Man's Best Friend

Paul shook the ashes off his eyelids as his unfinished cigarette hit the leg of the woman in the short skirt.

“Sorry.” Paul waved his hand apologetically. The woman scurried away angrily, muttering the word ‘pervert’.

He got his key out and entered the small, claustrophobia-inducing space the manager called a room.

It’s been five days since Paul and Tal'shen escaped from Maya and her goons. All the Proxitol has left his system and he has never felt stronger. Amazed at how well he was handling ‘the situation’, Paul rationalized the nightmare by comparing it to an unthinkable disease like cancer. Once you’re dealt with it, you have no choice but to go through the whole ordeal if you want to survive, and they both wanted badly to survive.

The upside is- although the alien was maturing mentally at a rapid pace, at least, it could shrink its tentacles down to a size small enough to be hidden under his jacket.

“No offense, Tal’shen.”  
“No problem, I’ve always wanted to be treated like a tumor.”

That night, two little girls appeared in Paul’s dream.  

“Epilepsy,” the doctor called it.

A sickly shadow of a child was lying in bed, her small body shaking uncontrollably. Maya held her little sister’s hand. Though horrified, she couldn’t keep her eyes off the monstrous fits…

The scene faded into black.

“Who are you talking to?” Maya asked Lysa who was laughing by herself.

“My friend, her name is Anna.”

“It’s normal for children to have imaginary friends.”  Her father whispered in her ear.

The doctor’s voice reemerged in the background.

“Well, it’s a miracle, I don’t know how else to explain it.  She’s just…well. “

The scene faded out… a new image unfolded. A child was having a tantrum.

“I want to be called Lysanna.”  

“It’s okay, Lysanna.” Her father said. “Maya, we’ll do what she asks. After everything your sister has been through. She’s allowed everything, you understand?”

The scenes shuffled once again..

“Lysanna, where are you, I have something for you.”
“Lys. ….”

Maya screamed at the sight.

The little girl was playing with her imaginary friend as usual, except she wasn’t alone. Monstrous tentacles sprouted from her back. The biggest limb ended with an eye and it appeared to be talking to Lysanna.

Frantically, the tentacles tried to hide themselves inside the shirt but it was too late. Maya instinctively ran towards the counter and got the biggest knife.

“MAYA, NO!” Lysana screamed!

Revolted but fearless, Maya pinned her little sister, face down, on the floor and pulled the little tentacles one by one. She, then, found the biggest tentacle.

“GET OFF MY SISTER!” Maya shouted maniacally before stabbing it right in the iris.

Blood splattered on her face but it wasn’t the monster’s blood. Lysanna had turned around just in time to block the strike.

Maya had killed her little sister.

She stared at the lifeless body of Lysana. The tentacles have disappeared. Where did it go? Did it escape? Has she imagined it all?

“Lysanna?  Wake up.”  Maya began to shake uncontrollably, “LYSANNA WAKE UP!!!!”

Paul awoke, sweating.

Tal’shen was on alert mode. Somebody was in the room….“Mother?”