Her New Face: Part Two

The front door slowly creaked open and the she stepped inside and just stood there before slowly turning her head to look at the four of them huddled by the living room window still frozen in place as if time had stood still. Her mother, well the human that was her host's mother seemed smaller than she remembered as did the father, uncle and his wife and she could smell their fear and it made her smile. The mask on her face slowly dissolved into her flesh leaving the oddly familiar look of the body she had taken over…yes the entity was female but the eyes for the moment remained amber in color.. As she walked into the room, the sound of soft clicks could be heard as every window and door lock was engaged in the house, preventing them from trying to escape because she had only just begun. She walked past them to the mirror that had been hung in the corner of the living room and stared at her reflection, making a few minor adjustments because the skin she had taken over didn't quite fit right. She tugged at the cheeks, straightened the nose a little and pulled back on the hair just enough that the flesh on the forehead looked smooth. She moved to the couch and awkwardly sat down, staring at the four of them before speaking “You are a bunch of thieves who now live in my house” The voice was deep and guttural but she would soon learn to work on it.

She stared right through them as the next words chilled them” You will teach me the mechanics of what it means to act like a human and I will allow you to believe you are free but there are rules. Every time one of you leaves, one must stay behind as a reminder to say nothing and to do nothing out of the ordinary.” She paused just long enough to let it sink in then continued, tapping her long fingernails on the coffee table in front of her” Don’t test me because you won’t like the results” She slowly stood up and walked towards the front window and glanced outside as the streets were now empty and all that was left was a few scattered trick or treat pails, remnants of costumes and the wind blowing a handful of leaves across the street, the moon shining bright as she took an unsure breath something she had not been able to do in all her years trapped in the mask. The old man had been the key to finding her freedom and this group of greedy humans almost cost it for her and she was going to make them pay but killing them would be much too easy. They needed to feel the terror, live in fear of what could happen to them if they crossed the line.

The next few days started off awkward and tense for all of them because they knew that the Emily they once tried to rob was no longer there, but something darker had completely taken over and they were afraid. They went to work, did the shopping, cooked the meals but the neighborhood noticed how much quieter and reserved the family had become which after a while they brushed it off as a family growing up. They could not possibly comprehend the terror that lurked just inside the walls of that home nor did they care to find out about the changes, they were just happy about the peace. The family apparently was not well liked by their neighbors so whatever made them quiet now was a relief to all. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months as they followed the rules, never stepping out of line and when they were home they spent their time teaching the new Emily how to walk, smile, talk normally and train her voice to sound more human.

It had been almost a year since the nightmare began with the family in a state of constant fear and the wind was softly blowing that October morning, Halloween day and she was ready for it. The house was unusually quiet and no one noticed as they prepared their yards with decorations they had either bought or made, children were excitedly running around their yards, comparing costumes and talking about all the candy they would get that night. Inside the house, was a very different story because standing by the front door was what looked like four very unique lawn decorations that would shock and awe the parents, neighbors and children that night. The four statues were gaunt and waxy in color, their eyes sunken in with dark circles beneath, strips of cloth hung from their extended arms with bony like fingers protruding from beneath the tattered fabric. They looked like four ghosts that had returned from the graves to haunt the neighborhood that very night but there was one peculiar feature about each one…the eyes. Their eyes could rotate and that they did, from side to side watching everything but no ability to speak or move.

Just before dusk, she began to carry out the statues one at a time, setting a pair on each side of the path leading up to the house and she smiled before returning back inside, flicking on the outside light and waiting. She could hear the parents and children giggling and shrieking at the shock of the statues apparently watching them, then when she opened the door hearing their knocks, they praised her for such realistic decorations. After the last child collected their treats from the front door, she closed the door and stood there in the silence that she had to tolerate for the past year and finally let out a final breath of…relief perhaps but it felt like so much more. She headed up the stairs and into the bedroom where it had all begun and opened the trunk dumping its contents on the bed, filling it only with the money she had collected from the family members over the past year. She knew she had to still blend into society at least for now and they had taught her other things such as how to use money and a phone. She also knew that they would be eventually looking for her so she stopped in front of the mirror above the dresser and stared at it, creating changes to her appearance. The long hair that was once brown was now solid black and hung past her shoulders, her amber eyes now disguised as a hazel green and little freckles appeared along the bridge of her nose.

She stared out the bedroom window, the streets silent then she grabbed the trunk and walked back down the stairs. This was never her home, it was just a means to an end and she had one purpose left in her mind-she needed to find the others. She stepped onto the front porch and closed the door slowly behind her, her gaze focused on the four statues still by the path and she could feel their eyes on her. She smiled as she walked down the steps and past them knowing that by the time the neighborhood learned the horrifying truth, she would be nothing but a whisper.