Who's the real Monster?

~ Eric's POV

With the adrenaline still coursing through my veins I looked around at everyone's faces. Hearing their thoughts wasn't going to be helpful. It all sounded like white noise.

Shelly? Where is she? I have to find her? Where...? Eric? Found her. Shelly. My Shelly. Her beautiful blue eyes shined like a peaceful ocean. Without knowing it I was sprint in her direction. Everyone in the way moved when they saw me coming. She barely had enough time to react.

Wrapping my arms around her after so long I made a silent promise. Only death would keep me apart from her ever again. We held each other so tightly both of us could barely breath. I couldn't help but twirl her at least just once. With her long hair in my face I breathed her in so deeply. She smelled like heaven.

Setting her feet back on the floor I pulled away to look down at her face. Shelly had tears leaking out of her eyes. Cupping her cheek I said, "I'm sorry Shelly." "These are tears of joy baby", she said with a smile. Relaxing my forehead I kissed her softly. Unable to stop I kept kissing every inch of her face. Caught a few tears along the way. When my lips finally touched hers I felt alive again. It started out sweet then turned to passionate as if we needed each other to live.

What the hell? Ed's thoughts broke me out of the kiss. No! NO!! Stop! Don't go back! Looking back to the door I saw what Z had done. That's what they meant about Plan B; get everyone out to fight the guards on their own. A suicide mission?

"Eric? Eric what's wrong?", Shelly asked. Squeezing her I replied, "Z, the one that helped all of us stayed behind." Her body tensed in my hold. The confusion and worry was written on her face. Taking her hand I lead Shelly to where Ed. "I'll go into details later. Right now Ed needs me and I need you", I said over my shoulder. She nodded. Shelly knew my brother and I well.

They were still a tiger. Staying a few paces away I called out, "Ed you can't break the door." Many of us have tried and not even a tiger is strong enough to pierce that metal. He turns around with a growl deep in their throat. Shelly squeezes my hand before asking, "That's Ed?" I nod in reply.

We have to save them.

"No we shouldn't."

Why? How can you say that?

"Z made me promise that I would get you and Matt out of there."

Was that Plan B?

"I didn't know for sure."

How could you not know?

"They just made it up on the fly when things went from bad to worse."

How could they do that?

"Ed Z didn't want you or anyone else to get hurt. From what I know they're still..."

What? What's happening?

"Oh no", I spoke too soon.

Goddamnit Eric tell me what's going on!

"It's Z...I just heard them think, 'Tell the guys I'm sorry and thank you'. I can't hear or reach them anymore", I told Ed somberly. For the second time in our lives I witnessed my brother's heart break.

~

I'm finally dead. I thought it would be painful. Instead I don't feel a thing anymore. I had always hoped that if there was an afterlife I'd see my family again. All I see is darkness deep enough to be a void. Without any sound of light I could very well be in hell.

If this is my 7 minutes of brain activity after death I hope this void ends soon. Even though I'm doomed it would be a mercy to see my family one last time.

Opening my eyes to see a dark wooded areas where I'm looking out into the night sky. Something tells me the sun is about to rise. My eyes catch a falling star. "Did you make a wish?", David asks. "Nah, that's kiddy stuff", I reply. "Aren't we all just big kids in men's bodies?", he retorted. I just rolled my eyes and ignored him.

The next scene to play was me walking down a narrow path in what looks like a jungle. Every sound that isn't familiar makes me flinch. With my gun at the ready I kept my eyes peeled for Charlies. Noticing something odd up ahead I lift an arm to halt the platoon.

With my instincts on high alert I pointed to David and Armstrong to cover my six while the rest followed behind. The three of us walked slowly to find a meteorite had burned it's way into the earth. Must've been what I saw earlier this morning. Taking a closer look it didn't seem to simmer if anything it should be cool to the touch by now. Reaching out to pick it up black goo slithered onto my hand. In a panic I stumbled backwards trying to get it off me. Armstrong and David started shooting at the meteor. More of that black goo slithered away in the opposite direction. The rest of the platoon came out of the trees ready to shoot.

By then the goo was gone. After a minor inspection I didn't see or feel anything wrong with me. "Did everyone see that shit?", I asked. They all nodded. "Unless you want to spend the rest of your life in the loony bin keep your mouths shut", I ordered them.

Time skipped again. This time I was in a pow camp. The Hanoi Hilton to be precise. The stories I heard of this place did not do to it justice. This place really is Hell. Flashes of another world every time I closed my eyes along with something using my voice to talk with me when the guards were gone. I thought my mind was slipping for sure. On the day me and my men got rescued the voice told me that we were going to make it out.

With another blink of an eye I see my father placing his hand on my shoulder to say, "I'm glad you came back to us son." My mother was trying her best to hold back tears after giving me a long hug. "Had to keep my promise father", I replied.

