Empty hollow eyes. I stare at a screen. Stringly dry hair. I stare at a screen.

Pale devoid skin. I stare at a screen.

My dignity is gone and with it my soul. My passion, my life, sucked away.

I know all this and yet I can't look away.

This screen is my life. It's my IV drip.

And I have a disease.

My bony fingers hit the keyboard and I'm away.

Who needs drugs when I have this feeling. This feeling or floating not quite in reality yet not quite out either. Simultaneously drifting between my computer screen and my life. I'm high.

~BUZZ~BUZZ~BUZZ~

My phone's ringing.

A picture of my mum brightens my pitch black room.

~BUZZ~BUZZ~BUZZ~

The half decayed host stares into my soul.

I press decline.

That's when it happened. I blinked.

~BANG~

A gunshot. A gunshot...

I relapse from my temporarily dazed state.

What's happening.

(A gunshot.)

I know that already.

~BANG~

And I blinked again.

When I awoke I did so slowly.

The pile of drool stuck to my face preoccupied my mind. I hadn't gone to sleep.

Then I remembered. A gunshot.

SHIT!

I darted to my feet frightened that the shooter was in my room with me. His gun hanging inches from my neck ready to make a cut.

A chilling thought, but a short one as well as in my rush I had banged my head against my chair as I had gotten up.

Fuck that hurt.

The sting was persistent but I had more important things to do. A gunshot.

I guided myself with the humming light of my computer monitor until I had reached the wall.

Then I fumbled my way across the wall like a blind man until I found the light switch.

A click rang out and my room was filled with light.

Wow. I really needed to tidy my room up; half eaten chocolate smeared into the carpet; beer cans were thrown about in various states of being crushed; and of course, my mattress that I had brought pre-stained.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

A gunshot.

Oh yeah, the possible murder.

I place my ear against the door and listen.

........................................

........................................

........................................

........................................

A single footstep.

.........................................

........................................

........................................

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My heart sunk. He was here. I was dead.

Images ran through my mind like Usain Bolt.

Where would the bullet enter? My head? Would my face be blown to pieces? Guess I'll be having a closed casket.

I was interrupted by some more footsteps loudly creaking against the floorboards outside my apartment door.

Someone was there. A human? Yes, of course, a human.

~creeeeeeek~

Shit.Shit.Shit.

I could hear it's breathing. That slow, rhythmic pull and that exhausting, quick push. I could feel the oxygen entering his bloodstream, I could see the blood moving his body.

I was him.

And I open the door.

The other me fell onto the ground in shock and apathy.

I was tall, probably 8ft5. No! 8ft6.

My skin was pitch black and moving. Jagered and fuzzy like the static off a tv screen. My face was featureless and my body more so.

I bent down by my waist until I was non-existent nose to nose.

And then I blinked.

My computer screen was loading the newest game I downloaded.

Some Japanese RPG. I didn't care.

I wasn't all that into videogames. I just liked to play.

But so did the game.

My game finally loaded and a question appeared.

[ Start Game???]

And I did.

Suddenly my screen went dark.

In fact, my entire room did. Once again.

Then I appeared.

I knew I was there without having to look.

I just sat there staring into my black computer monitor. Emotionless.

All the while I was standing behind me. Leering over my shoulder.

It and I, and I and it grinned.

It had begun.

WE. Had planned this. WE. Had dreamt of this.

But only I had actually known it would happen.

The apocalypse.

I and I stood up and walked to my bathroom.

Wow. I really needed to clean this place; half-eaten FlsEH smeared into the tiles; OgrAns were thrown about in various states of being crushed; and of course, TeH bOdIE that I had in my bathtub.

Ah. I brought my hands up to my head in pain. The headaches were back.

Fuck it hurt.

I reached into my hoodie pocket and took out a bottle of pills.

I knocked one back and winced as the medicine kicked in.

When I opened my eyes my bathroom was clean.

And there was me in the mirror.

Useless. Worthless. Annoying.

All words I would use. But I'm not sure about what.

I was a conundrum and the clock was running out.

My brows scrunched together in pain. My face soon melted into wretchedness.

Why?

Anger. Rage. It had taken over my sadness.

My features metamorphosized into a swirling mass of hatred.

I silently roared at the mirror; neck veins taught, my face red and strained.

And then I blinked.

And then I was naked.

A breeze came past from I don't know where.

I was in a field except I wasn't. This is a memory. But it looked so real.

And then I blinked.

And then I was back.

I stared at my blank face. I wonder if my neighbors did the same?

My face stared back. That almost certainly happened to my neighbors, didn't it?

My black featureless face. I stuck out one of my fingers and urged myself forward.

" hi, " I whispered.

Then everything became blurry. Sports of black overcame me and a warm feeling floated over my body like a disease.

And then I blinked.

Now I was naked again. And I was in my bathtub.

I clutched at the pill bottle in my hand.

It felt light.

I brought the bottle up to my eyes and saw that it was empty.

And then I looked at the warning label.

'May cause Hallucinations.' Stood out in blurring font.

I let the bottle gently fall out of my grasp.

And then I blinked. And the bath was full.

Water filled to the brim.

Oh. I was back.

" hi, " I whispered.

" hi, " I whispered back.

I looked away from myself and instead looked at the water.

Filled to the brim. And red.

I moved my legs apart and A finger floated to the top.

I looked back to myself and he brought a finger to his lips.

" shhh " whispered I.

Then I reached into my mouth with my entire hand.

I wanted my stomach. I WANTED MY STOMACH.

I reached further and further. I gaged and chocked.

And then I vomited. And then I died.

And then I blinked.