Gone

Chapter 3

Rita had already been asleep by the time they picked her up from her aunt's. When they returned home, Adam carried his daughter to her bed, covered her and kissed her forehead. He did not notice Sarah watching from behind.

"Would you like to watch a movie before we go to bed?" Her voice made him jolt.

"No, thanks, honey. I'm just very tired today. I'll go to bed right away."

Adam wasn't tired, in fact, for the whole day, something felt freakish about Sarah and it made him feel restless. Her apathetic expressions daunted him, it made chills run down his spine and made his sweaty hands shake. When she looked at him, her eyes were a shade darker and seemed to burn through his soul. He felt her getting in bed beside him. She was cold as ice, her breath on his neck unnerved him. Adam didn't understand anything. All of a sudden Sarah was a completely different person -no, an entirely different creature.

He closed his eyes and shook the guff away. They were both just probably tired, or perhaps Sarah was going through mood changes. Adam wanted to ignore that. He loved his wife, in sickness and in health.

The next day Adam returned tired from work to find Sarah in the kitchen, eating. He was wide-eyed when he saw what she was eating- chicken.

"Sarah, honey, what are you doing?" She looked up at him baffled not noticing he had entered.

"I'm eating." She got her focus back onto her food.

"Yes, I can clearly see that. You're eating chicken, Sarah, you know that right?" Adam urged.

"Yes, yes I am. Did you want to eat it?" Adam stared at her utterly baffled.

"Sarah, you're vegan." Sarah's eyes flew at Adam she was gaping for a moment before she smiled.

"Oh yeah, I decided a few days ago that it was all nonsense. So I guess I am no longer vegan." She smirked.

Adam couldn't shake the thoughts away anymore. Sarah had always been a very stern vegan, it couldn't have crumbled overnight.

"Sarah, are you okay? Is there anything bothering you? You know you can tell me anything, right?" He consoled.

"Yeah I am okay. Why are you asking?" Her eyebrows were raised and pulled together, she raised her upper eyelids and her lips were slightly stretched horizontally back to her ears.
She looked at Adam as if he had caught her doing something wrong. Adam took a second to respond. If he told her, and she really were another creature then that would count as helping it to deceive him.

"No, nothing. I was just checking on you."

Throughout the day, Sarah was lethargic, unlike how lively she usually was. Adam didn't understand. He couldn't explain, but he felt it. He felt that this wasn't his wife, but in fact, another creature, another thing that was pretending to be her.

The thought was insane, but Adam knew it. He felt it.

And he was terrified.