Fridays Are Fun

Brennan

His body is a mess. His limbs twisted unnaturally on the bloodied pavement; arms and legs and blood and guts littering the ground unattached to anything. His face is mangled and hardly recognizable, but everyone who stands around him knows exactly who he is. Jaideep Pannu, yet another fatality of the Earths' demons taking over the livings land. Brennan didn't know him well, or at all really, but there was something to be said about seeing someone you saw in the hallways everyday laying gutted outside your high school. Akshay, Avin, Timber and Abroop stand the closest around the body. Abroop, alone, doesn't have tears spilling. He just stares fixated at Jaideep's body with a blank look on his face. Brennan feels as though he was intruding on something personal, so he decides to walk the round of the school to see if any more of his peers had met the same fate.

"I'm gonna take a look around if any of you want to come with me." Brennan states while already backing away from the small cluster of mourning across the street from the school's entrance. A few overlooking the scene follow Brennan, though he doesn't turn to see who they are. Only once after crossing the street does Brennan hear a larger cacophony of stomping, and pivots to make sure he isn't in danger.  He is relieved to see Cameron, Alex, Jason and Sean rushing towards him, or wait, no they were definitely looking past him.

Everything then happens in what Brennan could only describe in slow motion, though of course it happens in a mere few seconds. But Brennan hangs on to every move everyone makes, including every move he doesn't.

Brennan hears yelling before he has had the chance to turn around fast enough to see what is going on. 

"Caitie why are you outside by yourself? You're hurt! Get inside, here I'll help you!" Brennan recognizes the voice like the back of his hand- Jade. Only, a much more panicked, squeaky version of Jade. Though he now sees what everyone else is seeing, Brennan still feels a step behind. He watches as Jade takes a step towards Caitie and he stays glued in place while he hears the distant thudding of the boys behind him. He hears Alex' muffled cries of distress. 

"NO! JADE DON'T!" He screams from somewhere behind Brennan. Everyone is too far away, everyone is too far away, Brennan's thoughts reply to his unexpressed wondering. Neither of them can be saved, because we are too far away. This thought keeps Brennan's shoes glued to where they stand, because no matter how fast he runs, they are too far away.

Jade screams as Caitie moves at an impossible speed and yanks a handful of Jade's hair, pulling her face up to be analyzed by Caitie's empty blue pupils in a sea of where red has overtaken the whites of her eyes. Brennan could have shot her had he had his bow. Well it was a possibility but it didn't mean that he would have. She may already be dead, but that didn't mean Brennan could kill her for good. 

Jade is floating. Well not exactly, but her feet are off the ground. She is being held up, by her neck. Her hands are trying to pry at Caitie's steel grip. It is not working. The footsteps behind Brennan are finally getting somewhat close, after what feels like forever, but a loud snap stops them. No one is moving, especially not Jade. She is still floating, but her head is hanging beside her body. She's still being held up, like a prize after getting your first kill during hunting. Her head is still attached, the skin is stretched and the bones in her neck are clearly snapped. Her long wavy hair is trying to reach the ground. It is being slightly blown around by the breeze. Everything seems the same, but the snap that ceased all other sound has also changed everything. Jade is dead, and the footsteps have resounded, angrier and louder, stomping and thudding. They are reaching Brennan. 

They are past Brennan. 

They have stopped running. 

Loud thuds and metal hitting flesh sound from where their feet now stand. Grunting and grief-induced sobs also sound from where their feet now stand. The boys don't bother taking turns with their hits at Caitie. Brennan realizes he could have shot her. Well maybe not a few seconds ago, but now he would have, because she is not Caitie. Caitie died long ago, and a monster now stood in her place.