"First And Last" — Colleen McKay
We were just sixteen…
You saw me… and I saw you…
The way you looked at me—
I couldn't look away…
That kinda way…
Ooh that kinda way…
The music settled into the room like oil on water, spreading slowly until every surface was coated. Colleen's voice didn't just fill the space—it seeped into the cracks, finding the hollow parts of people and settling there.
Zack and Paisley.
High school sweethearts.
Now twenty-one.
Sitting side by side at the bar, shoulders brushing, hands finding each other without thinking… talking about a future that already felt decided.
Engagement.
Paisley smiled, resting her hand over his.
"I don't want a rock… you know I'm not into material things. But a band—with our names and the date… something we can look back on years from now."
She let out a soft laugh.
"Just like when you asked me out in ninth grade."
Zack's hazel eyes glistened in the dimly lit lounge…
Paisley could only see them—lit up in the dark.
They had been together long enough that the beginning of it felt distant… almost softened with time. What started in ninth grade had carried them through everything that followed—classes, summers, small arguments that never lasted, and moments that quietly meant more than they ever said out loud. Being together had never felt complicated. It was easy. Familiar. The kind of love that didn't need to be questioned… because it had always just worked.
And ninth grade was where it all began.
Biology class.
Zack Robertson sat right behind Paisley Marie Taylor…
Where he could stare at her long, cinnamon-colored hair all throughout class.
And she noticed him too…
Every time she turned around to pass back whatever the teacher handed out,
Paisley caught glimpses of Zack's jet black hair…
and those sharp hazel eyes.
Every day.
Last period.
Then came the glances in the hallway.
"Just say hi to her already," one of Zack's friends would urge.
One "Hi"…
another "Hi" back.
"Mrs. Travis' class is dreadfully boring. I mean, who's going to remember all this useless biology crap anyway? We aren't even learning anything… she just rambles on and on," Zack said, trying to make conversation.
Paisley laughed.
Soft.
Giggly.
Contagious.
And the look that followed—
shy…
almost embarrassed by her own laughter.
But to Zack, it was the most adorable sound he had ever heard.
And in that moment…
even at fourteen…
he just knew.
Zack and Paisley…
Ninth grade—the golden year.
A year of unexpected surprises… like the two of them going steady.
Their worlds blended easily—his friends, her friends—until it all became one circle. Some of their single friends would groan, turning away in mock embarrassment whenever Zack pulled Paisley in a little too close.
"Get a room, you two!"
Laughter followed… but there was always something underneath it.
One girl who had liked Zack quietly let it go.
She saw how happy he was… and Paisley was too sweet to resent.
Every year…
their relationship deepened.
Much to the envy of friends who were still alone…
and couples who couldn't quite make it work.
After they graduated high school…
Zack knew.
College wouldn't change anything.
If anything—
it would be the beginning of the rest of their lives.
He had already decided…
he was going to propose.
Now both twenty-one…
Too young?
Maybe.
But love doesn't pick an age, does it?
When it feels right… it feels right.
And everything about that night at the Gray Cat Lounge felt right.
The dim lighting…
the quiet hum of couples and friends gathered at tables and along the bar…
and Colleen McKay's melodious voice drifting through the room—
coating over something deeper than sound.
Zack looked sharp.
Paisley…
stunning in her black floral dress.
He didn't need to rehearse what he was about to do.
Paisley already knew—
it was only a matter of when.
Zack took her hand.
"Paisley Marie Taylor… please say yes."
She laughed—
bright, full, impossible to hold in.
"It's about damn time you asked me."
That laugh…
the one that came straight from her heart—
was the one Zack believed he would hear
for the rest of his life.
A few nights later…
they returned to the Gray Cat Lounge.
This time, with friends.
The table filled quickly—laughter, overlapping conversations, drinks resting between stories. Lydia sat beside Paisley, smiling along, though quieter than usual.
When Colleen took the stage, the room fell into its usual hush.
