#vomit draft

The Coffee Shop

Tears cloud my vision as I run down the empty street, coat pulled close as the rain pelts into me. It feel as if shards of ice are piercing my skin. I hardly notice, the arching of my heart more intense than the painful numbness of the cold. I feel my heart hammering in my chest. Where am I going? Not home; I can’t bare to face him. I shouldn’t have left, I should have just taken the verbal and physical battering. I’ve handled his harsh words and touches before. Still, this time felt …different. I’ve never seen him so angry before. I had barely stepped into the apartment before his hand met my cheek, his barrage of insults beginning. He stunk of alcohol. A bad day at work, perhaps? Coming home late from work had just added fuel to the flame. His words still echo in my ears, clear and sharp. Terrifying. “You whore! You were out with some other man, weren’t you? Don’t you lie to me!” I had panicked when he didn’t stop after a few hits. Before I could think it through, I had smashed a vase over his head. Oh god, he’s going to be so angry.

My running slowly turns into a slow creep, each step making my feet feel as though anvils are chained to my ankles. My hair and clothes are soaked through. No one is out on such a rainy night. It’s so late that most of the small shops and restaurants have closed, the only light coming from the street lamps that bathe the roads in orange light and a small building across the street. My eyes go to it, curious. What could be open so late? I walk over, the large words painted on the windows becoming clearer as I do. Merrill’s Coffee & Pastries, it reads. Without thinking, I open the door and step inside, drawn to the warmth radiating from the inside like a moth to a porch light. The interior looks like your stereotypical Hallmark movie. The floor and counters are the color of warm honey, the walls a light tan. A few tables and chairs are scattered throughout the room, large velvet couches lining the back wall. There is no one in sight; the workers were probably relaxing in the back room. After all, who would be coming in for coffee at 10:00 at night?

I make my way to a table in the back corner; the one farthest from the door. I sit with my back to the counter, hoping that if a worker immerses they will take the hint and leave me alone. The smell of coffee and freshly baked pastries would be pleasant under normal circumstances. The hunger that had been gnawing at my stomach when I got off shift is long gone now, replaced by this horrific sense of dread. I shiver as my wet clothes cling to my icy skin, the warmth of the shop slowly easing the numbness away. As the feeling returns, the pain does as well. My hand goes to my cheek, touching the large bruise that has already begun to form. It is likely already turning an ugly blue; makeup won’t cover this one up. Small bruises, the exact size of his fingers, litter my arms. The tears I have been so desperately pushing back resurface, spilling down my cheeks as I choke back a sob. My hand goes over my mouth, trying to silence my whimpers as I sink down, burrowing my face into my arms. It all comes crashing over me like a tidal wave, too much to bare.

Somewhere behind me I hear a groan of disappointment, accompanied by unintelligible muttering. I barely notice it, my head remaining pressed into my arms. The sound of footsteps make me tense; they are load and heavy. Just like his. “Hey, can I get you something-” My head snaps up, eyes widening with fear. My gaze lands on a man a few steps behind me; it’s not him. This man is tall and massive, looking more like a pro-wrestler than someone who would be working at a coffee shop. He’s bald, tattoos covering his muscled arms. A black bear covers his squared jawline. His eyes widen as well, flicking up and down as he takes me in. I must look like I’ve been hit by a bus; in a way I have. “Are you okay, ma’am?” His voice is deep, resembling rolling thunder. It, like his presence, commands attention. I sniffle, wiping my tear-soaked cheeks and nodding. I force a small smile onto my face; I’m sure it looks as fake as it feels. “Y-Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you.” The man reaches forward, towards my face, and I involuntarily flinch. His hand pulls back as he pauses for a moment.

“You sure don’t look fine. Did you get mugged?” I shake my head, wrapping my arms around myself in an attempt to calm my nerves. It doesn’t help. “I just fell down some stairs. It was slippery and I wasn’t watching where I was going.” I mumble. My eyes focus on the wall, the floor, the coffee maker. Anything but the man standing in front of me. I hear him let out a low sigh and hear the rustling of clothes moving. Before I can look up, he’s placed his large jacket around my shoulders. It’s so large I nearly disappear inside of it. “Well, be more careful. Someone might think you got beat up.” There is a knowing tone to his voice. It’s clear my lie didn’t do the trick. “Can I get you something? A scone? A cappuccino?” I shake my head again. “I’m sorry, I don’t have any money.” The man shrugs. “It’s on the house. Think of it as a thank you.” My eyebrows furrow in confusion. “Thank you? Thank you for what?” A small smile tugs at his lips. “Keeping me company. It gets lonely working the late shift, you know? I’m Joseph, by the way.” I feel a smile of my own beginning to form. “Clara. It’s nice to meet you, Joseph.”

