Infect Me Tenderly

[ o2 ] Demon. Demon. Demon.

Dedicated to my Zombie Informant.

C h a p t e r . o 2


Demon. Demon. Demon.

 "As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being."

-Carl Jung

The sight overwhelmed me as I lay there completely defenseless. But as the woman’s mouth descended upon my face, the wretched smell of her breath snapped me out of the fear-induced trance and I shifted to the side so that the woman’s gnashing teeth took a chomp of air and brittle Fall grass. Then, I snaked my arm around so that I got the woman into a headlock, pushing her face into the grass. There was a moment of hesitation on my part when I remember the state of my neighbors face but as she thrashed violently, images of the flesh in her teeth rose. I didn’t even want to think of how that had gotten there.

     My neighbor clawed the dirt, trying to get free while I maneuvered to stand up, still pushing her down in a headlock so that she wouldn’t bite me. But, I had enough common sense to let her turn her face so that the wound wouldn’t be pushed into the dirt any farther.

     “Wait! Freeze!” someone called out in my panic.

     And I froze; halfway standing, holding down the woman by the neck and completely ruffled up hair so that I couldn’t see anything around me. I felt someone come up next to me and take over my position, holding the woman down and touching my shoulder to move away. “Are you hurt?” they asked either the woman or myself—I didn’t know, I couldn’t see. I shook my head, answering anyways, still unable to speak my answer. “Are you hurt?” I realized that it was a masculine voice and they turned to look at me. I guess they were speaking to me after all.

     Finally, I rasped out a “no” but I wasn’t looking at the guy who came and helped me. Instead, I watched the woman as she struggled. And now I could watch from a safe distance. It didn’t feel real. It was like I was watching some horrible film. I knew the guy said something to me afterwards but I couldn’t think of anything. I was floating in a ‘what do I do?’ state of oblivion.

     “Hey!” someone voice finally pierced the fog. “Don’t get lost on me now. Common!” I turned my head to the voice, barely recognizing a male figure on the grass holding down my neighbor. He cursed. “Get inside the house,” he commanded forcefully. I blinked in shock. “Go. Now.” I covered my mouth with the back of my hand and took a step backwards. Then, I looked back at the woman who had attacked me as she writhed on the floor.

     She was still struggling with a mind set on one thing. She was horrifying. Why wouldn’t she stop? Then I ripped my gaze from the struggle and ran back to my house. Safe, warm, and comfortable; my house. I slammed into the wall next to the door not slowing down at all before gripping the handle and yanking it open. I tumbled through the threshold in dizziness.

     Later, I was sure that I would regret showing no concern for the man who saved me but as of that moment, I didn’t want to deal with it. I wanted to run away and run to my room. To hide in my closet until the woman’s face, looming over mine went away completely. I couldn’t deal with it. People attack people. Usually because of anger, pride and love. But that woman… my neighbor… I felt none of that other than of the moment need. She needed to attack me for no reason other than I was there.

     I didn’t make it to my room though. I didn’t even make it up the stairs. Instead, I collapsed at the kitchen counter and sunk onto my bottom. I closed my eyes painfully and covered my face with my hands. But my hands felt wrong. And when I opened my eyes to see what was different, I noticed the woman’s blood coating my fingers. I gasped out in a painful shock and stared at my hand in a stunned state. This didn’t seem real. Ripping my eyes from my red fingers, I pushed up off of the kitchen floor leaving behind a red handprint. My legs trembled as I stumbled to the bathroom and I braced the wall as I moved.