As bad as I thought living with a stranger would be, it wasn't.

Alec was a quiet guy who had nothing to say. He spent every day with Grandma, helping her until I came home from work. I would then take his place so he could have some time to rest. You wouldn't think, because of his appearance, that he's capable of taking care of an older person. Don't judge a book by its cover, right?

Everything was going nicely until we met in the kitchen at one in the morning.

Since my last sleepover, I have begun to like sleeping just in shorts. It was more comfortable, and my body temperature felt ideal.

However, I forgot about Alec completely. And I wasn't wearing an oversized T-shirt to hide my body. I merely had a satin top on. I don't wear clothes made with this fabric, but it's just perfect for sleeping.

I was looking through the fridge for a bottle of beer when I felt someone standing behind me. I quickly turned, ready to throw some punches, yet then I realized it was Alec.

"I must've startled you." He chuckled. His eyes quickly traveled up and down my body. Because of the darkness, he believed I wouldn't notice, but my vision was excellent.

I instinctively covered my chest with my hands. I wasn't wearing any bra, and he could see my nipples clearly.

"T-Turn around!" I yelled quietly.

He moved his hands up in defeat and turned around. Soft cackles escaped his mouth.

"Hey! Don't laugh at me." I nudged his shoulder, and I didn't even know where that need to touch him came from. His shoulder was stiff and hard as a rock. If he wanted to slap me this instant, I would be lying dead on the cold floor.

"Listen, Eleanor told me you made a friend, and she wasn't happy when you didn't mention her." He said.

Did Grandma tell him that? She usually doesn't open up to people easily. I guess it's in our blood.

"Yeah, it's true. I made a friend." I replied, grabbing the beer from the fridge and opening the lid.

He halfway turned around. "Did something happen between you too? You look rather upset. Worry across your face."

Is it so visible?

Since the morning we last saw each other, we haven't talked at all. Madeline didn't even visit me at the bar. Clearly, she's angry with me.

"We just have complicated personalities, I guess." I scoffed.

He turned his body fully toward me. "Don't worry, I won't look at you." He informed me. "In my opinion, you should reach out to her. Good friendships are rare these days."

I took another swallow of the icy beer. Maybe he was right. Maybe I should reach out to her first. I was the one who made this mess in the first place.

"Thanks for the advice. I'm awful at creating connections with people." I laughed.

He leaned his body against the edge of the dining table. "I must disagree. You charmed me." He smirked.

My poor way of helping him charmed him? Some men are easy to impress, I suppose.

"I'll accept your compliment." I smiled and took another sip of the beer, which was half empty.

When I looked up from the beer bottle, I couldn't help but stare at him. His raven hair was perfectly laid against his chest. Through the window blinds, the moon's light shone off the silver piercings on his face. He was wearing plain sweatpants and a black tank top, but to me, he looked like the most attractive guy I had ever seen.

Maybe I was getting tipsy from the beer as I swallowed it too quickly, but I couldn't stop peering at his lips. Who am I fooling here? I was just making an excuse to look at them.

Are these thoughts just a result of never being touched by the opposite gender? Am I touch-deprived? I guess there's only one way to find out what's really happening to me.

I swallowed the entire liquid down my throat and took quick steps toward him. I grabbed onto his T-shirt, and as I was about to kiss him, I realized I couldn't do it. So, I moved my hands into his hair instead and roamed through it while staring into his chocolate-brown eyes.

As my hands were caught in his silky hair, he attached his large hands to both sides of my waist. Like a feather, he lifted me up until we were in the same eye zone. I had no other choice but to wrap my legs around his waist. I moved my hands onto his shoulder and intently stared into his eyes.

Without any warning, he pressed his lips against my neck. I instantly wrapped my arms around his neck and tilted my head backward. His cold lips devoured me under my jawline, sending pulses of pleasure through my body like an electric wire. Soft gasps escaped my mouth as he continued with a trail of kisses down my throat. I was in a trance, and truthfully, I had never wanted to be awakened from it.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Why was the need for a stranger's lips so tempting? After I swore off every man on this planet, somehow Alec became an exception. However, it was only for this moment. I wanted to forget about everything and enjoy the feeling of his gentle lips brushing against my skin.

Alec turned us around, and then he gently placed me at the dining table. He supported my back with his hands and laid me down. His long hair fell onto my face when he hovered over me. As he pierced his eyes at mine, I caught a short moment of his eyes turning fully black, as if ink spilled over a piece of paper. The corner of his mouth was carved into a sinful smirk.

The hair on my arms rose. A knot formed in my stomach, and the air around us became colder. The sudden dizziness overtook my head, and everything began to spin around.

His skin suddenly started turning into webs. Parts of his skin were peeling like bananas. It was as if his body was morphing into something beyond human comprehension.

My heartbeat quickened in a split second, and I was about to throw up from its insane pulse. All the oxygen in me was impossible to breathe into my lungs. I didn't know if what I was seeing was real or just my mere imagination.

He was transformed into an inhuman creature; his body was now a mass of slimy, glistening flesh. Nothing more than a corpse. All that was left of him were his skull and some pieces of flesh hanging from his bones.

