TAG Part 4

Later, I awoke more calmly.  I was very groggy, moving as though there was lead in my veins instead of blood.  My head was pounding, and I had a thirst such as I had never felt.  Opening my eyes hurt.  I was clearly medicated, which slowed me down greatly, and took the edge off whatever pain I had been feeling.  However, it did very little for the anxiety that crept over me as I began to become more and more aware of my surroundings. 

I was in a small hospital room, and I was alone.  No nurse, doctor or other patient was in sight.  I was attached to a monitor and an IV.  And I ached from head to toe.  Weird, that cat attack couldn’t have caused this much pain.  I replayed the events of the day in my bleary brain:  Woke up to a weird little boy tagging me and disappearing.  I had a huge and ugly spider under my car door handle.  I had been savagely attacked by a stray cat.   OK, the spider thing, that was unusual – I had seen that before… but it was still weird. Yet, not nearly as bizarre as the other two.  And now I was here, bringing my super-weird count to 4.  What a day.  And yet, I know that it was not over.  The weirdness was just beginning, I knew this.  I had no idea how I knew that, but I did.  It was like a cloud had been blocking the sunlight, and was now slowly moving out of the way.  The bright sunlight of awareness was gradually coming to me at what felt like a glacial pace.  There was something in that sunlight that I did not want to see, and still I was going to see it.   I sensed it danger.  Something in the depth of my stomach turned at this awareness.  Soon, the light would be fully ablaze, and I would be forced to stare into until my retinas burned at the sight of it.   And this awareness was something the medication dripping into my body from the IV could not dull. 

At that moment, a young man walked into the room.   He seemed nervous, hesitant.  And oddly, he wore a surgical mask.  Was I contagious?  Was that it?  Am I just feverish and hallucinating from eating some bad mushroom or something?  That would explain so much.  None of the weird happenings would have actually happened; it would have all be figments of my twisted imagination. 

“Miss Walker?  How are you feeling?” he asked, his voice muffled through the mask. 

“Thirsty.” I replied, my voice croakish.  “And achy”, I added.

He took some notes on his clipboard.  He kept a safe distance.

“Umm, why are you wearing a mask?” I asked.

“Miss Walker, I am Dr. Howell.  I’m sorry for the confusion, and for the mask.  We need to take all precautions.  Now that you are awake, is there someone you would like us to call?” he asked, again from a safe distance.

“No.”  There was no one.  I was alone in this city.  Except for Thomas of course.  Thomas!  Oh crap, I have to call Thomas!  He will be freaking out, I missed my important meeting! 

“Where is my cell phone?” I asked.  “I have to call my business partner”.

“Not yet, Miss Walker.  You need your rest.  But give me his name and number, and I will call him directly.” 

So formal.  So very cold.  What was happening here?

“Doctor, what’s going on?  What is happening?” I asked.

“Miss Walker...”

“Ally.” I interrupted.

“Ally.  OK.  Ally, we suspect that you may have a virus of some sort.  We are keeping you under quarantine until we can confirm if you have something, and if you are contagious.  It is a necessary precaution.  I am sorry”.

“What?  I am not sick, that’s crazy!  I am here because I was attacked by a stray cat.  If anything, that damn cat might have had rabies, but even so, I had all my vaccinations for a trip out of the country last year.  And –“

“Ally,” he interrupted, “yes.  You were attacked by a cat.  We understand that.  But that can’t explain the symptoms that people are getting when they are around you.” 

He paused, seemingly searching for the right words.

“Ally, you were brought in here 2 days ago.  Since that time, 4 people who came in direct contact with you got very sick within minutes.  VERY sick.  High fever, flu-like symptoms.  This includes the 2 EMT drivers and 2 members of the ER team.”  He stopped, and he looked past me.  He did not want to make eye contact. 

He continued, “Ally, 2 of them are in critical condition.  And 2 of them… 2 of them died”.

Horror Fiction Fun: Dawn's Horror Blog: TAG Part 3

Horror Fiction Fun: Dawn's Horror Blog: TAG Part 3: Later that day, I finally had a moment to breath.  I stopped at Starbucks for a skim iced Mocha Latte, and sat in my car sipping it.  Enjoy...

