 Johnny. The cold voice whispered. Her words were getting more and more raspy, starting to sound as if she had smoked two packs a day since we'd been kids. Yes, Ellen? There was a pause. You know my one regret, Johnny? She'd been dead for going on six months, yet considering the circumstances she still smelled delightfully well. I had a hunch she kept a bottle of old perfume down there with her. No, what is it? An audible sigh could be heard from underneath my bed. I just wish we would have had kids, you know? Terror gripped me then, for more reason than one. I thought over my most strategic answer is not to anger the dangerous thing that watched over me as I slept. Uh, yeah, me too. I mumbled, do you mean that? She asked, popping her head out from under the bed and nearly giving me a heart attack in the process. Jesus, I screamed, jumping back against the wall. There was a single plump worm in her left eyeball now, looking to have fed happily since her untimely demise. She growled then, bearing her teeth, which were unusually sharp and hissing, before floating back out of sight and into the darkness. You're such a jerk. Do I really look that bad? I paused, then recovered. No, no, not at all, honey. It's just the worm caught me by surprise, that's all. She sighed again. I know I don't look so good. She replied, consciously forcing herself to stop growling madly. Love is love, right? That made me think back to the first night I'd seen her. I'd thought I was dreaming as I watched the fresh corpse of my girlfriend gently push open the window. She'd kissed me on the cheek and slunk under my bed. I don't want you to see me like this, she had said, not without my makeup. My thoughts now in the present again, I sighed. She'd look so much better back then, when she was only freshly dead. Johnny, I've been thinking, I'm not getting any more life, you know, and I think my lady parts are still intact. I interrupted, Ellen, honey, you're dead. Since when has that ever stopped anyone? She replied indignantly. She slid back across the floor, her red eyes starting to glow as they looked into mine. Look, all I'm saying is, I want us to try. I began to make my argument against it, when she continued, Johnny, I'm not stupid. I know you've got options. I see the way that little Susie still alive looks at you. It was true, Susie had the hots for me, and I was ashamed to say I had thought about asking her out for coffee since Ellen had died. It would be nice to have a girlfriend that liked going places, other than beneath my bed and sometimes in my closet. Ellen, it's just terror washed over me then, and I remembered that whatever my girlfriend was turning into, I couldn't talk to her honestly like I used to. There would be consequences. Johnny. She continued, her voice becoming calm and demonic as her red eyes glowed more brightly. You either try and give me a baby, or one of these nights, you'll find yourself underneath this bed with me.