There will be no sex in this part and if it discourages you from reading it; I apologize. Those of you who don’t care, I hope you enjoy. This is a short part.

***A Stranger in the Cemetery***

The sky was darker than normal as I made my way home from school. The wind whipping and howling, scattering dead leaves in all directions. The branches on the naked trees waving as the brisk cool air swirled around me. A loud boom of thunder can be heard in the near distance, followed by a steady mist of rain bouncing off all surfaces.

I looked into the sky, squinting as the raindrops became heavier and noticed the storm will likely intensify; spotting the gray blanket of clouds racing though the grey sky. I needed to hurry to the dry confines of my home before I got drenched. I took a left turn to the.only known shortcut; Rivers Edge Cemetery.

The rusty gate creaked when I opened it which sent chills down my spine. I hated this place as much as everyone else in the neighborhood. The rumors I heard from when I was a child never left me, now filling my head as I looked at the crumbling tombstones and decaying trees.

It was said that on stormy nights, people that trespass into the cemetery never came back out. A mysterious fog or mist could be seen along with the shape of a human like silhouette of someone or something lurking the eerie grounds.. Flickers of light only from which a dancing flame on a candle can create would mysteriously illuminate the dark abandon church, causing it to glow like a jack-o-lantern on Halloween.

I walked by the forgotten and neglected graves and got the eerie feeling someone or something was stalking me; maybe watching me. Goosebumps and cold shivers along with the natural chill in the air made it seem more creepier, therefore making the expose flesh on the back of my neck tingle and the hairs to stiffen. I was beginning to get freaked out. I needed to compose myself before I hurt myself from passing out.

I sat on one of the dozens of broken and crumbling tombstones and just gazed upon my surroundings. This wasn’t my first time here, however as the other people in my town did, I avoided this place like the plague because of the chilling rumors. My eyes scanned the scenery looking for any proof of the rumors, My eyes fix on the old run down church. Its windows boarded and paint peeling. I study the holes in the dark boarded windows looking for any sign of light, and to my relief they remained dark and spooky. My eyes wandered on looking for the heavy fog or mist, the only thing I see is the raindrops falling from the sky. This place looks as lifeless as the bodies buried below.

My fears began to evaporate, realizing my mind is playing tricks about being frighten by a bunch of childhood humorous stories that are told around a campfire and sleepovers. I picked up my backpack from the ground brushing the dead dry leaves off and swung it around my shoulder, shaking my head as I let myself believe this nonsense. The rain started to come down a bit heavier so I picked up the pace walking home.

My mind was racing with all the thoughts about how I let a bunch of garbage scare me and I wasn’t paying attention as I walked with my head down when I suddenly crashed in something, knocking me on my ass to the mud. I looked up into the light fog I haven’t noticed and saw a figure I couldn’t make out. I squinted through the drizzle and swirling fog but I couldn’t make out the silhouette standing above me. It offered out a hand to me.

“Sorry,” I mumbled feeling embarrassed about my clumsiness, reaching for the strangers hand.

“No problem, but you should be more careful. You could’ve hurt someone or yourself there sonny,” He replies pulling me to my feet.

The stranger doesn’t let my hand go right away but something felt mysterious about it. I took a quick peek at the hand in mine but it looked normal except for a long fingernail on his index finger which I found odd. I quickly shift my gaze to his face, and it frightened me more then I was earlier. The man had red eyes and his pupils were slitted like a cats. His face was pale as the full moon. He has black lips with tiny red stains randomly placed. His hair is a pitch black along with light streaks of gray and white. His lips curled into a smile showing yellow decaying teeth, which also have red stains.

“Forgive my matters young lad. My name is Fredrick Von Zepher III and I reside at this residence,” The man said in a crackling voice, lifting an arm towards the church, gesturing he lived there. “I welcome all visitors.”

Fredrick hasn’t loosened his grip on my hand. My voice trembles. “Nice to meet you sir, I’m John Timmons.”

“Well John, since we have been formally acquainted; please care to join me inside?” Fredrick nods with a creepy smile, nodding towards the gloomy church.

