NOTE: This is a re-written and an alternate ending for the chapter 45 of my fanfiction "Letters To You". The idea was given to me by the wonderful Sakura_kinoko and HONERLOVES
(see above) , as well as the funniest way of getting me to see it in general (see above again) - so, the credit goes to them along with a big thank you! Didn't think I'd ever come back to this fanfic but the idea was just too good to waste it. Enjoy!
CONTENT WARNING - 16+: gore, mild body horror, anxiety, slight mutilation (not too descriptive, but implied).
Written: 2023.
Fiction
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Spending the night with Jack in peppered kisses, barely moving, afraid that if she does – he'd turn to soil, leaving her earlier than she bargained for. The night was quiet, and the embrace was so warm it lulled her to sleep quickly, letting the boy untangle her limbs from his and leave while he can.
It was hard to abandon the room he found solace in over time, and even if he knew he'd be back soon, Jack couldn't help but feel paranoid about leaving her alone. There was an itch in his gut, screaming that something bad might happen – thinking the police will see right through her when they question her.
She's not stupid. If she fooled me once, she'll fool them as well.
It was around 6.13AM when (name) awoke, finding an empty spot next to her. The warmth was gone, forsaking only the ruffle of the white linen sheets the boy's body laid on. Rolling over, she could smell the faint scent of rubbing alcohol on the pillow next to hers. As much as she wished the comfort stayed, it was hopeless to even try. There were still things to be done, and a life to live even if he wasn't there. It was temporary, but nobody liked their honeymoon phase interrupted.
Throughout the day her thoughts would come back to Jack, wondering if he's okay, where he'd stay or how he'll get around. (name) was perfectly aware of the fact that he'd be fine, making it all these years without being seen or heard about. Yet her chest burned and her head ached. Rationale and anxiety were such a bullshit combination.
She never had a problem returning to an empty home, devoid of light and life. After all, with her arrival, the lights would be turned on, TV would soon follow and her home would glisten again. However, coming back to an empty home after life meddled on and about every day, with or without her presence – was depressing. She didn't realize how beautiful it was to have someone to come back to every day.
The lights were on again, the TV soon followed, and it was only her, the evening news and a letter she failed to notice this morning.
"I apologize for leaving without a proper goodbye. You wouldn't be sleeping if we allowed ourselves one. Until the situation dies down, delete my number – we don't know what the police will ask from you. As for contact, Mondays and Saturdays in the center nearby park, I've marked a tree where we'll leave letters for updates. Stay safe."
She didn't waste time packing everything that might spark suspicion in a small metal box with a lock, putting it in her bag. Hiding the box in her locker at work might not be the safest idea, but it's safer than having it hidden in her house, or somewhere in the forest. The worst part of it all was the fact that she'd have to get to work earlier in order to avoid Tanya. The blonde had a habit of picking you apart until you tell her what she's interested in.
The sun merely peeked around the horizon when (name) left for work. Her pace was quicker, bag clutched and she felt like she had eyes everywhere. Spotting three police cars down her street, people walking to work, irritation and nervousness seeping out of everyone like steam. Nobody was fond of the situation they were forced to be in.
The café awaited her completely empty, and the box had safely made it to her locker. With an hour remaining until her chipper coworker made her way through the backdoor, (name) decided to kill time by cleaning up the space. The radio was louder than usual, a desperate attempt to cancel out the noisy thoughts that were going through her head.
"You're listening to minute-to-two on Dance radio. Detective Shirley who has taken over the investigation of the gruesome murders notifies that the forest search and the questionings of the residents living close by will be taking action in the early afternoon today. He has also said that with the right work and cooperation of the citizens the search should last for five days least, concluding it on the fifth day."
Hearing the news, (name) was left with a lot of questions. The girl didn't notice her knuckles turning white from the sheer force used to clench the rag she cleaned the tables with. Stepping away from the table, she found herself huffing.
There must be more to this. There is no way they can cover an entire forest and question everyone and their mothers in just five days. And what's the point in telling everyone all of this – aren't they supposed to be secretive to avoid a public panic or something like that?
"This morning two unidentifiable bodies have been found at the bottom of the Sunside spur hill. A nearby hiker had stumbled upon two bodies described as all but recognizable. The man had called the police in the early morning reporting a sight of two bodies lost of almost all human features. As of right now, no other information is available, but we will keep you posted."
