Scary Horror Stories by Dr. NoSleep - 3 First Date Horror Stories

Episode Date: March 16, 2022

🎉 Ad-free episodes + bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/drnosleep 🎧 Check out The SCP Experience podcast here: https://spoti.fi/3zCFjQc 🎥 YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/DrNoSleep �� Send all advertising inquiries to: [e-mail] Author: Matt Doggett Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/MatthewDoggettAuthor/ Website/Newsletter sign up: matthewdoggettauthor.com DISCLAIMER: This episode contains explicit content. Parental guidance is advised for children under the age of 18. Listen at your own discretion. #drnosleep #scarystories #horrorstories #doctornosleep #truescarystories #horrorpodcast #horror Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to aboard, Viarai. Embarked and profite. Embarque and celebrate. Rigolet. Publiere. Savoray. Admire. And profite.

Viarai. The voice that we love. Really, I'm not. I'm just saying that I don't generally have to do a lot of work when it comes to dating. And let's be honest here. Sex. Maybe it's genetics. Maybe it's the I don't give a fuck confidence that I have.

Whatever the reason, I wasn't surprised when the girl suggested we continue the date at her place after dinner. But now, as we drive into some backwoods area I've never even heard of on the outskirts of town, I'm starting to get a bit of a creepy feeling. I met her on one of those dating apps about a week ago. Her picture caught my attention, and the other pictures she had on there kept it. She's exactly my type. Blonde, but not fake blonde. Tanned, but not fake-tanned. She's got big green eyes and a body that clearly sees the inside of a gym several times a week. I glanced at her little bio on the app,

seeing that she'd listed traveling, music, movies, and dogs as likes on her profile. Okay, no points for originality, but I still wasn't about to swipe left just because of a lackluster bio. If I'm honest, I don't even look at the bio half the time. The first date is forgetting to know each other after all. After some chatting on the app, I decided to ask her out. She agreed. I was actually a little nervous because, according to her pictures, she was maybe, perhaps, possibly a little out of my league. Just a little. Listen, I may be good looking. But supermodels don't fall at my feet, okay? She looks just as good in person.

Even sitting as she is now in the front passenger seat of my escalade. We seem to have some chemistry, and the conversation had been flowing freely at the fancy restroom. But now she seems a little preoccupied, and I'm starting to get the creeps. We pass by an old rundown trailer home. It's yard crowded with old rusty lawnmow. and tools and paint cans. It's the last structure I can see, and we pass into the darkness

of the woods, the leaves, and branches blocking any moonlight. My escalades headlights search out the gentle curves in the road as we drive. So, Melissa, I say, you live out here? Yes, she says, taking a moment to look up from her phone. And you took an Uber all the way. way to the restaurant tonight? Mm-hmm, she says. You can never be too careful. If I had known you were such a nice guy, I would have had you come pick me up in your nice car.

That's another, it's the third time she's mentioned my car. So how much further? I asked. Not far, she says, smiling and reaching over to lay her hand on my arm. The gesture is one I would have found promising 15 miles ago. But now it seems like too much. It seems phony. She removes her hand and goes back to tapping away on her phone. I keep driving.

There's a gap in the woods on the right side of the road where a gravel driveway cuts through them. Just as we're passing it, Melissa looks up. Oh, she says. That's it. You missed it. I'm sorry. I'm really addicted to my phone. I'm working on it.

I muster a chuckle as I slow the car and then put it in reverse. Wow, fancy camera, he says, pointing at the display on my dash that relays the back camera feed, which automatically comes on when I reverse. That's four comments. I turn into the dark driveway, the wheels crunching loudly on the gravel. At least it seems loud to me. The driveway seems long, probably a good quarter mile. A small house, a cabin, really, comes into view where the driveway terminates.

It's dark, not a light to be seen through any of the windows. There's no garage, and I see no car parked anywhere. On the left side of the driveway near the cabin is a stack of chopped wood next to a large stump with an axe stuck in it. There's also a mound of dirt nearby and a wheelbarrow next to it. A shovel leans against the wheelbarrow. The woods surrounding the house are dark, and were far enough away from the road that I wouldn't be able to see if a car went by.

You can just park right here, she says as I pull up in front of the house. You live here alone? I ask her. Her appearance doesn't match the house. She doesn't seem like the type to live off in the woods. Yeah, she answers. Do you like it? Wait until you see the inside.

