As dawn stretched her fingertips of rose out into the sky of black, Nightmare headed home. She had filled herself for the night. She was quite happy with her catch. Four thugs. Just wonderful.
She stumbled up the stairs. She was getting tired. Nightmare opened the door to Tulip's room. She rolled into the soft, pink petals. Letting her physical self go back to Tulip.
Tulip opened her eyes. Her jaw hurt. It was as if it were stretched out farther than it should have been. What had happened last night? The last thing she remembered was getting really mad at Noah and John. Tulip shrugged it off and headed downstairs. Her head was throbbing.
"Morning, Tulip," Noah said holding a ceramic teapot, "I made green tea. Want some?"
"You made green tea?"
"Yeah. I even made the tea set. Now how would you like it? Lemon? Ginger? Cream? With some fruit? Or how about some sugar?"
"Plain, please. What about black tea?"
"Oh, I have a lot of tea. Chia. Oolong. Black. White. You name it."
"Oh how nice," Tulip rubbed her throbbing head.
Noah looked at Tulip, "Is something wrong?"
"No. My head is throbbing. That's all."
"Oh, okay. So you wanted plain green tea?"
"Yeah."
Tulip sat in the large chair next to the window. She needed the sun. She was still a plant. She used photosynthesis to keep herself energized and to keep her from wilting. Sipping her tea and soaking in the sun, yup this was how she could spend her eternity.
"So. Are you still mad?" John asked from the distance.
"Nah. I think I'm just suffering side effects from igniting up last night. Why are you so distant?"
"You burnt the hardwood because you were so angry. I don't want that." He gestured over to the blackened spot on the hardwood.
"Oh," Tulip beamed. She was happy to see that he understood where she stood in the pack. She is not a dainty flower as he had thought. "You don't have to be distant right now. I'm not mad anymore. But I can understand why you'll want to keep a safe distance."
"Yeah."
"Come on. Sit next to me. I promise I won't burn you."
"Promise?"
"Promise." Tulip smiled at John. She had gotten through to him.
The day had passed on quickly. The sunset pulled her fingers of rose down to the earth. As the night came, Nightmare saw the sun's show. She thought the sun's fingers look like they were bleeding. It was her wish to lap up the sun's blood. She set aside her wish to focus on the task at hand. Nightmare started downstairs. She left the house. Headed back into the city.
Once again she smelled the air as she walked down the street. Two muggers were out a few blocks away. Nightmare took off in their direction. Turning down alleyways as shortcuts. As the scent strengthened, she slowed herself to a brisk walking pace.
The two muggers had just stolen a leather purse from a young lady. They were going through it. Nightmare felt anxious. She liked how the bad people tasted. They were sour and bitter. She loved it.
Nightmare turned the street corner. The muggers were heading her way. She smiled her crooked smile. She was getting excited. The muggers were coming to her, and she could strike them down quickly.
"Haha. The broad didn't know what hit her."
"Yeah. But you should keep your voice down."
"And why would I do that?"
"I heard there was a group of thugs, like us, that were killed. They looked they were drained of their life."
"That's probably not true."
"Well boy are you wrong," Nightmare said standing in their way.
"Hey! Move runt!" The mugger tried to push her out of his way, but she bit his hand. "Ow! What the-! why you little-!" Nightmare showed off her snake tongue and popped her jaw out to reveal snake-like fangs to the mugger. She had stretched her mouth wide, to smile.
"That's the thing that killed the four thugs last night!"
"Correct you are, but you won't live to tell this tale!" Nightmare pounced at the mugger to left, the one who didn't believe the story and was bit in the hand. She took a bite at both of his cheeks and drained away his soul and blood. As she had done the night before.
She looked up at the other mugger. She smiled. He took off running but didn't get far. She shot her tongue at him catching his neck. Nightmare pulled him to the ground and right back to her. His screams faded slowly as she had drained him of his life as well.
Nightmare didn't make any attempt hide the bodies. She left them to the crows and vultures. She turned back the way she came and headed home. The night may have been just beginning, but she didn't want to push herself too much. Tulip would realize what's going on and try to stop her.
Upon getting home, the sun was starting to rise and stretch its fingers. Nightmare wanted to take all night to get back home. She gingerly opened the door to the house. Noah was standing there. His arms crossed.
"Where did you go? Why do you look like that?"
"My looks are just a phase, and what I do you shouldn't care about. I'm my own person, so get off my case! I'm going to bed."
Noah somehow felt that that wasn't the girl he fell in love with and married. She was someone else in his beloved wife's body. He had to talk to her. His wife, not whatever that was.
The sun shown upon Tulip. Waking her up from her sleep. She was feeling better than yesterday morning. Getting out the softness of the petals, Noah knocked at the door.
"Yeah?" Tulip wobbled as she stood.
Noah opened the door. He smiled, happy to see his wife, his precious wife, back to normal. "Tulip, can we talk?"
"Sure. What's the matter?"
"Last night, I caught you coming into the house. What were you doing?"
"I left the house last night?"
"Yeah, but you didn't like you. You looked scarier. As if you had been through something awful."
"How so?"
"It was still dark, but you had dark matted hair and your clothes were torn up."
"Nightmare."
"What?"
"You saw Nightmare. She must have taken over my consciousness. Just like... she said she would," Tulip started to shake. What had happened? The clouds in Tulip mind had dissipated. She saw everything Nightmare had done. She was terrified. Why was there this evil force inside of her?
"What's wrong?"
"I've just seen everything she's done. It's awful. Just terrible." She stumbled over to Noah, wrapping her arms around him. This had to end.