I Am The Affliction

It was near; he could feel it. Even if Devin couldn’t see it, its oily presence coated his skin. His leg jiggled under the table as he glanced out of the cafe window. Nothing so far. He still had time.

“Dev? Devin!” He flinched as fingertips ghosted over his hand. His eyes met Bianca’s suspicious gaze over the cafe table. He yanked a smile onto his face.

“Sorry, just nervous. I didn’t think you’d come.” Devin’s panicked smile melted into a genuine one. “You look good, I like the braids.” Bianca twirled a pink braid around her finger, a ghost of a smile on her lips.

“Thanks. You look…” Her smile faded as her eyes trailed over him. Stained hoodie and jeans, mud-caked boots, bloodshot eyes. Devin shrank into himself, picking his dirty fingernails. The cashier and a nearby couple had already wrinkled their noses at his stench when he came in. Bianca didn’t continue her comment, “So, why am I here? You sounded weird on the phone.” Devin swallowed. This was the hard part.

“I want to apologize. Things got messed up, and it was my fault. I know I probably scared your folks too, so I wanted to say sorry.” Bianca stared at Devin, sipping her hot chocolate.

“That’s it? You’re just apologizing?”

“No, I got more.” Devin smiled again, “I’ve been clean for a month. Absolutely nothing, not even weed.” It was technically true. The hellish place the thing had trapped him was far, far away from his stash. He glanced out of the cafe window again. Still nothing, but his skin still felt slick. Bianca’s smile came back. She tapped her cup against Devin’s.

“Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” Devin looked at her expectantly. Bianca raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

“Well… I remember you saying we could get back together if I stayed clean-”

“Oh my God.” Bianca sighed, “You think we can just go back to how things were?”

“I’m not saying it would be the same!” Devin said hurriedly, “We could start over, go on a second first date-”

“No, stop it!” Devin flinched as Bianca’s voice rose. The cafe cashier looked up from the sink as she washed a mug, “You can’t disappear for a month, then reappear saying you want to fix things, that’s not how this works.”

“But I put in the work too!” Devin protested, “I know I messed up, but I’m fixing it! I just need you to give me a chance.” Bianca's eye twitched. She closed her eyes and massaged her temple, draining the rest of her drink. Devin risked another glance at the window. His heart nearly stopped. The thing was staring at him from the end of the block, its glowing red eyes examining him like potential prey. Groups of people milled about: some rowdy teens, a couple jogging, a woman yelling into her phone. None of them noticed the shadowy creature towering over like a lighthouse swathed in darkness. It couldn’t be noticed because it wasn’t part of this world. It was something without a name, and it wanted Devin back.

“Devin!” Bianca’s voice snapped him back into focus. “What are you looking at?”

“N-nothing,” he stammered, “I’m just…” He took a hurried sip of his smoothie. A stream of it dripped down his chin and soaked into his sleeve. “I’m remembering how we took care of each other in the past. I cooked you dinner when you had to study, and you tutored me all through chemistry. We had something good, we can get it back again.” Devin untied the blue bow on the present and lifted the lid. A pink music box with a gold lever sat on a pile of confetti. Bianca’s eyes lit up as she picked up the box and wound the lever. The lid lifted, and a ballerina twirled with the soft tinkling music. Bianca gently stroked the dancer’s serene smile and blue tutu.

“You got it for me,” she said softly.

“I knew you’ve always wanted it, so I saved up and got it. Even when I was high outta my head, I was listening.” Devin grasped onto Bianca’s hand, “I’m getting better, I can be better. Just say yes.” Silence fell as Bianca stared at their clasped hands. Devin glanced at the window again, swallowing a gasp. The creature was now across the street, looming over the passing cars. Devin’s hand started shaking. It couldn’t be time, he’d barely gotten started. He stared hopefully at Bianca. It wasn’t over yet; she could still say yes. But her eyes began to dim, her smile dropped, and she began pulling her hand away from his. Devin tried clinging on, but his hand was left empty. The true death knell was the music cutting off as Bianca closed the music box with a click.

The oil slick on Devin’s skin felt thicker than syrup. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the creature crossing the street, its steps small and slow. A car passed through its body like it was made of air.

“This was sweet, but I can’t do this again. You’ve destroyed too much.” She stood and grabbed her empty cup. Devin grabbed her wrist and pulled her to his chest.

“Why? Why won’t you let me try?” he demanded. Bianca yanked herself free.

“I gave you so many chances to try, and you took none of them! The entirety of college was me keeping your head above water! When you skipped class and failed your assignments, I helped you study for retakes! When you got into that bar fight on my birthday, I talked the guy out of pressing charges! When you got your first, second and third DUI, I paid the fines for all of them! I did so much for you, Devin, and you thanked me by getting high, crashing my graduation party and beating up my brother!”

There was a shocked silence, only broken by Bianca’s labored breathing. The couple next to them hastily moved to another table. The cashier glared at Devin, a half-washed mug still clutched in her hand. Devin closed his eyes, his face reddening with shame. The whole situation was made worse by a new sound: Tap, tap, tap. Devin didn’t have to look to know that the thing was tapping its long claw against the cafe window.