"My Husband… My Best Friend."
No one thought much of it.
It was just a song.
I wear your token on my arm and in my heart…
I know your secrets and you know mine…
Nobody knows our inside jokes…
They stay inside our unified soul…
One soul…
One soul…
One soul…
Paisley smiled faintly, her hand resting in Zack's.
"It's actually really sweet," she whispered.
Zack nodded.
"Yeah… it is."
Halfway through the song…
Lydia stood up.
No excuse.
No goodbye.
She just… left.
Paisley frowned, watching her disappear toward the door.
"That was weird," she said softly.
Zack shrugged.
"She's probably just in a mood… you know how she gets."
Someone else at the table laughed.
"Yeah… probably sick of being the only single one here."
The moment passed.
Or at least…
they let it.
Later that night…
Paisley called her.
It rang once…
then went straight to voicemail.
She tried again.
Blocked.
A quiet unease settled in her chest as she opened her phone.
Lydia's social media..
gone.
No messages.
No profile.
No explanation.
Lydia was still single…
that much was true.
And maybe…
just maybe…
watching Zack and Paisley—
the proposal, the way they looked at each other, the way everything seemed to fall into place so easily—
had stirred something in her.
Jealousy wasn't impossible.
But to leave like that…
and then cut her off completely?
No call.
No message.
No explanation.
Paisley stared at her phone a moment longer than she meant to.
"Maybe she just needs space," Zack said gently.
Paisley nodded…
but something about it didn't feel like space.
It felt…
final.
Lydia had admitted it before…
on more than one occasion.
She envied Paisley's life.
But it never felt like anything more than that—
harmless… at least, that's what Paisley believed.
Lydia was a cute girl… just shy.
All throughout high school, she never had a boyfriend.
And in college…
she just didn't seem to know where to begin.
Paisley never pushed her to be anything she wasn't.
"Just be yourself, Lydia," she would always say.
"I'm just too shy sometimes though… I literally am bad at talking to guys," Lydia would admit.
Paisley smiled.
"Guess what, Lyd… being shy just means you're a good girl. And the right guy will love you exactly like that."
Lydia looked at her, uncertain.
"You sure about that, Pais?"
Paisley didn't hesitate.
"Positive. I know this because you're my best friend."
My best friend…
But now… out of nowhere…
Lydia was gone.
Not distant.
Not avoiding.
Gone.
"This is… weird," Paisley whispered, staring down at her phone.
"There's no way of knowing what's going through her mind, babe," Zack said gently, brushing his fingers through her long cinnamon hair.
A pause.
"Maybe try calling her parents?"
Paisley did just that.
The line rang once…
then a voice.
"The number you are trying to call has been disconnected."
Paisley pulled the phone away slowly.
"What?"
Zack frowned.
"That doesn't make sense…"
"Would it make you feel better if we drove to her apartment?" he asked, a quiet concern settling into his tone.
Paisley nodded.
They drove.
The streets felt quieter than usual.
They stood outside Lydia's door.
Paisley knocked.
"Lyd… it's us… please open the door."
The door shifted inward.
Unlocked.
Paisley hesitated… then pushed it open.
Empty.
Lydia's things—
gone.
No clothes.
No bags.
No trace that she had ever been there.
Paisley stepped inside slowly.
"This… isn't right."
Zack said nothing.
He didn't need to.
This didn't feel like a coincidence anymore.
Two weeks.
That was all that stood between now… and their engagement party at the Gray Cat Lounge.
Lydia was supposed to be her maid of honor.
And now…
she was gone.
That night, Zack stayed with Paisley.
He held her while she tried to make sense of something that didn't make sense.
He was the only thing that still did.
The following night…
they went back.
The Gray Cat Lounge felt the same.
Looked the same.
Sounded the same.
Like nothing had changed.
Colleen stepped onto the stage.
"I Am Sure."
Zack and Paisley sat close, drinks in hand, plates barely touched.
