The Face, a Horror story

Ch. 1

Your name is Alex Andrews. You are currently having the greatest day of your life. Your parents - who are the best ever! – have taken you to New River Beach for your 10th birthday. In your favourite bright orange t-shirt and maroon shorts, you ecstatically splash around the shore along with your friends. You are all being chased by a couple of your parents, every pitch of your group's laughter echoing over the bay.

You hear your mother and one of your friend's father call out to you all, yelling that the burgers and fish are ready. You race with your friends across the beach, all of you gleefully shouting and screaming for food.

A large, black dog barks as it runs passed right in front of you, causing you to jump back in surprise. The dog, which had a Frisbee in her mouth, approaches her owner a short distance away, who squats down to take the Frisbee and coo.

"Alex!" You watch them for a moment, before your ears pick up the sound of your friends laughing at the table and Dad calling you over.

"Everything alright?" He asks you when you approach him, taking a burger from his large, tanned hands. You didn't bother to wash your hands; they were just wet, not sandy.

"Yeah." You say, smiling up at him as the earlier shock of the black dog fading thanks to the smell of barbequed meat, fish, and fries. Myra and Kira chatter on about the sand dollars they found earlier, while Samuel, Ciera, and Patty play rock-paper-scissors at the end of the table. Joel watches them, eating quietly. You join the game until the adults start singing 'Happy Birthday' and your parents take out the birthday cake and camera.

~~~

"Bye, Alex!" Ciera called out, waving to you as she left with her two fathers.

"Bye, Ciera!" You wave back, beads of cold sea water running down your arm, reflecting the yellows of the sunset behind you. Patty waves from beside you, also soaking wet. He is the only one of your friends still with you, as everyone else had already left. You both see your parents packing everything up across the parking lot. Patty continues wiping his legs, which are practically sand-covered, with his big, purple towel. You scrunch up the hems of your shorts and twist water from them before bunching up most of your shirt, exposing your stomach.

"What's that?" Patty asks curiously, pointing to your left side. You look down to see a small cluster of wrinkles and dimples.

"I… I don't know." Both of you stare at the area in wonder for a few seconds before your hand pokes at it, Patty following your example right after. Was that there this morning? You couldn't recall, what with it being your birthday today. The house was a whirlwind of planning, packing, and breakfast.

"Hey." Patty's mom walks up to both of you. You put your shirt down before she sees anything. She squats down to Patty's eye level, moving a bit of her long blond hair around her shoulder. It lets you catch a glimpse of a faint scar close to her neck. "We're done packing now, Pat. Say goodbye to Alex, now." She took his hand in hers.

"Bye, Alex. Happy Birthday!" He said, letting his mom lead him away. She also smiled and waved back.

"Bye, Patty! Thanks for coming!" You watched the two get into their car before lifting up your shirt to inspect your side again.

Later on that night after supper, you showed your parents the strange wrinkles on your side. While they both didn't know what it was, they had assured you that it probably wasn't anything bad, and that they would always love you, no matter what. Then they hugged and kissed you goodnight.

You were glad to know that. If they didn't love you, well… You wouldn't know what you would do, but you would feel really, really sad…

That spot is itchy again. Now that you think about it, that spot on your left side would feel itchy here and there for a while, way before you discovered those wrinkles. Maybe that's why you have them; maybe you have been scratching it too much. Turning over in your bed and shutting your eyes, you decide to ask mom for some of that super special skin lotion she has.

~~~

It has been a few months now. That lotion hasn't been working. It might have even given you a bad reaction. You look at it in the mirror, your face scrunching up in disgust. The cluster of wrinkles has become more defined. Blue veins were plainly visible under the skin. There are now a couple of small bumps, even. It didn't have any real shape to it, though you like to imagine that it was a landscape. The bumps were the hills, wrinkles were fields, and the gross, purple veins were not as gross rivers.

"It's still disgusting." You say out loud to yourself, taking a moment to trace the river-veins. Your hand falls to the side after a minute and you resume dressing yourself for school.

"Or maybe I'm gonna get a super power…" You should see if you can now climb walls or how high you can jump at recess.

Later on, in your Language Arts class, you and your friends pass along notes behind the teachers' back. Patty slips you a note from your right:

"My parents are taking me and Kira to the movies. You wanna come?"

You write 'Sure' below and pass it back.

