"The Sickness" by Dante Ross

This is from a story I did years ago and is very honked up.

Chapter 1

For the third time in a week Riley woke up surrounded by garbage. He looked around the room for a familiar face and found none. Only junkies, drunks, and the scum of the Earth.

His people.

“What'cha looking for?” asked a dirty blonde in the corner. She was wearing a green tube top and blue jean mini skirt. But it was impossible for her to have been speaking. The right side of her face was missing.

“Nothing” Riley replied. “Just wondering where I am.” He had an idea but these days he knew it was better to get information secondhand than to trust his own judgment. Doing so has kept him alive the past thirty years. “What's your name?” he asked.

“Lee Ann, not that it's any of your business” she replied. The side of her face dripped with fresh blood as she spoke. Riley turned his head in disgust. “It's too late to look away now, cowboy. I suggest you leave.” She fished in her pocket for what seemed like an eternity before finding a crushed Marlboro Light. As she brought it to her lips she smiled at him. 

“Did I do this?” he asked to no one in particular. He wasn't even sure if he actually spoke the words aloud. “I couldn't have. Right?”

“Honey, anything is possible nowadays. Look at me. I know half my goddamned face is missing but I'm still talking to you. I can't even feel any pain. But that's the way you like it, ain't it?” She lit a wooden match off the side of someone's face. In the darkness of the room Riley could only vaguely make out the outline of a man. She brought the cigarette to her lips and inhaled deeply. The smoke seeped out the side of her face.

“What do you mean that's the way I 'like it?' There's no way in hell that I'm capable of doing this.” He slowly rose to his feet, his knees and ankles cracking like dry twigs. He has been here for a while. “I gotta go. This isn't right.”

“Honey, I can't think of anything righter than this moment” said Lee Ann.

Riley looked around for a jacket he didn't know he owned and put on shoes he wasn't sure were his and left a place he has never seen before. He was blinded by the sunlight. It had to be only 7:30 am by the amount of people on the streets. He turned back to the house and saw the Lee Ann standing at the door, rubbing the side of her face where the blood was now drying. She slowly wiped it away, looking at her hand. Chuckling, she flicked it on the porch.

“Same time next week?” Lee Ann asked.

“No” he quickly said. “I don't think so.”

“Yeah that's what they always say. See you around.” She slowly backed into the doorway and slammed the door shut. Not ten seconds later loud Gothic metal began to blare in the house. Riley held onto a steel chain linked fence for support and slowly made his way onto the sidewalk, stumbling to wherever. A small part of him knew that he would be back. And that scared him more than anything else. Where was he? Why that house? Why this feeling of familiarity with the bloody Lee Ann? Why was everyone staring at him so much as he walked?

Chapter 2

As Charles headed home he saw a man walking down the street covered in blood. His first instinct was to call the police. His second and louder instinct was to just ignore it. Let someone else deal with the grief. He had been up all night at the plant. Security at a company that makes screws was like having a baby shower at an abortion clinic. 

Cruel and unusual. 

He has been up for three days and knows that when he gets home his fiance will give him grief about his work hours. How he doesn't give her attention anymore. How he never has time to play with her kids. How he always looks depressed. How, how, how! He was getting sick just thinking about it.

He pulled into the driveway and was welcomed by the sound of loud music. “Garbage Rock” he called it. Lee Ann was almost thirty and still listened to that trash. He knew the kids would be up and wanting to play with him. He just wanted to sleep. After turning off the engine and waiting for it to settle, he took a deep breath and slowly got out the car. 

As he headed towards the steps he noticed blood on the door. Not a lot. But a little was more than enough. He turned the doorknob and gently pushed the door open. A loud creaking made his heart skip a beat. Something heavy was against the back of the door. He shoved harder and a small hand fell to the floor at his feet.

Charles screamed and ran back to his car. He grabbed his cell phone from his pocket and was about to dial 911. Then he looked back at the house. This was it. His chance to escape. A new life. No more nagging and screaming from kids that weren't his. No more pretending to be happy with a life he knew wasn't his. He started the engine and screamed again when a hand slapped his window. It was Lee Ann.

