I had to type this chapter up because it's my favorite!
Chapter 4: Grayscale
Alexis was too worried to stay for the service. She wanted to get back to Riley. She opened the door to her apartment. "Riley, I'm back." She said.
"Alexis!" Riley exclaimed. "Oh, God am I glad to see you!" He threw her arm around her.
"Riley, what's wrong!" Alexis asked in shock. "What's gotten into you!"
"I don't know!" He said in a panicky voice.
Alexis kept her voice down. "Come sit down." They both sat at her table.
"Alexis, I don't know what's happening! Last night, while we were watching TV, I all of the sudden could hear everything! Well, not everything, but stuff I had never been able to hear before, even your heartbeat! Then, I could smell all of this new stuff! I can tell you who the last three owners of this apartment were and what they did for a living! And today, I could understand Abby! Now, the colors are fading from my vision!"
Alexis looked completely shocked.
"That's why I fainted last night." Riley continued. "I couldn't handle the sudden burst of information. Sensory overload."
"But you're okay now?" Alexis asked.
"No! I'm not!" Riley said. "I want to chase Abby and J.Q.! This isn't normal!"
"Riley, um, this is going to sound really weird, but, these are all traits of a dog. What color is my eyeshadow?"
Riley stared for a few moments. "Is it brown-gray?"
"No, it's just brown." Alexis said with concern. She stood and began to pace. "No, this isn't possible."
"What?" Riley asked.
"There's no way. No, this isn't possible. It just isn't!"
"What!" Riley demanded, jumping out of the chair.
"Riley, I think you're turning into a dog!" Alexis explained.
Riley stared at her. "Holy Lord…" He put his fingers to his forehead and collapsed.
When Riley opened his eyes, he found himself lying in a bed with a cold washcloth on his forehead. He knew Alexis was very worried about him. He could smell her fear-scent on the rag.
Alexis walked in the next instant. "Ri, you're awake."
"I don't wanna be awake. Give me the strongest sleeping pill you have and some Vikadin and let me get back to Vikadinland. At least I'm normal there." Riley moaned.
Alexis sat down on the bed next to him.
"I'm colorblind." Riley said suddenly. "I'm completely colorblind!"
Alexis put her arms around him and snuggled next to him. "It's going to be alright! Everything is going to be fine!"
He stared into her unwavering eyes.
"You know this is like watching a cancer patient die." Alexis said. "You want to help them, but you just can't."
"This will be my last night as a human." Riley said.
"How do you know?" Alexis questioned.
"I don't know. Intuition I guess." He said, gently squeezing her.
"Riley, what's gotten into you?" Alexis asked with a laugh.
"Nothing." He replied. "But I think that since this realty of ours won't exist tomorrow, I think we should make the most of the time we have left as equals."
"And what do you suppose we do?"
"Are you up for a candlelit dinner?"