A few days after your birthday, you had convinced Patty not to tell anyone about your left side… Convincing that required telling him you would call his father and bring him to Patty's house. Of course you couldn't really do that; you don't know where his father is. It just seems to work on him. Apparently his father caused that scar on his mom and she and Patty left him two years ago. You don't know why, but neither of them likes talking about it, so you and your friends usually don't bring it up.

He puts the note on your desk again.

"What movie do you wanna see?"

You write down a couple suggestions that you heard were in theatres and pass it back.

Around a month ago, he almost let it slip out to Ciera that you had wrinkles at recess. You once again threatened to tell Patty's father where he was, but he told you that he now knew you couldn't really do it. So you told him that the lotion you got from mom was making the wrinkles disappear. Luckily the bell rang and the teachers ushered you inside the school before he could see your stomach for proof.

You've made sure not to hang around with him alone for a little while, in case he tries to lift up your shirt. Then he'd realize you were lying about the lotion, tell everyone, and people would think you were a freak and hate you. But that didn't mean you didn't want to see a movie with him.

The note was on your desk, this time telling you the time and what Kira wanted to see.

~~~

An old rough copy of my Novelette "The Face", which I hope to publish this year, before summer. I don't think it's too late for feedback, so I embrace any and all critiques. I'm well aware of the tense switch, so that doesn't need mentioning.

Stay tuned for part two. -Monos DOA

3: Ch. 2

Ch. 2

It had now been over half a year since you found the wrinkles and bumps. It hardly itched anymore, but instead started to tingle every now and again, sometimes feeling painful or sore. It kept you up some nights, to the point where you would occasionally fell asleep in class. Although Mr. Stewart could be rather boring… You certainly weren't the first to get caught by her.

You continued blankly staring out the window at the snow-covered buildings and Santa posters from the backseat of the car, replaying the events from earlier:

The doctor led you, Mom, and Dad into her office at the hospital. The room, excluding the desk, which had a computer, photos, and trinkets, was pretty bland. The walls and floor were white and grey, there were a couple of anatomy posters pinned up on the walls, and three leather seats in front of the desk.

"Mr. and Mrs. Andrews, we got the results from the samples in." The doctor, Lalonde or something, addressed you and your parents. Mostly your parents. "I'm sorry to say that we don't quite know what's going on with your child, but the results showed that that side of the stomach has a different DNA signature. We figure it's this rare condition, where the two embryos had fused together in the womb during pregnancy. Only a handful of people are like this. They're called 'Chimeras' in the medical world."

All three of you were silent for a moment.

"So… It's not cancer?" Mom asked from your left, relief evident in her tone as she rubbed the small, golden cross on her neck.

"No, Mrs. Andrews. There's nothing malignant about it."

"But, what…" Dad stammered from your right. "What happens to Chimeras? Is it… Something bad?" All anxious pairs of eyes fall on Dr. Lalonde, who sighed.

"No, Mr. Andrews. As I just told your wife, it just means that Alex here has two sets of DNA. Perhaps that spot on the left was where the two were conjoined before fusing." She smiled encouragingly down at you. "Okay, Alex? There's nothing wrong with you, you're just special."

"Okay." You chirped, nodding in understanding. That was a relief. You don't know much about cancer except that people could go bald and die from it. That would be a horrible Christmas gift!

Even now in the car, half an hour later, you still couldn't get the thought of the mutated beast type of Chimera you saw in one of your favourite cartoons out of your head.

You barely listened to your parents discussing about whether you should get more testing done and the price when you felt your side tingle again…

~~~

Birds chirped along in the trees, which were sprouting blossoms and leaves again as spring rolled around. The weather was warming up, even though it snowed a few days ago. Such is the weather on this side of the continent.

You walked hand in hand with your parents through the busy streets downtown. Most stores still had Easter decorations up, even though that was last week. Which was very fun, you found ALL the eggs the Easter Bunny laid out for you last night. You asked Mom how the Bunny was able to get into the house, hide all the eggs there without making a sound, and do that over the whole world in one night. She told you that he and Santa are good friends and that the Easter Bunny taught him magic, so he could deliver presents to the children in the winter.

But you knew the truth: It's your parents who are friends with both Santa and the Easter Bunny. They were the ones who would let them in and would tell them all about you! How else could the Bunny know where to hide the eggs, despite never once entering your house? Or Santa could know exactly what you wanted for Christmas?

As Mom finished paying for the cat vase, you take some Easter chocolate you brought with you and offered it to the cashier. She smiles down at you and takes a couple after asking your parents if it was okay. You then give your parents some, smiling brighter as they happily ate the chocolate and thanked you.

