Twilight Fan Fiction ❯ A Believer In Fiction ❯ What Hurts the Most ( Chapter 1 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Kate the InuYoukai01 
Non Anime: Twilight Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Fantasy / Romance | Type: Self Insertion | Uploaded On: 08.01.2010 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 391 | Status: Work In Progress
Non Anime: Twilight Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Fantasy / Romance | Type: Self Insertion | Uploaded On: 08.01.2010 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.7K | Visits: 391 | Status: Work In Progress
A/N: This fan fiction is a special story dedicated to one of my best friends in the WHOLE WORLD! I love you, Amanda! This is my first Twilight fan fic so please be lenient with me! I’m used to writing Inuyasha and Death Note fan fictions and this is a big change for me.
Warning! This is a friend insertion fan fiction, which means an “original character”. The pairing is Mandy/Emmett, which means Rosalie’s preppy ass is gonna get DUMPED! Lulz! Anyway, I can’t really picture anything explicit happening, just some hardcore making out. Sorry, Mandy, but this is just gonna be rated T for language and implied sexual content. I just can’t write about you “doin tha do”, it would just be too weird! It’s also gonna be in first person, or Mandy’s point of view. Kinda like Twilight, but you don’t have to read about Bella prattling on about indecision and mortality and what not. Anyway, on with the show!
What Hurts the Most:
I never really understood love… It just seemed so strange to think that you’re supposed to be with one person for the rest of your life. But then again I never had a successful relationship with anyone before, just little high school crushes that didn’t go anywhere and ended quickly. I never thought in my life that I would experience the emotion romantically. It just seemed so fictitious to me. But after the events that happened about twenty years ago today, I’m a thorough believer in a lot of fictitious things.
I’m Mandy. Mandy Frost. I’m from a little town in Texas just outside the border of Oklahoma. It’s called Callisburg, and it’s more like a little wooded community than a town, really, with a population of only about 365 people. It’s a series of country roads made of dirt and gravel, with a few little stores and a high school that seconds as a middle school. I call it Texas’ grease stain, considering how old the town is. My neck of the woods is cut up into about six different communities, each with a smaller population than the last. The town surrounding our little communities is overran by the elderly and for the most part drug addicts, though a select few people actually find the time to complete high school and go on to college to live successful lives. I lived with my mom and dad in a little house on one of the very few roads in my town that’s actually paved with asphalt. It’s a main road that leads almost directly to my old high school.
It was a big day for me, because I was moving out on my own. I was going to finish college in Seattle, a rainy and cold city in Washington. It’s sunny on occasion, but at least there you know what to expect from the weather. Texas is on a permanent menstrual cycle. One day it will be bright and sunny, and the next thing you know a tornado rolls through town and knocks a tree onto your house. That day was one of the hottest days in Texas history, with the outside temperature at a whopping 110 degrees. Suffice to say I was glad to be moving to a cooler climate.
My mom wasn’t happy that I was moving so far away, but she was happy to see me go out on my own. She shoved a wad of bills in my hand and told me to use it wisely. My little sister was crying. She didn’t want me to go, but I told her I’d call often and visit on the holidays. My dad’s horn honked and I went back into my room to collect my things. I took my time bringing my stuff out to dad’s truck. Three suitcases, two duffle bags, and about twelve boxes of personal belongings and memorabilia from my high school days. My dad was driving me to the airport and my friend was meeting me there with her husband. They were nice enough to let me stay in their little four bedroom apartment until I got on my feet.
Kaley’s been one of my best friends since third grade. After graduation, she got pregnant and married her long-time boyfriend Luis. She started college in Gainesville, the city that surrounds Callisburg, and decided she wanted to get a teaching certificate for her bachelor’s. So, she, her husband, and their two young children moved to Seattle after she finished her basics. She would call me often, telling me how great it was up there despite the weather, and that the college had several programs that were to my liking. When she offered me a place to stay in return for helping with the grocery and electric bill, I jumped on the opportunity. Her husband even talked about a job opening as a receptionist at the car dealership where he worked. He said the pay was good and the benefits were even better.
