Chapter 14
The Object
My eyes popped opened. I couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t move. I felt a weight on my back, but I was not sure what it was. The only thing I was sure of was the striking hunger in my stomach. I felt my veins throbbing through my skin as my heart pumped and the nauseating feeling of emptiness washed over me.
I was starving. My mouth was dry and I couldn’t think of anything else but the taste of human flesh. I stood up from where I lay, struggling to keep my balance and fighting against the weight of my own body pulling me down to the floor.
I wanted to eat. I needed to eat.
There was a smell. There was a smell familiar to me in the air. I could taste it. I could almost see it in the darkness of the room.
It called to me, a small voice inside my head. I saw the smell and it gestured for me to follow it.
I listened. Slowly and eagerly I allowed my body to ensue. I imagined what the end of this trail had to offer. I envisioned a delicatessen of sweet blood and mounds of flesh. My mouth began to water.
I opened a door into darkness. I heard or saw nothing, but the scent grew stronger. The smell led me to something. Something soft. Something warm. I kneeled down next to it, closing my eyes and taking in the heavenly familiar aroma.
My heart began to race as I stroked the soft, warm object that was now at the level of my waist. Whatever it was, it seemed to be in a parallel position. I took in a deep whiff from point to point, hearing my stomach howl at me to begin my feast.
I rubbed my hand slowly against the object, allowing the warmth to seep through my cool fingertips. I brought my nose down, inhaling one more large breath before I finally opened my mouth wide and sunk my teeth in.
Tepid liquid quickly began to pool around my lips. I sucked it up and bit down deeper, making my way through the layers. With each one, I dug deeper with my teeth, gnawing through…eagerly awaiting the moment I tasted what I was yearning for.
But before I could make it there, I heard a screech and the object began to move.
It was moving. It was trying to get away from me.
It couldn’t. It was mine.
I held it down, using all of my strength, as I searched around with my free hand in the darkness. I felt something. Soft, feathery... almost like a pillow. I grabbed it and quickly laid it over the source of where the moans were coming from. The object tried to push my arms away but I fought it. I had to protect what was mine.
I pressed down hard using both my hands. The object continued to try to maneuver its way out of my hold, but I used every ounce of force I had to keep it still.
Then finally, it stopped. I left the pillow where it was and searched for the spot I was working on. I found it and slowly entered my finger inside of what I had already started. Using my nails, I began to tear. I opened wider, using my other hand to scoop out what I was looking for this whole time. And with the first taste, my mind flew off to a faraway land. A land that was familiar to me, but so foreign. A place that I had only dreamed of.
Each taste, each mouthful awakened a part of me that I had never known. The sweet and bitter tenderness of every chew sent my body into a whirlwind.
The sound of someone chirping their car alarm three blocks down from the apartment building resonated into my eardrum. The pitter patter of cockroach legs on the tree outside the window clattered my senses. My eyes began to adjust to the darkness, until I could finally see all the red that surrounded me. The odor of what lied before me intensified as I dug deeper and deeper into it.
I climbed on top of the object. Tearing and ripping deeper into it, I cupped the fatty substance into my palms and poured it into my mouth, feeling every molecule in my body strengthen.
I found a cavity, an opening as I tore my way upwards. I excavated deeper and deeper, until I could no longer.
I was ravenous. It was what I had longed for. It was what I needed.
Suddenly, the object was illuminated.
“Holy shit!”
I looked up to see Eric standing at the far end of the room.
“Holy shit! Holy shit!” His eyes were lost in what he was looking at.
Tristen entered the room frantically.
Eric turned away as Tristen and I turned to one another and locked eyes.
“Grace?” His tone was surprised, but calm nonetheless. I could see the fear in his face as he assessed what was all around me. I looked down with him.
What had I done?
I brought my bloody hands up to my face. Fleshy tissue and meat dangled from my fingertips. Through my fingers, I saw the ‘object’ that I was straddling. A hollowed out torso lie beneath me. Veins and skin and copious amounts of blood covered the entire upper portion of the being. I glanced up above the chest, allowing my eyes to follow up the neck and to the pillow that rested on the head.
I began to shake my head in disbelief, suddenly realizing that what I thought was a dream was actually real.
“Grace, are you okay?” I heard Tristen ask. I didn’t look at him. What seemed to be breasts were exposed on the lifeless body, leading me to recognize that the only people in the room at that moment were Eric, Tristen, and I.
