So I've been having these headaches and bad dreams for the last couple of weeks and today I saw something weird, something wrong. I'm sure it's just my imagination… seeing two glowing eyes in the dark while walking your dog? I mean, that has to be just my wild imagination. Though, a couple of years ago something happened to my family, an event that I repressed so deeply, I forgot it happened. Until I started dreaming about it.

You see, every major holiday my family gathers at my grandparents house. My grandparents immigrated to the USA after the second world war, when their families were killed. Having only each other they decided to move and create a new family. They had five kids, all who managed to have their own brood of kids. All in all, I have a big happy family. So big in fact that we have to alternate which families visit for which holiday. My grandmother makes a schedule every year and we all stick to it religiously. For Christmas and Easter several families visit at the same time and it is always a mess. Not just because the adults have their own drama and petty arguments but because something always goes wrong.

When I was 14 something bad happened. Something so horrible we forgot all about it. We knew it was a bad holiday and we knew it was the kids fault, but no one could pinpoint what exactly. Everyone's memory was just so foggy. But now… I remembered. I don't know if it's the headaches and the medicine I've been taking or my dreams. Maybe it was those glowing eyes that jogged my memory… but I need to write it down before I forget again. Because we can't forget again.

It was one of the biggest family celebrations of the year. Christmas with ten adults, four children who were considered adult enough to sit at the adult table and eight who sat at the children's table. I was the oldest at the children's table and in charge. At 14 I considered myself mature enough to sit with the adults but I also recognized the adult table simply was not big enough. So I gratefully accepted my position of the oldest of the children and took charge. I helped in the kitchen with preparation and then served the children's table. I made sure everyone got their food and drinks and that everyone was having fun and no one was crying. With only one toddler, my job was not that hard. Especially because the toddler was my own baby sister so she was used to me feeding her and taking care of her.

It was time for dessert, one day before Christmas. I took some pie to the adult table and nodded to Jacob, my five years old cousin who was sitting in his mothers lap, and proceeded to take a second pie to the children's table. Most of the kids were either coloring or playing with pencils, stacking them in towers. I didn't even notice Jacob until he cried in frustration after his pencil pyramid came crashing down.

"Jacob," I said surprised: "When did you come back?" I just saw him in the adult room, so him being here he was awfully fast to come before me. He shrugged.

"I've been waiting for the pie. I never left." I put the pie down and started to cut it in pieces.

"I was sure I saw you with your mom just now." His older sister Penny looked at me with more interest.

"Maybe it was Ian?" I disagreed.

"No, it was definitely Jacob. Unless your mom has another son that she would hold in her lap?" Penny shook her head. She smiled and offered to go check.

"I can always go look if you want?" I looked around and counted the heads. Everyone seemed to be present, so I just gave them their pie and let it go.

In the evening I asked my parents if any of the kids were sitting with them at lunch. They said no, but also that they felt tired and I shouldn't bother them with stupid questions. Which was odd, because my parents were always very polite and would never say that a question is stupid. Even my brother was surprised. Next day was the big family event. Christmas day. We all gathered together for breakfast and planned to spend the entire day in the house just eating and gossiping and catching up. But everyone seemed… upset. I was making sure that there was an adult table and cookies when I noticed that everyone was short tempered and just plain nasty. Arguments were happening over the littlest things and everyone just looked tired. My grandmother looked the worst. She had aged in a night and instead of a fresh faced 75 year old, she looked ill and tired. I went to sit with her to ask if she was feeling alright.

"I had a bad dream yesterday my dear. It rattled me."

"Oh?" I said, "What did you dream about?"

She looked at her family, who didn't even notice how sickly she looked and said:

"My death. I dreamed about my death. And as soon as I woke up I truly did feel like today would be my last day." I was surprised and it showed on my face. She quickly smiled.

"Don't worry kid, it was just a bad dream. I've been having a lot of those lately." Her mind has started wandering and I knew she wanted some peace. It was so odd though. Everyone was arguing about something small and not important. I mean family dinners were always a bit stressful but this time it felt worse.

