The park.
It was the last solid memory she had from that night. Without second thought, she quickly found her shoes before speeding out of the apartment.
The sun was just going down, but the park was already cleared out. The July heat had probably veered most patrons away during daylight. Cutting through the playground, she started on to the trail she normally would take.
The air was thick. It was a clear night, but she felt as though a heavy fog coiled around her limbs. The winding trail took her at a sharp right and the foliage swallowed the entrance.
A stick snapped beneath her foot and a bloodcurdling scream shattered the still air. Val ducked to her knees and whipped her head in all directions. She was met with still-empty trails and gently swaying leaves from the overarching branches. When nothing moved, she stood back up and spun in a tight circle.
A sudden movement in the trees above. Something large dashed through the branches, then vanished. She took a step forward. Nothing else happened so she took another, more hesitantly this time.
“No! Please! Help!”
It was the woman’s voice again.
“Where are you?!” Val darted towards her, the sound of heavy footsteps louder ahead. Rounding the corner, a thin woman with dark hair stumbled out of the woods and fell in front of her. The brush had ripped her clothes and she was bleeding heavily.
“It’s okay!” Val rushed to the woman’s side. “I’m a nurse.”
“Make it stop!”
Val started, then skidded away from the body. The woman’s hair veiled her face, but Val already knew who she was.
The voice was hers.
As suddenly as she appeared, the woman dispersed into smoke and the violent crashing from the treetops returned. Behind her this time. A second later, in front. Now it was simultaneously on both sides.
Val broke into a sprint. More branches broke behind her and another shriek blasted. The spider-like creeping sensation on her neck was now akin to stabbing blades. The chill dropped to a freezing vacuum.
Deep panting and growls compounded on the roaring mix, and Val kicked at the ground harder, forcing herself to exceed what was currently her max.
Half a mile. It was less than half a mile before she reached the exit. It was—
A gust of cold wind crashed into her chest and slammed her onto her back. Gasping for breath, her scream caught in her throat. Everything went black and she could feel an invisible pressure on her chest. The audible crack of ribs sent her into shock and the gate suppressing memory collapsed.
It was Tuesday night.
Val was bobbing her head to upbeat electronic pop blaring through her earbuds. A sound louder than the music rumbled through the trail. The noise had prefaced movement in the surrounding brush and Val spotted something speeding in time with her strides.
She brought her body to a standstill and paused the music. “Who’s there?” The only sign of life was the chorus of crickets. Confident she’d imagined things, she resumed her music and continued jogging towards the park’s exit.
About half a mile later, there was more rustling. It was fine. She wasn’t the nervous type. Though she’d slacked off on lessons since nursing school picked up, she was still a first-degree black belt. If there was some creep lurking about, she could take him. But there was something…
Another quick check over her shoulder again proved she was alone. Maybe it was just the growing darkness coupling stress. Just an hour ago, she’d been studying in preparation for fall classes. And of course, there was the argu— she caught herself with a roll of the eyes— “strong discussion,” she’d had with her parents in regard to missing her great aunt’s birthday. That’s all it was. But even still, Val couldn’t help but steal another glance to the woods.
She screamed.
Any confidence she had imploded to nothingness as she skidded to a halt, nearly crashing to the ground, before quickly backing away. There was something large crouched on all fours in front of her.
Her already rapid heartbeat spiked as fear inflamed adrenaline. She pushed her tired muscles to their limit and broke into a full sprint. Branches snapped and the snarls increased, but no matter how many times she turned around, there was nothing.
It pounced before she rounded the next bend. Claws dug into her bare calves. She screamed in agony as they slowly ripped through her flesh, setting every nerve ablaze. The claws finally pulled out of her legs and she collapsed to the ground. As soon as she hit the dirt, her instincts awoke, and reflexes forged from years of martial arts took over.
