Day 1: Over Due Latin Homework

What was to be a normal boring Friday, unfolds into what this story has in store. Prepare to meet the characters who's fate will be decided.

Click-clack click-clack, the keyboard sings through the apartment not a crummy empty apartment but clean and temporary, or so I'm told. Slowly I write the first line only to be backspaced into nothing, you have to be careful when wright one of the most deadly English assignment the research paper. Yet still all I have is a name and the title "Farming Hazards", a dull but expected topic in South Dakota. My dad could've helped with this since his parents worked on a farm his chores all summer day by day nothing but manual labor; he hated it. Now dad it sitting at and office his keyboard clicking and clacking just like mine, probably faster and much more productive though. Slowly bit by bit from starring at the blinking curser its giggles ringing in my ears my head slid into my hands, and my blonde hair masked my face from the empty paper screaming of zeros. My fingers dig at my roots, letting heavy sighs past my lips the boring yet frustrating paper had taken its toll. I have two more days to spend clicking away at it, but somehow I know I'll have some un-needed concern to erase my thought-to-be-mistakes. Maybe dad will come home early he could easily help out with this-

My thoughts snipped with the sudden shock of needles and reflexes stand my body up making my long blonde hair drift back to my shoulders. Green eyes widen are commanded to scan the room by enhanced senses reacting as they should, trembling with fear as I focused on the walls my gaze crawling to the window reflecting the evening suns bloom. Arms tense as my heart beat exaggerated, and finally my control is returned letting out a shaky sigh. The reason for my sudden shock; a creaky floor board and a major anxiety disorder. Slowly my senses came to the thought that it was just a random creek- again the floor board cries as weight crushes its slender body, again my heart pounds. It's just a random creek-CREEK nothing to be afraid of-CREEK, my mind takes control and wonders around the apartment. Random creek or not my mind wouldn't ignore it; with a heavy breath bravery I stalk the sound to the wall neighboring the apartment. Climbing on top of the kitchen counter I place my ear on the wall, was this what made my anxiety go off? Quickly I jump of the counter and leave the kitchen should've known the neighbors wouldn't replace that awful bed.

I wonder to the main entrance not wanting to look at the devilish curser. Maybe I could complain about that squeaky bed or just buy them a new one at this, shivers invade my spine at the thought of many sleepless nights. A thump on the door drove me from my thoughts, sounding more like someone was slapping it more than knocking. I let out a heavy sigh knowing it was probably our opposite neighbor Mrs. Gannerl complaining that me and my boyfriend are too young for such horseplay, little does she know it's not my squeaky bed or me and my if any imaginary boyfriend. I release the door from its bolted lock and flimsy chain letting the door moan as it opened, but it wasn't Mrs. Gannerl on the other side. A boy with ink black hair stretched his arms out at me groaning and snapping his teeth, eyes rolled back in his skull as it limped for a juicy bite of my pale skin, fears sudden freeze didn't stop me from slamming the door on its face. I push my body against the door gasping for air as I take in what was banging on the front door, my heart climaxed only to be met by an annoyed groan as the thing on the other side of the door cried "Emma? EMMAAAAAAAA!" my eyes narrowed knowing well who the jerk was, "Come on open up! I was just kidding, you really are afraid of zombies." Okay, so my true fear anxiety or not was a fictional and unrealistic creature, big deal.

I swing the door open and let my old friend scurry inside, with his glasses placed back in front of his bright gray eyes his black hair combed out and mouth showing a cunning smile instead of chopping teeth, I realized it was none other than Kyle. "What're you doing over here?" I asked as I latched and locked the door.

Kyle widen his eyes looking offended by my forgetful mind, "I'm supposed to help you with your research."

I relaxed a little and realized why I hadn't expected him "What's the catch?" I quizzed him, "You never help anyone with any English assignment." I knew Kyle too well, ever since he was dared to poke me (catching cuties of course) which brought me to punch somehow created a friendship.

  Kyle took a deep breath preparing to admit it, "I need help with homework." A big smile on my face appeared he knew what was coming.

“Say pleeeeeaseeeeee.” It was fun playing the role he always got for once.

Kyle put up his hands like a begging dog and mimicked “Pleeeeeeeeaseeeeeeeee.” I opened my hand and he dropped in a packet of paper all in the gibberish language of Latin.

I looked at closely flipping page by page, “This was due a week ago you know.” A look of annoyance on mentioning and a little self-disappointment brought me not to talk about it. Kyle was already at the computer typing away, his memory proved to be better than my own. I jump on the far side of the desk and study the strange squiggles translating nonsense of the dead language to some understanding.

“Did you hear what happened?” Kyle asked his voice smooth and calm and not waiting for my reply, “Some lady was walking on Perry St. and an old man bit her right on the collar bone, it took three men just to pull him off.”

“Druggies.” I didn’t even look up from Kyle’s overdue assignment, even though we were just in South Dakota doesn’t mean we haven’t seen drugs before. Honestly it wouldn’t be the first time some guy huffed bath salts and ate someone’s face off.

Kyle put his head on his hand looking up to me sitting on the desk, his brown eyes wanted to catch this reaction, “I thought it was a druggy too, until I found out Mr. Blankenship bit her.” His eyes got what they waited for as it struck me. Mr. Blankenship our 10^th grade history teacher bit a random woman, he always preached about not doing drugs or drinking alcohol yet here he was biting women. What stood out the most about this story was Mr. Blankenship was 5,0” yet it took three men to pull him off.

I set the papers down and study Kyle’s’ amused face, “Bull.” I called and his look of offense came back, but was quickly replace with a look of challenge.

