I lack originality.: May 2010

Just keep running, Cassie thought to herself over and over again. Stumbling as she raced her way through the littered streets, all she wanted was a hiding spot. She took a right into a long dark alley, instantly regretting her decision. It was a dead end, but it was too late to turn back. She saw a mound of trash farther into the darkness. She knew it was her only chance so she bolted for it. When she reached it, she crouched on the other side, sinking her body low to the damp ground like a predator waiting for its prey. Though she appeared to hold this position, she was very near to being the victim. Her blood-thirsty slayer was following close behind.

Cassie tried to quiet her breathing as she looked back the way she had come. Then she heard what she dreaded most. His footsteps. They were heavier and slower than hers had been. Steadily, they grew louder. Sweat seeped from every pore on her body, leaving her with chills of fear and adrenaline. She knew he was moments away from deciding whether to search the alley, or continue down the way he was headed. Her eyes wanted to close in defeat, and her body wanted to give up, but she refused to let it. She had to be ready for him.

Her pulse quickened as the footsteps slowed. He was going to turn; she knew it. She quickly glanced up at the walls surrounding her, but they were bare. Not even a rickety fire escape could be her savior. It was too late. Again she regretted her choice of turning. Slowly and silently she pressed her body as far into the ground as she could. Her clothes were covered in filth, which left her hoping to blend in to the grimy street.

She could see him, hunched over so far it looked as if his neck grew from his chest. He was looking down the alley, taking in every detail. The smoke in the atmosphere made his gaunt face appear to be a sickly shade of gray, which almost exactly matched the stringy threads that grew out of his pale skull. His eyes were shifty like an animal’s, and had the same crazed look that ensued after making the choice. The choice that showed how far they would go for survival. They were the eyes of a cannibal, and they were searching for her flesh. He held his hands as a vulture would its feet. They looked like claws with long yellow nails protruding from each finger. His nostrils flared, taking in every scent and hunting for Cassie’s.

He moved toward her slowly, and Cassie held herself as still as possible. Her hand was resting against something cold and hard. She wrapped her fingers around it, hoping it was a rock and not a skull. He took step after step. His boots crushed whatever debris came underfoot. Reaching out his hand, he dragged his nails against the brick wall as he walked. The closeness to him made Cassie shiver in horror. He stopped.

“Where are you, Darling? Where’s my pretty little dessert?” he said. His voice was raspy, and low. The voice of a killer. “I know you’re here somewhere, and I’m going to find you. Daddy’s hungry.” A disgusting grin spread across his face as he said those words, showing his teeth. They were sharp and jagged, perfect for tearing meat.

A rat scurried across the ground behind Cassie’s stalker. With reflexes like a cat, he spun on one foot and crouched down. His arm seemed to be spring loaded as he reached it out, bringing down his hand. The helpless animal was speared by the man’s talons, nailing it to the ground. Bringing his hand to his face, he sniffed the dead animal. Each claw was piercing through the body of the rat. Cassie knew this was her only chance. She quietly lifted her body from the ground until she was standing, her muscles aching from the tension. His back was still facing her. She took a cautious step towards him, gripping the rock she held. He had brought the rat to his mouth and sunken his teeth into it. The tiny bones made a cracking sound while blood dripped down his chin. Cassie lifted the rock about her head and paused for a split second. Did she have the power to kill another human being? His head snapped towards her and the instinct for survival replaced her morality. Her question was answered as she brought the rock down into his skull with all her strength and he collapsed onto the ground. His eyes were open, but they lacked life. The rat’s tail emerged from between his teeth, twitching.

Cassie tried to back away, but her knees gave out and she fell in the pile of garbage. The moment she landed, a terrible stench exploded around her. It was the smell of rotting meat. She covered her face and rolled off the pile. Swallowing repeatedly to keep the stomach acids down, Cassie looked at the pile for the first time. Something was sticking out from beneath a stained brown rag. When she saw what it was her body took over. Heaving and coughing she lost the little she had managed to fill her stomach with. After her retching had ceased, she risked another peek. It was a hand. Most of the tissue had been removed, eaten. The little that was left was growing a dark mold. The smell was enough to turn Cassie’s stomach again.