Where was Phoebe?
I looked over at Tristen. His eyes were filled with concern. He was only looking at me as he walked slowly and closer.
I glanced at Eric, who was now kneeling down against the wall with his head in his hands. Loud sobs were escaping his throat, making it clear that he was crying in fear and loss.
“Grace, talk to me.”
Eric shot up from his position. “What the hell are you doing?” he yelled.
“Grace, please say something.”
“She just…she just killed my girlfriend!
“Grace, just keep your eyes on me.” Tristen held a hand out, gesturing for me to come to him.
“Dude, what the hell are you doing?” Eric shouted as he clutched on to Tristen’s arm.
Tristen turned his body in a fluid motion, gripping Eric’s hand in his. Eric was quite a bit taller than Tristen, and much more robust. However in that moment, Tristen’s confidence seemed to make him look stronger.
“What the hell are you doing, Tristen? We need to call the cops!”
“Eric, calm down! I know this shit is crazy, but we can’t call the cops, alright?”
“Are you kidding me?” Eric barked.
“No, I’m not. This shit is unreal, man. But Grace is sick. She didn’t mean to do this. We need to help her.”
Eric glanced over at me. Tears continued to roll down his face. He pulled his hand away from Tristen’s grip and turned the other way. Tristen brought his attention back to me.
I had not moved an inch since the light had come on. Afraid to look anywhere else, I kept my eyes on Tristen’s, searching desperately for some proof that this was real and not a dream.
“Grace, I’m going to get you some water. Maybe it will help you come back down to Earth, okay? I will be right back.”
I couldn’t find any power in my body to respond. Instead, I watched him leave the room and fought the urge to lift the pillow to get one more look of my Soul Buddy.
I saw Eric from the corner of my eye pacing the room and whimpering under his breath. I was afraid to look at him.
Grace, what have you done? You killed your best friend. You murdered someone. And the worst part was, you aren’t doing anything. You aren’t crying. You aren’t moving. You aren’t—
And before I could finish that last thought, Eric’s hands were around my throat. He lifted me up and threw me to the floor.
I struggled to catch a breath, opening my mouth wide and hoping some air would find its way in. His large thumbs pressed down harshly onto my esophagus. Although terror flowed through me as I realized that he could kill me that very second, I didn’t fight him off. Instead, my arms lay on either side of my body. My mind wandered and I realized that I was welcoming that moment. I wanted to die. I wanted th
is life to be over.
My mother’s smile flashed through my mind. Sounds of her cooking in the kitchen rang through my ears. The aroma of her floral perfume enveloped me in a goodnight hug. I watched the moon outside my window, longing to see my father for the first time. I imagined the features in his face and wondered if I looked like him. The doorbell chimed and I opened the door to my dear, dear friend Phoebe. Her long, soft hair bounced around her face as she playfully laughed and the sound of her sweet voice hummed through our many memories.
A single tear fell from my eye.
And then…I could breathe.
I stared at the ceiling, coughing and inhaling deeply to catch my breath. I felt a hand on my face.
“Grace, are you okay?”
I opened my eyes, and there he was.
“C’mon, Grace. We have to get out of here now.”
Tristen threw a bloody baseball bat to the side and with one single motion, pulled me off the floor.
“Don’t look at anything but me. Okay?”
“What did you do?” I asked. Something seemed terribly wrong.
“Don’t worry about it Grace. He isn’t hurting you anymore.”
“Tristen, is he dead?”
“Grace, we have to go.”
“Tristen. Is he dead?” I asked. Panic and anxiety were beginning to rear their heads. I knew what I had done. But what had Tristen done?
“Grace, he was trying to kill you. I hit him with the bat and that was it. Now let’s go.”
I peeked over to where Eric was sprawled out on the floor. I had to check. I had to see if he was dead for peace of mind.
I kneeled down next to his body, noticing the large, bloody dent in his head. I assessed it briefly. It seemed as though his head took several blows, all in the same spot. I searched for his carotid artery on his neck, resting my two fingers lightly on it when I did.
There was no pulse.
I looked up at Tristen and in that moment, he read my mind.
Without another word, we headed towards the front door. Before leaving the bedroom, I glanced over at the bed one last time. My friend. I’m so sorry. I love you, Phoebe.
