Jaws of Love
Prologue
Warning: This story has violence, gore, and some parts will be
rated NC-17. Please read them at your own risk. You may skip the NC-17 ones if
you wish.
* * *
Tuesday night brought rain once again.
It seemed like a routine now. Every Tuesday in North Carolina, the
showers would come and leave by Wednesday morning. People were tired of having their
plans delayed due to the horrible weather but not one of them had the power to
control Mother Nature. The best they could do was not plan to do anything for
Tuesdays.
In the midst of the downpour, a silver-colored Honda Accord zoomed
down the empty road and finally turned into an area filled with apartment
buildings. It’s headlights cut through the darkness until they rested on an
empty parking space. There, the car slid into the space with ease and the
engine stopped purring. The headlights died as well and a young man got out of
his car. The rain and darkness did a good job of masking his handsome features
such as his chestnut-brown hair, finely chiseled face, and deep green eyes. His
clothes clung to his skin the way children cling onto their parents when
they’re scared. He swore and scolded himself for not bringing an umbrella. He
locked the driver’s side and went over to the passenger side. Resting in the
passenger seat was a calculus book and a black schoolbag with his name “Michael
Appleton” written in white print on the side. He shoved the book into his bag
before taking it out and locking the passenger side of the car. Using his hands
to cover his head, he ran over to the apartment building where he lived with
Ashleigh, his girlfriend of three years.
I’m soaked. Ash is so going to kill me. Michael
realized as he opened the front door of the building and greeted some people
who were hanging around. They commented on how soaked he was and that he needed
to change his clothes before he caught pneumonia. He thanked them for their
concern and headed up the stairs to where he lived. He could only imagine the
horror on Ash’s sweet pale face when she saw him standing in the doorway,
drenched from head to toe. She’d probably wrap him in ten million towels and
set him down on the sofa. After he changed, she’d kiss him and hold him. Then
she’d yell at him for being an ass and not taking his umbrella with him. He’d
wince and try to explain, knowing that no explanation he gave could keep him
from being an ass.
Then again, I’m not perfect. Ash knows that. He reminded
himself as he climbed the stairs to the third floor. Why didn’t their building
have an elevator? Oh sure, it had only three floors but what was wrong with
being lazy and tired to climb stairs? The handicapped people got privileges.
Why couldn’t anyone else?
Despite the way he felt, Michael did not complain. He finally made
it to his apartment and fished through his pockets for the key. He decided
against ringing the doorbell or knocking in fear of disturbing Ash. She told
him that she wanted nothing but some peace and quiet to study. Tomorrow was
going to be a big day for her and she had no plans of coming to class
unprepared. Finally, after what felt like two hours, Michael found his key and
opened the door. Once inside, he turned on the lights and got a good look at
the place. Something wasn’t right. Oh sure, Ash had vacuumed the living room
and arranged the magazines on the glass table. The sofas were spotless and
whiter than ever. The carpet had no stains or dirt. The pictures on the wall
hadn’t been messed with and the TV sat quietly in the corner, with videotapes
and DVDs arranged in perfect order underneath. It still looked the way Michael
last saw it as. But he had a nagging feeling chewing at his brain that told him
something wasn’t right.
“Ash? Ash, I’m home!” He yelled, dropping the bag on the sofa and
pulling out his physics book. Like his girlfriend, he needed to study as well.
The lights weren’t on in the living room or the kitchen so he figured she was
in her bedroom. Ash had been telling him about the organic chemistry exam that
she had to take the next morning. Her professor was an ass and he spared no one
when it came to tests. Evidently, he was notorious for failing more than 40% of
his students. His grading system consisted of only 3 exams and a final, all of
which would difficult to the students. Ash had done her part in keeping up with
his lectures but even she hated him. Too bad she had to take that class in
order to graduate.
Makes me glad I’m not a chemistry major. Michael told himself. He just needed two
chemistry classes. And that professor taught neither one, lucky for him. He had
been spared.
Ash didn’t answer him so he called out to her again. She was
probably buried into that 2000lb-chemistry book to answer. But Michael couldn’t
blame her. She hadn’t had the chance to sit down and look over her notes last
night. Michael had taken her out on their third- year anniversary and they
partied ‘til three o’clock in the morning. Ash had yelled at him for keeping
her out but she didn’t stay mad for long. Michael had promised to spend some
time at the library so he could finish his paper and she could cram for the
test. Ash accepted that and Michael did as he said. He had gone to the school
library for a long time and had finished the paper only an hour ago. It was
midnight when he left the place and he figured he wouldn’t bother Ash anymore.
He’d say goodnight and then go to bed.
“Ash? Honey, did you go to bed?” He whispered. Once again, he
received no answer. Ash’s car was still parked in front of the building so she
couldn’t have gone anywhere. Besides, she promised him she wouldn’t leave the
place and he knew she would keep it. The only reason she’d leave is if there
was some emergency. But if that was the case, why wasn’t there a note on the
door? Ash would let him know she had gone somewhere.
