𝔭𝔬𝔦𝔰𝔬𝔫 | e. brock

•3•

"Hey Willow," Amber's voice croaked through the phone. It was late Friday afternoon, and it was WIllow's day off. She had been lounging around her apartment when she had called her.

"Hey Ambs. What's up?" Willow was throwing a random pillow into the air repeatedly. She stopped, instead just lying down her couch and staring at the ceiling.

"I need you to cover my shift for me," Amber coughed. "I'm feeling pretty sick." There was a fit of coughing on the other line.

"Sure. What time does it start?"

"I," there was a second fit of coughing. "I have the closing shift. It's from six to nine."

Willow glanced at the time. There was still two hours until she would have to leave. "Okay. Hope you feel better soon."

There was more coughing. "I hope so too. Thanks so much!"

"No problem. See ya," Willow hung up.

She spent the next two hours browsing the internet and scrolling through Instagram. Eventually, Willow left to cover for her friend.

********

Her shift was rather uneventful, and after some time, the shop closed for the day. Willow was responsible for completing all of the closing tasks, as the other worker had an 'important meeting' to attend.

Willow hadn't realized how dark it was outside until she finished locking up. She stepped outside and was immediately hit with a blast of cool air. It wasn't cold, per se, but it definitely cooler. The sky was pitch black, the pollution of the city stopping any stars from being seen.

She hadn't thought the walk would be too eventful, after all, it was only a few blocks. She had been minding her own business when-

"Don't move," a man growled behind her. Within a second she was shoved into an alleyway, pushed against the wall with a knife held threateningly against her throat.

Willow trembled as her eyes widened fearfully. She didn't dare speak, afraid of what would happen if she did.

"Your money or your life," the man demanded.

"I don't have any mon-" Willow tried to squeak out, but the knife nicked her throat before she could finish. She whimpered, feeling the blood trickle down her neck.

"I'm not going to ask again. It's either your money or your -" he was cut off by a loud 'thud!' echoing through the alley.

Willow's eyes were still fixed on the man in front of her. She didn't move, terrified of the man and whatever caused that noise.

The man lowered the knife from her throat. Willow let out a cautious breath, still too terrified to move. The man turned around to see who the newcomer was...

And that's when he screamed.

Willow cautiously looked up... and saw what could only be described as a monster.

The thing towered over her at 9 feet, and its midnight black, tar-like skin seemed to squirm and writhe with every movement it made. The creature had milky white eyes and a multitude of large fangs that were as sharp as daggers. A long tongue dangled from the thing's mouth. It grabbed the man with one of its clawed hands.

"Don't look," the thing growled in an otherworldly deep voice.

Willow didn't need to be told twice. She closed her eyes, turning away. When the screams of the man echoed through the alleyway, she brought her hands up to cover her ears, closing her eyes tighter. A few minutes after the screams died down, Willow dared to open her eyes. She turned around...

And what she saw was horrifying.

The creature had disappeared, though it had left its mark. The alleyway in front of her was covered in blood, the decapitated body of the man laid in the corner. There appeared to be teeth marks on the neck, which led Willow to assume that the thing had bitten the man's head off.

Willow almost threw up. She darted out of the alleyway, sprinting the last couple of blocks, not stopping until she had locked her apartment door, her heartbeat refusing to slow down.