“Honey, where do you think you is going? You just got here” she mumbled as dried blood turned her face into a mass of red with eyes. He wanted to just drive off. Run. But he couldn't.

“I forgot something at work” he said weakly. He was trying his best not to vomit, but his best was not good enough. He threw up a half digested microwave burrito all over himself and his steering wheel. Lee Ann walked to his drivers' side window and grabbed him by the collar.

“Hope you weren't thinking of running away, honey. You know we need you. You're our provider. Without you I wouldn't be able to enjoy this grand lifestyle I have become so accustomed to” she said as her hand swept her blood caked hair out of her face, revealing her horrible wound.

“If I even began to suspect that you were planning on leaving us I will look like a beauty queen compared to what would happen to your pretty little face.” Lee Ann flicked her cigarette to the ground and stomped it out with her bare feet. “Now come in here and help me clean up this mess. I got another client coming by later.”

Charles slowly opened his door and made sure not to let his vomit drip on his shoes. He had no idea why that was important but he needed something to keep himself from looking at Lee Ann's face. He had seen her in terrible conditions before but never like this. As he made his way towards the front door Lee Ann doubled over and coughed up a wad of blood. She then reached into her mouth and removed a loose tooth.

“What a man” she said as she replayed her session with Riley. “Every once in a while someone comes around that makes you feel like a real woman, you know what I mean?” she asked no one in particular. Charles fought back the rest of his burrito as they entered the house. 

Charles screamed.

         

Chapter 3

Rexford Malice was once a rock star. He could have any drug, drink, or woman he wanted. There wasn't anything he couldn't have just by asking for it. Sometimes he didn't even have to. Rexford would just walk into a hotel room and five women would be waiting for him in his bed willing to do anything. Anything. But 15lbs. and fifteen years make a huge difference. He barely even hears his songs on the radio anymore. He hasn't even been asked to start a reunion tour with his former band, Fire Y Stars. They got a new lead singer four years ago and haven't even called him since. Now he has been reduced to hiring whores to get him off. One in particular is named Lee Ann.

She will do anything for the right price. The only problem is that sometimes she looks a little worn. One of her clients likes it rough and she has the scars to prove it. The only thing worse than the scars are her kids being around when business is open. Her boyfriend isn't even an issue. He is hardly ever there and even if he is he cant say shit about what Lee Ann does for a living. He is a security guard of some sort but not the type that carries a gun. That type can be dangerous, as Rexford knew well. 

Years ago he came across some good pussy that had a midget of a boyfriend that packed heat. He shot at Rexford and hit him in the shoulder ruining his sweet tattoo.

As Rexford approached Lee Ann's house he saw a car in the driveway. Lee Ann's boyfriend was home. No problem. Rexford parked in front of the dilapidated house and put his car in park. As soon as he got to the front door and was ready to ring the doorbell Lee Ann snatched the door open.

“Sorry, honey, but I'm closed for business today” she said while holding a filthy napkin to her face. “The kids and the boyfriend are here and I know how much you hate that.” Rexford could not stop staring at her face.

“What the fuck happened to you? Your boyfriend didn't do this, did he?” He honestly didn't care either way. Her face wasn't of concern to him. What he needed to do with her had nothing to do with anything above her waist. Plus he knew that her punk boyfriend didn't have the stones to do this kind of damage.

“You're cute when you're worried, honey” Lee Ann slurred between the napkin which was now soaked with blood. “Charles couldn't hurt a feeling let alone do this to me. The man who did this to me was a real man. The type of man that knows what a woman likes. What a woman needs. What a woman craves” she purred as she bit what was left of her lower lip.

