I fished into the fridge and pulled out those heavenly waffles, scooping half onto another plate. I sat Angelica and Maggie down at the table for breakfast. They sat straight, the best poster I've seen from my eight year old to date. It was, almost unsettling, unnatural. I'll just have to get used to it, it's an easy price to pay given the sheer size of the reward. I sat the two plates down and let them dig in, the same way they had just a few months ago, only more sluggish and drowsy. It made me frown, but I'd just have to get used to it. They ate quietly, quickly, and neatly.

It was so prim and proper, clean cut, straight forward. They were so perfect, but not in the way you expect imperfections. They had no imperfections actually. That will have to be alright though, I'll just get used to it. This can still work, this is working. Oh my god this is actually working, I just brought the dead back to life, like in the movies! The only difference is that this is real life and has been carefully crafted so it can't fail. I have done the impossible.

When they finished eating they pushed their plates away and got up from the table. They then grabbed their plates and rinsed them off in the sink, it's almost like watching robots work. Maybe I should ask for a consultation from our engineering team working in robotics and AI. They've been coming pretty close on creating sentient artificial intelligence, maybe they could help me. No, they wouldn't understand, coming close doesn't mean they've done it. They don't really understand what's happening, they could get mad. They would get mad, best to keep this to myself for now. I checked the time, ten thirty AM. I should take Henry out for a walk, I haven't been very good about that lately. I walked to the coat closet and grabbed his leash, then I called for him to come to me. I yelled " Walk! Walk boy! Wanna go on a walk?" And like magic he came skipping over.

His tail was wagging while he happily barked, he was such a good boy. I gave him a few scratches on his head and knelt down to put his leash on. He was wiggling like a worm from his excitement, he was the best boy. I walked back to the kitchen to get to the mud room quickly and silently. My smile hadn't dispersed since this morning and I could feel the slightest bit of energy return to me. When I set foot into the kitchen Maggie gasped, it was a gurgly gasp, raspy, like water was in her windpipe.

Nonetheless I smiled at her while she ran over and pet Henry, whom of which whimpered at her touch. At least he is t biting her. I rubbed her head while she giggled, her misty eyes having a magical spark to them. I bid them a fair well and walked out the door, tipping my hat to my wife. The air smelled like cherries despite it being the middle of winter and the sky was a bright blue gray. It was a lovely day, gorgeous in every way. Today is perfect, in every way shape and form. The walk to the park doesn't feel as lonely today, and for the first time since the accident, I feel at peace.

When we do arrive at the park Henry is already a wiggling noodle again, excited to be let off the leash. The grass is green and everyone in the park seems to be happy too, either way, it's a good day.

After about thirty minutes I have to call Henry back and get his leash back on. He was ecstatic, happiest dog on the planet. We walked down the sidewalk and made our way back home. The garden shined just as brightly as the sun and I swear I could hear angels singing as I opened our front gate. The pavement squished under my feet as I made my way to the door and creaked it open with my never fading smile. Angelica was washing the dishes in the kitchen and Maggie was watching My Little Ponies on the TV. The air was filled with laughter and joy all the way through the night.

......

The air was thick and quiet. I felt a cold wind pushing me forward. The ground was littered in broken glass and from above I could hear the warning song of angels. They sent me their woeful glances from heaven's gates and shook their heads in shame. I sank into a dark, black goop that whispered my shame and guilt to me like a fierce dragon. I heard the yell of warriors and the stomp of their feet on the cold, hard ground.

It felt like the world was yelling at me with this foreboding need to put me in the ground. My breath was coming out in straggled gasps and I felt as though the ground was squeezing me like an empty roll of toothpaste. My eyes were watering and if I could have screamed I would have as I was swallowed by my puddle of shame.

I fell into an eclectic chair and was quickly strapped in. A large group of men in white coats and blue masks approached me with ivy black eyes and devils horns poking out from their skulls. They had needles in their hands with some sort of liquid in them. I squirmed and shouted, screaming to be let go.

