Warning for graphic gore scenes. There will be a break before and after it. Read with caution! There will be brief mentions after the fact as well. Stay safe.
You were screwed the minute you woke up, the second you reached for your phone and checked your notifications. One new email, from your professor, the same professor who had assigned you an essay two weeks before. You, still being tired as hell, didn't worry that much about the contents, it was probably a reminder about a class coming up or something.
You slowly got up, pulling your fluffy throw blanket around your shoulders, Bailey always kept the whole apartment at a crisp sixty-eight degrees. Even though you had pleaded for it at least to be one more degree higher, just for the laughs. She refused, of course, middle school sex jokes just weren't funny to her apparently.
As soon as you shuffled out into the hallway the strong scent of vanilla and espresso filled your nose, making you perk up instantly. Bailey had a knack for making extra strong shots of Italian espresso, the kind that made you sit straight and awake for twelve hours. Plus, the soft vanilla smell was a sign that she was baking.
Bailey always baked when she was stressed or in a good mood, but due to the looming test dates you assumed the former. You just hoped it was her sugar cookies this time, they were always slightly chewy and managed to melt in your mouth. She truly had a gift.
Your roommate looked up from her work as you bumbled into the living room, blanket sliding off your shoulders as you tried to hold it in place with one hand. She knit her eyebrows together and gestured to your disheveled state with a mixing spoon, "Where are your work clothes? You're supposed to leave in less than twenty minutes." You hopped up on the bar stool and laughed, "What do you mean? It's Sunday, I don't have work today." Bailey raised an eyebrow and placed a hand on her hip in a very 'mom' way.
"Today is Monday, (Y/N)." As those words left her mouth you shot up, cozy material falling to the ground as you ran back to your room. "Shit!" You screamed, not caring if the nosy tenants heard your panic at nine AM.
In a rush you threw on your warmer work uniform, tugging a brush through your hair and throwing cold water on your face. You stumbled around, grabbing your school laptop and shoving it into your backpack, along with the charger and a worn (f/c) notebook.
As you threw on the bag you headed back into the living room, plopping down on the carpet and tugging on your winter boots, phone held between your teeth as you counted the minutes in your head. You definitely could not risk being late again, especially not since you left work early two days ago.
Bailey had pulled her hair up while you were gone, elegantly pouring her homemade brew into your to-go mug, setting it down on the counter with a teasing smile. "Don't forget to bring your gloves this time." You stood again and shot her a glare, although you did shove your gloves into your coat pocket.
You muttered a thank you for the coffee as she shoved a plastic container your way, containing two freshly made croissants and three sugar cookies. The smile returned to your face as you rounded into the kitchen and gave her a side hug, pressing a friendly peck to her cheek. She waved you off with a grin, her stormy eyes clearing of any stress she was feeling before. "Quit being a suck up and get going. Make sure to share with Riley." You giggled and nodded, "Yeah sure, I'll share with Rileyyyy." She blushed at your teasing tone and glared at you. You just laughed and yanked the container away along with your mug.
Bailey threw the keys at you as you ran out the door, you just barely caught them with one hand, managing to grab the small rainbow charm before they fell to the floor. You shouted a goodbye and then shut the door, making sure to lock it behind you.
The bus was crowded again, forcing you to suck in a breath and stand, one hand on the strap and the other fumbling to get the phone out of your pocket. Pastries and spill-proof mug tucked away in your bag. You decided to finally check your email, it was better to respond to the person in charge of your grade as soon as possible.
You tapped into the icon and clicked the newest unread email, scanning through the contents before you nearly dropped your phone in shock. The words on the screen clearly stated that the dreaded five page essay was due tomorrow. You felt like your insides were being thrown around as the bus stopped to pick up more riders, you couldn't believe you forgot about your homework.
Usually, Bailey kept a log of every project that was due and the rubrics, neatly tacked up on the living room cork board. You realized that she was probably so busy with her own work that she forgot to tack up yours alongside hers. You shut your eyes tightly at the revelation and pressed your forehead to your raised arm, groaning lowly into your jacket.