I gave the man another quick glance over as millions of questions about his appearance came to mind, let alone the unfamiliar accent he spoke. There’s no way I was going with this stranger anywhere, even if his morals were good. I pulled my hand from his grasp with a jerk, making eye contact into his unusual eyes that are seemingly hypnotizing my own. “Thank you for your kindness and generosity, but I need to be getting to my home.”

“Why the rush my boy,” Fredrick spoke almost in a whisper never breaking the eye contact we maintained.

I didn’t want to be rude or anything so speaking in a calm shaky voice, my fear returned with a vengeance. “It’s raining; My parents are probably worried; I have a massive amount of homework to accomplish, and please don’t take this the wrong way, but I hardly know who you are. Therefore I don’t trust you. Besides, if I don’t leave now I’ll be late for dinner.”

Fredrick nods, “I understand your concern, but I’d be honored if you join me. I can help thou with homework because I have centuries worth of knowledge. I can put a roof over thou head until this dismal storm passes. If I do anything that makes thou uncomfortable just let me know. Thy can trust me.”

The moment he mentioned he had centuries worth of knowledge, the man in front of me became more creepy. His wardrobe captured my attention. It was from like a time way before I was thought of, maybe before my grandparents existence. Fredrick’s clothes looked like they were worn by the men in the pictures I’ve seen of the 1700’s, possibly earlier.

“Thanks, but no thanks,” I once again rejected his invitation. “Maybe I’ll see you around,” I said walking away from the still stranger.

Fredrick grabs my shoulder surprising me, causing me to shake, fearing something bad was about to happen. I’m being kidnapped exploded my thoughts, causing a sense of panic to envelope me.

“Thou is making me angry my boy. I’m showering thou with my generous offers, yet thou declines them,” Fredrick spoke in almost what sounded like a hiss, gently placing a cold hand on my face and turning my head locking our eyes once again. The chilling expression he wore was getting uncomfortable along with his presence. “I’m done trying to be nice, now I demand thou to join me. If thou again fail to meet my demands, you’ll suffer the consequences,” He spoke with an evil tone causing his hot dry breath to invade my nostrils.

The grip he had on my shoulder hurt and with a shot of adrenaline, I ripped myself from his icy hand and ran. The mud, puddles and dead leaves making my sprint more difficult as my feet sank in the wet ground. The bottom of my pant legs feeling heavy from the debris clinging. My shoe’s squeaking with every step from the moisture filling the insides. The cemetery gate is growing with each pace as it neared. My chest hurt from breathing the cold air so quick. I slowed my pace to a lazy jog thinking I’m home free; when out of nowhere I was tackled and crashed into the soft saturated ground. Before protesting to my capture, I feel a hot sensation on my neck, followed by a sharp burning pain. My head was pinned to the ground so I had no idea what is happening as my body felt paralyzed for a moment.

Moments later the stranger loosens his hold allowing me to move a little. “See thou when thy come back my boy. I’ll answer any questions thy may ask of me the best to my knowledge, No promises though,” Fredrick’s voice whispers into my right ear before yanking me to my feet with a strength so great.

My neck began to numb, feeling like someone’s holding a bag of ice to the same spot for a while. The feeling you get when someone places their cold hand on you after holding ice cream. I place my own hand to the side of my neck and felt a thick wetness which caused me to pull away quickly. A sudden wave of lightheadedness washed over me seeing the dark red substance known as blood smeared into my palm. I turn my eyes up at Fredrick with horror. “What did you do to me,” I choke out.

“As I said before young lad, I’ll answer thou questions the next time we shall meet. Now if I were thou, I’d be hurrying home before the change.”

“Your wrong old man! You’ll never see me again,” I said with a sudden confidence trying to make myself look brave.

“Trust me, thou will seek me out sooner then thou think and I’ll be here,” Fredrick replies turning and walking back towards the run down church.

My eyes were getting heavy like I haven’t slept in days. My nerves are shaking, my muscles began to tighten. I’m still lightheaded along with a migraine creeping in. “What’s happening to me?” I yelled to the disappearing figure in the distance; my own voice sounding weak and hoarse as if I’ve been in a concert. Realizing I wasn’t getting a reply and just standing there with these sensations coursing through my body I didn’t feel a minute ago; I gingerly began my journey home.

