Around three in the morning Butch returned home. He figured that Buttercup was still sleeping. He decided to go up and check on her before getting something to eat. He climbed the stairs and made his way to their bedroom. The blankets on the bed were thrown about but she wasn’t in bed. He checked the bathroom, but she wasn’t there either.

“Buttercup!” he called, while flying down the hallway. He checked the nursery, but still there was no sign of Buttercup. He started to panic. He pulled out his phone and dialed Blossom’s number.

“Hello?” he heard her sleepy cracked voice.

“Blossom, it’s Butch,” he said. “Have you talked to Buttercup tonight?”

“Yeah, Butch,” she said. “Is something wrong?”

“She’s not here. I thought maybe something happen… with the baby.”

“No, not that I know of,” Blossom said, sounding more awake. “When I talked to her earlier she seemed fine.”

Butch raced into the bedroom. He looked around, and that’s when he noticed it. He looked at the mirror that rested atop the dresser. A message written in blood. They’re mine, now, was all it said. His heart dropped. Only Him would do something like this, but he was dead. Right?

“Blossom,” Butch said. “Get everyone together. I think something is really wrong.”

“Butch, what’s is it?” Blossom asked.

“Buttercup’s missing,” he said, insistently. “So just get over here.”

“We’ll be right here,” Blossom said. As the call ended he outlined each letter. Some of the blood got on his fingers. He smelled it, and his heart dropped. It wasn’t Buttercup’s blood. It was Him’s. Damn, that bastard was alive, and he had his wife and unborn baby. “Don’t worry, Buttercup. I promise I’ll get you back.”

He raced downstairs as his siblings and sister-in-laws showed up. “Hey, Butch, what’s going on?” Brick asked. “Blossom told us that Buttercup is missing.”

“Him took her,” Butch said.

“No, man, he’s dead,” Brick said. “We were there.” Butch held up his finger that still had the blood on it. Brick took a whiff. “No way, it can’t be.”

“He’s alive,” Butch said. His hand formed a fist. “And he took her.”