What am I doing here? thought Monica Carson, as she and several dozen other parents sat inside the empty field. She looked at her invitation, cut from purple construction paper, and re-read the message:

ATTENTION ALL PARENTS! COME TO MCPHERSON ELEMENTARY’S SPORTS FIELD AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT FOR A SUUPPEERRR-DEEE-DDUUUPPERR SURPRISE! SINCERELY, DR. YENRAB.

Monica saw Mr. and Mrs. Keaton, whom she had often sat with in on PTA meetings since enrolling her son, Bobby, to McPherson Elementary. She approached them and held up the spritely decorated piece of paper. “Do either one of you know what’s going on here at least?”

Keith Keaton shook his head. “Haven’t the slightest,” he grumbled. “I hope what ever it is, that it’s quick and painless. I’ve a meeting at the office tomorrow first thing.”

“I’ve never seen anything as ridiculous as this,” added Sheila Keaton, “and I’ve never even heard of this Dr. Yenrab. He must be the new school district psychologist or something.”

A parent, who had climbed to the top of the monkey bars, shouted and pointed to one of the far, unlit corners of the field. “I see something! Over there!”

The assembled parents all turned and looked. For a few moments, they saw nothing but darkness surrounding the fringes of the playing field. Then, as their eyes became accustomed to the dim lighting, they saw shapes. Small, humanoid shapes.

Monica became worried. Something wasn’t right here. She looked about all around the edges of the field and realized that the approaching shapes were coming from all sides, converging. The shapes themselves were walking in a stilted manner, their legs and arms straight in front of them, and then she and the group heard the singing.....

I love you, you love me....

“That song, Keith,” said Sheila, clutching tightly to his arm, “I’ve heard that....it’s familiar.”

...we’re a happy family.....

“Oh my God,” said a woman, dropping her purse upon the ground, “it’s Angie! What’s she doing out here in the middle of the night?”

....with a great big kiss and hug from me to you.....

The parents reeled back in horror. The encroaching army of singing zombies were their very own children. The dead-eyed smiles the youths wore betrayed an influence of supreme evil and dominance, to which there was no escape.

“Sheila, let’s run for it!” shrieked Keith, bolting towards the nearest fence.

....won’t you say you love me too?.....

Monica screamed as the Keatons broke from the group, and dashed away towards one of the chain-link fences bordering the field. Seemingly out of thin air, a group of grinning children emerged from the shadows and fell upon the hapless couple, many carrying common household utensils and tools. A stocky young boy with thick glasses lunged at Sheila, a power-drill in his hands, while a pair of twin girls, each holding a pair of garden shears, tackled Keith. Before the parents could regain their footing, the entire horde of children took to their devices and swarmed over them. The cries of pain and terror sent shockwaves of fear among the remaining adults.

“Oh dear God in Heaven!” gasped Monica, turning away from the horrible carnage, “Please don’t let them kill us, please, please, please!”

Suddenly the cries of the Keatons stopped. With calculated calmness and abandon, the attackers removed themselves from the bloody corpses and moved in with the rest of the children. The singing resumed.

I love you, you love me.....

The parents only numbered ten to what must have been close to one hundred children. Some climbed to the top of the playground equipment, while others tried to break through the line that was steadily closing in, cutting them off from escape. Monica fumbled through her satchel and found her mace. Removing one of her high-heeled shoes, she began cautiously weaving her way towards the singing, soulless children, ready to spray and slash her way through if necessary. Glancing back at the playground equipment, she saw children clutching and pulling at the surrounded adults and hearing more cries and shrieks.

...we’re a happy family....

Monica’s heart beat with the ferocity of a jackhammer, her eyes darting wildly from side to side as she tried to spot an opening. And as if in God’s merciful willing, there was an opening, one that she could race through and find safety. She began racing towards this opening when she suddenly became aware of a small and familiar presence approaching her slowly from the darkness.

“Bobby?”

.....with a great big kiss and hug, from me to you.....

Monica was quick to recognize her son, and forgetting the death and carnage happening about her, dropped her shoe and mace and ran to her boy.

“Oh Bobby, Bobby!”, she yelled, clutching her arms tightly around her child, “what is going on here? Why aren’t you in your bed where you----”

A clicking noise followed by a loud popping sound cut her off. A faint warmth that began filling her blouse front began to seep down her stomach and across her thighs. The acrid odor of smoke filled her nostrils and instantly she began to feel weaker. Smaller. Light as the air.

...won’t you say you love me too?

Monica Carson released her son and fell back upon the wet grass of the field. The object the boy held was her husband’s gun. She looked down her blouse and saw a dark reddish stain spreading across the brilliant white field of her blouse, and dampening the tweed skirt she wore. Seconds later, as she saw the blood rushing down to her knees, she felt the air grow cold and turned to her son, who looked at her blankly with steely blue eyes.

“You lied to me, Mommy. You said you and Daddy loved me. But I talked to Barney and he told me the truth. How I was stolen from him as a baby, and how you meant to hurt me and keep me from His love. But the truth has awakened us all, and now you must die. Liar.”

The dying mother could only stare at her child incredulously as he raised the gun directly at her forehead. The last thing she saw before the explosion of fire shattered her skull was the faded, smiling face of a portly purple dinosaur on her son’s pajamas. The next moment her body fell back against the wet and bloody earth, reeling from the blast.

Click here for Chapter One of "The reX-Files".