I fought the urge to run back into the room. Tristen grabbed the keys to Marilyn off the coffee table and we hurried out of the apartment.
“Where are we going?” I asked. I had no idea what we were going to do.
“I don’t know. But we need to get far away from here,” Tristen stated. He seemed to be in mission mode.
Tristen drove us out of the parking lot and away from the apartment complex. There was complete silence as we drove aimlessly down the street. Thoughts of the events leading to that moment circled my mind. However I couldn’t help but notice the amazing sensation my body was experiencing. I felt the most alive I had ever felt in my life. The sun was about an hour before rising, but I could see its rays as we drove down the road. The fragrance of the Spanish moss hanging off the oak trees tantalized my nostrils. The sound of the soft waves pushing against the steps of the lake echoed through my ears although we were driving away from it. I felt like I can run a marathon and for once in my entire life, I felt like my stomach was thoroughly satisfied.
But my heart ached for what I had lost.
Twenty minutes of driving and there was still silence. Finally, Tristen looked over at me before pulling Marilyn into a dim alley and parked.
“Tristen, I—”
“Grace, don’t apologize. Please.”
I glanced down at my fidgeting fingers.
Tristen’s hand rested on mine and I peeked over to his direction. “Don’t apologize because this isn’t your fault.”
“What do you mean it’s not my fault? Two people are dead right now. One of them…she was…and you killed someone, Tristen. How can this not be my fault?” I asked this question hopelessly praying that he would have the answer.
“Grace, this isn’t your fault because you have no control over what is happening to you. Do you seriously think that if everything was okay, you would just kill your best friend? And then eat her?”
I shook my head no.
“There is something wrong, Grace. We need to find out what it is. Why do you have this desire to eat people? Do you know anything? Can you think of any reason why you could be doing this?”
“I…I don’t know. I mean, I haven’t been feeling myself for a little while now. When I ate that cat, I was scared out of my mind and I didn’t understand why I did it,” I explained. I began trying to think all of the events that took place before last night. Everything was a blur.
Tristen read the hesitation in my face. He lifted his hand and caressed my cheek in an attempt to soothe me.
“Grace, take your time and think about it. Is there anything we can do? Is there anyone we can talk to that may be able to help us?”
I rattled my brain, determined to not let Tristen down. So much had happened over the last twenty-four hours and it was hard to think of anything else.
“There is a doctor. My mother’s friend. He…he wants me to go to an island and he said he can cure me…”
“Well who is he? Can we call him? When is your mom getting home?” Tristen’s voice was anxious.
In that instant, I felt the urge to hear my mother’s voice. I searched for my cell phone in my purse. It was early Sunday morning and she was due back late tonight. I needed to speak with her. She knew all the answers.
She answered the phone sleepily.
“Hello?”
“Mom.”
“Grace, what’s wrong?” she asked, panic flowing out of her tone.
“Mom, I need you here. Now. Please.”
“I’m coming, Gracie.” I could hear rummaging in the background. “I’m on my way.”
I set the phone down on my lap and took a deep breath. I realized that in just a few hours, Mom would be home and I would finally get the answers I had actually been dreading over the past few weeks. The truth was going to come out today and I wasn’t sure it was going to be what I wanted to hear.
I glanced over at Tristen, who was waiting patiently for me to say something. “We have to get home. My mom is on her way to the airport now.”
“I’m not sure it’s safe yet, Grace. I mean, I’m sure they won’t find Phoebe and Eric right this second, but the cops may be waiting for you outside of your house because of Sonny.”
“We can sneak in. We just have to get home, Tristen. We have to.” And with that, Tristen started the engine and headed toward my house.
It took just a few minutes to reach the vicinity of my house. Taking a quick surveillance from the street before mine, there did not seem to be anyone waiting in front of the house. We parked Marilyn and walked cautiously through the neighbor’s back yard. A familiarity set in when a memory of Phoebe and I sneaking out of my house one late night to buy junk food at the twenty-four hour corner store flooded my head. I took a deep breath to avoid any tears.
Once inside my house, I felt the urge to go straight to the refrigerator. However, I realized in that moment that it was only out of constant repetition and not because I was hungry. As a matter of fact, I wasn’t hungry at all. My stomach still felt completely pleased with what I fed it earlier. Although, that thought deeply saddened me.