As you left the store, a black Labrador is being walked across the busy street, a wrinkly old man gripping the other end of the leash.

"How's your side, sweety?" Mom asked, pulling you away from the two figures.

"Okay." You tell her. She nodded, while Dad's lip twitched slightly. Both parents gave your hands a light squeeze. Although you have told them both of how your side felt sore sometimes, you haven't told them how much; the spot always felt sore. Small waves of pain moved through the spot, worse than after you swam for a while and got a cramp.

Even though you were getting used to it, you hoped that you wouldn't have to deal with it for the rest of your life. You've since abandoned the thought of getting superpowers and becoming a super hero like in your favourite cartoons and comic books.

~~~

After supper, you went bounded upstairs to have a bath. By now you had convinced your parents that you could prepare it all by yourself, with the promise of not overfilling the tub. You're ten years old, after all, eleven almost! It was about time you got some responsibility! It also meant that you were able to get away with filling the tub a little more than what Dad usually would.

Once the tub was filled high enough – but not TOO high – and a nice, warm temperature, you began undressing yourself. You stood there naked, except for the piece of gauze bandages wrapped around your waist.

For the last couple of months, you've been wrapping your stomach to hide the bumps and wrinkles, mostly so the other kids at school wouldn't find out. There were some mean kids in your class and you couldn't take the thought of them seeing your side and calling you names.

You unpin the bandages and let them fall to the floor. Putting the pins and bandages on the counter, you glance down at your side to see two beady eyes staring up at you.

You don't stop screaming until both of your parents have rushed into the bathroom.

~~~

Stay tuned for part three. -Monos DOA

4: Ch. 3

Ch. 3

Sitting on the tub's side, your legs sway in the warm water. You've stopped crying, but still had tear stains on your cheeks and sniffling, trying to keep the snot in your nose, and not on your arm. You head hangs as you listen to Mom and Dad arguing just outside the bathroom.

"… This could be dangerous! Alex needs to get tested, maybe even surgery!" Dad exclaimed.

"Do you know how much it had cost to take those samples a few months ago? We just can't afford that, let alone surgery!" Mom countered, trying to keep her voice even.

"I'll take an extra job, ask my family for money!"

"We're both working already! Besides, even if we do get the money for surgery, it could hurt Alex!"

"Just how could keeping that thing be any less harmful!? I don't know… I… I'm scared."

'That thing'. Those words echoed in your mind. 'They're scared of me. They hate me. They wanna get rid of me…' Your vision blurs as fresh tears start forming and you wipe your nose with your arm again. The Face just looks around – at you, the walls, the door – deadpan and oblivious to the drama.

"It's a living soul!" Mom speaks up. "Dr. Lalonde said Alex has another DNA signature. What if this is our other child?"

"Are you serious!? I'm pretty sure you know that is NOT how children are born!"

You can't help yourself: Whimpers escape from your lips, getting louder every second. You're a freak. Your parents are fighting, something you have NEVER seen them do – and it is all your fault!

"What if word gets out!? How can we, much less Alex, deal with a bunch of cameras and reporters shoved into our faces?" Dad trails off, Mom is silent as well. Between your sobs, you hear the door creak open, both of them looking at you concerned.

"…Sweety… Alex? What's wrong?" Mom leans down, taking your hand in hers and gently squeezing them.

"I-I'm sorwy… You're f-fighting wit Dad now… A-an-nd s'all my fauuult!" You wail, hands covering your face. Your parents say nothing, but after a moment, they both hug you.

"There, there…" Dad coos softly. Mom spoke after:

"We already said it before, Alex: We'll always love you. No matter what… We'll figure this out…" You nod, still sniffing, but feeling a lot better.

A few minutes later, the hug ends. Dad empties the tub of now cold water, telling you that you can take a bath tomorrow night. Each giving you a hug and a kiss, you brushed your teeth and got into bed.