Suddenly the bus lurched forward, stopping abruptly and causing you to fall towards the ground before the bus jerked back, causing you to follow. Your hand slipped from the strap on the ceiling as a murmur came from the other passengers. Before you could split your skull on the sticky rubber floor though, a strong arm wrapped around your torso and pinned you to an even stronger chest. It felt like you were being held by a giant.
You caught your breath, your heart beating wildly at the prospect that you almost died.
As the bus started moving once more you turned your eyes up to see your saviour and maybe gently ask to be let go of--
On second thought, maybe you were just fine staying in his arms.
The man holding onto your waist securely was very tall, that was your first observation. He was a giant. Then you studied his face a bit more, he had a light stubble, the same color as his dirty blonde hair, cut short and fluffy. He had a splatter of soft freckles under his eyes, nearly hidden by the faded circles of insomnia. His nose looked like he had been in a fight or an accident in his youth, slightly bent in the middle.
Then his eyes fell to yours and you almost died right on the spot.
This man's eyes were a gorgeous honey brown, the kind that made you think of sunflowers and drizzled caramel on warm honey buns. His eyelids drooped slightly, making him seem inviting and kind as a sweet half smile found its way to his lips.
"Are you alright there, miss?" His deep voice had a gentle southern drawl, making your heart squeeze in your chest as he carefully helped you stand, his large hand on your back to steady you.
You had to take a minute to breathe as your face flushed fifty shades of pink, your eyes wide. "I'm.." you cleared your throat, not liking how your voice stuttered. "I'm alright. Thanks for catching me, I greatly prefer you over the floor." He raised an eyebrow at the comment, laughing under his breath. "Is that so?"
Shit, that slipped right past your lips, now he was staring at you as you fumbled for more words.
You were saved by the bus coming to a stop, conveniently your stop. You glanced over your shoulder and just pointed, opening your mouth to speak but nothing coming out. The man just laughed again and nodded his head, letting you smile back and rush off the bus.
You nearly slipped on the ice as you ran inside through the back door, your mind still reeling from the encounter with the handsome stranger. You just couldn't seem to shake the bubbly feeling in your chest as you thought about his large calloused hands and his kind honey eyes and--
In your daze you nearly ran headfirst into another person, barely able to stop yourself before you could crash into them.
"Woah! Dude chill out, what's the rush?" It was Landon, blonde stoner Landon. A far cry from who you now dubbed 'handsome bus man.'
"Sorry Landon, I wasn't paying attention." You nervously smiled at him, able to meet his eyes since you were both pretty equal in height. Landon muttered something under his breath before looking behind him quickly, seeing a customer enter. "We're on front duty again, Louise got drive-thru."
You sighed, you were really hoping to catch a break this morning. First being late to work, then finding out your project was due, then literally falling for a stranger on the bus, now you had to work the front.
"The Front" is what all the employees called the front counter, though it was named to be more intimidating since almost everyone hated it. You had to directly interact with the customers, which meant you had to deal with all the complaints first hand. Just your luck that your manager wasn't even in today.
Maybe the day would be more tolerable if Riley had shown up for her shift today, but she left you a voicemail saying she had an emergency pop up and that she would have to miss work. You texted her after you heard it to let her know that it was fine, and to take care of herself. All you got was a smiley face in return, since she wasn't a huge fan of texts and preferred calling, which you always thought was weird.
You sighed heavily and set down your bag, unzipping it and pulling out Bailey's pastries and espresso, setting them both on the back counter before you pulled off your puffy jacket and shoved it in the backpack. Landon walked past and handed you an apron, eyeing the container you had out with greedy eyes.
Once you were fully suited in your uniform you took a long sip from your mug, placing it on the front counter now instead, so you could have it ready as you worked.
"Hey are you going to share those treats ooorrr..?" Landon was still hovering over your tupperware, glancing at you and then back to the golden croissants. You narrowed your eyes and leaned over to shoo him away, his moaning of disappointment reminded you of a forlorn seagull.
You decided to hide the pastries in your bag as Landon continued to pester you, talking about his made up 'low-blood sugar.' After that he had considerably calmed down and instead grumbled at customers and behind the coffee machines as he worked.
