In the darkness, nothing can be seen but only felt. The only noises heard are the steady drip of some forgotten faucet and the labored panicked breathing issuing out from his lungs. The blackness is oppressive and as he shuffles around it feels like it presses into his skin. Footsteps echo in this space and laughter that bridges on insanity in the distance. He is trying to get his bearings and reaches out his hands while he takes small steps forward.

“Hello?” His voice sounds like a gunshot in a small space. Suddenly the laughing in the distance stopped and all other noises ceased.

He dares not make another sound. His breathing is shallow and frantic. Suddenly the laughter starts right back up in the space directly behind him. He whips around but there’s nothing to see. And then lightly in his ear whispered, “Isn’t it all just so funny?”

Stephen sits bolt upright in bed. His breathing is labored, and his pajamas are drenched in his sweat. He quickly gets up and makes his way to the bathroom. He doesn’t want to wake his wife. He runs the cold water and splashes it on his face. Every night since coming back from his trip he has had the same nightmare. He feels more and more unnerved and rattled every night he has it. As he stands straight up, he looks at himself in the mirror. Dark circles have turned his face haggard. His unkempt hair sticks in all directions and he looks thinner. The man in the mirror looks like a sick version of himself and he can’t stand it.

“Who are you?” He asks his reflection.

When it doesn’t respond he laughs. There it is! The sparkle of life in his eyes! Laughing was the best remedy. A soft knock on the bathroom door breaks his trance as his wife’s muffled voice makes its way into his space. “Honey? Are you okay?”

He spins around and pulls the door open, a lot more aggressive than he really means to and she lets out a quiet yelp. At first her reaction annoys him, but he quickly recovers. “Oh! I’m so sorry baby! I didn’t mean to startle you! I’m alright. Let’s go back to bed.”

“Did you have another nightmare?” She asks.

Again, annoyance springs up in his chest, but he doesn’t let it reach his voice. “Yeah, I did. But I’m all good now. I just want to go back to sleep.”

“Okay…”

She follows him back to the bed and lays awake as he easily slips back into dreamland. She feels uneasy, but it’s late and it’s dark. There’s no way that her husband’s eyes were too wide and empty when he pulled that bathroom door open.     

The following morning Abigail and Elizabeth sat at the table, sipping their orange juices and waiting for their mother to finish up breakfast. The news can be heard coming from the living room nearby. The weatherman calls for rain today. Abigail looks to her younger sister who sits bathed in the morning sunlight. Her blond hair shining like gold, so much like their mother’s. Her own hair was a deep brown, resembling their father’s wild locks. Normally their father would be sitting with them, sipping his coffee and making small jokes. This morning, moments before, an important work call had come in from work. He was currently in his office dealing with it.

As they finished up their breakfast, they heard a yell erupt from the living room. Startled, their mother quickly darts to him in concern. “Stephen! What’s wrong?”

The girls peek from around the door jam and see their father clutching his head. As he mumbles to himself and shakes his head, they could see blood pouring down from each nostril. Since returning from his business trip there had been episodes of these nose bleeds, but this was something wholly new.

“Stephen?” their mother reached out a hand to touch his shoulder.

With unrestrained aggression, Stephen slapped her hand away. The girls let out a small chorus of screams. They had never seen their father behave in such a manner. He was normally such a gentle and kind man. “What’s wrong?!” He roared.

“Stephen… you’re scaring the girls.”

“I’m scaring the girls?! I’m not the one claiming something is wrong Amanda!”

“I don’t understand…”

There was a void looking into his eyes that had never been present before. A chill ran down Amanda’s spine as she took a step back towards her daughters. Stephen’s eyes tracked her movement like a predator stalking its prey. Nostrils flaring he took a step forward. She stumbled away to push the girls into the kitchen. Abigail and Elizabeth clung to each other.

“Mommy what’s wrong with daddy?” Elizabeth whimpered.

He heard her and his head fell back as great laughter exploded from him. An ominous feeling sucked the air out of the room and Stephen doubled over laughing in a crazy manner. Amanda took this moment to escape the scene unfolding in front of them. All that mattered was getting the girls out of there. She didn’t know what was about to happen, and frankly she refused to even think about it. She just knew they needed to get out.

Quickly she grabbed onto her daughters and made way towards the sliding glass doors in the kitchen. As the fresh morning air swept over them, they became aware of how silent things had become. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Shaking, Amanda turned to look over her shoulder. Stephen stood there, eyes wide and a huge grin on his face. “Amanda. Where are you going? Laugh with me! Amanda! You just don’t get it! It’s all so funny once you understand!”

Without taking her eyes off her husband she says to her girls, “Get to the car. Get in the car and lock the doors.”

“But momma…” Elizabeth began, tears streaming down her face.

“Now! Go! NOW!” And with that she shoved them.

Abigail quickly grabbed onto her sister, and they made their way to the car. Huddled in the back seat, trying to go unnoticed, the girls clung to each other. A smack on the window from a blood smeared hand; their mother’s hand. Her screams were deafening in the cramped space as their father bludgeoned her to death. The eldest daughter, while clutching her sister’s hand, peered out the glass. Tears pouring down her face she watched as the blood dripped from her father’s fingers. His face was crazed, with eyes rolling and he was laughing maniacally at the scene before him. Frozen in terror she could feel his eyes lock on her and was unable to move as he stepped towards them.

How cruel was life when you found joy in seeing someone get the end meant for you? She was in bliss seeing the neighbor call out to him, thinking everything was fine. She felt joy in watching her father cut him down and then chase after that family. As she turned to her sister, laughing out, hoping that touch could convey her emotion. Why does Elizabeth look so scared? Why isn’t she laughing? Why was she trying to back away? How dare she treat her like she was father! She just didn’t understand. She needed to make her understand. Grabbing her sister’s shoulders hoping to shake the understanding into her. It was all just so funny.

The younger one’s eyes glazed hazily up at her big sister. Her body was losing feeling as her sister’s hands crushed her small neck. As Elizabeth hung there limply, Abigail couldn’t stop laughing. It was all just so funny! She burned with a need to find someone, anyone, so that they could share in the joke with her. She unlocked the door and tumbled onto the ground. Her father yanked her from the ground and as their eyes locked both broke out in pure merriment. Yes, they understood each other. As they buckled over other laughs could be heard nearby. Others slowly made their way over to the two, laughing. In a short time, a small group had formed, and the crowd was creating such a booming noise.

A man hiding in the shadows, began to back away from the scene in front of him. Hoping that they were all distracted by each other. He stumbled and his feet shuffled, too quiet for even his own ears to hear. As he straightened himself, pure panic filled his stomach. And his mouth dried as his eyes shifted over to the now silent group. Seven pairs of wide, vacant eyes were on him and seven rows of too many teeth.

The sky opened and heavy rain began to pour down on everyone, washing the blood and screams down the drains.