Psycho Killer

Take 6: Storms Passing & 'Cluster'fucks

Tarek's POV:

My back slams against the bathroom door. I breathe and it's only my breath I can hear. It hasn't been like that in hours. Everything's going wrong. Someone is doing everything they can to make sure this goes badly.

A vibration zones my focus on my thigh. I know it's my sister calling me. She's the only one who comes close to calming Afryea down. I've only been witness to this cycle once before. She stopped eating before her illness kicked in. She says the chicken in her roll was pink. I say it was white. Everyone else who ate the rolls was fine.

Ewan's gone, his car and all but his rats were in Jodee's room again. There's not a moment to rest, scream after scream, piercing ears. He's the only one who's got away from it. Tina gets stuck in the tallest building in the college. It was only the distant, panicked murmurs that caught Enid's ear.

It was a note with a meeting time that got her up there. More bathrooms have been defiled, classes completely tossed. Kip has called both Enid and me during the early hours of the morning, babbling about figures in the hallway. Standing, staring at him. Hendriks has him staying in the nurse's bay where he can be around. I don't know why Kip doesn't just wake him instead.

Kiren got stuck in one of the disability elevators. When we got him out, he was bruised, and his wrist was broken. Blood smears covered the small space. What smelled like blood pouring over the stairs up to our shooting destination made him use it. The blood was from our supply of prop stuff. One five-gallon container of pig's blood sourced at our local butcher's wasted. Jodee threw up and passed out after seeing the crooked angle of Kiren's hand and the way his nails were ripped from his fingers. Afryea threw up and panicked herself into hyperventilation.

We took a day to rest and recover. The hope was that this was mass hysteria kicking in. A prank or two has gone wrong. That the storm would pass. Literally and figuratively. Then we'd all emergency services. Everything seems okay today. Everyone preferred to keep going instead of plan A. We're back to shooting. Nothing's wrong yet. Aside from the mistake of casting Hendriks in this damn film.

I wash over my arms to feel anything. Looking at myself in the mirror. The image I'm met with puts my heart in my throat. Pale skin and red eyes. I cannot believe I look like this.

Tina was right. Hendriks and Enid have fantastic on-screen chemistry. He could look at anyone and make me believe he's in love with them. It's too realistic.

I can't bring myself to look in the mirror again.

All of it has happened, yet there's only one thing rolling around in my head. The dog. Kip getting bitten. Hendriks' fear. Someone knows we're here. Something's not right about the dog.

It's 9 pm, we're taking a break to eat and get some sleep before we do a witching hour shoot for a romantic sacrificial sex, something a rather scene. Implied not shown. That would be too horrific for me.

"Horror's in the eye of the beholder." I remind myself with a groan.
I leave the bathroom. My dorm seems so far but I make it without being disturbed. I strip off my clothes and collapse into bed. Setting my alarm is the last thing I do before I let myself relax.

~

Whatever nags at my chest has eased off now. Exhaustion has never suited me. Being up at this hour is going to screw up my body clock. I don't see any sign of the others being awake. It's early though earlier than I said because I want our stars to have their beauty sleep.

"What are you doing here?" I ask upon arriving at the shoot destination to find I'm not as alone as I thought.

"Couldn't sleep, arm is aching." Kiren answers. "Thought I'd get the camera set up, and do some test shots."
"Have you taken anything?"
"Yeah, still got some valium stashed from ages back." Kiren refers to a time he prefers, not to mention.
"Good. I'm glad. Careful though, we might just steal some of that if any other nonsense continues."