They didn't listen, instead they started injecting the thick syrupy liquid into my arms and neck, wherever they could fit it. It was like every part of my body had a syringe sticking out of it, I almost felt like Pin-Head. The liquid was thick and syrupy, blocking my blood flow like a wall. I felt numb and cold, my head was throbbing as if I'd been shot. I felt like throwing up but I was frozen. They froze me from the inside out. My vision was going out and I could tell I was a goner.

......

I woke up with a start. My breathing was lapsed and as I was gasping for air, I heard shuffling come from next to me. " Honey? Are you alright?" My wife asked, she sounded worried while she looked at me with those doe eyes.

" Yeah, I'm fine sweetheart, don't worry about it." I said, my voice wavering like the waves of the sea. I lied back down and rolled back onto my side.

" Are you sure? It's alright if you're not." She spoke calmly, soothingly. Her voice was like the wind, so cold and calculated and yet it was so comforting.

" Yeah, I'm sure." I said, closing my eyes and drifting into a dreamless sleep. The morning was cold, as if the world was giving me a hug, or holding me back. I realize that my alarm is blaring. I forgot I go back to work today. My first day back in the office in about a year. I should start getting ready.

I crawled out of bed and pulled my shirt off. I grabbed my work clothes and grabbed a cup of coffee before I walked out the door. The cool night breeze felt gentle on my skin and the moon lit the sky with a delicate light. I heard the passage of cars and the chirps of the crickets. I walked to the car, it was black and box shaped. The seats were cool and burned into my skin with unwelcome stings. With a rurr the engine started and I was on the road. The drive was quiet and peaceful. I listened to the radio but it merely played as background noise.

When I pulled up to work the building was bright and lit. It was a small place, a community college where I taught my students how to program things and fix errors in code. For the most part I just teach them what the " skeleton" of a program looks like so they can sight errors faster. Most of them want to be mechanics but some of them want to be programers, game designers, or do my job. It's weird teaching them, they all know what they want to do, to be, what they're doing with their lives.

Today's lesson plan is simple: show them what the Mydoom virus can do. I'll show them how to get rid of the virus and then I'll teach them it's "history". It's an easy day and then I'll add it to next week's test. I start by showing them the first signs of the virus, how the email can look, and then the virus after several hours. I'll show them what to do with the email it comes from then I'll send them on their way.

The class was long, with lots of questions and notes. They're such a lovely class. When the day was done I hopped into my car and drove home. I turned the radio on, it was playing " Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen, A classic. The road was smooth, a subtle drizzle rained down from above. I smiled as I thought of my family, their happy faces, what they could be doing right now. Traffic is busy as I drive, It's six pm. Plenty of people are getting off work right now. I make a right down my street, my neighbors have lined their houses with plants and flowers. The leaves on the trees are turning shades of red, like blazing fires. I took a deep breath followed by a sigh of relief. The house looks bright, like a beacon of light, my savour. I can hear Henry barking as I pull into the driveway.

I step out of the car and onto our gravel driveway with a pleasant crunch. I open the front gate and onto our stone paveway, stepping calmly through the rain. The front porch was blue and our garden plants shone in the sun drawn rain. I took a breath in, it smelled like a summer shower. The clouds may be gray, but the world surely isn't.

I opened the door with a bright smile and removed my coat, bending down to greet Henry. When I looked up Maggie was smiling at me, she dove in for a hug. I sweeped her into my arms and lifted her into the air. She laughed and giggled as I spun her around. Angelica looked at me from the other end of our entryway. She smiled at me and said " Dinner's almost ready. Maggie, could you set the table?" Her voice sounded like a festival of angels dancing on clouds. I closed my eyes and hummed as I set Maggie down back onto the floor. She ran into our dining room swiftly and did as she was asked. Angelica walked towards me and kissed my cheek. She wore her pink apron with cats and hearts, it had text that read 'I knead you'. " How was work today?" She asked, her face contorted and wrinkled in an odd manner, like she was trying to look quizzical.