She swung a fist at her attacker and connected directly with its face. A horrible screech, like a pig squealing, echoed through the abandoned trails as the creature stumbled back. Val opened her eyes and took in the twisted details before her; she regretted it immediately.
Pale, corpse-grey skin was covered in deep scratches and knotted scar tissue. It was humanoid with two defined legs but had hunched its grotesque body to rest on all fours. Each hand ended in long, black talons that were slick with red. Saliva dripped from sharp teeth—practically fangs—as it stepped closer. Val wanted to look away but was paralyzed in its gaze. It stole two more steps, then leapt into the nearest tree overlooking the path. The monster peered down at her and moonlight illuminated its entire face.
Her blood chilled as she locked eyes with the creature— eyes, that in the glow of the moon, looked… human.
The spell broke and Val turned to flee in the opposite direction. She had to find a place to hide—she knew she’d never make it to the entrance.
She limped toward a goal she knew she couldn’t make, the rustling in the treetops growing louder. Using all the energy left in her body, she managed to drag herself behind the trunk of a large hemlock tree. She prepared herself for the worst and looked down to check the damage. Five deep, jagged gashes ran the length of her calves, thinning out at her ankles. The trailing blood mixed with dirt to form a sickening black ichor that seeped from the lacerations. She tenderly tried to dab away some of the blood with a leaf, but the pain was too much. When she looked again, she was horrified to see pink tissue within her leg.
All was silent, and for a brief moment, she wondered if she had lost her pursuer. She tried to peek around the other side of the tree, but her muscles stiffened. The same bone-chilling squeal echoed again.
An enormous weight crashed into her chest, knocking the air from her lungs. Clawed hands pinned her to the ground and the creature leaned towards her face. It snarled, restraining her flailing arms as its mouth unhinged like a snake.
Hot breath caressed her face, then slammed her nostrils with the stench of rotten meat. She gagged, but her body was useless. The creature released one last ear-piercing shriek, then sank its fangs into her clavicle. She screamed and convulsed against its weight, but it was no use. Its jaws snapped shut, one row of teeth connecting with the other inside her shoulder. Pain exploded through her body in a singular burst. Blood splattered onto her face as it savagely wrenched its head and her shoulder’s flesh disappeared into the scarlet-stained maw.
But something strange happened.
The creature shrieked and recoiled like it’d been stabbed. It lunged at her again, but pulled back once its foot stepped in the ever-widening pool of blood. Screeching a third time in what looked like pain and frustration, it glared at her a few seconds longer before climbing into the nearest tree.
Lying on the ground, Val watched the moving branches and leaves above her. The rustling moved farther and farther away until all was finally still. Until she was completely alone. With what little energy remained, she turned her head in hope of finding some form of cavalry. There was no way that someone hadn’t heard her screaming. But no one came. The crickets’ ballad was uninterrupted, and the full moon continued to shine. The spirit of Gaia had gone on as if no horror had stained her earth.
Val gasped for air as consciousness crashed back to her body. Night had nearly enveloped the park. The darkness, and the fe
ar that accompanied, was practically undisturbed. The old lamp posts had dimmed from decades of continuous service and unabashedly left the shadows to pirouette through her mind. She needed to leave.
Cursing herself for forgetting her phone, she turned back towards the exit.
What was that thing?
The monster’s hairless body and sharp teeth leapt before her eyes then vanished. She could feel something creeping down her skin, and sweat now soaked her clothes. An absent thought crossed her mind that she needed to move, but her feet wouldn’t submit. In a final strain, she snapped her body into movement, but instead of the exit, she found herself walking off the trail and deeper into the woods.
Several minutes later, she was standing in a small clearing. Dried blood stained the ground in ugly blotches. Glancing up, she saw many of the branches had been torn and snapped, the carnage leading deeper into the shadows.
When she looked down, she jumped, something new having conjured itself into the scene. It was her body.
