It Lives in the Shadows

## It Lives in the Shadows by Chibi-Works

There is something wrong with me. I have no idea how to explain this but there is something very wrong with me. My name is Roger Williams. I’ve had this burning hunger; it’s never filled it has been driving me mad ever since…then. It all began when I was about ten; I lived with my parents in some suburb near a forest that’s been lost in memory since I left.

My parents had just finished moving into a two story three-bedroom house. The house we lived in oversaw the beginning of a deep forest. Now as a hyperactive kid all I wanted to do was explore the forest. I imagined fighting dragons and searching for giant toe-eating monsters. But my parents were wildly against the idea; it was one of the few things they agreed on. I wasn’t very happy about this news.

One afternoon while my parents were arguing I went out to the backyard. My neighbor Travis, a fifteen-year-old boy, leaned over the fence and convinced me to tag along for an adventure. I went inside to ask my mom if I could go play with Travis and his brother. She shoved me off to continue an argument I didn’t care to listen to. Taking this as a yes, I ran out the front door to meet Travis.

Outside Travis and his little brother Cody, he was about my age, waited for me. Travis beckoned me to follow behind him as he went down a dirt path that ran between our fences. I followed swiftly happy to finally be able to explore the forest. Once we made it to the start of the forest Travis leaned on one of the thick trees grinning.

“When I was younger like you, I use to climb trees her all the time. Then it started snatching up little kids. Then no one was allowed to camp or play here anymore.” He spoke low with hints of excitement.

“What does it look like?” Cody asked, obviously scared by the idea of a monster. When I first met him he nearly wet himself. He was always such a scaredy cat.

“Well,” He cleared his throat, “No one knows this so listen up.” His voice lowered and as a result Cody and I leaned in close.

“I’ve seen it with my own eyes. It snatched up my best friend. It isn’t human at all; it’s long and black. Its head is smooth and rounded. There were these yellow eyes that beamed through the darkness, and it was as fast as lightening.”

“There’s no such thing as something as fast as lightning.” I looked at Travis completely in disbelief.

“Then what's that?” He pointed behind us to a dark patch of the forest. Cody and I looked at the patch.  There was a rustle in the distance then a-

“RAAHH!!” Travis yelled grabbing our shoulders roughly. I jumped. Then I looked at Travis with a glare which had been stopped as Cody cried. We both looked at him; his pants were wet all the way down. Travis tried to shush him as fast as he could; he knew we weren’t supposed to be there.

“Hey, c’mon Cody, stop crying. I'm sorry.” Travis pushed Cody to an old camping ground where he could take off his pants and let them dry in the sun. I followed closely examining the forest around us.

Everything was severely overgrown on this campground. I could barely read the rotting mossy signs. The little cabin over on the left-hand side near the grassy benches virtually threw up the forest. The windows were broken, the door was gone and there were green things and bugs all over it.

Looking up I saw patches of open trees were the sun beamed down onto the campsite illuminating all the lush overgrown plant life. Beyond the trees there was the cloudless blue sky. It was so cool to see, the lights and the dust and the sound of bugs! I really liked it here. I really couldn’t see why my parents didn’t want me to come here.

Bored with the spot I was inspecting I decided to take a small adventure of my own. I pretended I was in the forest searching for the fearsome shadow dragon that bites off toes.  I hopped and skipped and jumped for as long as I could before I had to sit down. I found a nice little stream and decided to put my feet in the water. There were patches of light hitting the stream and lots of shadows from the trees.

As I was taking my shoes off, I noticed there were fish in the stream. There were lots of fish, but it was weird, they all seemed to be fighting for the light spots.  I didn’t see any in the shadows of the water. I found it funny when I pushed on into the shadow it would swim around like a crazy fish until it jumped out of the water. I laughed repeating the action with a few fish. I never knew they could jump out of the water.

I averted my gaze for a minute and noticed a dense section of trees. With my imagination back at work I stood up and picked up a stick. That was the dragon’s lair! I left my shoes by the water and walked into the stream. As soon as I got to the other side, I slowly crept up to the section with my stick good and ready.  I jumped into the trees and swung my stick pretending to slay the dragon. After I had announced to myself, I had won, I felt kinda dizzy.