By the time I made it to the airport in Dallas, my spirits were soaring. Not only would I see my best friend after so long, but I’d most likely be able to get a job soon, too! She sent me pictures of her little family all the time, and that made me all-the-more excited to see her. I went through security, which was a hassle because I was wearing Converse high tops and they made me take them off. Then they confiscated my favorite lotion because they feared it might be a gelatinous explosive. I heaved a sigh and heaved my carry-on luggage onto my shoulder. I finally entered the plane and took a seat next to the window. I’d flown across the world before for a summer program at school, and I’d been to Washington before, but I loved watching the scenery.
The plane took off at about ten in the morning. I let my excitement bubble down and decided to take a much-needed nap. I was never a morning person and I liked to sleep in when I could.
----
I was jolted awake when the plane landed. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and grumbled as I grabbed my carry-on luggage from the compartment above my seat. The stewardess could have at least had the decency to wake me before the plane landed. I sent her a glare as I exited the plane and went to collect the rest of my luggage.
I spent twenty minutes waiting for my luggage and another thirty making sure nothing was missing. Kaley was pregnant again and I brought her some of her favorite snacks that my mom liked to make. It’s funny how only the snacks or things that are worth a lot of money end up missing. Security should be checking the people that work at the airport more vigilantly rather than the people using it. Of course, the snacks that were in one of my suitcases were gone, but thankfully I thought ahead and put some of them in my carry-on luggage as a precaution. I rolled my eyes at the thought of the people that handled the luggage at the airport and how most of them were probably a bunch of stoners. I wrestled my bags and boxes onto a big cart and pushed it toward the lobby. Kaley said she’d be there around two and it was already ten past three.
At first I didn’t see her, but then I saw her husband and knew she was close by. Luis was a short five foot six with broad shoulders and a round stomach. He had large hands, but his fingers were short and chubby. He had a tuff of black hair that he kept short, and his round face was always clean shaven. Then I saw Kaley and had to hold back a chuckle as I made my way over.
Kaley was an even shorter five foot three and a half, with thick red hair that she kept short and layered. She was average sized normally, but her belly was slightly round because she was four months pregnant. She was wearing a tan leather jacket and tight black pants that I figured were maternity pants. Even though she was pregnant, she never let that get in the way of her unique style. She’d started wearing make-up, a thing she rarely did in high school and community college, and the earth tones of her eye shadow sparkled and brought out her unique eye color; one eye was green with a tinge of orange, and the other was such a light green that it was almost blue. Back when she lived in Gainesville, everyone thought that she was my cousin or sister because of a few similarities in appearance.
My hair was red, too, and my eyes were green, but I towered over both of them at five foot eight. I used to be heavy set when I was in high school, but for some reason my metabolism decided to kick in and I narrowed out a bit over the past couple years. I smiled as I finally made it over to them.
“K.D.!”
Kaley turned around at her nickname and squealed, “Mandy!!!”
She was pregnant, but that didn’t stop her from pouncing on me.
“I missed you!” I said as I gave her a light hug and slowly lowered back down to the shiny linoleum floor. “Where’s Luis and Maelee?”
“At home with a babysitter,” Kaley said as she whipped out her phone. She always had pictures on hand whenever anyone asked about her kids. “Maelee started walking just a couple days ago!” She then proceeded to show me video of her daughter’s first steps as we made our way to their minivan out front. “I was at school, but thankfully Luis had my phone and got everything!”
Luis chuckled and opened the back hatch to helped me pack my things into the van. It was a cute little blue Volkswagen minivan that Kaley had been raving about getting for months. With everything packed, we started making our way towards their apartment.
No, our apartment… I thought happily as I stared at the passing city streets and buildings.
------
“Deana, I’m home!” Kaley hollered as she came inside.
The apartment was a bit larger than they had let on when we talked on the phone the day before. Kaley, who was always into the Japanese ways, told me that shoes are taken off at the door and stay off unless we were in the entry way. The living room was larger than my parent’s living room and dining room combined. The kitchen and dining area were large enough to throw a small party with about twelve people, and was tastefully done in cherry wood with black linens and dishes. Luis was coming in and out, placing boxes next to the entry way and going back out to the van. I wanted to help him, but he said to just take my stuff into my room.
“Mommy!” a little boy, about three, with thick brown hair, olive colored skin and blue eyes came running from his room and proceeded to wrap his little arms around his mother’s growing midsection.
“Hey, angel!” Kaley giggled and hefted the small boy up into her arms, kissing him on the top of his head fondly. “Go back to your room and pick out a book,” she said sweetly as she sat him down. “I’m going to get Mandy settled and then I’ll read to you.”
