Chapter V- Parties Aren't Only for the Living

Morgan dreaded the thought of climbing out of bed Sunday morning. She needed motivation; nothing sounded better than just sleeping the day away. Something was pulling at her, weighing her body down in that bed like an anchor. Would she even feel up to seeing Edmond today? She let out a long sigh; there was one way to find out.

The sermon at church went by like a blur. The lights hanging in Edmond's book store seemed brighter, the soft music that played sounded louder, Morgan just felt miserable. Edmond seemed to have noticed, taking a second to think before clearing his throat. "Morgan are you alright?"

"Well my parents did just die," her voice was flat.

He frowned, "Why don't we go out and get something to drink; try to get your mind off of it?"

She swayed her hand, "Nah, I don't drink and it's a Sunday."

He poked at her, giving her a cheesy smile, "Then go with me and I'll drink enough for the two of us. You can eat the olives."

She tried her hardest to smile and agreed, jumping into his SUV and going with him to the nearest pub. It seemed like after Edmond had his first margarita one found its way into her hand. Time seemed to fly by once again and before she knew it, Morgan had already had three drinks and was seriously feeling it. Without even realizing it, she was climbing the stairs to Edmonds apartment, his hand in her's.

He pushed her gently down onto his bed, throwing off his tie and sports jacket. His lips soon found her own, a hungry passion finding its way between them. Hours went by as she found herself waking up next to him; naked, covered in sweat and tangled in silky sheets. She glanced at the hand that laid across her chest. Morgan really couldn't believe she had slept with Edmond last night. It wasn't like her; she was always aiming for the "save it for marriage" bit.

Morgan slipped out of the flat before Edmond ever woke up, it wasn't even three in the morning but she didn't want to spend the night there. She wanted to go home. The second she arrived at her parents' house she crashed on the sofa, not even bothering with taking off her shoes.

In the morning, she soon found herself collapsing again, tears spilling down her eyes.

Where will this monster stop?

Her eyes were fixated with the sight before her. Human intestines were hung across the banners. She had no idea how she couldn't smell the rotting flesh last night, but she certainly could now. Were those from her parents?

Her eyes followed the blood trail that streaked down the hall, leading to the bathroom. Slowly pushing open the door, she screamed at the sight. Her brother Daniel…

He was torn in half. His upper torso hung in the shower like a slab of meat. His entrails dropped down like string along with dislocated arms and an unhinged, broken jaw. Most of his teeth were missing and floated in the blood filled bath, looking like grains of rice. His right eye hung out of the socket, dangling against his cheek. Daniel's lower half sat merely in the bath with the rest of his bits and pieces and the worst detail of it all was the small note that was stabbed into his chest reading:

"Parties aren't only for the living."

With brightly colored tinsel and confetti sprinkled the room. How could this have happened? How could someone do this to a person? Morgan literally could not comprehend how a person could be so demented. Daniel was only nineteen for Christ's sake! He had his whole life ahead of him and it was ripped right from him.

Where was she to go? Morgan clearly couldn't stay here; there was nowhere to run too. She felt abandoned and afraid, and at this point it seems her fate is sealed. So why wouldn't this beast just end her suffering? What had she done to ever deserve something this agonizing? How could she even begin to fathom a response to everything that is happening to her?

….

Morgan never thought she'd see the day she'd have to walk back into that place. Edmond stood behind her as she cringed, opening the door to her apartment. She ran her hand delicately along the crack, biting her lip as the memories flooded towards her.

"You didn't have to come here with me," she said, looking away from Edmond.

He frowned, pushing his way into her apartment, "Don't talk nonsense, you don't need to be in this place anymore. It's bringing you nothing but pain." He had helped her made the decision the week before. Morgan was staying at his place every night anyways, Edmond just offered to help her move in for good. They both felt she would be safer that way.

As she moved towards the back of the house, she couldn't help but feel something was off. Edmond was digging through the fridge, clearing it out and throwing away everything that was spoiled. She glanced back at him, just staring for a moment to make sure he was actually there, not just a figment of her imagination. After getting her fill, she continued into her bedroom and packed the last couple things she had left.

Never seeing this apartment again would be justice enough for the time being.

As she found herself staring at the bedroom window once more, she couldn't help but wonder, out of all the other apartments and houses on that street, why did the killer choose hers? Was it because she left the window open? She did live on the third floor… Was it because the lights were all off, making it look like she was asleep or not home? But most of all, why did that man, or creature or whatever the hell he was, have the need to kill in the first place?

Morgan lifted up her shirt, staring down at the jagged, purple scar that stared angrily back at her. Her finger tips traced it delicately, taking the time to feel every curve and bump that now made her. This scar, it wasn't just a reminder of the night she was attacked. It was a reminder that that bastard was still out there, hunting her like a dog, murdering everyone she cares about and playing with her mind like a Rubik Cube. It was a reminder that she will never have a future as long as he still chased her. It was a reminder that she is no longer a person, no longer human; she was nothing but a grenade, waiting to explode.

She only wished that she knew how much time she had left.

That's when she noticed it. She noticed the reflection in the window that she now hated. It stared back her, eyes wild. Morgan whipped around, her blue eyes nearly popping out of her head as she stared into the face of her tormentor.

His dilated black pupils weren't even a half inch away from her own. His demonic grin grew with every rising second as his hand slowly raised. She continued to stare back, her lips quivering as she froze with fear, watching him place his index finger against his lips. Why couldn't she move? She was paralyzed and her nightmare was right in front of her. She needed to do something, anything! Scream for help, run away, punch him and fight for your life it didn't matter she just need to do something other than stand there!

But she couldn't, she was like ice as she watched him leave out that same window, looking back at her before closing the window behind him as if her was never even there. That's when she realized, she didn't have to wait for him to find her and put an end to her now miserable life, she was already dead.

"I secretly crave, crave that scent again. Still feel it pressing down on me. Now with the onset, my flesh is weakening. I steel nerves for temptations at hand again."