Note: This was a story that me and my friend wrote years ago. Hope you enjoy!

With another tremendous yawn, she lay down wrapping the overcoat around her as a blanket. Her body relaxed slightly. Amidst the pangs of hunger and stabs of ache, sleep finally took over.

The spell broke, and just like that, she could see everything with fresh eyes.

The harsh rays of sun broke her dreamless slumber. Getting up, she noticed she was down on the floor. Even after sleeping on couches for years she still hadn't got over the habit of turning and kicking in sleep. As she tried to get up, a yelp escaped her lips as pain stabbed her ankle. Groaning, she got up and sat on the sofa. Massaging her legs she got up again to leave since 24 hours would be up by the time she left. Still pondering over how to leave she got up.

That was when the surroundings caught her eye. The peeling wallpaper caught her eye. Different hues of pale skinny colour were patterned in a weird collage. Each and every part of the wall and the ceiling was papered. Walking closer, she stared at the wallpaper. Somehow it seemed like the papers were detaching from its corners.

Something stuck her and she brutally ripped off a peeling paper. She stared at the peel, it was unnaturally soft. It was eerily satisfying. Throwing it down she peeled off another paper. The best feeling was getting a long peel, similar to the skin which you peeled after sunburn. And soon it seemed like a game. Peel after peel littered the dusty floor.

After removing the wallpaper for quite some time, she stepped behind to check her handiwork. Realizing she had barely made a dent, she soon stepped ahead and started peeling when she noticed her hand. Slight traces of red tinged her fingers. Scrunching her nose she looked around in confusion. She picked up something red glistening amongst the wallpaper. It was dried up. She examined it for a second and realized the peel was glued with something red and sticky.

Throwing the peel down, she looked at the exposed part of the wall. It was painted red. Maybe the glue had colored the wall too. She roamed the house for a bit, and an enormous French window caught her eye. Some of the grills were broken and the glass missing. She looked through it. She half fell down from the window in shock as she looked.

In the garage, she saw flies buzzing over something drenched in red. Scared, she stumbled behind almost falling on her sprained leg. Breathing heavily she looked at her fingers and realized what this glue was. The wallpaper she had been peeling was skin. Quivering like a leaf, she felt bile rising up her throat.

Staggering behind as if in a daze, she bumped against the opposite wall. The bump woke her from the trance, and she let out an ear splitting scream, pulling away from the wall as if it had stabbed her. And she started running, speeding up like never before.

Racing like a cheetah, she reached and bumped into the front door. She distinctly remembered that she had never locked it. Panic struck her as she started breathing heavily. Heaving loudly, she fell down and shivered violently. Her heart pounded as her hands stained in red turned numb. The temperature around her seemingly dropped as stars and darkness clouded her vision.

Days of hunger had addled the functioning of her brain. Her strength was waning dangerously as she got back up onto her feet. Strutting weakly through the house she searched the pantry in hope of some food. Suddenly a larder caught her eye. When she swung it open all that greeted her was dust. Annoyed, she shut the door with a bang that echoed dangerously.

Suddenly a tubewell on the other end of the kitchen balcony caught her eye. Running to it as if it would dish out ambrosia, she tried to yank its handle so that she could have some water. After struggling for more than an hour, a few drops of water finally quenched her thirst. Satisfied, she sat down satisfied. Suddenly, something red glinted and she stared horror struck. Her hands were soaking red. Did she just drink.... blood?

Trembling violently, she looked again. Her hands were wet but not red. Her mind tried to soothe her saying she was hallucinating because of days of hunger.

Suddenly, she noticed a blood red pomegranate in the orchard. Immediately trying to get up, she fell flat on her face. She screamed loudly as the sprain in her leg worsened. Groaning, she felt weak as stars and darkness clouded her vision. Trying to get up, shot another stab of pain through her leg. Trying to drag her body towards the pomegranate, she felt the pain and weakness trying to pull her behind.

After struggling for quite some time, she finally reached the pomegranate. Just as her hands gripped tightly on the pomegranate, the director screamed, "Cut!"

Breathing heavily in relief she got up as rounds of "Good job, Emily!" and "Sensational, this will be a blockbuster."

Smiling she got up, as her manager ran up to her and said, "Thank god! This ordeal is over. That director is slightly off. Not telling the script so that he could catch your natural expressions..."

The premiere screened for the critics went quite well. The movie would surely be a blockbuster but he wasn't satisfied. He wanted to etch his masterpiece in the audience's mind. For that he had the perfect idea. Staring at the empty vial, a maniacal grin erupted on his face.

Watching, the unsuspecting Emily sip the wine, his grin broadened. The leading lady choked and trembled as seizures attacked her. Kneeling down next to her, he whispered, "They will always remember you as the best actress, my sweet."

Laughing maniacally he left, as she lost the battle to death.

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