Trying not to think about Lydia.
Trying to let the night feel normal again.
Colleen's voice rose…
clear.
certain.
I never had any doubt…
That you'd be the one…
Who would stay by my side…
Side by side…
Attached to the hip…
Attached like matching tattoos…
No doubt my love…
No doubt…
No doubt…
The crowd rose into applause.
Colleen smiled.
"Thank you so much."
Zack and Paisley stood to leave.
Two weeks.
That's all that was left until their engagement party—
right here.
Their place.
Drinks.
Good food.
Good music.
Paisley would have to make do without Lydia.
For now.
There was still time.
There had to be.
The drive home was quiet.
Zack didn't speak.
Paisley reached for the music…
pressed play.
Zack turned it off.
Abruptly.
The silence that followed felt louder than the music.
"What's the matter?" Paisley asked, her voice soft with concern.
Zack exhaled.
"I'm sorry, babe… it's just been a long week. I'm just not in the mood."
Silence again.
They pulled up to her house.
Paisley turned toward him.
"Stay the night… please."
Zack didn't answer right away.
He looked out the window…
like something had caught his attention in the distance.
Paisley's chest tightened.
He wasn't having second thoughts…
was he?
"I love you," she whispered, placing her hand gently on his shoulder.
Zack didn't react at first.
Like he hadn't heard her.
Then slowly…
he turned back.
A small smile.
"I love you too."
A pause.
"I gotta go."
Paisley blinked.
Confused.
Zack leaned in, kissed her lightly…
then pulled away.
"Go get some sleep, babe. I'll call you later."
He started the car.
And drove off.
Paisley stood there…
watching the taillights disappear.
First Lydia.
Now Zack.
Had she done something wrong?
Was she overthinking it?
Should she call him?
Or just… sleep on it?
That night…
Paisley couldn't sleep.
She picked up her phone.
Called him.
"Hi, you've reached Zack. Say what you gotta say."
She didn't leave a message.
Maybe he was just tired.
Overwhelmed.
Paisley lay down…
staring into the dark.
Eventually…
she fell asleep.
The following morning…
Paisley's phone rang.
Zack.
"Hiya, babe… I missed you."
Relief washed over her—
quick, sudden—
but it didn't quite settle.
Confusion lingered just beneath it.
"Come over," she said softly.
He did.
But there was no apology.
No acknowledgment of the night before.
Paisley watched him for a moment…
waiting.
Nothing.
Her chest tightened.
She hadn't slept.
Not really.
And now…
it was as if nothing had happened at all.
"Apologize?" Zack said, brows furrowing. "For what?"
Paisley's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You've never acted like that with me. We always communicate—even when we argue. Last night… you barely even kissed me goodnight."
A pause.
"You had to know how that made me feel."
Zack rolled his eyes.
"Babe… I'm allowed to feel overwhelmed. Do I seriously need your permission?"
Paisley turned her head slightly.
"Overwhelmed about our engagement?"
Zack's expression hardened.
He looked away sharply—then back again, his voice rising.
"Now you're putting words in my mouth! Honestly, Pais… you read too much into the smallest things and it's fucking aggravating!"
Paisley flinched.
They had argued before—
like any couple.
But it was never like this.
Their arguments had always been…
open.
honest.
Something they worked through—
not something that turned on them.
And they never went to sleep like that.
Never.
But now…
Zack felt different.
Sharper.
Distant in a way she couldn't place.
He didn't drink.
Didn't take anything.
There was nothing obvious to explain it.
And somehow…
that made it worse.
Paisley looked at him…
searching for something familiar—
and not quite finding it.
Paisley's eyes began to water.
"Are we still going to Gray Cat's tonight?"
Her voice trembled.
Zack's expression softened—
like he hadn't meant to sound the way he did.
"Of course, babe…"
He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her.
But something about it…
felt off.
His embrace had never felt like that before.
It had always been the one place she didn't question.
They kissed.
