1
"Anthony, I need to talk to you," Nicole said. She looked into his hazel eyes. He looked back.
"What do you need?" He asked. His voice was warm, comforting. Something Nicole needed right now.
"I need you to keep Kelsey away from me." Her voice came out cold, almost flat.
"What? Why?"
"Don't ask questions. Just please do it."
"Ok…but can you tell me why?"
"No."
"Alright." He took her hand and looked her in the eye. "Anything for you." He smiled.
Nicole snapped her hand back. He looked hurt.
"Anthony…I can't…"
"She's dead…" Anthony said.
"What? Who?"
"Catherine. I found her body, but I haven't told anyone. She-she was so…" His eyes began to fill with tears.
"Oh, Anthony, I'm so…"
"No. It wasn't your fault. I'm just…"
"She was your best friend."
"Yeah. Nicole I'm so…scared…" I moved closer to him on the couch and wrapped my arms around him. I felt him fall against my body as he began to mourn his best friend's death. His body was warm against mine and it was almost nice feeling another human who felt what I felt so close to me. But something bothered me about what he said…he was scared…but why? Is there something he's not telling me?
2
"Anthony…you need to tell me how you found her body." After he calmed down they both sat quietly thinking their own thoughts. He moved uncomfortably on the couch.
"Nicole…I don't think I can…"
"Please, Anthony…why are you scared…what happened that made you feel this way?" He shifted again in his seat.
"This has been happening…a lot now…"
"What has? Tell me."
"I smelt something odd…something really…
3
…disgusting. Anthony moved further down the trail. He had been exploring in a nearby forest for a place he and his friends could hang out. Something wasn't right. Something about that smell. He moved cautiously down the trail making sure not to trip over any upturned roots or loose rocks. Then it hit him full force.
"Ugh…" He pulled his long sleeved shirt over his mouth and tried not to gag. He looked behind him and then back in front of him. It was darker now. He swallowed and continued to move down the clustered trail. Every where he walked there were loose rocks and branches. Roots and leaves covered the trail making it that much harder for him to navigate.
"Anthony…come here…" A voice called up ahead. It sounded familiar to him. He walked a little faster still keeping an eye on the trail.
"What!" He called ahead.
"…Over here…." The voice was so familiar why couldn't he figure it out. It was just beyond his grasp.
"Where?" He called through his sleeve.
"…down…"
"You're too far! I can't-can't here you!" He yelled. Branches. Branches were everywhere. They clawed at him. They tugged at his shirt, his pants, and his flesh, for him to turn back. But he had to figure out who was calling for him.
He stopped. Everything became cleared. There were no more branches, no more leaves, roots, rocks, nothing. Just a clearing. And there stood Catherine.
"Catherine…what are you doing…" She turned around and looked at Anthony. She was beautiful. She slowly walked toward Anthony and continued to look him straight in the eye.
"Uh…what…what…" Anthony tried.
"Shhh…" She pressed her lips gently against his. He felt her warm body slide against his and couldn't help but begin to feel aroused. She caressed his mouth with her tongue and he did the same. He placed his hands on her waist as she placed her hands on his belt buckle. Slowly she began to unbutton his pants.
But then he smelt it…that putrid smell. He tried not to let it bother him.
He moved his hand to her breast and gently squeezed. She let out a moan.
There it was again. This time it was stronger. He felt as if he would pass out from the smell.
"Catherine…wait…what's that smell?" She stopped and smirked. She put her finger to her lip and began to tap.
"I don't know…"
"Ugh…no you do. What is it?" She began to laugh. She threw her head back and just laughed. Her strawberry blonde hair shook with her heaving laughter.
"Catherine…what are you…" Then she stopped. She looked at him and began to cough. She fell to her knees and coughed long hacking coughs. Her face turned a deep red.
"Oh my God…" Anthony knelt beside her and began to pound at her back. She continued to cough as tears streamed down her red, sweaty face.
"What's going on?" He screamed over her hacking coughs. Finally she began to gag as something slowly trailed out of her mouth. It was shiny, whatever it was, and it was jet black. Blacker than anything Anthony had ever seen before.
She kept gagging until finally she stopped and began to pull at whatever was coming out of her mouth. She cried as she pulled and Anthony watched in amazement at whatever was coming out of her mouth. Finally it ended and she shook the remains off her fingers. She looked at Anthony, eyes red with tears. But Anthony didn't look back. He was watching as the black substance began to solidify. It moved itself closer together.
"AHHHHH!" Catherine's scream brought Anthony back to reality. He looked at her and seen that something began to protrude from her abdominal area. She put her hands to her abdomen and looked at Anthony scared. She continued to scream until finally she just stopped. She pulled her shirt up and seen her flesh begin to tear apart. Her pale skin slowly turned purple. It had stretched to the point where it was about to burst. Then something tore open her flesh and began to crawl its way toward the substance. Anthony looked around her body; she was now lying on her back and looking at the sky. Pieces of her flesh were scattered throughout the clearing and the smell was getting worse. Her whole midsection was obliterated and you could see her organs…or what was left of them.
She turned her head slowly toward Anthony.
"Go…" She said. Anthony shook his head and took a step closer. She smiled and nodded.
"Yes, go." He looked at her unsure. Then he turned and ran.
4
"You…saw them?" Nicole asked. He nodded his head. He had begun to cry again and she was holding him.
"Anthony," Nicole begun, "Did you have a…"
"Dream?" He finished. "Yes." She was almost relieved but frightened at the same time.
"Does it make sense to you?" She asked.
"No. I don't know what to do. I saw Catherine, though, she was so beautiful. She told me not to worry…follow my instincts or something. What are we supposed to do, Nicole?"
I rubbed his back gently and with care. Because I didn't know.
5
He told her to follow her instincts and her first instinct was to call Anthony. She didn't know why she chose Anthony…it was just a feeling I guess you could say. When she first walked into his house she felt like it would be all right. Like she would finally get answers.
She looked at Anthony and something unseen passed between the both of them. An understanding. She knew about Catherine even before he told her and he knew about Aric before she told him. It was something that only they shared. A secret.
They would talk to each other and already know how the conversation ended. There was no need for words…it was just there. It hung over them like a cloud…whatever it was.
They didn't speak of it, nor did either of them really know what it was. It was just suddenly there…like Catherine and Aric were just there. They both knew they were there, they didn't speak of it… but every once in a while if you watched closely you could catch a glimpse of a smile from either one of them. It was just there.