Flies

Those who watch

Blood trickled through their veins, warmed by the reluctance to be frozen by the morning air- two girls lay in two beds, two houses. Tired eyes fought their way through fatigued hoods; and Blake was awake. 

But barely. The harsh sirens of slumber still blared in her ears as she fought for consciousness; smothered by lethargy and constrained by the memories of yesterday, 2 O'clock. A cocktail of regret and uncertainty poisoned her, I shouldn't have said anything.  It was more than a burden to carry the knowledge that Hannah would be arriving the following day to ask her what had happened, or yet more terrifying, what was going to happen soon. Much, much more than a burden...

A plague.

-

"I made toast, I'll leave it outside the door"  Elliot's voice echoed through the bathroom walls, just loud enough to penetrate the steam of the shower, and Blake stepped into the box.  Beady eyes stared into hers through a crack in the porcelain tiling -a fly. Quietly, silently, it whispered in it's cynical tone, don't tell her don't tell her don't tell her. The water dripping down her chest and into her lungs had to agree; and it burned. She ached as the water rose from her paper skin and fell weak to the floor, I have to tell her, the voice inside urged her, as she knew what she had seen just a few days before. But, by no accident, it knew her too.

Her bedroom door opened its mouth to greet her and tasted a fresh body, a phone lay on the bed, screen lit with a message. 

Missed call (2)  Han Barber

Han Barber Is everything ok? Please call me. Still on for tomorrow btw x

The text reposed in Blake's pale hands, and she set it back down to stir. Not right now, the voice between her ears whispered in a  blunt monotone. Hot water boiled in her chest as her organs stewed, barely contained within her fragile rib cage- anticipation of tomorrow, a troubling anxiety that disguised itself behind subtle tiredness. There was no other way but to ignore it, so the clouds continued to roll past her window, and sun continued to quiver in cold, November airs.

-

Delicate legs slithered between 4 new walls, above them dwelling anxious lungs enclosed in today's clothing. She'd slipped downstairs and into the kitchen, where the glass above the sink stared into her like windows; that's where it had been, just beyond the backyard and into the woods. Curious as they may have once been, Blake's eyes refused plunge into the abyss of uncertainty again, should she stare back into those woods, her eyes might fall back upon his. Every muscle was tense to refuse the offer to shiver again in his gaze, she mustn't look, I don't want to look... But, I want to know what it was...Of course, if there's something there, then it isn't like not looking away will keep it  away... Will it?

Rationality and trepidation tore at each other's throats, 2 minds left in pieces; the window beckoned her to to look, yet she knew deep down that she was catering to her fear. 

She took a step towards the window. To look would be to acknowledge that she was afraid of something that couldn't be. She moved another pace closer. Not to look would be to live in uncertainty. Another step. She had to know, one more,  but what she would find out may be something she hadn't wished to know. She couldn't look -another step- but how couldn't she let -another- the watcher -another-  become - ANOTHER

-the watched?

Blake's scream resonated through the walls as blood dripped in her brain to her fingertips, a flesh creep following in its insensitive footprints, cold and hard beneath her skin. The door snapped its jaws open wide, and he stood facing her. "What?! What happened?" Elliot panted as he spoke.  Her pupils dilated in sight of his, and cold hands continued to shiver in the icy tidal lock of her memories constraints - what she had just seen was bigger than before. Darker than before. Meant more than just before. He buzzed in her ears from all the way outside as her eyelids flickered on and off to the beat of a cynical hum, glass eyes swatted him away but it wouldn't escape her head. Slash, slash, slash- but he lingered inside to leech her words like a fly. 

"I saw..." But she choked.

The earth died beneath his feet as he glided towards the house, frost beginning and ending between his steps. Darkness enveloped the slim, jagged figure, even as he emerged from the cover of the trees; the shadows that once draped over his sharp shoulders now melting into the ground. He took a step foward. He'd caught Blake's gaze, the corner of her right eye burning in his uncertain presence. Another step forward. An abused heart slipped down her chest and slithered into her stomach as her organs vibrated in response to his approach- one more step. Don't look, it's not real, it can't be,  just don't look and he won't be there,  but his eyes pierced the windows beneath her eyelids, and he took 

one more step and one more and one

"I saw a spider, "

"...A spider? Jesus Blake, you scared the crap out of me,"

"Sorry," She left.

The girl panted as her feet hit the steps, and the pillows ingested her as the door slammed shut behind.