Bianca grabbed her purse off of her chair, “My brother’s in the hospital, you know. A lot of head trauma from the bottle you hit him with. The doctor said if you hit him a couple more times, he would’ve died.”

“I’m sorry,” Devin said weakly.

“An apology doesn't fix anything. You didn’t even try coming to the hospital, you didn’t even call or text.” Bianca scoffed as she threw her cup away, “Shows how sorry you are.”

“Let’s go visit him then,” Devin said, “I can apologize in person, I’ll figure out a way to pay for medical stuff-”

“No, Devin. We don’t need anything from you. I don’t need anything from you. Not money, not a fresh start, not even that music box.” Her fingertips brushed over the pink lid before she pushed it towards him, “Return this and buy yourself some new clothes, or give it to another girl you’ll treat better than me. Have a good life.” Bianca threw her purse over her shoulder and started towards the cafe’s side door. Everything seemed to slow as the distance between them increased. Her footsteps were amplified to a deafening echo as his saving grace walked further and further away. Behind him, the cafe’s doorbell rang. Tears brimmed in Devin’s eyes. The thing had arrived, ready to collect. He knew the sight would be horrible, but Devin’s traitorous gaze fell upon it anyway.

He first saw its void-black body, so dark it was as if a hole was punched out of the world, leaving a rail-thin humanoid silhouette behind. Its horrible red glare was the only thing breaking up the darkness. Devin whimpered as it stretched out its impossibly long arms, waiting to swallow him in its embrace.

Devin nearly tripped as he ran to Bianca. She yelped as he pulled her into a frantic hug.

“Please, Bianca, I just need you to say yes,” he begged, “That’s all I need, you don’t even have to mean it, I just need you to say you’ll have me back.” Bianca shoved against his shoulders, but he only held tighter, “You’re my only hope! Please say yes, please help me, I don’t wanna go back!”

“Get off me! Bianca screamed. Devin was suddenly pulled away.

“Dude, chill out!” The cashier dragged Devin away from Bianca, and unknowingly closer to the thing’s outstretched arms. He yelled with terror, flailing against the grip on him. Bianca was frozen, pressing herself against the wall as if trying to melt through it.

“Devin, please!” Bianca begged, “You have to stop!”

“No, you have to help me! Don’t leave me!”

“Go on, go out the back!” the cashier yelled. Bianca hastily thanked her before running through the kitchen door. The cashier readjusted her grip and turned to the frightened couple behind her, “One of you, call the police! I’ll keep him-” Her words were cut off as Devin stomped on her foot and rammed his elbow into her stomach. He left her gasping and coughing as he raced after Bianca. The thing followed, gliding past the cashier and couple, its fingers grazing Devin’s hoodie. Devin flew through the kitchen door, almost slamming into the alley’s brick wall. Where was she? There she was, running down the left side, she was almost on the street! Devin scrambled to his feet to give chase, but stopped short. A bitterly cold something surrounded his right ankle. The sensation slowly climbed from his ankle to his calf and was fast approaching his knee. Devin knew this feeling. He looked down at his leg to see the long black claws of the creature around his ankle.

The world froze. Birds were trapped in mid-flight, the passing cars hushed, and the kitchen door remained half open. Nothing moved except for Devin and the thing behind him.

“It's time.” the thing said. Its voice was quiet and soft, almost motherly. Devin shuddered as the words echoed through him.

“No… not yet,” he begged, “I can do it, she’s still there…”

“I gave you seven days to make her say yes. No more, no less,” it said, “It’s time to go home.”

“My home is with her.” Devin whispered. The fingers tightened around his ankle.

“No, it’s with me. You belong with the wretched people who destroy everything they encounter.” The frigid cold left his ankle. The thing wrapped freezing arms around Devin’s chest, its face against his ear, “You don't belong with good people. You are a scourge upon this Earth. That is all you are, and it is all you will ever be. Become one with those who are the same.”

Devin silently cried. His tears blurred the shape of Bianca’s retreating form, reducing her to a pink blob that soon disappeared from view. Only the lingering warmth of her hand in his proved the last moments they shared had existed.

His eyes caught on something shiny in the creature’s hand. The abandoned music box. The creature wound the lever until the lid popped open and music began to play. The blue ballerina began dancing again, its smooth skin gleaming in the sunlight. The creature’s fingers closed around the box and began to squeeze. In a few agonizing seconds, the box was reduced to a twisted mass of bent metal. The creature carelessly dropped it onto the pavement. The unforgiving concrete finished it off, smashing the remains of the music system and making the ballerina snap off. With a satisfied hum, the thing clutched Devin tighter, and they sank into the ground. Devin kept his eyes on the ballerina’s cracked face before the ground swallowed him whole.

The only sign of life in the empty alley was the kitchen door swinging, swinging, swinging until it finally went still.

End.