The day was weighed down by a suffocating gloom, the sky a bruised mass of thick, unyielding clouds that blotted out any trace of sunlight.

Shadows stretched long and crooked, creeping into every corner like an unwelcome visitor. 

I looked around the room we were in. The air felt stagnant, heavy with the scent of damp earth and decay, as if the world itself had taken a sick breath and held it. 

There was just silence all around, as if the room was deprived of life itself. Except the ragged sound of coughing breaking the oppressive silence, each wheeze echoing in the stillness. 

* Cough cough *

I shifted uneasily on the creaking stool, my gaze falling on Sunny, slumped in his wheelchair.

His eyes, once vibrant and filled with life were now hollow, clouded with a darkness that seemed to seep from somewhere deep inside him.

I first met Sunny when we were just fourteen years old, two lost kids navigating the world as orphans. 

From the moment our paths crossed, there was an undeniable connection, an instant understanding that made us click. 

We bonded over shared stories of hardship and dreams for a brighter future, finding solace in each other's company. 

As time passed, our friendship deepened, and what began as a simple camaraderie transformed into a familial bond.

Together, we faced the challenges of our circumstances, supporting and uplifting each other in ways only true family can.

My chest tightened, a sharp ache cutting through me as I watched the last glimmer of life on his serene face. 

* cough cough *

"You alright Sunny ? Here take some water"

" Thanks . I am fine man . You don't need to worry . You can't get rid of me that easily bud "

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

I smiled, but beneath it laid a tide of sadness, pain, and grief that threatened to overwhelm me.

" Yeah yeah ik .. you aren't that easy to kill anyways, you bastard " I tried to get back at him. 

These light-hearted jokes and conversation was something we both hold onto. 

It's been two years since he was met with an accident. He didn't just lost his legs, he lost his vigour, his vitality. He lost himself. 

Nothing has been the same since that day. He had to quit his job, and I've tended to him ever since.

Over time, our savings dwindled under the weight of his medical care. At just twenty, I didn't earn much, and the burden felt heavier with each passing month.

Now, we were barely surviving, and he wasn't getting any better. We both realized it, yet we kept it to ourselves, clinging to a fragile semblance of normalcy.

" Alright take care. I will head to work now "

I said, standing up from the stool I'd been using to sit at his level, matching his gaze as he remained in his wheelchair.

Checking that everything was good and that I had taken care of things he might need.. I grabbed my bag and walked towards the door. 

" Fratello " 

I heard it.. a whisper. 

Fratello.. brother in italian , something he picked up from a book when we were kids. He'd always call me that whenever something serious was on his mind.

I tensed and turned back. There we was with his usual smile. But the room felt colder. 

I was confused for a moment but, still waved him goodbye and turned to leave. 

" Fratello mio "

This time it was closer. I froze, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. I turned sharply

" Fratello mio "

The whisper brushed against my ear, a chilling caress that sent shivers down my spine. 

" Sunny? Did you call me? What's going on? "

There was no response. He just sat there, unmoving, his gaze prying into my soul. It was unsettling, sending shivers down my spine. Sweat trickled down my forehead, warmness in contrast with the cold temperature. 

I stepped forward, my pace a little faster. 

" SUNNY? " I yelled, panic evident in my voice .

But my voice fell on deaf ears. 

Something was terribly wrong. I have been walking for far too long. 

The distance between us wasn't shrinking.

I tried running and reaching out to him. The space between us warped, stretching endlessly. 

My pulse roared in my ear as the room darkened further, shadows growing and twisting.

My heartbeat pounding fast and my breath was getting shallow. My legs were losing strength but the adrenaline in me pushed me forward and I ran towards him. 

" SUNNY " I screamed again. 

With all my focus on him. I lost my balance and fell forward. 

Lying on the floor.. I looked up . His mouth moving. He was saying something but the sound was distant , as if muffled by thick walls.  

I strained to hear him . His lips moved , slowly and deliberately .

" run "

It was all I could make out .

Or maybe that was all he said because as soon as the words reached me.. darkness started enveloping the world.. and right there I saw his body disintegrate into ashes. 

Countless blooded hands emerged from the ashes. Numerous purple veins prominently bulging, pulsating in a way that suggests something sinister beneath the surface. 

Any humanly texture long gone leaving only a sickly pale stain to decorate that rotting flesh.

The skin pallid and mottled, stretching taut over prominent bones hanging.. giving it a decayed look.

I tried to stand, but my body betrayed. 

" Stand up... Goddammit , stand up! "

The hands paced towards me. The distance was getting shorter .

I tried to crawl away but it was all for naught. 

All I could see around was countless hands.. thirsty for my blood.. for my soul. 

" Aughhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! "

They reached me and I could feel my body being ripped apart and my organs scattered all over. The cold, slender fingers digging into my flesh, tearing me apart flesh by flesh. 

" Aughhhhhhhhhhhhhh"

Bones and flesh no longer together but a bloody mess. My face was half teared, sling hanging limply. 

One eyes dangled from its socket, swinging sickeningly and my thoughts prayed for death. 

I was frozen, helpless. 

All that could be heard were screams until darkness swallowed me whole. 

* Thud *