Mallie

In an otherwise dark bedroom lit by one overhead lamp, lays a man. He has pale skin and curly hair. He is staring at a glass box which is kept on his side table with a kind smile on his face. In the box is a woman, a 3 inch tall woman. Her hair is all white and yet her face is young. While it is obvious that she isn’t starving from the looks of it, her expression still shows fatigue, extreme fatigue. On the box with black marker is written the name, ‘Mallie’.

She looks over at him with a blank expression. His smile is unwavering and persistent, in his eyes hope for a response, she returns it with a small frown and lays down on her side. Her face turned away from him.

*

The door is now open. Outside is a small clean apartment. The light behind the curtains of the window indicates it is morning. He carries two plates, one of them the size of a coin. He places the coin size plate on the table next to the glass box. He pulls open a panel in the box and slides the plate in. She doesn’t move, her eyes do, moving between the man and the plate. They are confident. The kind smile reappears on his face and his eyes do the same as hers did.

She turns away for a second. Black wisps begin to smoke creep out of the corner of her eyes, she turns and moves to the other side of the box at rapid ant-like speed. Her eyes are matte black, the smoke replaced with tar, her jaw hangs revealing sharp piranha-like teeth inside. She scratches on the glass. She bangs it. She screeches. She breathes in and lets out a giant scream, piercing. The man doesn’t react in any way one would expect. His lips pursed, he just takes his plate and goes back out to eat.

Mallie’s abnormalities go away, the black of her eyes recedes to her irises, the cornea’s previously black are now bloodshot. She stands their, frustrated, her breathing heavy. She looks up holding back tears. She bangs once more on the glass wall. Hoping for a reaction with her head still down. Nothing happens, no sound. She gently sits herself down and begins to eat the food.

*

It’s night once again. The lamp is off. The only light in the room comes from the outside. The news on the TV still plays at full volume. It is all quiet except the sound of the fan.

BAM! Mallie hits the glass wall with her shoulder.

Her shirt is off, inside a white tank top. She is sweating, her left upper arm is bruised. The man is disturbed in his sleep and shifts in his sleep, his face now away from the wall towards the glass box. His lips illuminated by the TV. The box lays on the edge of the table, scratches trailing behind it almost a half a foot long. She rushes once again and finally knocks it off the table. It lands on the floor, completely shattering. The man wakes, he immediately knows what has happened, he doesn’t need to look around. Mallie once again, runs at high speed and hides under the bed in the dark. He looks under it but is unable to see anything. He runs out of the bedroom and comes back with a glass and a flashlight.

Cautiously he bends down and turns on the flashlight. He spots Mallie, who with her tiny all fours, zips to the other side of the bed.

The man tries to follow her, but when he turns and his flashlight stops, Mallie isn’t there.

He frantically moves the light, trying to spot her but she is nowhere to be seen.

He can’t find Mallie, but she is right there, behind him, she can see the door right there, but his legs block her way. Only way through is over them. As soon as he takes his head outside, he’ll spot her. If she moves over his leg, he’ll feel her steps and that will end not well.

She thinks of many solutions but she knows none will work, except one. She is reluctant, she doesn’t want too. She can’t do it to him. No she won’t! Her eyes reflect her confusion, soon they show her decision. She knows exactly what to do.

*

The man finally raises, panting and sees Mallie sitting right on top of the bed, they make eye contact. In a fraction of a second many things happen. The man throws his hand with the glass in it, trying to catch her. Mallie lunges, her eyes turning matte black once again, her teeth piranha. He misses while she lands perfectly on his head and quickly enters his shirt.

The light of the TV goes out, the sound of the fan starts to dampen. She zips under his shirt, biting every spot possible. He tries to hit her, almost catches her as well, but she is too fast. The pain is unbearable, erupting on every inch of his body. He screams of the pain and its frustration. Amidst the chaos erupting on his skin, he slips, hitting his head on the side table. He is unmoving, the fan’s momentum finally runs out and it stops. It is dead silent. Mallie emerges from the shirt, concern on her face. She walks right up to his face, standing on his forehead.

The fan starts again and the TV turns back on, the red of the blood revealed. The man’s head lies in a pool of his own blood. Mallie stares at his face unable to comprehend what she has done. Her face a contrasting mixture of relief and disbelief. Mallie gets off and leaves through the door, the TV light making the sweat on her tiny body glisten. She makes her way to the front door.

*

The door of a house on an empty suburban street opens, standing in it is Mallie, now 6 feet tall. She wears a men’s leather jacket and boots. Her hand clutches her waist as she takes a moment to breathe and then stands up straight. She shakes her head trying to calm herself down. Then makes her way to the Black Jeep standing in the driveway. The jeep pulls out and takes it leave, the engine roaring in the dusty air.