CHAPTER 1
One October night, Johnny and Dukey were sitting out in their parent's balcony
smoking. The breeze was cold and threatening at their feet. Johnny lived for nights
like these. Ever since his twin sisters passed away, he didn't smile often. Careless
nights were rare. He could ever hardly feel at peace.
-"Johnny, I miss them."
-"We all do."
Dukey takes a drag and exhales towards the night sky.
-"Do you think Mary and Susan are watching?"
- "The dead are always watching, Dukey," replied Johnny, "they're always
watching."
[ Mary and Susan passed away while conducting a science experiment. Susan
had developed a disease unknown to mankind, thus incurable. So Mary made it
her job, her mission even, to save Susan.
She called the disease Susan's Syndrome. Susan would spontaneously begin to
bleed on a daily basis. She'd be doing something as effortless as reading a book, and she'd
notice bloody tears running down her cheek.
As if that wasn't bad enough, the disease started mutating. Every night she'd sleep walk
all around the house. Then it got to the point where she'd suddenly fall asleep midday
and instantaneously begin to sleep walk. This led to her walking into objects, knocking
herself out, and even walking into traffic.
Soon she was incapable to attend school. That's when Mary dropped out to work
full-time on a cure.
Months after, Susan was on the brink of death. At the same time, Mary had finally
managed to isolate the virus cells. She knew of a way to kill the infected cells, but doing so
would also eliminate billions of vital cells. Not to mention, it would render her lungs
useless. So she started to research lung transplants and a way to live with only one
lung.
Three days later, she was ready. She spent hours training Johnny and Dukey to inject the
anti-virus. Mary's lung was already out and ready to be transplanted. They had setup
Susan on a bed with a makeshift lung by her side to be turned on when hers died, giving Mary
just enough time to perform the operation. Everything was set.
Mary signals Johnny and he injects the ant-virus into Susan's bloodstream. Mary rushes to
Susan's side and begins to cut at the muscles holding her lungs. Five minutes later her lungs
are out and the only thing keeping her alive are the makeshift lungs. Mary starts inplanting
her lung into Susan's chest. What Mary hadn't told Susan, what she hadn't told anyone in fact,
was that it was hopeless. But it was their last resort.
Half an hour passes and Mary has finished the operation. She turns off the makeshift lungs
and hopes for the best.
For a moment, it looked like Susan might just make it.
But she didn't, it had been useless. Despite the fact that Mary knew this would happen,
she dropped to her knees, laying her hands over Susan's dead body. She screamed in an
explosion of anger and anguish for hours on end.
What she also hadn't told anyone was that it's not possible to live on one lung.
Their funeral took place four days after. Not many people showed up, given the fact that they
weren't very popular. Since that night, Johnny had never been the same. ]
That day stays on his mind like a fresh wound.
Johnny breathes in the October cold and he notices something odd. The scent of onions
starts to fill the air. Johnny begins to tear up.
-"Keep it together."
-"I'm not crying, something smells weird."
Dukey sniffs around and starts to tear up as well.
Soon the ground starts to shake. Johnny and Dukey run inside and take cover
under blankets. There's no place safer than your covers.
Trophies and books fall from their shelves. Dukey lets out a howl and holds tight
onto Johnny. Soon the windows shatter allowing the scent of onions to make its way
into every corner of the room.
That's when the doors burst open.