Val stared at herself lying lifeless on the ground. Deep cuts covered her skin, and her shirt and leggings were torn to ribbons. She moved to get closer, but footsteps crunching on leaves signaled someone’s approach. Before she could hide, two men entered the clearing and looked down on her unconscious form.
The first she recognized immediately as the man from the Emergency Room. His dark skin had more color than when she last saw him, and his steps were slow but not dragging. He looked nervous, eyes darting everywhere.
Val tried to focus on the second character but each time, the surrounding shadows seemed to drift over her eyes and his body blurred. He was wearing all black—maybe—but that was all she could make out. Val took a step forward and the entire scene vanished in wisps of light smoke.
Piercing pain struck her stomach and she fell to her knees. It was a hunger like she’d never experienced. Something inside of her was screaming. A ferocious growl escaped her throat and food consumed every thought that managed to load. A haunting phantom, the hunger gripped her in its claws. Food. Anything.
Blood.
The demon demanded it.
Chapter 3
Val was back in a third of the time that the commute typically took. She vaulted the couch and made a solid beeline towards the kitchen. The refrigerator door nearly tore from its hinges as she grabbed anything and everything edible. Within seconds, she stood before a massive sandwich stacked with meat, cheese, vegetables, and whatever else that wasn’t destroyed in the initial frenzy.
Two ravenous bites and it was gone.
She wasn’t the slightest bit full.
The next thing she knew, she was putting everything in sight directly into her mouth until her eyes fell on a package of ground beef.
There was the faintest of protests from the back of her mind. Val took a step back and swallowed, trying to fight off what felt like an animal crashing against its cage. Her stomach quivered, followed by a sharp pain, and she clutched her abdomen. Her gaze fell back on the ground beef and saliva poured down her chin. The cage lock snapped, and the beast escaped. A scream of agony ripped through her throat and she was on her knees, eating from the Styrofoam container.
She ravaged through the cabinets like she was possessed, serving as a marionette to a monster pulling strings. This new master led her across several bags of chips and a pack of cookies, but she inhaled them in seconds. She found and chugged four cans of soup, chased by two liters of soda.
Useless.
She crushed the empty bottle in her hand and turned to hunt for something else.
Abruptly, a cold wave washed over her and the spell shattered. She stumbled back against the counter and caught her breath.
Looking out with clear eyes, Val brought a quivering hand to her mouth.
Carnage.
The refrigerator was wide open with loose food spewed about like a murder scene. Two cabinet doors were ripped completely off their hinges. The trash had been tipped over and torn to shreds. Then there was the array of wrappers, broken bottles, and destroyed appliances. Carefully stepping into the war zone, Val picked up half of an empty soup can. The other half lay two feet away.
She set it down and absently ran her hand along the counter, then yanked it back. She looked down and saw what appeared to be four jagged claw marks cutting into the linoleum.
“What…” She gulped. “What’s happening to me?”
It took over an hour to clean the kitchen. She’d still have to explain the broken cabinets to her landlord, but that was drama for another day. Exhausted, she leaned against the countertop and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she looked down and realized stains, dirt, and several large holes marred the fabric. With a deep sigh, she headed to the bathroom and shed her ruined clothes.
Time stilled as the water reached the near-scalding temperature. She smirked, thinking back to how Jason hated it that hot.
The steaming cascade poured over her body. She remembered the first time Jason had spent the night, and caught herself smiling. He’d gone to take a shower in the morning but couldn’t adjust the temperature. While still in bed, she had heard a high-pitched shriek, followed by the soaking wet stud standing in her doorway with a sheepish grin. Rolling her eyes, she’d pried herself from the blankets and headed to the bathroom to help him adjust it.
Leaving the memory, Val let herself become engulfed in warmth. She closed her eyes and emptied her mind.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.
Fear and anxiety started to fade, but strands still clung like constricting tentacles. She shut her eyes tighter, trying to forget, but the fear surged within its drowned prison. The hot water became a suffocating downpour and the steam that blanketed her in security was now an amorphous veil. The creature flashed in her mind, blood chilling screeches ravaging her senses. Her safe haven shattered as it reeled back its head and prepared to sink its teeth into her exposed shoulder.