A scratching sound behind Cassie distracted her. Immediately she turned to face the dark wall, the adrenaline still pumping through her veins. She listened as carefully as she could. The noise was coming from the other side of the wall, the wall that turned the alley into a dead end. She was overwhelmed with trying to decide what to do. If she ran now she could survive. What ever that scratching was would not reach her. However, the curiosity was overpowering. She walked slowly towards the wall, and as she drew closer she was able to make out a boarded up door that she had not seen in her earlier rush. Her pounding heart sent vibrations through her body.

She was standing close enough to the door to touch it. She leaned her face towards it, putting her ear up against the boards. The scratching was accompanied by a small whine. Animal or human, Cassie could not tell. The helplessness of the sound tore at her heart. She could feel for the vulnerable entity. Cassie knew this was exactly how she sounded that night. There was no way to tell how long ago it was, but her best guess was around ten years. She had been on the other side of a boarded door.

It was after the secret that all the food stores were empty leaked from the government. Her mother had locked her in the empty pantry when the first flesh eaters came. She sat there curled up in a ball listening to her parent’s screams of anguish. When the cry’s had ended she was left alone. After what felt like days, her uncle had found her there. They were together after that. He protected her and she brought him laughter. All they had was each other. One night he went to find firewood and never came back. Cassie had to go on alone.

Cassie’s body trembled as she came back to reality. Without a second thought she began pulling on the boards, trying to get them off. She wanted to save it. The wood was decayed, so it didn’t take her long to remove. After she had cleared it all she reached for the door knob. The cold metal felt clean against her skin. A bead of sweat dripped down her forehead as she turned the knob. It clicked eerily as she pushed the door inwards. The putrid smell of waste filled the air of the room she entered. There was no light but the little that came in from the open door. As her eyes adjusted, she looked around for the thing that made the sound.

“Hello?” she called unsteadily. “Is anyone here?” her voice cracked as she spoke the words. Taking another step inside, she could see that she was standing in a living room, though it contained no signs of life. There was a couch, two arm chairs, and heavy drapes over the wall. Cassie walked over and spread the thick sheets of fabric. A window behind them filled the room with a smoky light. Frames hung on the walls, though you could not see the pictures they held through the dust. The walls themselves were papered with faded flower print that matched the furniture. The couch had huge chunks missing from the cushions as if something had taken bites out of it. The arm chairs had the same mysterious problem.

Cassie turned on her heels as she heard the strange whining coming from behind her. Backed into the corner, shivering in fear was a child. It was young and ragged enough that there was no way anyone could determine its gender. She took a step towards it, filled with curiosity. The child sprung onto all fours, hissing like a snake. Jerking backwards in alarm, Cassie stared at the inhuman creature. It was dressed in torn rags, and hair ran from its skull to the ground in knots. The teeth of the creature were broken and sharp, just as threatening to the skin as shards of broken glass.

It was leaning back onto its legs, preparing to pounce. Even though it was just a child, Cassie knew better than to test fate. She had lost all her strength after being hunted, and she wouldn’t put up much of a fight against the jaws of a shark and the energy of something so young. She had to choose.

Without turning her face from the creature, she shifted her gaze in search of something blunt. There was a lamp lying on the ground a few feet from her. If she was quick she would surely be able to grab it. Bringing her focus back to the little monster, she side stepped towards the lamp. The hissing grew fiercer as she moved. Her weapon was close enough to grab if she just bent down to it. The moment she reached for it, the thing sprang at her. It leapt onto Cassie’s torso, digging its claws into her collar bone and sinking its teeth into her shoulder. Collapsing in pain, she felt blood begin to cover her chest. Now that she was on the ground she was able to grab the lamp. As she wrapped her fingers around it, the creature pulled his head back from her shoulder, taking with it a chunk of her flesh. She had felt the bite being taken, and now she could hear it chewing her own muscle. She brought the lamp down hard against the back of its neck. It was the same cracking sound she had heard when her previous assailant had bitten into the rat. The claws piercing her skin relaxed and the chewing stopped.