The next scene to play was of me looking down at a baby. My baby girl, Rosa. Watching her grow up were some of the best years of my life. Then one day she told me she was going to have a baby of her own. I was overjoyed at the news. When her baby finally came I couldn't have been happier than hearing that my little girl was going to name her baby after my parents.

Babysitting Tamara was like raising Rosa all over again. I made sure she grew up strong and knew how to defend herself. Especially after she had her first fight at such a young age. My little pride and joy won every fight she was in. I never thought I could love someone more than my wife or daughter. Boy was I wrong.

More time passed hearing the news from my doctor that I have lung cancer. After outweighing my options I decided against treatment. Knowing that it would hallow me out I didn't want any of my girls to see me like that. I spent the last of my time with my family, wouldn't have it any other way. On my deathbed my wife was on my right along with Tamara. She stayed strong for me. My little fighter knew that I wouldn't have any tears while I was still alive. Taking one last look at Tamara I said, "Don't forget I'll always be with you." As my eye closed for the last time I heard her finish for me, "Always be with you."

Blinking several times to know that I was back in my body. In the void. Something in me broke. I began to pant as tears long overdue to be let out finally did. Silently sobbing I relived those memories in my head so vividly. Those were my Papi's (Daddy) memories. How can that be? I knew it wasn't my mind playing tricks on me. Everything felt so real, as if I lived through it all myself. The tears wouldn't stop coming no matter how many times I wiped at them.

"Mija (Daughter)", a familiar voice called out to me.

Moving my hands away to see a blurry figure. I knew that voice all too well. "Papi?", I asked.

He took a few steps closer as my eyes cleared. It was him. My granddad Sean, my Papi. The urge to hug him was almost as powerful as my instincts telling me something was wrong.

"Am I dead?"

"No Mija, you aren't."

"Then why are you here? How are you here?"

"You saw what happened during Nam Mija."

"Was that black goo Project Omega?"

"Yes."

"Why are you here? Now?"

"The being or 'Thing' as you call it became a part of me that day."

"How do I know it's actually you and not that Thing trying to trick me?"

"You've got better instincts that than Mija."

"Prove it, come on out and talk to me yourself!"

"Mija you don't understand, I asked to speak with you first."

"You asked that Thing? You talk with It?"

"I had for years. You saw that for yourself just now. It wasn't until I impregnated your Nana that the being no longer conversed or was a part of me anymore. It felt like a phantom pain from that day forward."

"It was in mom?"

"Only until she got pregnant with you?"

"What about the baby?"

He couldn't even say it. He just pressed his lips into a thin line while shaking his head.

"Omega! Show yourself you coward!"

"The being will show It's self when you and I are done talk."

"Why should we talk? How do I know if you're actually you? How can I trust that I'm actually talking to my Papi and not Omega?"

A shiver went down my spine as that Thing took on a humanoid form to my right. It was an arms distance away and looked exactly like my favorite singer. I blurted out, "Why do you look like that?"

"This is a form you recognize without any familiarity."

Feeling myself shake I replied, "You don't have the right to look like any human being."

"While that is true you wouldn't be able to handle my actual form."

"If it would bring me death then show me."

"Mija, I still have something to tell you", Papi pleaded.

Looking over to him I said, "Papi I'm so tired of all of this. I just want it to be over. I want to be with you and the rest of our family."

He embraced me tightly when I was done talking. It really was him. His smell like cigarettes' and whiskey, his unusual warmth, and strength almost compatible from his youth. I held onto him for dear life like I did on that awful day so many years ago. "I hate to tell you this Mija, its not your time. I need you to survive. You've got people who care about you and you care for them as well. I also need you to tell that Aunt of yours something for me."

Pulling away I looked into his hazel eyes to say, "She's not my Aunt. What's your message?"

"Tell her 'I'm very disappointed that she stabbed you in the back.' Then break her nose for me."

I snicker before saying, "You got it Papi." He wiped away a couple of tears that leaked out without me knowing before kissing my forehead. "Please don't leave me Papi", I begged him. "I love you Mija and as long as you continue to love I'll always be with you", he said with a sad smile.

Papi slowly disappeared in my arms. It was like loosing him all over again. If my heart was broken before there's nothing left of it now.

A numbness engulfed my entire being. Looking into the Thing's red snake eyes to ask, "Now what?"

"Now we exact vengeance. I'll need you to accept me completely to do so."

"If I don't?"

"Then we both die."

Taking a moment to weigh my options. I knew the right one was to accept this Thing yet the temptation of death was so sweet. Papi's words rang in my head to help me make my decision.

Looking up into It's eyes I said, "I'm ready."

It turned back into black goo. In no time it covered every inch of my body to sink into my eyes.