“Okay! I‘m gonna get Tarzan!” he giggled as he raced back into his room.
A thick woman with short black hair stepped out of a room further down the hall. On the door was a little wooden plaque that read ‘Maelee’ in purple letters.
“Little miss is down for her evening nap.”
“Good, you can go ahead and head out.” Kaley said as she went into the kitchen to put the snacks I‘d brought for her in the fridge. “Luis will send you a check in the mail-”
“Nonsense! You‘re children are so well behaved,” the woman chuckled as she hefted her oversized purse onto her shoulder. “You two pay me enough as it is. Today’s free.”
“Aww, thanks!” Kaley said as she hugged the much taller woman and saw her out.
------------------
“Since you’re going to be staying here for a while, we decided that when Noah was born he would share a room with Luis Jr..” Kaley said with a smile as she led me down the hall to the last room on the left. If I didn’t know that they had children I wouldn’t have believed it if they told me. For a three-year-old, Luis Jr. kept his room spotless, his little toddler bed made and his bookshelf neat. He was on the floor playing with oversized Legos. I guess Kaley took care of Maelee’s room, because it was also squeaky clean.
Kaley stopped at a door at the end of the hall and put her hand on the doorknob. “You can decorate this room however you like. Until now it‘s been a guest room and entertainment room for us and the kids.” she said happily as she opened the door and took one of the boxes off of the stack I was carrying. “Here, I’ll help you unpack.”
She went into the room without me. I was too busy gawking at it. It wasn’t the size of the room at all. Rather, it was the bookshelf filled with thick, hard backed books, as well as DVDs and CDs. There was a flat screen television mounted on the wall, with surround sound and a DVD and blue-ray player. A Play Station 3 and Wii sat on an entertainment shelf under the TV, about fifty video games for each respective gaming system arranged neatly in different shelves protected by glass doors. A computer sat on a desk against another wall next to a large window overlooking the city. It was every nerd’s dream! They’d placed a full-sized bed in the center of the room, with black sheets and a red comforter. A nightstand sat on either side of the bed. Above the bed hung a large painting of a mountainous landscape. The room itself was painted a creamy, dark rose color, and the carpet was beige with a thick black and white area rug in the center of the room.
“The computer has high-speed internet. Feel free to use it whenever you please.” Kaley said as she placed the box she’d been carrying on my bed and went to open what I assumed was a closet. “This is a walk-in closet, that’s why there’s no dresser or wardrobe. The nightstands are empty, so there’s extra room if you need it.”
Kaley helped unpack a few boxes before leaving me on my own to attend to Luis Jr.. Luis was in the living room, chasing around a very active Maelee as she ran around the room, her butt exposed to all of the world as she held her diaper tightly in her right hand, giggling madly. I came out of my room and hurried down the hallway, grabbing up the giggling little madwoman and handing her to her father.
“Mandy, do you have your driver’s license?” Kaley asked as she came out of Luis Jr.’s bedroom.
“Yeah, why?”
She didn’t answer me, merely turned to her husband, “Honey, Mandy and I are going to go out. I wanted to show her around town. Would you mind watching the munchkins?” She laughed when Luis gave her a feigned look of horror and she took Maelee away from him to put her to bed. “Luis Jr. fell asleep already. Maelee’s not that much of a handful.”
----------------
It was raining when we left. I remember because it was pouring so hard the van was vibrating before I even started the engine. We made our way into the dark city streets. The sun set a few hours ago, leaving behind a chilling wind and harsh rain. Kaley was laughing at my theory on airline baggage carriers, turning the station on the radio to the local rock station. I followed her directions to a nice restaurant in the center of town to grab a bite to eat before she showed me the rest of town. She was glad that it wasn’t as crowded in town because of the rain.
We parked in the restaurant parking lot and got out of the car, making sure to lock the car.
“You can’t be too careful,” she said as she clutched her purse tighter to herself. “This city used to seem so great, but recently so many bad things have been happening.”
“What do you mean?” I asked as we entered the eatery and were seated by the hostess.
“Well, a string of missing persons reports have showed up in the paper these past few months,” she said with a shake of her head. “On top of that, there have been about a dozen homicides in just this last month. It’s starting to worry me. The weird part about it is that most of the people they found were in pieces. Some of them had to be identified with dental records!”