I went to the other room where the kids were sitting. I asked them if they noticed something odd with their parents. Like being short tempered or mad for no reason. Everyone agreed. It was as if no one was in the Christmas spirit. And you have to understand that is not like our family at all. Sara suddenly came running in the room.

"Grandma collapsed! They are calling an ambulance right now!" We all ran toward the adult room and in that moment I caught sight of Liam's eyes. He was the last one sitting at the children's table and when I looked at him I could swear his eyes flashed with glowing yellow. I blinked. He blinked. That's when the screams interrupted our staring competition and I ran to the adult room.

Grandma was laying on the floor, but was still breathing. My mom started yelling at the kids to leave and give us space. As soon as she saw me she demanded that I take the kids away and keep them busy. But I was too distracted to care. Liam was on the other side of the room hiding behind his mom eating a donut. Powdered donut was half eaten and you could see smears of powder all over his face and his mom's pants. Liam was a messy eater. But not a fast one. I knew I saw Liam in the kids room. But I also knew that Liam in the adult room was my cousin. I didn't have time to think because adults were getting more and more agitated. I gathered the kids and took them outside in the cold air. We went to the backyard as soon as we heard an ambulance. I had all the kids with me, including a very nasty Liam. I turned toward him, while carrying the toddler in my arms.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Liam, did you see grandmother collapse?" He looked at me funny, but slowly nodded.

"But you couldn't have. I was talking to you when she collapsed. You were in the room with me and the kids." Other kids agreed. But he said:

"You are all silly. I wanted a donut and I went to my mom to get one. She was super mad at me because I messed up her pants. And I don't know why you are saying this, you were the last one to talk to grandma. I saw you. You talked to her and then she fell. You just… disappeared when she fell. That was very mean. You should have told people grandma wasn't feeling well." I frowned.

"Yes, I talked to grandma and then I left for the kids room. I was there for a while before Sara came running to get me." Sara looked confused.

"Now that you mention it, Liam is right. I saw you there. With the adults. But I also saw you… in the kids room…" We got quiet. We all looked at each other.

"So what you are saying is," I summarized, "That I was in two places at the same time, but I also say that I saw Liam in two places at the same time?" That's when little Ian chipped in.

"My dad said it's been happening to him as well. He is sure uncle Todd was in the room with my aunt at dinner but uncle Todd said he was outside smoking." I was stumped.

All of the kids suddenly looked at me scared. We were whispering, talking about what is going on. But I was more concerned about the adults. Suddenly I got an idea. I asked if they had any markers with them and my wish was granted. Sara had a black marker. I told them to extend their hand. At first they were tentative but when I drew an x on my palm they suddenly understood. There we were, cousins and siblings, all marked with an x.

"Ok kids, I have a plan. We are going inside. As far as we can hear, an ambulance came and took grandma away so let's hope all is well. But we have a mission. Hold each other's hands. Pick someone to hold on and don't let go." I hugged the youngest Nala, who was just a toddler and motioned that they should pair up as well.

"If you see one of us that doesn't have a mark… scream. Something is inside and it's using us as a disguise. We need to find them!" They all nodded. They were scared but ready.

"Why can't we tell mommy?" Liam suddenly asked. I considered it for a while.

"Has your mommy been acting strange since you guys came here?" I asked him.

"Yes… she is so mad all the time. And tired. And sad. And she won't listen…" he stopped talking. he looked at me with tears.

"I don't think my mommy would believe me. What if the thing is making her not believe me?" I shrugged.

"I don't know. Could be. There is something clearly very wrong with all of them. We never argue like this normally…" the kids all nodded.

"What do we do if we find it? That… thing?" I closed my eyes. Everyone was looking at me expectantly.

"I don't know… " I finally said. Sara decided for me.