I quickly twisted around and grabbed a kitchen knife, stabbing him right into the center of his chest. He let out a terrifying, low growl.

My heart was jumping out of my chest. I had to take short breaths to stay somewhat stable about what I was witnessing. About what I was doing.

His bones, though, didn't crack. Instead, he raged at me with full force, choking me with his bones of hands and popping his eyeballs while looking straight into my eyes.

I was frozen in place, unable to move. The bones of his hands kept pushing against my throat, and I kept struggling to break free. Just as I thought I was going to pass out, I sucked up all the oxygen that was possible to get into my lungs. I sat up at the speed of the light, screaming; drops of sweat were traveling all over my face and hair. I had to keep breathing to calm my fast-beating heart. I blinked multiple times and realized I was sitting on my bed in my room. I wasn't in the kitchen, being attacked by that monstrosity.

I swept away the sweat off my forehead, examining it after to see if it was real or just happening inside my head.

Was all that just a nightmare, and if it wasn't, how did I end up in bed?

I had to take an ice-cold shower and change into a sweater and leggings. I stayed up the whole night, under my comforter. After seeing that shit, there was no way I'd fall asleep. Even God wouldn't be able to get rid of the image of that thing from my head.

• • •

I didn't care about work because what mattered more was what happened last night.

Death visited me many times, but I never saw his face, nor did I feel his hands not having flesh. I hope he can't get into people's minds because if what I saw was him, I was truly screwed.

I ran downstairs into Grandma's room to find her sleeping since it was only six in the morning. Alec sat on the chair next to her, sleeping as well.

Maybe it was only a nightmare after all.

I walked out of the room soundlessly and headed into the kitchen. I made scrambled eggs for breakfast and mint tea that calms me down when I'm anxious.

I sat at the dining table, swallowing the eggs and drinking the hot tea that burned my tongue. But I had to feel like I was real and that this was the reality.

I leaned my head against the palm of my left hand and analyzed the kitchen counter. Nothing unusual I could see, except when my eyes passed the corner next to the fridge, something was hidden in its shadow. I got up from the chair and walked to it.

Something was hiding behind the toaster. I moved the toaster to the side and found an empty bottle of beer.

I gasped in shock, holding my lips together to make no sounds. That meant that what happened yesterday was real after all.

Suddenly, the doors to Grandma's room squeaked, and the sound of heavy boots alarmed me. If I wanted to know what happened yesterday, I had to play dump.

I turned to Alec with a smile. "Good morning." I greeted him.

He furrowed his eyebrows, then set his usual smirk on his face. "Good morning to you as well." He came closer to me, looking at my empty plate.

"Are you hungry? I can make you the best scrambled eggs you have ever eaten in your life."

"I would love that," he replied.

When I turned around to the fridge, my smile dropped. I grabbed three pairs of eggs and started making his breakfast.

"Hey, this will sound stupid, but did we have a conversation here last night?" I asked cautiously.

He was silent for a couple of seconds. I just waited for his response.

"Yes, we did. Why are you asking?" His voice dropped lower.

I looked over my shoulder at him. He was peering at me through his lashes. "Only because I feel like my memory has been wiped away." I chuckled, trying to keep a smile on my face.

I knew it was a mistake to let another man enter this house.

"You passed out after you had that beer." He said, pointing his head at the empty bottle in the corner of the counter. "So, I carried you into your bed. Are you displeased?" He rested his chin on his palm.

Passing out after one bottle of beer? Who happens to be so lightheaded?

I've been drinking beer with Grandma since I turned eighteen. I usually get drunk after five bottles of beer, not one.

Liar.

"Oh, thank you for the clarification." I returned my eyes to the pan.

Why was he lying to me? And what happened before he carried me upstairs? Was that skeleton an actuality?

The whole day after our morning conversation, I thought about everything that had happened in the last few weeks. Nothing was making any sense. Alec and his weird, mysterious behavior. Madeline's change of personality, and Grim Reaper, who apparently wants my soul.

Two weeks passed swiftly, and Halloween was only a few days away. Grandma's condition thankfully improved, and I finally had a reason to kick Alec out of our house. Not only did he lie to me, he did something with my head, and that destroyed my memory.

After talking with Grandma about sending him away, she agreed and said no man is now needed in our house. Which made me happy to hear. However, the afternoon of his leaving came, and when I told him to leave, my grandma turned against me.

"What do you mean he cannot leave? You said it yourself-it's time for him to go. You can't just decide his stay without me." I argued with her, creasing my forehead from the angriness as we were standing all in the hall.

"Vivienne, don't talk to me in that tone! I own this house, so I decide who stays here or not." Grandma said sternly, not sounding like herself at all.

"No, she's right. I should take my leave. I've been here for so long, troubling you. But I'll pay you a visit. Halloween is around the corner." He said, looking at Grandma and then paying a short glance at me.

He walked out of the door, and I furiously snapped my head at Grandma. "What was that about?" I raised my voice.

She blinked a few times with her creased forehead. "Child, I have no idea."

I shut the door behind him and hurried to the kitchen. I grabbed a bottle of beer and opened it. I swallowed it all at once, and the empty bottle dropped from my hand to the floor.

When I looked at the shards, it reminded me of myself and my life. So broken and shattered.