As she rolled it off of her, she was plagued by an awful realization. If she did not manage to find food she would die. Just lying on the floor her head spun from starvation and blood loss. Pressing her palms to her wounds, she sat up slowly to look at the little body next to her. It seemed so small and helpless. If its mouth had not been full of human flesh, and its fingers not covered in blood, it could have been mistaken for innocence. Its entire body was thin and bony, and the cheeks were still red and warm. Cassie reached out a bloodied hand to stroke its forehead. She became lost in thought as she absorbed the warmth through her fingertips. She had killed two people in an extremely short amount of time, and one of them had been a child. If murder was possible, what else was she capable of?

It’s dead, she thought, It’s not like it has a soul...It’s not like I’m going to eat it alive.

Her stomach grumbled at the thought of meat. She had not eaten a real meal in years. This child could feed her shrunken stomach for days. She looked around the room one last time. There was a small fireplace in the wall. Matches were scattered across the ground in front of it.

Stopping her thought, stopping all emotion, she stood and grabbed a cushion from the couch. After tossing it into the fireplace, she picked up a match. She lit it on the wall and set the cushion on fire. As she walked to the child, a sense of dread attempted to fill her, but she blocked it. Carelessly picking up the body, she removed the ragged clothes to discover it was a little girl. Without a single thought she carried her to the fireplace, and placed the naked body atop the blazing fire. At first the stench of burnt hair was nauseating, but slowly the smell of cooking meat filled the room.

When the fire died down, Cassie used the lamp to roll the blackened body onto the floor. Reaching for the tiny hand, she ripped of a finger and dropped it into her mouth. She continued this with each finger. After that, the palm of the hand. After that, the arms. By the time she had finished, her stomach felt as if it would explode, and there was a small pile of bones sitting on the floor next to her.

That was stupid. And what kind of a name is Cassie?

What do I want? That's a good question, isn't it. I want you to be happy, I want me to be happy. I want us to be happy together. But guess what, I don't remember what that looks like. We spent so much time together before you left, and I can barely remember it.

The reality is that I built a wall.
"You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness."
That's what I did.

While you were gone, I thought about you, but I blocked out the memories we had. Because it was painful to remember them. Now I have to strain to even remember glimpses.

Whether or not I like it, I learned to live without you. I still spoke to you, thought about you, missed you. But I filled my time up so that I wasn't given an opportunity to break down over you.

It doesn't help that no one else really understands how difficult it is. Everyone's just happy for us. It's cool. But they don't know how it feels. How fucking hard it is. Yes, I want you here, but not if it means that you're going to have to leave again. It's a terrible terrible tease. I would honestly rather you be gone the entire time, without any breaks, than have you ripped away from me over and over again.

I know this is more difficult for you. I know you have to leave everyone behind you. But I don't. I have a choice. You signed up for this, not me. And if you want me to be happy while you're back, then it's going to be fake. Because I am not happy. We established this before you came home. Not that it accomplished anything. I tried to talk to you about it. I guess you just don't understand?

And now you're mad at me. Because I'm not happy. I'm not trying to fuck with your head. I'm not trying to play games, or be confusing. I just don't know what to do. I love you, I really do. But that doesn't mean I am cut out for this. I can't move to Hawaii with you. What's in Hawaii for me? You, and some uncle I've met a few times. That's it. I can't abandon my life for you. I can't put on a smile and hold your hand and be the perfect girlfriend if it's all a lie.

I don't enjoy having to explain to everyone what's going on with us. Why can't you just talk to ME. I don't care if it's not something I wanna hear. I'd rather hear it from you than other people.

Maybe we aren't right. What if that's the problem. What if the first time things went wrong, we were supposed to stay apart. And because we didn't we're both upset now. Maybe I'm not emotionally strong enough to handle this. Maybe I subconsciously put myself in this position because I like feeling like shit.

Maybe we are right.

But there are too many "maybes". All I want to know is what is. And how am I supposed to figure that out?

I lack originality.

30.5.10

I'm too young to feel this old.

29.5.10

I love that I post homework assignments.

Here it is again, yet it stings like the first time.

17.5.10

I never understood,

13.5.10

2 weeks.

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