"We have to kill it. As my daddy says, pests have to go!" I wanted to roll my eyes, but we didn't have any other choice. Whatever this thing is, it has to go.

I was expecting a mess of activity inside. Instead it was eerily quiet. I was first through the door, clutching my baby sister, all the kids following me. Only a few of the adults were inside and they were all… sitting there. Quietly. Staring into the distance. There was a weird mist covering the top of the room and it had a sickly sweet smell.

"What the hell…" I whispered. They all looked dead. Sitting in chairs or sofas, just staring ahead, not moving. Ian wanted to run to his mom, but Sara stopped him. My eyes found my mom and my heart skipped a beat. I was so scared. My mom was holding Nala, my baby sister and I had to go and get her. Poor baby, she had to be scared. That's when I felt a tug of my hair. I looked to my side and noticed I was holding Nala in my hands! I swallowed and turned toward my mom. She also had Nala in her hands.

"Sara…" I whispered. She came to stand next to me. I motioned toward not Nala.

"Do you see what I see?" Sara gasped.

"How could we have forgotten about the baby! Was she here the entire time?!" It's confirmed now. As soon as you see the thing… it messes with your head. If I wouldn't have held Nala I wouldn't have noticed it.

"Sara!" I said loud enough for her to see me. I put Nala in her hands and she yelped. I quickly said:

"Take the youngest to the other room. Now!" Sara did as she was bid. Only me, Liam and Ian remained. They also noticed Nala in my mom's arms.

"It's not her boys. It doesn't have an X on her palm."

It was as if the lights came on. Not Nala smiled. But I knew it wasn't my baby sister smiling, it was a nasty little thing. Its mouth was suddenly too big for it's small face and it had way too many teeth! It's skin was going pale in front of our eyes and it's eyes were glowing yellow. It jumped toward us while hissing as some sort of lizard and we screamed and scrambled like cowards. It jumped on the wall behind me and stuck to it! It looked less and less like a toddler and more and more like some frog like creature. It's neck was melting into the torso, head was bigger and flatter and arms and legs stuck out of it's short body. It was grotesque to say the least.

It was apparently not interested in fighting as it ran toward the exit. It was running on walls and after the initial shock I followed. It ran across the hallway to the front door. Luckily we remembered to close the door and locked it. It ran to the ceiling and then behind us to the doors in the kitchen. I hoped like hell the doors were closed. We ran after it just to see it open it's now much longer hand on the door handle. I grabbed a pie and threw it, hitting the creature. But I was too late and the door opened. The creature did get knocked down and was now scurrying on the floor. I grabbed a knife and I was sure Liam and Ian did as well and we followed it out. Screams was the first thing we heard.

I ran faster just to see Martha, the eldest of the grandchildren stomping on the creature with full force. Force enough to stop it in its tracks. I didn't have time to thank her or to explain. I ran toward the still laying creature and I started stabbing. Liam and Ian joined me. Soon we were all covered in sticky icky goo, but the creature stopped moving. We took a step back.

"What the fuck is going on!" Martha demanded and all we could do was cry. She wanted to ask more questions but a hissing noise interrupted us. We all looked at the dead creature as it's skin started to melt. Very soon there was nothing but a puddle of goo where the creature remained. We started at it for a long time until Sara came with Nala.

When we came back inside we opened the windows and waited. As soon as Martha came inside and took a deep breath of the pink mist she sat down and forgot about everything. We were huddled together and watched as our parents slowly woke up from their daze and then pretended that nothing happened. I really think that they forgot. Whatever that pink mist was it altered their memories.

But we forgot too. I wonder if I would have remembered if I hadn't seen pale glowing eyes in the forest a couple of days ago. Ever since then I've been having headaches and nightmares. But with every nightmare my memory is clearer and I finally remembered what happened all those years ago.

But something is wrong. I know it. I see an X on my hand. And the dinner is set for two. But I'm alone? I have no memory of anyone coming over. What is going on? Why am I writing this… why is there an X on my hand?

I think I need help.