Run

"Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say." Russell said teasing his little sister Molly.

"That isn't true Russell! Mom! Russell is trying to scare me again!" Molly whined as she clutched her teddy bear tighter to her chest.

"That is enough from the both of you!" Molly and Russell's mother called from the kitchen. "It's time for dinner, Molly can you go get Daddy for dinner please?"

"Yes momma." Molly waddled into her father's study as she could hear her mother berating her older brother for teasing her. As Molly made her way into her father's study she saw that her father was asleep in his chair. Molly quietly tiptoed to her father and began to gently wake him up. "Daddy, it's time for dinner." She whispered. He did not stir. Molly tried again more forceful this time. "Daddy it's dinner time!" No response. "Momma, Daddy won't wake up!"

Buzz Buzz Buzz Buzz Buzz

Molly looked at the clock. It was seven in the morning. She looked at her phone. Her mother was calling her again. Molly didn't understand how she kept getting her phone into the psych ward. The nurses were crystal clear that there was no cell phones allowed in the psych ward at any time. Especially in the rooms. Molly didn't want to answer the phone call, but knew if she didn't her mother would not relent.

"Hello?" Molly said sleepily.

"Molly! Molly, Molly they're going to sell my organs MOLLY!" Molly's mother was whispering frantically. Molly was used to these kind of outbursts and paranoid ramblings by now. Ever since her father died of a massive heart attack, Molly's mother's mental health spiraled to unfathomable depths. At the lowest part of the spiral, both Russell and Molly were taken to live with their grandparents while Molly's mother was institutionalized.

"No, mom they are not going to sell your organs. Is your nurse there? Where is Lucinda?" Molly asked gently.

"She's one of them Molly! Lucinda was talking about selling my organs while I sleep! They keep giving me these pills to make me sleep, but I never take them. I never sleep." There was a sadness in her panicked tone.

"Okay mom, okay I will be down there in fifteen minutes. Can you hold on for fifteen minutes?" Molly was not planning on going to the hospital today. There was a pause.

"Yes I can wait for fifteen minutes. Goodbye Molly." Click. There was silence on the other side of the phone. Molly groaned. After a few moments she decided to get out of bed and make her way to the hospital.

When Molly arrived she saw her brother Russell already standing outside with his arms crossed in his doctor's coat. Molly rolled her eyes, not anticipating the lecture Russell had instore for her. Molly parked her car and began toward her brother.

"Morning Bro." Molly was able to manage. Russell looked haggard. His shaggy red hair looked extra disheveled this morning. The circles around his blue eyes made them look icy. Russell's face was void of all color making him look like a living ghost. If Molly wasn't mistaken there was also blood around his thick neck.

"Why are you here?" Russell barked at Molly.

"Mom called me again." Molly was tired of having to explain to her brother why she was at the hospital.

"Mom isn't allowed to have a phone in her room, how did she call you again? I swear Molly if you are giving mom her phone every time you visit her I am going to ban you from the hospital entirely!" Russell emphasized every word with a hand gesture.

"Do you think I want to be here at seven in the morning!?" The accusation hurt Molly on an emotional level.

"Yeah actually! I think you're an attention seeking instigator, and you want everyone to fall for your 'oh whoa is me charade' so people feel sorry for you! You did the same thing when dad died!" Even Russell was surprised at the venom he was spewing at Molly. Molly was flabbergasted with what Russell was saying. She stood there with her mouth slightly ajar unable to respond. Then, the silence and the tension was broken by a frantic nurse that came running out of the hospital building.

"Dr. Gregory it's your mother!" Russell didn't hesitate. He ran back into the building with Molly close behind. The nurse, Russell, and Molly went running through the hospital straight to the psych ward. As the trio got closer, Russell and Molly could hear their mother screaming obscenities to whoever was unlucky enough to witness them. Russell shot an accusatory look at Molly while they were mid sprint. Finally they reached their mother's room.

"Molly! Molly! Thank goodness you're here! These people are impostors!" Molly's heart broke as she witnessed her mother holding her I.V stand like a weapon.

"Mom please you are safe!" Russell pleaded with his mother. "Everyone out!" He barked orders at the nurses attempting to assist his mother. The nurses all left the room leaving only Russell and Molly to deal with their mother. "It's okay it's just us mom. Put the I.V down and talk to us." Russell continued.

"Hey mom it's me Molly. I finally made it." Molly attempted to soothe her mother's temper.

"Molly, baby come with me, they're all aliens! They aren't real doctors!" At this point Russell was able to sneak a syringe of some kind of sedative into his coat pocket. "They want to take my organs Molly!"

"Momma, look its me Russell. I am right here mom. Put the I.V stand down and sit with me and Molly." Russell softly trying to coax his mother into being more submissive for both he and Molly.

"You're not my son! You're one of those aliens that want my organs!" Molly seeing the hurt in her brother's face took over the negotiations.

