Hellraiser

In the still of the early dawn hours, I pack my things. Brian holds the bags while I hold Zarah as we get in his car and settle in. He has tears in his eyes and is fixated completely on the road. “Marilyn, what’s wrong?” “Nothing, Violet, I was just thinking.” He answers. “About what?” I ask. “Your parents called to tell me that the house burned down and you and Zarah died in the fire. I guess I am just really happy you are both ok. I love my girls so much.” Brian states. “They told me you were assassinated!” I exclaim.
~~~~~~
A few years have passed since Brian and I were separated and found each other. I am now almost 21 and a proud mother to Brian’s four children and another on the way. “Mommy, look!” Zarah exclaims. “What is it, sweetie?” I ask, holding one of the babies. “It’s a picture of you and daddy on your wedding day!” She says as she holds up a framed photo. Sure enough. “Oh it is, you know I was 16 when I married your daddy?” I ask. “How old was him?” “44.” I respond with a solemn look. “That’s sweet!” She replies. I notice her little face light up. She looks so much like Brian, except she has my blonde hair.
Zarah is 4, Brian jr is 3, Vincent is 2 and Velvet is 6 months old and I’m pregnant again. All the children look like their father, except Velvet; she resembles me in a lot of ways.
“You tell me the story, how you and daddy get together?” “Well, it started when I was in high school, your father moved in next to me and left little notes on my window. I didn’t know who it was until I went over there and met uncle Twiggy. Twiggy sent daddy over to my house that night and we had a sleep over.” I tell her. “More!” She demands. “Daddy left little gifts and was really nice to mommy, he took her out on dates and then asked me to marry him.“ I say. “Like a fairy story!” Zarah responds, starry eyed. “Yes, like a fairy tale.” “What you do after that?” “Well, we got married and had a sleep over at the house in Colorado for a few days and you were born not long after.” “Oh, you and daddy remind me of a fairy story like Cinrella.“ I smile at how she pronounces Cinderella.”
“Honey, I’m home!” Manson calls. “Daddy!” Zarah happily shouts. We run to the front door. Brian Jr clings to my leg while Vincent crawls. Marilyn kisses me. “I’m glad to be home!” He exclaims. “How was touring?” I question. “Oh, you know, same as usual.” Zarah brings a colourful drawing of sort. “I make this for the fridge.” “I help too!” Brian Jr shouts. Zarah takes his hand. “Yush, he helped too.” “Very good, I love it!” Manson compliments. Zarah crawls up his leg and onto his lap. I can’t help but smile to myself.
After dinner, Manson and I put the children to bed. “Daddy, read the bedtime story, you and mommy!” Zarah insists. “I don’t know…” Manson whispers, pretending to be hesitating. “Read!” Brian Jr demands, crawling over to us. Vincent slowly walks up, I hold him and Velvet. “What does mom think?” Marilyn questions. “I think so.” I say with a smile. “Ok.”
Surrounded by children, Manson and I lay on the floor. “This one!” “Zarah, we’ve read this one so many times.” Brian states. “Please?” She begs, holding up a Cinderella fairytale book . “Why do you like this one, what is your fascination?” “Cause it reminds me of you and mom!” As Zarah says this, a grin forms across Brian’s face. “Once upon a time…”
After reading Cinderella to Zarah and Cars to Brian and Vince, Marilyn and I sit in the living room, cuddling on the couch. All the children are asleep. “Baby, I’ve missed you so much, I love you, my beautiful wife.” “Oh Brian!” He kisses me slowly and with passion. I fall right into it. “Love me tender, love me true, all my dreams fulfilled.” Marilyn sings, voice scratchy. “What do you say we move this to the bedroom?” I ask. “Vi, you know me so well. I’m really lucky I have you. I’m nearly 50, and I have a super sexy 20 year old wife.” “Thank you, honey! Now, let me show you how much I’ve missed you…” I breathe in his ear, leading him to the bed by the tie.
~~~
More years pass. Most of the kids are graduated and Zarah has a baby and 41 year old husband of her own at 23. All of our kids are either graduated or still in school. I am now just 40, Marilyn is 68 and alive and well. “Honey, I want to tell you something.” He says to me one day after I bring his lunch to him. “Yes, babe?” I ask. Brian Jr’s wedding was last week, his wife is 16, not unlike me when I married at the same age. “We’ve been together for so long, do you remember when you and me first started dating?” “Well of course.” “Do you know how I told you I’d love you until the end of time?” He asks. “Yes, I remember. The night before we got married.” I say, unsure of what he’s getting at. “Well, I think time froze because you are just as beautiful now as you were back then, maybe even more now.” Even after all these years, I still blush. “Marilyn?” “Yes, Vi?” “I love you, throughout all these years, I love you even more than I did before.”
~
Another 20 years pass. Brian dies at 100, I am 72. At his funeral, I look to our 6 children, 20 grandchildren and 43 great-grandchildren. Once they leave, I take one last look at Brian in his casket. “I told you they’d have to make a coffin big enough for two.” I whisper, knowing my end is near. I lean on the coffin and hold his cold hands in mine, just before dying right there myself.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I awake and find myself in the dark. Nothing is visible except for pitch black darkness. I hear breathing next to me and check my phone for the date. “Brian?” I ask. “Hmm?” He groggily breathes, pulling me to his chest. I realize it was a dream. Manson’s cell phone rings, he picks it up. “Hello?” A pause. “Because I just married Violet a few hours ago, we’re on our honeymoon in Colorado, why?” After another pause, he abruptly hangs up the phone. I realize we haven’t had any children yet and it is still our wedding night. Brian took my purity a few hours ago, when we most likely conceived our first child. “I had the strangest dream.” I whisper. “Me too, I dreamt we had like 6 kids and got old together and you died right after me. I don’t think that was a dream, babe. I think that was a glimpse of the future.”