《Stitches (Part 1)》


 1: Crashing Into The Nightmare

    ¡ªTravis¡ª


    July 23rd, 2023 4:35 AM


    The lonely stretch of road sat in darkness. What seemed like an army of oak tree trunks surrounded Travis on each side. His lack of sleep left him wondering if he''d taken the wrong lane at the juncture and entered some dark fantasy forest world.


    The worn, cracked stretch of pavement felt endless if not for the occasional road sign that rose out of the weed-infested graveled shoulder. Or rather, what remained of the sign that nature hadn''t covered yet in its slow advance on the land that man had taken from Her and paved over.


    Travis always had issues driving on the highways. Even with GPS, he would still somehow get lost. Since turning off at the juncture, his route became many twists and turns. Trees encroached on the road once surrounded by grassy fields. Travis felt as if they were creeping in on him, like a predator closing in on its prey.


    His anxiety worsened when his phone entered a perpetual state of recalculating. another headache created from the winding, woodsy detour.


    "Fuck, well, eventually I have to get out of this forest." His eyes went to the dashboard. Like his navigation, Spotify had fallen victim to the trees and left him in silence, save for the purr of the engine and the occasional jostle from a rough patch of road. With nothing to lose, he powered on the car''s radio to only get a static buzz over the speakers.


    A sigh left Travis''s lips. Why couldn''t he catch a break? The woman he planned to make his fianc¨¦e had cheated on him. It all happened so quickly. He had been so excited to see her. The moment he opened the door to her dorm room, his heart crumbled like the cracked asphalt he was driving on.


    Her lack of remorse was the worst part.


    Travis''s thoughts raced. Why didn''t he just stop at one of the many hotels posted on the highway signs? Maybe if he hadn''t been so distraught, he would have made that decision. There was also the impending storm. Travis wanted to get back home and sulk as he watched the rain, enjoying the soothing sounds as both he and the sky wept a torrent of tears.


    His original plan of him and Amy riding out the storm in her dorm was now long gone.


    The few signs he had come across were for speed limits and sharp turns. As he continued to turn the knob in the hopes static would give way to music.


    He passed a pair of signs, catching a quick glimpse of them.


    DEER CROSSING


    NEXT 5 MILES


    With more fiddling, the radio came alive with a woman''s voice before static overtook it. "This... 96.1..." Travis paused, then turned the dial back to the station numbers he had heard. "... Dan sent in a request for the song..." Travis hit a pothole, and as the car slingshot from the rough terrain, he knocked the knob and the static returned.


    "Ugh." About to reach his limit, Travis jerked his hand back to the knob and finally got the station to play.


    "Enjoy the song, Dan!" the woman said. At the first beats of the song, Travis felt his heart sink. Of all the songs, it was this one.


    "Yeah, I''m gonna take my-" A shout filled the car and drowned out the radio.


    "Fuck you, Amy! You and whoever was in there with you!"


    Travis seethed at the reminder of their relationship and the song she used to play on their road trips together, each line only making him more enraged.


    "''Til I can''t no-"


    His rage hit a peak. "Fuck you too, Dan!"


    Travis cursed at everyone he felt wronged by. He focused on the road when a plink sounded in front of him. He stared at the droplet of water on the glass as it went upward in the breeze. A second plink hit the windshield, only to be followed by a barrage of rain plastering his windshield.


    "Oh fuck you too, nature."


    Defeated, Travis slumped back in his seat as he flipped his wipers on. The rain paired with the early morning darkness had left him unable to see over fifty feet ahead. With a twist of the indicator stalk, his high beams came on and the road regained some visibility and caught another road sign just before he passed it.


    ENTERING


    RED OAK VALLEY, PA


    POP: 427


    Travis felt his body relax. He had already been up for twenty hours straight between packing, driving, and stopping for food. Constant taps and drumming soothed him as his eyelids grew heavy.


    The rain eased slightly, just enough for the faint whispers of the radio to be heard.


    "Cheated on my baby."


    The song line had made its way into Travis''s ear and burrowed into his head. It mocked him. Of all the parts of the song, it had to be this specific line? This fucking line? The line that summarized exactly what Amy had done to him.


    "Dammit." His hand slammed down on the power switch . The display went dark. His lips tensed as he watched the radio as if it would just turn back on and play more of that damn song.


    Something came into his periphery, a figure on the road he should have been watching. Panic gripped his heart. Darting his head up, he saw a blur, a pair of deer. Their eyes locked on the headlights, feet frozen to the road they had tried to cross as the car closed the brief gap between them.


    He slammed the brakes. The tires screeched, but it was too late.


    Yet... The two deer rose to their hind legs, both standing side to side, forming a sort of barricade that wanted to be hit.


    Travis jerked forward when the car collided with the animals. Panic turned to terror when he turned the wheel only for the wet road to make the car float. The steering wheel lightened in his hands as his grip tightened on it. The sight outside his windshield was that of the fast approaching trees. He felt a drop as rubber met gravel. It all came to a stop when the slam of metal hitting wood sounded throughout the forest.


    A double team of the crash and seatbelt locking to keep him in place knocked the wind from Travis'' lungs.The airbags finished the assault, deploying to create a soft but hard kick to the face. It left him dazed and with ears ringing as he sat in the darkness.


    "God... dammit." He cried.


    Still processing the wreck, Travis watched as the air bags sagged and deflated, his sense of feeling trapped eased. He reached out to the car''s dash and felt relief that his phone had stayed in the holder.


    Something good had finally happened.


    His phone burned his eyes a moment as the screen became his only light in the void of darkness. The full battery in the top corner relieved him. Even with no signal, it could still be useful. With a few swipes, his phone''s flashlight lit up the inside of the car as it bounced off the white fabric of the airbags.


    In the last twelve hours, Travis had lost his girlfriend of three years, his car was now total, and the money to repair it paired with the ring he had bought for a dead relationship would take what remained of his savings he had worked so hard for.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    With each passing second, his view of the scene outside his windshield became clearer. Despite the crack running along the glass, the canopy of trees had lessened the rain above, sparing the windshield from the rain and keeping the view outside clear. The airbag had finally sunk enough to reveal what had been leaning on the glass.


    Travis jerked back at the sight.


    A deer''s head, a severed head, was leaning against the windshield. "Oh God," he said as he took in the sight before him. "Something about this isn''t right." The more he looked at it, the less sense it made.


    Travis had just hit the pair of deer in the road. Yet its corneas had clouded already and the milky circles had taken on a deep purple tinge. All his years of working as an embalmer in his family''s funeral home had been gnawing at his brain. In that time helping to prepare the dead, he had never seen death settle in this quickly.


    Clouding took about two hours to onset.


    His curiosity grew as he noticed other details on the head. Around the agape mouth of the creature, blood had seeped out onto the white hood of his car but instead of light red, it had taken on hues of purple, like that of a body in lividity, another event that took more time to set in than what had passed.


    Nothing was adding up.


    "They were..." Travis paused as he doubted the image in his mind of what he saw before the crash, how the two deer moved in a way Travis never thought was possible. "Standing up in the road when I hit them... Deer do that?" He shifted about in his seat as he moved the light from his phone away from the head, onto the car hood splattered with more blood and towards the trees that had stopped his car.


    Deer blood had splattered the gray trunks of the oak trees as well. The upper bodies of both deer splayed on the hood of the car. Comparing the two bodies, the left one was in much better shape than its counterpart on the right that had lost a limb and its head, leaving its discolored sinew exposed on the carcass.


    "Poor things, I hope¨C" Travis fell silent as he noticed another detail that defied logic. The end of a black, wire-like strand dangled from between the touching sides of the two deer.


    The bulk of it was just out of view from Travis as he sat in the driver''s seat. He watched as a dark red liquid ran down it and dripped onto the hood.


    "What the hell is that?" Travis knew what intestines looked like. He had removed and prepared enough of them. These were much too thin.


    He had to get a better look.


    Travis unclipped his seatbelt. Bringing his leg up triggered a sharp pain that spread across his back. Had he broken something?


    The crash had been anything but gentle.


    He gritted his teeth in a quick motion devoid of any grace. He raised his right leg over the center console and planted his foot on the passenger side floor. With a heave, he stood up. The pain returned worse than before. Unable to bear it, he fell onto the console and let out a groan as he steadied himself upright.


    He pointed the light at the bodies and froze again.


    The sides of the deer had a mass of wires sticking out from their sides, sewn together. The force of the crash had snapped some of the binding and created a small gap between the two.


    "Jesus," It was the only word Travis could find. Seconds ticked by when he spoke aloud. "How were they alive?"


    The deer were like something out of a cursed image. The longer he looked at them, the worse it got.


    Travis''s eyes raced over the two animals. He started at the source and directed his light to follow along. As he scanned them over, he saw the wires had gone in and out of their pelts, and seemed to spread across their body.


    Like someone had frantically stitched them together and all over their bodies.


    He stared, lost for words. What was he even looking at? Who or what could even do something like this? Travis had seen enough, too much. He needed to get away from this. Find help and get away from it.


    He pointed his phone to the driver''s window, then the passenger''s window. The driver''s door had a bush pressing against the glass while the passenger window looked clear.


    With his exit pathway set, Travis turned his back to the passenger door. The movement was too swift. He winced as the ache in his back returned. "Ok, let''s just-" He breathed deep and clenched his jaw like ripping off a bandaid. He moved quickly and refused to stop as he leaned over. A grunt filled the car as his core burned. The car swayed as he landed on the passenger seat.


    With each labored breath, he felt as if a knife were twisting through his muscles and lungs. Travis crossed his arms and held his ribs in hopes it would relieve the pain. As the pain ebbed away, something fell onto the hood of the car. His head darted. It resulted in a fresh twist of pain shooting through his body.


    "What was that?" Travis blurted when he brought the phone back up to the windshield.


    The mass of dark, sinewy wires had fallen onto the hood of the car. His heart rose to his throat as they stirred.


    "What?" The wires slithered along the stained hood of the car. A chill ran down his spine. "What the fuck?" His brain buffered at the monstrosity inching towards him. As they were about to reach the glass, the wires undulated until they retracted back into the deer.


    All went still like Travis, yet the raindrops tapping onto the car were a constant reminder; Time was still moving.


    The deer head that remained attached to its body was another source to cite as it began to sway.


    The head rattled about. The deer''s mouth had hung agape since Travis had first set his eyes on the poor creature he had killed.


    Something gleamed in the deer''s mouth for a moment. A black wire ran over its tongue before slithering towards the gums of the carcass. The jaw of the deer convulsed when the reflective item Travis glimpsed revealed itself.


    A sharp needle-like object had punctured through the deer''s hide, the wire followed as if it were being guided by the needle at the tip. Again, it vanished as it weaved its way back into the head.


    The process repeated. Despite his pounding heart, Travis could hear the flesh of the animal being pierced and the black fiber entwining the skull continued to form its revolting pattern.


    Travis could only watch, despite being shielded from the storm outside. A fear-induced sweat drenched him and his clothes. His body vibrated for warmth.


    The needle and its thread finally stopped, and the black strings tensed.


    The deer''s head rose and locked its glassy eyes with Travis''s.


    A groan escaped the deer. Agony filled the cry as its mouth opened wider and the groan became a wail of rage. The wide-open maw of the creature made the strings around the commissures of its mouth taut.


    The buck''s body twitched. Travis had been so transfixed on the needlework done to the head he didn''t even notice the stitching that had covered the body and limbs of the deer. With each movement, it became more erratic, as if the strings were learning to control its new puppet.


    The beast slammed its hooves onto the hood of the car. It grunted and made the car shake as it tried to pull itself free, to no avail. The trees and car had pinned it.


    At least for now.


    Roaring again, the threads woven into the deer''s body convulsed as needles pierced through its chest. The sharp barbs rose out of it as black wires emerged and frantically waved about. The needles and wires paired up and formed what looked like crude scissors. It sunk the blades into the other deer, attacking it and tearing apart the strings that bound them.


    Confusion mixed with Travis''s overwhelming fear. "It''s attacking itself?" The onslaught continued until the last string that joined the pair had been severed. The second body fell onto the hood. Scissors stabbed into the body and threw it towards the windshield.


    With his now obstructed view, Travis could only watch the deer carcass rustle and thrash about as frantic snips and squelches of the rotting meat being torn asunder.


    He had to escape. But fear kept him in place.


    Another roar sounded when the scissors stabbed into the remains of the deer and flung it off the car. With the deer gone, Travis could see the creature before him.


    Black wires had held up four limbs. Three had come from the other deer and the last one had once been the left leg of the creature. The scissors split apart back into needles when it turned the legs backwards, then sewed a two legs onto each side of its body.


    The needles stabbed into the deer, rising and falling below its flesh as it weaved its threads in and out. The black threads secured the legs in place until it was complete.


    If Travis had to describe what the horror was that stood before him, it would be; like someone trying to combine a deer and spider into an unholy abomination.


    The legs moved. They had come alive. The monster bent the legs until they wrapped around the tree trunk. It pulled itself back when the crude, blood-stained scissors returned.


    It stabbed into its lower abdomen.


    With each self inflicted stab, dark red liquid leaked from the creature. It continued to heave and pull until, finally, its upper body separated from what kept it trapped.


    Organs and intestines spilled from the beast. With a few more snips, the dangling bits fell to the ground. Its new limbs eased as it fell onto the hood of the car.


    It was now unfettered, free from its prison of bark and metal.


    The creature alternated its new legs as it moved towards Travis. Each movement made a thump on the car hood as it closed the gap between the two. With only a sheet of glass between them, the creature rose on its new legs, then slammed the glass with its only limb left in its original position. It raised its hoof again and continued to hit the windshield as the crack in the glass spread.


    Travis needed to move. He should have used the time it was freeing itself to do so, yet fear had stopped him. Now it only told him to do one thing.


    Run. His brain finally processed the demand.


    He had to time his escape just right. There was no room for error.


    Only death or survival.


    The cracks in the glass grew. It would soon shatter and the creature would descend upon Travis. He gripped his phone tight. To lose his only light would doom him. The sunrise was still a short while away, and the weather did nothing to help him see.


    With a final slam, glass shattered and fell onto him. The creature crouched back on its new legs. Travis flung open the car door. He threw his body out of the seat and onto the forest floor just as the abomination pounced on his seat.


    Despite the fresh surge of pain worse than any of the others, he needed to buy himself time.


    Rolling to his back he kicked the car door shut, just as the creature thrashed against it. With no time to waste, Travis picked himself off the ground and made a mad dash down the road.


    How long would he have until the creature was out of the car and back after him?


    He had no desire to look back and find out.

 2: Stranger On The Roadside

    ¡ªKendra¡ª


    Kendra sat in her jeep, staring into the visor mirror as she completed the last step of her morning routine like she did day after day. With each gentle brush of lipstick, she moved in sync with the somber music playing over the radio.


    "You know we''ve got to find a way."


    The line made her hand pause. "Yeah, find a way out of here." Tired russet eyes stared into themselves. This had been her life from week to week until it became month to month¡ªShe''d lose her mind if it became year to year.


    A sigh escaped her peachy lips as the song picked up and she resumed her task. With a last stroke, her image of being the ''Diner Gal'' was complete.


    Kendra''s work uniform was something she never quite liked. All those years in college, internships, and graduating with honors... All to wear a work uniform from a bygone era.


    At least she had a choice between hot pink and robin egg blue. Kendra opted for the latter. On her first day, she had gotten her uniform with her name stitched in red next to the right lapel of the top. Through some trial and error, she eventually found the perfect makeup to complement her morena skin and the tacky uniform.


    "You know we''ve got to find-" The radio went silent as Kendra turned her key in the ignition. The roar of the engine gave way to the song. "...Some lovin'' here today."


    The early morning drive was always the same for Kendra: a time to prepare for another day of taking orders, running food, and having the same conversation about seven times throughout the day¡ªof course, she always spaced it out so customers wouldn''t overhear the same thing twice. She wouldn''t want to ruin the image her regulars had painted of her.


    They might cut back on their tips if they saw through the act.


    Six days of the week would send Kendra down the same dark stretch of road. The cloudy weather concealed the summer''s early twilight from the stretch of sky above the trees along the route.


    At first, the drive would make her nervous. The many trees and complete darkness besides her headlights and the lack of other cars made her think of the setups to the many true crime podcasts she''d listen to at home.


    After the twentieth drive, she had memorized all the usual markers and landmarks she''d pass by on each trip. The first of the road signs came into view.


    SPEED


    LIMIT


    50


    The song ended. A calm, sluggish voice spoke. "Wow... it''s not even 5 AM yet... Weird how one hour can just fly by and the next just dragggggs."


    Kendra''s lips perked up. Tif got baked. She''d always wrap up her morning call segment ''Morning Mingling'' with a Dutchie. The station would play some ads while the hostess got to a happy place. The ramblings that would follow as she played requests would make the drive a little easier.


    "Okay, okay, we played Old Man Jim''s request, now that we got my first ever regular set. Whose request should I play next? Oh, I know- no, wait..." A pause dragged on until her brain returned from its happy place. "Jazzy didn''t call in this morning, so I can''t play one of her favorites. Cause... Rules are-" The sky opened up, the sudden battering obscured the windshield and drowned out the radio.


    With a flick of her hand, the wipers came on, restoring the view to the empty, familiar road. Turning up the volume, Tif''s voice returned.


    "So anyway, I think next up we''re gonna play what my Diner Gal wanted." A slow laugh came through the radio. "Now I know you''re running around rage applying to anything and everything out there, but..." Another pause left Kendra with only the rain lashing the windshield to break the silence.


    "Damn, she''s really out of it today," she said with a chuckle.


    "I want you to know you''re my favorite server at the diner... Hey wait... It''s Friday! You know what that means! Once I''m off work, I''ll see you at the diner." She said in glee. "You know what I always order so have it ready for me!" The words were sing-song.


    Ambivalence grabbed at her heart. She wanted out of this boring routine, but not everything was unbearable in this dead-end job and town. Tiffany and a few others kept her sane in this monotonous routine, but she couldn''t stay here forever.


    She had goals dammit!


    "Okay, okay, enough sentimental-" Tif''s brain needed a moment to buffer. "Wait, almost said one of the seven... Yeah, Rusty is gonna be mad if I get us another fine, but to my favorite Diner Gal, I know you''re listening and you''re functional enough to know what I want to say. But seriously, thank god I have you as one of my callers for Morning Mingling. You and all the others make this job fun!" Music played in place of the hostess.


