It was a normal day in the bookshop. So normal it hurt.
Through the window, you could see the street and not a single soul. To no surprise because in Roland Town, there was ONLY one street that went all the way to the road abroad.
Claire sighed impatiently, rubbing the counter with a rag, but the stain just didn’t go off.
“Time won’t go faster behaving like that, blondie,” Sandra said, amused, while piling books on a shelf.
Sandra was Claire’s childhood friend. Unlike her, she really loved rural life, but to Claire, it was like living in an asylum. Something inside her simply felt locked up.
“I know, I know… but It’s just so unfair, you know?” She replied.
Claire was raised by her grandfathers. By the way, she behaved since little, they already knew she would feel that way when she grew up. They did everything they could on a farm not far from town to send her to school. But life never goes the way you want. When her grandfather died, there was no one left to take care of Nana, Claire’s grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s so she left college to take care of her. The woman was too sweet and wise, and she wouldn’t leave her in a retirement home. She didn’t deserve it.
“You know when I went to college I knew people who would kill to live in a place like this” Sandra lifted her eyebrows, proudly.
“Oh really? I wonder where you find people like that. Do you know how many I found at school? Cero” Claire made an "O" with her fingers.
Sandra Shrugged. She was still smiling with pride. Claire threw the rag at her, laughing.
“You are absolutely unbelievable sometimes!”
“That’s why you love me, blondie” Sandra jiggled, jokingly touching her curly hair. “Besides, if I don’t mess with you it really seems like you would go mad around here”
A sudden sound catches their attention. It was an ambulance siren, running at all speeds through the street. They both went outside, worried. In a little town, you just knew everyone, not only by name but also for years.
Looking about to see if anyone knew something they saw a couple, passionately kissing across the street beside Claire’s corolla. Sandra knew it was Dan and Molly, by the looks of it. He was wearing a tuxedo in the middle of town, which was plain weird.
“Hey guys! Do you know what happened?!” Claire yelled.
But they got no answer. The couple just kept at it, which simply started to feel bizarre.
“Get a room!” Sandra added.
“I am going to call the nurse, just in case” Claire pulled the phone from her pocket while Sandra kept looking around.
No answer.
“You know what? I don’t know what the hell is going on but I’ll go home and check real quick and get back as soon as I make sure Nana is all right”
“What in the world…” Sandra whispered.
From up the street, Josh was coming, wearing a 5-star suit with a bouquet of flowers in hand, walking right towards them. Claire was speechless. She looked at Sandra and she knew, below her brown skin, she was blushing so hard her eyes sprinkled. Sandra had been working up the courage for months to approach Josh and come out about her feelings and there he was, with a smile so bright and big that it almost didn’t fit on his face.
“Did… you guys were coupled and you didn’t tell me?!”
Sandra was too dazzled to respond, he was already there. She forgot to grab the flowers and this 1,70 man just pushed his lips on her. Claire opened her mouth in awe. His arms grabbed her tight against him.
“What the hell guys…” She jiggled.
But something was wrong. Sandra’s hand started to push him away, mumbling as if trying to say something. She was looking desperate.
“Josh, give her a break,” Claire said. She wasn’t sure about what to do. Was she trying to separate from him? Was she too excited to breathe? Claire wasn’t sure, but something fell off.
“Hey…! - She pushed one of Josh’s big shoulders to wake him up.
He barely reacted. Sandra was now screaming against his lips in desperation.
“I SAID KNOCK IT OFF!”
This time Claire pushed him hard and managed to separate them enough to see what was going on. Hairlike black worms were coming out of Josh's mouth and into Sandra’s. She was screaming with terror printed on her face but they were too much for her voice to come out. In seconds, Sandra blacked out falling on the floor.
Horrified, Claire stood there, paralyzed. Josh's face kept smiling, with his eyes fixed on Sandra as the worms softly crept inside his mouth.
“S-sandra! Sandra!” Claire yelled, kneeling, and shaking her body to wake her. But then she felt it. The gaze of Josh was now fixed on herself, and that beautiful smile was now on her. Very gently, he offered a bouquet of flowers.
