Reinheart's P.O.V
Blood, the stench was awful, but then again, why did I even believe in her...
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It was a warm Sunday morning. I felt the warm rays of sunlight peeking through my curtains. I let out an irritated groan as I tried to get some more sleep. My alarm suddenly went up. I grabbed my phone and tried to turn off the alarm. Before, I could turn it off, I saw a small caption saying "blind date today!". It was a bliss, I suddenly jolted out of bed to do my morning rituals.
The dating site was at Donell's, the brand new burger shop downtown, I was scheduled for 6 PM so I didn't really need to rush. I was planning to play some games but before I could do that, I saw something peculiar inside my house. There were small patches of blood that were lining my floor. I followed the trail of blood, and there I saw a mutilated cat lying all over my kitchen floor. Its guts were spilling out and it's neck is barely holding it's head, preventing it from coming off.
I covered my mouth. I was on the verge of vomiting. The corpse had an awful stench. It was spreading all over the house, and I didn't like it one bit.
I tried to take the corpse out, but before I could even hold it, it started to wriggle, suddenly springin to life and was trying to take a good chunk out of me.
I panicked, I grabbed the nearby kitchen knife as the corpse lunged towards me. I swung my knife and in one swift motion, Iopped its head off cleanly with the body, still moving due to the stimuli. After a few moments, it dropped dead on the ground, the putrid blood smearing all over the floor.
While I was catching my breath, I saw a small note on my table top counter where the corpse had rested before it went berserk. It was written in awry handwriting that was difficult to understand.
"Hey, please go to Donell's at 6:00, I'll see you there!"
-Blind Date <3
Now this was creepy, first a mutilated cat corpse wanted to have me for breakfast and the next thing that happened was an anonymous letter coming from my blind date showing up, even though I didn't put my address on the dating sight. I was shocked, nervous, and afraid at the same time. I tried flipping the note and I discovered more to the message.
"IF you don't go, something a lot more worse than that cat would try to kill you. <3"
The message sent chills down my spine. I never knew that the corpse would come from her. But, there was no way I could back out now. If I had difficulties killing a semi decomposed cat corpse, who knows what or who would come after me next time.
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It was 6:00 PM, I arrived at Donell's and waited in front of the door. Was she here yet? I smiled heartily as the thought of not being late for once crossed my mind. It clouded the fact that I might be the dinner for tonight.
"Hey there!", a girl said to me. Was she my blind date? I never saw her picture after all, and if she was, well she's not really all that I was expecting. She had a cute face but with seemingly dead eyes and a few stitches here and there, for some reason, she also smelled like formaldehyde, but I disregarded it since her information told me that she worked in a funeral parlor with her dad. She wore a beautiful black blouse, adding to the unsettling feeling that I felt for her as a first impression.
"You're my date right?" I said, flashing her a warm smile as she nodded in response. "So, what would you like for dinner?", I asked, hoping to find something about her preferences. She smiled at me and said, "I'd like a full meat burger." , playfully gripping the sleeves of my shirt. She certainly knows her stuff.
"Noted, so let's get you seated, afterwards, I'll order while you wait for me? Is that good?" I asked, still bothered by the odd feeling I had for her. "Let's do that! I seriously can't wait to know more about you!" She replied, holding my hand as we searched for a seat, although, there's one thing that completely threw me off. I mean, I can't feel any warmth from her hand.
We soon found a table for two and to our luck, the chair was a sofa, that means, I can kick back, relax, and talk with her, well, at least after I order our food. She looked at me with a blank stare, immediately smiling once I made eye contact with her. What's up with her, really...this day just keeps getting weirder and weirder.
"I'll order for now, if that's ok with you?" I said, trying my best to look at her with a straight face. She seemed nice, kind, innocent, and strangely cute, but whenever I got close to her, something feels off, like my body was telling me to run away. "Sure thing Reinheart. Take care~." She said, looking at me with a smile, only this time, her eyes looked pretty vacant, almost devoid of life.
I was genuinely scared. I asked for a date, not for a murderer, killer, or whatever supernatural creature's with me right now...but I can't judge her that easily, can I? I walked up to a short line consisting of three people and waited for my turn, each moment, trying to rationalize what I sort of date I've gotten myself into.
"Good evening sir, may I take your order?" The teller said, snapping me out of my thoughts as I quickly glanced at their menu of burgers. I normally ordered a quarter pounder on burger shops but after the image of the mutilated cat burned into the back of my head, I decided to get the item with the most greens, to prevent myself from throwing up.
"I'll take one of your BLT Burgers with cheese, as well as one full meat burger. Both come with drinks and fries" I said, the lady keying in my order. After a few moments, she looked at me and said, "Is there anything you'd like to add?" I simply shook my head in response as she placed a tray along with my receipt on the side of the counter, tending to the person next in line shortly after.
