A New Body - original

7- Kate

Come on, pick up.

She texted Phoebe several times as the day went on, begging her to respond and confirm that she's okay. Radio silence. Kate listens to the phone ringing on speaker as she drives furiously through the suburbs.

Finally, in the past few hours that she was by herself, she had discovered the answer. The podcast had come up when she was scrolling through scholarly articles on mythology, and she had clicked on simply because it sounded appealing.

It was, in more than one way. And Kate knows she's solved the riddle. But the truth scares her.

Pick up, Phoebe.

She calls her on a continual loop, over and over. The sun is setting now, casting an orange glow on the vibrant trees around her. Parents walk with their babies in strollers. Children play in driveways, enjoying the last of the tolerable weather. Everything seems so normal, but she feels like she's being torn apart at the seams.

Finally, the gorgeous house comes into view. Kate whips into the driveway and throws her car into park. She practically launches herself across the front lawn, trampling through the perfectly green grass.

Her knuckles bang hard against the wooden door, both of them at the same time. She waits a moment and then tries the knob. It's unlocked, which worries her even more. Kate can't wait for a response. There's no fucking time for this.

"Phoebe!" She shouts.

The sound reverberates through the foyer. Staircase right ahead, living room to the left. She can't stop to take it in, but the place feels like it's swallowing her whole with its sheer size. The stairs are miles long, and it makes her legs burn.

Finally a door, right in front of her. It opens to an expansive bathroom, complete with marble floors and a fully-glass shower. Kate backpedals hard and tries the one down the hallway to her left.

It's immediately apparent that this is Phoebe's room. Her eyes take in all of the clothing designs, the sketches pinned to various cork boards. It's a crazy mess of books, art, posters, and other random decor.

She pushes the door open wider. It reveals a bed, and Phoebe is sprawled out across it with her eyes closed. Her golden hair is fanned out across the pillows, mouth open slightly as she breathes, still in the same clothes as earlier. Kate would leave her this way, finally sleeping peacefully, if she didn't have the biggest news in the world weighing her shoulders down.

"Phoebe." She says quietly, going to nudge her still body.

Before she can reach out, the girl below her springs to life, jolting upright with a primal growl. Her eyes are completely white, no trace of humanity behind them. She doesn't even blink.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

Kate tries to step back, but Phoebe is already hurtling toward her. Their bodies collide heavily, cold skin upon warm flesh. Her head thumps against the wooden flooring and a crackle of pain ripples through her skull.

She wiggles her hands free and presses her forearm against Phoebe's neck, trying to force some space between them. Her teeth have grown; they're rotten and sharp now. She keeps snapping her mouth open and shut like she's trying to swallow Kate whole.

"Phoebe, it's me! It's Kate!" She pleads, trying to use her weak arms to restrain the girl.

Phoebe grunts and pushes her face closer, potent breath making Kate's eyes sting. She's strong, much stronger than anticipated. The whole partially dead thing really is helping.

"Stop, stop! It's just me, it's Kate!"

Her voice is desperate, because she knows now that Phoebe will absolutely eat her alive. She's not sure if it's possible to bargain with a demon, but she might as well try.