"Honey, I'm home!"
George Smith stepped through his front door at exactly 5:30, the same time he did every weekday. He hung his hat on the rack to his left, and took off his galoshes in respect of the floor his wife kept sparkling white.
"I'm in the kitchen, dear."
Sue Anne Smith scrubbed her counter tops in a bright blue dress and crisp white apron, her blonde hair looking perfect, as usual. When George entered the kitchen she flashed him a smile, her white teeth shining and her blue eyes sparkling. He bent slightly and kissed her on the cheek; even in her heels she was several inches shorter than him.
"How was your day at work?" She was genuinely interested.
"You know, the boss passed me up for a raise again. I may just have to go into his office tomorrow and give him a piece of my mind, stand up for myself," George was getting worked up.
Sue Anne gave him another smile. "Oh, honey, you know you'd never do that. You're much to sweet a gentleman. Besides, what would it prove, yelling at your boss."
"It just isn't fair, I've bee at that company as long as anybody." He wasn't placated.
Sue Anne's eyes lit up with an idea. "Why don't you invite the boss home for dinner? You can make a good impression, show him what a wonderful home you keep."
"You know, honey, that isn't a bad idea!" George's mind began working quickly, "We can use the good dishes, dress the children up. You can make your delicious tuna casserole. Do we still have those silver candlesticks your mother gave us?"
Sue Anne laughed. "Don't worry, sweetie, you just invite the boss. I'll take care of everything."
"I don't know what I'd do without you." He kissed her on the cheek again. "So where are the boys?"
"They're upstairs, washing up for dinner." As if on cue, the boys came running down the stairs. Scotty was fifteen, athletic, and the spitting image of dear old dad. Petey was six, with red hair and freckles around his little button nose. They both ran into the kitchen and hugged their father, shouting "Papa!"
George beamed with pride. "How was school today, boys?"
"Well," Sue Anne answered for them, "Petey got an A on his spelling test, and Scotty scored the winning run in the big baseball game."
"Is that so?" George smiled at Scotty.
"Yessir!" Scotty smiled back.
Petey interrupted, "Yeah, and then Mary Shoemaker gave him a big kiss! It was disgusting!"
The elder three laughed. "Maybe you won't think so when you're older!" They laughed again. A tone rang.
"That's the meatloaf!" Sue Anne opened the oven, and smoke poured out.
"Mmm...smoked meatloaf!" Petey made the family laugh again, despite the fact that the meatloaf was black and as hard as a rock.
"Don't worry, dear, it won't go to waste" George took the meatloaf and put it on the counter, "I can bring it to work and use t as a paperweight!" The family continued to laugh.
Suddenly, the lights went out, and the bright home was in total darkness. The family fell silent. "Papa, what's happening?" Young Petey clutched his father's leg and shivered.
"Hmm...fuse must have blown or something."
As suddenly as the lights had gone out, a bright green light flashed through the windows, then went dark again. In the light several silhouettes were visible outside the windows looking in. They were tall and narrow, their limbs and heads disproportionately long. Petey shrieked.
"What the hell was that?" Scotty yelled.
"Scotty, don't curse like that!" his mother yelled back.
"Sue Anne, this isn't the time!" George groped around in the darkness.
The green light flashed again, and there were many more silhouettes in the windows. One stood in the doorway to the kitchen.
"Jesus Christ!" George shouted. Someone fell over in the dark.
The light flashed one final time. The beings were in the room.
When the sun came through the windows in the morning, the family was dead, the sparkling white floor stained with blood.
George Smith stepped through his front door at exactly 5:30, the same time he did every weekday. He hung his hat on the rack to his left, and took off his galoshes in respect of the floor his wife kept sparkling white.
"I'm in the kitchen, dear."
Sue Anne Smith scrubbed her counter tops in a bright blue dress and crisp white apron, her blonde hair looking perfect, as usual. When George entered the kitchen she flashed him a smile, her white teeth shining and her blue eyes sparkling. He bent slightly and kissed her on the cheek; even in her heels she was several inches shorter than him.
"How was your day at work?" She was genuinely interested.
"You know, the boss passed me up for a raise again. I may just have to go into his office tomorrow and give him a piece of my mind, stand up for myself," George was getting worked up.
Sue Anne gave him another smile. "Oh, honey, you know you'd never do that. You're much to sweet a gentleman. Besides, what would it prove, yelling at your boss."
"It just isn't fair, I've bee at that company as long as anybody." He wasn't placated.
Sue Anne's eyes lit up with an idea. "Why don't you invite the boss home for dinner? You can make a good impression, show him what a wonderful home you keep."
"You know, honey, that isn't a bad idea!" George's mind began working quickly, "We can use the good dishes, dress the children up. You can make your delicious tuna casserole. Do we still have those silver candlesticks your mother gave us?"
Sue Anne laughed. "Don't worry, sweetie, you just invite the boss. I'll take care of everything."
"I don't know what I'd do without you." He kissed her on the cheek again. "So where are the boys?"
"They're upstairs, washing up for dinner." As if on cue, the boys came running down the stairs. Scotty was fifteen, athletic, and the spitting image of dear old dad. Petey was six, with red hair and freckles around his little button nose. They both ran into the kitchen and hugged their father, shouting "Papa!"
George beamed with pride. "How was school today, boys?"
"Well," Sue Anne answered for them, "Petey got an A on his spelling test, and Scotty scored the winning run in the big baseball game."
"Is that so?" George smiled at Scotty.
"Yessir!" Scotty smiled back.
Petey interrupted, "Yeah, and then Mary Shoemaker gave him a big kiss! It was disgusting!"
The elder three laughed. "Maybe you won't think so when you're older!" They laughed again. A tone rang.
"That's the meatloaf!" Sue Anne opened the oven, and smoke poured out.
"Mmm...smoked meatloaf!" Petey made the family laugh again, despite the fact that the meatloaf was black and as hard as a rock.
"Don't worry, dear, it won't go to waste" George took the meatloaf and put it on the counter, "I can bring it to work and use t as a paperweight!" The family continued to laugh.
Suddenly, the lights went out, and the bright home was in total darkness. The family fell silent. "Papa, what's happening?" Young Petey clutched his father's leg and shivered.
"Hmm...fuse must have blown or something."
As suddenly as the lights had gone out, a bright green light flashed through the windows, then went dark again. In the light several silhouettes were visible outside the windows looking in. They were tall and narrow, their limbs and heads disproportionately long. Petey shrieked.
"What the hell was that?" Scotty yelled.
"Scotty, don't curse like that!" his mother yelled back.
"Sue Anne, this isn't the time!" George groped around in the darkness.
The green light flashed again, and there were many more silhouettes in the windows. One stood in the doorway to the kitchen.
"Jesus Christ!" George shouted. Someone fell over in the dark.
The light flashed one final time. The beings were in the room.
When the sun came through the windows in the morning, the family was dead, the sparkling white floor stained with blood.