The Hive

Bang, Bang, Bang!

"Did he fall asleep or something?" Heath thought to himself as he waited outside Josh's apartment. "Maybe he’s got his headphones in and can't hear me knocking? Hmm... But why would he have headphones in if he new I was coming? I hope he's not hurt."

He banged again even louder. "Hey Joshy boy! Everything alright in there?. It's Heath."

But still there was no answer.

He had just texted Josh no more than 5 mins early letting him know he would be there soon to help set up for the party . And Josh replied 'no problem. I'm here checking emails.'

Banged! BanG!! BANG!!!

Heath was really getting worried now.

So, he tried calling him, but there was no answer.

"Err.." he growled in a worried frustration as he began to dial 9-1-1.

Click.

Josh's door slowly began to open.

"God man! You had me worried for a moment. I was just about to call the Pol..."

An unease cane over Heath as he raised his head from the phone and looked at Josh.

"What... are you alright, man?" Heath asked Josh You looked like you've seen a ghost."

Josh stayed quiet as he stood eerily still in the doorway looking at Josh; his breathing calm but heavy; his fists trembling as he clenched them tightly by his side; his skin was pale and clammy; But his eyes were the most revealing. Opened wide, locked on Heath with with and intensity, silently screaming in an unknown terror.

"And why are you wearing that?" Heath asked, Pointing out floves, boots, and the slick black rubber bodysuit that clung to Josh's skin.

Josh still didn't respond, instead eerily turning around and walking back into his apartment.

Heath stayed in the hall staring straight into Josh's apartment, alarm bells ringing in his mind as he watched Josh walk slowly down the foyer towards the livingroom.

"Don't go in there. Don't go in there!" Heath screamed in his mind. " Just turn around and go back home."

But something was pulling on him. What is guilt? Maybe obligation? He had been friends with Josh ever since elementary school and now they were both in graduate school together. Was it was curiosity? But It felt more phyical, like a force, like an invisible leash pulling on him the longer he stood still debating with himself.

He gave into the force and reluctantly stepped into Josh's apartment.

The air in the apartment felt thick, moist, and stuffy, filled with a charge that pushed and pulled on Heath, like a laundry static, guiding his way to the living room.

The living room felt dark with filled with a bright blue hum, like the bright inaudible high pitch hum one feels when turning on the television late at night, but this this felt more intense.

Bathed in the haunting blue light, Josh stood still staring at his television; his back staright, legs unbending with his arms hanging stiffly down by his sides, standing rigidly at attention, the thick slick black rubber suit holding him in place as it reflect distorted images of Heath.

Josh's eyes teared, opened even wider than before, locked on the television screen, they seemed to cry to out to Health as they reflected the two tiny television displays.

And that’s when Heath saw it, in Josh's eyes, the eerie black an white patterns of the spiral playing on Josh's television screen. It filled him with a scared, shocking, surprise; like someone had snuck up behind him.

He quickly turned around and look directly into the television screen.