Ended Up Making the Decision

The 1966 Mustang pulled up into the driveway of an unusually tall house. A girl with long gleaming brown hair and beautiful brown eyes stepped out of the car, Marilyn, was her name. She walked along the gravel path, the ground crunching with every step she took. She reached out her hand to knock on the door, but it swung open before her hand met the wood. There, in the bright light, stood a dashing young man by the name of William.

“Can I help you?”

“No, I mean yes, can I come in?” stuttered Marilyn.

“Yeah, I guess,” William mumbled, under his breath, “Why are you here?”

“Oh, someone sent me to talk to you about “business”.”

As William pulled Marilyn into the house, he also pulled her close to himself, she smelled the fresh cologne that was sprayed on him earlier. She looked up at him and stared into his hazel eyes. Her hands tightened around his arms and she leaned into his chest. She quickly pulled away after realizing her position.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, let's go to my room.”

“Yeah, sure.”

As the walked into his room, Marilyn felt a strange atmosphere there, like a spiritual presence. She felt unsure about it, but she let it go, after all, she only wanted to be with William now. For some reason, she felt connected to William and just wanted to tell him everything about her and her life, but she couldn’t. He saw a worry look in her eyes and with a warm and gentle voice he said, “Are you okay? You seem distressed. Here come sit on the bed.”

“I’m fine, I just feel a little stressed with my life.”

“Okay? Tell me then, who are you and why did you come here?”

“I’m really not supposed to say, but I guess I’ll tell you. Promise me you won’t tell anyone or think differently of me?”

“Can’t promise, but I’ll try.”

“Good enough.”

Marilyn straightened herself up on the bed and turned to him, looking him straight in the eye. She knew that she would betray her family after telling a secret, but she had no intention of keeping it safe.

“William, I came to your house because…, look I really don’t want to say it before I do anything. It’s just that your bloodline is special. Your ancestors and other family members are so important, and even though you don’t know me, I’ve known you for so long.”

“What are you, a stalker? How do you know anything about me?”

“I’m uh-, not exactly human.”

“Ha, nice, me neither, I’m an alien.” William mocked.

“No! I mean it, I’m not exactly human! I look human, but my insides and brain are completely different.”

“What are you going to do then?”

“I want to spend time with you, I really do.”

“Spend time with me?! You’re crazy! I don’t even know you.”

“Please, give me a chance to explain myself.”

“Ok, so tell me right now, what are you?”

“Ok ok, I’ll tell you, but don’t run away or do anything ok?”

“Fine, tell me.”

“My family is a clan and we perform rituals every year, but each time it is a different family member who does it. This year, it’s my turn. And your bloodline is part of the ritual, you just don’t know, your family never knew because of my family’s power.”

“So what is this a sacrifice or something?”

“Kind of? But please, don’t be scared.”

“No shit, how can I be not scared, you’re here to take me aren’t you.”

“No no, we have time, maybe I can help you.”

“Just wait, wait, let me process this.”

As Marilyn and William sat on opposite sides of the bed, she had so many feelings rushing through her, she knew what she was sent to do had to be done. There was still a part of which she hadn’t told him yet and she kept a promise to herself that she wouldn’t say that part of the secret. She looked over at William, who was muttering under his breath and sweating. The feeling of comforting him was such an urge in her that she couldn’t hold back. 

“William, please, just forget about it. Let’s go outside and take a breather.”

“No, no, you just told me that you were going to take me and literally slaughter me!”

“I can stop it, please William.”

“Why do you keep fighting it, just kill me already. Take me away. Stop torturing me here with suspense.”

“You know why I haven’t done anything? I have been running away from this moment my whole life. I know you like the back of my hand, your whole life story and I don’t want to take that away from you. I have been fighting it to spare your life!”

“Then just leave, Marilyn, leave me here and just go home.”

“You don’t understand! If I leave emptyhanded, they will all come for you and you will suffer even more. You have to let me help you.”

As William looked her in the eye, he could see the urge she was fighting back, but he really didn’t care. He looked at her as tears streamed down her face, onto her white blouse. He fought the urge to wipe the tears away and just looked away. Suddenly, Marilyn felt a force coming down on her like she was being pulled into the ground. It would blow her head open if she didn’t stay still. She knew it was a message from her father, the elder of the clan. She ran out of the room and into the bathroom. She prayed that William would stay and not run away, but she couldn’t control that. When she locked the bathroom door behind her, the presence of her father appeared in front of her.

“Marilyn, what is taking so long? You are to bring the child back home in approximately 20 minutes.”

“Dad, I can’t do it! I think I like him! You can’t make me kill him. Please spare him, I’ll do anything!” Marilyn muttered through her tears.

“You know what happens if you don’t complete the ritual. You will return to your true form, a monster. The blood of his family keeps you human.”

“I know that I really do. I don’t want to let you down, but we have taken his whole family from him. He is alone and will always be alone.”

“He doesn’t know what you are, Marilyn, take him in your car, and return home.”

“About that, I’ve already told him what I am.”

“Why would you do what?! That is the one thing you don’t do. Now you have to take him. If you let him live, well you’ll be banished from the family.”

“Please Dad, let me try to save him. I’ll practice spells, maybe I can get him to forget.”

“You don’t even know if he’s still in his room, or if he broke out and left. Just go, take him home and you’ll sacrifice him. Go now.”

“Dad, please, I can’t.”

“Go, Marilyn, you will dishonor our family if you do not bring him home. You will cause us all to lose form. Go. Just bite him and he’ll fall asleep, you know you have poison, so use it.”

“But if I fo that, I have to show my true form first.”

“So do it, don’t bother coming home if you don’t have the body.”

As Marilyn left the bathroom, a sinking feeling came to her mind. She prayed that William would still be there and hoped that he hadn’t heard the conversation. She braced herself as she opened the door. There he was, William was leaned on the bed listening to music, Marilyn sighed a breath of relief and sat next to him. She held his hand and whispered, “William, I really like you, and I would never lie to you.”

“How do I know you won’t lie.”

“I told you the truth of who I am.”

“I don't even know if I should trust you, either way, I’m stuck in this house with nowhere to go, so just kill me.”

“Stop, it doesn’t work like that.”

Marilyn looked deep into his eyes, held his hand, and kissed him. He passionately kissed her back. He gazed into her eyes and said, “I know you would never hurt me, I trust you with my life because I love you too.”

“I’m glad you trust me, but maybe not with your life.”

She then started to change. William stared in horror as the human flesh burned off her body, leaving a horrid smell lingering in the room. He had nowhere to go, Marilyn’s face transformed into the most hideous monster, her eyes were no longer eyes, but deep sockets, her cheeks were no longer cheeks but bone and her hair, her luscious hair was no longer hair, but horns. She was no longer Marilyn, she was a monster, her true form. She saw the fear in his eyes, but couldn’t help him. The pain was excruciating, but she had to go through with it. She leaned close into William’s face and whispered with a raspy voice, “I’m so sorry, you trusted me when you shouldn’t have.”. Tears streamed down her face as she revealed her giant, rotten teeth. She cried as she bit down on his neck, screamed when his body fell limp against her, and hated herself as her feet crunched on the gravel, the same gravel she walked upon when meeting him. Marilyn had chosen, not love, but honor, not freedom, but protection. She felt the regret as she carried his body to her car, as her skin grew back onto her face, as she burned him alive at stake. There was her decision, mounted up on the wall for everyone to see, the decision that would bring pain to her life, a decision that was chosen by her.