“Where are we, what town?” My best friend of fifteen years says.
“Not sure but it’s my great uncles house, well, my house I think.”
Strolling, my eyes glance at the rotting oak tree in the front yard. Then they wander to the dingy white door, the paint peeling, the first sign of zero upkeep.
“What happened to him anyway,” Marley asked.
“He went missing, we don’t know... he’s probably dead.”
Saying that sentence didn’t phase me. Why didn’t this bother me? Why am I okay that my Uncle is gone? Yeah he was a complete psych, but nonetheless he was family.
I finagled the key to fit in rusted lock, the door opened half way and stopped. ‘That’s weird’ I thought. I let Marley in before myself, then I followed her to the kitchen checking behind the door first. A pile of moving boxes were stacked, all labeled “DONT OPEN WITHOUT ME!” written in sloppy lettering.
The orangey-brown hardwood floors were dusty. I made my way to the broom closet to find a mop. When I opened the door the odor of sulfur flooded the room, my first instinct was involuntary and I began choking on the air.
“Are you oka- what the hell is that smell!”
“I don’t know... but I want to.”
I pulled the Kiss tee over my nose and moved the brooms out of the way. ‘It’s stuck’ I thought, trying to push the dust pan out of the way.
“Let me do it, Armstrong,” Marley said sarcastically.
She put all of her weight and pulled. A loud sound emerged from the closet; crackling and the thumping of Marley falling back and hitting the floor.
“It’s a room.”
“A very bright room,” she said surprised. We had just found out the power had been cut off before making our way over here. As far as we could see there were no windows, the light source was anonymous from what we could tell on the outside.
“Wanna go in?” Marley has always been the daring friend as to me who’s always careful about everything.
“One second,” I replied, running to the kitchen to grab a towel in case of cobwebs.
I got the towel and ran back.
“Marley?”
She was gone; completely out of sight.
“Leave while you can, princess,” said his voice. But... he’s gone. A shiver ran down my spine. He’s not here I continued to think. He’s not here. A scream rang out through the musty house.
I left. I left Marley in there with him. The scream being the last thing I heard of her.
Crap. Her brother’s going to kill me.
Well this is different, she thought. She walked this path daily, but this was new. She was a discoverer, searcher if you will. She’s been that way always, it got even more intense after her brother died. He introduced her to the art of finding random things that are much cooler than they appear. She found use of every piece of broken metal, and old glass bottles throw within the slick leaves. “Hello?” she called out into the moss covered, castle like walls. She continued walking. Her nerves were on edge today, every little noise scared her, she heard something scurry past her feet, “What was that?” She kept walking, cautiously, through the darkening walled in nature. It looked like someone abandoned a mansion or historical building.
She finally saw light again, her heart slowed slightly, well she didn’t hear it anymore.
She saw it, and him. She knows him, she really does. But, from where? Oh, she wouldn’t remember anyway, she sees so many people in that hospital.
“What do you mean it’s an issue?”
He just didn’t get it did he? Why should he, it’s not like he knows that I read his text messages. He left his phone unlocked and “Andrew” wanted to know if going to “Ristorante della pace” was a good idea for this weekend. Everyone knows friends don’t go there together, that’s the only romantic restaurant in town, and I know he wouldn’t go with Andrew.
“Because I want to know who you are actually going to the restaurant with!”
His face drained of all color then almost instantly became bright red as a Christmas bulb.
“You’re a bad liar Frankie. Because Andrew wouldn’t want to go to that Italian place with you, so who is it really?”
He shook his head in denial and began to walk away.
“It’s none of your business that’s what it is.”
“Frankie this has happened to us before, the exact same way may I add, so just tell me who it is! And maybe just maybe I’ll be fine with it.”
He smiled a malicious smile, “You’re not gonna like it.”
My breathing intensified hoping it wasn’t ‘her’.
“Lydia,” he said with a smirk on his face.
His ex-girlfriend; of course.
He opened the apartment door to leave, grabbing a light jacket to block the light mist falling from the sky.
“I can’t believe you’re going with her! I’m your girlfriend!”
“Yeah, but you’re just... not her,” Frankie stepped out the door and left without another word.
Sitting lonesome at my local coffee shop, I feel a pair of eyes burning holes in the back of my head.
Looking around, everyone seems totally casual. There is a woman with three young children in the red corner booth; where I usually read. There is a man reading a newspaper sitting at the bar stool by the front window. And the three baristas; Marcus, Beatrice, and Janette.
After putting my eyes back to the English class read in my hands, the uneasy feeling of staring eyes is back once again.
This time, rather than just looking around I pull my phone out of my small white shoulder purse, and put the camera to selfie mode. The mother and her children got up to leave, the woman’s brown curly hair was in disarray and the children looked angered, as if they had just been told no to another hot chocolate.
The baristas were making coffees and putting together pastries for takeout orders.
The man hasn’t flipped the pages. It’s been the same picture, of a baseball player swinging his bat, since the last time I looked around. In fact, my dad was reading that article last week, I know because he got all excited and showed me that his favorite player would be doing a tour with some other old players, or something to that effect.
I turned my phone off, and pushed it back into my purse; I really do need a new one. I finished the last sip of my peppermint coffee, I stood up slowly and went over to the trash can near the exit. I threw out my cup and opened the door. As I did so, the man with the old newspaper, folded it up and stood quickly to grab the door I had just opened.
He nodded, as if to say thank you I guess, and I began down the street. I still feel the eyes on the back of my head as I walk. My heart beats faster. The only thing I hear is it’s beating. I look around anxiously and the man from the cafe is following me. I’ve never seen him before; this town isn’t that big, I know most people.
I pick up my speed, with longer strides and a steady breathe. The next street corner I turn right, hoping to lose him. He’s gone. Finally... wait... I turn around hoping he isn’t still there and he is closer. There goes my heart beat again, faster and faster than before. He’s so close I can feel his presence behind me. I don’t turn around to appear calm; I’m most definitely not calm.
I turn another corner.
“No.... no....”
When I saw the scars I panicked. What was I supposed to do tell my friends, what would they tell me? Am I going crazy or do more people have them than I thought? When I get to school I ignore everyone around me, even my best friend. These people might not be people after all, there is way to many with the same long narrow scar behind their ears and under their chins. Is this even possible? I’ve gone to school with most of these kids since grade one and now I’m just noticing this. What if my parents have them to? My boyfriend since grade seven has them to; Ethen Loryol. When we kissed I never saw them. Maybe I’m the different one for not having them but it is possible something is taking over their bodies, like a weird parasite. And maybe the scars are where the parasite infects you and I just haven’t gotten it; yet.
For the rest of the day I ignore everyone with the markings. I don’t want something to happen, but since this morning, more and more people have them. After I sprint home I go on my computer. There is news articles about it and towns are disappearing after everyone from it has been affected. Scientists can’t figure out what it is, but as I read more and more and it gets later into the night my mom comes in my room.
“Hello Grace, it’s mom. You need sleep now. It may affect you as it has us.” She ruffles in a monotone voice, I nod my head and lay down with my curling wand in hand. That’s all I have to protect me. She didn’t act like that when I got home but I’m scared now so I try to sleep, but I can’t and my neck starts hurting again, pulsing, pushing through my veins. What is inside me!?