Tristen must have recognized the expression on my face as we entered the living room. “Grace, are you okay?”
I plopped down on the couch, feeling the weight of everything that happened bearing down on me.
“Yeah. Yes. I’m fine,” I answered.
Tristen sat beside me. “Grace, it’s okay if you’re not.”
“Are you?”
He sat back into the couch, inhaling deeply. I suddenly felt sadness for Tristen. I wasn’t the only one having to endure what happened in the last few hours. He just killed someone to save my life for God’s sake. Was it worth it?
“I’m fine. I guess.”
“Tristen, I’m sorry. I know—”
Tristen tur
ned to me, grabbing my face with both his hands and forcing me to look into his amazing eyes.
“Grace, I’m only going to say this one last time. Don’t be sorry. Yes. I killed someone. But I was protecting you. And I would do anything to protect you. Do you understand?”
I simply nodded.
“We are going to figure this out. You and me. Whatever we have to do, we will do it. And I’m not going anywhere. Are you okay with that?”
I nodded again.
“Okay,” he said before landing a soft kiss on my forehead. “Now, tell me more about this doctor guy.”
“Well, he came here a couple of times. The first time, he was visiting with my mom and asked me some questions like ‘How are you feeling?’ and ‘Are you tired?’ Which was weird. Then, I think I overheard my mom on the phone with him one night. She was telling him that she couldn’t send me away. That was all I could hear. And finally the last time, he was here one morning and offered to take me to some island off the coast of Costa Rica. He said there is a facility there and I can get the treatment I need.”
“Did he say what the treatment was for?” Tristen asked. He was concentrating hard on everything I had just revealed.
“No, Phoebe…” I paused.
Tristen laid a hand on my thigh. “It’s okay.”
I took a deep breath and fought all the urges to run upstairs and lock myself in my room. “Phoebe came over and we had to go to school before he could tell me,” I finished.
“Well, hopefully when your mom gets home, she can answer those questions for us. In the meantime, maybe we should sleep for a couple of hours. How are you feeling? Stomach wise, I mean?” he asked, resting a hand on his belly.
“I feel amazing. I am actually full for the first time in my life,” I answered, feeling ashamed for my honesty. After all, I was full of my best friend.
“Okay, why don’t we take a shower and come back down here to rest for a bit. I have a feeling today is going to be a long day too.”
Blood rushed to the pores of my face. “Um…well, okay… My tub is kind of small for the both of us.”
Tristen smiled softly as he brushed a loose curl from my face.
“After everything we have been through, you are still so adorable. I meant we can take a shower, separately. I don’t think we’re ready for a shower together. Do you?”
Kill. Me. Now.
“No! I was just joking, silly. You can use my mom’s shower.” I faked a laugh as I secretly wished I would crawl out of myself. “I will give you something to wear. I think my mom kept a t-shirt and sweatpants from my dad.”
We headed upstairs and went our separate ways. When I entered my bathroom, I completely avoided the mirror. I knew what would be staring back at me would be an image of myself covered in dried, crimson blood. A murderer.
After the shower, I dried off and threw on some jeans and a t-shirt. Watching my best friend’s blood slide off of my body and into the shower drain took a lot out of me, emotionally. I cried softly, hoping Tristen wouldn’t hear. He was already having to deal with enough. Falling apart was something that I needed to hold off on doing in front of him. At least till we knew what we were going to do.
I met Tristen downstairs and grabbed a quilt from the linen closet. Tristen stretched out on the couch, scooting over against the back rest to allow room for me to lie down next to him.
As if we had been doing it for years, I nestled into his arms. With our bodies facing the same direction, Tristen wrapped his arms around me, kissing the back of my head at the same time.
“God, you smell so good when you get out of the shower.”
“Thank you. You smell like my mom.”
He laughed. “Well, there was nothing manly in there. Besides, I kind of like it.”
“I like what you normally smell like.”
“And that is?”
I sighed, feeling the sleepiness begin to consume me. “Like a sexy Corvette.”
“What? What does that smell like?” he laughed again.
“I don’t know. But it’s good. So don’t worry.”
“Okay, I won’t. Hey. Look at me.”
I twisted my head towards his. He kissed me sweetly on my lips, sending a chill down my spine. “Everything is going to be okay.”
I nodded and turned back around, allowing myself to fall asleep in his arms.