    A smile formed on Kendra''s face. The music kept her mood high and the next few minutes of the drive flew by. As the song reached its end, she monitored the side of the road when she spotted the next milestone marker in her trip.


    DEER CROSSING


    NEXT 5 MILES


    She had entered the deepest section of the forested road. More often than not, she would see a few deer along the roadside or, in one case, the middle of the road that ended in a near collision. Since that day, she had always slowed down in this section, especially in the rain.


    Yet oddly enough, she had seen no deer in the last week.


    Perhaps something had scared them away from the road?


    A short while later, she passed the next marker on the drive.


    ENTERING


    RED OAK VALLEY, PA


    POP: 427


    Seven miles to go until work. Once she passed the deer territory, the woods would thin until the homes on the outskirts of town would pop up as lights in the distance. Just like the singular light that appeared on the roadside pointing right at her jeep. It moved in a waving motion as if trying to get her attention.


    "What the hell?" Kendra tapped the brakes. As she slowed down, the light moved about frantically. Closing the gap, a man soaked by the downpour came into view of her headlights as he ran onto the road.


    Unease gripped at Kendra. In the past, she had seen another car or a herd of deer crossing the road, but she had never expected this. The man mis-stepped and stumbled into her jeep, making it shake. He steadied himself, then pounded on her window.


    "Please let me in! There''s a monster out here!" The drenched man begged. Strands of his dirty blonde hair stuck to his face as he stared her down with his panicked eyes. "Please!" he continued his desperate wails. Kendra merely watched him.


    She had listened to enough true crime to have three theories on the mystery man.


    The first, that he was indeed in trouble and something was after him. Her second thought was the man was on drugs and in his string of bad choices, wandered into the woods, encountered an animal, and then pissed it off. Or the last option.


    He was a serial killer looking for a victim.


    It was too dangerous to just let him in. She needed a plan.


    Kendra switched off the radio and pointed to the other side of the car. "Passenger side," she said when the man gave a nod. With no hesitation, he sprinted for the passenger door as she undid her seatbelt. She then leaned and rolled down the passenger window half an inch as the man grabbed at and pulled on the door handle.


    "Open the door!" His annoyance grew at her. Kendra only shook her head at him.


    "License." Kendra pointed to the opened part of the window. "Drop your license in here first."


    "What?" The man couldn''t believe this, his stare asked ''How could you do this?'' Kendra raised an eyebrow.


    "Did I stutter?" With a tilt of her head and crossing of her arms, she only waited when something roared in the distance. Kendra nearly cracked her poker face when the man''s anger melted into sheer terror.


    "There''s a fucking monster out here! Let me in." His hand slammed against the window again, then leaned on the door. "Please..." the man pleaded. Whatever was out there was hunting for him.


    "You want in? Drop your license in the car." She said as she sat back and buckled back in. "Regarding whatever''s out there; I feel my odds in a jeep are better than yours on foot." As callous as she sounded, it was better to be safe than end up in a shallow ditch on the roadside.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Another roar sounded, this one closer than the last, as the man looked into the dark void behind him.


    Time was running out.


    "Ugh, fine!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wallet. A moment later, the plastic card she requested dropped onto the passenger seat. With no time to waste she grabbed the license and got his name.


    Travis Boyle


    She snatched her phone from the cupholder and held it to the license. A flash went off with the picture now ready to send. Her fingers moved in a frenzy as she typed up the message to her boss.


    |Kendra:


    - I should be at the diner in about ten minutes. This guy popped up and I''m gonna give him a lift to the diner. If I''m not there in ten minutes send this picture of his license to the sheriff and make sure he pays!


    Kendra watched as the message tried to send, only to remember this was a dead zone.


    But maybe this guy didn''t know that.


    Kendra leaned over the passenger seat and unlocked the door when it flew open and the soaking wet man hopped in. With all his panicked might, he shut the door and slammed the door lock down.


    "Drive!" The man''s desperate request to his rescuer resulted in an apprehensive stare.


    "Don''t tell me what to do, Travis." her tone even as she held the license when he took it back from her. "I sent my boss a text. If we aren''t at my job in the next ten minutes, the sheriff gets a copy of your license and he will be happy to share it with your local precinct." He only watched in anxious terror as they sat still in the running jeep.


    A third roar came from behind them and made her new companion place a white knuckled grip onto the seat.


    "Got it?" She asked.


    "Yes, now please drive!" She sighed, then shifted to drive. But she didn''t take her foot off the break. She wanted to see what had him so panicked.


    "What are you doing? GO!" he looked out the passenger side mirror. "It''s gonna-" Travis went silent.


    Kendra looked into the rearview mirror in the ruby red brake lights. She saw a deer''s head sticking out from the roadside brush. It only stood in place as the head stared to the opposite side of the road.


    The sudden feeling of hands on her arm made her jolt as her head jerked to the man. "For the love of god, drive! It''s gonna kill us!" She narrowed her eyes at him before she could speak. Something hit the back of the jeep. Kendra glanced back at the mirror. The brush had still hidden all but the head.


    Only now its eyes looked right at her through the mirror''s reflection.


    The brush moved about when something long and narrow rose from the foliage. The end had something that reflected off the light as the dark strand whipped around until another object hit the car.


    It was attacking the jeep.


    Kendra took her foot off the brake and floored the gas pedal.


    Travis''s eyes refused to leave the mirror. Kendra checked hers to only see darkness. A ping came from Kendra''s phone.


    Message Failed To Send!


    "You have a signal out here?" His body shifted towards hers before he could see her phone screen. She grabbed it from the cupholder.


    She was in a car with a mentally unstable man, freaking out about a deer trying to kill him. That would be the answer that made sense. That would be easy.


    But something told her this would be far from easy.


    He had no seatbelt on. If there was no other option, she could always drive the car into a tree and watch him fly out the windshield.


    Better he died than her, if he tried anything.


    She needed to stay calm, keep him calm. "Yeah, when you live out here, you pick a good carrier." She resent the message, then pocketed her phone. "So why were you in the middle of the road, Travis?" She asked as he looked over her work uniform.


    "Kendra?" he asked. "Your name is Kendra?"


    She gave a nod to acknowledge the inquiry. "Yeah, now back to you. Why are you out in this weather?"


    He sat back and let out a groan. "Well, it''s been a pretty shitty twenty-four hours for me." He went silent when an awkward snort came from him. "You want the story from the crash or what leads up to it, too?"


    His answer caught her curiosity. "You were in a car crash?" A pang of guilt hit her. Had this man gotten a concussion, or was he seeing things if he hit his head?


    "Yeah, I was driving home after my ex... oh you don''t know her, but she''s just wonderful. I drove nine damn hours to see her, only to get an eyeful of her riding some random guy, not me, her boyfriend who was gonna propose-" Kendra cut him off.


    "Listen, it sounds like you need a therapist, bartender, or someone way more qualified to listen to that rant. Let''s focus on the car crash." His head slouched down.


    "Okay, yeah, that''s my problem, not yours." He raised his head back up and stretched his neck. "Okay, so I''m driving on this road and then a pair of deer popped up. I lost control of the car trying to stop and drove me and the deer into a tree."


    Kendra heard her phone ping again.


    Message Failed To Send!


    With another resend she hid the phone again. "Ok, so you had an awful crash. Did you hit your head? Or break anything? My boss just texted me to ask if you need an ambulance." Another lie, but if it kept her safe it was worth it.


    He only shrugged. "I mean, my aching chest could mean I either bruised my ribs or broke one... let''s hope it''s the first. I can''t afford the second option." He touched his chest and torso slightly when he winced and pulled his hand back. "Yeah, I need some recovery time."


    Kendra''s face softened. "Ok, but what exactly do you think was chasing you out there? I waited to see what it was, and I saw a deer." He remained silent as Kendra glanced at him to see him looking out the window. "You were running from a deer?"


    The uncomfortable silence dragged on until a creak came from the passenger seat. "You promise not to call me crazy for everything I''m about to say?"


    Kendra''s eyes met his."I''ll try, but let''s hear it." Her reluctance did nothing to stop him.


    "So it''s technically a deer, well, two of them." He said, then went quiet to gauge her reaction.


    "The ones you hit?" She asked.


    "Yeah, them, but here''s where it gets weird. Just as I was about to hit them, they stood up together." He watched her to see a lack of reaction.


    "Ehh, deer standing up when they feel threatened is a last resort, but not that weird." She gave a shrug. "Anyway, what else was weird?"


    "Right, so after the crash, I saw one deer lost its head, and it was sitting right on my windshield..." He gripped his wrist and tightened his hand. "If you hit a deer head-on and drove its body into a tree, you''d say the deer died from the accident, right?"


    "Right..." Kendra slowed down as she reached a turn in the road.


    Three minutes until they were out of the woods.


    "Well, I got a good look at the head of the deer and its eyes had already clouded up." Kendra furrowed her brows.


    "So?" she asked, not understanding the point he was trying to make.


    "It takes about two hours after someone or something dies. On top of that, the blood was already dark like it had been dead for a while, similar to the bodies I''ve-" Kendra again cut him off.


    "Okay, you know I''m thinking the serial killer concerns I had when I first saw you might be valid. Why exactly do you know all these things about corpses?" She watched him for any sudden movements. Had she just set him off?


    Travis rolled his eyes. "Fourth generation in a family of morticians. We run a funeral home and prepare the bodies for service." Rather than meet her side eye, he pulled out his wallet and handed her a business card. The silver print reflected in the lights of the dashboard.


    Boyle Funeral Home


    Cremation & Funeral Services


    "Okay, sorry for assuming." Her anxiety eased as they passed a boulder on the side of the road with a peace sign spray-painted on it.


    The last marker before they were out of the forest.


    "Thanks, but going off what I was saying, I think the deer might have already been dead. The one that lost its head must have died first, then found the other one a little while before I hit them." In her attempt to suspend disbelief, Kendra tried to follow his logic.


    "How can you be so sure about that?" she asked.


    "Well, the deer that kept its head had clear, glassy eyes..." His face lit up as he appeared to connect some dots in his head. "What if... the rotting deer had just caught the fresh one? Maybe that''s why they were just standing on the road. Then when it took over, it made them both stand-" Travis pulled himself out of his thoughts to see Kendra''s puzzled look.


    He needed to give her more details first.


    "I sound insane, don''t I?" He asked.


    Her stare eased. "A bit. What exactly is the ''it'' in this?"


    "Your guess is as good as mine, but it''s some kind of dark, thread-like material. It joined the deer at the side. Whatever it was, it worked its way inside them and all over their bodies... It only got worse when needles popped out of the deer and then some of them turned into scissors." His talking sped up as his panic hit a peak. "They kept cutting and sewing into the deer as it split them apart then-" He paused when he felt a hand on his shoulder.


    She needed to keep him calm as she pieced together what she saw. Thread-like material...Needles... is that what moved around the deer? What exactly was it trying to accomplish in attacking her jeep?


    "Breathe, just breathe in, then out." Travis did as she said, "Now do that a few more times. After that, you can tell me more." He looked out the window again, only the sound of his breathing filled the car. With his final breath, he leaned forward in the seat and gripped his head.


    "Sorry, it was a lot, and it was gonna kill me or do god knows what and I just want to get away from the forest and-" Kendra spoke to stop him from entering another panic spiral.


    "Again breathe. we''re just about out of the woods. After that, it''s a mile and a half of rural farmland and the occasional house till we hit the town center." He looked through the windshield and watched as the trees thinned out and the claustrophobic feeling that had gripped him since entering them finally released its grip on him.


    "Okay, I think I''m good." He took a final breath in and out, then resumed, "Whatever was in the deer started cutting them up and sewing the parts to the fresh deer. Maybe the thing in them decided the rotting deer was too beat up to use for anything besides spare parts?" He went quiet again as he worked it out in his mind.


    Spare parts... The words made her uneasy.


    "It cut the other deer up?" She asked.


    "Yeah, and it sliced one leg off the fresh deer, then stitched them to its side and the legs came alive. It makes zero sense how it worked, but it wrapped them around the tree, then cut its lower body off to free itself."


    Kendra tried to picture what he described and felt her stomach turn.


    "Did you take a picture of this thing?" You were using your phone as a light when I found you, so did you-" He interrupted her this time.


    "No..." He hit the side of his head. "Fuck, I held my phone right up to the thing to see it and I didn''t even take a fucking picture." He hit himself again. "Great, so what do I do? Tell people I saw a goddamn spider deer out in the woods?" He scoffed at himself. "You probably think I''m crazy now, don''t you?"


    "No, I didn''t get the best look, but I saw something moving around the deer. Besides, we can look over what it did to the car once we''re at the diner." Travis agreed when her phone pinged again. A new message appeared.


    |Miss Della:


    - Kendra, have you lost your damn mind picking up a hitchhiker? Text me ASAP.


    |Kendra:


    -Almost there, but he was in an accident and something was out there with us. Tell you more once I''m there.


    Miss Della would have an earful for her once she was in the diner. If Travis freaked out, she''d likely call the sheriff in on him.


    "Look, I think if you can calmly explain what you saw to people, maybe they''d listen? My boss, Miss Della, has a good bullshit detector. If you can get her to believe you, she might just be able to help you." She said as he nodded along with her advice.


    Whatever Travis had seen left him terrified. He had fled his crashed car. That would have some proof to corroborate his story...Hopefully.


    "You just have to stay calm." With their plan set, the two sat in silence. Kendra glanced over occasionally to make sure Travis hadn''t passed out to see him staring out the window.


    God forbid he actually had a concussion and went comatose in her jeep.


    The landscape changed. Street lights illuminated the corners and buildings had sprouted up around them. Stopping at the light, Kendra saw the teal neon sign that glowed on the top of the building.


    Miss Della''s Diner


    Kendra had made it to work. This trip to work was the most memorable of the hundreds of them she had taken.


    But would it be her last?

 3: Blue Plate Special

    ¡ªKendra¡ª


    The jeep came to a stop in the parking space at the back of the diner. Kendra cut the engine and dug her phone out of her pocket. Her fingers moved in a frenzy as she wrote up a message.


    |Kendra:


    -Just parked. I Need to talk with the guy I picked up and check something on my jeep. Could you please check the lost and found for any dry clothes that could fit him?


    Dots appeared on her screen when a reply came in.


    |Miss Della:


    -I got his height off the license you sent. The issuing date was three years ago. Is he still scrawny looking like in the face picture on it?


    Since the picture he''d taken three years ago, Travis had grown out his hair that was a mix of honey-gold and caramel. The two locked eyes. His were an agate-green with hints of blue swirled into them. They were beautiful, but contrasted with the red spider veins that creeped along his sclerae like a crimson ivy creeping along a wall.


    "What?" he asked, when she realized she had been gawking at him.


    "Oh... sorry, my boss wanted me to-" Kendra went quiet. Was she actually flustered by the rando from the roadside? "You know what? Smile for me." A dead eye stare met her request. She shook her head and held up her phone. "Just try not to look crazy or traumatized if my boss thinks you''re gonna be a problem. It''ll end bad-"


    She fell silent as he raised his hand to his forehead. In a sweep, he pulled the hair dangling over his face back. His head turned to show off his sharp, stubbled jawline. Travis''s face was on full display as he leaned back into the seat when a loch of hair fell to the side of his face.


    "Well?" He asked when a grin formed. The hand that ran through his golden and brown mane clamped onto the back of his neck, the sleeve of his shirt tightened around his biceps. Kendra only stared when she discovered the pose helped to reveal the contours of his chest strained against the soaked fabric of his shirt. "You want to take the picture? I''m getting tired."


    Sure, he was a wreck, but a pretty one.


    "I said look normal, not be a fuck boy." She was at a loss. Had he finally gone mad?


    "C''mon, just take one like this. Considering that cheating bitch dumped me, I might as well get some good pics for Tinder." His eyes pleaded with her. "Rebound sex is way cheaper than therapy." As the stare off played out, his expression sunk. If his new plan was to pout, it was working.


    A smirk formed on her face. "Fine." His grin returned. With a quick flash the picture appeared in the corner of her phone. "Ok, you want to take this seriously now?"


    He brought his arm down and sat up. Facing Kendra, he gave a weak smile. Another flash filled the car. Clicking on the new image, she gave it a look over before opening her conversation with her boss again. With the picture in place, she responded.


    |Kendra:


    -He''s a bit more athletic looking than when he got his license.


    Dots moved about and her reply came.


    |Miss Della:


    -Well someone had a glow-up... if you ignore the bags under his eyes. Now get a move on and get in here. If he gets weird, just scream and I''ll kill him myself.


    |Kendra:


    -I''ll be in soon, just have to check something.


    A thumbs-up appeared on Kendra''s message. With that set, she reached into the back row of her jeep and grabbed a backpack and umbrella, then sank back into her seat.


    "Hey," he looked to see her sympathetic expression. "I hope you don''t mind being out in the rain a little longer. I only have one umbrella and it''s not a good look for the customers if my makeup is running."


    He smirked at her. "I''m already soaked. What''s a little more rain?"


    She smiled back. "My boss is gonna see what the lost and found has for you. Figure you already got enough shit to deal with, so let''s not add pneumonia to it." He chuckled at her. "What''s so funny?" she asked.


    "Pneumonia is an infection caused by bacteria and viruses, the wet clothes thing is a myth." His tone teasing her.


    Kendra shook her head. "Oh, so you''re a doctor now?" She waited, curious about what he''d say back.


    "I''ve worked on enough people who died of it to know." His smile left after he spoke. "Shit, was that too dark? Sometimes I forget how morbid my job is." he sank back in his seat. "Pair that with being awake for twenty-something hours..." He turned to her. "God, I just want to sleep." his stare shifted to the windshield then to the car floor.


    Maybe the sudden humor was his current way of coping with everything? Whatever was going on in his head, he needed to keep it together just a little longer.


    "Travis," again her hand went to his shoulder. "It''s fine. I''ve got a dark sense of humor, also we really need to get moving before my boss comes out here with the Eight-Seventy and blows your head off." The relief from her assurance vanished with her warning as his brows rose and his jaw clenched.


    He knew she wasn''t joking.