If Jack was any more insane, he'd be the right person to point fingers at, but knowing the situation he was in – all suspicion dissolved rather quickly.
Maybe one of his weirdo friends? Possibly to avert the police from the forest...
"Look at that serious look on your face! What's the deal love?"
Jumping at the sudden interruption, (name) turned around to see Tanya, standing behind the counter with the biggest, almost uncanny grin on her face. The girl was slightly unnerved by the expression, but smiled at her nonetheless.
"Tanya, hi. Sorry, the news this morning is quite dark. What's up with you, you're quite happy today."
The blonde giggled and waltzed towards (name), making her feel slightly uneasy. Tanya was a person to speak about something exciting as soon as she walks through the door – not someone who'd be secretive about it.
"Yes I am! And that is because of this – look!"
Stretching out her left hand, it revealed a beautiful diamond ring presented to (name)'s eyes. Suddenly, all the uneasiness left, and (name) was left with happiness blooming in her chest.
"OH! He proposed!?"
"That he did! It was so romantic (name)! He took me on this picnic date at the Sunside spur hill last night, he put a gigantic blanket and fairy lights... and he brought all of my favorite foods. I can't explain how happy I am right now!"
Sunside spur hill...?
The smile (name) carried fluctuated for a moment, and her body tensed up just a bit. She couldn't tell Tanya what was on the news – it would ruin the happiness now, and the most special moment in her life for the rest of it. But it was eating away at her, and she hoped that Tanya knew about it already.
"What's wrong? Are you not happy for me...?"
Tanya was confused as (name) was worried.
"No, no! It's not that – I am actually bursting with joy! It's just..."
"What is it? Come on, you can tell me no matter what it is."
The girl scratched her arm awkwardly, looking at her own shoes before speaking up rather unconfidently.
"Ahh... The news this morning... They mentioned the hill. Apparently two bodies were found this morning at the bottom of it..."
If (name) had casted her eyes on her coworker a second later, she would've missed Tanya's slight eye twitch. The feeling of uneasiness crept up to her, wrapping its hands around her neck – suffocating the entire being. Tanya's changing expression didn't help the situation, and at a point like this, (name) wasn't sure if it was just the stress that was causing her to feel like this, or if she really messed up.
"Oh love, I've heard. It's a shame really, but I don't want it to ruin my special moment, you know?"
"Yeah, I agree. I'm sorry, I just heard the news minutes ago and it's still fresh."
Tanya gave her a crooked smile, yet it still carried the charm (name) was used to. Her nerves began to calm down, and the two prepared to open up the place.
Out of guilt and generally her coworker's special day, the girl decided to take the burden of working more while Tanya could have most of the day for herself – texting and calling her other friends and family. By the time their shift had ended, Tanya made her way to (name), tapping her on the shoulder.
"(name)! How about you and I have a girls night at yours? We haven't had one of those in a while."
(name) thought about it for a moment. Having Tanya over would be a great distraction from the current events, and she could make up to the downer situation from this morning by making Tanya's favorite pasta. Grinning, the girl nodded at her blonde friend.
"Sure! I'll be done with college around six, so you can come over by seven if that's okay?"
"Of course! I will see you then!"
The girl watched as Tanya left, continuing to smile to herself. As the distance was getting bigger, she noticed the modest change in how her coworker walked. It almost seemed as if the blonde wasn't used to using her legs, and for some reason she appeared taller than she was. Confused, (name) rubbed her eyes for a second, but as she opened them again, her coworker was nowhere to be seen.
Must've turned the corner... God I need to get more sleep.
The college hours ended faster than usual, the excitement bubbling up in her chest made the time go faster. (name) made sure that her apartment was nice and clean, preparing some new sheets for Tanya to use and picking out the ingredients for the pasta she'll make for her later. When the clock ticked seven, loud knocking on her front door averted her attention. Startled, the girl made her way towards it.
"Coming!"
Outside stood Tanya, and this time (name) was sure that she wasn't hallucinating earlier today – her coworker was taller. It wasn't a big change, but it definitely measured somewhere around two centimeters. Still, she didn't comment on it as she let her in, but took a close look at the blonde. It wasn't just the height, it was her hair that was shabbier, and the clothes she was wearing seemed mismatched. It didn't look like anything close to Tanya's style.
