OKAY SO HEAR ME OUT - i LOVE the concept of a monster who's only intention is to get rid of those undeserving of what they have - like they watch for months prior studying every mannerism of someone, and their *sole* purpose is to mimic them, but...better. making awful people turn into better friends, better partners, better family. And the best part? nobody ever catches on. They just assume the person decided to change for the better. Sure, they'll have the occasional nightmare about their partner being a monster, but that's silly! Monsters aren't real.
okay onto the actual writing part.
One day, you're going through a rough patch with your partner, the next they're..perfect. Any issues you had prior were fixed, and months go by with you feeling like you won the relationship lottery - just to wake up at three in the morning, your partner sitting on the edge of the bed facing away from you. It looks like them, but...something is off. They're humming, but it isn't their voice. It's deeper, the kind of tone that would send a shiver down your spine. Your breath hitches, and notice their form stiffen - straightening up before their head slowly turns to look back at you. "Is something the matter, sweetheart? did you have a bad dream?" they ask, their voice back to being the sickly sweet tone that it usually was, and not the deep, bone-chilling croak that escaped their throat just moments prior.
"What..are you? you're..you're not human," you whisper, your voice shaky and uneven. "Oh, love...of course i'm not. You weren't being loved properly, I stepped in to fix that." they reply, an eerie sense of comfort following. "Where..are they? I want them back." you say, your voice barely above a whisper as you search their eyes for an answer. For any hints in their expression as to where your partner was. "Ah, I always hate to break the news...he isn't coming back. He can't. I do apologize for having to...remove him from the equation, but it's the only way to ensure everything goes smoothly," they inform you, the words feeling almost impossible to hear. "Don't worry, you won't remember this when you wake up." they finish, offering a comforting smile that no longer feels genuine.
Before you could respond, however, your eyes shoot open as you lurch up into a sitting position, breathing heavily. Your partner is laying in bed beside you, propped up against their pillows. Your eyes take in the sight before you. Your partner's bedside lamp is on, a dim glow casting over their face as you notice a book in their hands - a horror novel, one they'd read countless times before and could probably recite every line written on the well-loved pages. The alarm clock on their nightstand displays the time; 3:33 AM. "What's wrong, love? looks like you've seen a ghost," They ask, looking at you. You try to explain, but you can't. You can't remember what you dreamed of, just that it scared you.
"Just..a bad dream." you mumble quietly, scooting closer and laying your head on their shoulder. "I'm sorry darling, just know i'm right here." they murmur, an uncomfortable sense of dread washing over you. you swallow, nodding as your eyes flutter shut, a soothing hum escaping their throat, helping you drift back to sleep. The only thing you couldn't hear, was your partner - your REAL partner's desperate voice. "That isn't me! You have to have realized that isn't me-!" they cry, but their words fall upon deaf ears. you can't hear them, only the creature wearing their skin can hear their desperate words. And they weren't going to respond. You deserved better, and so they stepped in. Gave you the love you craved and deserved.
this concept is SO fun for me, i love it so unbelievably much. hopefully this concept intrigues others as well.