Leila of the Requiem [Book One]

So It Begins

  "....residents have been jolted by the mysterious disappearance of a man and his young son during a hunting trip yesterday." The newscaster explained on TV while cops and a search party were moving about behind her. I only paused long enough to turn up the volume while I was brushing my teeth to get ready for a long day of fast food yet again.

  Spitting into the sink, I then heard my phone ringing and went to answer it.

  "Hello?"

  "Leila...." My brows furrowed from the man's tone. "I didn't want to do this to you, but I figured it was best before you had to come in and find out that way."

  "What is it?"

  "....You're fired."

  "What?!" My grip on the phone tightened as my face twisted.

  "You're a good kid, Leila. You'll find work in no time, I promise. I'm having to downsize on staff."

  "Cal, I need this job!" I waved my hand. "At least give me time to find-"

  "I'm sorry, Leila." And the call ended. I stood there, mostly in shock, and didn't move an inch. Then the wave of anger hit, and I threw my phone while shouting angrily like a roar. The device shattered against the brick wall, and I rubbed my temples while trying to find a reason for this impromptu firing. Why me? Why not the newer hire? Had I made a mistake?

  With nowhere to go, I spent the entire day binging TV while trying to think of who was hiring. This town was small, so there were hardly any jobs available. Maybe the pizza joint was willing to take me on? And if not, should I try the factory?

✧☾✧

  I didn't know when it was that I fallen asleep on the couch, but I was wide awake when I heard blood-curdling screams from upstairs. Bolting up the stairs, I slid around the corner and was running to my parents' room as I heard crashing and more screaming.

  Swinging their door wide open, I couldn't believe my eyes as my dad was struggling to get something off his face. It was clinging to him so tightly as he ran into the dresser and the desk and shelves while Mom was screeching from the bed.

  I had to think quickly while looking around for something, anything, to use to get the thing off him. I spotted my dad's wallet, keys, and pocket knife on the edge of the desk and grabbed the knife before flicking open the blade.

  "Dad! Stay still!" I shouted over the screaming, but the man obviously wouldn't just listen with his survival instincts in hyperdrive. Tackling him, I managed to pin down his arms with my legs. I grabbed the strange creature on his face and felt the warmth of it beneath my palm. I quickly started sawing at its legs when they refused to let go. They easily snapped and oozed with what I could only assume was blood, but the color was wrong. I tried grabbing the creature to pull it off now that it lacked leverage, but I howled in pain as my fingers felt as if they were on fire, and Dad was gutturally screeching.

  I watched as his face began to dissolve, and Mom suddenly went really quiet and was thrashing on the bed. Things were happening too fast, and there was another one of those things on Mom's face. I saw more crawling in from the left-open window, and I didn't know what to do.

  I knew Dad was dead.... He had stopped moving, his skull was porous and exposed as it was still visibly degrading, and my fingers were burned by the highly acidic properties of that creature's blood. I couldn't cut the thing off Mom, and I couldn't break it off either without risking having Mom become like Dad. One of the spider-like creatures lept at me, and I narrowly dodged it while scrambling out of the room. I felt tears burning my eyes as I dropped the little knife and raced to my old room.