She let it slide anyway, thinking how it must be the entire engagement craze. Who knows what she'll be like when she gets engaged. If she ever does get engaged that is – does Jack even know what marriages are?
Why am I thinking about Jack marrying me?Silly.
"What's up? You seem flustered... wait... Is it a boy!?"
(name) laughed wholeheartedly at her friend's question, prompting Tanya to sit and look at her with one of her 'tell me everything' looks.
"Maybe... Your engagement has me wondering a little..."
"Oh you have to tell me all about it! I'm your best love guru."
She did tell her to an extent, leaving out the obvious red flags, or rather – crimes her significant other was committing. The pair talked for hours, laughing and chatting over some light drinks and pasta. Nearing midnight, Tanya turned on the TV, telling (name) that a really good horror movie should be on after the midnight news. So the two made some hot cocoa and grabbed some snacks from the kitchen shelf and made themselves cozy as the news started.
"Good evening. I'm Harper Moore and you are watching the channel 10 midnight news. The forest search has concluded its first day and as a close source claims, there have currently not been any new finds. We remind you that the search has began earlier today and is led by detective Shirley who has stated that the search will consist of exploring the woods and questioning the citizens living nearby.
In other news, the two bodies found at the bottom of the Sunside spur hill this morning have been identified as twenty-three year old Tanya Agapov and twenty-five year old Lucas Fischer. The bodies have been discovered by a hiker in the early morning who has immediately notified the authorities..."
The TV would continue on playing the news, discussing about the murders and eventually other events happening around the world. It's just how news were.
But a wave of coldness washed over (name), and she felt her limbs numb from the sudden anxiety, heartbeat picking up the pace and slamming loud against her ribcage. The pictures displayed on the screen were the ones of her coworker and her fiancé, and yet, that wasn't what made her body completely give out on itself.
It was the fact that in her peripheral she could see the face of the thing that was presenting itself as her coworker. It made her nauseous.
Neck positioned unnaturally, head tilted in an angle right towards her, and the face carried malice, all the evil in this world. Bright eyes so wide, looking like they'll fall out of its sockets at any moment. Mouth had the same uncanny grin, but it was wider, it stretched up to her ears, ripping skin to reveal red flesh underneath.
She couldn't move. Whatever sat right next to her didn't allow her to. The expression didn't allow her to. She tried to croak out a word, to say anything, but she couldn't. (name) felt her eyes water, and she began to shake lightly, like the world will wake if she shakes any harder. Feeling weight at her knee, her eyes followed the touch to see a bony, veiny hand resting on top of it.
The melody ones can call damnation filled the dimly lit living room, suffocating the silence. (name) felt her vocal chords break at that very moment, cutting in two, losing all meaning.
With barely any strength, the girl stumbled out of the couch, falling on the floor and stumbling on two feet. She didn't have the guts to turn around, but didn't need any at all, as the creature pulled her by the leg, turning her around in one swift move.
The action made (name) hit her back on the hardwood floor, knocking air out of her lungs, leaving her gasping and choking on blood forming in her mouth. What stood above her was inhumane, a figure with long limbs, sickly and pale, but with the same face of her friend. It resembled a messed up doppelganger.
And if the looks weren't enough, static came out of her mouth. TV static way too loud, glitching right where it needed to, splitting words and syllables in unnatural ways. Yet her mouth wasn't opening in the way it should.
"(name)-me)! Stop screaming-ing... We are supposed-possed to have our-ur girls night-night."
The words repeated like a broken record, each repetition louder than the one before. The girl began kicking her feet in hopes of breaking free from the creature's grip, but to no avail. Even if it was horribly skinny, it had an immense strength in itself.
It kept pulling her closer, and (name) could only try and grab the floor, breaking her nails and peeling away at her fingertips. They burned, screamed in pain. She couldn't do anything except yell for help, desperately trying to save herself from the horror in front of her, but all of it fell on deaf ears.
By pure luck, the girl managed to land a kick at its arm, following by a loud crack and a staticky 'ouch' coming from the creature. Due to the injury, she was let go, backing away towards the front door. Her eyes never once left the thing in front of her, and now that she was further way, she could notice that the creature was taller than before. The clothes were ripped, revealing more of its disfigured skin. It looked like it grew at least half a meter.
(name) could feel bile rising up her throat as tears streamed down her face. Both her fingers and leg stung, and it was only then that she noticed a large gash on it. The blood smeared on her pyjamas, leaving a trail from where she was dropped.
