Pen Beneath The Bush

One Last Cuddle (One Night Stand/The Letter VN)

Where am I?

Who is this pale woman I'm naked next to?

Where's my phone? There it is, by the edge of the bed. I'm shivering and the wooden floor is damp. The blurs begin to fade and I can see the daylight reeling through the tiny window. I remember the last time I was in a situation like this, I woke up next to a girl who made me a nice fancy coffee and we became friends after we found out that we shared the same name: Robin. And I don't think I'm at Robin's this time: that's pretty obvious.

I look down on the floor after seeing my toes were painted red. It's stained with blood. I gasp and crawl back into the flimsy blanket. The ripped shreds of fabric on the floor were once my clothes. Gosh, were we really that rough last night? There's screaming downstairs. The screeching irritates my ears. I sit up, fingers pressed against the dusty mattress. Holy shit! Who would want to live in a place like this? Let alone sleep in it.

I cough. The blanket blows away. The windows explode. Shards of glass veil over the floor. I'm fucking freezing. I hurl over in a ball. Someone or something has punched me in the stomach. I take a deep breath. There's no way I can be like this: it has to be a nightmare. I'll wake up back in my house. Someone's playing a prank on me. Geex, trust them to pick the drunk and hangover guy to play a prank on.

The pain fades. I should be waking up soon. I roll towards the woman and begin to gag. I spring up and vomit explodes from my mouth. My throat is on fire. My muscles are tight. Heart's racing and palms dripping. The smell is horrific. I gulp, curiosity got the better of me as I look over to the woman. Flesh ripped apart with muscles and bones exposed. Her toes begin to tingle.

Holy shit! She's awake. She's like a zombie. She breathes like a distorted ghost. Her hands are lukewarm as her torso becomes transparent. She's a ghost. I had a one night stand with a ghost!

I must leave, but I'm paralyzed.

OH GOD...I'M SINKING!

The woman drags me towards her chest. Her body is whole again. The smell of death numbs me. She's laughing. I'm just a joke to her or some mere toy for her to experiment her twisted fetishes on. Her bloody hands cradle my throat. My legs tremble as she tilts her head. Those pearl eyes are staring right into my soul. Her raven locks slap across my face. She dribbles blood from the gaps of her teeth, corners of her mouth and the edge of her chin.

"Help me!" I cry the moment the ghost releases my neck. I gasp for air. She cackles. Her right-hand squeezes my jaw until it's shattered and teeth roll about in my mouth. Her left hand is stabbing between my legs. The more I suffer and wince in pain, the warmer her body and hands are to touch. She lifts my head up, smearing my body with her blood and mine.

She holds me up gently and licks her lips. I'm coughing again, but this time, I'm spitting teeth out. Liquids oozing down my legs and splattering across my chest. A part of me is still wishing that this was a nightmare, but my hope was dwindling.

I close my eyes again. The ghost's touch seems pleasant now. Her chest shields me from the cold. The pain is melting away. This is more than just a hangover: I must have taken something else. I feel crushing against my neck as her grip tightens. The pain returns with a tenfold vengeance. I'm not dreaming: this is the end! What a pathetic waste of human life I've been.

The last thing I see is her tainted smile as she gives me one final cuddle.