- - - - - - - - - - -
After about two hours of non-stop rush with loads of annoyed and prissy customers you figured it would be ok if you took an extended break to sit down and get your essay done, which somehow the other employees agreed to. When you had asked if it was alright with them they just gave you a sympathetic smile and nodded, as they knew full well what it was like to be falling behind with a side job. You had thanked them and promised a favor later on if they really needed it. That seemed to settle things.
So you sat down at a window table, setting down your backpack on the chair next to you and pulling out your laptop and notebook, a borrowed pencil between your teeth as you flipped to your notes:
Cannibalism: a free form passion essay on the dangers of eating humans as a human
You figured if you wrote a five page paper on the pros of cannibalism you would not only get an F, but maybe a trip to a recommended therapist as well.
You opened up the half filled word document and scanned what you had already written, humming to yourself as you jotted down some notes and reminders for yourself. Where it was now you weren't in too much trouble, just as long as you stayed focused on the essay and not...
Your eyes caught onto a mop of dirty blonde hair, making you stall, pencil hovering over your paper as you whipped around to double check what you saw. Nope, it was just a random man, coffee in hand and briskly walking through the soft flurry of snow.You sighed, deflating a bit, you had been sure it was 'handsome bus man.' It was not ideal how much he was still affecting you.
You grumbled under your breath and stared back down at your notes, analyzing your handiwork...
Hands, strong arms, sturdy build, kind eyes.
It only took a minute for you to drift off into a daydream, a poem of sorts now sitting amongst your notes.
He takes on the smell of rain, a blend of fresh air and smoke.
He strokes my hip,
the tips of his fingers
like sandpaper.
All of a sudden another person brushed past your shoulder, making you snap out of your daze and look up, arm hurriedly covering the words you just scribbled down, completely embarrassed that this random dude may have read it while passing behind you.
He didn't say anything to you though, which was a little rude since he's the one who bumped into you, but you brushed it off and watched as he sat down across from you.
Wait... you studied his mess of dark brown hair and his thick sideburns, his hazelnut eyes that seemed to swirl with memories, and lastly the chunky tan shoes he wore. This was the guy you made eye contact with on the bus two days ago! You nearly gasped, what was it with you meeting weirdly attractive men on the bus?
He seemed busy at the moment, which meant there was no reason that you couldn't....check him out a little. Just a tiny bit.
He wore the same beige winter jacket, unzipped and exposing the red and black flannel underneath that was obviously thermal. Combined with his heavy black snow pants and big work boots he was a very... hot lumberjack. You spotted a little pin on the lapel of his jacket that you didn't notice before, a small silver rose with intricate design. If you remembered Riley's rant about flower meanings, a silver rose meant something like sentiment. Forgotten memories of sort, you figured.
You gently shook your head, glancing down before your gaze traveled back up to stare once more, he was plenty good inspiration for the continuation of your poem.
He makes me feel small, fear and safety mixing to one.
His eyes glance my way,
brown like oak
hurt with thought.
No, now he was looking at you, deep eyes boring into you over his cardboard cup, steam floating in the view. Your cheeks reddened and you slapped your hand over your poetry, even though there was no way he could see it from where he was seated.
What was wrong with you? Staring at random men and writing love letters? You really have to start going to sleep at a normal time. Maybe stop listening to your manager's fairytale fantasies early in the morning. You were obviously internalizing them without realizing.
Your phone buzzed on the table, alerting you to a text from...oh from both Bailey and Riley. You dismissed the attractive man staring you down for the moment and opened up the texts, concern evident on your face. Riley told you she had an emergency, so why was she texting you? You read Bailey's first, deciding it would take less time to respond so you could focus on your blonde friend's text the longest, in case she was in trouble.
Y/N, just wanted to let you know that Riley came over today.
She's dealing with some stuff so I told her I could stay the
night at her place? You're alright with that I assume?
Sent 12:15
Of course! Is everything ok? She's ok?
Yes, everything is fine. She seems a little shaken up though,
mentioned something about a stalker?
Do you know anything about this? Has she brought
this up?
