2 Two

We arrived at Nevena's house. I parked her car in the front, noticing that her mother, Sonia, had come home while we were gone. Nevena scrambled out of the vehicle and threw up everything she had consumed at the party along with the food we had eaten beforehand.

I stepped out of my car and looked around, draping the lanyard around my neck. There weren't many cars on the street. Most people parked their vehicles in their garage out of the fear that they'd get broken into despite the fact that they lived in a good neighborhood. I walked over to her and held her hair back until she was sure she was finished. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and offered a small smile.

The two of us walked up the main pathway, noticing a trail of a thick, dark liquid along with what looked like dirt. I looked at Nevena cautiously, who only quickened her pace, wanting to desperately find out what it was. We approached the front door, only to find it slightly ajar. The white paint had been stained red in the shape of a handprint, smearing in the direction of the handle. I swallowed and looked at her for permission. Her big brown eyes were filled with fear, she looked up at me. She nodded once and I hesitantly pushed it open.

This wasn't like the movies. The door didn't creak on its hinges and there was no suspenseful ambient music to foreshadow what was to come. It was just us and our gut feeling to high-tail it out of there. But Nevena entered the house, despite our gut feelings, and the stupid friend I am, I followed her in.

The first room we came upon was the living room. Everything looked as it had when we left earlier for the party. The aqua and coral throw pillows still sat on the pristine white couches.

Nevena reached for the light switch, but I placed my hand over it before she could turn them on. I shook my head and pulled out my phone, switching on the flashlight. As soon as the stream of light hit the dark wood floors, we noticed a heavy trail of blood leading to the kitchen. She covered her mouth with her hand.

I took the lead, making my way towards the kitchen. The white tile floors were now stained red. The trail led behind the island counter and it stopped there. A vase that was once on the counter now laid shattered on the tile floor, the soil along with the purple orchids littered the area, mixing with the blood.

I had just started to walk around the island to see why the trail had stopped when there was a groaning sound. I froze mid-step, not sure where the sound was coming. The groaning grew louder. There was some slight shuffling, a grunt, then a woman stood up from behind the counter. She had what looked like bite marks covering her arms. Blood dripped from her mouth. Bits of pink chunks were stuck in her raven hair.

The woman, who I recognized as Sonia, began sniffing the air like an animal. Her face was tilted up to the sky as she sniffed her surroundings.

"Mom?" sobbed Nevena, slapping her hand over her mouth. She stepped around me and shuffled towards her mother. I was too scared to correctly form a sentence. I stood there with my mouth slightly parted and my eyes wide.

Nevena was a few inches from her mother when Mrs. Ivanov lashed out. She began to growl, opening her arms wide, her fingers outstretched like claws. Nevena screamed in utter terror and I started to backpedal, my phone slipping from my hand. It hit the floor with the flashlight still on. I turned and ran to the living room, nearly slipping in a pool of blood on the way out. It felt as if I were running in place for a few seconds before I was able to make some progress.

Sprinting to the car, I jammed the unlock button on the keys, diving into the passenger seat which was closest to the house. I turned my attention to the front door, praying that Nevena would come out. But as I came down from my adrenaline rush, I finally came to realize that she was no longer crying out for help.

It was completely and utterly silent.

Help her, Charlie. Get out of the damn car and help her.

Reluctantly, I stepped out of the car. The warm summer air enveloped me but provided no comfort like it used to. Every little buzz and flutter of wind sent shivers down my spine. I slapped away the mosquitos eating at my arms. I looked up and down the road for any signs of life, but found that I was the only one out here. I couldn't shake the feeling of somebody watching me.

I trudged up the path leading to the front door, casting glances over my shoulders. A low growl snapped my attention back to the matter at hand. I entered the house unwillingly. Sonia was clawing at the bathroom door, leaving streaks of blood along the white paint. Nevena could be heard sobbing from inside the bathroom.

I looked around the living room for anything that may be useful, more specifically, anything I can use as a weapon. There was a pink tennis racquet propped up beside the door. I picked it up and gave it a small twirl, weighing it.

This'll have to do for now.

Slowly, I approached Sonia. I gripped the racquet tightly, causing my knuckles to turn white. I was breathing harder now and my heart rate began to pick up. My adrenaline was pumping.

I was now merely a foot away from her. I licked my lips and let out a low whistle. Sonia jerked her head towards me, a few of the chunks flying from her hair. I took a small step back, realizing what I was about to do. This woman had become a second mother to me. She was there for me since the second grade when I had become good friends with Nevena.

However, there was a crazed look in her eyes and, at that moment, it was obvious that she was no longer the Sonia I grew up with.

I swung. The beam of the racquet came in contact with the side of her head. It only knocked her back a few steps. She fell back against the door, growling out in anger. I swallowed and took a few more steps back.

Sonia charged at me faster than I thought she could move. She was running. I gasped and swung again, landing a blow only on her neck. It threw her off a few inches. She stumbled slightly, grabbing onto my biceps. I staggered backward, trying to gain distance from her but she just wouldn't let go. I dropped the racquet and grabbed onto her forearms.

A pungent odor filled my nose and I wanted to gag. It smelt like rotten eggs, but ten times worse. She snapped her jaws at me and the smell only grew worse. I turned my face away, hoping to get a whiff of anything else.