A part of you hoped this was all a dream…

~~~

Having a face on the side of your stomach wasn't so bad. Your sister – Something you, Mom, and Dad agreed to call the face – couldn't really talk. Dad said this was because she didn't have any vocal chords, which are in the throat. She doesn't have a throat, so she doesn't have vocal chords, so she can't talk. All she did was just… Watch. Sort of. There wasn't really much she could see from under your shirt. Mom and Dad convinced you to stop binding your waist, but to just tuck your shirt in, if you really didn't want anyone else to know about your sister.

You don't.

Even so, that wasn't going to stop you from having another awesome birthday party! You were now officially eleven years old!

All of your friends from your last birthday party came to the house, excluding Myra, who took a two week trip with her family to Montreal, Quebec. Everyone already had cake and were now playing hide and seek.

Ciera was it and had yet to find anyone. You saw Patty had climbed Dad's peach tree, his green shirt and brown pants helping him camouflage. Kira crawled under the porch. You're not sure where everyone else is, but you know that you got the best place – right under the table!

Your gifts were right beside you and the cake right above you… Naturally, you were able to sneak an extra piece of cake and read one of the ocean books Joel got you.

"Rrrrrrr…" You stopped chewing, ears listening for that strange sound. "Rrrrrrrrrrr…" Putting down the book, you lift up your bright blue t-shirt to see Sister looking up at you. Or better say, the half-eaten piece of chocolate cake in your right hand.

"…Do you… Want a bite…?" Sister's eyes brighten, a smile forming on her lips. The face twitched, something you learned was her nodding.

You bring the piece down to her. She takes a generous bite, chews… Then takes another. Soon your hand was empty… And had small marks when she accidentally bit you.

You manage a small smile. This was still really freaky, but it was almost like having a pet…

~~~

The lights turn on when you walk into the bathroom. Ever since your sister… Existed… Mom or Dad went back to preparing the baths for you. Baths that would only go up to your knees. Tonight, however, you were back in charge! Which meant nice, hot baths up to your bellybutton! You could sink your head in and pretend that you were swimming in the big ocean!

Fully stripped and water up to your approved level and temperature, you dipped your toe in, than sunk your foot in… Then your other foot… The rest of you followed…

"Blblblblblblblblblspt! Hack hack!" Sister coughed. Your eyes widened, immediately standing up. She sputtered and coughed for a few minutes, then growled up at you.

"Sorry, I didn't know…" You apologized, looking away in shame. A minute later, you carefully kneel down and pull out the plug. Both of you waited a few minutes, then you put the plug back in and sat down. She wasn't underwater anymore.

The water was just covering your knees…

~~~

"Swimming lessons are starting up next week, Alex." Dad tells you at breakfast, pointing to the pamphlet on the table. You glance at it, eyes brightening in anticipation. But then you remember the bath incident a couple of weeks ago…

"Uh…"

"What about your sister?" One of Mom's eyebrows quirked up as she talked to you. "I don't think she can hold her breath for as long as you can." You nod, crestfallen.

"Good point." Dad agreed after a moment's thought. He glanced over to you with a half-smile. "I'm sure there are other things you can try out before school starts up, Alex."

"Yeah…" You mumbled. The face rrrrrr-ed from under your shirt. You lifted up your dark grey shirt, feeding Sister the extra piece of toast. Looking away, you realized something as you directed your glare to the floor:

For just a second, you hate her.

~~~

Middle school isn't too bad, you guess. You met some new people in archery, at least. Still, Sister would occasionally annoy you by making her noises. Particularly at lunch. You would be talking with your friends when she would make that 'rrrrr' sound. They would stop talking, you would tell them that was your phone, take some of your sandwich, and excuse yourself to the bathroom. There you locked yourself in the stall, lifted up your hoodie, and fed Sister.

Even though you told her to keep quiet, even though your parents told her to keep quiet, she'd still occasionally make her noises. By the end of the year, there were already rumours about you and your 'digestive problems'.

~~~

Stay tuned for part three. -Monos DOA

5: Ch. 4

Ch. 4

It is lunch time. The highschool's cafeteria is a lot bigger than the one in your middle school. As you eat, you glance around your table of friends:

Samuel, Patty, and Ciera are talking about Doctor Who. Those three have always been pretty close. If it wasn't for their different classes, they'd be inseparable! Myra moved to Fredericton last year, and Kira started hanging out with other people. She'd still occasionally talk to us in class.

Joel was sitting at the end, quietly listening to everyone as he ate, as usual. Beside him was Joan, who was more of an acquaintance to me, and equally quiet as Joel. She moved here, to Saint John, from one of the First Nation reserves… Er, you can't quite pronounce it… Or even remember it…

You two aren't really that close, so… Yeah…

Although to be honest, you've been distancing yourself from your friends ever since middle school. Your birthdays are now just between family. Most of the time you hung out was during school hours, either in class or at lunch, or whenever you bumped into each other any other time in the city.

After a certain incident with Joel and his family a couple of years ago – which you DO NOT want to talk about – you've decided that, if you ever were hanging out with your friends, not to do it around mealtime. The only thing that has kept anyone from finding out was you taking advantage of that 'digestive problems' rumour.

Speaking of which…

You excused yourself, taking your bag and leftover sandwich with you to the bathroom. Looking around to make sure the coast was clear, you duck into the stall furthest from the entrance. A soft 'rrrrr' escaped from your waist, echoing around the small room.

If there was one good thing you could say about her, it was that your sister was a creature of habit. She would always get hungry around the same time.