    "Alright." Travis said, shifting in his seat when he took a sharp breath before opening the door. Kendra followed suit. With a click, the umbrella snapped open. Rain pattered on the fabric as she made her way to the back of her jeep.


    Her heart sank when she saw the damage of what had hit... no, that word wasn''t quite right for what she saw before her.


    A pair of metal rods with sharp ends had pierced the back of her vehicle.


    One stuck out of the metal door while the other had hit the top of the spare tire on the back and torn through the fabric cover. Had it landed higher, the needle would have gone right through the glass. Would it have hit them?


    "Damn, it hit the spare." She said aggravated at the new expense when Travis lumbered into view. "So, these are the needles you saw before? They just emerged from the deer?"


    He inspected the back door."Yeah," He watched them when his eyes widened. "Umm... are they moving?"


    "What?" she asked before watching the needle in the tire to see it was vibrating and hitting the edges of the tear in the fabric. "Let me grab some photos." Kendra wanted to have proof ready. She knew her interrogation would come after Travis''s. Her phone flashed as she took pictures. She was about to step closer to take her last photo when her companion spoke.


    "We don''t know what these things can do. Keep your distance." He had a point. She obliged and held up her phone, then zoomed in. After getting her pictures, the pair walked to the front of the car. Once they were side by side, Kendra spoke.


    "Stand on the other side of me. That way, the building gives you some cover." Once he was under the awning, he walked along the building while she stood in place.


    After a few steps, he noticed and turned to her. "Hey, you coming?"


    This was her last chance to warn him before they would be before the woman who would watch his every move and word. He needed to be ready for what was to come.


    "So remember, stay calm and be honest. Miss Della knows bullshit when she hears it." She said, her voice hinting at the importance of not lying.


    He gave a nod. "Got it. Just tell Della what I told you."


    Her peach-colored lips parted in a smile. "One more thing. Call her Miss or Miss Della. Otherwise, she''s gonna get annoyed with you real quick." He only gave a befuddled look. "Just trust me on this, also when we get to the front door, open it for me. She''s gonna judge you on your manners, too."


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    His brows furrowed. "Your boss sounds like a nightmare."


    Kendra paused. If this conversation wasn''t private, she needed to cover her own ass. "She''s just particular about things, that''s all. Besides, she''s one of the better bosses I''ve had."


    Travis relented. The two had reached the front of the diner. The entrance was in sight as they passed by a wall of windows. He looked in and only saw empty booths on the other side of the windows.


    The pair stood before the front doors of the diner. Following her advice, he held the door open. Kendra shook off her umbrella, then made her way in. Travis followed suit. Once inside, he took in the decor with polished black and white diamond tiles, a long light-blue bar trimmed with pink stretched along the back wall of the diner. He turned and saw the booths in matching colors along the windowed front of the diner.


    "Now dear, that''s enough gawking." The woman''s voice was sweet like honey, yet still commanded his gaze to the counter. Behind it, a woman stood with her gloved hands resting on her hips.


    "Sorry," Travis recalled Kendra''s warning. "Miss." her arms eased to her side but her piercing glare through her white-framed cat-eye glasses persisted.


    "I suppose I can forgive you." She moved behind the counter with each step as the heels of her pumps clacked against the ceramic tile. "After all, you''re just admiring the decor I put my heart and soul into." She stepped out from behind the counter. "Kendra, mind coming here for a moment?" Her voice veiled the order as a suggestion. She had learned that tone and what it meant quickly in working here.


    "Of course, Miss Della," she said as her boss''s red lips perked up.


    Once the two were in whispering distance, she received her next order. "Tell Fred to make a blue plate special. Then help Casey prepare for the morning rush. I''m gonna have a little chat with him. I''ll handle the coffee, dear." Kendra gave a nod and went for the kitchen door.


    ¡ªTravis¡ª


    Travis watched as Kendra made her way to the kitchen door without so much as looking back at him. Instead, the scrutinizing gaze of the prim n proper proprietor bore into him.


    Travis felt chilled as he stood in place. Was it from his soaked clothes or her painted smile? "Join me in the booth down here at the end, dear." Each of her steps resulted in a clack that sounded through the empty diner. Her hair was dark like pepper with hints of salt blended into it and swayed lightly with her graceful movements as she sat in the booth.


    "Well? Never keep a lady waiting." She glanced to the window and raised her gloved hand to fix her well-coiffed hair as Travis made his way to her. His body felt heavier with each step.


    The near day without sleep, an adrenaline rush in fleeing that monster: it had left him spent. The short distance felt like the end of a marathon. But there was still another leg to this journey.


    Getting through this conversation.


    He sank into the faux leather booth. A fresh wave of exhaustion hit from the newfound comfort.


    Stay calm, be polite, and don''t bullshit her unless I want trouble; That was the advice he received from the employee who worked for this woman.


    "Well, it seems like you''ve had quite the night, young man. Tell me what exactly led up to you crossing paths with Kendra."


    Travis nodded. "Would you promise to hear me out before you decide I''m crazy? This story will get stranger as it goes."


    Amusement tickled at her smile. "Let''s hear it then."


    Travis took a breath in as he closed his eyes. A moment passed until his eyes opened and he let the breath escape him. "So I drove about nine hours to propose to my now ex-girlfriend."


    A tinge of sympathy showed on her face. "She said no?" she raised an eyebrow at Travis.


    "I wish..." He looked at the set table before his eyes locked back onto hers. "I walked in on her with someone else." Her lips parted a moment before her smile returned.


    "How awful. If it''s any consolation. I had a similar encounter with my first husband. As awful as it was, it led me to my second husband." The fine lines of her face hinted at the sadness that etched into her gaze. "He was a wonderful man; we had plenty of time together and we built this place together." She paused for a moment, then chuckled. "Besides, you''re young. You have plenty of time to find someone better."


    A pep talk was the last thing he had expected from this woman.


    "Thank you... and sorry for your loss." He said.


    "Now, let''s get back to how you ended up here." With that, the calm feeling faded. This was still an interrogation, pleasantries or not.


    "Right, so I tried to drive home, got lost, and then I technically hit a pair of deer." He paused. "This is the part where I''m gonna need you to listen to everything before you decide I''m insane, okay?"


    She tapped her finger on the table. "Dear, keep going."


    "So the deer had something in them. I think that whatever it is got the first deer, then caught the second one right before I hit them. Whatever the hell-"


    "Language." She said, her voice stern.


    Travis gave a nod. "Sorry, but whatever it is, it cut up the two deer and then stitched parts of them into one." Her eyes showed surprise yet the single strand of pearls around her neck remained unclutched. "I think this thing controls whatever it catches and kills and makes it into puppets."


    Della remained silent.


    The silence made Travis panic, and he resumed speaking. "I know this all sounds insane, and I was panicking and never took a picture, but Kendra has proof! The thing threw some of its needles into her jeep and she took pictures!" He felt his heart race. Did he mess up? Would she refuse to believe him?


    "Is that so? Kendra saw it too?" She asked.


    "She didn''t get the best look at it, but I know she believes me." He shook with anxiety when she rose from the booth.


    "You wait here. I''m gonna speak with Kendra." She moved away, the sound of her walking faded until she entered the kitchen.


    He was alone.


    A crackle of static interrupted his thoughts. A woman''s voice piped out from the speakers around the diner.


    "Finally... 5 AM!" she said, her energy seeming too low for what was being said. "Up next we got my rise-and-shine playlist. Yayyyyy... Okay... What do I want to kick us off with?" Was she speaking to herself or her listeners? "Ohhhhh, I know just what to play." A giggle followed. "Enjoy everyone!"


    Strums of a guitar played as Travis shook his head. "This song? Really?" His father had always played this band''s songs down in the basement while he worked. He was told the meaning of each of their songs.


    This song''s meaning was about a breakup.


    "Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so-" A sob left him. His vision blurred as he felt a hot stream run down his face.


    Why did she cheat on him?


    Why did he have to hit some eldritch abomination who got crafty with deer?


    How the hell was he gonna get home, let alone get his car fixed with no money left?


    He could pick from any of those racing thoughts to break down about. Maybe he could multitask and juggle the trauma all at once? He just wanted some damn sleep, or if this was a nightmare, to wake up and see that everything was fine.


    "There''s a shadow hanging over me-" a thought drowned out everything around him. Maybe he was finally losing what remained of his sanity.


    Unable to contain the thought, he muttered to himself, "Maybe I died in the crash and I''m in hell..." He said to himself as his ears picked up the song again.


    "She wouldn''t say-"


    He still had no explanation for why it had happened. He likely wouldn''t. Life was unfair like that.


    "Thanks for waiting, dear." A pair of mugs clinked together as the older woman set them on the table.


    Travis only inspected the mugs. Steam rose from the coffee and danced over the surface of the dark liquid. He didn''t have the strength to look up from it; he was at his limit.


    "Dear?" her gloved hand ran over him when he finally looked up and his watery, bloodshot eyes met hers. Della''s eyelids rose just slightly. "Let me get myself sat first." Her white pumps clacked against the tile until she sat across from him. Everything about this woman was so picture-perfect and put together.


    The exact opposite of Travis, who sat soaked and haggard.


    "Sorry, I''ve been through a lot and I just want it to be over." He was going to lose it. Anyone would be after what he saw.


    Again, the gloved hand reached for him. "Dear, would some good news help right now?" He gave a weak nod. Her face brightened. "Well, there are some dry clothes for you and I''ll have some food out for you soon. Don''t worry about paying for it." Travis gave another nod. "Head to the restroom. It''s on the other side of the dining room."


    Travis rose from the booth. He shambled through the empty diner. As he walked through, he looked out the windows into the parking lot to see all the empty spaces as the rain poured down and rippled in the puddles outside.


    "Now I need a place to hide away."


    He just wanted to go home.


    Travis had finally reached the other end. Another kitchen door opened and Kendra stepped out with a gym bag in one hand and a stack of kitchen towels in the other.


    She stretched her arm out and the bag swayed. "Lucky for you, some college guys came through here and left this behind. I think it''s your size." She then held out the towels. "Also, here''s something to dry off with."


    He stared at her for a moment. "Thank you," he said before grabbing them. The door creaked as it opened and shut, clicking the lock. He felt relief at the absence of the music.


    The buzz of the fluorescent lights reminded Travis of the preparation room back home. Was it morbid that a room to prep a corpse felt comforting?


    Probably.


    Did he care?


    No.


    Travis peeled off his soaking wet shirt, maneuvered towards the mirror and got a look at his chest. A dark forty-five degree line had formed over his upper chest and lightened as it went down and across his body. Glancing down, he saw another dark line across his waist. The seatbelt had done its job. He had seen enough people with similar marks who weren''t as lucky on his embalming table.


    He was alive, miserable, but alive.


    He brought a towel to his hair and rubbed it over his hair. The motion caused tinges of pain in the right side of his chest.


    "Got to go slow." He said.


    As he made progress drying himself, he put on the dry clothes, a pair of dark jeans, a white t-shirt, and a blue and black flannel. The clothes brought a welcomed warmth that the monster at the crash and the pouring rain had taken from him.


    He looked at himself again. His hair was still damp but it would dry soon, then he could fix it. A knock on the door had made him turn.


    "Travis," It was Kendra. "Your food is ready, but take your time, okay?" Her steps faded away from the opposite side of the door.


    Food. He hadn''t eaten in hours and should have stopped somewhere about an hour before he got himself lost, but he was stubborn and wanted to get home quicker.


    If only he had stopped.


    With hunger as his current motivation, he exited the bathroom. As he made his way back, he saw Kendra and Della talking at the booth. The two shifted their focus to him.


    "Travis, dear, why don''t you just sit and eat for now? We can talk after that," Della said. The offer was another relief for him.


    "Thank you." He worked his way back into the booth and looked at the blue plate. Biscuits and gravy with hash browns.


    It looked amazing.


    Maybe his luck was changing.


    Or maybe this was the calm before the slowly approaching storm.

 4: No Signal

    ¡ªKendra¡ª


    This morning differed from all the others. Kendra had picked up a frantic man being hunted down by an abomination that burrowed its way into its victims to use them as its puppets. She had prayed for something different, a change in her life. It seemed that whatever had listened to her was a passive aggressive jackass.


    Maybe it was her fault for not being specific?


    "Dear," Miss Della''s voice pulled her from her thoughts.


    "Oh, yes?" She asked when her boss raised a brow at her.


    "Kendra, do you think you''ll be able to handle things today? You might not have seen nearly as much as Travis, but-"


    "Considering I''d have to drive back through where it happened, I think staying here is the better idea, at least until the sun is up." The two stood in silence. A stalemate. Yet that did nothing to spare her the soul-piercing glare of her boss, watching for even the slightest waiver in her conviction.


    "I want it that way." The most recent song to play over the speakers seemed to reaffirm Kendra''s stance.


    A hand went to Miss Della''s hip as she raised her free arm in a shrug. "If that''s what you want." She chuckled when her working smile returned. "Well, if you''re feeling alright to work, why don''t you grab that empty plate off the guest''s table?" Her head tilted in Travis''s direction.


    "On it, Miss." Kendra turned back to the booths and noticed Travis had slumped over the table. "Travis?" Worry hit her at the sight. Did he pass out? Was it alright to let him sleep after the crash? She made her way to his table. As she bridged the space between them, she watched as his back rose and fell gently. Despite his arms shielding his face from view, he looked peaceful.


    The polar opposite of when they first met.


    Her worry eased as she grabbed the plate off the table, a task that she would do dozens if not a hundred times on a normal day. The feeling fled as quickly as it came. She looked at the sleeping man again.


    "Ain''t nothing but a mistake."


    Had it been a mistake to stop for him? Had she just crossed the divider and sped past him, would she be going about her day in blissful ignorance of what was out there? Would Travis have escaped the forest on his own? Or would he have become a part of it?


    No... She''d made the right choice.


    He would have died out there.


    A chime sounded from the front door as a man entered the diner.


    "Hello, Dear." Miss Della said, her standard greeting for passer-throughs. Her regulars, the locals, got something as dressed up as she was.


    The man took a seat at the bar, and the boss brought him a menu. The man seemed calm like his drive through the area had been uneventful.


    "Cause I want it that way."


    The song reached its end when a familiar voice came on. "So... Have any of you ever had one of those weird... Like something is off mornings?" Seemed the feeling was mutual. "I swear it''s been such a quiet day caller-wise... Gonna hope someone picks up on the hint to call the station. Other than that, we got some ads before the next song plays."


    The diner normally had its first few patrons about thirty minutes after opening. Despite being open for an hour, only Travis and the random man were in the dining room. Of the missing regulars was an older woman named Jasmine, or, as Tif referred to her ''Jazzy''. Kendra thought back about what the pothead radio personality said in her haze. That Jazzy didn''t call into the station for morning mingling. She would always have some stories of growing up in Oklahoma decades ago.


    She thought back on some stories Jazzy had shared with all the listeners, how she grew up on a ranch, working with her family... Kendra felt her heart drop when she recalled the story Jazzy had shared the day before. A story about how she used to gaze at the starry night skies, the countless little dots of light that she could see from being away from the hustle and bustle of the city. How moving from the wide-open prairie back home to a cabin nestled in the woods had traded her stars for darkness under the canopy of the forest.


    The very forest Kendra had driven through this morning.


    She wanted answers. With the plate in hand, she made her way to the kitchen and left the plate for Casey. She glanced out the window to see her boss bringing the only conscious customer a mug of coffee as she took his order. With her distracted, she made her way to the backroom and pulled her phone from her backpack.


    Her fingers moved frantically as she typed occasionally, looking to see if anyone was coming. Miss Della''s rule said emergencies only; otherwise keep it out of sight.


    |Kendra:


    -Tif, have you gotten any weird calls today?


    -Anything about deer, or the forests?


    -Did Jazzy ever call in?


    She stared at her screen, waiting for a reply, when a voice startled her.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Dear, why are you on the phone?" Kendra jerked her hand to her chest. "You know the rule." Her shock turned to annoyance when she realized it wasn''t her boss but a certain kitchen hand doing a half-assed impression of them.


    "Casey!" she said, her fist raised in annoyance and on the verge of connecting with the grin on his face. He chuckled when she shook her head.


    "What? You know the rules." Sure, he was right, but the shit-eating grin and his sarcastic shrug were wearing on her frayed nerves. The only thing sparing him from a shoulder punch was her need for a useful idiot.


    Her face shifted back to her default for customers. "Can you do me a favor?" she asked, her tone suddenly sweeter.


    "Depends." He had it said it in a way he always did when he wanted a favor in return.


    Kendra''s smile strained like it did many times when she had to deal with the church Karens of the Sunday morning rush. "What do you want?"


    His smile beamed. "Help me with the trash later this morning?" He leaned forward with his perfectly punchable face in range.


    She gave a nod. "Fine, just tell Miss Della I needed a minute and I''ll be right back. It''s dead out there, so we should be fine." He nodded back at her order.


    "Got it. I''ll let you know when I need that help." He turned away from her and moved to the dining room. "Thanks again." His voice sing-song as Kendra rolled her eyes at the transactional bastard.


    Crossing through the kitchen, she reached the employee restroom. Her gaze went back to her phone to see a set of replies.


    |Tif


    -Which standard of weird? Mine or yours?


    -I mean... I was listening to Rusty''s police radio earlier while the ads were playing, and that was something.


    -Umm...


    -Why specifically deer???


    -Cause the radio mentioned something about rabid deer.


    -Wait...


    -You so know something don''t you?


    -BITCH YOU BETTER SPILL THE TEA!!


    -And nah Jazzy has been quiet... Maybe she got drunk last night and is sleeping it off?


    -I know that was me a few nights ago.


    Kendra felt her heart sink at the messages. Perhaps it was her mind protecting her or maybe hopeful delusion, but a thought crossed her mind.


    What if there''s more than one creature out there?


    |Kendra:


    -What can you tell me about the rabid animals?


    -TLDR but this morning I picked up a guy off the road who hit a deer and, according to him, the thing chopped itself up and stitched itself together into some kind of spider deer thing.


    Dots appeared on the screen.


    |Tif:


    -Dannnng


    -Spider deer sounds kind of cute tho


    -Can you ask him what he''s smoking cause I want to try that shit


    Kendra groaned at her friend''s replies. A moment later, she sent a photo.


    |Kendra:


    -Yeah, so it attacked my jeep, the thing uses needles!!