“So, no action today then?” Rexford whined. He was ashamed with himself. He knew he could do better than Lee Ann. But there was something about her that kept him coming back for more. And until he found out what that was he'd keep coming back for more. “I can come back later if that's okay” he said while trying his best to stop staring at her wound. That couldn't be good for her, that dirty napkin. “Need me to take you to the hospital or anything?” he asked moments before Charles burst out the side door screaming. Rexford ran over to the side of the house and saw Charles dumping a torn garbage bag full of what looked like raw meat.

“Oh, my God, I can't do this anymore!” Charles screamed as an arm fell onto his shoes. He kicked the arm away from himself and ran to his car.

“Excuse me, honey” Lee Ann said as she disappeared into the house for a few seconds. Just as Charles got his engine started his rear-view mirror exploded. Charles screamed as if someone had dropped a hot iron in his lap. Lee Ann charged off the porch holding a double-barreled shotgun that was aimed squarely at Charles heart. “Don't be silly, honey. You can't run from me. I am proud that you even had the nuts to try and run. Now just turn off your crappy little car and finish cleaning up that mess.” Charles stumbled out of his car and wiped tears from his eyes.

“Hello” Charles said to Rexford as he went back into the house. Rexford looked at Lee Ann holding the shotgun while trying to light a cigarette and thought it was the sexiest thing he had ever seen in his life. He absolutely had to have her tonight and was willing to do anything to have her.

“Need me to help clean?” he asked her with a shit-eating grin on his face. Lee Ann walked over to Rexford and kissed him on the cheek. He was immediately aroused. Lee Ann wiped the bloodstain off his face as she took him by the hand.

“Do you think you can handle it?” she asked as she scratched her ankle with the barrel of the shotgun. It was still warm from the shot she just fired and it left a small burn on her. Rexford licked his lips as he walked into the house. As he began to scream Lee Ann raised the barrel right to his face. She quickly stuck it into his mouth and slowly pulled it out before quickly putting it back in as if she were fucking him.

“I don't think you can deal, honey. Don't let me down. You don't want to see what happens when I get let down” she said while pulling the barrel from his mouth and throwing it on the couch next to what looked like half a person.

“I won't, baby” Rexford said as he took Lee Ann's hand. “I wont let you down.”

Chapter 4

Riley was halfway to where he thought his house should be when he heard a child calling his name. He looked up and saw a pretty little girl wearing a yellow sundress and white sneakers. He didn't recognize her and didn't know why she knew his name.

“Where you going, daddy?” she asked with a small lisp in her voice caused by her missing front teeth. A small part of himself hoped that he hadn't done that to her. “Where did you go yesterday, daddy?” she asked while the rest of the kids began to gather.

“I don't know, baby” Riley said as he looked at the kids staring at him. What were they looking at?, he wondered. Then he heard a scream. A teacher came running over to the gate and began pushing the kids away from Riley. Riley still had no idea why she was screaming so loudly.

“Get away from here, you monster!” she screamed as she pulled out a cell phone. “I am calling the police! Go!” Riley still couldn't figure out what her problem was until she began to talk. “Police, there is a man at the school covered in blood at the playground! Yes, blood! I don't know who he is! Just get here quick! White. About six feet tall. 200lbs. He's wearing a dirty gray shirt with blood all over it! And his jeans have pieces of meat all over them! I think its meat...” she moaned as she backed away from the fence.

Riley looked down at himself and realized that she wasn't lying. He was indeed covered in blood and meat. He put his fingers to his lips and tried to make her be quiet but was failing miserably.

“I am here to see my daughter” he said as she ran back to the school. Riley immediately heard sirens coming. He ran through traffic and was hit by an SUV full of housewives. They all screamed except for one.

“Are you fucking crazy running out into fucking traffic like some sort of fucking lunatic?!” one of them screeched. Riley slowly got up and the woman saw what Riley looked like. “Oh, my fucking God, someone call the police!” Riley tried to run but fell down. His right ankle was throbbing and he knew the longer he took to take care of it the worse it would feel.

“Stay down, you fucking maniac!” she screamed as she shoved him back down. Riley grabbed the lady by the throat and threw her onto the windshield. The rest of her friends quickly jumped out the car and assumed self defense poses.