My eyes widened at the news, “And you wanted to show me around town after dark?!”
“Oh, it’s fine. I have a concealed handgun license. I always carry a pistol in my bag,” she smiled reassuringly as she patted her purse. “It’s small, but it gets the job done. Like I said earlier, you can’t be too careful.”
I suddenly felt the urge to laugh at my long-time friend. I never pictured a pregnant woman carrying around a pistol, but I guessed that being pregnant was reason enough to want some extra protection. We ate, quietly laughing at old stories from when we went to high school together. The bill came, and Kaley opened her purse. A glint of silver caught my attention and I realized she hadn’t been joking about the pistol. She sighed, zipping up her purse with a snap.
“Mandy, I left my wallet in the van. It’s in the center console, will you go get it?”
I looked at her with wide eyes. Did she really expect me to go out there after that horror story she told me earlier? I peeked out the glass door of the establishment. I could see the rear end of the van from there parked on the other side of the street. I shrugged, surely nothing bad would happen to me right across the street from a busy restaurant.
“Sure,” I said as I picked up the keys off the table and walked out of the restaurant. The rain was torrential as I made my way to the van. The street was somehow wider than it seemed when Kaley and I walked across earlier, and I was a little freaked out with how empty the streets were outside. I jogged over to the driver’s side of the van and fumbled slightly with the keys because of how wet my hands were.
Just as I was about to slip the key into the door of the car, I felt someone tackle me to the ground. I tried to scream, but I felt a bone-chillingly cold hand press over my mouth. The hand was rock hard, but thin and dainty like a woman’s. I struggled, trying to get a good look at my attacker before I got away. All I saw was a wave of incredibly long, curly red hair and bright red eyes. I was reminded of Kaley, just inside the restaurant, and how she used to wear her hair like that in high school. I struggled a little more, before I felt my attacker sink their teeth into my forearm.
This time I screamed, I screamed so loud that even the hand over my mouth couldn’t stop the sound from coming out. The burning sensation was so intense, starting in my arm and quickly making it’s way into my chest, it felt like someone injected me with a syringe full of corroding acid. I heard a tinkling female voice curse, and then pain in the back of my neck.
The last thing I thought about before I blacked out from the pain was what Kaley told me in the restaurant just an hour before.
“There have been about a dozen homicides in just this last month. It’s starting to worry me. The weird part about it is that most of the people they found were in pieces. Some of them had to be identified with dental records!”
What hears the most, despite the horrific pain that I felt as I fell into unconsciousness, is that I knew I was never going to see my best friend or my family ever again…
Warning! This is a friend insertion fan fiction, which means an “original character”. The pairing is Mandy/Emmett, which means Rosalie’s preppy ass is gonna get DUMPED! Lulz! Anyway, I can’t really picture anything explicit happening, just some hardcore making out. Sorry, Mandy, but this is just gonna be rated T for language and implied sexual content. I just can’t write about you “doin tha do”, it would just be too weird! It’s also gonna be in first person, or Mandy’s point of view. Kinda like Twilight, but you don’t have to read about Bella prattling on about indecision and mortality and what not. Anyway, on with the show!
What Hurts the Most:
I never really understood love… It just seemed so strange to think that you’re supposed to be with one person for the rest of your life. But then again I never had a successful relationship with anyone before, just little high school crushes that didn’t go anywhere and ended quickly. I never thought in my life that I would experience the emotion romantically. It just seemed so fictitious to me. But after the events that happened about twenty years ago today, I’m a thorough believer in a lot of fictitious things.
I’m Mandy. Mandy Frost. I’m from a little town in Texas just outside the border of Oklahoma. It’s called Callisburg, and it’s more like a little wooded community than a town, really, with a population of only about 365 people. It’s a series of country roads made of dirt and gravel, with a few little stores and a high school that seconds as a middle school. I call it Texas’ grease stain, considering how old the town is. My neck of the woods is cut up into about six different communities, each with a smaller population than the last. The town surrounding our little communities is overran by the elderly and for the most part drug addicts, though a select few people actually find the time to complete high school and go on to college to live successful lives. I lived with my mom and dad in a little house on one of the very few roads in my town that’s actually paved with asphalt. It’s a main road that leads almost directly to my old high school.
