Inside You

An essay from an unnamed entity, as provided by Iulian Ionescu
Art by Luke Spooner

I’m a monster, let’s get that right off the bat.

I’ve been a monster since the day I was spawned, but I really hate that word, to be honest. It’s such a label. When you people hear it, your mind jumps to scales and teeth and claws and tentacles. I like to think of myself as parallel life, a companion of sorts, if you would indulge this particularly cruel comparison.

I love my job, don’t get me wrong, but even a monster has ups and downs. Let me explain.

I can’t remember the last time I had the luxury to take it easy, but I finally got a break with old Ms. Donnelly. I attached to Ms. Donnelly in March or April, something like that; it was a bit chilly, I remember that.

As soon as I clicked I knew I was up for a peaceful season. I swear I haven’t been in such a clear mind in years. I mean, she had her bingo nights and romance novels, but that’s nothing compared to the horrors I’ve been through in the past.

On top of that, she lived alone, Ms. Donnelly, in a tall townhouse she kept sparkling clean, so nobody bothered us most of the time. She was up every day at the crack of dawn and she wouldn’t sit still until sundown. Up and down the stairs, outside, inside, market, pier. No wasted time, and barely any human interaction, which works for me.

The moment I got in, though, I knew it wasn’t gonna last too long. I sensed immediately her body was decayed. I could see it and feel it–her organs were eaten from the inside out by years of restlessness, I guess. Her face was smooth as silk, no wrinkles, believe me, but on the inside–a dead apple.

At first I got angry. Why would the Committee send me here? I’ve been roaming this neighborhood for decades now, and I know there are better hosts. But I guess they have some rotation programs and I had finally earned my break.

Once I realized this was going to be more vacation than work, I decided to delay the process as much as I could. I tried to keep my spawns in check, let them loose slowly, but, unlucky for her, it’s not easy to control them once they’re out, roaming through the blood stream. They know one thing and one thing only, and there’s not a lot I can do about it.

I tried to keep her happy at least–I didn’t touch the brain. It was way too clean, even for me.

I held back, but at some point she did start to deteriorate rapidly, progressively worse as days went by. That’s when she went to see them.

Oh, I hate them, hate them with a passion … They mess with up our act pretty badly, even if just for a brief period. It’s extremely uncomfortable and the best of us still dread the experience, no matter how short.

To read the rest of this story, check out the Mad Scientist Journal: Spring 2014 collection.

He doesn’t remember being born, but became aware of his being when he was first spawned by a Supreme. He was given the task to roam and seek new hosts where he could unleash his own spawns, helping to clear the way for the final invasion. Since life is not just work, but also play, he often enjoys a vacation inside a pet or even an insect. But deep down inside, he hopes for an early retirement on a beach, back on the home planet. His only regret is to have never been given a name.

Iulian was born and raised in Bucharest, Romania, where he earned his Bachelor’s in Finance. He moved to the US in 2001, and became a CPA (oh, the excitement!). Despite his career choice, Iulian’s creative side kept him awake at night. At this point he calls himself an aspiring sci/fi and fantasy writer. He published several short stories and is currently working on two novels. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and son and he blogs at www.fantasyscroll.com and www.iulianionescu.com. He is also the editor of http://fantasyscrollmag.com.

Luke Spooner a.k.a. ‘Carrion House’ currently lives and works in the South of England. Having recently graduated from the University of Portsmouth with a first class degree he is now a full time illustrator for just about any project that piques his interest. Despite regular forays into children’s books and fairy tales his true love lies in anything macabre, melancholy or dark in nature and essence. He believes that the job of putting someone else’s words into a visual form, to accompany and support their text, is a massive responsibility as well as being something he truly treasures. You can visit his web site at www.carrionhouse.com.