WHat?! No she didn't....
You paused, had she? You wracked your brain for something, anything in which she mentioned a stalker, but nothing. Well...maybe it had something to do with her coming into work crying that one time? She had brushed it off so easily...
Hold on. She texted me just after you
did. Let me read it
You tapped away from the conversation with your roomie and opened Riley's text, ignoring the little notification that popped up from Bailey as she tried to text you. Your eyes widened at the message before you.
we can see you.
You quickly went back to Bailey's new message, scanning over it.
Riley lost her phone this morning. How could she have texted you?
holy fuck
Hands shaking you dropped the phone, not before texting Bailey that you would call her later. Maybe it was a fluke, maybe the text was accidentally sent too late. But then again, why would sweet lovable Riley send such a cryptic text. Your eyes flicked around the coffee shop. Landon was falling asleep at the drive thru, another coworker making small talk with a customer. Then you landed on someone else, the man on his phone in front of you. The man who was just staring you down a few seconds ago.
You're not sure what compelled you to do it, maybe the anxiety and adrenaline rush of possibly being stalked. You inhaled deeply and got up, pushing your chair away from the table with a low screech, making you cringe. The man was immersed in his phone, not looking up as you slowly walked over.
Somewhere in your little monkey brain you jumped to a quick conclusion, that the attractive stranger sitting in front of you on his device was Riley's stalker, the one who claimed to 'see you.' It was stupid but, there was something about his dark eyes that made your heart jump rapidly.
"Excuse me, sir?" Your hands were shaking at your sides, carefully drawn into fists. You had a polite smile on your lips, trying not to seem suspicious. The man looked up, an eyebrow raised as he met your eyes. "What?" A bit rude you thought, but he was being approached by a random lady in Starbucks. You tried to think of an excuse for talking to him, you couldn't just say "are you stalking my friend?" without seeming creepy and weird.
"I was just wondering if you were single?" Fuck, ok not the worst reason to talk to him but shit was it embarrassing. You admit, he was exceptionally hot, with his slicked back brown hair and mysterious aura of a sexy lumberjack. Asking for his number was certainly not the route you wanted to take with a potential stalker though.
He blinked, once, then twice. A hesitant crooked smile rising on his lips as his cheeks went slightly pink at your inquiry. Shit, that was kinda cute. "Uh, I am?" It seemed like more of a question, his voice rising an octave at the end. You smiled wider, your own cheeks flushed. "Cool...cool. So then...could I maybe get your number?"
'Yes! Perfect (Y/N)! Now you could catch a peek at his phone!'
The man choked a little on air as he stuttered out a response to your blunt question, but you were too distracted subtly leaning over to see his screen.
"I, I mean....sure?" Another doubtful question, like he was suspicious. Your eyes had already seen his phone though, only seeing an open web page for a weird forum, which you prayed wasn't 4chan.
You stared blankly for a second, you were sorta hoping he would reject you, so you could cough awkwardly and go back to your work. No, he had the gall to accept your dumb request.
"Ah...ok then." It was a lacking response, not too enthusiastic. Well, even if he wasn't some weirdo at least you might get a date out of it. You fumbled for your phone and went to the new contact section before offering it out to him so he could fill in the info. He did the same, just much more clumsily.
You typed in your name and number, being cheeky enough to add a little heart to the end of your name. Sure, you weren't that close, but maybe you could be? Hot hook-up? Who knows at this point.
The two of you exchanged phones once more and you glanced at his information.
'Tim'
You snorted, careful not to let him hear it as you stared at his name. Tim? Really? You put a hand over your mouth as he looked at you weirdly, already putting his phone away. You hid another laugh with a shaky cough and then yanked your hand away.
"Well, Tim, it was very nice to meet you. Thanks for the number uhh...have a nice day!" He just nodded at your hurried goodbye as you turned on your heel and speed walked back to your table, your face red. You couldn't believe you just fucking did that. Really? This was maybe a new low.
Tim, also seemingly embarrassed with the whole ordeal, just picked up his coffee and swiftly exited the store, good. Now he wouldn't stare at you as you placed your head on the table and muffled your screams with your arm. Why couldn't you have at least gotten hot bus guy's number as well? This was just not how you imagined your day to go.
