Don’t Tell Him Your Name – Part Four

Charlie. It’s me. It’s Mum. I know you don’t recognise me, I know you’re confused.

No! Don’t walk away. Just listen, please!

Something is coming. You won’t remember this conversation until it’s too late.

Oh God. I’m so confused. Your Dad was so much better at explaining this than me.

The man. The man with a million faces. I can’t stop seeing him, Charlie. His face is everywhere, changing all the time, and that damn tune he whistles again and again. Do you hear it? It feels familiar but you can’t remember why. That’s when you know he’s close.

I’ve started to see him in my dreams, that’s when I realised that I’d done it. It was over. I didn’t even remember giving him my name. I tried to remember when I saw him, I got a strange feeling, you know, deep down. I knew there was something I had to remember, something on the paper, but I dropped it.

I was upset but I couldn’t remember why, and as he put his arms around me, I dropped it.

Oh God. I dropped the paper. He looked so much like your Dad. You don’t understand. He’d already taken your Dad’s face, and he looked at me, ready to take mine too.

I couldn’t help it.

I started to have the dreams. You’ll have them too if you don’t listen. It’s all my fault.

I’m so sorry. I should have found you sooner. I’ve only got one day left. I started having the dreams days ago. I was so scared. Oh God, I’ve been so scared and your Dad is gone. I know you’ve seen him. I know you think it’s him, but he’s gone. My Jeremy is gone and now I don’t know if I can save you.

He’ll look like me. The man. The man with a million faces. He’ll ask you for your name, but if you give it to him, it’s over.

Whatever you do, don’t tell him your name.