I'm sitting sprawled out on my bed Skyping my boyfriend, Cayden Oaks. He is packing to come visit me. This will make our sixth time hanging out in person. We first met here in my home town Cannon Beach, during tourist season, I offered to show him around and we talked until his vacation was over. Cayden gave me his number and after a few months we started dating.
"I'm so excited to see you again! When will you get here?" I ask unable to keep the volume of my voice down. He laughs and answers,
"Me too, when I leave it will take about an hour and half to two hours. It depends on traffic." I watch as he gets up and out of view of the camera.
"Don't forget to pack warm" I yell after him, he comes back into view with an armful of jeans and shirts.
"Okay thank you so much mom" he responds rolling his eyes.
"You're very welcome son" I speak in a fake voice. "and don't forget to get your toothbrush and clean whitey-tighties"
We both combust in laughter. I'm so glad that he's coming to visit again then the lights in my room begin to flicker. A loud thump sounds at my door.
"Wh-a-a iii goi— "his voice goes robotic then the little chime signals the call was dropped.
What? I just payed the bill the power shouldn't be going off.
I check my phone, no service.
The noise at my door sounds again. I slip on a hoodie and close my computer. I reach for the handle but jump and jerk my hand away when the thump sounds again. Through the peep hole on the door I can see a man standing hunched over, his arm twisted at an impossible angle, and is bleeding from what appears to be bite marks of some sort. I open the door just a crack and ask,
"Sir are you okay? Do you need me to call 911?"
He lurches forward suddenly. He is chomping at the air in front of my face. I feel the rush of wind and spittle land on my face. I quickly wipe it off.
He reaches his arm inside the small opening on my door. I scream and try to slam it shut. The only thing keeping him out is the thin cheap safety chain. His arm was still grabbing at me, his dirty yellow finger nails scratching at me. I open the door as far as I can with the chain in place and slam it shut on his arm. I continue to do so as he keeps moving his hand. I can hear the bone break as the door cut through the flesh. There is a sucking noise as I pull the door out his arm and slam it back again.
There are hot, scared tears running down my face clouding my vision. The arm falls off into my floor and a crimson puddle. I close the door completely and run to bathroom. I empty my stomach into the toilet until there is nothing left, all that's coming up is bile. I wash the blood and puke off my face and arms. Sleepily I limp to my room and pull off the nasty clothes and fall into my bed. I curl up into a ball and cry myself to sleep.
***
I wake up hours later, glancing at my phone the time reads 4:50. I drag myself out of bed and pull on a pair of clean jeans and shirt. I go to the kitchen and grab a bag of chips and start munching on them. I go to window and see the most horrible thing.
Everyone is in the street and they all look just like the man from earlier. They all have blood dripping from various cuts (human bite marks?) on parts of their bodies. I feel the chip fall from my mouth as my jaw drops, I forgot about Cayden.
Oh god! How did I forget about him?!?
I grab an overnight bag and rush back to the kitchen. I fill the bag with packs of crackers and some other non-perishables.
I grab my keys off the table and go to the door. I almost vomit again. The mess is still there, the blood drying as quickly as my mouth. So I throw open the door and jump over the mess. I make my way down the stairs of my duel-plex apartment and out to my car.
Clicking the unlock button earns me the gazes of several hungry gazes. They begin their slow journey towards me. So naturally I panic. I let out a high pitch screech and throw open the car door and climb in, slamming it shut behind me. I cram the key into the ignition as the cold hands brush against my side window. I shriek again and turn the key.
It stalls.
I turn the key again. It stalls once more. I turn the key again breathing hard as they climb up on my car and surround me, making it impossible to get out. The car rolls over and starts.
Oh thank god!
I pull away grimacing as I felt my tires bump over what I can only assume is not the road. I watch the road as I pass by the town where I grew up. All the houses were kind of spooky, sure that was our attraction, but I know almost everyone here.
They're gone. All of them have this-this...sickness.
I try not to think about it too much as I drive.
***
I've been driving for an hour and I'm about to pull up to his house. I turn the corner and down his street, taking deep calming breaths. It's almost strange how quite it is here, there isn't a soul in sight. I park and get out. I make my way up the walkway. I see a movement in the shadows of his porch.
"Cayden! Oh jesus I'm so glad that you're okay" I gush.
The shadows stir again. And a figure steps out into the late evening sun. A gasp escapes me as I see him. His skin is pale and ashy, his eyes bloodshot, clothes ragged and in shreds, and a very large chunk of flesh missing from his arm.
"Oh Cayden, I should have been here!"
He takes a few shuffles forward and groans.
"I-I- can't live without you! I LOVE YOU!" I step up and wrap my arms around him. He sinks his teeth into my shoulder.
"...even if I have to die with you, we ca-an be together forever..." I grab your hand and interlock our fingers as I sink down to the internal darkness.
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