I don’t know how long we sit and talk. No one else comes in; by now it’s past midnight. The shop should have closed over an hour ago. Joseph doesn’t seem to care. He sits across from me, tending to my injuries as he chatters on endlessly. He talks about his childhood, going into elaborate stories about baking with his mother and going on adventures with his brothers. He grew up in Montana; a far cry from the sprawling city he now finds himself in. He moved here three years ago after his mother died hoping to start a bakery. Things didn’t quite go as planned, to say the least. I don’t mind letting him take the lead in the conversation department. I hardly have any stories that are worth sharing. He’s in the middle of another wonderful story when I hear the bell ring, signalling that another has entered the shop. I look up, heart plummeting. He’s standing there, soaked to the bone and red with anger. A bandage is sloppily wrapped around his forehead, blood soaking the material. “There you are.” He growls, stalking towards me. I fumble over my words, not sure what to say, just that the pain is about to return.

The Voice

It looks like a scene out of a horror movie. The dirty shag carpet is covered in blood splatters and broken glass. The paintings of calm landscapes that hung on the wall have been slashed to ribbons. A light in the far corner of the room is flickering, having been busted at some point during the conflict. The sound of groans leak from behind the barricaded doors and windows, accompanied by load thumps and the occasional scream from somewhere in the distance. The windows have been covered with wet toilet paper, blocking the view into the clinic. Desks and chairs have been pushed in front of the locked wooden door; they are the only thing keeping the hoard of beasts at bay.

Abrams glances around the waiting room, observing his companions. To say everyone in the room is a wreck would be a drastic understatement. They had managed to push the creatures back but at great cost. Only five people, including himself, had survived the first wave. The first is a young woman, in her mid-twenties by the looks of it, with a septum piecing. The second is a middle-aged man with bright, eed hair. The last two are a young couple, a dark haired girl and a tall boy, sobbing and clinging onto each other for dear life. Each one of them is covered in scratches and blood stains; in much better condition than the various mutilated bodies that litter the floor. They look terrified; he is sure that he appears the same to them.

Abrams couldn’t have anticipated what the day would bring when he woke up that morning. When he had arrived at the fertility clinic earlier that day, he had been expecting another bland day at work. It had started off that way, at the very least. The clinic had opened on schedule and a few patients came and went with no issues. Then, around noon, they heard the screams. Outside the building, it sounded like the entire city was under attack, cries of pain and the sound of breaking glass filling the air. Some of the staff rushed outside, trying to find out what was happening. Abrams had watched through the windows as they were torn apart. The creatures...they were like nothing he had ever seen before. They were like no horror he’d ever read about in his H.P. Lovecraft books.

Suddenly, Abrams becomes aware of how quiet it’s gotten. The other survivors seem to have noticed as well, glancing around the room uncertainly. The shrieks and moans from outside have suddenly stopped. It feels as if the entire world has gone completely silent. The only noise Abrams can hear is his own breathing. Then, from outside the barricade door, they hear a voice. “Please, let me in!” The voice is that of an older woman. It sounds so familiar, Abrams just can’t put his finger on it. Everyone remains silent. “They’ve gone for now but they will be back soon! Please, let me in! Before they tear me apart!” Now Abrams recognizes that voice; it’s his mother. He’s about to run toward the door when he hears the girl with the septum piercing speaks up. “Dad, is that you?” Her voice is hoarse from screaming.

Abrams pauses, eyebrows furrowing. No, she couldn’t have heard right. The girl has to be mistaken. The voice is clearly that of a woman; of his mother. “Let me in. Please, please let me in.” The voice pleas. The other survivors’ eyes widen. “That’s my grandmother.” The dark haired girl says. Her boyfriend shakes his head, seeming just as confused as Abrams. “No, that’s my father.” The red haired man, who has remained silent up to his point, gets to his feet and moves towards the door. Abrams is instantly on his feet, blocking his path. The red haired man frowns, trying to move past him. “That’s my grandfather out there! Move out of the way!” He growls. “Something isn’t right! Everyone is hearing someone different! Doesn’t that strike you as odd?” The red haired man shakes his head, trying to shove past him again. “I know my grandfather's voice!”

The voice behind the door shifts, tone becoming less frantic and more angry. “Let me in! Don’t you hear me? They’re going to tear me apart! Let me in! Let me in!” There is a harsh pounding at the door. The force behind the knocks makes Abrams cringe; it sounds loud enough to break through the wood. This doesn’t happen, though the knocking continues endlessly. By now the red haired man has paused, eyes widening. “M-My grandfather has never yelled like that...” He murmurs. As the furious screams and pounding continues, the rest of the group becomes more and more uneasy. Abrams still hears his mother’s voice, though her loving and soft tone as been replaced by inhuman screeching. It is uttering words his mother would never dare speak. “Damn you! Selfish, that’s what you are! My blood is on your hands! It will be your fault when they catch me! It will be your fault when I die! Damn you!”