Brief.
Familiar…
but not quite.
Then Zack left.
Paisley stood there for a moment…
before turning and heading inside.
She ran a hot bath.
Poured herself a glass of wine.
Put her playlist back on.
Colleen McKay.
"I Know It's Going To Be Okay"
We have gone to hell and back for each other…
And somehow you still come back home to me…
I promise I will keep coming back home to you…
Keep coming back home…
Keep coming back home…
Keep coming back home…
The sound shifted.
Keep chfujti… shfjidkin…
Paisley frowned, glancing toward her phone.
The Wi-Fi signal dropped.
The song froze.
"Of course…" she muttered under her breath.
She turned the phone off.
Took a sip of her wine.
Let herself sink deeper into the bath.
A crackle.
Then—
her phone rang.
Paisley turned her head slowly.
The screen lit up.
No name.
"That's weird…"
She picked it up.
"Hello?"
Silence.
The Wi-Fi flickered back.
The music resumed.
I will always keep coming back home to you…
I promise…
This is my vow to you and only you…
You and only you…
You and only you…
The sound distorted again.
Yjjhg… ai… ohh… uuhfn…
Paisley scoffed, setting the phone down.
"Damn phone."
She finished her bath.
Got dressed.
Her phone buzzed.
A text.
From Lydia.
Paisley's breath caught.
So she finally unblocked me…
She opened the message.
RUN..
Paisley froze.
Her eyes widened slowly.
Just one word.
That was all.
But it was enough to send a chill down her spine that had nothing to do with the room temperature.
What the hell was going on?
Lydia hadn't spoken to her in weeks.
Had disappeared without a trace.
And now…
this?
Should I tell Zack this? Especially now? I just can't shake this feeling off like I am the cause of something I don't know.
Paisley decided she didn't want to go to the Gray Cat Lounge tonight anymore. Something in her stomach turned horribly, causing her to vomit all the wine she drank. Not that wine ever made her nauseous but this moment something else took over Paisley and she actually began to wonder if she was starting to lose it.
Or if maybe something else was making her lose it.
Zack stayed the night again with Paisley. She didn't tell him about Lydia's text as yet. She was still trying to make sense of it because nothing made sense anymore. Especially the awkwardness with Zack.
Zack's arms around Paisley felt like sharp tree branches. Not smooth, soft and tender. But sharp and cutting. As if it wasn't his own.
Was it?
That night as Paisley slept…
She dreamt she was at Gray Cat Lounge.
Sitting in the dimly lit lounge.
The only patron there.
Zack wasn't there.
Neither were their friends.
Just Paisley.
Sitting in the center looking right at Colleen McKay.
A low dreary rhythm emitted from the sound system as Colleen began to sing.
The rhythm wasn't Colleen's typical style.
Her long beautiful blonde hair resembled whisps. The same whisps that untreated dead ends give. Her hair wasn't beautiful anymore.
Her blue eyes darkened around the rims of the iris.
Her youthful face started showing deep lines in her skin where her beautiful smile once was.
"First And Last".
"We were only sixteen".
"Wrnd fhfu gagjs furj".
The garbled sound.
On a live mic???
Colleen's lips were moving mouthing the lyrics but the lyrics were not emitting from her voice.
Something else was.
"Paisley...help me... please help me..."
Oh my God, that was Lydia's voice!
"They're ours.. they are ours..they are ours."
"Paisley please help me!".
"I'm taking you to hell.. im taking you to hell..".
Colleen was singing backwards revealing garbled dark hidden messages.
The doors around the lounge locked.
Paisley couldn't turn around, only look to the side. The bartender's head was down on the table, in a pool of blood.
Paisley woke up screaming...
Zack didn't hear her. He was fast asleep like a baby. Paisley shook him frantically.
"Zack! Wake up!".
He jolted immediately out of bed.
"What the fuck babe?!".
"Its Lydia.. the song has got her. Colleen has her and she is coming for you too! It's in her songs, she put a hex on them!".