Nonetheless you picked up your phone and dialed Bailey, remembering your promise to call.
"(Y/N)? What the hell just happened?" You understood her concern, after all you left her on a bit of a cliffhanger.
"Just listen to me, someone texted me using Riley's phone. Make sure the doors are locked and I'll leave work in the next hour." You bit on the tip of your nail as you listened to the background noises of Bailey double checking the locks to Riley's place, along with the noises of a sniffling Riley and comforting words.
"Promise you'll call and tell me what happened in detail when you get home?" A breathy laugh left your lips as you listened to your roommate's mom voice, worried but composed. "Of course. Just wait up." With those parting words she hung up, mumbling something about hot chocolate.
You tapped your fingers against the wood of the table, your eyes catching on your unfinished work and then glancing back to your phone, the haunting text message staring back at you. You had a couple choices at the moment.
One, you could ask to leave early and rush right over to Riley's place. Two, you could finish your shift and essay and then leave. Three, you could go to your place first, pick up some shit, and then go to Riley's. Or four, you could get the fuck out of the shop, forget about your essay, and text Riley's phone on your way home. Maybe you could get some answers out of these fuckers.
Seemingly already making up your mind you quickly stuffed all your shit into your bag, throwing it over your shoulder and jogging up to the counter. An older girl was working there, she looked around twenty-six and if you remembered correctly her name was June.
"Can I help you?" She raised an eyebrow at your approach, seeing the subtle panic in your eyes. "Uhm yeah, can you tell Lia I had to head home early? I have a family emergency." Your hands were subtly shaking, and you weren't sure if it was nerves or some strange adrenaline from the thrill of hunting down weirdos.
June shrugged, waving you off dismissively as a line gathered behind you. Rude, you thought. Honestly you couldn't blame her, it wasn't like she could tell you no. So you just smiled tiredly and lifted your hand in a goodbye as you slinked out the front door.
The only problem was now you had to wait for the bus, in the freezing North Carolina winter. You huffed, your warm breath making a white cloud in front of you. You just muttered a curse under your breath and pulled out your gloves from your pocket, slipping them on. With another sigh you took a seat at the bus stop, pulling out your phone so you could get to work. It was a good way to waste time, not to mention your gloves had pads at the end so you could type without the scratchy material prohibiting you.
Your lips pressed into a fine line as you tapped on Riley's little icon, opening up the messages. Her grinning face stared up at you, the picture from a particularly nice Autumn day.
we can see you.
new phone who dis???
Now probably wasn't the time to be joking around, but honestly you were tired, annoyed, and stupid. Luckily you only had to wait a few seconds for a response, motherfuckers were waiting for you.
dont play dumb. we know you, (Y/N).
yea i got that weirdo, im just saying....
why even take a random girls phone? prank?
Do you know what she did?
You paused. What? What the hell did that even mean? You thought back to Riley Montgomery, her bright smile and blonde hair, her silly dad jokes and sunny disposition. There was no way she was capable of anything bad, that woman couldn't bear to kill a fly hovering on her food. No, you were completely sure that she-
anactofsin.mov attached
With a quick double take of the video just sent to you panic seeped into your mind, doubt flooding through as you stared at the cover image of the attachment. It was Riley...but she had her back turned away from the camera, some kind of container in her dominant hand.
You reached back into your pocket, your hands shaking as you hurriedly pulled out your earbuds, plugging them in and tapping a couple times to play the video as you shoved the buds into your ears. It started playing as you sat alone on the bench, your leg bouncing up and down.
-GORE SCENE!-
"You're a crazy bitch!! Get away from me!" A man was crawling frantically away in the background, throwing a potter plant in Riley's direction as she hurriedly backed up to avoid it. "You ruined our lives Dennis!! You murdered your friends, WE TRUSTED YOU!" Riley was obviously distressed, her knuckles growing white as she gripped onto the red container. Her face was still hidden but the scene was gently illuminated by a porch light, the front door to the house wide open as the man dragged himself inside, face flushed and heavily breathing, blood leaking from what seemed to be his ankles.