    -We think it''s controlling what it stitches up... but we''re kind of just guessing.


    -I mean the guy I picked up is a mortician so I think I can trust his knowledge of dead things.


    Kendra watched her phone when there was no response.


    |Kendra:


    -Tif?


    The message sat there as she waited for the delivered note to appear under it only to see a red marker and message appear.


    Message Failed To Send!


    She glanced at the top corner of her screen to see a lack of bars.


    "What?" she asked in disbelief. Kendra had used this room to text plenty of times and never had an issue. What had her friend heard? She had to know!


    Pocketing her phone, she made her way out of the bathroom. If her phone was a brick, maybe the landline would work? Nearly out of the kitchen, she stopped from the sound of heels clacking when the door she needed to pass through opened.


    "Dear, are you alright?" Kendra met her question with one of her own.


    "Does your phone have a signal? Mine just stopped working suddenly." She paused from ratting herself out. "I really need to use the landline, is that alright?" Curiosity filled Miss Della''s stare.


    "Is this an emergency?" she asked, her rules being hinted at.


    Kendra gave a nod. "Yeah, it''s important."


    Her boss gave a nod. "I''ll allow it, dear, but mind your words; we have that customer at the counter. After that, we can talk." With her plan in motion, the iron grip of anxiety eased as the two made their way behind the counter. Kendra reached the phone while Miss Della went to the far end of the counter.


    She grabbed the corded phone and dug through her cell phone with her other hand. Once she had Tif''s number, she punched it in when she noticed something. She raised the phone to her ear to hear silence.


    The line was dead.


    As she made her way over, the older woman spoke in a hush to herself. "How peculiar. My phone is without a signal, too." Miss Della turned to see her employees saddened face. "I take it the landline is out as well?" Kendra put the phone back on the hook.


    "It is." Kendra''s right hand gripped her left wrist as she gave it a squeeze. "This entire morning is feeling off ever since I found Travis on the roadside. Everything just feels... like I''m just waiting for something bad to happen."


    The older woman nodded. "It is strange." She glanced at the clock on the wall. "By now, we usually have a few of the regulars in, but nothing yet." Her words made a question float to the top of Kendra''s head.


    "Miss Della, you know a lot about the town and the regulars, right?" Her voice faltered as she gave a nervous smile.


    She raised her cat-eye glasses to her forehead."Dear, what have I said about beating around the bush on questions?" Her hand went to the counter as her fingers tapped on it.


    "Right. Do you know if any of the regulars live on the outskirts of town? By the forest?" Her boss paused a moment in her thought.


    "Well, I know Wyatt is right on the forest''s edge. Marsha and Hayden aren''t too far away from the forest either, but it''s odd that Sheriff Parker hasn''t come in yet. He''s within walking distance of this place." Kendra''s eyes went off towards the kitchen window.


    "Dear, mind sharing what you know with the class?" Her gaze returned to her boss.


    "Sorry, I was texting Tif. She said that the police are dealing with rabid deer. Considering what Travis and I went through..." Despite her silence, Miss Della had an answer.


    Della let out a sigh. "Well, for now, Andrea should be in for her shift soon. If she comes in, we can see if she knows anything. Otherwise, we can hope the sheriff comes in soon to see if he can do more than help sleeping beauty with his car troubles." She tilted her head towards the sleeping man in the booth. "For now, let''s just try to stay calm and figure things out."


    "Diner Gal? You listening?" The voice on the radio caught her attention. "Look, my phone''s not working and I don''t even know if this thing is working, but I''ll see you in a few more hours... alright? Otherwise, everyone else can enjoy the next requested song!"


    Despite having no way to reach out to her, Kendra knew she could only bide her time and put on a front like she did every day in this garish diner. Her friend would eventually make her way to the diner.


    Hopefully...

 5: It Had To Be That One...

    ¡ªKendra¡ª


    The hours passed by as the diner slowly came to life. Kendra''s surreal morning continued as she noticed a pattern with the customers coming in. Besides the one man who had come and gone early this morning, only regulars seemed to enter the diner. As she made her usual small talk with the tables, they all made comments around the same subject.


    "Is your phone working today? Mine isn''t."


    "This sucks. I can''t get on Instagram! The Wi-Fi isn''t working either!"


    "All these kids whining about phones; we didn''t need them to go out to breakfast when I was their age."


    Everyone had lost their ability to reach the world outside of this town. She felt her heart pounding, her body felt warm as questions filled her psyche.


    What if it wasn''t here anymore?


    What if the world was ending?


    Was it right to let these people go about their day, blissfully unaware of what was out there?


    She needed to ground herself before it got worse.


    Her racing mind was teetering on the edge of losing control. She needed to calm herself.


    Three things she could see; Miss Della pouring coffee, Andrea running food, Casey working through the window to the kitchen.


    She took a breath.


    Three things she could touch; The notepad in her hand for taking orders, the feeling of her uniform on her skin, and the empty plate on the table that she could clear.


    Another breath.


    Three things she could hear; The many conversations going on throughout the diner, the clinking of silverware on well-used plates, and the music that played in the room.


    "Fill my cup, put some liquor in it."


    The feeling of dread was dispersing with each breath as relief hit her.


    "Take a sip, sign the check."


    Tif had been chatting between the songs until she had signed off a little earlier. Sure, she never had an exact time she''d come into the diner.


    She was a ''free-spirit'', at least that''s how she put it, but she had always made it in.


    "Julio, get the stretch!"


    "Please be alright," Kendra muttered to herself when the bell in the kitchen window dinged.


    She looked to the window. "Table four!" Casey said when she made her way over to the pair of plates placed under the heat lamps.


    "Got it." With a plate in each hand, she made her way to the end of the counter. She glanced at Travis, who still slept despite the ruckus. "Please tell me you''re not comatose." She said in a hush as she passed by the booths.


    "Morning Kendra!" said one of the many old ladies whose name she couldn''t recall. There were so many she''d see each week.


    But she could handle it. She was in control.


    Kendra flashed her teeth. "Morning dear!" She said, emulating her boss as she passed the booth. She continued towards table four when the man in the booth before her destination waved at her. "I''ll be right with you!" Her promise placated the man as she ventured past him and reached her goal.


    A mother and her young daughter sat at the table, while the mother made eye contact with Kendra, her child was off in her own little world as she colored on her white paper placemat with crayons scattered about the table.


    "Ranny, our food is here! You know what that means, right?" She looked up at Kendra, then back to the table.


    "Clean up my crayons?" she asked.


    Her mother smiled at her. "That''s right! Now hurry and grab them, so she can set your food down for you!" The mother''s voice was as sweet as the cream on top of the waffle.


    The kid''s pigtails swayed as she nodded. "Okay!"


    Kendra stared at the scribbles on the paper placemat. Flowers, a big yellow sun, and a few trees had created a waxy forest meadow on the canvas. The doodles warmed Kendra''s heart.


    After all the horrifying details she had pictured, this was a dose of soul bleach.


    She watched as the girl scooped her crayons up and dropped them into a box covered in stickers. With the space cleared, Kendra asked the pair a question. "So, who had the chocolate chip waffle?"


    The girl''s face lit up. "Me!" Her hands flew up as she waved them about.


    She gave a nod. "Alright, but you should move your drawing so it doesn''t get ruined!"


    "Okay!" Her go-to answer. The paper rustled as it joined her crayons at the edge of the table. With the waffle set in place, the mother then got her meal.


    "And a blue plate special for you." Kendra gave the two a moment to look over their meals. "Do either of you need anything?"


    The mother glanced at her child. "Ranny?" She only shook her head. "Looks like we''re good, thank you!" With the two sets, she made her way to the other table as the pair''s conversation picked back up. "Let me cut that up for you."


    "Okay!" The interaction had been just what she needed.


    "Thanks for waiting. What did you need?" The man was like a cloud creeping in to block the ray of sunlight sitting next to him.


    "Can I get a box?" His stare was one of annoyance, as if he were in a rush, as if it was her fault for his mood.


    "Of course, you can!" she said, refusing to break character and give him the satisfaction of bringing her down.


    If his complaint was that the staff was too happy, her boss would ''politely'' tell the man where to shove his grievance.


    Kendra made her way back to the counter when the chime at the front door sounded. A woman whose clothing epitomized a Stevie Nicks concert stepped in. The sleeves and ends of her dress flowed with her movement. The multiple necklaces over her chest swayed as she closed in on the waitress.


    "Diner Galllll, how''s it going?" Tif asked when she gave her the signal she was helping a customer. In response, Tif headed to the counter when she moved to the open seat at the bar down to the end by Travis, while Kendra got a box for the man.


    "Here you go, need anything else?" The man stared at her, annoyed at her cheerful tone.


    "My bill," he said, with a tilt of his head as if she could read his mind and having to tell her was redundant.


    Kendra kept up her facade. "Oh, of course. Let me get your server, Andrea, right on it." The man only looked at her in aggravation. Kendra thought about the forest meadow the girl had drawn. This prick wasn''t about to take the good feeling it had given her.


    She made her way back to the counter where the other waitress had been pouring drinks. "Andrea, when you get a second, table five wants their check."


    The middle-aged waitress responded. "Mr. Smiles?" She said cheekily. "On it." She passed by Kendra in a hurry. With the customer set, she had a moment to greet Tif, who had already taken an open seat at the bar.


    "Hey," she said when the free spirit spun on the barstool to face her. Despite coming inside,she had kept her sunglasses on, if only to hide what most of the town knew.


    Her eyes were red from using her favorite plant.


    "Soooo," Tif dropped, as she leaned back and rested her arms on the bar. "How''s your day been?" She crossed her legs and her raised foot Swayed lightly as she waited for details.


    With customers around, Kendra had to keep her work face on despite everything she had seen and felt this morning. "Kind of weird, everything has been off-"


    Yet, Tif was not subject to the same rules. "Weird? You know, I don''t think that word quite works... like monster needles are sticking out of your jeep." She raised a finger, then another, as she continued to list off the bizarre events of their mornings. "Oh, also the weird animal attacks on the police radio." A third finger rose. "And let''s not forget about..." Tif''s eyes caught on something behind Kendra. "Is he the mystery guy? The one you found on the road?" A smile formed on her face. "Can''t see his face, but going off what I see, he looks cute." The ditzy woman returned her focus to her friend. "So, is he cute?" Her brows raised from behind the frames of her sunglasses.


    Kendra thought about her answer. Would she ever let her live it down if her friend learned of the thirst traps she took for Travis? "I mean-"


    "Tiffany, tell me, how is my favorite radio hostess doing this morning?" For a woman whose presence was something that was normally heard coming, her knack for moving quietly was a superpower.


    Had she known what they were discussing and wanted it put to a stop?


    "Miss D, I''m good, been a bit of a boring day since the phones went down, but I''ve been trying to play what I think the people would want." A chuckle escaped the older woman.


    "Of course, it has been an interesting morning, but we''re still open and have customers to attend to, so I''ll talk to you both once it''s calmed down." Her gaze shifted to her employee. "For us all." Her polite warning given Kendra needed to get back to work.


    She could talk to her later.


    "Right, so you want your regular order?" Tif nodded.


    "Yeahhh, but I think I''m gonna sit with the mystery man and have a chat with him." She giggled as she rose from the stool. "So just bring it to his booth, Alright?"


    ¡ªTravis¡ª


    "Hey...up!" Travis felt something grabbing at his shoulder and shaking him out of his sleep. As the motions continued, he felt an ache in his chest, and groaned at what the pain meant.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.Everything he wished was a nightmare wasn''t.


    It was all real...


    "Umm...alive?" The word sounded distorted as Travis''s eyes opened to stare down at the table he had slumped over. The pain continued to grow with each sway of his body when he freed his left arm and grabbed at the hand.


    "Ughhh, stop! It fucking hurts!" A final twinge before his body went still and the pain ebbed away.


    "Oh, sorry." The voice was feminine and unfamiliar.


    "Just leave me alone..." Travis said. He pulled his arm back and got it back onto the table to block out the light. However long he slept was nowhere near what he needed. Exhaustion still caressed his eyelids as they grew heavy again. He needed more.


    He wasn''t ready to face everything wrong with his life.


    "Loooook, I don''t think you''re crazy about the whole spider deer thing. I just wanted to ask you a few questions and then I''ll go." Her words made Travis''s eyes shoot open. His head rose from his arms when the light blinded him for a moment. The side of his hand went along his forehead to block the light from his eyes.


    He heard a giggle as he tried to focus on the woman. "Sounds like we have a deal." The rustling of fabric and a jingle of metal caught his ears. As his eyes adjusted, he saw a hand extended out to him. He moved his hand away from his head when she came into full view.


    A woman who looked like she fell out of an indie Instagram jewelry ad stood before him. Yet with everything he had seen this morning, she seemed to fit right in with everyone and everything else.


    "You are?" He asked.


    She shrugged and scoffed, "No, no, not until you tell me we got a deal, so shake on it!" Her smile returned. Whoever this was, she was determined to get what she wanted.


    Travis sighed, annoyed when he shook her hand. "Fine, but I''m not saying anything till you tell me who you are." He pulled his hand away and sat back in the booth while she got situated across from him.


    "Tiffany Triche, oh, but please don''t call me by my full name." Her eyes pleaded with him when she smiled again. "I prefer Tiffy, please!" He only stared at her.


    How much did she know about him already? Had Kendra or Della filled her in on what had happened? Did that mean they trusted her? That he could trust her? The thoughts raced about his head.


    He needed answers.


    "Travis!" she said with a chuckle. "Look, I''m gonna save us both some time and answer the questions written all over your face." He raised a brow. "Soooo, I''m friends with Kendra. I work at the local radio station and Kendra was texting me about you and the thing out in the woods." She shrugged "At least until our phones all turned to bricks." Her answers first brought relief, but the last thing she had said left him with a new sense of panic.


    "Wait, your phones don''t... does mine..." Travis grabbed his phone and saw the small words in the top left corner.


    No Service


    "Dammit." He had hoped he could call his father and figure out what to do. Sadly, that option was out.


    "Listen..." Her airy tone had vanished, despite the sunglasses covering her eyes. He could feel her sober stare. "I know you want to go home, but you may have bigger problems right now." His eyes narrowed at her. What did she mean?


    "What do you-"


    "Oh my god, I love your hair!" Tiffy interrupted him with something out of left field. He only looked at her, befuddled.


    Was this all a game to her?


    "Well, someone finally woke up. I was worried you went comatose when you passed out." He had recognized this voice. It was Kendra. He turned to see her standing in her blue diner uniform, her peach colored lips in a perfect smile.


    "So Diner Gal..." Tiffy said, "I know I''m a space case, buuuut I remember saying ''have my usual ready for me when I got here''..." She looked down at the empty table top. "Yet here I am... starving." She feigned sadness when Kendra shook her head.


    "You did, but we never know when you''ll actually stop in." Her gaze rose from the table to Kendra when she set her hands over her heart and her mouth dropped open. "Sometimes it''s a little after nine, other times it''s nearly eleven and you know Miss Della refuses to serve anyone, especially the regulars, a cold meal."


    "I''m a free and wayward spirit! It''s bad enough I have to stick to the program schedule at work..." She turned to the window and crossed her arms. "It feels like you expect me to be consistent or something." She sulked as Travis only wondered why this woman''s attitude had shifted to something so cartoonish.


    Kendra chortled at her antics. "Relax, I told Fred you''re here. He''ll have your usual out soon." A smile replaced her pouting face when she faced back to the waitress.


    "You''re the best!" Her gaze then drifted to Travis. "Anyway, getting back to what I was saying... Travis... Your hair." She reached into her rucksack a moment later and pulled out a black hair tie. "Let me fix that for you before the food comes... Please." There was no hint of that last word actually being a question.


    "She''s not gonna take no for an answer, Travis." Kendra said as she made her way to the kitchen.


    "Ok soooo, turn your back to the bar and I''ll come over there." He did as she asked and then she whispered. "So I need to keep up appearances with most of these people, so play along, please. Also, if I tap your shoulder, it means someone is listening." Once again, her voice lost its exaggeration. "Also, you''re not from here, so all the nosy townies are already watching you." She leaned in. "The last thing we need is a panic."


    He gave a nod when his hair swayed. "Are you an undercover cop or something?" That guess made the most sense to him.


    "It''s more like I watch for certain things-" She tapped on his shoulder and went quiet as she pulled his hair back. "Ok, so the hair over the face look is brooding and all but it hides those pretty eyes of yours, Trav." The sound of heels clacking against the tile approached when they stopped at the table.


    "Tiffany, this is a family restaurant. If I see any funny business, you''re both going out in the rain." A laugh came from Tiffany as she tied his hair back.


    "Oh Miss D, I''m just doing his hair is all... I know I''ll never get his hair as immaculate as yours, buuut I think I can work my magic here." Tiffy hummed for a moment as she fiddled with his hair. "Ok, I think a side braid with a ponytail will work for you." She removed the hair tie and took locks of his hair in her hand.


    "Alright, I''m trusting you, Tiffany." She said before her masked ire shifted to Travis. "You had better behave like a gentleman, Travis." With her warnings issued, she made her way back to the other customers.


    "Is it safe to assume she''s aware of what you saw?" she asked as Travis watched her weave his hair in the window''s reflection.


    "You''ve known her longer. Do you think she''d have let me stay here if Kendra and I didn''t tell her everything?" A breath hit the back of his neck as she signed. Travis felt goosebumps rise from it.


    "So you and Kendra saw it, and she knows." Another tap on his shoulder. She went silent again to focus on his hair. "Hold it in place for me?" She asked when the owner of the business passed by like a sentry on patrol. He reached his hand up. She waited until the older woman had her back to them and was out of range before extending her middle finger at her. "God, you''d think I''d be doing something like..." Tiffy went quiet as she caressed his arm and worked her hand up to his neck, then finally back into his hair just in time for Della to look back at them. "I mean... I wouldn''t say no to you. Buuut I got a job to do." She whispered.


    "You know... you sure are interesting." Travis said, still astounded by her caress.


    She snickered as she tied back his hair. "Damn, your game needs work."


    His lips pursed. "Well, I just got cheated on-"


    "Yeahhh, let''s stop ya right there. That is not my problem." She said when Travis went silent.


