Page 110

I gag, bile rising up my throat.What in the “Hello Clarice” kinda shit is this?!

“Sodelicious…” He shudders, eye rolling to the back of his head before he stands.

“T-Tek… what the fuck dude…?”

“You know Jess, I have always wanted you… pined for you… I made time for you. I would have done anything for you… but you chose him. Th-that… fucking bastard! You chose him over me! The nights I spent praying for you to return my calls and texts… to hang out with me… but you were with him! Even though I was first in line!”

“Man, what the fuck are you even saying? I knew none of this!”

“Oh you fucking knew! She told me you knew! She told me you knew I loved you and you stole her man! She told me you knew!”

“WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOUT?! WHO ISSHE?!” I shout and he sneers.

“I can’t tell you that…” he snarls. “Just know she helped me see reason and helped me realize I don’t have to love you from afar anymore,” he smirks. “Thanks to her, I’ve let go of all that. Now, I don’t need you to love me… I just need to keep you close.”

He comes over and leans in, breath hot and smelling like rotten fishy pussy against my cheek, and I about die when that grotesque ass tongue tries to glaze over my cheek. I whimper, craning my neck away, refusing to let it touch me…

The thing in front of me, smiling with cracked teeth and bone peeking out beneath its skin, is not Tek. I know that, but I keep my voice steady…I have to.

“Tek…” I whisper. “This isn’t you. L-let’s talk this out… let me out of these cuffs so we can just… you know…” I swallow. “S-so we can talk. Like old times…” He tilts his head, one eye still human, the other a hollow socket that flickers orange like dying firelight.

“But we are talking,” he huffs, breath kicking the hairs in my nose’s ass right now. Hell, on second thought, I don’t think I got any more. He done singed all the mother fuckers off.

“I… I know, but d-don’t you want to go t-to that bar you were telling me about?” I goad. “Y-you know… the one with good w-wings and soda?” His good eye looks at me with sadness.

“You know I can’t now… look at me… I’m a monster.”Duh nigga! Ray Charles can see that!But I swallow hard, shaking my head.

“Pshhh! M-monster? Whhhatttt? You? Nooooo?!” I shake my head and he leans in close, face only an inch from mine

“I’m not?” I try to keep a straight face… I swear to God I do! I smile, sweating like Jordan Peele in that Clear History sketch. I try to look at him, but when I see a maggot squirm in his eyeball, a bitch can’t stand the heat.Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew! Ewwwwww!“SEE?! I TOLD YOU!” he roars and I shake, whimpering.

“N-NO NO!NO! YOU’RE STILL YOU! I KNOW THAT,” I say quickly, watching him lose his shit! “You… you used to walk me home! You brought me snacks to study group! Y-you practiced throwing the ball w-with me. You gave me your charger whenmine broke. Tek you’re… you’re still you! I… I know that!” I stammer, trying to appeal to him… toit… I just need it to calm the fuck down!

His head twitches… like he remembers something, so I keep going…

“A-and when that professor called me a fluke?” I tell him. “You defended me!”

His jaw works. The glowing eye dims, and his human side blinks, coming more into focus, allowing me to take a slow breath.

“I… I did do that…”

“Hell yes you did! We are close, Tek!” I tell him and his eyes really come into focus then.

“We are?”

“Yes! So so close! We’re like fami—” He moves so fucking fast on top of me, eyes crazed, whole body trembling, cracking, shifting. His breath leaves his mouth in a growl, guttural. His teeth are longer, jaw wider, and the human parts of him ripple like boiling flesh.

“FAMILY?!” he screeches, voice doubled and distorted, hot spittle getting on my face and I want to scream, but I’ll be god mother fucking damned if that shit get in my mouth, so I close my eyes and mouth tight.

“GET THE FUCK OFF OF MEEEEE!” I turn my face, grossed the fuck out, but his hands roams over my body, making my flesh crawl.

“YOU CALLED ME FAMILY,” he spits. “BUT YOU LETHIMBE THE ONE TO TOUCH YOU! YOU LET HIMRUINYOU! WHILE I WAS STARVING, ACHING, CRAVING, ROTTING AWAY, BOUND WITH THIS DESIRE!!”

He grabs my hands, pinning me down, and I about vomit in my mouth when this nigga starts hunching me! I don’t feel nothing but bones rattling and shaking, but his eyes roll to the back of his head as if he’s really doing something and I look away, but his grabs my braids, forcing me to look at him.

“I TRIED TO BE NORMAL! I TRIED TO BE SWEET! I HELD IT IN, JESS! I BURIED IT, ALL OF IT JUST TO BE CLOSE TO YOU!” his voice cracks into a sob. “I WANTED TO BE GOOD TO YOU!”

I bite my lip, peeping up, and I see his human face is nearly melted off. His human eye is weeping, while the other one is glowing bright, pulsing.