After a few moments of waiting, the orders finally arrived. The scent of freshly grilled patties, different types of meat, as well as the crisp sound of freshly fried fries all resonated to me. I haven't been able to eat ever since lunch due to the fact that I had to manually clean up the cat, so seeing this was basically a feast.
Did she send it though? The cat? I got to the table and looked into her blank expressionless eyes, when I did, she smiled once more, making it far more awkward for the two of us. At this point asking about the cat was the least of my concerns. Who knows what'd happen if I slip up on this date? I sat down beside my date when she giggled softly, looking at me shortly after.
"Reinheart, you're so cute when you're deep in thought you know. You feel as if you're some sort of detective, making you all the more interesting I guess?" She said, chuckling softly as she covered her mouth with her hand. However, a glimpse of her teeth showed a disturbing reddish color on some of em, like something similar to dried up blood.
I almost gagged on my food, feeling a bit nauseous after all the weird things I've seen today. She looked at me, her blank eyes seemingly trying to convey the expression of worry as she held my hand with a deathly cold grip. "Are you feeling ok Reinheart? We can reschedule this date you know?" She said, looking away shyly. While I could normally appreciate this moment, her seemingly lifeless eyes and the lack of a blush on her face set me off otherwise.
"I-I'm fine...." I replied in a weak and raspy voice, making her squeal and chuckle in delight. "If you say so..." She said, moving her hand away from mine, grabbing the full meat burger she had ordered. I could hear her slowly munching away at the delicious burger while I felt my appetite slipping away as fast as it could.
"Hey...tell me? You never told me your name, right? You kept it blank on your profile, but seeing you now...I think I want to know more about you, so could you at least tell me your name?" I said while my date slowly ate through her burger with a happy expression.
"Oh right! I was supposed to tell you when we met but I suppose I got caught up in the heat of the moment...My name's Gea!" She exclaimed playfully shaking my hand with an odd feeling of warmth. Warmth?! Wasn't she icy cold earlier?!
I took a glance at her and what I once thought was a terrifying monster turned into an awfully cute high school student casually dining on her burger. Her eyes looked at me with a lovely glisten with one of her eyebrows raised in confusion. The blood stains on her teeth have also vanished and her once pale skin now had a vibrant blush on it, like she was alive.
"You're really worrying me Reinheart...You're staring at me for far too long you know? Do I have some food on my face or was I messy when eating?" She said, her once worried expression looking way cuter than when she first did it. Was it just my imagination? Was it hunger? I don't care, whatever it was, it's already fixed.
"No, I really just think you're cute." I replied, flashing her a kind and gentle smile, something I've had the difficulty of doing earlier. "Aww, such a sweet talker, now go eat your food or do you want me to eat you instead?~" Gea replied, winking at me seductively as she motioned for me to eat my burger.
My heart fluttered a bit, what seemed to be a bad day was now proving itself to be quite good after all, despite everything I saw. Maybe I can hit it off with Gea and who knows, I might get a new sweetheart after today. "Sure...I'll eat it, you seem really worried about me so it'd be rude if I made you feel sad" I said, gripping her hand in mine. She seemed to notice this and with a foxy look, proceeded to grip my hand back.
"Forward? I like that." She said, a small yet playful smile curving on her face. I felt heat flush to my face with Gea giggling once she saw me. "Ahaha...You're adorable Reinheart! I really want to keep you for myself you now!" She said, gently pinching my cheek with her fingers while I laughed at her cuteness. I really hope this goes well, dating Gea might actually be one of the best things that may happen in my life.
I gently pulled my hand away, unwrapping the burger from its grimy packaging. I was soon greeted by the scent of a delicious burger. A patty, with mayo and ketchup, crisp lettuce and vibrantly red tomatoes, with a slice of cheese, just above the patty, all compressed between two slices of a delicious sesame bun. Finally, I could eat...after everything I've been through.
I chomped on the burger, taking a huge and satisfying bite out of it, feeling the different flavors in my mouth. I admit, it feels melodramatic to rate a burger like this, however, after cleaning off the corpse of a zombified cat, this is similar to eating pure, unadulterated bliss in a single bite. I glanced at Gea who seemed to be slowly munching away at her fries with a happy grin. I'm glad that she was enjoying this.
Before I could finish off my burger, my thoughts lingered to thinking whether she actually left the hell spawn of a cat inside my house, quite frankly with the way she was now, I highly doubted it, but I could never be too sure can I? I glanced at Gea once more who finished off her fries, looking at me as she smiled gently, looking genuinely happy with our date.
