Mike laid on the ground, looking off into space as the Tall Man disappeared into the darkness. A strong gust of wind blew through the air as the crackling and popping of fire from the hearse danced and flickered out. Laying there, completely numb. He tried to remember the few good memories he had. Ones back when he was just a carefree kid. Living in his neighborhood with his parents and Jody. Memories, very few of Liz…the one girl he would ever love. Memories of feeling safe, before this nightmare happened.
His entire body ached, liquid dripping from his skull.
He had failed.
Thinking for a moment, he really did wish it was all in his head. That he could just live a normal life and forget all this.
Slowly his body began to shake as the pain began to dull. He knew the end was coming fast. Taking a deep breath, unable to move.
Just then Reggie ran over, his only true friend. Kneeling beside him, he lowered his trusty shotgun.
"Mike…mike, your still alive!"
Reggie held onto him, the smallest ray of hope behind his eyes. Michael glanced up at him before shaking.
"I'm dying Reg."
They held hands, looking in each others eyes.
"No…don't let go."
Mike couldn't stop shaking, things began to fade. Reggie turned around and looked at the space gate before standing up.
"I'm coming right back for you."
Turning, he picked his gun up and disappeared. Mike watched, all alone…the only sounds of the wind.
Slowly as everything began to fade, he remembered.
Before everything faded to black, he remembered back when he was just thirteen. Walking down main street and how Reggie picked him up in his truck.
"Mike, your still alive!"
Standing there, hands stuffed in his jean pockets, he remembered standing on the empty street hearing the wind.
Then after Reggie picked him up, with a friendly hello. They started home. Sitting there beside his friend, the wind blew even harder.
"I'm dying Reg."
Both sat side by side before Reggie looked around, driving into the darkness.
"Hey…did you hear something?"
Mike looked forward.
"It's just the wind…it's just the wind.
As they drove off into the darkness, he knew death was coming.
So many memories of the past, of when he lost those he loved.
Mike only remembered the last few moments before the hearse crashed. He was locked in the back with Liz. Sliding and crashing into each other as the hearse swayed back and forth on the dark road. Mike remembered how scared he was and how he pounded on the glass screaming for Reggie's name. Finally the breaks were slammed on, sending the two of them flying against the metal wall of the back. His arm aching, Mike saw how terrified Liz was as she tried the door. Mike crawled over to the other one and tried…it wouldn't open. Sweat dripping down his palms he used all his strength to break the window. Falling against the cool metal of the hearse's floor, he let out a deep breath and knew they were trapped.
"Michael!"
Liz said in a helpless voice, Mike turned but saw her jump back screaming as Reggie stumbled into view, badly hurt and bleeding and leaned up against the window. Mike slid over and pounded on the glass, praying their friend would let them out.
"Reg!"
Reggie then slowly fell to the ground and out of sight, Mike pounded against the window as the hearse started up again, leaving his friend behind on the road. Turning around he saw Liz was crying. Making his way over to her, still sliding back and forth, he took her by the shoulders.
"It's all right, this isn't happening…it's just a dream."
Liz locked eyes with him.
"It's only a dream."
The last thing Mike really could remember before everything went black was hearing that awful voice behind them. The voice that sent chills down his spine as he began to hear the sounds of breaking glass.
"NO! IT'S NOT!"
Next thing Mike knew, there was a blur of darkness surrounding him. He heard Liz scream and tried his best to take hold of her…then he felt a strong force tugging him backwards.
Darkness.
"Michael…"
Mike found himself trapped in what seemed like cloud of mist. Walking around, trying his best to search through the darkness he softly heard his name being called from different directions. Having no idea where he was, he slowly walked forward.
"Liz?"
It was her that was calling him, where was she?
"Liz!"
Mike called out walking forward…then everything went black.
"I don't want him in pieces."
The tall man said to Reggie. The flames were still crackling from the wreck of the hearse. Dwarfs began to surround them as Reggie held up the grenade .
"Well that's how your going to get him you sonofabitch"
"Then…I'll wait. Take good care of him."
The Tall Man smiled before holding up Liz's head. Smiling he slowly turned around and began to walk away. His dwarfs following him. Reggie let out a deep breath and felt his heart pound, looking around he saw the wreck from the crash, and the fires that were just starting to die out. Turning back, he saw the tall man was gone.
Clicking off the grenade, he sighed and glanced over at Mike.
He needed help.
A few hours later, he stumbled into a local emergency room. It had taken awhile to get Mike on his feet and help him to the closest car he could find. After hot wiring it he fled into the night, glancing at his friend and praying that he wouldn't die.
"Stay with me Mike, Godamnit!"
Finally he found a small town about forty miles away.
"I NEED HELP!"
Reggie screamed as the nurses ran over and helped him with Mike.
"We've been in a accident."
Reggie was able to say before they laid Mike down on a stretcher and began wheeling him down the long corridor.
A few hours later, Reggie stood with his arms crossed as the doctor walked over to him. Mike laid in the hospital bed now, hooked up to at least five different machines. He no longer looked like a nineteen year old kid…just an empty shell of someone who was half there.
"He's in a coma, I don't know how long he'll be in it, but he suffered massive bleeding."
Nodding, Reggie glanced over at his friend and sighed.
"What are the chances he'll snap out of it?"
The doctor simply shook his head.
"I don't know."
Looking over at Mike again, Reggie remembered back when he was just a kid. Before everything had happened. Back when things were normal…back when Mike was just carefree and full of life.