"Momma look its me and Russell. We just wanted to come see you. Can you get into the bed for us. We just wanted to visit with you." Molly put as much gentleness into her voice as she could muster. Their mother blinked a few times as if coming out of a trance. She looked at the I.V stand in her hands and proceeded to throw it away from her. It made a loud metallic bang when it hit the wall. Molly continued, "Momma? It's okay momma come and sit with me." Molly beckoned for her mother to come and sit with her on the medical bed.

"I am so confused." Molly grabbed onto her mother's forearm and proceeded to lead her to the bed. "Russell? is that you?" Russell seemed to perk up when his mother acknowledged his presence.

"Yes momma I'm right here." Russell grabbed onto his mother's other arm and supported her back to her bed.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's okay momma, we're here. What happened?" Russell asked. They both were able to get their mother into bed. Russell, having the medical knowledge, reassembled her I.V stand and quickly put it back into his mother.

"I just get so confused sometimes. Can you tell your father I am going to be late getting home? He may need to make his own dinner tonight." Both Russell and Molly looked at each other. Neither one of them had the heart to tell their mother the truth.

"Okay mom, I can do that." Russell gave Molly a knowing look. Once their mother was securely back in her bed, both Molly and Russell let out a sigh of relief. "Momma can I ask you a question?" Russell spoke softly and slowly.

"Of course son, you can ask me anything."

"Where is your phone at?" He paused when his mother gave him a suspicious look. "I only ask because my phone died and I was going to tell dad that he needed to take care of his own dinner tonight."

"Why can't you use Molly's?" It seemed like their mother was going to lash out again.

"I didn't pay my phone bill this month. I can't call out to people, but I can receive calls." Molly lied. Russell nodded in agreement. Their mother looked at the both of them with suspicion but eventually relented. The phone was stashed in between the couch cushions. It seemed that their mother tore a hole in the fabric of the cushion and placed her cell phone within it. Once the phone was safely in his hands, Russell absentmindedly placed it in his pocket. Their mother's face twisted into a soured expression. Molly noticed this, and abruptly interjected.

"Ahem Russell? You should call dad now, before it gets too late." Molly was trying to gently coax Russell into leaving the room to make his imaginary phone call. Russell understood the thought behind this gesture but hesitated before walking out of the door. Once the door shut completely, Molly's mother grabbed her arm tightly and with urgency.

"Molly you can't trust them!" Molly tried to pull away, but her mother had an incredibly strong grip on her. "Stop squirming and listen!" Molly complied with her mother's order.

"Mom you're scaring me!" Molly was careful as to not raise her voice lest Russell hear and escalate the situation.

"Molly listen to me. Every time I take their pills and fall asleep, I see them!" Molly could see the terror in her mother's eyes. "I see them for who they are! They aren't from this planet and you can't trust them!"

"Why can't I trust them?" The worry in Molly's voice was hard to conceal.

"Because Molly, I was told that they are not to be trusted. Your brother as well cannot be trusted. He isn't one of them but he has been hypnotized by them."

"Mom, I don't understand." This was true Molly was perfectly confused. Just then Russell stormed back into the room.

"I just got off the phone with dad, and he said that he has dinner handled." Russell shot a poisonous glance at Molly. "How are you doing momma? Do you feel any better?" Russell asked.

"I am just a little tired Rus." This was true.

"Here mom I'll give you something to sleep." Russell proceeded to inject his mother's I.V bag with the sedative in the syringe he had pocketed earlier. As Russell did that his mother turned her head back to Molly and mouthed something that was indistinguishable to Molly. Russell, however saw that gesture and hurriedly tried to regain his mother's attention. "Just relax momma, you're safe here with me." Russell stroked his mother's head as she closed her eyes and finally drifted to sleep.

"I think you need to rethink mom's medicinal cocktail that you've been giving her." Said Molly. "She said that whatever pills the nurses have been giving her, give her nightmares about aliens taking her organs. That's why she doesn't sleep anymore."

"I will look into it." Russell said as he ran his fingers through his curly hair. "What was mom trying to tell you just now?" He stared coldly at his younger sister. Molly honestly didn't know.

"I don't know Russ. Truly." Molly looked up into her brother cold blue eyes. Russell let out a sigh of frustration.

"I think its time for you to go." Russell started for the door of his mother's hospital room.

"Can't I just stay for a little while longer, just incase mom starts to stir?" Molly asked genuinely concerned for her mother. Russell was about to object when his pager started to go off.

"You can stay for twenty more minutes." He turned and left the room without another word. Molly was grateful for finally having the room to herself. She flopped on the couch with the hole in the cushion in exhaustion. When she flopped however she heard a crunching noise within the cushion.

Molly proceeded to get off the couch and search the cushions for the mysterious sound. As Molly dug into the cushion, she could feel pieces of paper. Molly pulled the pieces out of the cushion and discovered her mother had recorded many of her dreams and ramblings.