But Zack laughed—a cold, hollow sound.
"You're losing it, Pais. Maybe the stress is getting to you."
Paisley handed Zack her phone.
"Look. Lydia texted me. But it wasn't like her at all. And then this nightmare".
Zack sighed irately.
He glanced down at the phone and scrolled to Lydia's texts.
"Oh wow", he said quietly.
"You see, that isn't like Lydia", Paisley spoke with a slight calm in her voice now that Zack was seeing what she meant.
"Yeah you are right Pais. This isn't like Lyd."
He read Lydia's last text out loud to Paisley.
"Hey bestie, I got my pedicure appointment tomorrow. Wanna get one with me?".
Paisley looked confused.
"Are you sure you are on the recent text, that came yesterday evening?".
Zack, rolled his eyes vigorously and let out another irate sigh.
"Pais, I know how to read a damn text. Look!".
Paisley took her phone back.
The text was gone.
So was Paisleys sense of sanity.
"So which is it Pais?", Zack asked venomously.
Paisley was taken back by his tone.
"What?".
Zack didn't soften.
"You heard me. Which is it? Lydia can't visit her family in the Carolinas, so because she wasn't home, something bad happened? I have to ask your permission to breathe. And you get so worked up over little things, you don't realize you give yourself nightmares. I mean you are betting 1000 here. You've been really pissing me off as of late."
Paisleys gaze lowered.
She didn't even respond to that attack.
Because this wasn't her fiance.
Those weren't his words.
She looked around and locked in her gaze to the bathroom door where she got Lydia's chilling text before vomiting the strangeness of the air.
This wasn't cold feet.
Cold feet doesn't rewrite text messages or turn your fiancé's arms into branches.
Cold feet doesn't bleed into your dreams with the sound of a dying woman's voice.
Something else was rewriting their fate.
Colleen McKay.
And Paisley felt powerless to fight it.
So while Paisley declined a night out with her fiance at their favorite spot...
The Gray Cat Lounge came to her.
The Engagement party wasn't far either...
Another feeling of dread washed over her, cold and thick as oil. The room seemed to dim, the air growing heavy as Zack continued to stare vacantly.
Paisley wasn't sure she ever wanted to go back to the Gray Cat Lounge again.
She didn't want to see Colleen McKay ever again.
And where else could her and Zack celebrate their engagement party?
Should they even have one right now with all the tension escalating between them?
Paisley thought these things...
While Zack stared at her...
But looking at nothing.
His prior angry expression was reduced to a blank stare. The hazel light in his eyes went flat, like coins dropped in deep water. A sudden chill prickled the hairs on Paisley's arms. The temperature in the room dropped, just enough to notice.
Paisley literally felt scared for her life.
Because now...
She didn't want to be engaged to her Zachary Michael Robertson anymore.
Zack's expression shifted.
He blinked.
And walked over to Paisley wrapping his arms around her again, as though he too was unaware of the changes taking place within him. For a split second, she thought she saw a flicker of something—confusion? fear?—in his eyes before it was gone.
His embrace felt warm all over again.
How could feelings change just like that?
Most importantly...
How did Zack know when to turn?
I wasn't getting cold feet, Paisley thought. I felt afraid. Very, very afraid. Of him. Of whatever this was...
Zack knew I wanted out at this particular moment.
Did he read me?
Did he somehow know what I was thinking?
Did Colleen McKay tell him?
Anything was possible.
But still...
Nothing made any sense.
Zack's arms tightened around her, his embrace now feeling protective. As Zack's touch and warm embrace came back even momentarily, it felt good again. Paisley began to sob.
"Shh shhh, it's ok my babe, don't cry.. I am here now and I promise I won't be going anywhere.." Zack whispered softly..
That night they made love then fell asleep.
Paisley was back in her dream again at the Gray Cat Lounge.
The Gray Tabby Cat statue's eyes were glowing green.