“Oh yeah,” he declared as he clicked in the news stations site the home page was covered with the bloody lady and Mr. Blankenship’s face. I look over to Kyle with absolute shock finding he had nothing but a smug smile. Scanning the page I read pretty much the same story Kyle had told.

Too lazy to bother reading the rest I turned to Kyle, “What drug did he use?”

Kyle sigh knowing he had to explain it or I’d bug him all night about it, also knowing my laziness was a lot stronger than his stubborn actions “He ran off after they pulled him off, police are still looking for him.” I felt a chill run down my spine, the thoughts of some rabid druggy running around devouring people didn’t sit too well with me. I felt the cold breeze on my arms as hair stood, my heart pounded a little too hard on my chest I began to shut down in front of Kyle it use too happen a lot in school . . . but rarely anyone noticed.

“Emma?” I felt a hand on my arm, I was standing in the middle of the room probably was trying to make sure Mr. Blankenship didn’t break through a window or something irrational. Kyle’s grey eyes looked a little worried like a storm cloud, defiantly all amusement drained from his face.

“Let’s just get back to the homework.” I said pushing past him, he knew all too much of my anxiety sometimes he’d forget treating me like I can handle dramatic possibilities, after that he remembers what makes me unusual. We were half way from the computer when we heard her.

Her screams vibrated the walls of shier horror, me and Kyle didn’t miss a beat to swing the door open. The sight was never to be unseen, our first experience with . . . them. Mrs. Gannerl was outside the door an old plump woman with grey hair and a green Christmassy sweet even though it was April. Her hair was speckled with crimson her make-up frosted fake was smeared with the dark blood, while a pulsing vein was pinched in between whitened teeth. The vein led down to the neighbor I never got to know, her eyes full of fear and a gap gone from her neck she gasped but could no longer fight. Her brown hair was soaked a mop of blood, a struggle was shown on the wall behind them as her blood painted the white void and the unknown neighbor nude concluding what the squeaking once was and would no longer occur.

Now I was stunned, now my body grew numb and limp, now fear gave the full flick of its deadly whip, now I couldn’t move. Kyle was the one that kicked the snarling Mrs. Gannerl over, and shut the door on her bolting and chaining the door. Yet I still stood staring at the plain white door as the plump old woman threw herself against it, yet the sound of the bashing was absent.

“EMMA!” Kyle yelled to me, my face not a few inches from his as he shook my shoulders calling my name. Finally I look at him his eye were open and jumpy, but strangely he manage to breathe a shuttered breath his voice cracking in fear as he tried to bring me back “Emma. We need to leave, where’s your keys?” As if the question was sunlight itself warmth fled into my body my body filling with adrenaline I rush to my bag and grab the keys, as the doors bolted lock gave way. I look back knowing Mrs. Gannerl was going to come for us only to find that chain, god thank that girly chain held back the beast on the other side.

“KYLE!” I yelled for him as I walked into the living room, he followed close behind as I opened the door to the fire escape. It all happened so fast, as the door snapped and cracked and we ran down 4 flights of stairs from the fire escape. I thought she would come for us knowing well how to get out of the apartment, but she never so much as stuck her head out the window.

 The relief didn’t last long, a young boy I knew who leaved in the apartments named Tyler was outside waiting at the bottom, “Tyler you need to get out of here!” I called down as me and Kyle flew from the steps. At first I thought he was in shock, until I was answered with a growl Tyler’s arms were covered in bites and his clothes splattered with blood even some was dragged all over his blue bike helmet. Kyle and me kept running we past everyone we saw, bloody or not until we reached a white Subaru a gift from my aunt. We jumped into the leather seats locking the doors and franticly rolling up windows, finally the car starts and I drive off on the road leaving us to sigh a bit of relief.

I look to Kyle his face white as bone and his eyes scanning alongside the road, we watched people begging for help others running and screaming, police officers wounding others to get away children crying, adults crying, everyone crying. “Where are we even going to go?” I asked in a voice soft with sympathy and yet I still kept driving past them, all of them who were crying and running.

Kyle couldn’t even look at me, he couldn’t even look out the window anymore “I don’t know . . .” He said pausing for a long time. I just drove out to the far sides of the city we didn’t talk we couldn’t talk not after seeing what we were so unsure of, until a sign passes by talking about another Wall Drug sign “I remember counting those when we went to camp.” My tone was kind of sad, but so was the smile Kyle had.

“Yeah, I lived in South Dakota all my life but never been to Wall Drug.” Suddenly I saw something on his face something new, something needed. “Are camp!” He sang full of excitement “me and my family went to a cabin we owned, we always went there after camp!”

I gave Kyle a strange look, it was nice to see excitement but why over a cabin in the middle of chaos, “What about it?” I asked knowing it’d be bad to be left in the dark.

“It’s up in the middle of nowhere in Minnesota; it’s perfectly far from this.” Kyle said as he gestured to pretty much everything. “We can hide out until this is over.” I’ll admit it the idea was very tempting, and honestly a pretty good one too. I look back at him freaking out as we passed by the mall, I wasn’t daring to enter there, still Kyle gave back some hope. The bright sunset flashed in my face as we headed back towards town, it’s bright warming glare took away most of the road. Finally some tall pines reach and snatch the blinding rays away only to reveal a tall skinny bloody man standing in the middle of the road all but too late.

I woke up surrounded by glass shards and packed in the metal car, the night giving a eerie look to the empty plains. The windshield was busted, the tall bloody man gone. I sit up in my seat my brain still in a haze, sight in a blur slowly I crawl from the wreck. My vision returned and so did my memory I scan the ground and look in the car my heart pounded my eyes struck with shock fear and anxiety pushing in all the possibilities. Worries grow as I come to find Kyle was gone.

Author's Note

Tell me if you like it, tell me why you don't. Most importantly tell me if you want more.