The Incubus

Chapter 3, Scene 5

Rebecca opened the door to the apartment, and for the first time in over a year, it felt cold and empty. Almost unwelcome. It was the absence of Justin that gave the place an aura of bitter grey. She shut the door behind her and took a quick dip into the kitchen to flip the kettle switch before moving into the living room to collapse onto the couch. Being a data-capturer was no small task, and not only did she complete her quota for the day, but she also almost made double; a feat achieved only by office legends.

'Office legend,' Rebecca said softly and smiled at the thought. 'Rebecca Greene: Achilles of data capturing.' She couldn't help but giggle at her own joke, and as the kettle neared boiling point, she heaved herself from the couch and made her way to the bedroom where she slipped into something more casual. Once dressed in a tracksuit pants and pull-over t-shirt, she made her way down the passage and past the closed study door into the kitchen where, for the first time since who-knows-when, she realized what a mess it was. With his new job, Justin wouldn't be there to wash the dishes for her anymore. Coming home to a lonely place and unwashed dishes would from now on be the norm. For the briefest moment Rebecca wished that Justin hadn't gotten the job. She rejected the thought and as she reached for the kettle, a pain shot through her abdomen.

'Hey little one,' she said and rubbed the spot where she thought the baby aught to be. 'Are you all right in there?'

She poured some water from the kettle into her favourite mug and was about to turn to the fridge to get some milk when a figure in the corner of her eye made her freeze in place. She could clearly see the outline of a person standing there, watching her, but she couldn't see who it was. She didn't dare move a muscle.

'Justin?' she asked softly, but she knew in her heart that it wasn't him. The figure was shorter than Justin, almost as small as a child, and although she couldn't make out any distinct features from her peripheral view, she could clearly see two large, black eyes staring right at her.

She quickly spun around, but there was no one; the figure was gone.

'Justin?' she asked again and slowly walked from the kitchen to the living room. Although no one was there, it felt as if someone was watching her every move. She shrugged and as she turned to go back to the kitchen, the open study door caught her eye.

'Justin?' she asked again as she started walking towards the study. 'Are you here?'

No answer.

She picked up her pace and once inside the study, stopped cold.

Nothing.

No Justin.

Everything appeared normal to the eye, yet something felt out of place. A chill crawled down Rebecca's spine and she felt an urgent need to leave the study. She pulled the door shut behind her and walked back to the living room while calling out to Justin. She stopped in mid-sentence. The emptiness of the living room walls caught her eyes immediately. Both paintings that she would have sworn her life on were hanging on the walls a mere minute ago, now lay face-down on the floor.

'This can't be,' she said and took a step back. The click of the study room door made her spin around. Slowly it opened. A scream escaped Rebecca's lips and she grabbed the keys and ran from the house. Moments later she was sitting on a ledge in what little of the setting sunlight she could manage to find while fighting back tears that desperately tried to break free.