For a moment I thought that I was just tired because of my adventure. Or maybe I was tired because I didn’t get to have snack that day. Either way the trees started to spin around me. The lights around started to hurt my eyes, so I covered my face. I tried to leave but only wound-up tripping over my own feet. I had a thought before passing out. For one reason or another I felt a stinging hunger and all I wanted to do was eat something big. Then there was nothing.

I remember waking to lecturing with two…no, three voices. I fluttered my eyes open slightly and saw three figures lecturing Travis. Two were my parents, very unhappy and for once they were unhappy together, not at each other. The woman beside them was Ms. Anne, Travis’ and Cody’s mother. She was very tired looking, with her brown hair with clear grey strands. Then again, she was raising two boys alone. If she had been perfect looking, she probably wasn’t doing her job. Or so I was told by some of the other kids I knew in past homes.

Once they had noticed I was awake the three turned to me and began lecturing. They yelled and scolded and sternly disapproved of everything I had done, including running off alone. I felt terrible. I didn’t know that going to go on my own adventure was so bad. After they had finished their yelling, they sent me to my room.

I sat on my spaceship bed and waited. My stomach started growling but I knew if I left, they would only yell at me more. I didn’t want them to hate me too. They already hate each other so much. I looked at the window not too far from my bed, the sun was high in the air, the outside still very much lit. I sat there and watched the outside world. I saw the sky dim and change colors. I saw the clouds go from white puffs to purple puffs, to grey puffs. I watched the stars twinkle one at a time and I heard my stomach growl. I was so hungry.

I looked at my clock on my desk, it was already after nine. Mommy and daddy forgot about me again. I laid on my bed holding my stomach. It started hurting while it growled. Tears welled in my eyes, it hurt so much, and I was so hungry. Why did they hate me so much? I said I was sorry. I wish they would come in the door with something for me, but it never happened. I heard arguing and footsteps and yelling and…it made me so sad. I gave up on getting anything to eat for the night and dressed myself in my pajamas. I climbed into my bed and curled up in a ball, I cried myself to sleep that night; it helped make the pain stop.

During the night I had a nightmare. There was a dark creature clawing at me telling me how hungry it was. It said it would eat me. It was so hungry. I felt a claw sink into my shoulder and drag itself down to my wrist. I shot up in my bed screaming and crying. I was sweating and my throat had burned so much I couldn’t swallow. I sat screaming in my own urine, saliva and sweat until my parents came in. They both looked so scared, so worried about me.

It took a while, but they calmed me down and cleaned me up. They even stayed in the room with me until I fell asleep. It was like this for three weeks straight before they came one at a time…like it was just some chore to them. Each time they came in they looked so irritated, so unhappy with me. I didn’t mean it. The monster was going to eat me if I didn’t wake up. Why couldn’t they see I was scared? Or did they really just hate me that much.

Eventually they just stopped coming in my room when I screamed. I sat in my room drooling on my soaked sheets, pants wet and stinky, shirt sticking to my chest and back. I shook violently too scared to move or even think and I stayed that way. I didn’t dare move until there was sunlight in my room. The monster was in the dark…and if I left my bed, it would eat me.

Once the sun had come in, I stripped my bed and took them to the laundry room. Then I would get my clothes and go take a shower. I stood in the water idly scratching my arm. As I reached for my soap, I noticed something weird on my hand. It was red and sticky almost like it was blood. I looked down at my left arm, I saw the water hit it and wash the blood from the lines on my arm. I looked further and found there were more everywhere. I didn’t know what to do. If daddy saw this, he was going to hit me, and mommy wouldn’t believe me. I shut off the water quickly and went to dry off. My towel was white, so I needed to hide it after I finished whipping the blood and water off from me.

Then there was a knock on the door, I heard mommy asked if she could come in. I panicked telling her no I was still changing. I shoved the bloody towel under the bathroom sink and got dressed. Then I realized I had grabbed ahold of a short-sleeved T-shirt. I quickly looked around and saw my dirty clothes. I grabbed them just as mom opened the door.

“Honey, are you alright?” She asked looking at me suspiciously.

