If the Suspense Doesn't Kill Us, Something Else Will
Chapter Five
Gerard’s POV:
It’d been a funny sort of day, all in all. It was finally getting dark and as I sat in my room on the edge of my bed, a single tear rolled down my cheek and dripped off my chin. I hadn’t cried since my girlfriend left me in 8th grade, but I’d cry over this. I’d cry for humanity.
It’d started off pretty good, my day. I’d slipped my arm out from beneath Coralline and smiled at her sleeping form, so good and pure, before having a good, long shower and a shave. I’d run out of smokes, I realised soon after, and that’s where things went downhill.
I should have wondered why people were walking faster than usual down the streets towards the shopping malls, and why it seemed everyone was doing so. I wondered if something big had happened; if there’d been a death that close to home now.
“What’s happening?” I asked a man as he passed me.
“Fuck off, kid.” That hadn’t been much help.
I continued on and by the time I arrived, I realised what was happening. I acted then. I took as much as I could carry and woke Mikey up to go back with me to get a little more. We’d only take what we’d need, I told him, and he nodded in understanding. Of course he came back with gummy bears and m&m’s but all in all, he did pretty well.
Things only got worse as the whole story unfolded on the TV before my family and I, and before Coralline sat by my side who was already crying. I understood that and held her hand for a while. She wouldn’t see her father for a while longer now. That’d suck. They’d decided to quarantine our area, along with every other affected area in America, until further notice. I wasn’t sure what other countries were doing, but I could only assume something similar.
You see, they’d finally confirmed the rumours. There was a story going around of a young man and his wife, and of how people saw her let him inside their home after dark. The only one to emerge again was… one of them, and his body was never found. These creatures, some of them at least, could copy people. They could imitate them and persuade others to do as they wished. I felt the tension in the room rise as the news reporter had said this, and felt the eyes on me as mine wandered over everyone in the room in turn, too. It was a funny thing to imagine; your own family out to get you.
I sat in my room alone now, as my parents were having a discussion of possible plans of escape if necessary, and Coralline was having a cry with Mikey about how her dad couldn’t come visit her now from the UK. I felt for her, I really did.
I understood that a few people had to suffer for the rest to be safe, but it still sucked. They’d told us we’d be shot if we attempted to escape across the borders, and shot if word got out that we planned to. This somewhat shocked me at first, because of course we couldn’t possibly be a creature if we were trying to escape in broad daylight. I guess it was just easier this way. I guess there was a reason for it.
“May I come in?” Coralline stood peeking through the gap in the door. I wiped the tear from my cheek and nodded, and she came in and sat herself down on the mattress on the floor. She didn’t know so yet but we’d be trading places tonight and for as long as we had to. I felt horrible making a girl sleep on the floor while I was in a bed.
Her cheeks were still red but at least they were now dry, so Mikey must have found a way to cheer her up. She smiled across at me as she sat, just silently, but there wasn’t much to say anyway.
“I think I might sleep, or something. It’s been a long day.”
“Yeah, same. I just want it to be over.”
“Mmm.” I got up then and stood before her, my hands outstretched towards her. She took them after giving me a strange look and I pulled her up then sat her on my bed. “You’re sleeping here from now on, and I’ll take the floor.”
“But –”
“Please. I insist.” I turned the light off then and gathered the blankets on the floor before stripping myself of my clothes and laying down. I heard her doing the same.
“But Gerard, this is your bed.”
“I really don’t care, hun. I’d prefer you sleep in it.” I turned onto my side and supressed a giggle as I thought of all the things I’d done in it and of how innocent and naïve Coralline seemed. It was all sorts of wrong.
It’d been a funny sort of day, all in all. It was finally getting dark and as I sat in my room on the edge of my bed, a single tear rolled down my cheek and dripped off my chin. I hadn’t cried since my girlfriend left me in 8th grade, but I’d cry over this. I’d cry for humanity.
It’d started off pretty good, my day. I’d slipped my arm out from beneath Coralline and smiled at her sleeping form, so good and pure, before having a good, long shower and a shave. I’d run out of smokes, I realised soon after, and that’s where things went downhill.
I should have wondered why people were walking faster than usual down the streets towards the shopping malls, and why it seemed everyone was doing so. I wondered if something big had happened; if there’d been a death that close to home now.
“What’s happening?” I asked a man as he passed me.
“Fuck off, kid.” That hadn’t been much help.
I continued on and by the time I arrived, I realised what was happening. I acted then. I took as much as I could carry and woke Mikey up to go back with me to get a little more. We’d only take what we’d need, I told him, and he nodded in understanding. Of course he came back with gummy bears and m&m’s but all in all, he did pretty well.
Things only got worse as the whole story unfolded on the TV before my family and I, and before Coralline sat by my side who was already crying. I understood that and held her hand for a while. She wouldn’t see her father for a while longer now. That’d suck. They’d decided to quarantine our area, along with every other affected area in America, until further notice. I wasn’t sure what other countries were doing, but I could only assume something similar.
You see, they’d finally confirmed the rumours. There was a story going around of a young man and his wife, and of how people saw her let him inside their home after dark. The only one to emerge again was… one of them, and his body was never found. These creatures, some of them at least, could copy people. They could imitate them and persuade others to do as they wished. I felt the tension in the room rise as the news reporter had said this, and felt the eyes on me as mine wandered over everyone in the room in turn, too. It was a funny thing to imagine; your own family out to get you.
I sat in my room alone now, as my parents were having a discussion of possible plans of escape if necessary, and Coralline was having a cry with Mikey about how her dad couldn’t come visit her now from the UK. I felt for her, I really did.
I understood that a few people had to suffer for the rest to be safe, but it still sucked. They’d told us we’d be shot if we attempted to escape across the borders, and shot if word got out that we planned to. This somewhat shocked me at first, because of course we couldn’t possibly be a creature if we were trying to escape in broad daylight. I guess it was just easier this way. I guess there was a reason for it.
“May I come in?” Coralline stood peeking through the gap in the door. I wiped the tear from my cheek and nodded, and she came in and sat herself down on the mattress on the floor. She didn’t know so yet but we’d be trading places tonight and for as long as we had to. I felt horrible making a girl sleep on the floor while I was in a bed.
Her cheeks were still red but at least they were now dry, so Mikey must have found a way to cheer her up. She smiled across at me as she sat, just silently, but there wasn’t much to say anyway.
“I think I might sleep, or something. It’s been a long day.”
“Yeah, same. I just want it to be over.”
“Mmm.” I got up then and stood before her, my hands outstretched towards her. She took them after giving me a strange look and I pulled her up then sat her on my bed. “You’re sleeping here from now on, and I’ll take the floor.”
“But –”
“Please. I insist.” I turned the light off then and gathered the blankets on the floor before stripping myself of my clothes and laying down. I heard her doing the same.
“But Gerard, this is your bed.”
“I really don’t care, hun. I’d prefer you sleep in it.” I turned onto my side and supressed a giggle as I thought of all the things I’d done in it and of how innocent and naïve Coralline seemed. It was all sorts of wrong.
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Sorry I haven't updated this in ages! I watched the remake of 'The Thing' tonight and it kinda inspired me. :D