Chocolate on the Brain

It had been a long day, bleeding deep into the evening hours Nell usually spent with Acheron and their children—both the youngest and Nell’s older children from before their marriage. Tonight, Nell went straight to bed. Most of his children had helped with his evening project—repotting the denocynclids for the new flitatoes. They were a small insect Nell had been crafting, stretching his Life powers, with their identical twin sons Five and Zane.

And then there were the rhinosaurs. One of them had broken out of their exhibit and gone chasing butterflies (and a semi-innocent Five) through the orchard.

Although it was a long day, it was a satisfying day. He passed Ach lying in bed with a movie on, which wasn’t his typical evening entertainment. He also had a fresh canister of his favorite Babylonian snack—a wafer stick full of delicious chocolateyness. Nell got them for Ach by the pallet.

Nell would join him soon. First, he went to the bathroom to scrub his nails clean of soil and fertilizer. He dressed down to a pair of simple linen pants. He went back out to their bedroom and flopped on to the bed. “How was your day, My Love?”

Ach snuggled against his side. “Better, now. How was yours?”

“We finished repotting the denocynclids. We’ll let them settle into their new pots before bringing them into the flitatoe habitat. Though that took longer than anticipated, one of the rhinosaurs broke through the fence line again. I’m sorry I was so late.”

“Really? But I love rhinosaurs. We can fix the fence and tell him we love him.”

Nell chuckled. “He’s more interested in the love he can give other animals, through his horn, into their abdomens. Five barely made it out alive.” Nell took one of the wafers and bit into the flakey layers.

Something about it tasted off. It wasn’t the typical chocolate flavor.

Suddenly, Nell’s throat felt choked. He looked at Ach, grasping his throat. Help. He tried to breathe, choking on the off-ness. It felt like slime in his throat. Ach!

There was no response. Ach? He managed to squeak out as gasped.

A sort of slime began to pour out of his mouth and coat his face. His vision went dark. He reached out further, beginning for help with his mind to any Pixie that could hear him. To Ach, but why couldn’t Ach hear him?

“Nell?” Ach’s voice broke through for a moment. He bent Nell forward and slapped his back. “Nell!”

The black slime coagulated in his throat and launched outward. Some of the webbing released from his eyes. For a moment he could see, and then everything slammed back into him. He toppled against Ach, his body retching against the takeover. The slime oozed down his throat and filled every inch of him until the world was dark and still and all he had left was a sliver of his mind where he knew what had happened. He nearly wished for death.

“Nell!” Ach sobbed soft tears. He pulled a small blade from the bedside drawer and thrust it into him. Nell was—mercifully—cut off from his perception of pain. He felt nothing as the blade cut down his chest.

And then he felt everything. He’d gained control of his mind again. “Stop!” He fought against Ach. He tried to pull his fire magic forth to burn the slime.

“I’m not hurting you, I promise,” Ach said. “I have you! You’re safe, Nell.” He looked into his eyes. “Just breathe.”

He took a breath, and felt his hold on his mind flicker out. Another presence started to feel known, a voice forming that he’d never heard before.

And then there was Ach. His eyes had gone from blue to a sort of black-brown, the same color of the slime that had coated Nell’s.

“You’re safe,” Ach repeated.

Safe. Not saved. Nell heard the TV again. Why wasn’t Ach reading?

Ach had been eating the wafers first. Ach…Ach wasn’t saving him.

Nell squirmed away, but his body barely moved. The voice in his mind caressed his forcibly. Let go. This is mine.

No! Nell’s eyes burned with hot tears. Leave me! He summoned his fire hotter, trying to burn any trace of the monster within him.

Ach caressed his cheek.

“You’re…you’re… You’re already gone,” Nell said as he lost control completely. The thing took complete control.

Ach continued to caress his cheek softly. “See? You’re fine now. I have you.”

Acheron. Nell sobbed mentally, but his physical being remained still. He had lost control. Please, Acheron.

His family was in danger.

There was silence. He was alone.

A presence flickered across his mind, awakening. Not alone.