I put the escalate in park, but I don't turn off the ignition. You know what? I think I'll just head home. I've got an early day tomorrow. She pounce dramatically, giving me puppy dog eyes. Are you sure? I was looking forward to having some fun with you. She reaches over and puts a hand on my upper thudely.

as she speaks. Believe me, I would love to, I say, being honest, but I really have to get some sleep. Let's do this again? Melissa's expression changes. Her eyes going dull. The seductive look vanishing. She reaches over, grabs the keys, then turns them and yanks them out of the ignition, all in one quick move, like she's done it before. Hey! I say reaching to grab the keys. I say reaching to grab the keys back. She spits right in my eyes. I'm so surprised that I barely notice as she opens her door and gets out of the escalate. He's not coming in, guys, she calls out into the night. My stomach clenches as I hear this, wiping the spit off my face. I open my door and step out of the car, determined to get my keys back before these guys, whoever they are, show up. But as I round the back

of the SUV, I can already hear them coming. One steps out of the darkness of the of the woods on the other side of the driveway. It's dark, but I can see well enough as he walks up to Melissa and takes the keys from her, giving her a kiss that's disgustingly heavy on the tongue. I stopped near the SUV, thinking about my options. Footsteps behind me cause me to turn around, and I see another man coming out of the woods.

A porch light comes on at the cabin, and a third man comes out of the structure. In the porch light's illumination, I can see that they're all pretty big, looking like corn-fed country boys with big bones and small brains. And they all look similar as though they're related. Brothers, I'm guessing. I'm so fucked.

If movies are to be believed, the fact that these guys don't have masks on is a really bad sign. I can see their close-cut haircuts, their pronounced brows, and their shifty smiles just fine. But I don't see a gun in any hand, so that's good. They're closing in on me, and I make a quick decision to buy myself some time.

I clamber up onto the roof of my escalate, denting it inward as I stand up. The four of them look up at me in the pale light from the house, like I'm some kind of monkey in a cage. What do you want? I ask. What do you think? The one currently grabbing Melissa's ass says, We'll take your car and your money. Then what? I ask. Then what, what?

The guy says. Then you'll never see us again. But I know where you live, I say, pointing at the cabin. We don't live here, dumbass. The apparent ringleader says, This is a vacation cabin or some shit. You don't know anything about us. Her name's not even Melissa.

I'm starting to feel better about my prospects. If all they want is money, I can give that to them. It'll hurt my pride, but at least I'll be alive. I can always make more money. Besides, I have full, insurance coverage on the escalade. This doesn't stop my heart from trying to hammer its way out of my chest, though. Fine, I say, take the car and go. It's not that simple, the guy says. The other two guys are now on either side of the car, looking up at me. I move my head back and forth, trying to look at both of them at once. They're big

enough that they can jump up and grab hold of my legs if I'm not careful. I won't put up a fight, Just take the car, I say. No, you're coming with us to an ATM. You're going to withdraw the max amount. Then we'll take the car and leave you. One of the guys jumps up and tries to grab me, but I shift, getting out of the way. The other one manages to get a hand on one leg from the other side, and I kick out at him, hitting him in the face.

This knocks me off balance, and as the guy jerks back from the foot to the face, he trips me. I fall backward. my butt smashing into the windshield, my momentum rolling me back onto the hood and then down onto the gravel driveway. The pain from hitting the windshield is the least of my worries. All three guys are now coming at me. Melissa, or whatever her name is, shouts at them from a safe distance. Get him, Jake! She shouts, apparently talking to her boyfriend. I scramble up and head for the nearest weapon, the shovel leaning against the wheelbarrow. I grab it up, noticing the axe not

10 yards away from me. Too late. The guy I hit in the face runs over and pulls the axe out of the stump. His eyes are watering, but he's not bleeding or anything. It was a pretty poor shot on my part. Still, that doesn't keep him from wanting to do me some serious damage. I can tell just by looking at him. The guys close in, but I use the shovel's length to my advantage, swinging it in a wide arc to keep them away. I back up near the house so my rear is covered, but I make sure I don't get too close to the structure. I need to be able to maneuver. Just take the escalate, guys.

I say, fuck that, the guy I hit says. His tone leaves no room for argument. The three men are in a shallow arc in front of me, each about an arm's length from the next. Axeman is on my right, Jake in the middle, and the third brother on my left. Axeman swings the tool at me,

but I'm ready for it. I move the shovel through the air. The metal-on-metal clank of a spade hitting an axe head is loud. I hit the axe hard enough to deflect it. The momentum takes it around, sending it slamming it to Jake's chest where he stands. The blade embeds itself like Jake is a piece of soft wood. Axeman, who's still holding the handle, looks up into his brother's face. Oh, fuck, he says, and pulls the blade out in a brilliant showing of his mental capacity.