~~~

Happy 15th birthday to you.

Bullshit.

You still remember the cake your parents made for your sister a month ago for her birthday.

Yes, they celebrate her birthday. It's on the date you discovered her staring up at you in the bathroom. They started doing it before your 13th birthday.

… Now, where were you? Oh, yeah. Her cake was, in a word, extravagant: three-layered chocolate cake, 4 candles around, chocolate icing, caramel sauce drizzle, and cookie crumbs on the sides. In chocolate writing-drizzle were the words 'Happy Birthday Andy!'

Andy. Andrea Andrews. How original.

… Not.

Which is why you are and will always prefer calling her Sister over Andy.

While you also had a chocolate cake, it had white icing and chocolate drizzle, and a big 15 candle. You never were one for anything too fancy, but comparing your cake to hers…

… It was starting to feel like they liked your sister more.

"… Happy Birthday to you~!" Your parents sang, setting the cake down in the middle of the table. You blow out the candles – not even bothering to make a wish, only little kids believed that – and smiled back at each of them. It was a forced one.

"Thanks." You said, father passing you a piece. You weren't actually hungry, but took it to be polite. He passed you another. You know, for… Sister.

The face stuck to the side of your body.

Although there was a relative peace in the room, with the exception of the band Great Big Sea lively playing in the background, there was a silent tension underneath. Now that you think about it, it seems to have always been like that when the three of you – sorry, four – are in the same room.

"… So, Alex…" Mother starts awkwardly. "You could've invited some of your friends…" 'Unless you no longer have any.' You finish for her.

"Oh, uh, I asked, but they're all busy." You lied, silently adding 'having a life'. You honestly don't know, considering that, every time you start talking to anyone for more than a few minutes, the face would start growling and making other noises. It was as if your sister was… Jealous or something.

"…Oh. That's too bad…" She responded, picking at her half-eaten piece. You catch her sneaking a glance at father, who seems to be trying his hardest to not look anywhere but at his plate.

"Rrrrrrrrr." Sister growled. She was hungry. You've longed since stopped wondering how she needed to eat if you two actually shared a stomach. Maybe it's because you haven't had much of an appetite the last couple of years. Neither of your parents were no longer interested in learning about how she functioned.

"Grrrrrrrrrr."

"Alex, your sister." Mother chides.

Right. Sister hungry. Food now. You use your fork to take a piece off of the other piece of cake beside your own and lift up part of your grey and black shirt. Father stood up, conveniently finishing at that moment. He puts his dish in the sink and passed the table. His eyes locked onto Mother's, saying thank you and good night. He wished you happy birthday again, exiting the kitchen and walking up the stairs to lock himself in his study.

He didn't even look at you.

~~~

The night was hot, as usual for August. Mother decided to get you out of the house. The both of you drove to the mall for school supplies. Even though you could buy them yourself, using your birthday money to pay, Mother insisted.

You were both walking down the binder aisle in Walmart, comparing brands. You honestly didn't see much of a difference, but she seemed to.

"Allo." You turn around to see Samuel and his father approach you two, lopsided grin and all. "How ya been doing? Happy birthday, by de way."

"Hey, and thanks." You say, a smile creeping up on your face. While both your parents chat, you and Samuel catch up on things as well. It was great, like you two were just talking yesterday, not months ago…

"Grrrrrrrrr!" Your side growled out, loud enough for all four of you to stop. Shit.

"I… Uh, s-stomach… Bathroom." You manage to stumble out a couple of words before excusing yourself.

"Didn't sound like de stomach ta me." You heard Samuel's father state before turning the corner.

~~~

God. Fucking. Damn it!

You idiot! Sister hates it when you talk to other people for too long!

Where are you even going? Do you even care? Anywhere away from them was good enough. You kind of needed the exercise: years of having every bit of your life stripped away from you had made you a sort of a scrawny shut in.