It was a big day for me, because I was moving out on my own. I was going to finish college in Seattle, a rainy and cold city in Washington. It’s sunny on occasion, but at least there you know what to expect from the weather. Texas is on a permanent menstrual cycle. One day it will be bright and sunny, and the next thing you know a tornado rolls through town and knocks a tree onto your house. That day was one of the hottest days in Texas history, with the outside temperature at a whopping 110 degrees. Suffice to say I was glad to be moving to a cooler climate.
My mom wasn’t happy that I was moving so far away, but she was happy to see me go out on my own. She shoved a wad of bills in my hand and told me to use it wisely. My little sister was crying. She didn’t want me to go, but I told her I’d call often and visit on the holidays. My dad’s horn honked and I went back into my room to collect my things. I took my time bringing my stuff out to dad’s truck. Three suitcases, two duffle bags, and about twelve boxes of personal belongings and memorabilia from my high school days. My dad was driving me to the airport and my friend was meeting me there with her husband. They were nice enough to let me stay in their little four bedroom apartment until I got on my feet.
Kaley’s been one of my best friends since third grade. After graduation, she got pregnant and married her long-time boyfriend Luis. She started college in Gainesville, the city that surrounds Callisburg, and decided she wanted to get a teaching certificate for her bachelor’s. So, she, her husband, and their two young children moved to Seattle after she finished her basics. She would call me often, telling me how great it was up there despite the weather, and that the college had several programs that were to my liking. When she offered me a place to stay in return for helping with the grocery and electric bill, I jumped on the opportunity. Her husband even talked about a job opening as a receptionist at the car dealership where he worked. He said the pay was good and the benefits were even better.
By the time I made it to the airport in Dallas, my spirits were soaring. Not only would I see my best friend after so long, but I’d most likely be able to get a job soon, too! She sent me pictures of her little family all the time, and that made me all-the-more excited to see her. I went through security, which was a hassle because I was wearing Converse high tops and they made me take them off. Then they confiscated my favorite lotion because they feared it might be a gelatinous explosive. I heaved a sigh and heaved my carry-on luggage onto my shoulder. I finally entered the plane and took a seat next to the window. I’d flown across the world before for a summer program at school, and I’d been to Washington before, but I loved watching the scenery.
The plane took off at about ten in the morning. I let my excitement bubble down and decided to take a much-needed nap. I was never a morning person and I liked to sleep in when I could.
----
I was jolted awake when the plane landed. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and grumbled as I grabbed my carry-on luggage from the compartment above my seat. The stewardess could have at least had the decency to wake me before the plane landed. I sent her a glare as I exited the plane and went to collect the rest of my luggage.
I spent twenty minutes waiting for my luggage and another thirty making sure nothing was missing. Kaley was pregnant again and I brought her some of her favorite snacks that my mom liked to make. It’s funny how only the snacks or things that are worth a lot of money end up missing. Security should be checking the people that work at the airport more vigilantly rather than the people using it. Of course, the snacks that were in one of my suitcases were gone, but thankfully I thought ahead and put some of them in my carry-on luggage as a precaution. I rolled my eyes at the thought of the people that handled the luggage at the airport and how most of them were probably a bunch of stoners. I wrestled my bags and boxes onto a big cart and pushed it toward the lobby. Kaley said she’d be there around two and it was already ten past three.
At first I didn’t see her, but then I saw her husband and knew she was close by. Luis was a short five foot six with broad shoulders and a round stomach. He had large hands, but his fingers were short and chubby. He had a tuff of black hair that he kept short, and his round face was always clean shaven. Then I saw Kaley and had to hold back a chuckle as I made my way over.
Kaley was an even shorter five foot three and a half, with thick red hair that she kept short and layered. She was average sized normally, but her belly was slightly round because she was four months pregnant. She was wearing a tan leather jacket and tight black pants that I figured were maternity pants. Even though she was pregnant, she never let that get in the way of her unique style. She’d started wearing make-up, a thing she rarely did in high school and community college, and the earth tones of her eye shadow sparkled and brought out her unique eye color; one eye was green with a tinge of orange, and the other was such a light green that it was almost blue. Back when she lived in Gainesville, everyone thought that she was my cousin or sister because of a few similarities in appearance.
My hair was red, too, and my eyes were green, but I towered over both of them at five foot eight. I used to be heavy set when I was in high school, but for some reason my metabolism decided to kick in and I narrowed out a bit over the past couple years. I smiled as I finally made it over to them.
