A New Body - original

4- Phoebe

    The wind whips right through her bones, lifting her blonde hair off of the back of her neck. She's shivering, arms crossed over her chest to try and conserve body heat. The costume doesn't cover much skin.

    Walking home alone usually sucks, but she feels better by herself tonight. No boyfriend, no shitty company, just regular old peace and quiet.
The only person she wants to be with is Kate, surprising as that is. Phoebe's glad she chased after her.

    The least she deserved was an apology.

    The fight replays in her head on loop as she shuffles along. She still can't believe that Blake had dared to lay his hands on a girl like that, shitfaced or not. She thinks about all of their fights; the screaming, the gaslighting, the making up. Never once did she think she was in actual danger. He even took it surprisingly well when she told him that they were done and stormed out of the party.

    But the volatile side of him has always existed. He's a bully, a cheater, and a pathological liar. Phoebe hates herself for brushing it under the rug for so many years.

    Her house is maybe five minutes away now. She picks up her pace and turns down the road to her left, yearning for the warmth of her own bed.

    Branches snap underneath her feet. It almost sounds like she has an echo.

    Like someone is behind her.

    Phoebe halts. The street is silent.

    She turns in a full circle, scanning the woods on one side and the dark houses on the other. It's nearly midnight now, and no one is awake.

    Nobody is out here.

    You're just paranoid.

    Monsters and ghouls and goblins have always scared her, ever since she was little. Maybe that's why she admires Kate so much. For watching all of those horrible movies, and for beating up her ex-boyfriend without fear.

    Phoebe tries to convince herself that it's all in her head, because it usually is. But she swears she hears it; the sound of footsteps, just a few seconds delayed.

    She moves fast now, her eyes wide open, head on a swivel. More rustling leaves. Is that her own feet making all that noise?

    No. It's getting louder. Something is coming up behind her. Phoebe doesn't look, she just pushes her legs harder.

    There is someone after you.

    Arms wrap around her before she's hit with the full force of another human body. The world tilts. For a minute she's weightless. Breathless. Everything is blurry. And then she hits the ground.

    She feels it in her teeth first. They rattle in her mouth, like her whole jaw is shifting. The rest of the pain comes quick and fast. Her body lights us like a firework.

    Phoebe sees nothing but black for a solid five seconds. She's trying to breathe, but the heavy weight that's crushing her makes it impossible. Even with no air in her lungs, she jams her elbows back into the flesh of whoever is on top of her.

    "Calm down, Pheebs."

    Blake shifts both of their bodies in a swift motion. He's still in control, straddling her waist so she's pinned to the ground. She has no idea when he changed, but he's dressed in all black now, shadows distorting his handsome features.

    Phoebe opens her mouth to scream. A gloved hand smothers it instantly. Leather.

    It dawns on her too late.