Returning home later that night, I quietly entered my house and went to check on Sean. His door opened with a slight creak, and I made my way over to his bedside. I turned on his lamp, only to find the covers of an empty bed pulled to the side. Confused, I exited his room and called out his name. There was no response. The door had been locked when I arrived, so I knew he had to have been in the house.

I checked the kitchen and the dining room before making my way to the hallway. The walls were coated in a darkness as black as tar, except for the very end of the hall. There stood the door to my bedroom, the glow of light outlining its perimeter. I approached it, placing my hand on the doorknob and entering the room.

There sat my son on my bed. In his arms sat a picture frame that held the image of Elizabeth, standing by Sean. He stared at the image, his face as still as stone. I went over to him, sitting by his side and placing my arm over his shoulder. I noticed dark splotches on the picture frame. Placing my hand under Sean's chin, I lifted his head to face me. Red circles surrounded his watery eyes.

Using my thumb to wipe the remaining tears from his cheek, I tried to offer him the best smile I could, but his frown remained. There I sat, at a loss for words. My gaze lowered and focused on the picture in the frame. Placing my hand on his, we sat in silence and viewed the photo together. Eventually, I broke the silence, realizing just how late it was.

"Hey buddy, let's head to bed okay?"

Sean gave me a head nod and arose, traversing the corridors of the house to his room. I tucked him in, as per usual, before retreating to my bed. I picked up the picture frame and held it in my hand. Elizabeth was as beautiful as ever, and for the first time in ages, viewing her did not cause me distress or pain. Rather, I felt a sense of acceptance.

I recalled what I had told Sean, about her watching over him with the rest of the angels. Though I had said it to ease his mind, I too had begun to tell myself the same thing. That somewhere out in the universe, my Liz was watching, hoping for the best for me. I glanced at the image of Sean, standing by his mother. He had the purest grin on his face. One that could melt my heart one thousand times over. I knew he did because I remembered taking that photo. Yet, that was not how he appeared now.

In his place stood a different Sean. A Sean without the grin, without the energetic and hopeful eyes. Rather, one with deep gashes and bruises embedded into his flesh. One whose limbs appeared contorted into unnatural positions. In the blink of an eye, his happy demeanor changed into one of shock and terror. Taken aback, I dropped the photo and rushed back to Sean's room. I burst through the door, only to find him peacefully asleep in his bed. He was there, alive, in one piece. I saw him with my own two eyes.

Making my way back to my bedroom, I scooped up the picture frame and gazed upon it once more. There he stood, looking perfectly happy. Rubbing my eyes in hopes to clear my vision, I viewed the image again, hoping to confirm that what I saw was real. The photo remained unchanged, still showing Sean as the gleeful little boy I knew him to be.

I put the photo away and climbed into bed, pulling the covers over my body. Sinking my head into my pillow, I closed my eyes. Although it took a few hours, I finally drifted into a deep slumber. The following day I woke up early. Entering the kitchen for a glass of water, the sound of footsteps caught my attention. They were heading down the hallway which leads to Sean's room. Figuring Sean had woken up, I followed them down the hallway, where I saw his bedroom door ajar.

Inside, I found my boy sitting beside the Being from my dream all those nights ago. There he was in his slick grey suit. He appeared as malnourished as ever, his thin frame giving him a feeble look. His face remained blurred, so much so that I could not discern any of his features.

I watched as he extended his bony fingers towards my son, laying them atop his head. He brushed Sean's hair with his hand. Neither one of them faced me, and despite the circumstances, I did not feel fear for my safety, or Sean's. I walked toward the creature, attempting to touch it. Mere centimeters before the tips of my fingers grazed its figure, my body lunged forward, my forehead drenched in sweat. I observed my surroundings, realizing I had not yet left my bed.

I decided to put the picture frame away in my closet for the time being. The thing freaks me out, and after that dream and what I would assume was my hallucination yesterday, I can't bear to view it. Once again, I'll be sure to keep you all updated on future updates. I cannot express my gratitude enough to all of you.

Truly, thank you.