“K.D.!”
Kaley turned around at her nickname and squealed, “Mandy!!!”
She was pregnant, but that didn’t stop her from pouncing on me.
“I missed you!” I said as I gave her a light hug and slowly lowered back down to the shiny linoleum floor. “Where’s Luis and Maelee?”
“At home with a babysitter,” Kaley said as she whipped out her phone. She always had pictures on hand whenever anyone asked about her kids. “Maelee started walking just a couple days ago!” She then proceeded to show me video of her daughter’s first steps as we made our way to their minivan out front. “I was at school, but thankfully Luis had my phone and got everything!”
Luis chuckled and opened the back hatch to helped me pack my things into the van. It was a cute little blue Volkswagen minivan that Kaley had been raving about getting for months. With everything packed, we started making our way towards their apartment.
No, our apartment… I thought happily as I stared at the passing city streets and buildings.
------
“Deana, I’m home!” Kaley hollered as she came inside.
The apartment was a bit larger than they had let on when we talked on the phone the day before. Kaley, who was always into the Japanese ways, told me that shoes are taken off at the door and stay off unless we were in the entry way. The living room was larger than my parent’s living room and dining room combined. The kitchen and dining area were large enough to throw a small party with about twelve people, and was tastefully done in cherry wood with black linens and dishes. Luis was coming in and out, placing boxes next to the entry way and going back out to the van. I wanted to help him, but he said to just take my stuff into my room.
“Mommy!” a little boy, about three, with thick brown hair, olive colored skin and blue eyes came running from his room and proceeded to wrap his little arms around his mother’s growing midsection.
“Hey, angel!” Kaley giggled and hefted the small boy up into her arms, kissing him on the top of his head fondly. “Go back to your room and pick out a book,” she said sweetly as she sat him down. “I’m going to get Mandy settled and then I’ll read to you.”
“Okay! I‘m gonna get Tarzan!” he giggled as he raced back into his room.
A thick woman with short black hair stepped out of a room further down the hall. On the door was a little wooden plaque that read ‘Maelee’ in purple letters.
“Little miss is down for her evening nap.”
“Good, you can go ahead and head out.” Kaley said as she went into the kitchen to put the snacks I‘d brought for her in the fridge. “Luis will send you a check in the mail-”
“Nonsense! You‘re children are so well behaved,” the woman chuckled as she hefted her oversized purse onto her shoulder. “You two pay me enough as it is. Today’s free.”
“Aww, thanks!” Kaley said as she hugged the much taller woman and saw her out.
------------------
“Since you’re going to be staying here for a while, we decided that when Noah was born he would share a room with Luis Jr..” Kaley said with a smile as she led me down the hall to the last room on the left. If I didn’t know that they had children I wouldn’t have believed it if they told me. For a three-year-old, Luis Jr. kept his room spotless, his little toddler bed made and his bookshelf neat. He was on the floor playing with oversized Legos. I guess Kaley took care of Maelee’s room, because it was also squeaky clean.
Kaley stopped at a door at the end of the hall and put her hand on the doorknob. “You can decorate this room however you like. Until now it‘s been a guest room and entertainment room for us and the kids.” she said happily as she opened the door and took one of the boxes off of the stack I was carrying. “Here, I’ll help you unpack.”
She went into the room without me. I was too busy gawking at it. It wasn’t the size of the room at all. Rather, it was the bookshelf filled with thick, hard backed books, as well as DVDs and CDs. There was a flat screen television mounted on the wall, with surround sound and a DVD and blue-ray player. A Play Station 3 and Wii sat on an entertainment shelf under the TV, about fifty video games for each respective gaming system arranged neatly in different shelves protected by glass doors. A computer sat on a desk against another wall next to a large window overlooking the city. It was every nerd’s dream! They’d placed a full-sized bed in the center of the room, with black sheets and a red comforter. A nightstand sat on either side of the bed. Above the bed hung a large painting of a mountainous landscape. The room itself was painted a creamy, dark rose color, and the carpet was beige with a thick black and white area rug in the center of the room.
“The computer has high-speed internet. Feel free to use it whenever you please.” Kaley said as she placed the box she’d been carrying on my bed and went to open what I assumed was a closet. “This is a walk-in closet, that’s why there’s no dresser or wardrobe. The nightstands are empty, so there’s extra room if you need it.”
