Mesmerized | ✓

26

The video of Yuli inviting everyone to the prom spread like an infectious virus. As predicted, the people that had watched it, started behaving more like zombies than like actual human beings. The streets were once again filled with the majority of teenagers and college students as the girls gushed over the dresses they were going to buy while the boys wondered what girls they would invite to come with them.

The adults were less affected. The ones that had stumbled upon the video were very excited wanting to participate as well despite in some cases being double the age of the target demographic. But it was a rather small group and the ones that hadn't watched the invitation were very much confused as to what was happening to the town.

Yuli was all over the moon not only because so many people wanted to partake in his prom but also because people were not afraid anymore of going out. Some night clubs were even open for the public and the first night that it happened Yuli dragged Carl to the one when that poor girl had been killed.

As they walked through the entrance people immediately recognized him and started clapping and yelling as if he was a movie star. Some of them couldn't even help themselves and ran up to him, their fingers desperately reaching towards him, touching his arms, his chest and his face. All the while, Yuli seemed to be having the time of his life loving all the attention they were giving him.

He laughed, walking among the people chanting his name carrying himself with so much confidence, as if he believed that he owned the world. The poor fools behaved like Yuli was their messiah, sent from heaven to rescue them from their misery. While the truth was that Yuli was rather a creature of hell who had crawled out of some hole to cause nothing but their demise.

Carl watched it all with horror as Yuli got lost in the crowd of people worshiping him. It was appalling how quickly nearly the whole town had become enchanted, deluded, by one short video. But Carl was also jealous that so many people adored his Yuli. It was as if everything that had happened between them was no longer special.

He longed for the simple days when it had been just the two of them in his small flat, away from the whole greedy world that wanted to have Yuli all for themselves. The nightclub pounded with loud music as the everyone drank alcohol, sang the words of songs they didn't know but most importantly danced like there was no tomorrow with Yuli in the middle of it all. Shaking his hips and shoulders in a way that was a little awkward but charming for all his worshipers nonetheless Yuli gestured for Carl to join him on the dance floor.

Never able to say no to him, Carl elbowed his way through the crowd and reached Yuli who grabbed his hand and twirled him around, clearly for once too happy to be teasing his oldest victim. Carl was surprised by the sudden influx of affection but he happily went along with it wanting the fragile bubble of bliss to last as long as it could.

"Look at this, Carl!" Yuli yelled over the music gesturing at all the people dancing around them in circle, their hands joined. It looked like a cult. "Who would have thought that technology would permit something like this? I'm like their king!"

Carl couldn't help but worry as the dazed gazes landed on him, one after another. Those were hollow, dead eyes looking right through him as if he was transparent. Would they eventually go back to normal or was their zombie-like state permanent?

Yuli let go of him and grabbed one girl from the circle. She giggled, as he took her into his arms and nuzzled his nose into her neck. It took Carl only a second to realize what he was doing. The girl's body went limp in Yuli's arms and he saw a narrow stream of blood dropping down the back of her shirt. All the while Yuli was maintaining eye contact with Carl, his intense gaze piercing right through him, as if the boy was making sure that Carl knew that he was in his grasp. Which he did.