The lounge was all lit up not dim.
Not dark for once.
This time, Zack was there with her. So was Lydia. So were all their friends.
There wasn't a performance from Colleen McKay but she was there. She was at the bar talking and laughing with patrons who enjoyed her music.
The atmosphere and ambience was vibrant.
Happy.
Nothing could possibly go wrong.
Paisley woke up.
No nightmare.
But a happy normal dream in a place that was practically a second home to them.
Zack was up before Paisley. He made his wife to be breakfast in bed.
The scent of coffee and fresh waffles filled the room, warm and inviting. Zack balanced the tray carefully, a genuine smile on his face—the kind of smile Paisley hadn't seen in weeks.
"Morning, beautiful," he said, setting the tray across her lap.
Paisley looked at the breakfast, then at Zack, searching his face for any sign of the coldness from yesterday. There was none. His hazel eyes were clear, warm, and filled with love. The switch had been flipped again, without explanation or apology. He was simply… him.
"This is... amazing," she said, her voice still thick with sleep. "Thank you."
Zack sat on the edge of the bed, taking her hand. "Anything for you."
Paisley's heart swelled. Maybe it really was just stress. Maybe everything was going to be okay after all. The dream had been right. The Gray Cat Lounge wasn't a place of horror; it was their place, and it could be happy again. They could be happy again.
As she ate, Zack just watched her, his expression soft. The tension from the previous day had vanished as if it had never been there at all.
"I love you," Zack said softly, his thumb stroking her knuckles.
"I love you too," Paisley replied, and for the first time in weeks, she felt like she truly meant it, without a trace of doubt.
**The Engagement Celebration**
Zack and Paisley arrive at the Gray Cat Lounge. Zack wearing his prepped up white sweater and black pants and Paisley wearing her pink floral dress. Their parents and friends all pulled into the parking lot with gifts and envelopes in hand. The music playing in the background is old and nostalgic. Just the nice sound everyone needed. The ambience of the Gray Cat Lounge was lit up, glowing and vibrant.
Paisley was going to make it a point not to let anything or anyone ruin this perfect night where the commitment to the true love of her life was going to be on display for family and friends to see. The Gray Cat Lounge would be their pre wedding venue. She forced all negative thoughts out of her mind. It had been a strange past couple of weeks. Tonight was going to be different. Much different.
While Zack was mingling and laughing with their circle of friends, Paisley turned around and the first thing she saw was the Gray Tabby Cat statue in the corner. It's green eyes were glowing into the ambience of the place.
Paisley headed over to the bar with her girlfriends. To her astonishment she sees Lydia behind the bar serving drinks and flirting with the patrons. Paisley was not sure if it was really Lydia her best friend. Her shy best friend who didn't know how to approach men. Lydia's eyes avert to Paisley and flashed a vibrant smile that didn't quite meet her eyes. Stunned, Paisley exclaimed, "Oh my God Lydia is that you???!!! Where the hell have you been?? We were so worried about you and couldn't get a hold of you!"
Lydia laughed so nonchalantly.. "Pais all I needed was some me time. You're so dramatic, Lydia chuckled. I started my new job here at the lounge today. I want to get everyone drunk for my besties engagement party!"
Paisley was confused. This wasn't the Lydia she grew up with. This wasn't how she talked. But maybe, just maybe, her "me time" was actually transformation time. A time to muster the guts to get out of her own shell. It's a strong possibility and that provided comfort to Paisley.
"How are your parents"? Paisley asked..
"Oh they are still on their extended vacation", Lydia replied..
Colleen McKay takes the stage. The crowd applauds warmly. She dedicates a song to the happy couple. It's a new one, something Paisley hasn't heard before. The melody is beautiful, hypnotic.
"Let's give it up for the soon to be Mr. and Mrs.! Zack Robertson and Paisley Marie Taylor!
Loud applause..
Colleen began to sing .