    She wasn''t wrong.


    With the final touches, she clapped her hands together. "Ok, face forward and let''s see!" He turned into the booth slowly to avoid any unneeded pain. Once he faced forward, her eyes converged and took in the hairstyle. "Hmm... feels like it''s missing something..." She studied him when an idea struck. She reached for the left side of his face. Her finger brushed his forehead as she hooked a loch of hair and gently pulled it until it fell to the side of his face. "There, perfect. Give me your phone!" She held her hand out.


    With nothing to lose, he obliged when she took a picture. "There you go." With his phone back in his hand, he looked over the picture.


    He looked good.


    "Right, we got that set. Now why don''t we get to business? I need you to describe exactly what you saw." She reached into her rucksack and pulled out a sketchbook and a pen.


    "Umm, what are you doing?" he asked.


    Tiffy dropped the book on the table and flipped open a page. "Look, it would be easier if I could show you some pictures I got, but that would raise questions. Remember, I need to act normal and not cause a panic." She loudly clicked the pen. "So tell me all about the spider deer and what it looked like. Oh, and don''t worry, I''ve seen some shit so I can handle all the gory details." She smiled at him. "So tell me, was the thing a mix of deer and spiders?"


    Travis shook his head. "No, it''s all deer, it''s just two of them-"


    She groaned. "Please tell me I am not about to draw a deer centipede. The human one was bad enough in that movie."


    Travis rolled his eyes. "Glad you''re taking me nearly dying seriously."


    She gritted her teeth at that, then leaned in. "Sorry, in character."


    His eyes narrowed at her, yet he continued on. "So first off, the thing got sandwiched between my car and a tree." She tilted her head. "So focus on the upper body more." She nodded. All the details came rushing back. "So it took three legs from the other deer, chopped them off, and then stitched them to its sides."


    Her pen stopped. "Ok wait... So which side had two legs? Left or right?"


    He shook his head. "Sorry, forgot to mention it sliced off one of its front legs."


    "Which one?" She asked.


    He paused and thought back on the abomination that he barely escaped from. "The left one, but after it stitched all the legs to itself, they moved! It wrapped them around the tree and-" He paused. His heart was racing as his mind replayed the way the creature carved into itself. To break free of its confinement and sink its needles into his flesh.


    "Breathe," she said as she flipped to a new page while Travis exhaled. "Take another breath, then tell me about what it stitched itself up with... oh and how did it amputate itself and the other deer?" Her new drawing began.


    His racing heart slowed as the jittery feeling left him. He watched as Tiffy drew the new deer until he could continue. "So there were these black thread-like bits sewn all over the body of the deer." He thought back to when the needles first appeared. "Then when it got pissed off, it roared and needles popped out along with more of those threads. Some even turned into scissors and used those to cut its lower body off."


    She nodded along when she flipped to a fresh page. "Okay, no lower body, then." She glanced up. "Any other major details I should know about?"


    "Well..." She watched him, only to get silence.


    "Use your words," She said.


    "The eyes had a weird purple color to them."


    His answer did nothing to deter her from drawing. "Oh, that''s all? Yeah, don''t worry too much about that. It''s pretty common among these things."


    These things? How many could there be?


    Before he could press her, the kitchen door opened when Kendra came out with a plate in hand. "Okay, we got your-" She paused as she looked over the sketchpad. "Tif, what the hell?" Her smile had vanished at the drawing.


    She dropped her pen onto the paper. "Whaaat?" The binding of the book scraped along the table as she slid it out of the way. "I told you; it sounds cute. If I can draw a good enough reference pic, I know someone who can crochet me one!"


    Kendra stared her down. "Really?"


    "Yeah, she''s real good at it! She''s got a table at the flea market where she sells the stuff she makes. I bet she could sell a bunch of them!"


    Kendra''s stare was unwavering. "You need help."


    "You know, if you had a job like mine, you''d probably do the same." Despite hearing the same answer, each of them thought of a vastly different job.


    "Travis, if you want to punch her, I won''t stop-" The door to the kitchen opened when a man around their age stood in the doorway.


    "Kendra, there''s a break in the rain. Mind helping me with the trash?" He asked in a way similar to how Tiffy asked Travis to do things.


    "Fine, but we got to be quick. Things are busy out here," she said, when he leaned into the frame.


    "Relax. I already got most of the trash by the back door. It''ll be less than five minutes." The two vanished into the kitchen when Tiffy grabbed her sketchpad.


    The minutes ticked by as she finished the drawing. "Almost done..." she said eagerly. "Annnd Perfect! Did it look like this?" She held the sketch up and in the image, the upper half of a deer with more legs than it should ever have wrapped in needle-ridden black threads. Travis stared at the ink drawing. It had captured the horror of the animal carcass being controlled by the strings.


    "Yes, that''s it." Her face fell from the answer.


    "Great, it is that one. Well, for now we need to-" she went silent as she stared out the window. "I need you to stay calm. Do not cause a panic." Her goofy demeanor was gone. In its place was one of grave concern. "You will get people killed if you panic." He gave a nod when she gestured to the window.


    Travis looked out the window when he saw a deer standing in the parking lot. Unlike the one that tried to kill him in the forest, this one stood with its legs in the proper places. Though this deer had two additional deer heads sewn onto the sides of it, creating some sort of Cerberus-like deer creature.


    The two watched as it walked across the parking lot.


    Was it ignoring them?


    "Wait..." Tiffy said as her eyes widened in horror. "It''s heading for the dumpsters..."

 6: Stuck In You

    ¡ªKendra¡ª


    Kendra and Casey entered the kitchen. The two moved to the back when they reached a pile of bags set to the side of the back door. "Alright, let''s get this trash set." Casey said as he pulled out his phone. "Still no Spotify." His shoulder raised in a shrug. "Good thing I got the album on my phone." With a few taps, guitar riffs played as he tucked his phone into his pocket.


    Kendra watched him as his head kept to the rhythm while he hurried to the door. The riffs continued as he stood at the door with his body seemingly in position. "What are you-"


    Before she could get her question out, the drums began. He raised his foot, then kicked the door''s exit bar just as the guitar went into full swing. The noise of the metal made Kendra''s ears ring. The equipment on the wall shook as the door slammed against the building.


    She stared at him for a moment. "Did you really need to kick the door open?" Kendra asked as she watched the door to the dining room to see if an enraged Miss Della would storm in to tear him a new one.


    "Relax, it''s fine," he said as Kendra stared out at the parking lot, her view slightly obstructed by her co-worker.


    "Sure it is." Her voice lacked confidence when Casey''s sarcastic smile vanished. He reached into his pocket and held his phone again.


    "Load up on guns¨C" He tapped the screen to pause the music, and the two remained in silence.


    Casey frowned. "Ok, what the hell is up with you today?"


    She didn''t need this right now. "It''s nothing okay?" She said hoping he''d drop it.


    That hope quickly died. "You''re acting off and getting all quiet." She felt her heart in her throat as he stepped towards her. Why did he always feel a need to pry?


    "I''m fine!" Her words did nothing to stop his advance.


    "You only do this when you''re about to lose your shit." He stood before her, went silent, and waited for her response. Until his patience ran out. "Say something, dammit."


    Could she tell him? Would he believe her?


    "That guy you found..." The gears head were turning, making assumptions as his brows furrowed. "Did he do something to you?" His hands balled into fists. "Cause if he did, me and Fred-"


    She shook her head. "No, do you really think our boss would''ve let him live, let alone stay here if he did?"


    His face and hands eased. "Well... no." For once, he didn''t have a comeback. "But seriously, what''s wrong?"


    She sighed, "Let''s just get the trash done, then I''ll tell you, okay?" With her promise made, he took a step back as he reached for the bags. They rustled as he lifted two in each hand.


    "I got the trash, you take the cardboard." He said before making his way outside.


    "Sure," she took the last bag off the floor. The bag was light but stuffed to its limit with broken-down boxes.


    Kendra made her way to the door. As she looked outside, the water and uneven pavement had formed an archipelago of shallow puddles and raised, cracked concrete islands.


    It would be okay. She would just take the cardboard out, then get back inside and talk with Casey.


    Simple enough.


    She took her first step outside. The petrichor in the air was calming. Water dripped off the building into rippling puddles.


    She just needed to stay calm.


    A slam pulled her back to reality as the lid of the dumpster clattered. "Almost had it." He said as he grabbed at the hard plastic and heaved it upwards. The lid slowed as it reached the peak of its arc. "C''mon, fall back!" The lid froze in place a moment before it fell backward, and another slam sounded from the back wall of the dumpster. He pumped his arm up before reaching for a bag and tossing it in.


    He was so carefree, would he be able to handle the truth?


    "Kendra, it defeats the purpose of you helping me if I have to take all the trash to the dumpster," Casey said as he tossed his last bag in as Kendra stood there. "C''mon!"


    Just get the trash to the dumpster; get it done. "I''m coming," Kendra said as she made her way to him, avoiding the puddles and hopping along the above-water pavement to avoid drenching her shoes.


    Halfway to the dumpster, he pulled out his phone, a pack of cigarettes, and a lighter. "Damn, no signal outside either." He shook the box of cigarettes until one stuck out. He then held the box up and pulled out the cancer stick with his lips. When his focus returned to Kendra, he registered her appalled reaction.


    "What? I''m handling trash. I don''t want to get that all over them." He waved the pack of cigarettes at her.


    "God forbid you get sick from smoking." She scoffed.


    He shook his head when his lighter flicked to life and lit the cigarette. "What? The world''s probably gonna end before these things can take me out." Kendra paused at his defense as he dug through his phone.


    Maybe he''d be calm about it?


    She gripped the bag tighter as the bag stretched and deformed around her grip.


    Would he think she''s crazy?


    "I saw a deer this morning-" His look of worry vanished into sarcasm.


    "You saw a deer? In rural Pennsylvania? How rare." She gritted her teeth in annoyance. Once again, he was looking punchable.


    She threw the bag to the ground. "Listen asshole, you can act like I''m crazy, but there''s some sort of fucked up deer running around." His side-eye persisted until his mouth opened slightly and his cigarette fell to the ground. "So let''s hear it. I''m sure you got another sarcastic comment for me." She watched him, his eyes seemed frozen to whatever was behind her as if he couldn''t process what he was looking at.


    "Did that deer have three heads?" He asked when Kendra turned to see what had left him terrified.


    A Three-headed deer.


    The creature that caught this animal had turned it into a macabre deer version of the beast that guarded the underworld it might have escaped from. Three heads seemed to look in different directions. The center head was the original animal. Crude stitching had attached the two other heads to the deltoids of the deer.


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    Kendra and Casey watched the deer make its slow approach. The body looked ragged. Patches of fur had fallen off to expose its rotting hide. The original head was the most intact of the three. Its cloudy eyes had a tinge of purple to them. The left head looked to be in a further stage of decay with more exposed, rotting flesh. The right head seemed the oldest. It had lost an ear and only the black strings had kept the dangling lower jaw from falling off it.


    How long had this thing been hunting the forest animals down?


    The heads moved around, despite being a short distance away, as if the creature were blind. Had the dumpster or their conversations drawn it in?


    If they panicked, it would end badly. They needed a plan.


    Try to find answers, focus on the creature, and how it works. Stay calm. You and Casey need to get away from this thing.


    Stay calm, the words she kept telling herself despite the cold sweat coating her body.


    The deer roared out when jagged metal pierced the rotting flesh. The metal looked just like what had pierced her jeep''s back door.


    Jagged and sharp.


    The needles broke free of their decaying prison. Black threads rose and thrashed about. As the seconds ticked by, the threads slowed until they went still as the needles dangled in place. A breeze picked up and the needles swayed in the wind. The stench of decay hit the trapped pair as Kendra fought the urge to gag. The stink made the dumpster seem pleasant.


    "What the fuck is that thing?" Casey asked, and the heads focused on their location. The threads moved and Kendra recognized the motion from the jeep attack.


    Kendra dropped to her knees, grabbed the bag of cardboard, and pulled it in front of herself. She could only stare at the wet pavement as she prayed. Her makeshift shield jolted from an impact. A hard exhale escaped her as she looked over her body.


    The box had taken the brunt of the attack and stopped the needle.


    She was unharmed.


    She looked at Casey.


    He hadn''t been so lucky as he stared at the needle sticking out his forearm.


    He grunted, His eyes widened at his injury, the adrenaline coursing through him seemed to block out the pain from the pair of needles that had pierced his flesh. "What the fuck?" He asked when he tried to grab the jagged metal, only to wince in pain as blood ran down from his fingers. "Kendra... help me-" He screamed out in pain as the needles twitched, convulsed, and sank deeper into his arm.


    The deer stomped its hooves when nearly a dozen new needles and strings emerged and moved about again. It was getting ready for the next attack. The bag of cardboard was her only defense, but how many hits could it take?


    She''d rather wander than find out.


    She rose from her knees as she brought the bag up. A pair of bloodied hands grabbed onto her arm. "Please help me." He begged. Kendra only stared at his hands, the blood. It was all over her arm. There was so much of it.


    "Casey-" She saw a bulge under the flesh of his biceps and forearm. One moved up towards his shoulder while the other wormed its way towards his hands.


    Towards her.


    The metal broke through his skin. She yanked her arm away as the needle emerged with a red thread connected to it. She fell back against the dumpster in her attempt to dodge. Her footing slipped as she fell, pulling the bag in front of herself. A cacophony of metal hitting the dumpster echoed out.


    Kendra looked at her companion, who now had needles sticking out of his other arm and chest. The betrayal in his eyes twisted her heart. His eyes widened, then came the screams of agony. He flailed about in a desperate attempt to knock the impaled metal loose as his blood splattered on everything around him.


    The deer had made him a human pincushion.


    The needles twitched and wormed their way into his limbs and body. The look of pain on his face would haunt her, the screams something she''d never forget, and the way he fell to the ground and writhed as blood spilled from his mouth were like something from a nightmare.


    She could only watch as the needles bulged under his skin and moved around like snakes slithering onwards. Working and weaving his insides to make another horrifying puppet. The screams of agony tapered until he went silent.


    Casey was dead.


    There was nothing she could do...


    It wasn''t her fault...


    How could she have even helped him?


    She would have died trying...


    Yet...


    Guilt gripped her heart, paired with the horrifying revelation of what the threads were.


    The sinew and muscles of those it had captured.


    The needles were the monster, not the strings.


    The threads were just the means for its control.


    "Kendra!" The voice pulled her back. She looked to the opened back door and saw Tif''s hand on the handle. "You need to stay quiet! The rotting ones are blind!" The Cerberus turned to face her. More needles rose to the surface of the beast. She pulled the door, leaving it open just a crack. "Make your way around the building!" The door clang shut, followed by a set of clanks as they struck the door.


    Stay quiet?


    Is that why it focused on Casey?


    It was blind...


    How did Tif know...


    The questions would overwhelm her if she kept focusing on them.


    She needed to escape.


    She took another breath, then took one last look at Casey, only to feel her heart drop at the state of him.


    The needles had woven red strings over his arms and spread across his body. She had to move. How long would it be before it could puppet his body? The deer alone was already enough of a problem.


    The object that had protected her had now left her trapped. If she ditched her shield, she''d be defenseless against the needles. If she kept it, the noise would attract the beast''s attention.


    Her heart pounded as she watched the buck who seemed to stay in place, its other heads focusing on the corpse at its feet as the threads on Casey''s arms tensed and the arms twitched and moved gracelessly. The needles rose from his skin and wove more threads.


    The strings were gaining control.


    She was running out of time.


    Casey''s body twitched and went to its side when Kendra saw something that was hidden under the body. A phone. He must have dropped it in the initial attack.


    It could be her way out of this.


    Kendra inched towards the phone, breathing through her nose. She steadied her legs and slowly stepped towards the body. She gripped her bag tighter when the cheap plastic stretched and tore. Her heart nearly stopped as she grabbed and intact section of the bag to steady it before it could fall.


    The Cerberus''s heads all glanced in her direction when a thread rose from its body, the thread went still and the needle dangled in place.


    It was trying to detect her.


    Kendra looked at her former coworker and saw that many needles had migrated to his chest as they poked through his uniform and stitched red threads into his bloodied apron.


    She moved again and reached for the phone. In a quick yank, she had gotten it off the pavement without scraping it against the concrete.


    A quick breath to steady her nerves; she had to act quickly to get behind her barrier one last time. She looked at the screen when it lit up. With a swipe upwards, she saw the play option for the song he had paused.


    "Bring your friends" The music played. Kendra saw the thread move about as she pulled the bag in front of her.


    Another jolt as the bag took the hit. The deer began its approach when Kendra tossed the phone towards the creature.


    "It''s fun to lose" The heads looked up as the phone flew over them. As the phone hit the pavement, music continued to play. "And to pretend."


    Kendra watched as it turned to face the phone. Its hooves clopped on the concrete as it made its way towards the music.


    This was her chance!


    She slowly set the bag down. The deer didn''t react. With her only defense gone, she made slow, surgical steps to navigate the pavement. She made sure not to splash in any of the many puddles around her.


    "Oh no, I know-" The music stopped, the needle must have killed the phone. Despite losing her cover, it had done its job. She was nearly at the building and would be out of the deer''s range as soon as she turned the corner of the building.


    A roar sounded from the dumpster that seemed to be aimed in her direction.


    Casey held his upper body off the ground with his arms. His glassy eyes stared into hers. His sclerae had taken on a purple tinge as the needles weaved around his face.


    The rotting ones were blind...


    He hadn''t rotted yet...


    He could see her.


    Casey pulled himself by his arms, and the deer seemed to follow along with him.


    Being quiet was no longer an option. Kendra broke into a sprint. She could figure out a plan once she was inside and away from the monsters pursuing her.


    She just had to make it inside.


    As she reached the front of the diner, she looked into the building to see many people panicking from a man bound in the dark threads. The man was missing an arm while he thrashed about violently. Needles emerged from the threads encasing his convulsing body.


    She knew what was coming and ducked. The windows of the diner shattered as glass shards rained onto the concrete.


    What the hell happened while she was out here?

 7: The Last Breakfast

    Note: Time referenced below is tied to when chapter six ended.


