Three Weeks Earlier: Paths converge

I swallowed, confused. It was Liz’s manner of speaking; I could tell even from a single word, but her voice was off. It was deeper; almost more sultry sounding, though I scarcely wanted to think about my stepmother in such a light. “Liz?” I called back, in as low of a tone as possible.

There was a pause; she was hesitating, like she also found my voice abnormal. But she replied anyway, “Did you see our text?”

I shook my head, though I realized I had to speak when I remembered the door in front of my face. “No,” I grumbled out.

“Are you okay?” Liz asked more quickly, beginning to get worried.

I waited so long to respond that Liz had to restart the conversation.

“Noel?” she asked again.

I had a decision to make. Claim to be okay, and most likely struggle to live a lie; or tell the truth, and get some potential allies. It seemed like there wasn’t actually a choice the more I weighed it all. “No,” I finally said.

Liz faltered. “What’s the matter?”

“I… uhm… look different,” I stammered.

A frantic new voice joined the conversation. “Do you look like a red woman?” she asked. But I was overcome with an unnerving feeling that I knew the owner of the voice; and then I realized that the woman spoke in the same manner as my father.

My hunch blossomed into a deluge of curiosity as I unlocked the door and yanked it open.

Standing in front of me were two red, horned women in pajamas; the fairer skinned one was lanky, with wide eyes; the lighter skinned one was stout and nervous, biting her lip.

“So it happened to you too,” the shorter, darker one said anxiously.

“F-father?” I asked the shorter one.

He pursed his lips. “Yep”

I stepped back in shock.

“Did we all… what happened to Jamie?” I asked with a quickened breath.

Upon hearing this, Liz turned and rushed over to my sister’s room.

We followed her, already certain at what we would find.

And as I walked in, I saw the shocked look on Liz’s face as she stared down into my sister’s crib.

And then I saw Jamie, sleeping contently, as if she and her whole family hadn’t become she-devils.

I just wanted to curl up and go to sleep. Was it the whole world? Was it just our family? Was I even sane?