Malachai carefully closed the Cooper family's front door. The night was cold and silent, only the wind stirring the dry leaves in the garden. He walked slowly back to his own house, still feeling the warmth of Betty's kiss on his lips and the weight of Alice's gaze on his back.
When he entered through the front door, the living room lights were on. Cory was sitting on the sofa, holding a cup of tea in her hands, wearing a black silk robe that parted slightly at the neckline. She didn't look like she had been sleeping. She looked at him the moment he closed the door, and for a second her expression softened before returning to that mask of controlled calm.
"You're late again." She said quietly, without reproach, but with something deeper underneath. "With the Coopers again?"
Malachai took off his jacket and hung it up.
"Family dinner. Polly insisted."
Cory set the cup down on the table with a slow, almost deliberate motion. She stood up barefoot and walked toward him. Her eyes traveled over his figure, the broad shoulders, the defined chest beneath his shirt, the way the light outlined his jaw, and something inside her stirred. Something that had begun growing weeks earlier, almost without her noticing.
At first it had only been maternal pride. Seeing him grow so fast, become taller, stronger, more confident… it had seemed natural. But then came the nights when he arrived home late, and she found herself staring at him for too long. Watching how he moved, how he spoke, how he was starting to attract girls… and that frightened her.
Because he was no longer just her little boy. He was a man. And she, in the privacy of her own mind, had begun to see him as one.
"Come here." She whispered, taking him gently but firmly by the arm.
She led him to the sofa. She sat beside him, so close that their thighs brushed against each other. The silence in the house was absolute; only the faint ticking of the wall clock could be heard.
"Malachai…" she began in a low, trembling voice. "I know I'm no one to tell you who to spend time with. You're almost a man. But… when I see you going out so much with Betty, with Polly… I feel something I shouldn't feel."
She lowered her gaze to her own hands, clenching them in her lap.
Malachai just looked at her in silence.
"I'm your mother. I'm supposed to be happy that you have friends. But… I'm jealous." The word came out almost as a whisper. "Jealous that they get to be so close to you. Jealous that you care so much about them. Jealous that… you don't need me the way you used to."
She reached out and placed her hand on his chest, right over his heart. Her fingers trembled as she felt the strong, steady, living beats. And in that instant, Cory felt a treacherous heat rise up her neck.
'My God, what am I doing?' she thought, but she didn't pull her hand away. 'He's my son… but I don't feel him only as my son anymore. I look at him and I see strength, confidence… something that makes me feel small and protected at the same time. Something his father never gave me. And that terrifies me… and draws me in.'
"I know it's selfish. I know it's… wrong. But I can't help it. When I look at you now… I don't just see my son anymore. I see someone strong, confident, capable of protecting anyone. And I wonder why it isn't me who receives that protection."
Malachai covered her hand with his own. He didn't move it away. His voice came out with genuine affection beneath it.
"You're important to me too, Mom. More than you think."
Cory raised her eyes. They shone with unshed tears and something darker. She leaned forward and placed a slow kiss on his cheek. Her lips lingered there. The kiss lasted several seconds. Malachai felt the warmth of her breath and the slight tremor of her lips.
When she pulled back, Cory's cheeks were flushed and her breathing uneven.
"I'm sorry…" She whispered. "I don't know what's wrong with me lately."
She stood up quickly, as if fleeing from her own feelings.
"Good night, sweetheart."
She went up the stairs without looking back. Malachai remained seated on the sofa, listening to her footsteps until her bedroom door closed.
In her room, Cory leaned against the closed door, hand pressed to her chest. Her heart was racing.
'What am I doing? she thought again, but this time there was no guilt. Only a cold, terrifying certainty. 'I want him close. I want him… for myself. And that's wrong. But I can't stop thinking about it.'
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the heat between her legs betray everything her mind was trying to deny.
Downstairs, Malachai stayed seated a while longer. He smiled coldly and with satisfaction.
"Little by little… she's already falling."
The next day, after classes, the school organized an afternoon of ice skating at the town's indoor rink. Malachai hadn't planned to go, but when he saw Maria Brennan walking alone toward the entrance, he changed his mind.
The rink was full of students. Veronica and Betty were skating together, laughing. Cheryl watched from a bench with a bored expression. Malachai stayed in the bench area, observing.
Maria was on the ice, skating clumsily, trying not to draw attention. Three boys from the hockey team the usual idiots started circling her. One snatched her beanie off with a swipe. Another gave her a light push, making her lose her balance.
"Hey, ghost girl, why do you always hide?" One mocked. "Doesn't your dad let you talk to anyone?"
Maria stumbled, red with embarrassment, trying to retrieve her beanie. The boys laughed and pushed her again. She was about to fall when Malachai stepped onto the ice with two quick, sure strides.
He positioned himself between her and the three boys. His 1.92 meter height, broad shoulders, and cold stare made all three instinctively step back.
"Leave her alone." He said quietly, but in a tone that allowed no argument.
The boys looked at each other. One opened his mouth to reply, but Malachai simply took one step forward. That was enough. The three muttered something and skated away quickly.
Maria stood still, breathing hard. She picked up her beanie from the ice with trembling hands.
"Th… thank you." She stammered, not meeting his eyes. "You… you didn't have to…"
Malachai crouched slightly to be at her level.
"It was nothing. You okay?"
She nodded quickly, still nervous.
"Yes… it's just… it always happens. My dad doesn't let me go out much and… at school I'm… invisible." She bit her lip. "No one really sees me. Or when they do… it's to make fun of me."
Malachai looked at her intently. "You're not invisible. At least not to me."
Maria raised her eyes for the first time. Her large eyes opened a little wider.
"R… really?" She asked in a very soft voice. "No one… no one says things like that to me. My dad says I'm a burden, that I should stay home and not bother anyone. That if I go out… something bad will happen."
Malachai noticed the real fear in her voice. The same fear that, in the movie, preceded the emergence of Airam.
"Something bad like what?" He asked calmly.
Maria lowered her gaze again.
"I don't know… I just… sometimes I feel like… I'm not myself. Like there's someone else inside me who wants to come out. And it scares me." She swallowed hard. "Sorry, I don't know why I'm telling you this. I don't even know you."
Malachai placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, just for a moment, to reassure her.
"You don't have to apologize. If you ever feel like something is watching you… or like you're not yourself… come find me."
Maria looked up again. Her cheeks turned red. She nodded slowly.
"Okay… okay. Thank you… Malachai."
He gave a small smile and skated away, leaving her there with her heart beating strongly for the first time in a long while.
As he left the rink, Malachai thought about the twin Airam. In the movie, Maria's dark alter ego eventually manifested violently. Here, in this universe full of monsters, it could happen at any moment.
'Another one who needs watching.' He told himself. 'I won't let that story repeat itself.'