You slow down eventually and stop at the solitary craft aisle on the other side of the store. Lifting up your shirt, you glare down at the pair of eyes, mouth, and nose holes.

"Just because you can't fucking talk to other people doesn't mean you get to stop me from doing it!" You hiss. She scowls back at you.

Looks like the feeling is mutual.

You both keep up the staring match for a few minutes, before the shirt falls over her. You take a deep breath, only looking up when you feel calm enough and not boring holes into anything that catches your eye.

You wished you could just duck-tape her mouth shut, like you tried once in middle school. Unfortunately, your parents caught you and grounded you for the month.

You walk out of the aisle…

… Coming face to face with Joan. God is just loving you today!

"Hey, Alex… It's been while." She tries to smile kindly, looking you up and down. Her long black hair hangs passed her shoulders and wears a bright purple tank top and blue jeans. You probably look like a slob compared to her, shorter hair uncombed, dark red t-shirt, and faded camo shorts. Oh yeah, and the bags under your eyes.

"Yeah... Listen, I gotta go… Meet my mother." You walk passed her.

"Alex." Joan calls, walking with you. "I know we were never very close, but you can always talk to m-"

"Nothing is wrong." You pick up pace. Any minute now, Sister will probably scream.

"Yes, Something is. You look horrible, okay? Please, we've all been worried about you."

You heard Sister quietly hiss.

"Just… Stay away. All of you." You demanded, just a small tremble. You lock eyes with hers, seeing concern in them. "I'm sorry, but you, none of you can help." It was the truth, you sadly realize. Turning around, you power-walk away to find mother.

Joan doesn't follow you.

~~~

"You could always just tell them about Andy." Mother suggests, breaking the heavy silence in the car, a silence that even swallowed up the radio music.

"Why?" You ask, more like state, not looking away from the window. "So they can just call me a freak and leave me alone?" You hear her huff.

"It seems you're already accomplishing that last part, Alex." At that, you turn to scowl at her.

"Oh, so it's my fault that, every time I hang out with someone, talk to someone, try to have a life, this thing just can't help but scream and growl? That's my fault!?" You are glaring daggers at her. She winces at your words, but otherwise keeps her eyes on the road.

"Well, maybe if you just included your sister mor-"

"Just how can It get anymore 'included' in my life? I can't do one fucking thing without it growling so loud the whole damn town can hear! You always take its side! Neither of you even look at me anymore!"

"That's not true!"

"Yes it is! If father is ever home, he's barricaded in his study unless I'm not around. Anytime you're around, it's always about the Face! The last time we all actually ate together was on my birthday, which lasted what? Five fucking minutes!? How would you like it if you had some damned Thing stuck on you that tore you away from everything you lived for!?"

"Andrea is your sister. She didn't ask for this life either!" Mother says firmly, ending this 'conversation'. You glare at her for another moment and then turn back to the window to stare at your angry, skinny, insomniac reflection, wiping some spit from your mouth.

When you both arrive home, only you get out of the car: Mother has the night shift at the office. You hear her drive away after you enter the house.

You stand there, glaring into the darkness of the living room, daring anything to come out, because by God, you were pissed! Nothing came though. The house was completely silent. Only the neighbour's dog, a black Terrier you remember, barked in the distance. Father is either out with his friends, asleep upstairs – in his bed or the study – or also suddenly took up a night shift.

Your gaze shifts over to the drawer by the TV, a desperate idea slithering out from your mind.

Sauntering over to it, you pull it out and lift up a gun.

You started school in less than a month. No way were you going to spend another shitty year at the painful and lonely mercy of the Face.

It would only take a second. Just quickly lift up your shift and SHOOT that son of a bitch! Blow off the whole right side of your stomach if you had to!

Any pain inflicted will be a hundred times less than everything that's happened ever since this thing breathed air! You wished you gotten cancer, instead!

Then everything will go back to normal! You'll have friends, trusting parents, A LIFE!

"Hehheh…" You couldn't help a small titter at the thought. After this, you'll celebrate by buying yourself a swimsuit and going to the pool! It's been years after all!

You lifted up your shirt and pulled the trigger.

~~~

Thanks to everyone who read and commented on my story. This isn't the end, but if anyone wants to know the true end, I finished and published The Face on Leafless. It's the first book of The Pharmakembru Series. The full story is currently on Leafless (formally known as Screwpulp).

Critiques are appreciated -Monos DOA

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