Viscera and Other Tales

Eviscerated

When I was in middle school my teacher, Mrs. Gordon, exploded in front of me.

Blood from her mouth flew directly into my face and when she burst I was covered in her guts. I remember leaving the room in shock, my classmates panicking and running past me, entering the restroom and wiping myself clean.

My hands shook from both adrenaline and fear and I knew I'd never be the same.

I went to therapy, hypnotists, doctors, everything. Nothing could remove those images from my head. Eventually I learned to live with the thoughts and just try to get on with my life. Slowly but surely things seemed to return to normal.

And then it happened again.

Four years after my teacher popped, when I was a senior in high school, I was out with my older sister Alyssa at a restaurant enjoying a nice day out.

Things were perfect, it was a beautiful day.

Was.

"Marco," she said, concerned, "what's wrong with that man?"

I looked up to see what she was talking about and my blood ran cold. I began to shake as it was happening again.

Mr. Jennings was grasping at his stomach, just like Mrs. Gordon had. He was screaming, blood flying from his mouth. I was triggered into remembering how it felt when Mrs. Gordon's warm blood collided against my face.

"No." I said. "No, please."

Mr. Jennings collapsed to the ground, his limbs crumpling up, his chest inverting. Then he burst.

Alyssa screamed, people began to run.

I stood in place. Watching.

I closed my eyes, covered my ears and fell to the ground. My chest tightened, I couldn't breathe. The fear I had felt all those years ago was back. Everything went dark.

It's been 8 years since that day. 12 years since Mrs. Gordon. I don't leave my house anymore, I can't. The world is a dark and bloody place. It's injustices are burned into my mind and in 12 years my memory has not faded.

But tonight, something terrible has happened.

There's sirens going off outside, loud and terrifying.

I'm in the basement, cowering in the corner. Alyssa is down here, she's afraid too.

He's up there, I know he is.

Roughly 6 hours ago, the news was plastered with his image.

I knew him. He was in Mrs. Gordon's class with me. I couldn't remember his name but when I saw what he was doing, all the pieces fell into place.

He had been floating in the air, arms outstretched with no expression across his face. He hovered there, menacingly.

Reporters, police, agents were under him, baffled. Then, one by one they began to burst. Their guts littered the streets as he popped them like grapes.

People tried to run from him but it was too late. Everybody in the vicinity of him was eviscerated within seconds.

The cameras cut off and now we don't know what's going on. From what we can see on social media, he's still up there floating. No word from the government on what they plan to do. This is something bad. Something advanced. I can feel it.

"Marco we have to get out of here." Alyssa says, fearful tears falling down her cheek. "We have to leave town."

I shake my head. "I can't. He's up there, I can't."

She walks over to me and wraps her arms around me. "You don't know that he's-"

"It's him."

She frowns. "I know."

I looked up to her. I could tell she was unsure of how to continue. I leaned my head into her. I loved my sister. She was my rock, my support. All we've ever had was each other. That's why I knew what decision I had to make.

"Leave." I say. "Go without me."

"No. You know I won't do that."

"You have to. I want you to be safe. I can't go but you have to."

"I'm not gonna leave you. I'd rather stay down here than go by myself."

I felt tears begin to form. I love her so much. My selfishness wasn't going to get in the way.

"Okay." I say. "Let's go."

I'm nervous as I get up to leave. I haven't been out of my house for years but here I am. There's a surge of bravery within me, but mixed in with it is uncertainty. When I look over to Alyssa, it all makes sense.

There's worriment under her features too, but she's holding back. My sister needs me as much as I need her.

We don't grab anything before beginning our escape. There's no point in wasting time. As we leave the house I look back one more time. In the distance, I still see him up in the air. It's a haunting image.

I get into the car, shotgun and Alyssa gets into the driver side. She puts in the key, twists and twists but it won't start.

"There's something wrong." She says.

"What should we do?"

I look around. Everybody's cars are in the driveway. Something big has caused them to fail.

"Maybe it was all that ruckus we heard earlier." I say. "It sounded pretty bad. Almost like a blast."

"Shit." She says, resting her head on the steering wheel. "You're probably right."

"Let's just book it and run."

We get out of the car and I stop dead in my tracks.

He's above us.

"Run." I say, drawing Alyssa's attention. "We have to get out of here, run!"

"I-"

When I look over to my sister, I feel the blood drain from my body. Her eyes are wide, a trickle of blood is running down the side of her mouth.

"No."

She screams as blood flows from her mouth. It hits my face. Warm, just like before. Painfully she falls to the ground, her bones splintering out of her skin, twisting, folding.

"Alyssa!" I scream. When I try to run towards her, something holds me in place. I can't move.

I see the life leave her eyes as it happens. Her stomach inflates, then, it explodes.

For the third time in my life, someone has burst in front of me. For the second time, I am covered in guts.

I fall to the ground, I can move again. I can see him in the air, looking down at me.

There's a struggle on his face, displeasure. His head twitches a bit. He seems confused.

I knew him in school. Not closely, but I knew him. He wasn't like this. He was quiet, kept to himself, but helpful. He seemed well liked by anyone not named Travis. The energy emanating from this being was not the kid I went to school with. Something had replaced him.

I continue to look up at him as he begins to fly away. Why have I been spared? Why is my sister, who didn't even know him, dead on the floor.

Alexander. Alexander Hyde. That was his name.

I see him continue to float in the sky, he'll stop, look for people. If he sees them, they burst.

He's merciless as people plead to be spared. If he hears them, he does not care.

I go to Alyssa's body and bring it close to me. I hold it, sobbing. She's an empty husk now.

In the distance I hear screams.