" It was good, we got a lot done today. Tomorrow we're going to take a decoding test." I spoke calmly, speaking in a low tone. I took a soft hold of her hips and kissed her before walking into the kitchen to check on the food. It was a chili stew.

The air smelled sweet, like decaying roses. Putrid and rough, yet pleasant and delightful. I made Henry's dinner while the wife started dishing our food. My plate was closest to the kitchen window, facing away from it I took my seat. We ate slowly and calmly. The food tasted just as good as it smelled, sweet and tangy with a small hint of spice. I closed my eyes to savor the taste. When I opened them I saw Maggie take a bite of hers, the sauce spilled out from her cheek and back into her bowl like syrup. " Maggie dear, let me go get you a bandaid for that scratch." Angelica said, her voice calm and smooth like a jamberry of fairies. She got up from her seat and walked into the bathroom where we kept the bandaids. Her walk was swift and precise, like a robot taking its first steps.

I chewed a piece of chicken and asked Maggie how her day was. " It was fine. I watched bluey and did the dishes for mummy before I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch. Mum wanted to go water and tend to the plants while you were gone but she saw your note and went into her room to read instead." She answered, her voice like a river of salty water, it gurgled and there were a few times I thought I saw water spill into her bowl. Angelica returned with a pink band aid that was adorned with rainbows and unicorns. She put it on like a paint stroke on a canvas. My beautiful pieces of art.

We went back to eating the chili and enjoyed a pleasant banter until we finished it. When we finished we put the dishes in the sink and turned on Bambi before I tucked Maggie in for the night and headed to bed myself.

" Goodnight honey." Angelica said, kissing me on the forehead.

" Goodnight." I whispered back before falling into a pleasant and deep sleep.

......

When I opened my eyes I was surrounded by water. It smelled putrid. The same way Maggie and Angelica do. My face feels tight and yet so very loose. It's strange. I moved my hand to touch my cheek and my fingers fell straight through it. There's a hole in my cheek. I could feel my teeth, some were there, some fell out to my touch and some were missing. I screamed, but it sounded like a goat's cry. Tears streamed down my face and I felt a gurgling, bubbling sensation crawl up my throat. It stung like salt water and made me cry out more.

I feel so helpless.

I opened my eyes and one of them popped out. It dangled in front of my face like a sweet treat. What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? Oh god I'm dying. Lord, I'm sorry, please, please help me. I'm sorry for all my wrong doings but please Lord, please help me. I'm lost and I don't know what to do. Please come and help me. Burry me in the ground and lay my soul to rest. I don't deserve this! Please just come and help me already! Please please. Just come and help me...

The water became red, like blood. Was someone bleeding? Is someone else out here? I started shouting, screaming for help. For the person who may be in here with me. " Help! Help! Is anyone out here? Please! Please! I need your help! PLEASE! COME HELP ME! Oh please, please help me. Please." My voice faded out as I began to cry again. This is a nightmare. Where am I? Am I lost? How'd I even get here? I saw something bubbling up out of the water, it was coming from below. They looked unconscientious. Like they drowned. I grabbed onto them and pulled them up. Blood was everywhere. I screamed and let them fall back into the water. I tried to swim away but something pulled my ankle closer. I felt millions of hands pull at my feet as the water began to bubble. It roared like a fire and wept like a lost soul. I saw their faces. They looked so sad and lost. A voice whispered into my ear then,

" These are your sins. Join them like your brethren." It said, and as I was swept beneath the waves of the water that yowled and yipped like hyenas, I saw a dozen more men come up to the surface, each one just as mangled as the last.

......

I jolted up from my bed and let out a scream. My wife was standing at the edge with a confused look on her face. Her eyes flickered and she fell. Oh no, no, no, no, no! Did she short circuit? Tears were falling down my face, I curled up in a ball and wept. Everything is out of my control. I don't know what to do. I just got them back, why isn't anything going my way?