorknob turn. There was someone behind the little door. The door he didn’t remember existed. 

Holding his breath, he grabbed a hold of the ice skates he previously had put down. Aiming it at the door, he readied himself to take action. The doorknob turned a full circle, slowly creaking open. 

“Hello.” 

Alister launched an ice skate at the voice. 

“What?” He shrieked, picking up the second skate and aiming it. 

“Calm down,” the voice cried out. 

Alister, in fact, did not calm down; instead, he attempted to throw the second skate. The voice was rough and quiet. He looked closer and saw a tiny creature scramble toward him. 

Tilting his head, he focused on the creature. With his eyes scrunched and confusion clouding his mind, he wanted to scream as his own dark eyes stared back at him. 

“You look like me?” He spoke, afraid of the creature in front of him. That wasn’t an exaggeration; the miniature version of him shared all the qualities he did: slicked back brown hair curled into his ears and a distant look in his unfocused brown eyes.  It was like walking into a mirror funhouse and looking at a distorted version of yourself. The distortion smaller, much smaller, like a toy soldier.

“Well, I just thought the response would be more peaceful if my form was familiar.” the thing reasoned. 

 Alister was on the verge of breaking down in laughter or tears. This was absolutely insane. He'd finally lost it, gave in to the inevitable, losing his mind. Whatever, he might as well entertain the idea. 

“What do you want?” his voice dripping with sarcasm. He was either in a dream or dead. At this point, he decided, he might as well go with it. 

“I need your skin.” 

“What.”

“I need your body.” the voice dipped into a graver tone. Alister scoffed.

“What are you on about.”

“I can’t wander this planet without a human vessel.” 

Alister stepped back, the gravity of the situation setting in. He wanted to believe this was some sort of dream or hallucination, but he knew better. 

“You know what, I’m done. I’m too old to be having dreams like these-” Alister’s biting words retreated as his eyes drifted to his midriff only to find blood. 

“What…” his voice trailed as his hand pressed against the growing red stain on his button-up

. 

“You misunderstood, I don’t need your permission.” 

Alister looked at the creature. This time in a serious manner. The creature had once seemed somewhat humanoid but now it was purely disembodied. Its head, far too wide for his slender shoulders bobbled as he stepped closer. His mouth twisted into a smooth surface. All orfices on his face closed. Its legs elongated. It had no face. It had no hands. It was inhuman. 

Bitterly he laughed, this felt too real to be a hallucination. He had crumpled to the floor. He gripped the floorboards pulling himself against the small door. Panting, he reached over and grabbed the doorknob. His hair fell against his eyes, sticking to the sweat. The sound of his breathing filled the room. Spinning and spinning, he couldn’t do this. The soft clicks of the clock started to fade. His eyes rolled back. The floorboards beneath him seemed to disappear and the taste of blood in his mouth dissipated.

The creature shuffled towards him, long legs bending unnaturally. It brought its wind head down, pressing it against Alister’s forehead. The voice spoke. This time in his mind. 

“You should be proud. I have chosen your body as my new disguise. I will live inside your walls and understand the way of your people.”

Alister couldn’t respond. He called out, and only then realized he had no voice. Or maybe he did, but couldn't hear it; the darkness smothered his senses, every connection to the world around him. All he was now was a collection of emotions, feelings, and thoughts. He felt the creature push closer until he felt his mind snap. 

The leather smell of his ice skates disappeared along with its air of comfort.