It happened a week ago, my boyfriend’s disappearance. In my sleepy small town, nothing ever happens, people often move here to get away from society and its noise. Often times it can feel like there’s nothing outside of the dense forests and winding roads surrounding the mountain settlement with the nearest city being four hours away.
For generations, my family has lived here no one ever leaving. My mom said she’s never needed to leave, everything she needed was right here apparently. For a time I felt similarly, in grade school, this town was my world and I ruled it. My friends and I often ran rampant and went wherever we wanted, it felt like everything since we knew nothing. But as we got older and graduated I gradually saw one by one as those kids who I had once ruled the world with left me and my small world behind.
Michael was the only thing I had left tethering me to this forgotten old place. He had always liked the quiet here, never once venturing out to the surrounding world. We became each other’s new everything once out of high school, quickly moving in with one another and starting the next chapter of our lives together.
We’ve lived under the same roof for the last four years and have never once had a problem we couldn’t solve together, life together has been perfect, until that night.
It started with the headache, a pulsing headache that ate away at my sanity. It had been early morning and rain violently hammered against the house.
“Maybe just stay in bed today,” Michael said concerned as he saw my wither away in bed. A small grown left my mouth in response his voice causing the pain to worsen. “Becca?” he cooed assuming I hadn’t heard him.
“Stop talking!” I snapped as an unreasonable amount of rage washed over me, I paused for a second seeing the hurt and stunned look on his face, “I’m sorry” I murmured. I had never even raised my voice at him before.
Michael stood there staring at me blankly, “it’s okay” he sighed getting sorted for work “Take some medicine and get some rest.”
The day had gone by in an agonizing blur. A searing pain had slowly washed over my body it was as if my skin was too tight around my bones, and I needed it off.
By nightfall the itching started, scabs and scratches covered my body as I itched and itched pulling and tearing at my skin. I had no control over myself anymore I needed the skin off, it was too uncomfortable. My bones felt as if they were contorting and shifting, even my teeth feeling too big for my mouth as they pushed painfully through my gums. I trembled as I dragged my shifting body to the front door.
Then all I remember is the smell, the coppery stench filled my senses. It had been the best thing I’ve ever smelt. My body moved on its own following it, I needed it.
I woke up the next morning to the cold sensation of the forest floor on my back, most in this situation would be scared or worried, but I was in a sort of haze as I brought myself to my feet slowly moving one foot in front of the other. I still have no idea how I knew my way home from the middle of the woods but before I could even realize what I was doing there I stood in my bathroom looking at myself in the old mirror.
Finally coming back to reality horror washed over me, blood covered my naked body. My mouth still having what looked like little junks of flesh surrounding it.
The following days went by in the same sort of haze from that night, only coming to in slight moments of terror at my own being. I’ve been waiting for Michael to come home ever since, but there hasn’t been even a call. It feels like there are two of me at times, one who’s scared of what she might’ve done, and the other who knows exactly what she’s done.