Chapter II - Glimpse beyond

Chapter II

January rolled in without trouble. William was still out of work, I was left alone at Wyntech, working a boring data entry shift. For a month, I didn't see him. He was always in contact with me, now he didn't return my call or texts, nor did he call.

We lost contact with each other and life continued... Until the 27th hit. It was a normal workday as usual until I got out. Waiting for me on sitting on the company’s logo statue was Will. Sitting in a raging blizzard wearing nothing but Jeans and an unzipped leather jacket with a Tee underneath.

"Evening Ezekiel" He said staring down at me.

"William? Is that you?" I glared at him. Despite the total whiteout, I could see he had changed. Gone was his ponytail and beard. His eyes felt colder and his demeanor much more mechanical...

"It is. We have not seen each other in a while..."

"Understatement of the F'ing century" I replied, somewhat bitter

"I want to make up for it. How about I invite you to a pizza?"

"Ok..."

He then jumped down from the statue and invited me to his car. We drove for a few minutes until we reached a pizza hut. He let me order what I wanted and we drove to his place. Outside, the storm still raged, it was hard to see more than two or three meters ahead.

I settled inside will's place, it was an open studio apartment, furnished with modern furniture, a lot of glass and mostly black and white colors. I grabbed a good chunk of the pizza, chomping on it's greasy goodness.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" I asked between two mouthful "You paid for it"

He shook his head and gazed at me deeply from across the table "I'm not... Hungry."

I just shrugged my shoulders and kept on eating. As I finished, I grabbed the now empty box and only the realized the place's cleanliness...

I turned around and inspected the place. It was speak and span clean. Not just well kept. It was like a furniture show room. Like nobody had been living here in months...

I turned back to Will saying "So what have you been--" I faced him and noticed he was standing inches away from me. I hadn't heard him get up. Much less move a good three meters in the second I turned my back

"Are you alright?" I asked reluctantly

"I should be asking you this" he said putting his hand on my arm.

Like I was waiting on a cue, my body suddenly felt numb and I stumbled down. Only avoiding crashing on the floor due to will's iron grip. Without hesitation, he dragged me to the nearby couch.

"You know, I always liked you." He said. "I didn't want you to worry about me. To see me like I am."

I babbled a few words as even my tongue felt numb. "Watcha... talkin... aboot?"

"You are like a brother you know... I wanted to stay away. So you would be good. But you're the only one I have left..."

His voice sounded rougher than before. There was a certain excitement and a bit of regret in his words.

I glanced around the room, my head spinning. My view spined around... until it hit the blackened TV screen. Clear as day, I could see that something was wrong. Very wrong. Instead of Will, I saw another being in the reflection...

A Ghastly being stood over me, it's face twisted and contorted, it's teeth were shark like fangs, and I saw where it had grabbed me, a bloody wound, claws sank into my flesh.

The Television suddenly flashed and words came to me, like a hammer into my psych.

"FIGHT FLEE OR FREEZE"

Was displayed in white capital letters. More words appeared in what seemed like an eternity, but I noticed that the creature over me was moving in nearly cartoonish slow motion

TWO BRING DEATH

ONE KEEPS ALIVE

CHOSE NOW!

I starred at the creature what had masqueraded as William Jacobs. It's mouth slowly descending upon my throat...

I couldn't run away. I would die lying down. So there was only one option... And oh god I was scared of it!

All through my body, I felt the rush of adrenaline, chasing away the numbness. It didn't quite lost the entire feeling but I could move...

My hand clenched into a fist and smashed against the monster's face... To no real effect beyond my hand hurting like I'd punched a cement wall...

The surprise of the creature was enough however that I could get it off me. I lunged forward, putting all my weight and strength into a tackle.

The being fell down with me, to the ground. A good thing that I learned early was that despite being as invulnerable as superman, monsters too were subject to the laws of physics.

I rolled away from it as best as I could. Being much faster than me, it was already back up before I was. It lunged at me, claws forward. I didn't really think and instinctively kicked it. Right in the sensitive area. What? Monsters don't fight fair, why should I?

It slowed it down on it's course, but didn't exactly put it out of the fight as I would've wanted, however it was enough that I could get back up. I searched around for a weapon. Hand to hand was out of the question. Using the few seconds I had, I grabbed a nearby Vase and smashed it down on it's head.

Will, or rather what ever that thing was, screamed in anger in a horrible ear raking howl of fury. Without missing a beat, I kicked it right in the knee. Throwing it down onto the ground.

I turned back to step away to get another weapon, but I felt the thing's claws sink into my lower leg, completely numbing it. I crumbled to the ground nearly hitting my head on a cabinet. Something falling down at my side.

The thing slowly rose and stared at me, it's long, Gene Simmons like tongue wandering all around his mouth.

I was screwed... Immobilized, weaponless, wounded...

"Life sucks… Hard" I said to myself.

Next to me, I noticed a flash of light. It was Will's laptop. Which had been knocked down in the fight. The broken screen claimed

FEEL THE POWER

FEEL IT INSIDE YOU

UNLEASH IT!

Some how, these words stirred something inside me. I felt a burning sensation in my chest and felt it run along my left arm, the only usable one I still had.

I swung it awkwardly at the thing who was only inches away from me now, fangs and claws nearly sinking into my throat. My hand connected to the thing's stomach... Nothing happened.

It took what seemed like hours but was probably a split second until it happened. The thing's face contorted and it's body twisted in pain. The impact sent it flying back. Tot he opposite side of the apartment, like it had taken a bazooka shot to the chest.

My head exploded in pain, and I felt my heart stop, my lungs emptied themselves and I fell down onto the floor, blacking out.

I woke up not long after that. Maybe twenty minute. I felt sore all over my body. My leg and shoulder felt numb but manageable. Next to the entry door, William laid there, it's eyes closed, blood all over itself, seemingly having been thrown out by the mouth.

I starred at it for a good five minute. Waiting for the inevitable come back to life...

It didn't happen.

I got the hell out of there.

I walked all the way to my house in the storm. I didn't even notice that I had forgotten my winter coat until the next morning. All I remember next was Booze. Lots of it.