“Yeah mom, I am fine.” I flashed a toothy grin and ran out of the bathroom to hide in my room. I locked the door and hid under my desk. I had just remembered I didn’t wash the shower out. What if she finds it? Oh no she’s going to hate me. She’s going to hate me.

Then I heard it, a knock at my door. It was soft like moms. She called out to me, and I was just too scared to move. She started getting angry and yelling at me to open the door. I covered my head feeling the stinging of the cuts on my body. Then I heard louder footsteps, harder heavier ones. Before I knew it the handle had been unscrewed and the door opened. I tried to tuck myself under so they wouldn’t find me.

I saw their legs carry them into my room. Dangling just past her knee was my towel covered in my blood. I covered my face and I wished really hard for them to leave. Then dad found me and dragged me out from under the desk. I kicked and screamed; I told them I was sorry it wasn’t my fault. Then they did the one thing I was scared the most of.

They asked me what happened…

I dried my tears as best I could and told them it was the monster, the dark one from my nightmares. Of course, they didn’t believe me. After telling them the same story over and over they began to yell at me. Started saying I wasn’t telling them the truth and they wanted to know what really happened.

They assured me if I told them who did this to me, they could help me, but I knew what they really wanted. They wanted me to tell them it was me, so they never had to see me ever again. Because maybe it was me that ruined their life, they certainly act like I am the problem. I just wanted to be loved, why didn’t they love me?

After an hour they gave up and left my room. I cried. I hated it here.

Three days after this event my nightmares stopped. I wasn’t as scared of my parents, and they seemed happy with each other. I didn’t know if it was a dream or not. I hoped it wasn’t I had eaten three times a day, even had a snack or too. Dad would play with me outside while mom read her book on the porch. It felt so nice. It had stayed nice for an entire month.

Mom and I came home from school shopping one day and dad was sitting in the living room. I went to go show him my new backpack it was my birthday present from mom. I wiggled my new rocket backpack in front of him, but he didn’t respond. He smelled very bad and had an equally smelly bottle in his hand. I called for mom, and she walked over appalled. She started yelling at him saying he was a liar and how he didn’t even try.

Then dad got angry at her. He hit mommy until she fell down, I couldn’t stand by, so I started attacking him. He lifted the bottle above his head and broke it on my shoulder. It stung. I fell down too. He started yelling at her and left. It was the last time I would ever see my father. I only wanted my parents happy for my birthday. Maybe even a nice dinner. I was sad again, bleeding and sad.

A few days later it was my birthday, then school started. Mom dropped me off with a smile and I went through my day with Cody. It was my first day at middle school and I was glad Cody was there to help me.

Everything was fine. I lived with mommy, and I went to school. I played with Cody and Travis on my days off. There wasn’t much to our lives at home but without daddy at home it was nicer than when he was there. We even went out for my 11th birthday to eat at a nice restaurant together. But it all ended one day. I came back from school and mother was in the living room. She sat there pale, distraught and distant. She told me dinner was in the fridge and to eat it up then do my homework and go to bed. I did all of which without asking why.

Over the course of a month dinner and breakfast had gotten farther and farther apart. I started going to bed hungry. I started getting nightmares again but I didn’t scream. Even if I did scream mom wouldn’t come. She hasn’t left the couch in all the time I had seen her. I started visiting Cody’s house more often to swindle snacks from Ms. Anne. It went well for a while but when she started to ask why I was over so frequently I stopped showing up. I didn’t want her to know mommy didn’t love me anymore, or that mommy didn’t feed me anymore.

I walked from my room one night, stomach growling a painful growl, skin sunken under my eyes and body thinned. She had secluded herself to the living room, it was dark with the closed shades and unlit lamps. She lay on the couch facing away from the hall that leads from the front door to the stairs. She was bundled so much in the blanket I could only see her hair and pieces of her face.

“Mommy I’m hungry…”

“There is food in the fridge…eat something…” she quietly stated.

“There isn’t anything in there…” I protested.