Dawn's Horror Blog: TAG Part 3

Later that day, I finally had a moment to breath.  I stopped at Starbucks for a skim iced Mocha Latte, and sat in my car sipping it.  Enjoying the cold rush of chocolaty caffeine, with 90’s grunge music banging its way through the speakers and to my ears, I was happy.  Everyone needs a break, and this is the way I enjoy my down time.  You would probably not know it to look at me, with my conservative skirt and low heels, my current corporate drag, but back in the day, I was quite the grunge headbanger chick.  Not the heavy metal 80’s headbanger, no.  The far cooler 90’s headbanger, with the Seattle sound and the mosh pits.  That was me, jamming out in clubs to the sounds of Soundgarden, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and the like.  I spent 3 years in Seattle for work, and that is where I picked up both addictions:  Grunge music and coffee.  And so now, I find the best way to calm my mind is to sit in my car with the radio blaring “Smells Like Teen Spirit” or similar anthem, with the windows rolled up and a cold Starbucks in my hand.  I close my eyes, and am taken away.  Sometimes, I only need 2 or 3 songs to clear my head.  Other times, it takes 6 or 7.   Depends on the stress of the day. 

Today, I felt better after just 2 songs actually, and could finally begin to think clearly. 

I then had a moment to think about that strange little boy at my house today.  And whenever I had thought about him, I felt as if I had seen a ghost.  Literally every time he crossed my mind, the little hairs pricked up on the back of my neck and my arms.  It is like I was suddenly cold, but I was really not.  A chilling sensation, which just so happened to also be alarming.  I ignored the feeling each time it came, telling myself it was all just in my mind.

Who was he?  What should I do about it?  My brain started to go into overdrive.  What if he was kidnapped and I was his only hope of escape, and I blew it? Wait, what if he was missing and somehow the police find out he came to my house?  What if I become a suspect?  Oh no, this is getting out of hand.  I should call someone.  But who? 

That question had to go on hold as I see my long time business partner, Thomas, was calling me.  I lowered “Black Hole Sun”, and took his call.   

“Hey, are you heading over to Morgan and White”, he asked dispensing with any formalities such as saying hello or asking how I am.  That’s Thomas, and that is why I love working with him.  He is all business, all the time.  He is drive personified, he is pure focus.  And me, I am the creative mind, so he keeps me balanced.  He is the Yin to my Yang. 

“On my way now”, I lied.  It’s a little white lie, because I am more than halfway there already. 

“Don’t be late.  And call me after”, he said in his typical rushed tone, and hung up.  Anyone else might have been offended or thought him rude.  But I knew Thomas, who was simply very pragmatic with his time and information.  I dropped my phone in my lap, and shifted into gear to pull out of the parking spot.  Before I could pull out, I had to slam on my breaks.  I saw a small cat had walked in front of my car and plopped herself down in front of me, effectively blocking my escape.  I looked behind me and saw a car had just pulled into the parking spot that was open just a minute ago. 

I honked.  The cat did not move.  I honked again.  The cat expertly ignored me.  I rolled my window down and shouted to the cat to move, and again was ceremoniously ignored. 

“C’mon, cat, I can’t be late”, I shouted out the window.  Nothing. 

“Dammit”, I mumbled under my breath.  I got out of the car with the goal of chasing it away.  As I moved closer, I was shocked when the cat launched itself at me!  It attacked my face, catching me so off guard that I had no time to put my arms up to block it.  I tried to push it off of me, but it seemed latched on, biting me, scratching me.  I pulled at it, and must have been screaming wildly because people started running towards me.  No one actually helped me, and I had the fleeting thought that they might stop recording me for youtube, and give me a hand.   I fell to my knees, still not believing what was happening.  Finally, the cat gave up and dropped to the ground.   My face was burning, and I was shaking.  Now, a woman came up to me and asked if I was ok.  I told her I was, but I knew I was not.  I was in a state of shock.  A man came up to me too, and told me to sit down in my car while he got someone to help.  Everything was in slow motion, and I could hear fragments of what they were saying: “who should I call?”…”rabies”…”EMT?”…”try to catch it”….

I watched the cat that had so viscously attacked me.  She just sat there for a minute staring at me.  Watching me.  She got up and walked towards me and for a moment, I thought she might attack me again.  But she didn’t.  She circled back to where she was, and from there, moved back into the wooded area behind the parking lot.  And just like that, she was gone.

Then things got very far away, and I passed out.  I dreamed of the boy at my front door.  I woke up screaming.