He was sticking another cigarette in his mouth, but he wasn’t lighting any of them. They would fall out of his gaping maw onto the ground in front of his park bench, gathering into a pile while he got more and more frustrated. Finally, I walked over to him and grabbed a cigarette for myself and stuck it in my mouth. I was just about to light it up when he said to me, “Ki, you don’t actually light the cigarette. You put the killing thing between your teeth, but you don’t give it the power to hurt you.” It was in this moment I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.

 

The next few weeks were pretty hard as we got used to my love’s preference for the darkness. I would sneak off at night to meet him at the Old Mr. Bones playground near my house. We spent hours together on the swing set, talking about our future together. He wanted to move to a local cave, while I told him I wanted to remain in the city for my career. We fought, but it was never serious enough for me to question how much he cared about me or needed me.

 

It was about to be our 6^th month anniversary and we were planning a trip to Amsterdam, Babadook’s hometown. I was just about to tell him that we had secured the boat house Airbnb when I realized how bright the house was. There weren’t any shadows anywhere, and my Baba only existed in the dark. I turned off all of the lights except for a single 10 watt light bulb that hung by a cord from our living room ceiling. Once I settled into the silence, I heard a low weeping coming from behind the TV. “Dook, what’s wrong? I asked to the darkness.”

 

“I just found out that I have cancer of the everything. I won’t last the year,” Mr. Babadook cried into my shoulder, accidentally knocking off his top hat.

 

“It will be okay Babadook, it will be okay. We are going to make the most of your days here on this plane of existence, but you’ll always be in the shadows of my heart. Bloodquest?”

 

“Bloodquest,” he replied, before hugging me tight.

 

The next month was spent saying goodbye to all of my family, as I wasn’t sure if I would be allowed to follow my Dook into the abyss or if the void would only accept him. There were a lot of tears and bruises from stumbling around with so many of my family members in the dark, but it was totally worth it.

 

Then, after clearing up a dispute with the Better Business Bureau and the Make-a-Wish Foundation, we were cleared for our trip to Amsterdam. It was a bumpy flight, but we found a way to laugh even in the turbulence. Amsterdam was so meaningful to me and I will always remember Mr. Babadook at his best, under a bridge. It was underneath that bridge when I first told him I loved him. He held me close and whispered to me, “I have no capacity for love,” and I knew he really meant it.

 

The next morning, I heard him get up to go to the closet because the sun was beginning to come through our shades. He had told me that if I saw him go to the closet that I was not to follow him, and that if the void wanted me, he would come back and let me know. I waited for three days, when finally, on the night of the third day Mr. Babadook returned. “They want you to come too.”

 

I was so happy I grabbed hold of his hand and looked him right in his dark, black hole eyes. “It’s a good life, Mr. Babadook” was all I was able to say before being absorbed into the infinite void. I’m much happier now.

 

This article/fan-fiction was anonymously submitted. Just kidding. My name is Nathan Ellwood, I wrote this article, and I am still not sure how I feel about that. Follow me or don’t on Twitter @NPEllwood.