    ¡ªTiffany¡ª


    8 Minutes Earlier...


    "How do I live without you?" The ballad''s words grated on Tiffany''s nerves as she sat in the booth plotting out her move.


    "So, what are we doing?" Travis asked her, his eyes burning a hole in her from across the table.


    "You need to give me a minute to think." Her head turned to the window as she scanned over her surroundings. Nothing looked amiss, yet. Whatever else was out there would soon converge on the town.


    It was in their nature to hunt for fresh material to work with.


    "How do I ever, ever survive?" If anyone could survive, it was Tiffany. She knew how the creatures worked, their weaknesses... but there was someone who needed that information right now.


    Kendra.


    The condiments on the table rattled. She glanced back to see Travis awkwardly making his way out of the booth as he gripped at his side. "Ugh," her verbal annoyance made him halt.


    His teeth gritted. "You''re not doing anything!" he said, trying to keep the conversation low. "Kendra is in danger-" She saw her opening to diffuse his argument.


    "She is, and you think your injured ass can save her?" He stared her down. "Are you able to help her if she''s hurt?" Her brow rose. "Tell me, do you know how to stop these things?"


    "I want to know." The timing of the song was perfect, as reality set in for Travis.


    He might be open to a suggestion now.


    "I need you to let me handle Kendra. I have something you can do for me in the meantime."


    His slumped shoulders perked. "What do you need?"


    She gave a weak smile. "So I need you to watch for anything coming from outside. If you see anything else, send Della or Fred to come get me, but be subtle and tell them to be quiet about it."


    He nodded. "Okay."


    With Travis placated, she just needed to wait for an opening to sneak past Della and into the back of the diner. She watched as the older woman moved about in the dining room.


    The diner had dozens of people in it. They all went about their morning, blissfully unaware of what was about to come. Making plans with friends and family that would never come to be. Enjoying the last breakfast they would ever have in this place. The last morning of their routine.


    It was the dawn of the day that all hell would break loose.


    Tiffany had lived it all before.


    The pangs in her heart had snuck up on her.


    But there was no time for them.


    Della moved about when a customer pulled her attention. This was Tiffany''s opening. Her body tensed and moved one step at a time until she crept through the kitchen door. Despite her careful movement, the door creaked and caught the attention of the man at the grill.


    "Hey!" the line cook, Fred, yelled to her. "No customers back here, even if they''re friends with the staff!" Della must have heard him, heels moving with purpose toward the door. Tiffany had to go. "Hey!" He said as she turned to leave, only to hear the door behind her creaking open.


    "Dear, you better have an explanation for why you''re back here." There wasn''t a hint of amusement in her voice. Her gloved hands rested on her hips as she glared through her cat-eye glasses. She only needed to tap her foot in impatience to complete the angry caricature.


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    She only had one chance to convince Della. If she ran, Della would follow her, and she would be anything but quiet about it. If she was vague, the woman would drag out the berating retort.


    "Della, I''ll tell you more later, but right now, Kendra and Casey are dead if you don''t help me." Tiffany''s answer ended with the woman staring her down. "I need you to take me to the back door." They took their first steps when her heels clacked. "We need to be quiet." she added.


    "Fine." She had averted a standoff when the older woman relented. "But know this; if you''re lying, you''re banned for life."


    By some miracle, her approach had worked. "Lead the way." Della charged through the scullery room and into the backroom where the door to the outside hung open.


    "Kendra... help me-" It was Casey. His voice trembled before the screams started.


    It was too late for Casey, but what about Kendra?


    The pair reached the threshold when Della let out a gasp at the beast.


    The Cerberus had trapped her employees in its crosshairs with their backs to the dumpster they couldn''t retreat. Blood ran down Casey''s arm as he reached for the needles impaled on his limb. The desperate attempts to pry them off his skin only made more blood spill as the metal sliced open his fingers.


    Tiffany''s breathing grew quicker. Her skin felt as if were incased in ice as she felt her body shiver.


    It was just like all of those years ago, people she cared about pinned down by an ungodly monster.


    The day she''d survived the nightmare that took everything from her was the day she swore she''d never be so useless again.


    She needed to act.


    The deer reared, then stomped the ground. Black, needled threads rose from its rotting body.


    She knew this tactic from the creature''s file.


    When a host''s body was nearing its physical limit from decay, the creature would prioritize transferring its weavers to a fresh host and continue the cycle to create more stitched abominations. As the weavers fed off of a host''s body, they sped up the decaying process.


    Tiffany pulled herself and Della away from the door. "Kendra told me you keep a shotgun here. Is it true?" Tiffany whispered as Della tried to process the creature she had witnessed.


    Tiffany had gone through that same stare-and-horror state, wanting answers she wasn''t ready for when she first saw the creatures that destroyed her hometown.


    "Della... go get it." The order was enough to get her to move.


    It was loud, but that was what she needed.


    "Casey-" Kendra''s voice pulled Tiffany back to the back door and the crisis unfolding. Casey had pulled Kendra into the line of fire for the creature. A needle tore through his arm as she broke free and fell back just as the deer pulled its threads back.


    The needles flew at them.


    Some hit the dumpster.


    Most of them hit Casey.


    She prayed that none had hit Kendra.


    Her blood ran cold at the wails of agony. Yet, this was her opening while the deer was unarmed. The sheer number of needles the creature had stitched into Casey had likely left it in a weakened state.


    She just needed to time this right to help Kendra.


    Tiffany reassured herself that a lack of screams from her friend meant she hadn''t met the same fate as Casey. He fell to the ground when the screams subsided and blood flowed from his body.


    This was her window.


    "Kendra!" Her head rose from behind the trash bag she used for cover.


    Thank god she was alright.


    "You need to stay quiet! The rotting ones are blind!" Her advice attracted the Cerberus, it turned to her. Four needles burst through its hide as the strings moved about. Tiffany pulled in the door, leaving it cracked only a few inches. "Make your way around the building!" With a yank, the metal of the door clanged shut.


    Clunks sounded out as the tips of the weavers pierced the door.


    She had warned Kendra.


    The deer should be nearly out of projectiles and Casey would take time to rise.


    Kendra could hold on until she could get out there.


    She had to...


    Tiffany needed to blow Casey''s head off before the weavers could take full control of him. A fresh victim was agile and able to see. Blinding him was her best bet. If he made his way inside this diner with dozens of people...


    She shook the thought from her mind. She needed to stop him and the deer.


    She traced her steps back when the hurried clacking of heels closed in on her. She turned to see Della and Fred. Despite sending Della to get the shotgun, the line cook held it in his hands.


    "Fred, I need that." She pointed to the weapon.


    He shook his head. "You can barely run a radio station. You expect me to trust you with this?"


    She didn''t have time for this. She needed to move, and she needed that gun.


    "Fred I-" A panicked cry sounded out from the dining room. The three turned to the door. When it opened, Travis stood in the doorway in a panic.


    What fresh hell had made its way inside?

 8: Center Of Attention

    Note: Time referenced below is tied to when chapter six ended.


    ¡ªTravis¡ª


    6 Minutes Earlier...


    Travis watched the gray expanse marked with faded, cracked white lines. Yet, everything was fine. The conversations and music playing would have been calming if not for an ominous feeling.


    Were these blissfully unaware people the lucky ones?


    "Joe, it''s been great seeing you again." An elderly man at the bar counter said to the younger man beside him.


    How long had they known each other?


    Was this the last conversation they''d ever have together?


    "Likewise Erick. You take care now." The younger man rose from his seat and gave the older man a light shake on his shoulder. Joe made his way to the door. Anxiety clutched Travis''s chest as he held his breath and heard the chime on the door ring out.


    Would this be the moment when some patchwork abomination would pop up?


    "And another one gone, and another one gone." Yet another horribly timed song. Why did the radio seem to hate him today?


    The man strolled through the parking lot.


    Nothing...


    The man made it to his car.


    Everything was fine...


    His gaze shifted from the parking lot to the kitchen door. Della had stormed into the kitchen after Fred''s yelling made half the diner pause their conversations.


    Kendra and Tiffy still hadn''t returned.


    Was she¨C


    "Hey, I''m gonna get you, too!" Worry recast to anger at the lyrics.


    "Fucking song." He growled as he looked back at the fragile barrier that gave an illusion of safety and separation from what lurked outside.


    Travis had seen first-hand that glass did little to stop them.


    Just watch the parking lot. Be a lookout. The job felt like he was being pitied. "You think your injured ass can save her?" The words festered in his head as he peered out the window to the parking lot and road. Everything was still calm.


    "Now, where did that waitress go? I need to get going." The unease returned from her mention of leaving. Travis watched the two women; the one who spoke had her back to him and he could only see her brown hair and the shoulders of her pink blouse.


    "She must be busy. You need money for the tip, Kate?" The other woman at the booth asked when a muted thud came from behind him. "Let me see what I got in here." The quick slide of a zipper followed by the rustling of the purse''s contents. "Oh, I got a five, that enough?" The woman''s eyes shifted to Travis, the two locked eyes. Her head tilted to the side and down, just slightly, a smile on her face.


    It wasn''t the worst misunderstanding he''d been in.


    "Yeah." The bill crumpled as she took it from her distracted friend. A silence formed between the two women. "Angie, what are you..." Travis followed her gaze to the window. "Oh," Travis felt their combined stare. "Okay." The woman in pink rose from the booth. "Just text me how it went when you get a signal again."


    Angie nodded. A chuckle came from Kate as she made her way to the door. Travis''s focus split between the two women, one walking away and the other sliding out of the booth to approach him.


    "So there''s no way you''re from here." The fake leather of the booth squeaked as the chime sounded out from the entrance.


    Travis looked at the woman across from him. "I''m not." He said flatly before switching back to the window as Katemade her way along the wall of windows on his side of the diner.


    Just make it to your car.


    Then I can let the other one down gently.


    She waved her hand in his face to pull him back. "Hey, so what''s your name?"


    His eyes darted to her. "Travis." He looked back outside. She had stopped a short distance from the windows at a car parked right in front of the booth he was in as she dug through her purse.


    "What do you do for work, Travis?" How oblivious was the chick sitting across from him?


    "Mortician." The answer put a damper on most people''s interest. If only his occupation had stopped his ex all those years ago.


    "So..." Despite making the first move, her confidence seemed to vanish. "You ever do it on that table for the-" Travis''s stare made her stop.


    What the fuck was this conversation?


    "Who the hell would¨C" The quick flash of the headlights from the car parked outside caught his attention.


    Get in your car and go.


    Where the hell was Tiffy?


    The woman sunk back against the booth. "I mean, I read this one dark romance with a mortician who..." Travis tuned her out to preserve what remained of his waning sanity. His gaze went back to the parking lot. The woman in pink had been standing in place as she looked out to the road. A man bound in black and dark red threads sprinted towards the hapless woman who had frozen in fear.


    "Hey, what''s wrong?" The woman sitting with Travis asked. She turned her head when she made the same harrowing discovery. "What the hell is that?" The diner went silent. One by one, they all saw it.


    A mummified man controlled by strings.


    The old man sat at the bar across from their table was the first to see it. "What in god''s name is that?!" He asked as he nearly stumbled out of his chair.


    His malformed body left them all transfixed. His limbs were like crudely wrapped spools of thread, unevenly wrapped and layered, with sporadic sections of flesh or tattered clothing to remind Travis of the tragedy ensnared underneath.


    Would that have been him if he''d failed to escape the deer?


    The man had reached his target, yet he stopped and tilted his head observing the trembling woman before him. He spread his arms outwards as if looking for a hug.


    "Kate! Run!" The glass shook as Angie pounded her fist against it to warn her friend. Kate turned and met the gaze of her friend as tears streamed down her face. The man crept towards her. Dozens of needles rose from the threads that encased his arms and chest. "Kate!" She cried as the woman turned back to see what stood behind her. He jerked forward and lifted her off the ground with his prickly embrace.


    "Shit," Travis said as the woman let out a brief scream before blood spilled from her mouth. Her pink blouse became stained with trails of crimson and her erratic motions grew weaker until she went still. The man released her and she fell to the ground like a rag-doll.


    Travis needed to get help.


    He wasn''t waiting for it to break through the glass to act this time.


    He fled from the booth, ignoring the pain from the hurried movements. He took a last look at the creature to see it standing still as it observed Travis.


    Whatever it would do next would be much worse.


    "Kate... Oh god..." the woman said between sobs at the death of her friend. As he closed in on the door he heard Tiffy''s voice.


    "Fred, I¨C" The conversation paused as he burst through the door.


    ¡ªTiffany¡ª


    Travis''s labored breaths cut through the silence as he stood before the others. "Travis, how many are out there?" Tiffany asked as she took her rucksack off and dug through it. She pulled out a waist bag, and then looked back at him. "Travis. How many?" Her curt tone broke through his shock as she secured the bag on herself.


    "It''s just one, but it already killed someone!" He said, his words hurried by rushing adrenaline. "Right now it''s outside¨C" Glass shattered and a woman screamed.


    "Get off me! Get off!" A chorus of terrified customers followed her wail of agony.


    "It''s gonna kill us all!"


    "It''s climbing through the window!"


    "Someone stop it!"


    Tiffany had to act. She needed to stop this thing.


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    She stared down the line cook. "Fred, give me the fucking shotgun."


    He shook his head. "Not happening. I can''t trust you with this." Another scream came from the dining room.


    They didn''t have the luxury of time to argue.


    "I think it got the old man who was sitting across from me," Travis said as he crossed his arms and quaked in fear.


    He was at his limit.


    "Fine," she unzipped the pouch and reached for the black and yellow grip of the weapon. "You want to play hero? You''re coming out there with me." Looking over the taser, she tapped the button on the battery to see all the lights turn green.


    "Where did you get that?" Fred asked.


    She flipped the safety off. There was no time for stupid questions. "Shut the fuck up and listen, otherwise more people will die." She took his silence for compliance. "The thing you''re about to see is not human. It just uses the bodies to get around."


    Her statement puzzled him. "It uses the¨C"


    "What part of quiet don''t you get?" She moved towards the door and put her back to it before questioning Travis again. "Could the monster see or did it hunt off of sound?"


    "It could see," he said when her lips tightened.


    Another fresh kill.


    "Great, so we got a fresh one and three more that are soon to rise..." The taser had ten shots loaded and ready to go. She needed to get two to land per hostile to stun them.


    Not much margin for error to work with.


    Giving her weapon a last look, everything looked ready to go.


    "Travis, Della, you both stay back here." Her focus went to the stubborn line cook with the shotgun. "Fred, you better be ready to shoot." She said matter of fact. "Once I go out there, give me ten seconds, then come out, get its attention, and aim for the head!" He gave a nod to the order.


    Tiffany pressed against the door enough to peer into the dining room.


    Absolute chaos was the best description for it.


    The creature had corralled the many people to the far wall of the dining room. A man bound in threads stood in the middle of the diner. His body had become an amalgamation of dark threads with occasional red woven into the masses.


    Some of the stitched will combine the threads of older creations into the newer ones. The file had warned her of these types and their erratic behavior compared to other stitched abominations.


    With the biggest threat preoccupied, she scanned the rest of the room.


    An elderly man lay collapsed on the floor as the needles wove through his back. Red threads weaved over his clothes dyed a similar color. To the right, the booth next to the one she''d shared with Travis earlier had the window broken and needles dug into the body of the woman slumped back in the booth.


    Both of them could be a problem if they got up in the middle of the conflict.


    She inched the door further open and took aim at the old man''s body. The probe shot out and stuck into his upper back. The needles stopped weaving. Then, a few strands rose from the body. Needles moved about, then flew towards the screaming people in the diner. The one who got hit screamed out loudest.


    "Fuck." Tiffany grumbled to herself. She needed to be quicker at landing the shots. With its attack complete, the remaining needles resumed their sewing as the threads wove across the corpse it claimed as a canvas.


    Keep the probes a foot apart to achieve NMI. Tiffany recalled that detail from training as she aimed the second shot. The shot landed. As the hook sunk into the flesh, a lighting symbol lit up on the taser. The threads began their ascent when they seized up. A shock discharged. The threads went limp on the body and the lighting symbol vanished.


    With the old man set, she turned her focus to the woman in the booth and took aim. The first shot landed in her abdomen. Threads weaving through her body rose. They slithered and prepared to attack the crowd. Before they could release their needles, the second probe landed. The shock made them go limp. With her immediate area cleared, she entered the dining room.


    She only had a minute or two until they''d recover from the shock.


    "Help us!" A person in the group pleaded. The rest looked at Tiffany. The creature tilted its head, then slowly twisted its neck in her direction. Before it could see her, she ducked behind the counter.


    "Let''s go!" A man said and she heard people run. The monster didn''t pursue the fleeing people. Tiffany rose enough to see over the counter as needles covered the man''s body like spines on a cactus.


    "Everyone get down!" She said, the group had mixed reactions. Some ducked down, others stood in place while two made their way to the kitchen door on their side of the diner. The creature raised its needle-filled arms and curled them back.


    Her mind raced as she realized what she was up against.


    There must have been hundreds of needles in it.


    A group of late-stage hosts must have dumped their needles into this new body. It had bound itself in the threads of the rotting corpses that had hunted down this unfortunate soul.


    Tiffany could only fire the first shot into its upper back as it flung its arms forward and a barrage of needles flew and skewered the fleeing couple and anyone who was still standing. They fell to the floor and howled in pain. Before she could aim her second shot, the kitchen door behind her flew open. Fred stormed out of the kitchen.


    "Get the hell away from them!" He took aim at the creature and fired.


    The buckshot tore into the back of the man and the probe she had fired into it, destroying the wire.


    "Dammit, Fred! Avoid where I shoot it!" She said while lining up another shot. Despite their assault, the creature ignored them and continued towards the cowering group spreading its arms as needles emerged from the slivers of exposed flesh. The needles paired into scissors as they cut away at the threads leaving them to dangle and sway from the spread arms of the creature.


    It was planning a new attack, something worse.


    "Oh, no you don''t," Fred said as he pumped the shotgun and moved forward. The second burst hit its right arm, severing it at the elbow. Another pump followed by an explosion. The newest shot landed close to the first and revealed the insides of the man as the many threads and needles pulsed and slithered about inside its host.


