I felt like my head would explode at any moment, I tried to breathe but I only felt water begin to deep into my mouth. ‘What?’ I though, I opened my eyes; it was dark. I hurriedly swam up, as soon as I reached the surface I gasped for air. Coughing as I tried to stay afloat.

I looked around, I’m in the river that cuts through the town I live in. I swam towards the river bank, pulling myself up as fast as I could.

As I lay on the ground I breathed heavily, trying to catch my breath. ‘How did I end up in the river? How far away from home am I?’ I asked myself.

I tried calling for help but my throat began to hurt like someone was stabbing it, I coughed, and sat up. I looked around to see familiar woods surrounding me. ‘Not too far away, thankfully.’ I thought. ‘But that doesn’t answer the former question. How did I end up in the river?’ I stood, my body hurting everywhere, I slowly began walking North, towards home. Searching my mind for answers that were clearly not there.

As I walked I felt my head throbbing, I kept feeling dizzy; stumbling on twigs and almost falling down countless times. ‘Why does my head hurt?’ I put my hand on the spot where my head hurt the most and looked at my head. ‘Blood?’ I looked at the blood confused. I felt like passing out, but if I did I would end up being food for wild animals. And I wouldn’t find answers about what happened.

I finally reached the outskirts of the woods and seen the lights from town, relief flooded my body. I smiled and tried laughing but the pain from my throat prevented it. ‘Damn.’ I looked over and seen a coyote staring at me from across a field. My heart sank, ‘I can’t scream. I can’t even swallow without being in so much pain that death would be a mercy. What do I do? What if the coyote attacks me?’

I began to slowly make my way towards the dirt road that lay only a few paces away. I kept my eyes on the coyote, before I got the road it ran away. I breathed out a sigh of relief. And began walking home.

The more I walked the more my entire body hurt, it felt like my bones were going to break at any moment. Slowly I made it to town.

I could tell it took me over an hour to get there by the level of activity in town; no one was out. ‘It has to be past 2am now. That means my husband is going to be home soon. He can help me.’

As I turned down the street I lived on I heard something behind me, ‘the coyote?’ I looked at the small dog like figure in the dark, ‘why did it… doesn’t matter. I’m almost home. Just keep moving.’ I thought as I slowly walked away from the shadowy figure.

I seen my house, the porch light was on but none were on inside; nor was there any car outside. ‘My husband isn’t home yet? That’s weird. He’s usually home by 2:15. Maybe I overestimated the time?’ I thought as I reached the front porch and lifted up the welcome mat, revealing the spare key we keep there.

I opened the door, I breathed in; the smell of my husband’s cologne entered my nostrils. ‘That’s weird. He never wears cologne…’. I felt a pit in my stomach grow more and more as I made my way into our bedroom.

A moan came from the bed, it was a woman. I froze, she breathed in and chuckled. “Hey Dylan, was wondering why it took you so long to come back. How did it go, honey?” Her voice sounded familiar. I stared at her, as she turned on the bedside lamp. ‘Morgan?’ I was horrified.

‘Why the hell is my best friend in my bed, calling my husband honey? Are… are they…’. I stared at her, filled with disgust, anger and betrayal. Her eyes became wide, fear radiated from them.

I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I lunged at her.

My husband’s truck pulled up into the driveway, I looked up and dragged Morgan’s body into the the kitchen. I sat her down on the dining room seat and stood in the corner.

My husband opened the front door and seen her past the wall that separated the living room from the kitchen. “Hey babe… had a hard time today. They kept asking me the same questions, but,” he turned the corner and seen her. Then he seen me.

“What the..”. He said, staring at me in disbelief. I stared back as the rage inside me swirled. ‘He’s cheating.’ I stepped towards him, he stepped back. “But you… you’re not… you can’t be..”. He stuttered.

I cocked my head sideways as I waited for his explanation to what was going on. But his eyes only reflected the same amount of fear as Morgan’s.

‘He knows he caught’, I smiled. Reaching out to him as I approached, “no!” He yelled, “you’re not real! You’re dead!” I stopped and looked at him and shook my head, pointing at Morgan. “No..”. I said through a hoarse voice, “she is. Not me.”

He went white. “Mor-gan?” His eyes turned away from me staring at his dead side piece. He began crying, “no.” He said softly and he reached for her.

I got enraged again, I moved in front of him. I touched his hand, he screamed and got as far back from me as he could. “YOU CANT BE REAL! YOU’RE DEAD!” I shook my head. “YES! I KNOW YOU ARE! I KILLED YOU MYSELF!” He screamed.

I looked at him confusingly, and blinked. Getting flashbacks. His hands around my throat, him telling me to die. Him taking my head and bashing it against a rock. His feet smashing my arms, and legs; breaking them.

I blinked again. But when I blinked again I was seeing it again. Dylan dragging me into the truck and driving me to the river, then him dragging me out and throwing me over the bridge. Landing in the water. I floated away, as I watched him get back into his truck. I blinked, but it didn’t go away. I felt my airway get tight as I remembered struggling to stay afloat. Then getting hit in the head by a large rock in the water.

“You… tried to kill me.” I said. He shook his head. “No. I did kill you. You were dead.”

I got angry once again, “YOU TRIED TO KILL ME!” I screamed. He covered his ears, his body shook.

I couldn’t stop myself from attacking him. He ended up just like Morgan. As I walked through the house towards the exit I looked over in the mirror.

I stopped. My skin was pale, my eyes sunken in; brusing was around my throat and all over my body. My stomach was bloated, as were most of the other parts of my body. My fingers were almost black, and the skin around them were torn revealing the bone. I looked at my face again. I put my hand on my face, and tried to fix it; but it began to peel and fall away reveling my teeth and cheek bone.

I ran back into the kitchen, going to the refrigerator. January 4th, 2023… ‘but.. that day… was… January 1st.’