The Times That Weren't

"How's the food sweetheart?"

"Very delicious. Thanks mother." Alfie answered his mother, still wolfing down the food off his plate.

"Good." Valerie sits down beside her husband, Adam. "Eat slowly, Alfie. You don't want to get another stomach ache like the last time on vacation."

Alfie remembered the stomach ache well. "You're right." He began to eat slower. "Will we be able to visit our cousins after dinner?"

"Of course we will, son." Adam said. "It's Christmas, after all. Wouldn't be Christmas if we didn't get together with our loved ones." Adam placed his hand on Valerie's hand as she rubbed his hand with hers.

"Has it been a good day, Alfie?"

"It has been the best day ever, mother! I got all the toys I wanted, books I wanted since the summer, clothing that will fit me even if I ate this whole Christmas feast by myself!" Alfie pretended his stomach was growing, which got a chuckle from his parents.

"Eat up, Alfie. We should be done soon if we want to make good time on the drive to visit your mom's brother, his wife, and their 6 kids."

"Okay, dad." All three of them sat there enjoying their meal. The chandelier's light made the modern room feel cozy, despite the cold temperatures outside. A family portrait hung on the wall behind the parents and a picture of the family on vacation hung on the wall opposite them, just behind Alfie. It was taken by a friend also on vacation with them while they were in the pool. It was giving the parents … an idea.

Later on, …

"Now it's time to go wash up before we leave." Adam put his hands on the table, pushed his seat back, and stood. "Oh. I think I might need to sit back down. All that wonderful food is making me want to take a nap right at this table." Adam sat back down, pulled his chair close to the table, placed his hand on Valerie's inner thigh and rubbed.

"Alfie, go wash up in the upstairs bathroom. I think I'll get your father the antacids from the bathroom down here … so he'll feel better." Valerie ran her hand up and down Adam's lap.

"I'll be ready soon, mom and dad." Alfie bolted from his seat and ran to the stairs before he slowly made his way up the stairs with the biggest smile on his face.

"No need to rush." His father called out.

"I agree. No need to hurry." Valerie said. "Don't run up the steps, sweetheart." She turned her attention to her husband. "Wouldn't want to hurt yourself." They embraced and … well, … you know.

Meanwhile, Alfie was upstairs and just finished in the bathroom. When he came out, he saw someone had left the door to his bedroom slightly open. He went to see who it could have been since it was only his parents and himself in the entire house. Upon fully opening his bedroom door, he saw someone leaning against the headboard to his bed, playing with a magic eight ball.

"What are you doing here, Ava?" Alfie asked sternly.

"Why wouldn't I be here, Alfie? I'm simply checking in on a friend." Ava stood and started to slowly walk around the child's bedroom. "I wanted to make sure everything was to your liking. You do like the way things have turned out" Ava shakes the magic eight ball. "don't you?" Ava shows Alfie the answer that the magic eight ball gave: Signs point to yes.

"Yes, I like things this way very much. It's like I always dreamed of and then some."

"Good. I'm glad." Ava tossed the magic eight ball onto the bed. "After all, what good is a magical being if they can't conjure up the inner desires of one whom they encounter?"

"I guess they wouldn't be very good at their job … preying upon the lost and the lonely."

"Did you steal that from a musician? David Bowie, perhaps?"

"You never actually answered my question, Ava. What are you doing here?"

"Not gonna engage in the foreplay?" Ava frowns. "Aw. That would have made me happy. Well, down to business, I see."

Ava began to walk around the boy.

"Do you remember when we met?"

"Yes."

"You were miserable, yet you didn't show it. You were full of sadness but Hell would freeze over before you let a single tear fall from your, admittedly, dreamy eyes. Not much could crack your stone-faced exterior. Then, as if from a dream, a magical creature like me saunters into your depressed life and you get a glimmer of hope, a sliver of potential happiness, a silver lining in your dark, cloud filled sky. You practically begged me for the chance"; Ava walked around the boy and revealed that this was no child, but actually a man, "the chance to see what could have been had that one thing not happened." The two adults continued to talk.

"Ava." Alfie whispered.

"Granted, it was no small thing that befell you and your family, Alife darling."

"AVA." Alfie said.

"A truck hitting and killing your two favorite people in your life right before your 10th birthday, leaving you in the care of your alcoholic aunt and depressed uncle and their 4 children really left a mark on you, didn't it, Alfie … sweetheart?"

"AVA!" Alfie shouted.

"Did I hit a nerve? Did I make you angry?" Ava stood in front of Alfie, looking straight at him. "I didn't mean to. I don't want you to feel bad. I want to make you feel good." Ava put her hands on his shoulders and wrapped one leg around him. "Come on. Is there any way I can make you feel better?" Ava started to kiss Alfie's cheek. She could feel the warmth from his body radiate outwards. "I know you want to." She lowered her hands onto his torso and whispered; "I know it's been a while."

Alfie pulled himself away from her. "You're no fun. I've been doing this for centuries and no one ever wants to be with me."

He turned to look at Ava. She had the skin of an Egyptian princess, an hourglass figure, medium length black hair, a long flowy red dress, no shoes (none needed for a mystical being such as herself), and a face that rivaled Aphrodite's. He knew he couldn't resist her … until he turned to the mirror and saw her as she truly was: A being that resembled a mummified lycanthrope if it had been torn to shreds before being buried … in a lake … of blood.

"Maybe they don't like dark haired women with no shoes." He turned away from her reflection.

"Really?" Ava looked down and stretched out one leg toward Alfie. "And here I thought you were a foot guy."

"Are you here to tell me something, or just walk down memory lane?"

