Fear in a Moment

Fear. Unadulterated fear. A deer caught in headlights. A rabbit facing a lion. A man in front of a bloody crime scene. It was an animalistic fear, one that was dredged up from the deep recesses of ones mind. It was the fear of being prey in front of a predator with a hint of fear of the unknown.

Jai, the man with the fear, had no thoughts. He felt the blood rush to his head. The sound of his beating heart was thumping in his ears. His palms were sweaty and his knees were weak. He did not know what to do because he still had no thoughts. His brain was too preoccupied with trying to understand the scene in front of him.

A thump sounded. A hardy thump that was not in beat with the rapid increase of his heart thumping. Jai looked to the side and saw that his best friend Michael had actually fainted. If it was any other time Jai would have laughed and later joked about it. Later he would have asked Michael if he was getting any sleep or was he up again all night playing on his new console. But Jai wouldn't do any of that and if nothing changed he would follow in Michael's footsteps and pass out. Pretend his classmate didn't just chomp half of someone's neck off. Pretend that the slurping noise he was currently making was just the usual sounds he would make when finishing his fountain drink like a slob. Pretend everything was fine.

Jai stared at Michael's zit infested, fainted face as if it was a problem he was trying to solve. What was the joke he laughed about when he entered the car and saw Michael? It was that if they turned him into a ceiling his zits would look like the night sky. Michael's retort was something about how we would then have to gaze up at him in wonder. Jai had groaned because his parents made his middle name wonder and Michael makes it a point to always share things "in wonder."

Thinking about this, Jai started to calm down. The four of them were in the dead guy's living room. Jai didn't know his name nor the name of the one slurping, however both were his classmates in a computer science course. Michael was the one who met them and Michael was also the one that suggested they all go to a Halloween party someone was throwing. Michael might have as many zits as there are stars, but he has enough money Jai wouldn't doubt if Michael said that he could buy the sky to house the stars. Coupled with the fact that Michael seems to know everyone, of course he would know about a party people are throwing. Jai was only here, in this living room, because Michael picked him up first and came here to introduce each other then head to the party.

Michael's car was outside, still warmed up from the drive. Maybe 3 minutes have passed. In those 3 minutes, they got out of the car went into the living room, one of the other two started talking about needing to finish something for the project due on Monday while the other stood silently. It wasn't rare for him to be silent, Jai never heard him say a word in class, but Jai has never seen him without a drink in hand. Then with no warning a chomp sound had been heard and the one talking about his project was talking no more. The other ones viciousness and savagery was a stark contrast from his previous stillness and calmness.

Jai knows that Michael has an aversion towards blood and that was his reason for fainting immediately. However, Jai could not faint. Even if he could not save the other person he has to try and understand the situation. Jai was never an athlete and, though the person slurping was a slob in class and always seemed to have food and a beverage, he would most definitely out run Jai. Just the movement from leaning against the wall to biting the guy's neck was faster than what Jai could sprint.

So Jai calmed down and did the only thing he could think of at that moment.

He took a deep breath and yelled, "Fire!!"

Jai had a quick flashback of when he was younger and learned if he was in trouble to yell fire instead of help, because someone might actually come. He even remembers when he was scared at nights he would mumble, "Yell fire if something happens. Yell fire. Fire" over and over like a mantra.

Now he is putting that memory to use.

Jai was hoping that someone would come. Maybe the dead guy was living with his parents or a neighbor or even a good Samaritan randomly walking his dog. Anyone that would hear his scream and then this mess would not be his problem. He would ignore everything and go home. He would watch something or even read a book, maybe even start a new hobby. He didn't even want to go to the party, but he has always tagged along with Michael. Most times would be fun, but this was nowhere close to fun and they weren't even at the party yet.

So Jai was waiting. One second. Two seconds. Five seconds. Jai could hear his heart beating again, but he couldn't hear the sound of shoes hitting concrete, of anyone running running over to help. He could only hear his heart.

Wait, a new thought entered Jai's head. If he can only hear his heart, then what happened to the slurping?

He turned his head back towards the scene and saw the guy that was slurping looking back at him. Jai does not remember the guy's eye color, however it was definitely not pitch black with a blood red ring around the center. The stare froze Jai and not another sound was made.

Michael's fainting thump sound might not have gotten the guy's attention, but Jai's fear induced scream of fire, most definitely did. Then no one moved, a moment of stillness. A moment of staring back at one another. Jai had a face of fear and the other guy had a face of interest. A smile slowly appeared on his face and the blood on the lower half of his face matched perfectly with the gleam in his eye. Then movement. All Jai could see was blood red in a pitch of darkness. His vision was fading with only the blood red color as the last thing he would see.

His last thought was if his blood would match the same vibrancy as the guy's eyes.

Jai blinked for what he thought would be the last time and then a ding noise.

A random voice said, "First death, gained Blood indulgence."

Jai blinked open his eyes and he was in Michael's car. Michael turned right, glanced at his phone and said, "The dude's house is on the right. Look for the numbers 4409."

Jai shook his head. "What? Michael? Where are we? Where are we going?"

Michael saw the house number and said, "Dude, pay attention. I told you, Halloween party and these guys were playing the new game I was telling you about. Dude they were pretty good, play nice and they might carry you to victory."

Jai scoffed, "Please, you're the one that needs all the help."

Jai looked up and saw the house he was just in. The house that had the dead guy. The house that he had just died in. The house with those eyes. Eyes that were darker than night with a ring of blood red.