    "Fred, stop!" Tiffany said as she fired a new probe into it. The man ignored them as it brought its remaining arm down and gripped the threads. Needles emerged when it cracked the dark strands and whipped one of the remaining people. It roared at the dwindling crowd. The small group returned their focus to the monster when it went still.


    Did it want their attention and lash out when ignored?


    Was that why it didn''t attack her and Fred? Because... they weren''t ignoring it?


    Not wanting to test her theory, she fired the second shot. The lighting symbol returned as the creature tensed, staggered, and then toppled to the ground with a heavy thud.


    It was down.


    She couldn''t save all the people it had trapped, but she could get the uninfected people out.


    "Okay, everyone, get up," she said and watched as six people rose. "We need to evacuate¨C" Another scream of terror came from the group as one person moved about in a panic, frantically kicking his leg around.


    "Get it off me!" A middle-aged man said as he stumbled to the ground and grabbed at his left leg. One person moved towards him while the others backed away. Tiffany saw what had him frantic. The arm Fred had blown off the entwined man was gripping his ankle.


    "Honey!" A middle-aged woman grabbed just beneath the stump of the forearm where the black threads had fallen away.


    "Sit still-" The pair went silent as needles shot out of the flesh of the arm and into their hands and his ankle. The pain registered and they screamed in near unison.


    "The hell?!" Fred spat. "The rest of you, get over here!" Tiffany''s eyes widened at the arm as threads rose from the stump.


    Goddammit Fred. His decision had doomed them.


    The group of four wasn''t even halfway to them when three fell to the ground. The needles that stuck out of their back had already wormed their way into them. It seemed only one was lucky enough to escape.


    The man reached Fred. "What do we do?"


    "Be quiet!" Tiffany said in a hush as she stayed behind her cover. "We get to the back and get out of here!" It was only a matter of time till the stitched she had stunned would rise back up. She stayed in place, listening for any needles coming her way.


    The silence lingered. It hadn''t heard her. She rose from behind the counter. She looked at the only two people in the room that weren''t dead or dying.


    The screams lingered. It didn''t hear her. She rose from behind the counter. To the left, the arm continued to shoot needles into the downed screaming people.


    At least it would end their suffering quicker...


    Once the needles are in the chest or head there there is no chance of survival. If equipped and able, amputation can save the affected before it reaches the chest or head. The files she read about surviving an attack by this creature were bleak.


    They needed to make it to the kitchen.


    Tiffany turned and gestured to the door out of this massacre. As her eyes shifted back to the two men, the periphery of her vision caught a figure standing outside the shattered window.


    "Look out!" She dove back down as another needle whizzed overhead.


    Her heart sank when she heard the two men on the other side of the counter make pained noises and fall to the floor.


    It had gotten them too...


    Once again, everyone around her had died...


    She''d failed to save anyone...


    No!


    Travis and Della were still alive. Kendra had to be okay.


    She could still get them out of here!


    Tiffany poked her head up to see the creature that had fallen. The last of her group was a woman in a pink blouse streaked with crimson. The woman grabbed onto the window frame. Despite her hands being cut by the shattered glass, she pulled herself in and fell onto the table.


    She needed a distraction. These things were dumb. She wasn''t.


    With a swift movement, she gripped the handle of the lone coffee mug on the counter she hid behind. Some lukewarm coffee spilled on her.


    She''d take coffee over a needle any day.


    She waited and listened to the pained sounds playing out in the diner. Cries for help, begging god for mercy, and the sound of the woman''s shambling as she moved about the dining room.


    It was time.


    She chucked the mug towards the far end of the diner. As the ceramic shattered, the woman''s footsteps moved toward it. Tiffany rose from behind the counter and aimed her weapon. One shot, followed by another, and the woman fell. She just needed to tiptoe her way to the kitchen now.


    Tiffany reached the door and pressed against it slowly, hoping it wouldn''t creak. As the door opened, she looked back to the scene. Fred, the man who had reached him, and some people on the other side of the diner still cried out begging for help or death.


    The latter would free them all soon.


    The opening was nearly wide enough for her to slip through when the man bound in threads stirred, his many threads pulsated.


    He was about to rise back up.


    She got the door opened, slipped through, and slowly closed it.


    Tiffany had escaped.


    Only her...


    Tiffany entered the scullery room where Travis and Della stood. She made a b-line to her rucksack, digging until she found the case with another magazine of probes for her weapon. "We have to go." Neither one of them argued with her.


    They just wanted to live.

 9: We (un)Lucky Few

    ¨CKendra¨C


    The glass that rained from the diners'' windows slowed to a trickle of fragments clinking onto the wet pavement. When Kendra had left to take out the trash, everything had been fine.


    But the monster had gotten inside...


    Was everyone dead?


    There had to be someone alive...


    She listened for who might have survived, only to hear the music playing through the busted-out windows.


    "You know it''s alright, it''s okay." The upbeat disco music was full of shit. The situation was anything but alright and okay.


    Kendra rose, looked into the diner, and gasped. Many bodies lay around the collapsed monster that had killed them all. She felt her pulse in her throat, the air sultry as the metallic scent of blood wafted from the inside. She gagged as sweat formed on her forehead.


    Was everyone dead?


    There had to be someone alive...


    She couldn''t stop.


    Casey and that damn deer were coming.


    She looked out past the parking lot in the distance. Figures shambled about aimlessly. The people felt... off to her. They continued their slow advance towards the diner. With each step, their details grew clearer.


    "Oh, shit," she said. The longer she looked at them, the worse it got, like a cursed image. Haphazardly woven threads covered their bodies. Some had too many limbs, others were missing parts.


    More patchwork nightmares to haunt her dreams.


    There were too many of them. Fleeing on foot would be suicide. She needed her keys.


    Why did they have to be in the diner full of corpses?


    Kendra made her way to the entrance as she passed by the shattered windows. "You''re stayin'' alive, stayin'' alive." The song made a hollow promise. "Feel the city break¨C" A pop followed by a buzz grated on her ears until another pop sounded and the speaker went dead.


    The monsters weren''t a fan of the music either.


    She leaned towards the glass section of the front door and peered in. The entrance was clear. As she was about to open it, she paused.


    The stupid chime would alert everything in there if she opened the door too quickly. She glanced at the area she had come from.


    No deer or Casey, yet.


    She knelt. If the bell went off, they''d aim for that, but god forbid she get hit by a stray needle. "You can do this." She said under her breath as she eased the door open. Kendra passed through the threshold, then slowly let the door close. The bell hadn''t rung.


    She made it inside undetected.


    Still crouched, she reached for the door lock and twisted it shut. A dull click sounded. She waited to see if any projectiles would come her way, but nothing came. Despite all the broken windows, the locked door gave her some comfort.


    And hopefully some time from the enclosing horrors outside.


    Make your way through the diner, get your keys, and go. Her plan was simple.


    The entryway had booths set on each side of the door. On either side of her, she could hear the squelches of jagged metal as it weaved and wormed its way through the flesh and muscle of its victims.


    She couldn''t waste time and sit still.


    Kendra leaned forward to see beyond the fake leather barrier on her left.


    Her heart sank. A woman lay face down. Threads had woven their way through her top, stained dark red with hints of the original pink showing in slivers. An old man sprawled out on the floor as needles worked their way through his chest. As Kendra looked over at another pair of men, she recognized one.


    Fred.


    He lay on his side, his bug eyes looking at her as the needles wove their way through his right arm and upper back. His mouth gaped as blood dripped out from the corner of his lips to the floor. Had he screamed in agony before succumbing to his injuries?


    Unable to bear the sight, Kendra glanced to the floor when she saw something.


    A shotgun, the one Miss Della kept in her office...


    Where was she?


    What about Tif, or Travis... The last time she saw them, they had been in the booth by the kitchen door.


    Did they get away?


    She needed to know. She rose slowly. The table tops of the booths came into view. The first two booths closest to her were empty, as were the next two. Kendra paused at the woman''s body that lay back in the seat of the final booth. Tif? She couldn''t breathe. Tif had been sitting right there when Kendra had left. She felt like the room was spinning.


    She stared at the back of the head of the woman when her brain processed a glaring detail.


    The woman had black hair.


    Tif was blonde.


    Kendra''s held breath released.


    It wasn''t her.


    The room stilled for Kendra as her heart''s thumping eased.  Tif and Travis must have fled to the kitchen. Maybe they were back there?


    Kendra kept her eyes focused on the checkerboard floor as she took another breath.


    She needed to know if they were among the bodies on the other side of the diner.


    Check them then go. Time was short.


    She closed her eyes, then turned around.  The opposite side of the diner was heavy with casualties. With one exhale, her gaze slowly rose from the checkerboard floor to the lake of red.


    "You can do this," she whispered as she took a slow breath in. The first body was a man in a green shirt with brown hair. The needles were weaving their red threads through his chest and working down his torso.


    Not Travis...Keep going...


    The next was a woman in a tank top and shorts.


    Way too plain to be Tif...


    Keep going. Don''t look at their twisted faces any longer than necessary.


    Her eyes skipped from body to body. Some were easier to recognize than others. The elderly group that got together once a week to talk about their kids and grandkids. The middle-aged couple that gave her advice for all the jobs she had been applying for. A slight relief stirred in her aching heart when she couldn''t find the mother and her child among the fallen.


    Maybe they had left before it all went wrong.


    She refused to consider any other option.


    Hot tears ran down her face as she wept in silence at the state of the diner and the fate of those in it. This job was far from her dream job, and she had always wanted to leave and never return.


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    With her inspection of the bodies complete, she concluded that the others weren''t here. They had to be out there somewhere.


    Still alive.


    She needed to get out of here and find them.


    Kendra began her slow trek to the kitchen. She knelt down and picked up the shotgun from the floor. She could check it for ammo once she was away from the bodies being sewn into monsters.


    She was halfway to the kitchen door when she reached the faced-down woman on the floor. Kendra gave her another look when she noticed two small metal tubes with wires connected to them. Her eyes followed the wires until she found their severed ends.


    What had happened to this woman? Unlike the other bodies whose needles and threads were unrelenting in their weaving, hers were limp as if unconscious.


    She didn''t have time to investigate. She tip-toed around the body so as to not set off the needles in Fred and the old man. Once she cleared the obstacle, she reached the door and made her way into the kitchen.


    With the door shut behind her, she entered the scullery room. "Thank god, no corpses." With the path clear, she trod softly as she entered the kitchen, also empty, but a burnt scent lingered in the air.


    Kendra closed in on the window between the kitchen and dining room. She crouched and stayed out of view. She had been so keen on staying quiet that she nearly fell over when a car horn caught her off guard.


    "The hell?" She peeked out the window. Roars sounded from outside when she heard a car speeding up and running over something. The vehicle came into view.


    A yellow Volkswagen beetle.


    Tif''s car.


    She was in it, with Travis in the passenger seat and Miss Della in the back seat. The car sped by and zoomed out of the parking lot taking a left. The horn sounded again as it faded into the distance.


    More roars sounded out as the pack of monsters outside made their way after the vehicle.


    Whatever Tif was up to, that had at least drawn them away from here.


    Things were looking better for her escape.


    Not wanting to waste the opportunity, Kendra rushed through the kitchen and into the back area that led to the employee restroom and her boss''s office.


    She''d reached the hallway when she heard a faint voice. "Should we..." The voice was familiar. "Out of here..." Kendra couldn''t believe it.


    It was Andrea; she was alive! She hurried her steps towards the door.


    "It''s too¨C" Another woman was with her, but she had gone quiet. "Someone''s outside. Be quiet sweetie." Her change in tone sounded gentle, as if she were speaking to a child.


    Kendra set the shotgun against the wall, then leaned in towards the door. "Andrea, it''s me, Kendra," she whispered.


    "Kendra?" The lock clicked and Kendra saw the older woman in her matching work uniform before sneaking through the door and wrapping her arms around her as more tears welled up in her eyes.


    She had finally found someone alive.


    The hug gave Kendra some respite. Once she was calm, she let go of Andrea. "Oh, thank god, you''re okay. I thought..." Kendra looked at the woman and the child who occupied the restroom with her co-worker. It was the mother and child from earlier.


    They had survived too.


    The little girl, Ranny stepped out from behind her mother when she spoke. "Oh, I remember you. You''re the lady who brought us our food." Her face lit up. "Do you know if we can go home?" It seemed she was in the dark about what had happened in the dining room.


    Kendra replied, "Well, I know we should get out of here. Why don''t you just give us a minute to figure that out?"


    The girl gave a nod. "Okay."


    Kendra turned to Andrea and the mother. "So, how did you all end up back here?"


    Andrea answered. "The kid needed the bathroom and the one out there was occupied. I brought them back here..." She tensed. "Then we heard the screaming and..." She went quiet. "Elise and I were trying to come up with a plan."


    Kendra gave a nod. "Yeah, we need to get out of here." She glanced at the mother and her child. The two seemed to be in agreement.


    No way they could handle what was out in the dining room.


    Kendra had barely kept it together. The kid would lose it and scream.


    "But where do we go?" Elise asked. "I don''t live far from here. Our house is a little way down the road."


    "Is your house to the left or right from here?" Kendra asked.


    "To the left, why?"


    Kendra gritted her teeth. She needed to keep things vague to not panic Ranny. "Well, there was a car that caught the attention of the things out there. It headed left and so did they." Elise''s face sank. "If we go that way, we might run into them or lead them back to your house."


    Andrea chimed in, "What about the church? Most of the town usually goes there during a disaster since they have a generator... there are probably others there."


    Kendra shook her head. "That''s the church that has the bells ring out every hour, right?"


    Andrea tilted her head. "Yes, why do you ask?"


    "These things hunt off sight when they first rise and hearing after that, the bells would draw them towards the church and that would probably end badly if we could even get in there."


    Andrea''s face drooped in defeat. "Where do we go then? The police station?" The suggestion gave Kendra hesitation.


    "That might work," Kendra said, giving the two other women hope. "I know a lot of them were responding to calls about animal attacks so they might be..." The fleeting hope left them. "Maybe there''s still someone there who can help us."


    "What else is there?" Andrea asked, as Kendra went over to the hooks on the wall where her bag hung. Once it was in her hands, she dug through it until she had her keys.


    "Ok, let''s go, we just have to cross the kitchen and leave out the back. We all need to stay low." Andrea and Elise gave a nod when Kendra dropped to her knees to speak to Ranny at her level. "Hey, so we''re gonna play a game, okay?"


    "Okay!" she said when her face lit up. "What game?"


    Kendra smiled. "Well, it''s called the quiet game. We just have to get to the car as quietly as we can. No matter what you hear or see, just stay as quiet as you can."


    Ranny shook her head enthusiastically. "Okay!"


    Kendra held a finger to her lips. "Remember, we have to be quiet." Ranny nodded her head this time.


    They opened the door and re-entered the staff hallway. Kendra took the shotgun. She pumped it and an unspent shell dropped out.


    She had at least one shot.


    She reloaded the shell; the group made their way to the kitchen door. Once again crouched, they entered. The sounds of the dining room were more lively as she heard shuffling footsteps moving about.


    At least one victim had risen.


    The shotgun was a last resort, as it would alert everything to their presence.


    They just needed to get outside.


    Kendra waited at the end of the kitchen as Andrea passed her. Elise guided Ranny by the hand when she and Kendra locked eyes. The girl smiled again as Kendra mouthed her a ''good job.''


    Kendra stared through the back room at the shut door to the outside with the tips of the deer needles poking through.


    She needed to keep it together. She knew the most about what was happening and how these creatures worked.


    She took a deep breath and faced the others. "Elise, can you carry your daughter? We need to hurry once we''re out there." She gave a nod, then lifted Ranny into her arms.


    Kendra cracked the door open.


    Nothing, just an empty parking lot.


    The door opened wider and she saw the dumpster. Green metal tie-died with Casey''s blood made her stomach churn.


    There was nothing she could do for him now.


    Kendra stepped out; the back of the building was clear. She waved the others to follow. The group hugged the building to the corner.


    Her Jeep was about twenty feet away. They just had to reach it.


    Her Jeep was about twenty feet away. She peered around the corner; all clear to her Jeep. They scrambled Kendra unlocked the jeep and they all got in when she noticed something on the pavement.


    The carcass of the deer, torn asunder. Its rotting, matted fur and flesh had fallen apart. She watched for movement and noticed that all three heads were missing.


    Also, Casey was gone. Had he gone after Tif?


    With no time to waste, Kendra shoved the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life.


    No response from the deer.


    Maybe it was dead for good?


    With nothing to stop them, she threw the Jeep in reverse and made her escape from the parking lot.


    She hoped the police could help them, or what remained of them.

 10: Separate Ways

    ¨CTravis¨C


    ¡°Just when I think I¡¯m gonna get away.¡±The pop-rock music cut through the revving of the engine and tires on pavement. As the three people sat in a tense silence.¡°Abra abracadabra, I wanna reach out and grab ya.¡±Travis stared out the window when the bright neon of the diner sign caught in the mirror.


    Miss Della¡¯s Diner


    It shrank in the reflection until out of view.


    They had gotten away.


    But only the three of them.


    He looked at Tiffy as she drove. ¡°Do you think Ken-¡± Her eyes snapped to his, the disdain silenced him.


    ¡°Kendra¡¯s fine!¡± She said, her white-knuckled grip on the wheel eased. ¡°She has to be.¡±


    ¡°Tiffany,¡± said to Della from the backseat. ¡°I want answers.¡±


    Tiffany¡¯s eyes went to the rearview mirror. She and the owner of the diner stared off.


    ¡°Miss D, you really think I¡¯m allowed to give you the answers you want?¡± Silence lingered until a chuckle rose from the driver. ¡°Hell, I know you¡¯re gonna ask anyway, so let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    An aggravated breath came from Della. ¡°Who are you, really?¡±


    Tiffy shook her head at the question. ¡°I¡¯m Tiffany but I prefer Tiffy. You might have heard me on the radio¨C¡± Della was having none of it as she leaned forward.


    ¡°Dear, you know what I mean.¡± Her tone was bereft of any humor.


    ¡°I defer to my earlier statement.¡± Tiffy matched her tone.


    The tension left Travis caught in the crossfire. It was only a matter of time before one of them would pull him into this standoff.


    ¡°Travis,¡± Della made the first move. ¡°You and Tiffany were getting awfully chummy in the booth. She must have said something worthwhile to get your attention.¡±


    ¡°Travis... You don¡¯t have to say anything!¡± Tiffy said before the car plunged into a fresh wave of silent tension.


