The Stranger

It was uncanny, the way the stranger looked and acted almost exactly the same as Jenna, and yet Garrett knew, deep in his bones, that the woman in his kitchen was not his wife. No, not at all. This woman, smiling at him over a plate of over easy eggs and crispy bacon, was someone else entirely, someone who terrified him in ways he couldn’t explain.

The woman stood calmly, like she belonged there, and she had Jenna’s blond hair swept in a slightly messy chignon, wearing Jenna’s favorite scarf that was that very specific shade of Robin egg blue. Despite the neat exterior Garrett could sense the woman was tense. A single drop of sweat was visible on her otherwise perfectly made up forehead.

"What's the matter, Garrett?" The woman who looked like Jenna asked liltingly. A tad too cheerful, like she was hiding something. "Not hungry?”

Garrett swallowed and he noticed that his pulse was racing. Something was very very wrong here. When did this horror start? Everything had felt normal up until this moment. He thought back to last night. Had Jenna been acting strange then? Had his daughter? Oh God, Emma! Garrett was suddenly filled with panic. Where was his ten year old daughter? Today was Saturday, she should be home. Shouldn't she be awake by now?

"Emma?" Garrett called, his voice breaking, his eyes never leaving the woman pretending to be Jenna. He suddenly realized he was doing this all wrong. He should be pretending like everything was normal. He could not let on that he knew something was off. That was the only way to save himself, save Emma.

The news was droning on in the background. Jenna always had the news on while she cooked breakfast. How had this woman known to do that?

‘Authorities are advising the public to stay home. It is still unclear how the virus is transmitted but it is encouraged that any persons showing any symptoms suspicious of the disease should be isolated immediately. The first signs are fever, conjunctivitis, increasingly erratic behavior, diaphoresis…’

Garrett watched Jenna wipe a drop of sweat from her eyebrow. She was nervous, Garrett surmised. Were her eyes red? He couldn’t quite tell from this distance. She did look like she had been crying. Or perhaps ill…

“Mom? Dad?” Emma’s voice from the top of stairs sounded hesitant, scared.

“In here, sweetie.” Jenna called back before Garrett could open his mouth. Her voice unnaturally high. “Why don’t you stay up there, Ems, and I’ll bring up your breakfast? A special treat just for today.”

As Jenna’s eyes flicked over at Garrett nervously, he knew he did not have time. He couldn’t play this game. It was a matter of minutes wasn’t it? What they warned about on the news. Things could go from bad to worse very very quickly. Garrett had to move fast. He took a quick glance out their bay window. The neighborhood was eerily quiet. Everybody was hunkering down because of the disease all the news outlets were talking about. Would anybody come if he called for help? Would anybody hear their screams?

The news droned on:

’Infected persons can become extremely violent quickly. They will exhibit signs of psychosis, paranoia, and increased strength… Emergency services are limited…”

“Mom, is Dad..?” Emma sounded close to tears.

It was at this moment that Jenna’s expression slipped. She was terrified, feral, like a caged animal desperate to strike. Garrett noticed for the first time that she had been holding a butcher’s knife in her right hand. She was ready to use it.

Garrett had to do something. Now. His wife was not herself. She had succumbed to the virus. She was a danger to herself, to their precious daughter. He reached for the first heavy object he could find. With strength and speed he didn’t know he had, he charged at the woman with a ferocity that was fueled by fear for his life and love for his daughter.

It was over surprisingly quick, with Garrett barely aware of what was happening, his actions purely instinctive. The sounds and smells were muted for a few minutes, like a fever dream, and Garrett felt a huge surge of relief when he knew he had done what he needed to do. Emma’s screams from the top of the stairs just barely got him out of his trance.

“It’s okay, Ems!” He called out, trying to keep his voice steady, he had to remain calm for his daughter. “It will be okay now, you’re safe. I just have to clean up for a bit here but then we can have breakfast, okay?”

Emma was not listening. She had run back to her room and Garrett thought he heard her door lock. Through the walls he could hear her sobbing.

Garrett felt a sudden crushing sadness when he realized that Emma was probably infected too. He shook his head, his relief from a few moments ago dissipating. Of course his daughter was already infected. He was foolish to think he could save her…the virus spread too fast, didn’t it? That was what the news kept saying. Come to think of it, his daughter had been acting strange all morning, like a stranger, not his daughter at all.

End