The Ballad of Mona Lisa

“I don’t know. I walk in, and there he is, lying on the floor with his eyes wide open.” Marina cut off as she began to sob, “I called the police and then they all have the nerve to say that I did it?!” Her parents leaned closer to their daughter to comfort her. Her mother caressed her back and Marina let her head rest on her shoulders.

Monica sat across from them, the words emanating from Marina were barely being understood by her younger sister. Monica just stared at the ground, she was exhausted but couldn’t bare sleeping at a time like this.

“It’s alright honey. We don’t need to talk about it now. You don’t need to relive it.” Their father said as he got up, supporting Marina to her feet.

Marina nodded, she had stopped crying, but her cheeks were stained with tears. “I just can’t believe they would think I would hurt my own husband.”

“Lies…”

Monica’s head snapped up, her eyes widened as she looked at her parents. Had they just said what she just heard? “What?” she asked quickly, without thinking.

Marina gave her a disgusted look, “I said I can’t believe they’d think I’d hurt my own husband!” Monica blinked a few times and then Marina stormed out of the room.

Monica looked to her parents confused, her mother had gone after Marina but her father looked down to his youngest daughter. “Try and be more considerate Monica.”

“But I –” she began but he held his hand up.

“Go to bed.” And with those being his final words, he followed the pair upstairs.

Monica glowered at the empty space her father had previously filled. She swore she heard someone say ‘lies’. Could it have just been her own thoughts or imagination?

Monica had managed to make it to her bed without passing out on the floor. Her eyes were slowly getting heavier and heavier as the time passed and just as she was about to be consumed into sleep…

CREAK

Monica’s eyes flew open. She saw nothing of course but her dark room and the moonlight seeping through her curtains. She was about to shrug off the eerie noise when a coldness crept up her spine. Monica shook it off and then without hesitation, threw her covers off her petite body.

The first thing she noticed was the light coming from the crack under her door. Sometimes, her parents would leave the bathroom light on as a sort of night light. But this time, she saw a shadow pass over the light. For a second, she though perhaps her father was up for yet another midnight snack, but just to be sure she arose from her bed and slowly crept out of her bedroom.

The light barely lit up the hallway, but she noticed it wasn’t coming from the bathroom. It was coming from the guest room, or more previously known as Marina’s room.
Monica felt another chill pass through her spine, but she slowly made her way towards the door. The door was cracked open slightly, and just as she was about to knock on it, she saw her older sister.

Marina was crouched over on the ground with something shiny in her hands. Monica noticed with wide eyes that one of the floor boards was missing. Monica leaned in a little closer but something pulled her back. She felt someone’s hand rest upon her shoulder. Monica quickly turned on her heel and was faced with…nothing. Just the shadows that came with darkness. She turned back towards her sisters door and noticed that Marina was off the ground, the floor board was back in place and there was no longer a shiny thing in her hands.

Monica wanted desperately to walk in, but then her sister looked towards the door. Monica quickly darted from view, she knew she wouldn’t make it to her room, so she turned the corner of the hall that lead downstairs. She heard her sister’s door open and then shut.

Monica felt herself let out a long deep breath that she had no idea she was holding in. She closed her eyes for a second to calm down. That calmness quickly retreated when she opened her eyes and there in front of her was…

“Brendon.”