Where is she? What the hell is going on? Michael asked
himself, flipping the light switch and entering the kitchen. He sniffed the air
and almost gagged. There was a strange smell of something. It wasn’t a pleasant
smell and it wasn’t one he knew of. He looked in the fridge because he believed
that something had spoiled in there. On further inspection, however, he saw
that everything was fine. The fruits sitting in the fruit bowl were still fresh
and good to eat. He even looked through
the pantry and cabinets to see if there was something spoiled in there. But the
food was fine. No meat had spoiled, no fruits were rotting...everything was
fine.
Then what’s that smell? He asked himself once again. The sink was
making dripping sounds so he shut it off. Ash must have gotten some water and
hadn’t shut the tap completely. Giving up on trying to find the source of the
smell, Michael decided it was time to find Ash. He shut the lights off in the
kitchen and headed down the hallway. And he saw that Ash’s bedroom light was
on. He sighed with relief. So she was here after all.
“Ash?”
No answer yet again. Michael told himself that Ash was probably in
the bathroom and couldn’t hear him. But there were sounds from her bedroom. It
sounded as if something was slurping and licking, like an animal was in that
room. They didn’t keep a pet for they weren’t allowed to have one in their
apartment. But there were moans and the stench was coming back. Slowly and
filled with fear, Michael approached the door and called her once again.
“Ash?”
“You’re home early.” Ash said. But it didn’t sound like her. This
voice was raspy and cold. Michael was confused so he decided to see Ash
himself. A strange smell entered his nostrils, stronger than the one that had
been in the kitchen. Then all the breath left his body as if he had been socked
hard in the stomach and he dropped the book to the ground. It took courage and
fear to keep the screams from escaping.
He would never forget what he saw.
His girlfriend was sitting in the middle of her bedroom. Her hair
had been tangled and knotted as if she hadn’t combed it for days. Her hands,
soft and white, were now stained with something scarlet. Right in front of her,
the sight that was making Michael’s stomach churn, was what looked like the
remains of a person. Pink flesh, white tissue, and bones had been tossed around
the room like confetti. There were a few limbs that Ash sat among, licking them
clean. But Ash was the scariest sight of all. That scarlet liquid was obviously
blood sticking to her body like a second skin. Her white kneecaps were stained
as was the white slip she was wearing. Blood was even caked in her hair.
“A…Ash?” A horrified Michael managed to say. It had to be a
nightmare. His Ash would never kill another person. Once again, to his disgust,
Ash licked up the remaining blood from her fingers. She turned to him, a look
of sadness crossing her blood-covered face.
“Ash, what the…did you kill that guy?” Michael said in a voice
that was barely above a whisper. Actually, he didn’t even know if it was a guy
or a girl. The body was dismembered and chewed up. Any hints of what the
victim’s sex was had disappeared. Michael wanted to scream but the sight was
keeping him from doing so. Besides, that meant getting Ash in trouble. He had a
feeling Ash wasn’t responsible for this guy’s murder.
“Ash, tell me the truth!” He begged. “You didn’t kill him, did
you?”
“Mike...sweetie…go away!” His girlfriend spat out, blood mixed in
with those words of fear. He stood transfixed in the doorway because his legs
felt like they had been super-glued to the ground. Ash, his beautiful Ash, was
sitting on the once brown carpet and drinking blood from a human being! She
looked up again, her blue eyes worried and the crimson liquid smeared around
her mouth like some grotesque color of lipstick.
“Ash, what did you do?” He demanded in a whisper.
Ash lowered her head. “I can’t tell you, Michael. You better
leave. Please leave!”
“Ash…”
“LEAVE!”
The last command did not sound like Ash. It was demonic and cruel,
not her sweet voice. Michael began stumbling backwards into the dark hallway,
the picture of Ash sitting on the bed with a dead body never fading away. She
had changed. Everything had changed. He didn’t know why but he could not hang
around here any longer. He found the strength in his legs once again and used
it to run away from her. That wasn’t his Ash. It couldn’t have been. She was
not a murderer.
I’m dreaming. I have to be dreaming! He told
himself. Then Ash let out a scream, more animalistic and painful than usual. Fearing
for his own life, Michael decided now was the perfect time to run harder. If he
didn’t leave now, chances were high she’d kill him.
His muscles aching, he kept charging through the dark rooms of the
apartment until he finally reached the front door. He tried turning the knob
but his hands kept slipping due to his sweaty palms. With great difficulty, he
managed to turn that knob and get out of his apartment. He made no attempt to
turn back and get anything inside. Ash screamed again, this time causing
Michael to run down the stairs and almost fly into his car. He locked every
door shut and turned the ignition key. Hands gripping the steering wheel, he
didn’t bother looking behind him as he backed out of the parking space. He was
fortunate no one was coming the other way. After he shifted gears, he pumped
the gas pedal and zoomed away from the apartment. He had to get away from Ash.
He had to get away from the scene.
Despite how far he drove down those dark streets that morning,
Ash’s screams seemed to keep following him. It was almost as if she was right
there, bloody and wild, howling in his ear.
TBC…
Go to Chapter 1
Go back to Originals
Email me: sweetandsourcyanide@excite.com