Claire’s senses sharpened as if being chased by a mountain lion, her body was tense when she started to get on her feet, very slowly, shaking her head. These gentle blue eyes felt like they were eating her alive. When Josh started walking towards her Claire ran with all her speed towards the car. Digging her pockets for the keys, she managed to open it and close it shut. The engine started and she pushed her feet all the way.
“What the fuck… what the fuck… god… Sandra…” She wept. As she looked into the rear-view mirror, Molly was also crashing on the floor, lifeless, while Dan stared at her.
She had to get Nana. There was no way in the world she could be safe with whatever was going on. Her heart was beating fast, and traveling the outskirts felt like an eternity. The desperate face of her dear friend, deformed by terror haunted her and the very thought of Nana having the same fate made her cry. She started screaming, punching the wheel with both hands to get a grip.
Finally, at the entrance of the Cabin, she called the nurse’s name to no avail. She stormed inside immediately going to her grandmother’s room where she found her, looking at the window with a cold stare almost like a lifelike painting. She had been like that for years now, so Claire knew she was okay. Grabbing her in arms, swiftly lifted her to the wheelchair, pulling beside the car. That’s when a noise in the bushes startled her. It was an old man wearing a military uniform with all its stars.
“Sheriff?...” She asked softly.
The venerable man smiled at her, softly brushing his thick eyebrows with a tinny comb. He started walking towards her, crushing the leaves below its lustrated shoes.
Quickly she pushed her grandmother as gently as she could into the back seat before shutting herself inside. She turned the key; the car failed to start. She bites her lip, knowing she had pushed the car too hard on the way there.
The veteran was already beside the mirror, making a pause. It was like he was waiting for her to open it. Claire held a gasp as she watched how the big hands of the Sheriff caressed the glass of the window and after a few seconds, he knocked on it. Claire was terrified but kept turning the key. The knocking kept going, on and on, and on, without ever getting aggressive. It was absolutely revolting to see the kind smile towards her, ever expecting an answer. She was disgusted to catch a feeling of guilt inside of her, as if she was being impolite to her elders when finally the car started, leaving him behind, staring. It almost seemed like he was disappointed.
“This is terrible… terrible” She sobbed. Then looked at her grandmother, blankly staring beyond. Claire smiled at her, wiping the tears. “Don’t worry Nana. We will get out of here. Far far from here. We will get help… maybe it’s already on the way. Y-yeah, it has to be”
There was no other way but to come across town to get to the interstate. She felt a grip in her heart but looking out for her grandmother encouraged her. She was scared of looking at her body of Sandra again, but as she passed beside the book she didn’t find her, and neither did Molly's. Could it mean they became zombies like Dan, Josh, or the Sheriff? In any case, she was relieved the town was completely deserted as she drove by. For a moment, she doubted if everything she had experienced so far was real, but soon that hopeful dream vanished as the townsfolk started appearing… one by one.
The school teacher in a nightgown with heels, walking on the dusty road.
Preacher Howard, bible in hand wearing his best suit.
Molly also changed her clothes. A long dress.
And there she was. Sandra, walking beside Josh. Everyone smiling… that fucking smile.
Claire slowed down. She wanted to come out and hug her best friend but something inside her just knew something was very wrong about her, even if she was wearing the special dress she always said would use the day she came up to Josh to impress him. Did something inside of her do that? Those fucking worms?
They didn’t seem to notice her. She had the strange feeling they didn’t because it would be “rude” to walk in the middle of the road. Taking a deep breath she kept on going, but tears kept flowing on her face.
Indeed, she didn’t want to be there precisely but they were all good people. Very honest, kind… caring. They didn't deserve that. Any of that.
“Dammit…”
The ambulance had gone off the road and crashed against a tree, burning.
“It’s ok, Nana… we are going to be ok. We are going to be ok”
She almost crashed too when she felt a soft hand on her shoulder.
“Jesus…! “
Looking at the rear-view she saw her face. Smiling softly. What a time to remember Granny!, But then, Claire realized how much she needed her. Crying out loud, she grabbed her hand, smiling bitterly.
“Nana… oh, Nana! What should I do?... what should I do?”
She wasn’t expecting an answer, but at least in that moment, she didn’t feel completely alone. She got into the interstate. Claire kept holding the hand of her grandmother and she continued. She didn’t notice the black worm creeping out of her mouth.
Images from pixabay
Edited with pixlr