“I don't want any trouble, ladies!” Riley shouted above the sounds of horns honking and people shouting at him for throwing the lady. The lady wasn't small either. She was about five foot nine and 230lbs. Somehow he threw her with one hand. “I just need to get home and figure things out!”

“You're not going anywhere!” one of the larger women said as she approached Riley. She struck a pose that was somewhere between funny and frightening. She charged at Riley and everything went dark.

Chapter 5

Officer Lee got the call about some guy at a schoolyard covered in blood and meat. The first thing he thought of was his kids. But then he remembered that his wife had taken them when she moved back to Nevada and that this psychopath was nowhere near them.

The second thing he thought of was that he didn't need this kind of drama in his life. It was hard enough being the only Asian in his department. It was even harder seeing his first name happened to be Bruce. He sometimes wondered if it were a “Boy Named Sue” situation that his parents had agreed upon way before his birth. As he rounded the corner near the school with his sirens off as to not scare the perp away he was instantly stuck in traffic. An accident had happened right across the street from the school he was headed towards.

“Like I need this shit right now” he muttered as he climbed out of his cruiser. He kept his hand rested on his gun as he approached the scene. As he got closer he saw four women lying on top of an SUV. Bystanders were all on their phones calling for police and ambulances. Officer Lee made some room to get a better look at what happened. He wished he hadn't. One of the witnesses were sitting on the curb and shaking.

“What the hell happened?” Officer Lee asked, losing any sense of composure he had been trying to keep. “Where did they go?”

“There was no 'they'” the witness said. He was shaking so badly he could barely light his cigarette. He refused to even look at the crime scene. He had some blood on his shirt, which obviously had come from one of the women. “One guy did this. It was horrible“ he said after finally getting his cigarette lit and taking a long drag. “One crazy motherfucker did this with one hand.”

“Don't say that” Officer Lee said as he wiped the sweat that was beading on his brow. The idea of facing someone that could do this to four huge women with one hand didn't appeal to him in the least. If he could do this to a group of women that weighed over half a ton combined he would have no problem handling a five foot six 155lb. Chinese man. “Are you sure there was only one guy?”

“Are you fucking serious?” the witness asked. He stood up and threw his cigarette to the ground. “This fucking guy, completely covered in blood, used his left hand to throw the one on the bottom on top of the hood. Then one of the other ones, the one with the black tank top on, did some weird karate shit and ran at him. He fucking punched her square in the chest so hard she shit herself! She fucking shit herself and doubled over! One uppercut later and she was on top of her friend there. The other two came at him holding a stick or something.”

“And you didn't try to help?” Officer Lee asked and regretted doing so. The look on the guys face clearly showed that he knew that Officer Lee knew what a stupid question it was.

“Fuck you, man! Fucking fuck you! You weren't here! Where the fuck were you?! You were eating chow mien or some shit while I saw a fucking massacre! Those other fat bitches came at him at once and with one backhand knocked them on top of that fucking SUV! Look at that car! That fucking hood alone is over four feet high! They both landing on top of the other two and were out cold! You think I was going to try to stop him? Bullshit, man! Bull fucking shit! I'm not a cop! I don't get paid to be a hero! Why didn't I try to help? Fuck you.” Officer Lee sighed as he walked towards the car.

“Where the hell is my back up?” he asked aloud. As he approached the car one of the women coughed. Officer Lee jumped back and drew his gun. The lady on the bottom of the pile was trying to wriggle free. Officer Lee ran over and helped her out. She gasped and coughed up blood before crashing to the ground.

“What the fuck?!?!” she screamed as she looked at what happened to her friends. “He wasn't human! He could not have been fucking human at all! Look at what he did!” As she climbed off of the ground and leaned on the hood Officer Lee could read the back of what her shirt said.

United States Female Cage Match Champion 2006.

“Jesus Christ” Officer Lee said as he kicked the front tire of the SUV.