“Then go to the store…”

I was so mad at her; it was already dark outside, and she wanted me to leave? What if I got kidnapped? Did she really hate me that much that she wanted me to go out and get killed…or eaten? I felt the tears well again and I walked up the steps. I gripped my stomach hoping if I pushed into it, I would stop it from hurting. Pushing in on it only made me start to heave. I stood outside my door, trying desperately to get rid of the nothing it had inside. Once I was done, I laid in my bed, I was too tired and too hungry to care anymore. I just wanted to die.

I closed my eyes and cried myself to sleep only to have the weirdest dream in the world. I saw me and my family move into the house, I saw me play in the forest with Travis and Cody. I saw the fighting of my parents, the dinners we never spent together, and everything after my dad left. Then I saw me lying on my bed sleeping so uncomfortably. Then my vision turned the door. I felt myself get up and wander down. The world had turned to blacks and whites as I wandered down the stairs. I stopped by the couch and moved the blankets from the pale woman. She looked just like my mother only she wasn’t.

She was fragile and weak, her cheeks sunken in from malnutrition, her hair thick and tangled as if she had not brushed it in weeks, her eyes red from tears. She looked so scared looking at me. I didn’t care though; I was just so hungry. My stomach growled violently as I felt my mouth open wide, I felt my cheeks rip and my jaw crack. She screamed as I leaned to her and…

Crunch.

She stopped screaming as I chewed and swallowed. Oh god, it made me feel so full, so happy…I walked back to my room still chewing and climbed into bed. I covered myself in my blanket swallowing the last of what was in my mouth.

I woke up the next day full, I was overjoyed even. I quickly got dressed and ran downstairs. I looked into the dim living room and told my mommy bye. I would see her later after I had a good day and maybe make her some dinner. She must be hungry too. I laughed at the thought of helping mommy while running to school with Cody.

Oh boy did I have the best day ever. I sat through all of my classes, I learned so much more than I remember learning any other day. I even played with Cody and some of his friends, ever since daddy left I would sit in the nurse’s office and sleep. All was going so well until Travis met us at the gate. He had such a look of forlorn on his face. I walked up smiling.

“What’s wrong Travis? You look so down.” I laughed poking at him. He kneeled down to me and gave me a hug. Behind him two officers walked up to greet me.

“I’m sorry son…” The older pudgier one looked at me face full of pity. “…but it seems someone has killed your mother…”

My face went pale; I started to laugh insisting it was a joke. The looks on their faces proved it was true.

“B-but I…I told her goodbye this morning…” the tears fell as I shook violently, I was so scared. ”Wh-what about my dad?” I looked up at them.

The skinner, naïve looking one looked surprised, “What do you mean what about your dad? Don’t you know?”

“Sanders…” The older one hissed kneeling next to me. “I’m sorry you didn’t know…but your father was driving drunk some time ago. He died in a car accident.”

“What…” I was so numb, I felt like my entire world had crumbled and fallen to my feet. I didn’t want them to be gone. Why would they leave me like this? It wasn’t fair. I raised my hands to my face and sobbed. I kept sobbing until my eyes were sore and face was puffed up. Once I calmed down I looked up at the older one.

“Wh…where…” I choked, I couldn’t even ask.

“Your Aunt Nadine will be picking you up, she’s out of the country at this time, but next month she will have custody of you.”

“Hey in the mean time you’re going to stay with me and Cody ‘kay?” Travis smiled rubbing my back.

“It will be like a really long slumber party!” Cody exclaimed trying to make me feel better. It would have worked; if I didn’t have this burning feeling it was all my fault. The whole situation I felt like it was all done by me. I buried my head in my hands again and cried. Travis took me and Cody home. Ms. Anne greeted us asking if I was hungry. I shook my head and went to lie on her couch. I didn’t move for two days.

It was a month long slumber party. They treated me like I was one of them, like I was their little brother. Travis snuck in big kid movies with cursing and explosions. We stayed up really late some weekends and I didn’t have a single nightmare. It was the best slumber party I had ever had. It was the only one I had ever had. But the month ran faster than I would have liked. Before I knew it my dad’s sister, Aunt Nadine, came to pick me up.

I sat on the stairs listening to her and Ms. Anne talk. They were talking about my stay here and if it wasn’t too much trouble could I stay longer. Aunty protested, she said it was a bad environment for me. Said I needed a doctor and some sort of stability in my life. Ms. Anne got mad at her, she was yelling about me needed a mother not doctor. Aunty was angered by her and went to get me from the steps. She dragged me outside to her car where all of my stuff was packed in.