I didn't want to ruin the mood, but for my safety, this would be the risk I'd take if I wanted to at least take a step further with her. "Gea? Did you bring me any gifts earlier this morning? Something like a cat?..." I said, but she looked at me with a confused expression, pressing her lips with a finger while muddling over the question I asked.
"No? Why would I bring you one?" She said, looking at me with an angry pout, her brows furrowed while making what seemed to be the cutest expression I've seen. It may seem over the top but in this moment, it actually felt genuine. "Mmkay, just wanted to ask." I replied with Gea simply sighing in response.
"Don't get yourself into some sort of trouble ok? I mean I know based on your profile that you barely exit home even on a weekend, but that doesn't mean you should make me worry about you!" She said, flicking my forehead with her fingers shortly after. I knew she was worried, but I never thought she'd be this forward or close to me, despite starting off the wrong foot, well at least for me.
"Yes Ma'am, by the way Gea, where do you live?" I said, curious about her origins but she simply shook her head. "As much as I'd like to tell you, the only place I could show you was my father's funeral parlor...our actual home...my dad told me to keep it secret, even from you." She said with a heavy voice, feeling oddly regretful with her answer. She must've trusted me then? I'm not sure. But then again, who was I to judge her.
"Hmm... I suppose that's fine. Your father's just being protective of you y'know? I'm actually glad you at least have a father that looks out for you." I said, smiling wryly as the memories of my deceased parents flooded back to me, but before I could delve deeper into my thoughts, Gea held my hand, immediately pulling me out with a warm smile, accompanied by the gentle and longing stare she showed me.
"I'm sure wherever they are...they're happy for you. Let's just enjoy the moment together." she said, hugging my arm and resting her head on it. The person I was once afraid of, now going full circle and gaining my trust. It's kinda ironic when you think about it, but I don't really think it's all that bad, not anymore.
She nuzzled my arm with her cheeks, giggling softly when she saw my flustered face. "Is this your first date Reinheart?" She asked, gently cocking her head to the side to get a better view of my expression. I nervously shifted around my chair, thinking of a way to conceal the fact that this is indeed my first time dating someone...but I guess being truthful in a relationship is important...
"Yeah it is my first time." I replied with Gea laughing gently while looking into my eyes. I don't know how I failed to notice it but it seems like she had heterochromia, making her right eye a bright shade of blue compared to her left eye's dark shade of black.
"You have heterochromia!" I exclaimed when she quickly hid her face from me, turning around in order to cover it. "Hey...is anything wrong?" I said, still worried about her, but she simply waved her hand, dismissing me. After a few moments, she turned to face me, blushing as she did. "Sorry for the sudden reaction...I was normally ostracized and pushed away by others due to my eye color...so when you pointed it out, I was scared that you'd hate me too..." She said, looking away, a few tears rolling down her cheek.
"I mean why'd they hate you? You have a good personality, you're kind, and as a bonus, you actually look very cute." I replied, gently petting her head while she tackled me into a hug, crying on my hoodie. "Thank you..." She whispered softly, caressing my arms in an intimate manner, like she was actually trusting me.
"It's fine. As long as you need me I'm here. I'm your date for the night after all." I said as Gea slowly released me from her grip, grabbed a tissue from the table and wiped her face with it. Once she was done, she smiled at me, this time however, it felt much more genuine than her earlier interactions. Maybe...just maybe...I had a shot at her.
We spent most of our time like that, idly chatting while I bought us some food to munch on while we talked with each other, well at least before the store closed. After our wonderful date, we exited the shop, ready to head back home.
"Wow, that was fun!" I exclaimed, smiling at Gea who looked at me with a slight blush on her face. "Yeah...let's meet again next time...I actually want to hang out with you more Reinheart!" Gea replied, laughing gently as she held my hand.
"You need me to fetch you home Gea?" I said, worried that something might happen to her, but she simple shook her head. "I can handle myself just fine, although Reinheart, you're the one who should be getting home already!" She exclaimed, letting go of my hand and playfully hitting my arm. I winced in pain, for a woman, she's surprisingly very strong.
"Alright, I'll get going then. Take care Gea!" I said, waving goodbye as I walked to the dim street beside the Donell's branch where I was going to wait for a jeepney to ride back home. I waited for a minute...two minutes...five minutes. It was odd, normally I'd see a jeep almost immediately, but on this night, it seemed as if they were just gone, vanishing without a trace.
I waited for a few more minutes, grabbing my phone and playing a few anime songs in order to lighten up the heavy mood of the road but to no avail. The eerie sound of silence just drowned out whatever noise I was making. I turned off my music and after a few moments, I quickly felt my back tingle as cold air rushed past my neck.
I turned around, having the feeling of someone watching me, but no one was there just the loud mechanical door of Donell's closing as I patiently waited for a jeep, only to be met by an empty road a few minutes later.