The girl began to sob, trying her hardest to regain some balance and bolt out of the door, but all attempts were futile as the creature looked at her and suddenly appeared right in front of her face, crouching, noses inches from one another. It carried a stench of death with it, one so vile it almost made her faint.
Not being able to hold it in anymore, (name) turned to the side and her stomach gave up on her, leaving her hands and the floor covered in vomit. Sobbing, she tried to push the creature away, only to have her wrists caught by the non-broken hand.
"Please, please, please, leave me alone, please! I haven't done anything to you, please leave me alone I'm begging you!"
"Please leave me-me."
It chanted, yelled, almost like it was mocking her in a way. The girl would've passed out by now if it weren't for the adrenaline rush. And just when she thought it was enough, the pressure around her wrists tightened and they were snapped like twigs by only one hand.
Screams and almost robotic-like laughter filled the living room area, and the only thing (name) could do was pray that someone hears her.
The creature was tormenting her when it stepped away from her, giving her time to try and scurry to her room – she was aware of it. Trying to open the front door was now impossible as both her hands were out of function.
The girl stumbled inside, using her entire body weight to try and hold the doors shut. It felt like years, waiting for either a miracle or death. The more time she spent holding the door, the more pain she felt, her body growing weaker by the minute.
After what seemed like hours of dead silence, soft knocking was heard on her bedroom door, and she began to sob again.
"Open the door (name), what's gotten into you!? It's me, Tanya!"
It spoke like Tanya, it spoke like it spoke fifteen minutes ago, before it all went to hell. For a second (name) would believe it, she'd believe that it really was her friend and that all of this was just a breakdown from all the stress and tiredness she's been going through.
For a second (name) would think how she'll have Jack's head when he returns, for making her go through such a breakdown. For a second, only for a second, (name) wished she never came to this city and instead opted to be a doctor like her father told her to be.
"Open the door (name)-me). The movie is on-on."
She didn't need to open the door. The creature could do it itself with the amount of strength it has – and did. Her body fell by the bed as the creature stepped inside, clawing at the wooden door, nails screeching on the board.
The girl tried looking for anything to defend herself with, yet there was nothing hard enough, nothing she could even hold with her broken hands. There was nothing. And in the eyes of the creature, she was nothing.
It played with her like a toddler plays with dolls, hitting her against the floor, walls, pulling at her limbs and bending them in a way they shouldn't be. She doesn't know what she thought about before she was gone forever. Before she was left to rot until the police came and found her the same way Tanya and her fiancé were found. She doesn't know what she looked like during the entire ordeal, nor what she could've looked like.
The apartment was red, and she was everywhere but nowhere.
"It has now been four weeks since the death of (name) (surname) and roughly two days less since the death of Andrew Barlowe and Lauren Elsher. (surname) was a coworker of the late Tanya Agapov who tragically lost her life the day before whereas as a source claims, Barlowe and Elsher were (surname)'s friends from college. There have been found connections with the similar deaths of family and friends of the late Lucas Fischer leading the authorities to believe that all of the murders had a motive and are connected. There are still no suspects for the gruesome murders and all of the people who are associated with the victims have been put under special protection of the authorities. As the kidney killer has been caught by the authorities, people are starting to wonder who could be behind all of this. More on news at-"
Silence sprawled across the room, two figures staring at the now turned off TV screen. There was tension, and the childlike elf didn't know how to disperse it.
"So, Jack... what now?"
He didn't receive any answer, but he didn't really need to, knowing it precisely himself. However, that wasn't going to stop the eyeless boy across him from thinking about it more. How could you find the culprit when the culprit could carry anyone's skin, pretending it was someone else?
How could you kill someone who wears the face of your lover?
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I'm sorry but I really gotta laugh at the glitch effect of speaking for the creature. Like in my head it sounds so good, very mandela cataloguesque even, but when it's written it sounds SO GOOFY LMAOO. I still left it in for laughs or even as a special touch, depends on how you look at it. Anyways I've never actually written horror ever so horror fans go lightly on me or else!! 😾😾
That's about it, a very big thank you again to the lovely folks tagged up there, hope this ending was a good execution of the idea.
Until I decide to write something new, remember to take care of yourselves, five meals a day, lots of water and some good quality sleep. Bye bye!