I looked out the window seeing Travis and Cody outside on the porch. Cody was in tears, even Travis had to wipe his face to try and seem like the strong older brother. I waved to them flashing them a smile forcing myself not to cry. They waved back; Ms. Anne even came out to wave at me. The engine started and we drove away. I sat in the back seat silently crying about leaving them.

I felt terrible about going, but I knew I wasn’t going to leave everything behind. There was one thing I wish hadn’t followed me.

The hunger.

For twelve years I live nothing but a blur. I went to school, then work, then my therapist and then I came home. In truth I don't even remember what I did in those past twelve years. I just know I didn’t like a single moment of it. I felt so detached so lonely. There was nothing there for me even in the place I was forced to call home. My aunt was there for the most part, I think. She saw me every day and never said a word. She was so focused on her work, the money, and all the stupid shit I didn’t care for. It stressed her out often. She had medication to aid in some of the anxiety that followed with her work. Everything had stopped for her one day. It was my twenty-third birthday and I found her lying on her bed. She was grey and cold, her hand loosely clutching her chest. She was dead and I didn’t care. I thought it was the best present the world could have given me for my birthday. From this moment on I didn’t need those pills, that therapist, the stress or her.

I felt that I needed to at least attempt to have her body discovered so it didn’t just rot here in her room. I wandered to the phone still very numb from my past. I dialed 9-1-1 and held the phone to my face.

“You dialed 9-1-1, please state your emergency…” A soft voice came from the device I held to my head.

“My aunt is dead…” I mumbled.

“I’m sorry sir, can you repeat yourself?”, she pressed on.

 “My aunt is dead.” I stated, clearer this time, then hung up the phone. I packed a small backpack full of clothes and a couple books. I left my cellphone and took some money from the safe in my room. I took the elevator down to the parking structure and walked to my car. It was bland and grey just like my life was. I sat inside and only for a moment I thought I should return. After suspending such a stupid idea, I placed the key in the ignition, turned on the car and I left the apartment building. I had no idea where I was going but I had a full tank of gas and no comprehensible history. I drove for a couple hours and came to a small town. I pulled into a motel and found myself a room. It was not the most luxurious I had lived in but thinking back when I was a child this is still better.

I took my small bag and dropped it on the bed. I rubbed my stomach feeling my hunger pains come on. I sighed and took a ten and placed it in my wallet. I moseyed out of my room, locking it behind me, and started to wander around the town. I stayed on main streets and memorized them so I wouldn’t get lost trying to find my way. I entered this small little corner store on the end of one of the streets. I found some snacks I had been dying to eat.

It was mainly junk; my aunt never let me eat anything that wasn’t according to the doctor’s strict diet. Personally, I think they were just trying to torment me. I couldn’t exactly trust adults to do things for ‘the better’. Happy with my selection I made my way to the register. Behind it stood a beautiful pair of icy blue eyes draped in soft chocolate hair, surrounded by flawless tanned skin. Her name tag said Linda. I couldn’t help but stare; this was the first conscious memory of a female since my aunt or my mother.

“Will this be all?” She smiled.

“Huh…oh yeah.” I rubbed the back of my head nervously.

“You’re new around here…”, she stated happily while ringing up my total.

“Yeah, just arrived today.”  I awkwardly laughed.

“That will be $7.82.”

   I handed her the ten and she returned my change. I took my bag of junk food and left. Half way down the street I slapped myself, I can talk to anyone but I couldn’t say a thing to her. I sighed returning to my dank room. I opened a bag of chips, turned on the news and ate. I kept thinking of the icy eyes I had seen though. It caused me to return to that corner store often.

After three months, I had found a job. I was able to move out of that motel and into my girlfriend’s apartment. I think she just felt bad I lived in such a bad place. Personally, I wanted to work for my own apartment and have her move in, but this would have to do for now.

Everything was so nice. I remember this elated feeling of joy once so many years ago. Me and mother went out for my birthday. Then it hit me again, this sorrowful torment washed over my body as I unpacked one of my many boxes.

