"Why So Silent?"

"Why so silent?" she asked him as she came into the room. "You're usually so talkative. Did something happen today?"

When he didn't answer, she walked over to him. She saw his tears and said, "Honey?" and then she saw the reason for his silence.

And then the shadows grabbed her. They moved her like a windup toy being set in place.

She tried to scream, but she knew it would not work. She could see her husband's face and she knew what would happen.

As the shadows closed her mouth and kept it shut, moving skin to block any sound, she knew: they didn't like noise. They liked the silence.