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! I HAD TO, DON'T YOU SEE!?" Dennis was clearly panicked by whatever Riley was holding in her hand, his beady eyes kept glancing back down to it, sweat coming off his face. He talked while throwing his hands around, trying to make his point.
"You had to..?" Her voice dropped violently, her right foot falling back and that's when you could clearly see the drying blood caked at the bottom of her shoe. The ends of her blue jeans clearly torn as she leaned forward to scream again. "YOU THREW AWAY OUR LIVES FOR SOME SHITTY MADE UP FAIRYTALE, DENNIS!"
With those words and Dennis stuttering out a lame response Riley took a strong step forward, swinging the container as clear yellow tinted fluid flung out of it and all over the front porch, some managing to get inside. It was now clear that she was holding a half empty gasoline can.
"W-what THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING???!" Dennis' voice shook wildly as he tried to close his front door, something blocking it from being able to. Riley was laughing, obviously choked with tears and regret as she threw the can at the door.
"I'm finally setting them free! I'm gonna set you on fucking fire." With that she stuffed her hand into her jacket pocket and pulled out an infinity lighter, a little hello kitty sticker on the side. She pressed a little button, it stayed lit as she tossed it to the floor, flame immediately following. The whole house caught fire in a few minutes, Dennis trying to crawl out before burning with it, a ball of fire and screams as his flesh melted from his skeleton.
The camera shook a little as the recorder moved away, Riley spinning on her heel and walking off, her face wet with tears.
The video came to a close with a vivid close up of Dennis, mouth wide open in a bloody murder scream, his arms covered in blisters as he tried to reach out and drag himself away, the fluid from his eyes drying as they melted in his skull.
Blinking once, twice, and then a third time. Your phone slipped from your hand, falling onto your lap, your knees so tight together that it didn't allow for your device to slip onto the floor.
-Gore Scene Over-
What the fuck did you just watch?
Without bothering to respond to the sender you pocketed your phone and stood up, the bus now arriving to pick you up.
This was all some dumb joke, you thought as you swiped your bus pass and sat down. You would get to Riley's apartment and she would laugh at you, Bailey would roll her eyes and everything would be fine. You held onto the brief hope.
Then again, neither of them would go this far for a joke. Neither of them would even think about something that demented. And that last shot, the way the man yelled out, dragging his burning legs across the lawn as his mushy skin fell in blobs onto the grass, there was no way that wasn't real.
You ran your hands over your arms, your skin ablaze even though it was in the negatives outside. Goosebumps settled into your flesh, no matter how hard you tried you couldn't seem to erase the sound of Riley's broken screaming from your mind, her cracked and desperate voice sunk into the depths of your brain like super glue.
You couldn't go over there, you didn't know what she would say, what you would say. No, you made up your mind, you would head home and take a long deserved shower and nap, take your mind off what you witnessed. You didn't need this right now, you didn't need this ever.
The bus took you home and luckily there was no random super hot man to distract you from your winding thoughts, like fish swimming round and round in a glass bowl. You got off at your stop, walking briskly to your apartment and rushing inside.
With your bag and jacket thrown off and sitting on the empty couch you shuffled over to the fridge and paused. On the door was a bright pink sticky note, reading 'Can't wait to see you again! <3 :)' Your hand reached up to flick the little note, weird of Bailey to leave it but you didn't mind. It was nice to have some positivity.
As you went through your little routine of eating, showering, and getting ready to settle in for a nap you couldn't help but feel paranoid. It was like someone was breathing down your neck. You cringed and shook off the thought, focusing instead on your nice comfortable bed that was waiting for you. Brushing it off as some sort of weird warped survivor's guilt.
Dressed in a long black t-shirt that had 'CALL OF DUTY' printed on the front with a little man on the toilet and matching black fuzzy pants you turned off your lights and slid into bed. You would worry about your possibly murderous best friend slash coworker when you woke up. In the distance you could hear your phone ringing but it only soothed you to sleep. Drifting off to the image of the handsome man on the bus and the burning flesh of some dude you didn't know.