Skin Deep

Prologue

(Hey guys so this is my first time publishing on here so I'm trying to get use to it. Please excuse grammatical errors in here, I was writing this late at night. Please leave comments and thoughts if you'd like. This is just the beginning but there is more to come! Considering I know this sometimes helps sets the mood I would  listen to "But, with a whimper" by Psyclon nine when reading this.)

WARNING: This does have graphic and some disturbing content in this. Please be advised and do not read this if it will cause you serious distress!!!

"I'm hungry" Taylor whined, I grinned as we strolled down the cracked sidewalk towards my car. "I'm paying you in food, remember?" Taylor flashed me an devilish grin and waggled her slender eyebrows.

"It's nacho time!" I groaned theatrically, rolling my eyes toward the dark sky above.

"I'll be broke by morning." Taylor laughed and skipped to the passenger side door as I unlocked it. My foot was in the foot-well and I was sliding in when a heart wrenching scream of pure terror sliced through the night, it was female. The hair on the back of my neck stood on attention as a shudder wracked through me following the icy bolt of adrenaline that shot through me. My feet were moving almost before I realized it as I sprinted towards the sound of the scream. "Taylor! Stay in the car! Lock the doors!" I yelled over my shoulder as my boots flew over the wet pavement. My coat flapped behind me as I sprinted towards the entrance to an alley a few yards away I skidded to a halt my boots sliding over the broken gravel of the poorly paved road. Down at the end of the alley I could see shadows moving as if a struggle was happening. Another terrified cry echoed down the dirty brick of the alley as I broke into a sprint. "Hey!" I shout my voice dropping as I tore down the narrow cooridor dodging trash cans. "Let her go!" I was only a few feet from the struggling shadows when they vanished the alley going quiet. I couldn't stop in time and slammed into the back of another shop using my hands to catch myself and push away from the wall as I spun to my left. Meeting another empty alley way. A narrow dirty street ran down the length of the line of shops to the end of the next block, too narrow for a car, interspersed with tall old lamps hanging on cracked brackets off the backs of the shops casting a dim yellowy light over the grungy alley. Confused I took a step forward my blood slamming in my ears, the wall to a shop was behind me and the next entrance to another alley back up to the street was over two hundred feet away. There was no way anyone could have made it that far in less than a second. My heart leapt into my throat as I stood there for a moment staring down the alley, a shudder running through me. Something was very, very wrong, the cool slightly clammy air of fall suddenly becoming heavy in my lungs choking me. I staggered backwards my back hitting the brick wall as I turned and sprinted back up the way I had come. My heart pounded, Taylor! I needed to get back to Taylor! My breath rasping out of my lungs as alarm gripped me. I spun around the corner and saw something laying on the sidewalk ahead. The world seemed to slow down as I saw the pool and the crumpled figure. Somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind I reacted automatically pulling my phone out of my pocket and dialing 911 before my phone slipped from my fingers. My knees practically giving out as I dropped to Taylors side. Her face was grey spattered with small drops of blood, her dark eyes wide and terrified as she stared up at me her lips moving wordlessly.

"Taylor! Taylor, stay with me hunny come on. Help is coming." I put my hand on her stomach to sooth her and felt something uncomfortably warm and squishy and what felt like a rough stick. Looking down I had to suppress the extreme nausea and dizziness that rose in me. I had just put my hand into the now gaping hole which had been her stomach and chest. White bone glittered wetly in the lamp light as I realize I was touching her ribs. I withdrew my hand quickly and yanked off my jacket balling it up and pressing it against the wound in a hopeless attempt. My mind had gone numb the muscles working on auto pilot as I made the desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. I turned my gaze back to Taylors terrified glassy eyes, a whimper escaping her lips as she stared up at me. "Hey, hey its going to be okay. It's not as bad as you think." My voice is soft and reassuring as I stroke her cheek gently. The pool of blood is growing blending into her inky hair so she is laying in a seemingly black cloud, soaking into my pant legs. Her lips try to form words but all that comes out is a strangled gurgle, I can see blood in her mouth. "I'm here, I'm here." I say struggling to keep the sob out of my voice as I gently stroke her face. A second later and her eyes cloud over, her chest sinking one last time as a breath bubbles out of her mouth. I can't breathe my lungs won't expand as my eyes fill with tears. "Taylor?" I choke shaking her shoulder though I know in my heart she can't hear it. The sound of sirens in the distance echoes hollowly in my ears as I struggle to breathe as tears stream down my face. A loud clang sounds nearby causing me to look up. What I see makes me freeze, tears still coursing down my face as fear claws for space in my heart beside the complete and total agony. As I watch it changes ice plunging into my stomach. My mind abandons any semblance of control as an unbridled scream of terror rips out of my throat leaving raw flesh in its wake. I hide my face in Taylor's shoulder sobbing uncontrollable terrified sobs as the sounds of the sirens grow closer and the thing in the shadows vanishes. Leaving only the flashing of police lights and my wordless gasps behind it.