Kaley helped unpack a few boxes before leaving me on my own to attend to Luis Jr.. Luis was in the living room, chasing around a very active Maelee as she ran around the room, her butt exposed to all of the world as she held her diaper tightly in her right hand, giggling madly. I came out of my room and hurried down the hallway, grabbing up the giggling little madwoman and handing her to her father.
“Mandy, do you have your driver’s license?” Kaley asked as she came out of Luis Jr.’s bedroom.
“Yeah, why?”
She didn’t answer me, merely turned to her husband, “Honey, Mandy and I are going to go out. I wanted to show her around town. Would you mind watching the munchkins?” She laughed when Luis gave her a feigned look of horror and she took Maelee away from him to put her to bed. “Luis Jr. fell asleep already. Maelee’s not that much of a handful.”
----------------
It was raining when we left. I remember because it was pouring so hard the van was vibrating before I even started the engine. We made our way into the dark city streets. The sun set a few hours ago, leaving behind a chilling wind and harsh rain. Kaley was laughing at my theory on airline baggage carriers, turning the station on the radio to the local rock station. I followed her directions to a nice restaurant in the center of town to grab a bite to eat before she showed me the rest of town. She was glad that it wasn’t as crowded in town because of the rain.
We parked in the restaurant parking lot and got out of the car, making sure to lock the car.
“You can’t be too careful,” she said as she clutched her purse tighter to herself. “This city used to seem so great, but recently so many bad things have been happening.”
“What do you mean?” I asked as we entered the eatery and were seated by the hostess.
“Well, a string of missing persons reports have showed up in the paper these past few months,” she said with a shake of her head. “On top of that, there have been about a dozen homicides in just this last month. It’s starting to worry me. The weird part about it is that most of the people they found were in pieces. Some of them had to be identified with dental records!”
My eyes widened at the news, “And you wanted to show me around town after dark?!”
“Oh, it’s fine. I have a concealed handgun license. I always carry a pistol in my bag,” she smiled reassuringly as she patted her purse. “It’s small, but it gets the job done. Like I said earlier, you can’t be too careful.”
I suddenly felt the urge to laugh at my long-time friend. I never pictured a pregnant woman carrying around a pistol, but I guessed that being pregnant was reason enough to want some extra protection. We ate, quietly laughing at old stories from when we went to high school together. The bill came, and Kaley opened her purse. A glint of silver caught my attention and I realized she hadn’t been joking about the pistol. She sighed, zipping up her purse with a snap.
“Mandy, I left my wallet in the van. It’s in the center console, will you go get it?”
I looked at her with wide eyes. Did she really expect me to go out there after that horror story she told me earlier? I peeked out the glass door of the establishment. I could see the rear end of the van from there parked on the other side of the street. I shrugged, surely nothing bad would happen to me right across the street from a busy restaurant.
“Sure,” I said as I picked up the keys off the table and walked out of the restaurant. The rain was torrential as I made my way to the van. The street was somehow wider than it seemed when Kaley and I walked across earlier, and I was a little freaked out with how empty the streets were outside. I jogged over to the driver’s side of the van and fumbled slightly with the keys because of how wet my hands were.
Just as I was about to slip the key into the door of the car, I felt someone tackle me to the ground. I tried to scream, but I felt a bone-chillingly cold hand press over my mouth. The hand was rock hard, but thin and dainty like a woman’s. I struggled, trying to get a good look at my attacker before I got away. All I saw was a wave of incredibly long, curly red hair and bright red eyes. I was reminded of Kaley, just inside the restaurant, and how she used to wear her hair like that in high school. I struggled a little more, before I felt my attacker sink their teeth into my forearm.
This time I screamed, I screamed so loud that even the hand over my mouth couldn’t stop the sound from coming out. The burning sensation was so intense, starting in my arm and quickly making it’s way into my chest, it felt like someone injected me with a syringe full of corroding acid. I heard a tinkling female voice curse, and then pain in the back of my neck.
The last thing I thought about before I blacked out from the pain was what Kaley told me in the restaurant just an hour before.
“There have been about a dozen homicides in just this last month. It’s starting to worry me. The weird part about it is that most of the people they found were in pieces. Some of them had to be identified with dental records!”
What hears the most, despite the horrific pain that I felt as I fell into unconsciousness, is that I knew I was never going to see my best friend or my family ever again…