My back hit the back of the couch and I grunted. Her nails started to dig into my skin. I twisted to the left harshly. Sonia's foot got caught on mine and she fell towards the floor, taking me with her due to her death grip. As soon as she hit the floor, her grip loosened and I took this opportunity to pull myself out of her grasp.

I stood up and took a few steps back. An inhumane sound escaped from Sonia's lips as she struggled to get up. I looked around for a weapon. In seconds, I spotted a thick book sitting on an end table. She was getting up now.

I inhaled sharply through my nose and waited until she was in reach. Once she was where I wanted her, I swung. There was a sickening crack as the book came in contact with her temple. The blow was enough to knock her off of her feet, sending her sprawling onto the hardwood floor.

Without hesitation, I brought the book down onto her head. With every hit, her skull became less and less recognizable. It had started to turn to thick, brown mush. Once I was sure she was done posing a threat, I tossed the book aside and got up from my kneeling position.

I stared down at Sonia. My stomach churned and I felt nauseous. Warm tears ran down my cheeks and suddenly I was full-on sobbing. I couldn't stop no matter how hard I tried. I killed someone today. I killed a woman that I would've considered my second mother. She had been nothing but good to me, but she tried to kill me. I could've sworn she even tried to eat me.

I wiped my nose with my sleeve. I shuffled to the bathroom, my heart aching and dread filling my body. At this moment all I could think about was how Nevena was going to react. "Vena? You can come out now." The lock clicked and the door slowly opened.

Nevena revealed herself. Mascara was running down her face. Her dark brown eyes were puffy and filled with tears. Our gaze slowly met and she looked over to where her mother lay. She whimpered, clamping her hand over her mouth. She couldn't look away.

I hesitated but ultimately wrapped my arms around her. She cried into the crook of my neck. Eventually, she stopped and we just stood there. I rubbed her back, our breathing in sync. "I'm so so sorry."

She shook her head, "Don't. Please don't." She pulled away and sniveled, running her hands over her face. I clenched my jaw and looked down. Her shirt was covered in makeup, snot, and blood.

"Are you hurt?" I gestured to her left collarbone. She furrowed her brows and looked down, moving her hair slightly.

"No, i-it's not my blood. I'm gonna go change. Do you want me to bring you a shirt?" Now she pointed to my shirt and I noticed I had blood stains as well.

"Yeah. Please," I replied. Nevena nodded and looked down at her mom before stepping over her to get to the stairs.

I glanced over towards Sonia. Thick, dark blood covered the floor. Her black hair was matted with it. Her hands and arms were covered in blood and bites. Bile started to rise in my throat. It reminded me of the man at the party that had attacked the poor girl. They both had the same look in their eyes as they went in for the attack. Hunger. It was obvious that they had one thing on their mind — to eat. And there was only two solutions that I could come up with that remotely made any sense; either they were on some hardcore drugs, or my favorite fictional horror stories just became a reality: zombies.

The door banged against the wall as the wind picked up. I flinched, the bang catching me off guard causing my heart rate to pick up. I inhaled and turned my attention to the kitchen where I had dropped my phone. I stumbled over, feeling a little shaky, and picked up my phone. Unfortunately, it was covered in the thick, red liquid that I was becoming all too familiar with. I shut off the flashlight and wiped it, along with my hand, on my black jeans.

Nevena came bounding down the steps in a fresh t-shirt. With two bags hanging off of her shoulders, she looked as if she had just seen a ghost. I don't blame her though, after what happened with her mother, I'd be the same way. She paid no attention to Sonia and instead, walked through the living room to avoid her. Before I could speak up, she asked, "Can we leave? I really don't want to be here right now."

I nodded, "Y-Yeah, of course." She held out my bag and I took it, pulling my keys out of the front pocket. "We'll take my car, yeah?" She didn't object.

The two of us made our way to my car that was parked under the streetlight. The light flickered and the wind picked up again. Goosebumps ran down my arms and I shivered. Nevena moved closer to me. I felt safer knowing that she was here by my side and that I wasn't alone.

We loaded into the white Explorer, tossing our bags onto the back seat. I leaned my head back against the headrest and took this moment to just breathe. The silence was rather calming. The lights inside slowly dimmed and I welcomed the darkness. I stared out to the empty road, only seeing whatever the street lights lit up.

An unsettling feeling settled in the pit of my stomach and I sat up. It felt like we were being watched again. I rubbed the back of my neck, peering into the rear view mirror. The silhouette of a person stood in my view quite a few feet away. I tensed up, gritting my teeth.

"Shit," I muttered, shoving my key into the ignition.

"What?" asked Nevena, following my gaze. "Who is that?" She twisted around in her seat. Her head blocked my view and I scowled. "They're gone!"

I started the engine, "Sit back!" Nevena did as she was told and buckled up. There was a loud slam on the back of my car and I exhaled harshly, glaring into the mirror once again. The person that was once a few feet away was now banging on the window. A hint of hostility gleamed in the man's eyes.

I stepped on the gas. The SUV lurched forward, gradually speeding up. I risked a glance. The man was still hot on our trail, running rather jerkily. I sped up, wanting to get as much distance between us and that thing as soon as possible.

Nevena twisted around and looked for the man. "He's gone."