I fell to my knees panting, grabbing my stomach feeling this painful growl of hunger. It made me nauseous to the point I had to stumble to a nearby trashcan to vomit. I was heavy and shaking violently clinging to the metal bin for dear life. Linda had come into the room and saw me. Worried she rushed over to help me. I inhaled deeply and sat up. She kept asking if I was okay and I smiled nodding.

"I’m just a little under the weather.” I lied. She helped me up and brought me back to our bedroom. She laid me down telling me she was going to go the store to get some medicine for me. I nodded to her and watched her leave the bedroom.

After hearing the outside door click and the loud lock turn, I sat up. I then swung my feet off the bed and stood. I took myself to my bathroom and looked into the mirror. There stood me staring at myself. I looked fine, full of color and life. I chuckled to myself and dismissed it as just a relapse. I wandered back to my bed and tucked myself in. I allowed my eyes to close for a moment, after being sick to my stomach I did have a habit of napping. It just exhausted me.

Little did I know at the time, it wasn’t just a relapse…it was a reminder.

Over time I started having nightmares of the shadow creature. I would wake up in a cold sweat and salivating like I had when I was a kid. Often, I sat in the bathroom by the shower until morning where I would make breakfast for my Linda and pretend everything was okay. I started becoming paranoid about people. I felt that all of them had looked like my aunt…my dad…my mother. They haunted me day after day. I felt bad for Linda because I started to avoid her. I started having dreams where I ate people. I didn’t want to hurt her.

There was one day it had gotten to the point where I couldn’t stand it anymore. I took her hands and sat with her on the couch. I was filled with regret and guilt, and it showed on my face. She looked so worried.

“We can’t stay together.” My lips trembled as the words fell from my mouth. They were so heavy and discouraging.

“What?” I saw the tears well in her eyes.

"I can’t…explain it to you but for your own good I need you to leave me.” I held her hands tightly, I was shaking, and she could feel it.

“Rodger what's wrong?” she was so worried, “Why can’t you tell me?”

“Because you will think I am just as crazy as my aunt thought I was, and I can’t handle being stabbed again.” I tried to explain it loosely. She refused it and held onto me.

“Do it tomorrow then…” she sobbed, “Let me have one more night.”

I wrapped my arms around her. “You’re the greatest thing that has ever happened to me Linda…” I didn’t want to go, but I carry too much bad luck to allow her to stay with me. One more night was all we had, and I wasn’t going to let that go.

That night she slept in my arms. We were close together under the covers. I listened to her soft breath leave her mouth as I watched her sad face bury itself in my chest. My eyes closed. I only wanted to stay with her like this forever.

My hunger, however, had other ideas.

I had a clear nightmare. This time it took place right where I was lying. Beside me there was a beautiful woman consumed with sadness, then wrapped around her ever so gently was a claw. Three long fingers draped in a deep crimson and up that came an arm of pitch black. I felt my jaw snap and cheeks rip as my mouth opened wide. I saw these thin, long, monstrous, razor-sharp teeth protrude from my torn face. What followed was a long slimy tongue that burned through the fabric of the blanket as if it was made of highly acidic saliva. I saw the icy blue eyes again, only this time they were filled with fear not sorrow. They looked right at me. She mouthed words I couldn’t understand. I couldn’t help myself. I held her down and leaned towards her. I was just so hungry. When I woke up, I was facing away from Linda. I saw the dark closet filled with my clothes and the lamp on the nightstand. The alarm clock just under it read four o’clock. God, I hated when I woke up so early. I turned on my light and saw on my hand a dried crimson liquid. I shot up on my bed and looked down at my pillow. Blood.

I started to hyperventilate as my eyes slowly traveled to the other side of the bed. There were holes in Linda’s blanket and an arm lying on the bed. I stood and began walking around the bed. On the floor there was the body of my girlfriend, headless and still bleeding. I stumbled backwards trying to keep myself from screaming. I held my hand over my mouth and scurried to the bathroom. In the mirror I saw burns around my bloody mouth. I couldn’t hold it in any longer.