***

I awoke in a cold sweat, my body drenched like the dew on the morning grass, my face clenching to the pillow. What a nightmare I thought stealing a glance at the clock that read 4:38 am. My mind playing the dream over and over like a bad re-run. I sat up with a sudden intense hunger I’ve never felt before that erased the dream in an instant from my head. I rubbed the sleep away not before feeling the heat radiating off my face.

Dragging myself to the restroom to rinse the rest of the sleep away, I notice the house seems brighter than normal despite the hour. I reach to remove my contact’s thinking maybe I forgot to take them out, and to my surprise they weren’t there and I didn’t think twice about it.

Out of habit, I flip the bathroom light on and almost simultaneously, let out a loud yell; almost a scream as the bright light blinded me. I quickly flip the light off and as if nothing happened my eyes adjusted to the darkness immediately. I shook it off and turned the water on, gazing at my reflection in the mirror. My jaw dropped as I spot the wound on the right side of my neck, the dream rushing back like a lost memory. This time at the end of the dream, I saw the face that sent shivers down my spine. Fredrick’s.

“No,” I heard myself say out loud. “It can’t be!” I backed away from my reflection, my eyes still locked on the wound. “It was only a dream! I’m still dreaming!” I feel the wound and to my horror it’s still moist from the blood. It’s not a dream I thought as I looked at my clothing still damp from the rain with the dried mud stains on the front of my t-shirt. I looked further down my body and I still have on the same jeans I’ve worn to school, along with my sneakers, both are dirty with debris.

The light again illuminates the vague darkness, causing me to yell as the burning returns to my eyes, basking my sight in a sheet of white. I shield the light with my arm like it was going in for the kill on a battle field. “Turn it out! Turn it out,” I yell almost in a fit of tears.

“Bro, you alright? I heard you screaming and talking to yourself from my room,” My sister asks in a soft voice, cutting off the light.

“Alice, something’s wrong! I can’t explain it because I don’t know what exactly it is,” My voice trembling.

“What do you feel?” Her voice never losing the softness.

“My body feels like it’s on fire. The light somehow blinds me causing a searing pain. My…My…Just look my hands are shaking for no reason,” My voice shaky from the fear.

“Oh my John, your head is scorching,” Alice claims after resting a hand against my forehead. “I think you got sick, especially coming home in those wet clothes and sleeping in them.”

“Uh Alice, I don’t think I remember coming home earlier,” I said after a long silence, trying to replay the days events.

“Yeah, you came home, mumbled something and went straight to bed.”

There was another long pause of silence as I again tried to remember my day, but all I can remember is the cemetery and nothing after that. Suddenly a thumping noise bursts out of no where as I cock my head listening to the familiar sound I couldn’t comprehend at the moment.

” John…” Alice starts but I put a hand up.

“Shh, You hear that,” I said in a quiet tone searching for the source.

“Hear what?”

“It sounds almost like a heart beating.”

Alice gives me a funny look, “I think it’s time for you to get some sleep. I’ve only been here for a few minutes, but you are seriously acting weird. Not only that but you look terrible. your skin is pale, you cried when the light was turned on. Your hearing noises that aren’t there. What else is wrong with you? Should I get mom and dad first?

I let out a sigh, “Maybe your right, a little sleep will work wonders.” As I passed Alice, I stopped cold. I caught an aroma I’ve never experienced. “Hey you smell good by the way. Is that a new shampoo or perfume you are wearing.”

She gives me a curious stare, “No, but you seriously need some sleep.”

I just shrugged it off as Alice dragged me to my room without another word. However sleep didn’t come easily due to the massive distractions going on in my head. Thoughts of what is wrong with me haunted my ability to sleep. Who was the stranger in the cemetery? Why did he attack me? Why am I feeling like shit? Why…? Why…? Questions flooded me like water bursting through a broken dam. One question kept coming back. What is happening to me?

***

Morning came before I knew it. My alarm was beeping; telling me that it is time to get motivated. I cracked my eyes open slowly, but the second the light touched them, it burned like hell. “Fuck,” I mumbled reaching to my bedside table, retrieving a pair of sunglasses and putting them on. I again open my eyes slowly and the glasses helped because I could see, and as they adjusted to the light, I looked around curiously. It seemed to me my eyes adjusted better in the darkness the previous night, then they are doing now. The sun had a reflection to it that seemed strange, but I could not explain it.

