Victim

Chapter 5 - The smell of death

1 day ago:

The room was dark, the air still. They walked inside. It was cold, even colder than the outside. The house was eerily quiet, and her hands trembled against the air. She cupped them together to stop the trembling. Marley's breath quickened and she could hear her heartbeats. It echoed so loud into her head that she was surprised Xander couldn't hear it. She peeped at Xander and saw him clenching his jacket, lips slightly parted and purple. He was covered into a cloud of his own breath.

"I-I can't go further. What if...What if something is wrong? What if I have to go through with what happened with mom? I can't face that again, never again..." Marley murmured to Xander quietly; fear took a hold of her. She hated herself, why was she so scared of everything? Ever since her mother had died...she had lost her courage. She hated herself for that, but she couldn't help it.

Her mother was the source of her bravery.

And her source was gone.

She wanted to be brave. But she couldn't. She was too scared.

"Marley..." Xander looked at her, although he looked frozen from the cold, he seemed warmer and softer than he ever had.

He grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly, giving her and encouraging nod.

Marley felt like a sulky toddler. But fierce determination filled her. She had to go on, Jessica may need her. She gave Xander a look, trying to put all the gratitude into them so he could know how much she appreciated him. He seemed to understand and smiled sadly. They walked down the darkened hallway together.

Marley wanted to scream for her friend. But she felt the urge to stay quiet. Her gut told her there was something terribly wrong, she needed to stay silent. Xander seemed to be thinking the same thing, he stared across the dark space.

"Jessica?" Marley's voice was unsteady. She carefully headed over to the light switch and flicked it with her bony finger. It didn't turn on. She flicked it again, pushing the button so hard that it started to send electric shots to her hand. She flinched at the touch.

"Powers out." Xander mumbled, giving Marley a weak smile and leaded her to the kitchen.

Barely giving a glance around the beautifully red colored kitchen she crashed open the cabinets, plates and pots flying everywhere. Her hair cold and damp with sweat, she flung the table. Searching under it. No one.

"JESSICA?!" Marley screamed. "This isn't funny! Where are you?" She ran to the living room and Marley was now insane with fear for her friend, she shook uncontrollably, and cold sweat dripped down her head. Xander held her shoulder, giving her an encouraging squeeze.

"Let's check upstairs."

They silently walked up the stairs, and the steps creaked loudly under every touch. Marley felt the railing, it felt like the one in her house. The dark lights and tension reminded her of a similar night, but except that day it was a day to celebrate.

Memories flooded through her. Her mother's birthday. The bracelet she had gotten her with all her allowance. Her mother's smile. Her mother's sobs in the bathroom. Her kiss on her forehead and the warmth it had left behind.

Tears began welling up in Marley's eyes as she thought of the happy days. She wished she could relive them again.

How did it feel to die? Maybe she could join her mother up in heaven. She wouldn't have to feel pain every day she woke up.

"Marley? You coming?" Xander called from the top of the stairs, dragging Marley out of her thoughts. Worry glittered in his eyes, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm coming. I'm fine, perfect. Nothing's wrong, I'm good." Marley grimaced at her own words, it sounded as though she were soothing herself more than Xander. And she guessed she was. Wiping the tears, she quickly walked up the stairs.

"Do you have a flashlight, it's so dark in here." Shadows loomed in every corner and Marley had begun to feel like she was in a horror film. But in a way she felt at home here, it reminded her of her mothers' birthday. And the darkness matched her thoughts, too.

"If I had one, don't you think I would have used it like 10 minutes ago" Xander told her irritably. Marley ignored him. Something had caught her eyes. She stood frozen. A dark red trail lay in front of her. Xander followed her gaze and stopped. A gasp escaped his lips.

Marley suddenly smelled the disgusting stench of death in the air. She wanted to run. Hide. Never look back. But it was too late, she needed to find out.

"I don't think this is a good idea Marley. Maybe we should go?" Xander whispered to her, and began to grab her arm, wanting to lead her out the house.

But Marley wasn't going back now. She slapped his hand away and pushed him out of her way, numb with dread she followed the stench. Through the dark hall she followed the bloody trail. Xander hesitantly ran up to her, pursuing her quietly. She felt grateful he understood her.

Oh god was she possessed? Who was this girl who pushed her friends away and felt no emotions in her? Marley knew something lay ahead that she would regret. Something that will make her want to puke, vomit, gag. She didn't want to go, but she like she said, she was possessed.

She stopped. The trail ended at Jessica's bedroom. She stared at it for a long time. The familiar pink door with golden hearts on it now felt like she had never seen it before in her life. It couldn't be Jessica's door. There were bloody handprints on the bottom of it.

As if the victim was trying one last attempt to escape.

One last attempt for freedom.

Palms sweaty, she leaned to open the door. Sweat and upcoming tears filled her face, and all her instincts screamed at her to leave. Now. But even the cold chills on her spine wouldn't make her go. Or the fact that she couldn't breathe.

Not yet.

Not now.

"No, stop! We need to leave. We'll regret seeing this. We're leaving NOW!" Xander told her, his voice rising from anger. She knew Xander was impulsive, but she really didn't care about him at the moment.

Weirdly calm, Marley told him. "I need to know what's in that room. I'll regret all my life if I don't find out what happened. I know something not right; I know I'm going to regret this. But I'll regret not coming to look even more. Do you understand?" She whispered to him, desperate.

"Are you insane! We need to leave now!" he screamed at her, his voice shrill and panicked. He threw his hands up in the air and held his head tightly. Grabbing her hand, his fingers pushing down into her skin, he forcefully pulled her down the hallway. She tried to let go but he was much stronger than her, gripping her hand with such strength that they hurt.

"No! I need to know what happened! I need to see Jessica!" She began to cry hysterically, tears  flying all over her face.

"Let me go!" She tried to kick him, she needed to...she didn't even know what she wanted anymore. All Marley knew was the she just needed to see her best friend. Alive or dead.

The world can be strange.

Suddenly looking defeated, he stared deep into her eyes, despair and regret- and maybe something even more that she couldn't quite place at the moment- in his, and let go. She ran upstairs with a jolt and slammed open Jessica's door, leaving no time to think things through. Xander ran after her and grabbed her arm before letting her get inside.

"Whatever's in there, we'll deal with it together. Ok? Best friends stick together." He told her, and even though he himself looked drowned into fear and dread for Jessica, he somehow managed to control it and be there for Marley.

She nodded, her belly churned, and she looked inside. There, in the middle of the room, lay Jessica's body.

Dead and cold.

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