    He wanted answers too. ¡°You said you watch for things like the monsters we saw and you seem to know what this thing is.¡± They shared a glance. ¡°Just tell us what you¡¯re allowed to say.¡± Her lips pursed. ¡°You know we¡¯re not dropping this.¡±


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    A sigh escaped her. She knew there was no getting out of this.


    ¡°Fine, my job is to watch for the things you¡¯re not supposed to know exist.¡± Her focus returned to the rearview mirror. ¡°Miss D, you¡¯ve lived here a long time. I know you¡¯ve heard the stories over the years.¡± Travis shifted in his seat as he waited for the older woman to answer.


    ¡°Tiffany. I¡¯ve heard all the tales of monsters in the woods, but I¡¯ve never heard of anything like this.¡± More silence as the car made its way down the town road.


    Tiffy seemed to be lost in thought before she nodded. ¡°Yeah, the source of the needles was in containment until recently. All the towns around the facility were on high alert to watch for it...¡± Her eyes went to the steering wheel. ¡°Figures. It had to wander into my region.¡±


    How many people were involved in this? ¡°Your region?¡± Travis asked when Tiffy flashed a begrudging smile. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re not from around here, but I think someone in this car can guess where this thing came from.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean...¡± Della paused.


    ¡°Here¡¯s a hint, Travis. There was a popular highway covered in graffiti leading to it, but that¡¯s gone now.¡± She smiled. ¡°I can¡¯t say the name but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll piece it together. See if he can figure it out, Miss D.¡± She smirked at him for a moment.


    Her eyes went back to the road when her smile shifted to panic. ¡°Oh shit, get down!¡± Their driver ducked when Travis saw a pair of figures on the road. Threads rose from their bodies. He ducked when the glass shattered. ¡°Hold on!¡± The car slammed into the people and swerved as it drove over their bodies. A pop came from the front of the car when it careened to the right. ¡°Shit!¡±


    The screech of the tires reminded Travis of what had happened earlier this morning.


    It seemed he was about to be in his second crash of the day.


    Despite Tiffy¡¯s efforts to stop the car, they ran into a fire hydrant and came to a sharp stop. The pain in Travis¡¯s chest returned as he again felt his chest catch in the seatbelt as it locked up.


    He dreaded seeing the next set of seatbelt bruises this second crash would leave.


    ¡°Are you two okay?¡± Della asked as she unclipped her seatbelt.


    Tiffy did the same. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± The two women looked at Travis.


    He groaned as he unclipped his seatbelt. ¡°At least the airbags¡ª¡± Roars sounded in the distance.


    They had heard the crash and were coming.


    ¡°Okay, you both need to get out and hide until whatever¡¯s coming passes by. After that, make your way to the shopping center in town.¡± She looked at Della. ¡°You know Dane¡¯s auto shop?¡± She nodded. ¡°He¡¯s with me. The emergency shelter is in his repair shop. Get there and tell him I sent you. If he¡¯s dead, you¡¯ll have to find the entrance to the shelter.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know where it is?¡± Travis asked.


    She shook her head. ¡°My job is to work from the radio station and assist with the containment and cleanup teams once they arrive, but I know the code to the shelter.¡±


    ¡°And that is?¡± Della asked.


    ¡°Five-Eight-Six-Two-Four.¡± She gave them a moment. ¡°You got that?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the older woman said as she opened her door. Travis did the same.


    Once they were on the street, Tiffy put her window down. ¡°Ok, you two need to hide and let me handle this. Remember to stay as quiet as possible and that the fresh bodies can see!¡± Metal screeched and crunched as the car backed up. Once she was free of the spraying fire hydrant. The car crept along the road as if it were limping.


    ¡°We have to go now!¡± Della said when she made her way towards the front yard of the house closest to them. ¡°We can hide in the backyard.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Travis said while gripping his chest.


    The pain was back and worse than before.


    The two moved for cover when they heard a car horn blare down the road, followed by the roars of the encroaching monsters.


    Travis had been through hell this morning, but his day was far from over.


    End Of Part 1

 Dedication/Thank Yous

    Hi Everyone!!


    With chapter ten posted, Stitches part 1 is complete! I hope you¡¯ve enjoyed it. Originally this was going to be a 10 chapter horror novella for a contest on Wattpad I¡¯ve decided it¡¯ll be a full-length book! My plan is to write part 2 when the contest on Wattpad returns next year so Stitches part 2 will be on Inkitt starting on September 1st, 2025! Like part 1, it¡¯ll get daily releases till it¡¯s all here.


    My current plan is to finish the draft 2 rewrite of my book ¡°Trying¡± Normal and bring it here to inkitt (Draft 1 is on Wattpad but getting pulled down soon.) My plan is to have the rewrite done and releasing here before the contest I wrote stitches for starts up in the summer of 2025 as the two months the contest runs for will have me working on Stitches part 2 solely.


    Dedication:


    I dedicate this book to my grandmother. She¡¯s always been supportive of me and is one of the few family members I¡¯ve told about my writing and talk to her about the books and my ideas with.


    Thank you(s):


    As I wrote this book, I worked with a bunch of wonderful people who helped me with it in beta reading it, so now I¡¯m gonna give them all a shout-out as a thank you for everything they did! (Using their Inkitt usernames if you want to check them out!)


    HardBlue Whose Vincitore Academy Series recently got a publishing deal and was pulled from Wattpad. You can find their work on the Readict App. Search for ¡°Her Bully, His Badass.¡± (I¡¯ve read the first two books and loved them and just beta read book 3, they were all wonderful!) Thank you so much for all of your help with the edits, helping me to better flesh out scenes, clear up confusing paragraphs, and overall help make this book even better!!


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Fr0staX Thank you so much for being one of my ¡°enjoyment¡± beta readers and also helping me spot some typos and errors. Frosta writes romance, horror, and fantasy books and I¡¯m currently reading his book ¡°Miscreation¡± (on Wattpad) and love it! I¡¯d also like to shout out his romance book ¡°Your Love¡¯s Worth Mayhap¡± While I haven¡¯t read that one (yet) you may enjoy it!


    Rebel1213 Thank you so much for being one of my ¡°enjoyment¡± and editing beta readers! I loved your rewrite of ¡°To Love A Celestial¡± (TLAC) and interviewed you on it!! If you enjoy fantasy books, give hers a shot! I¡¯ve read all her works and see how she improves with each one!


    MonMonn (Quinn Riley) Thank you so much for helping me with descriptions!! Quinn writes Fantasy-Romance, and I loved her book ¡°Her Secret Salvation¡± Her book is also undergoing a re-write so I look forward reading the re-write and seeing how much you¡¯ve improved!! (Also waiting for book 2)!


    DaniBrown82 Dani, thank you so much for being there for me when my imposter syndrome was being a dick. I¡¯m so glad your Dark Romance ¡°Safe Place¡± is taking off, and I loved beta reading your novella that will soon be on Inkitt! Also, thank you for your suggestion about the bits and pieces I¡¯ve sent you.


    Finally, thank you to anyone who read this book! I¡¯m glad you enjoyed the book and the story as it is for now. Part 2 comes next year and give or take how much story there is to tell there could be a part 3. I just know once all parts have released I¡¯m giving this book a full editing overhaul as I know my writing will be exponentially better by that time!

 Bonus Chapter 1: The Fox And The Horde

    ¡ªJasmine¡ª


    July 23rd, 2023 3:15 AM


    Another day of getting ready hours before the sun would rise. Jasmine was no stranger to waking up early. Sure, growing up, she¡¯d whine and tell her parents how she¡¯d find a job that would let her sleep in¡­ Yet her move from Oklahoma to Pennsylvania ended up with her working at a bakery¡­ One of the few jobs that had her getting up earlier than she ever did in the decades past at the ranch.


    She pulled her hair back into a ponytail. As the peppered auburn locks settled, she flashed her teeth. ¡°Good to go,¡± she said to herself before switching off the light.


    Out of the bathroom and into the living room, the music playing on the radio softened as the song entered its coda. The calming last notes gave way to a woman speaking.


    ¡°Soooo, we have a few more ads and songs to play until my favorite segment.¡± A silence dragged as a chuckle came from the speakers. ¡°Morning, Mingling! I get to talk with all my favorite people and maybe even meet someone new to strike up a conversation with as we run down the witching hour.¡± A squeal of joy followed. ¡°I also get my treat for the day when we¡¯re wrapping up!¡±


    Jasmine couldn¡¯t hold her chuckle in from the ramblings. ¡°One of these days, the sheriff¡¯s gonna send someone after you,¡± she mused to herself before turning off the radio and switching off the light.


    With her morning routine nearly complete, she made her way to the kitchen. Her soft footsteps paired with the ticks of the wall clock were something she savored: the last quiet moments of the morning before heading to the bakery. She crossed the archway into the kitchen when something outside shattered the quiet atmosphere.


    A scream.


    It came from outside and robbed Jasmine of her comfort. She stopped and listened for it again.


    The high-pitched scream returned, and her feeling of dread subsided.


    A vixen¡¯s scream.


    Rare for this time of year but nothing to be afraid of.


    ¡°Sounds like a fox is looking for some company.¡± She said, relieved, as she made her way to the window above the sink. ¡°Will I see the deer today?¡± Jasmine peered outside into the inky black void of the forest all around her while the fox¡¯s wails continued.


    Her cozy little home that sat a little way into the forest had always been abundant with wildlife day or night.


    But not so much anymore¡­


    Until recently, she would usually see a deer or even a small herd trying to make their way into her deer-proofed garden.


    It wasn¡¯t the same without them.


    Jasmine continued to scan the short distance. The kitchen light seeped out into the night in the form of a square cookie-cutting into the sheet of shadow. As she was about to give up and head out, something moved at the edge of the light.


    ¡°Oh!¡± She leaned in towards the window and the slow-moving figure. Only the lower half of its legs showed in the light as its hooves clopped against the ground. ¡°A deer?¡±


    Yet something in the way it moved seemed wrong¡­


    Every step graceless, as if it were shambling in pain.


    Injured?


    Sick?


    Jasmine watched as it approached. With each step, more of it came into view as the light crept its way up the deer¡¯s legs revealing patches of missing fur and streaks of dark red liquid that had run down and stained its legs.


    ¡°Oh, the poor thing.¡± She said, unaware of how loud she was.


    The deer stopped. Its body was still in the dark. She could only imagine what the rest of it looked like.


    The poor thing needed help¡­ or perhaps mercy.


    Jasmine tapped on the thin glass barrier that stood between her and the deer. Its body shifted when it shook and black wire-like strings fell to the surrounding ground.


    Had it gotten itself wrapped in a net or some kind of trap?


    Before she could react, the Vixen¡¯s screams returned and the deer resumed its slow trek. As the wires dragged along the ground, she saw something glinting in the light at the ends of the strands.


    ¡°Did it get caught in a net?¡± She paused in thought at what could have happened to the deer.


    She couldn¡¯t leave it to suffer.


    She backtracked to her bedroom. The silence of her house now felt tense as she opened her closet and unlocked her gun case. Jasmine pulled her Winchester from the case along with a box of shells.


    She made her way to her bed and took a seat as she loaded the shells. With the shotgun loaded, she pumped it. Jasmine rose from the bed when she heard a bark from outside.


    Had that fox crossed paths with the deer?


    Odd foxes rarely attack adult deer. They usually go for the fawns.


    Though¡­ it might have seen an easy target with its wounds.


    Jasmine returned to the kitchen when she heard multiple growls and gravel being scraped. A moment of silence gave way to a pained yelp.


    What the hell was happening outside her house?


    Standing before the sliding glass door that led to her patio. Jasmine peered through the glass. The darkness hid everything beyond her patio furniture, a short distance from the door. She flipped the light switch when a bright flash went off outside and made her jolt.


    ¡°Damn, the bulb went.¡± She looked at her weapon. Thankfully, she had bought the flashlight attachment for it. With it switched on, she had a beacon out to the darkness. She aimed the light around.


    No fox, no deer, nothing.


    Jasmine took a deep breath. She needed to hurry before she made herself late for work. The sliding door creaked against the track when a gust of wind blew in.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    The weather said a storm was starting early this morning. Hopefully, she could get to work beforehand.


    Jasmine stepped out onto the small porch, and the wooden boards creaked under her feet. The warm air carried the scent of pine and earth she loved. Branches swayed when a snap caught her attention. Her light rose from the wooden patio to the countless trees that surrounded her home.


    Just the wind snapping a branch.


    Her chest eased, and she aimed the light towards the short set of steps down to her gravel driveway. She paused and swept the light over the area, when something in her driveway glinted against the light, just like the ends of that net stuck on the deer.


    Jasmine made her descent down the steps to her driveway and the creaks of wood became crunches of gravel under her shoes as she closed in on the reflective object.


    A piece of jagged metal stuck out of the gravel and dirt. ¡°Let¡¯s get a better look.¡± She knelt and reached her hand out towards the metal shard.


    Before she could grab it, a rustling came from the shed at the edge of her driveway. Taking the shotgun back into both hands, she aimed the light towards the shed.


    Her pulse quickened, yet nothing appeared. As she lowered the light back to the metallic mystery, she noticed something odd about the grey rocks that made up her driveway;


    dots and streaks of crimson led towards the shed.


    Maybe the deer went that way?


    With no other clues, she took a last look at the piece of metal.


    ¡°Probably a bad idea to grab that with my bare hands.¡± She rose. ¡°Find the deer and give it peace.¡± Jasmine paced towards the shed. ¡°Then clean that thing up so you don¡¯t pop your tires on it.¡± She muttered her objectives to calm herself. She was halfway to the shed when the wind calmed. Its symphony, created by the trees, entered its outro. With their performance done, the area fell quiet.


    Too quiet, even the bugs had gone silent.


    Something was wrong in the forest.


    A cry sounded from the shed.


    She took a breath and tightened her grip on her weapon. The light swayed with her steps as she reached the end of the gravel. Her feet squelched over the grass.


    The animal''s cries grew louder as Jasmine pressed her back to the shed. With a quick turn, she stood past the corner of the shed. A red fox leaned up against the wall of the structure as it seemed to bite at its hind leg, only to yelp in pain and jerk its head back.


    The fox jolted at her presence and tried to rise to its feet, only to cry out again as it fell to the ground. ¡°Oh, you poor thing.¡± The fox lowered its head and showed its teeth at her. It rose again when Jasmine saw a patch of fur matted in blood when something glinted in the light.


    Another piece of that metal, embedded in the hind leg it kept raised off the ground.


    How could she help it when it seemed ready to bite her?


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She said, skeptical it would do anything. ¡°I just want¨C¡± A snap came from behind the fox. Jasmine raised the light; the head of a deer stuck out from the back of the shed. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just¨C¡± her words came to a pause at the cloudy eyes, milky-white with a tinge of purple.


    Was it blind?


    How was it still alive wandering the forest, blind and injured?


    The deer stepped out into the light. A chill rushed over Jasmine¡¯s at the sight of the deer¡¯s body.


    So many moving limbs that clawed at the air aimlessly.


    Rabbits, squirrels, even a raccoon, all of them stuck on the deer, trapped in the black wires that undulated around and inside their flesh stitching them to the deer.


    Whatever the dark strings were, they were alive.


    ¡°What in god¡¯s name?!¡± Her breathing went shallow. She fought the urge to hurl as the wind picked back up and the stench of decay hit her. Pulse pounding, she stared at the amalgamation of forest creatures bound and woven into a gruesome collage.


    The fox crept back towards the shed wall and barked. The black strings that bound the deer stirred and threads fell to the ground lying lifeless.


    The deer¡¯s head rose, as did all the other creatures bound to it, and they all let out a cacophony of roars.


    Pained yelps escaped the fox as it fell to the ground again and began violently thrashing about. The protruding metal in its leg shook as it burrowed its way into the creature.


    Jasmine froze as the deer shambled towards the fox. Once close, the metal emerged as it pulled a red thread of muscle and tendon from the fox¡¯s leg before burrowing back in. The deer turned to its side and more metal bits pierced through a vacant part of its pelt.


    The jagged shards of metal swayed as they rose with the threads. Like snakes, the heads of the strings pulled back and shot forward, striking the body of the fox.


    Its previous screams were nothing compared to the wails that rang in Jasmine¡¯s ears before its body went limp.


    She sobbed. ¡°God,¡± she muttered when the strings tensed and pulled the carcass towards itself.


    Jasmine trembled as the threads lifted the fox off the ground, legs and body dangling in the air until it reached the open patch of the deer¡¯s body.


    It was dead; it had to be.


    All of them were dead, even the deer.


    She couldn¡¯t handle the thought of the mass of suffering creatures being alive.


    The fox¡¯s limp limbs pulled into place as red and black strings joined it to the deer¡¯s body, like a patch on a quilt.


    She needed to stop it.


    If she didn¡¯t, it would find more victims.


    She took a breath. Despite the light being shined on the deer, it was unaware of her presence.


    This was her chance.


    She moved the light towards its chest until she had its vitals in her crosshairs.


    After a final breath, she pulled the trigger. The point-blank buckshot made the deer stagger, yet it wouldn¡¯t go down.


    She pumped the shotgun and aimed for the head this time.


    She pulled the trigger again.


    The jaw of the deer blew off, yet it didn¡¯t fall over.


    Another pump.


    Another pull.


    A third shot blew most of what remained of the head off.


    Yet it wouldn¡¯t fucking die.


    Jasmine screamed, repeating the process until the pump bar locked up.


    ¡°Fuck, jammed?¡± The sound of meat squelching caught her attention.


    The nearly headless body of the deer faced toward her. In the blown-open part of the corpse, dozens of wires and bits of metal slithered about like a den of snakes within the carcass of the deer.


    The threads that had fallen to the ground rose.


    They pulled back.


    Jasmine knew whatever was about to happen would be bad.


    She turned on her heels and dove. Wood crunched underneath her.


    The rough ground and landing on the shotgun made her chest ache.


    But she was alive.


    She had to move to stay that way.


    Despite the burn from forcing air in, she rose and ran towards the house, her heart pounding as adrenaline carried her.


    She needed help. She could call for help. Jasmine just had to stay alive until they could get there.