"Then I'll wait…"
Reggie thought to himself turning.
"Then I'll wait."
Time past in fact…three years did.
Reggie had leased a house on the outside of town. The areas all around were deserted. He lived, waiting for any sign.
Finally Mike woke up.
Mike remembered fighting for his own life only moments after waking up. One of those silver spheres right in front of his eyes. Reggie helped him escape from the hospital, together they drove off into the rainy night in his new Cuda. His limps feeling weak, and his entire mind blank. He sat in the passenger seat looking out the window.
"Three years…"
He softly said to himself. He saw his reflection in the rearview mirror. He looked much older then twenty-two. He seemed empty, lost, and alone.
Finally he cleared his throat.
"Liz?"
Reggie gripped the steering wheel and drove forward, his eyes serious. For a few moments of silence, he finally glanced over.
"She didn't make it…the accident…"
Mike turned away, he couldn't hear anymore. Thinking of her beautiful blue eyes he remembered that night. The two of them laying in bed together, reading each other's minds. How they said they loved each other. Thinking for a second, he really thought it was over. That he could start a new life, maybe even a family with her.
Now all those dreams were shattered.
"Did he take her?"
Reggie slowly shook his head.
"No…she died before that happened."
Mike looked out the window again. He was still a virgin. While other guys his age were finishing up college, going to parties and enjoying life…he was trapped in his hell. Placing his fingers on the rain covered window of the Cuda, he sighed. He would never love again.
Silent tears ran down his face, Reggie pretended not to notice.
Just then…Mike saw Jody out the window.
"Jody?"
Mike felt his body growing weaker as he laid on the ground dying in the desert. Thoughts of the life he could have had flashed before him. Why couldn't all those he loved survive. His parents, Jody, Reggie's family, Liz? Why couldn't he just grow up, live a normal life. Have children and be happy? All those chances were now fading.
Thinking back, he remembered when he was only a kid.
So many memories went into his mind as he began slipping away. Standing there in his jean jacket. Always laughing and fooling around.
Back when he was happy.
"BOYYYYYYY!"
He tried to fight, but he was exausted. He just wished he knew the truth. Why him?
Walking down those long marble corridors. Looking at all the graves.
Then those silver spheres. Flying around, buzzing.
The space gate, how he fell in for only the matter of a few seconds. The heat around him as he fell, seeing all the slaves.
The Tall Man chasing him, pointing his finger straight at him.
He remembered after the dwarfs attacked him and the girls. How he crashed through the back window and blacked out. For a second he thought he had died. Finally the nightmare would be over.
Then he heard Jody's voice, calling him.
"Little brother…wake up."
Snapping his eyes, he looked around.
He was alive.
He knew this all wasn't a dream. It couldn't be in his head. His fantasy wasn't some trigger from trauma after the death of his parents and only brother.
He had seen all these things and believed.
If only he could be thirteen again. Happy, and carefree. That would be heaven for him…no memory of the tall man, or any of this.
Laying there, his heart began to slow down. He prayed wherever Reggie was, he was okay.
"You can't have him!"
"He will be me, he's the only one!"
Mike heard over the wind. He could see Reggie somewhere deep in the back of his mind, looking at the Tall Man, his shotgun raised. He could see the Tall Man smiling, a silver sphere in his hand.
"He's the only one strong enough to take over my work."
The sudden awful feeling washed over him. What if The Tall Man really could die. Maybe his time on this Earth, or other worlds were finally ending. Maybe he had been searching for someone strong enough to fight back.
"No…"
He thought to himself, he would never become what this monster was. He would die before this happened.
Slowly, his eyes closed.
"Michael…open your eyes."
Opening them, weak and nearly fluttering…he couldn't believe it.
Liz kneeled down beside him, looking just as beautiful as he had remembered her. Here she wasn't dead, she stared at him, faintly smiling and looking down at his hurt and battered body. Her slim fingers danced across his face.
"Liz?"
Michael's eyes widened. Was this really her?
"Your dead…"
"So aren't you…see?"
Michael looked down and froze. He was different. Laying there, he was able to move. Slowly picking up his hands he gazed down at himself.
He was himself…so many years ago. Younger like he had been, in fact he wore the same jean jacket.
He was speechless, he couldn't move. Liz lightly laughed before he slowly sat up. The pain was no longer there. Sitting up beside her, he reached out and touched her. She was real. The two stared at each other, laughing as she leaned over and held him.
"I won't let anything ever happen to you, I promise."
Michael said to himself as he held her, kissing the side of her face. The two held each other as the wind blew stronger. Finally Liz pulled away looking at him, her green eyes sparking.
"You'll never become him…never."
Holding her, Mike looked off at the space gates before nodding.
"Never…"
As he held her, watching the last of the flames die away, he knew…even if he was dead, and this was Heaven. This still had to be stopped. Reggie couldn't do it alone.
Right before everything faded off into darkness, he had one last memory.
Himself as he was now, changed…thirteen.
He was walking down main street, on his way to Reggie's store. Trying to take his mind off things and enjoy the day. A lollypop in his mouth as he walked.
Then…he saw him.
Walking by…The Tall Man.
He froze, unable to move as he watched him. He saw him stop as Reggie loaded his truck. The cold air floating around him. The two made eye contact for just a brief second as Mike watched him, terrified.
"I'll never become you…"
He thought…never.