I was about to leave when a thick mist surrounded the ends of the road blocking my vision. Since it was getting really creepy for my tastes, I decided to walk towards the highway. After a few minutes, I panicked, the highway was nowhere to be seen, and so was Donell's. It was just this stretch of a road that seemed to loop itself in a never ending cycle.
Ahh fuck it! I'm running! If this were truly the street I was in, Donell's should be at least a few meters away and should be visible in at least two minutes of walking. I took a stretch, bending on the ground as I started a mad dash towards Donell's. I never stopped running, and soon, a minute of running turned to two minutes, then five, despite all the effort I did and all the exhaustion I felt, I failed to reach Donell's. I was trapped in here, without a means of escape.
I panted heavily, my sweat dripping heavily on the road while I tried to recover my stamina. That's when I heard the most terrifying sound I could've heard at that moment. A low, raspy moan, along with the sound of distant walking. Whatever it was, it's clearly moving towards me as it shuffled noisily against the asphalt.
I slowly backed away, hoping I'd make some sort of distance away from it and luckily, I think I did since the fog receded on my end, revealing just a bit more of the road. It wasn't that helpful in case some sort of monster was out here to get me, but it was definitely appreciated. The sound drew closer, its feet crunched heavily on the asphalt road with its moans growing even louder, switching into a pattern of snarls to low growls when it got even closer to where I was. It knew that I was here.
After a few moments, the mysterious figure finally showed itself. It was a singular mat, possibly a corpse wrapped around a mat, with its legs shuffling lazily walking towards as a singular gleam resonated from within it. . It moved towards me, a singular arm trying to reach out and grasp me from within its rug. I froze in fear noticing its bizarre built. It wasn't the most intimidating thing to look at, but when it let out a bloodcurdling scream and started shuffling towards me, I started running the opposite direction as fast as I could
My father told me stories about the creature that was chasing me. It was known as the Pasatsat, a living corpse that wasn't given a proper burial. Its common weakness was just a single stab to the mat, but I had nothing to defend myself, much less stab it
I felt the distance between us grow further and further. That's until I heard the shuffling of a mat. The pasatsat rolled around using the mat, the sounds of wood clicking and slamming against the pavement while it continuously rolled, gaining even more speed.
Clack, clack, click...
The sounds of the rolling mat grew louder and louder by the second and despite all my efforts, I slowed down, little by little until I ran out of stamina. The mat soon caught up to me, opening the mat ever so slightly as it gripped the asphalt using its hand to stop its rolling exactly a few meters in front of me, blood dripping from its emaciated fingertips. With a low growl, it approached me, knowing that I couldn't defend against it. I guess this is my end...
"Get down Reinheart!" A familiar female voice shouted, kicking the creature away from me as she appeared from the shadows. I tried looking at the figure but she was covered by a thick mist, preventing me from seeing her face. The mat crashed into the curb but in a few seconds it got up, ready to attack the figure in front of me.
"Oh..easy fry!" She exclaimed cheerfully, rushing up to the pasatsat, quickly side stepping its arm and stabbing through the mat using their bare hands as the sound of a beating heart echoed throughout the streets. The mist soon dissipated, revealing the figure of a small petite woman, wearing a black dress. Her beautiful miscolored eyes shining in the dark while she sunk her teeth into the heart, ripping off pieces of flesh as she slurped the arteries inside of her mouth.
"G-Gea?...." I said, my lip quivering from both the shock and fear I felt. This was the girl I dated...the girl who I enjoyed being with, casually eating out a zombie's organs like a fresh takeout. "You saw me...?" She said, trailing off as she threw the remains of the heart to the curb, blood staining her pearly white teeth.
"Reinheart...I'm sorry...." She said, and with a swift pounce she made her way to me almost instantly, pinning me to the ground. She raised her hand, ready to attack, and so I did the only thing I could do. I opened my arms wide, ready to receive the blow.
"If you're gonna do it Gea. Be quick and please don't make it hurt." I said in a serious voice, catching Gea off guard, her eyes starting water as she hesitantly lowered her hand. "What are you doing?...you're not pleading for your life? You're not even afraid of me?!" She exclaimed, punching the asphalt close to my head, instantly cracking the road on that portion.
"I'm a man who's parents are deceased, I'm hated by my relatives, and I work as a blogger and study in a public school. If you kill me now, it's gonna help you survive right...so for the person who gave me a good time and saved me from whatever that is, laying down my life was only natural, wasn't it?" I said, making Gea cry, wrapping her arms around me.
"Dammit...I don't want to kill you...but for your sake...please forget about me." She said, raising one of her hands as she hit me with a sharp hook to the face.
The world around me spun into a haze until I finally closed my eyes, collapsing on the ground. The only thing I remembered was Gea's tearful expression before I blacked out.