"Letter To My Husband"
Dear Mr. Boyfriend
One class
One look
One hello
One conversation..
And the rest is history..
Dear Mr. Fiance..
It took you long enough to ask me
To be your partner for life .
To be your best friend for life..
To love, cherish and commit to..
For all the days of my life..
All the days of my life..
All the days of my life..."
Paisley downed her last drop of wine...
As Colleen sang..
She shot a direct look at Paisley, smiled, pointed and winked.
"Fjfisk"...
Garbled sounds...
On an open mic....
Paisley looked around very slowly with eyes widening..
Colleen's voice breaks like shattering glass note by note..
Her lyrics were no longer romantic...
"Ghdjj gokng hhggjxf"...
"You better run..you better run...
RUN..
Oh my God.. Lydia's text in my nightmare..
She said RUN...
RUN...
You better run. You better run.
Paisley frantically grabs Zack's arm..
"What's the matter Pais"?
"Don't you hear that?! That song! That song is playing backwards.. its playing wrong!"
Zack rolled his eyes and shot a blank look at her. The same vacant stare in her nightmare..
But was it a nightmare?
Or was Paisley seriously going insane??
Because nothing seemed real anymore..
nobody seemed real anymore..
Maybe because she isn't real..
She never was..
Were the seven years with Zack real? Or was Paisley just a prop in a dark reality she knew nothing about?
Wherever she was .
In Limbo or in Hell..
One thing was definite..
Paisley was very, very scared .
"Are you seriously doing this right now at our engagement celebration Pais? The music is fine. Colleen is fine. Now stop the bullshit and enjoy what's left of our night.."
Zack put his arms around Paisley..
But his embrace was not tender at all .
It was coercive. It was claiming...
The large titantron screen that usually airs sports and music videos, was airing a slideshow of Zack's and Paisleys relationship throughout the years.
The banter in the background sounded like a slow dreary song playing backwards..
On the big screen, Lydia's face appears but not the sexy confident woman at the bar. This was shy awkward Lydia. Whom couldn't talk to guys alone. Shadowy tendrils made of sound and melody, emerge from the speakers and wrap around her and her parents. First their bones shattered. Then their flesh ripped apart shred by shred wrapping around the tendrils.
The next slide shows Zack alone in his car the night he was first cold to Paisley. Colleen's voice is playing from the speakers. His eyes go vacant and his body and grip on the steering wheel tighten up. The same dark musical force was invading him into the same possession.
Colleen bellowed out her final tune. Her voice was not of a beautiful woman's but of a demon. Her backward singing revealed dark hidden messages of threat after threat.
Zack lets out a bloodcurdling scream as his body began to convulse and contort to misaligned proportions. The entity inside him was now fully integrated. Zack collapses onto the floor.
Their family and friends surrounding them all try to scream but their mouths became stuck open, with no sound coming out.
The Gray Tabby Cat statue's eyes burn with a steady malevolent green glowing light. Paisley lets out a scream and rushes to Zack's side. She puts her hands on his face. All of a sudden Zack's eyes snap open. They are not his hazel eyes. They are the same glowing green eyes as the statue's. Zack smiles. But it's wasn't his smile. It was Colleen's.
*********
Zack wakes up drenched in sweat. His heart pounding out of his chest. His wife, Colleen McKay Robertson caresses his arm. "Sshhh. It was only a bad dream sweetheart", she slowly and angelically whispers. Their big, chubby, beautiful, adorable gray tabby cat, Lex Luther, was rubbing up against both Zack and Colleen. Lex Luther was their feline son.
The nightmare felt so vivid and real. To shake it off, Zack and Colleen head over to the Gray Cat Lounge. Their second home.
The host took the stage..
"And now, making her debut, let's hear it for the lovely Paisley Marie Taylor!
A beautiful young girl with cinnamon colored long hair, stood on stage.. Her gaze met Zack's and Colleen's and immediately locked into them.
Paisley began her first number..
"The One That Got Away"
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