I screamed, turning the knob on the sink and quickly washing the blood from my face and hands. When I looked up again, I saw a tall thin shadowy figure rise behind me. I slowly turned my head and looked up at this smooth dark head on a long thin neck. His chest was like a triangle and at the bottom there was a long thick strand of darkness leading to the floor, for his arms they were long and had two of the bloody claws for hands. Its body dripped the dark shadows it came from through the stringy mess it had hanging from his limbs head and body.

It was the creature from my nightmares.

I cowered into a corner remember having the dream of eating my mother and all the nightmares of being clawed at as a child. Then I thought of Linda.

“N…no…” I trembled fiercely, my eyes trailed from the tall creature down to shadow on the floor, it dragged itself all the way to my own shadow. This wasn’t just any creature; it was a part of me.

“You will…feed me…” it demanded.

“Wh…what! No!” I protested.

“Then I will destroy you…and eat your head…” it sunk into the darkness below it.

I should have just agreed then.

I hid the body of my girlfriend and lived life more paranoid than I had before. Anyone could be next at any point, and I had no idea what to do. But it knew what it was going to do. It tormented me. It went into my memories and showed me everything I didn’t want to remember. Over time I had found these patches of skin with acidic like burns on them. I had large bald spots on my head with clear burn marks. My eyes had lost their irises and eventually my pupils. There was nothing to my sunken eyes than the veins making up for my eyes. I saw perfectly fine I just didn’t see them in the reflection. As I began to pale, I started seeing my veins more and more, they were a bluish green at one point then they all turned black.

I couldn’t breathe. This looked nothing like me. It wasn’t me at all. It is like I had my own mind, but the rest was whatever that shadow creature wanted. I slept less and eventually I quit my job. There was no way I could get back there. Not now, not ever.

One night I bundled myself up, hiding both my eyes and my hair before I walked out into the night. I wasn’t going to go far, eventually I would be found out but what was I going to say. There was this shadow walking creature making me do things I didn’t want to do. No that was stupid; they would lock me up forever. Well…they were going to lock me up regardless I suppose. There was a slight fog tonight, which wasn’t too abnormal. But what was abnormal was this person running down the street screaming. She stumbled and fell and behind her came a girl in black pigtails. She sat on top of the woman screaming for help and plucked out her eyes. Then just as fast at the girl had come, she disappeared into the fog. I walked over to the woman lying there begging for help bleeding from her eye sockets.

“Eat…it…” the shadow ordered. I sat by the woman and obeyed.

got home that night, leaving the woman to bleed on the ground. I sat in my dark apartment dripping blood from my lips, still chewing on remnants of the head.  I swallowed feeling full. It made me wonder how long it was going to last. How long would I be full?

Nearly a week later I was arrested. They found my girlfriends body and countless others with missing heads. Their search led them to me. I sat in my cold seat facing the one way glass bundled to hide all of my defects. The people interrogating me pressed on about the missing heads. I only responded in silence. They called me a sick bastard; they threatened I would never return from where I was coming from. I merely looked at them from behind my shaded lenses. I was hoping that would happen, this way I didn’t have to eat anyone else.

“Rodger, you need to tell us where the heads are…” The older one pleaded nicely. He reminded me of the officer that visited me at school when I was a child.

“They are gone…” I responded honestly, because there was no way they were going to have the heads back at this point.

“What do you mean gone?”, he asked.

“You will never see them again.” I said, keeping my gaze on him.

“Can you remove those glasses please?”, he demanded.

“If you want…” I lifted my gloved hands to my face and grabbed the arm to my glasses. I placed them down on the table and looked at him. He took a step away from me looking like he had seen a ghost. I then gave up on hiding it; I removed my gloves on my burnt fingers, my hat hiding the bald patches of melted skin, and the coat hiding my black veins and bruised skin. All that was left was me in my white button up shirt and my blue jeans then shoes.

“My god…” he stumbled back. I guess I was that monster shadow creature wanted because at this point, I was hungry. I wanted his head.

I left the police station riddled with blood and headless bodies. The shadow was content and told me he was going to rest for a while. It said it wanted me to go into the forest and keep walking. I lost myself. There was no more of this pleasant Rodger there used to be. It didn’t sicken me as much as I thought; after all I was just the shadows' host.