Val’s eyes snapped as air flooded her lungs. Streams of blood mixed with the water and swirled down the drain. She stifled a scream and turned to find teeth marks pierced into her shoulder. Blood flowed freely from the wound.
She threw open the curtain, then tripped out of the shower, barely catching herself on the towel rack. She pulled herself up and ripped the towel loose to swaddle her shoulder. The wound wasn’t painful, but she applied direct pressure to stop the bleeding. After wiping the steam from the mirror, she carefully peeled back the towel and stared back in confusion.
The wound was gone.
This isn’t real.
Val ran her fingers along smooth skin, then looked back to the mirror.
There was no monster, there was no cut, I’m just- I’m going crazy.
“I’m going crazy,” she repeated aloud. “It wasn’t real, it wasn’t real, it wasn’t—” The creature’s unhinged jaw played once again across her eyes.
She opened them and found her fist had punched through the mirror and into the wall. Blood streamed down her arm. Just as a scream prepped to let out, the primal instincts reclaimed their control.
Panic vanished. Racing thoughts slowed to focus on the task at hand. Val calmly pulled her arm back and sighed. She looked at the mirror as the memory fought to keep a foothold in her mind.
Had that hole always been there? No, that wasn’t it. She shook her head and tried to remember. Val wiped her eyes and glanced to see the torn shower curtain. When she looked back to the mirror, it made sense. She had tripped getting out of the shower, and the mirror broke her fall.
She leaned closer to examine the hole. No, that couldn’t be… A sleepy fog similar to that afternoon in the hospital settled over the room. Val hazily stepped away from the sink before turning to spot an old t-shirt and sweatpants in the laundry pile behind the door. By the time she had dressed, the bizarre cuts on her hand had already healed.
When Val emerged from the bathroom, her stomach was growling again. That, paired with mental exhaustion, banished any chance of being product
ive. She collapsed onto the living room couch and reached towards the coffee table for her phone. After waiting for what felt like forever it to turn on, she saw a missed text from Jason.
[Hey, babe, you still coming over tonight?]
She looked at the clock. It was 5:00p.m. The next day.
Pulling back the closest curtain, sunlight surged in with vengeance. That much time couldn’t have passed. She’d only been in the park an hour. Yet…
She squinted against the sunlight. She was about to pull the curtain back when she remembered. She had stared into her own lifeless eyes. With the sun's rays came everything her mind was fighting so hard to forget.
The monster.
Turning her back against the window, the sight of the doorless cabinets in the kitchen slapped her with another defiant piece of reality. Bile rose to her mouth and she choked it down. She would heave the night back into its vault herself.
She hit call, then impatiently paced the apartment.
“Hey!” Jason practically yelled into her ear. “Are you okay? You never showed up last night, so I called, but you didn’t answer. I figured you just got held up at work, since you’ve been staying late the past few weeks, but—”
“I’m—” The mountainous trash bags sat spitefully in the corner of her eye. “I was out jogging, and I think I got bit by a stray dog or something.” Even as the words left her mouth she shivered. How had those piercing, crystal blue eyes belonged to the same creature with rows of fangs and talon-like claws?
“A dog? Are you okay? Did you get checked out? It could’ve had rabies! Know what? Stay right there, I’m grabbing my keys now—”
“Jason,” Val said firmly. “It’s fine.” If she wavered, even an inch, he’d know and would be at her door with five first aid kits, if not a whole ambulance. A sweet gesture, but not what she needed.
“I went and got checked out. It’s all good. It just ripped my shirt; didn’t even break skin.” She tried to sound as cheerful as possible, hoping that he would drop the whole thing. Not only was the truth too difficult to explain, it was too far fetched; more than that, it absolutely terrified her.
When We Were Still Human Page 3