"Since you won't give me what I want" Ava sighs "I suppose I'm here to tear you away from this wonderful fantasy."

Alfie looked at Ava. "Exactly what is it that you want?" Alfie was curious.

Ava smiled. "What I want is something that you would also want, boy." She slowly walked to Alfie. "I want to keep living but that isn't possible at this current juncture in my life. See, beings like me-"

"Creatures, you mean." Alfie interrupted.

"BEINGS like me, need to reproduce every so often or they perish. Darn biology. Well, physiology, let's say. As I said before, no one has been with me. So, you wouldn't be doing me a favor …" Ava looked him in the eyes, placed her hands on his arms and ran her foot slowly up and down his leg. "you would be doing me as a favor." She could still feel the heat from his body only now it was stronger, more intense. "What do you say, Alfie, darling? Want to help make the world a better place?" Ava giggled.

Alfie tore himself from her grip and turned away from her. "You prey upon the lost, the lonely, the helpless. You turn their misery into your fun, your entertainment. You're a demon or something from I know not where but I know this: I do want to be with you. I do not want to help you usher in an age of despair for this world. This fantasy you created seems like everything I ever wanted but it is nothing more than that, a fantasy. It seems like a dream come true but it is a nightmare because I know how it came to exist." Alfie grew angry and started to raise his voice.

"You created this alternate world where my parents either survived the accident or they were never in the accident in the first place, I do not care which is the correct answer. I never had to go live with my aunt and uncle because my parents never died. I'm guessing my aunt never had the twin miscarriage somehow so she never became an alcoholic and my uncle never became depressed as a result of the miscarriage. All of these would indeed be wonderfully welcomed … if they were real." Alfie's bitter anger turned to a defeated sadness. "It's not real. I don't want it if it isn't real."

Ava walked over to Alfie again. "But it can be real, Alfie." She gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "This can all be real. You just need to agree to my terms and I can make this your true reality in the blink of an eye." She spun him around so they were face to face. "However, you don't have long to decide. I only have a few minutes before my powers, my sweet bodice, and all this" Ava gestured to the room and beyond the four walls around them "goes away forever."

Alfie thought about it.

"Look, honey, I'll admit something honest here: I like you. Truly, I do. The people I usually come across don't want something as "simple" as this to come true. They typically want to rule the world or be rich or have all the fame and glory. You" she placed her hands on his arms "You just wanted to be with your family. You're content with just that. No mansion, no cushy job, no gold mine - just your family back together again as it once was. That's admirable. Sweet, admittedly a little good-guy-hot. It shows you're a good person. You deserve this. You deserve a win. Take the win, take me in your arms, and live out the rest of your days in this happy world that I crafted just for you."

Ava gently placed her hand on his face and brought his lips to hers. The atmosphere in the room changed. The room was electric. The passion was intense. The heat coming off of their embrace could melt a snowman in the dead of winter. Alfie knew he was going to give in if this continued any longer. He thought of his family. He remembered the times they had together, imagined the times they could have, and he mustered up all the strength, courage, and will power he could drag from the depths of his soul so he could bring himself to do one thing: Open his eyes.

He opened his eyes and looked at the mirror. He saw Ava's true form and escaped her embrace, facing away from her. "I can't, Ava." They both had to catch their breath. "I can't agree to this. I can't in good conscience live in a fantasy world you created, even if you created it for me." Alfie turned to Ava. He started to tear up. "It is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. Giving me a chance to be with my family again."

Ava started to cry. "Is there any way I can get you ... to change your mind?"

Alfie looked at her beautiful face, then at the mirror, and back at her. "I wish there was. If you didn't have to hold what's left of my family hostage in order to create this fantasy, if you didn't have to keep tormenting poor souls this way, if you didn't have to kill others when they didn't play along ... we could have been together." Alfie crossed the room to Ava, lifted her chin, and looked her in her eyes. "We could have been great together."

"At least you didn't mention my reflection." Ava tried to hold back her tears. "That was sweet of you." Ava placed her hand on Alfie's torso. "And a little sexy." She let her hand fall away from him slowly.

"Are you gonna kill me now?"

"I'll tell you what, handsome: Stay with me as I ... pass and I'll let your family go with no memory of this. I won't even kill you ... if you kiss me ... before I go."

"Deal." After they hugged, Ava led Alfie to the bed. They snuggled up close to each other. Ava laid her head on his chest.

"So .... How did you know I killed the ones who dissented?" Ava asked as she put her hands on his thighs.

"I've never heard of ... whatever you are. I never heard stories of a beautiful being offering people their inner desires in exchange for ... a favor. Hence, they had to all have died seeing as you said they all declined your generous offer."

"Clever boy." Her hand lowered. "I stand corrected. Clever man."

"Thanks."

The illusion started to fall apart. The room shook and began to tear down. The floor was giving way. Holes in the wall appeared. The door disappeared. Alfie could see Valerie and Adam through the doorway. They stood there holding each other, smiling at Alfie, as they faded away.

"I don't think I've ever felt this way before, Alfie."

"I haven't felt this ... in a long time."

"I could really use that kiss right about now."

"As you wish." They embraced.

When they stopped, "I love you."

"I love you too. Thank you for letting me be with my family again."

"If I had to, I'd do this all again."

"For what it's worth, I would have said yes that time."

"That means a lot to me." They kissed one last time.

When Alfie finally opened his eyes, he was back where he was before Ava found hin: In his lonely, cold, dark studio apartment. He stood there taking in everything that he just witnessed. It all hit him at once and he broke down, sobbing uncontrolably on the floor.

Then, he felt a cold touch on his torso. Hoping to hear her voice again, he called out: "Ava."