Chapter 4: Miss Me?

Debra’s hair shimmered in the golden light, cascading over her shoulders like a silken waterfall. She stood at the foot of the bed, her slender fingers tracing lazy circles on the hem of her blouse. Her eyes caught Jeff’s, those same hazel orbs that had always seemed to see through him, to strip away every lie and defense he’d ever constructed.

“You’re staring,” she teased, a playful smile tugging at her lips.

“Can you blame me?” Jeff replied, his voice hoarse, caught somewhere between disbelief and desire.

He sat on the edge of the bed, the mattress sagging slightly under his weight. His hands were knotted in his lap, restless, unsure if this moment was real or just some cruel trick his mind had conjured. But as Debra stepped closer, the warmth of her presence ignited something deep inside him—a flicker of life he hadn’t felt in years.

Debra’s blouse slid from her shoulders, falling in a whisper to the floor. She stood before him in nothing but lace and skin, her every curve illuminated by the golden light. Jeff’s breath caught as she climbed onto the bed, straddling him with a grace that seemed almost supernatural. Her hands slid up his chest, her nails scraping lightly against his skin, leaving trails of heat in their wake.

“You’ve missed me, haven’t you?” she murmured, her voice low and sultry.

Jeff nodded dumbly, his hands finding their way to her hips. Her skin was warm, impossibly soft, and he could feel the faint tremble in her muscles as she moved. “Every damn day,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

Debra leaned in, her lips grazing his ear. “Show me,” she whispered, her breath hot and intoxicating.

His hands roamed her back, pulling her closer as their lips met in a kiss that stole what little breath he had left. Her tongue teased his, her movements deliberate and slow, driving him to the edge of madness. Her scent—vanilla and jasmine—was intoxicating, a familiar comfort that left him aching for more.

She moved against him, her rhythm building in intensity, her moans echoing softly in his ear. Jeff’s hands gripped her hips, guiding her as their bodies moved in perfect harmony. The world outside faded, leaving only the heat, the scent, the sound of her breathless gasps as she leaned her forehead against his.

“I love you,” he whispered, his voice cracking with the weight of the words.

Debra pulled back just enough to look at him, her eyes glistening with tears. “I know,” she said, her voice trembling. “I love you too.”

But as the words left her lips, something changed. The light in the room dimmed, the golden glow replaced by a sickly, flickering hue. Jeff blinked, disoriented, but before he could speak, Debra’s smile twisted into something else—something unnatural.

Her hands, once warm and soft, grew cold against his chest. He looked down, his breath catching in his throat as her skin began to crack, dark veins spidering across her body.

“Debra?” he whispered, his voice barely audible.

She didn’t respond. Instead, her flesh began to bubble, her once-perfect skin sloughing off in wet, steaming chunks. The smell hit him first—acrid, like burning hair mixed with rotting meat. His stomach churned as her body collapsed against him, the heat of her melting flesh searing his skin.

Jeff screamed, his hands instinctively pushing her away, but his fingers sank into the gooey mass that had once been his wife. Her hair, now clumped and greasy, stuck to his hands like cobwebs. Her eyes liquefied, black ichor pouring down her cheeks as her skull caved in with a wet crunch.

“You missed me, didn’t you?” she rasped, her voice distorted and gurgling as her jaw unhinged, the bone splintering and jutting at odd angles.

Jeff’s screams mingled with the wet squelch of her body disintegrating. The weight of her collapsed chest pinned him down, her ribs folding inward like a crushed soda can. Dark fluids oozed from her, soaking his legs and pooling on the bed.

The stench was unbearable, and Jeff’s stomach rebelled. He gagged, his body convulsing as he vomited violently. Beer and half-digested party food spilled onto the floor in a chunky, foul-smelling puddle. The bitter tang of bile burned his throat, mixing with the rancid odor of decay.

Jeff threw himself off the bed, landing hard on the floor. His limbs flailed as he crawled away, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps. His head spun, his vision blurring as his mind struggled to make sense of what had just happened.

The room around him pulsed with a sickly red glow, the shadows on the walls twisting and writhing like living things. He clutched his head, his fingers digging into his scalp as if trying to claw the nightmare from his brain.

And then, as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped. The room was still. Quiet.

Jeff’s chest heaved as he looked around, the bile still burning in his throat. The golden light was back, soft and steady, as if nothing had happened. The bed was untouched, the sheets pristine. There was no sign of the horror he had just witnessed.

The flashing red and blue lights outside his window caught his attention, their rhythm steady and unrelenting. They painted the room in bursts of color, grounding him in reality even as his mind screamed that something was wrong.

Jeff staggered to his feet, his legs trembling. He grabbed the flat bottle of import from the nightstand and took a long swig, the bitter liquid calming his nerves just enough to stop the shaking. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes darting toward the window.

He didn’t know what he’d just experienced, but he couldn’t stay in the apartment any longer. The lights outside were a lifeline, pulling him toward something real, something tangible.

He threw on his jacket and headed for the door. Whatever was happening out there, it had to be better than staying in here.

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