I walked to the bathroom to reduce the confides of my bladder, and as I’m urinating I notice something seems out of place or missing. For some reason or other the bathroom looked larger then it normally does and I just couldn’t put a finger on it at the moment.

I left the bathroom without a second thought and bump into Alice leaving her room.

“Hey, feeling better?”

I shrugged, “Actually I do, considering last night I felt like I was gonna die.”

Alice shook her head, “Your lying Hollywood.”

“Huh?”

“Come on now, who in their right mind wear’s sunglasses in the house; your still pale as a ghost. “She reaches up and places a hand on my forehead, “Jezz, you feel ice cold considering you were burning up last night, but your telling me your fine. Who are you trying to fool?”

When she touched my forehead, different emotions flooded my conscience, and the hunger I’ve felt the night before came back with a vengeance. “Allie, I’m fine, trust me. But I am starving like you wouldn’t believe.”

“John, go get some more sleep alright.”

A sense of sadness and concern coursed through me. That puzzled me because I was not feeling like that at the moment. I gazed into Alice’s eyes and the emotions I felt hit me even stronger.

It can’t be, I thought as I could read the emotions hiding behind her stare. It’s impossible, no one can read another person like this. Again that question came up. What is happening to me?

I plopped back down on my bed after brushing pass Alice. My mind about to explode until my alarm chased them away with its annoying call. I looked at the time and I was running late for school, so I rushed to the kitchen to satisfy my uncanny hunger. The morning goodness of bacon and eggs did little to fill me up. The food not tasting pleasant played a small role.

“You know you look ridiculous wearing those shades in the house; right?”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Then take em off dummy. Why are you wearing em anyway?”

“The light burns my eyes, “I replied nonchalantly.

“Can I see your eyes real quick,” Alice says crossing the room to stand in front of me, “I wanna make sure there is no serious damage o.k.”

I hesitated for a second, “Sure I guess, but the minute I yell put them back on; alright.”

“Oh stop being a big baby,” Alice says reaching for the glasses and removing them slowly.

Instantly the light burns and I force my eyes shut. “Open them. I cant see,” Alice replies smacking my shoulder. I open my eyes briefly, but the pain is so bad, I began to tear as Alice lets out a loud gasp.

‘Enough,” I shout, my eyes feeling like thousands of needles impaling themselves into me.

“Wow,” Alice breathes as she slips the glasses back onto my face.

“What’s wrong?” My voice squeaking with concern.

Alice just keeps smiling, “Wow! Your eyes are the most beautiful shade of blue I’ve ever witnessed.”

“Huh, my eyes are always blue; I was born with them you know.”

“Bro, have you ever seen how blue the ocean is on a clear sunny day? Well take that for an example except your eyes are a lot lighter. It’s breathtaking. God I’ve never seen something so elegant.”

“Uh Alice, I hate to rain on your parade, but you do know your describing my eyes right. Your brother. It’s a little creepy don’t you think?”

“I know, but I’ve never seen anything quite like it. What did you do, get new contacts?”

“Nothing different sis, but it’s time to get ready for school. So lets get moving.”

As I was making my way to the bathroom to finish the rest of my morning rituals I hear Alice yell. “You should flash those eyes at school. I guarantee the other girls will fawn over them. Maybe you could actually get a date.”

That comment lifted my spirits until I gazed into the mirror. I dropped my toothbrush into the sink not believing the scene in front of me, and let out a terrified shriek, knocking the bathroom miscellaneous supplies to the floor with a crash. My horrified reaction caused such a loud commotion I didn’t acknowledge Alice’s presence until I heard her speak.

“What’s wrong?” Her voice filled with heartwarming concern.

I didn’t answer. My mind was too overwhelmed with confusion, fear, and mainly disbelief. I reached for the door and slammed it closed on her face, not wanting her to see the sight that will forever haunt me for the rest of days. All my recent fears came to life. This was not a dream, but the beginning of a terrifying nightmare. As I gazed into the mirror the same question haunted with me. What the hell is happening?

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