Jake cries out as blood pours out of the gaping. I take a brief moment to be shocked about what has just happened. It's definitely not what I meant to do, but some part of my lizard brain snaps me out of it, screaming about the odds still stacked against me. Assessing the axe man as the more immediate threat, I bring the shovel up over my head and slice it down at him, at the edge of the blade hitting him in the head,

just as he turns away from his brother to face me again. The spade bounces off his skull, but not before doing some serious damage. damage. He wobbles, blood pouring from the gash in his head down into his eyes. The axe handle slides out of his hand, the tool dropping harmlessly to the ground. Melissa is now screaming. The third brother turns to run, but I can't let him go. I can't let any of them go, not now. I bring the spade down flat on the back of the third brother's head, knocking him unconscious. Then I drop the shovel to the ground and scramble over to grab the axe. Melissa is now running.

down the driveway, and I run after her, axe in hand. I quickly realize she's got too much of a lead, so I slow down a bit, raising the axe over my head in both hands. I slow even more, taking aim, than using my forward momentum at all my upper body strength, I throw the axe end over end, just hoping to knock her down. The worst first aid ever gets just a little less so as the blade lands in her back. She falls forward, sliding on her face on the gravel. with the axe sticking out of her. I run over and grab hold of her feet and start dragging her back toward the house

when I see the third brother, the one I only knocked out, getting to his feet. I yank the axe out of Melissa's back and run toward him. He sees me coming and tries to run the opposite direction. But the shovel to the head was pretty hard, and his legs don't seem to be working well.

He trips and falls down five yards into the woods. I slow to a walk as I get closer to him. He looks up at me as I raise the axe. Seth, are you okay? Melissa snaps me out of my daydream, and I find myself back in the boring old restaurant on a lackluster first date. Yeah, sorry, I say to her.

I was just thinking about work. Well, I'm going to get an Uber home, he says. Thanks for the dinner, though. No, no, I say. Look, I'm sorry. I just had a long day. Give me another chance, will you? Let's get out of this stuffy restaurant and go get a drink.

I give her my best smile and reach across the table to lay my hand on hers. She can't resist. Okay, she says in the small voice, with a reluctant smile. Great, I say, and wave at the waiter for the check. For once, I wish something exciting would happen. I just want to feel just to just.

in killing one of these girls. I keep hoping for a robbery or extortion or something that would actually be a fun challenge. I guess you can't always get what you want. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to kill this one. Oh no. I can't n-that. Maybe one day I'll find a girl with some friends who try to rob me.

Or maybe a jealous ex-boyfriend who will try to beat me. A guy can hope. It's clear that this Melissa is not, Not even close to the one for my vivid daydream. This one really is a sweet girl. I think as we exit the restaurant, I just wish she wasn't. There's something else here now, something new. From exclusively on Paramount Plus, it's the series Stephen King calls Scarious Hell.

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She was a light sleeper. I navigated my way around the furniture and into the kitchen. I picked up the small stack of mail on the counter, shuffling through it in the small pool of illumination from the light over the stove. Seeing nothing of interest, I put the mail back on the counter. I stepped up to the fridge and grabbed myself a beer. The twist-off cap came away with a faint hiss. I pocketed the cap and took a couple of long drops. It had been a particularly hard day at work, but I was here now.

The beer hit my empty stomach, at once cooling and warming me. I wasn't much of a drinker, but I felt that the occasion called for a bit of a celebration. Still, I didn't want alcohol to blur my thought. I wanted to be clear-headed when I went upstairs and surprised her. She wouldn't like being disturbed from her sleep, but I was confident that my surprise would turn things around, which meant it was important that I didn't wake her prematurely. So I quietly got out the fixings for a sandwich, lunch meat, cheese, mayo, and lettuce.

I ate the sandwich standing over the sink, washing down a bite here and there with the beer. When both were done, I decided to do that. I decided I couldn't put it off any longer. I took off my shoes next to the stairs and then made my way up toward the bedroom. In the hallway outside, the alcohol got the better of me,

causing me to stumble slightly. I put my hand out to the wall to keep myself upright. Shit, I thought, freezing where I was. Her door was right there. I stepped quietly up to it, pressing myself against the cool painted wood. Her voice came through the door, sweet, groggy, and scared. And I scared her, she called.

Is anyone there? I thought of everything that had led up to this moment. It was hard for me to believe I was really going to do this, to take the plunge, to open the door and tell her the words I'd been practicing for months. I recalled the first time I'd seen her at the coffee shop on Airport Road. I recalled how stunned I was by her beauty, the way that she moved, the sound of her voice as she told the barista what she wanted, but it took several more sightings for me to build up the courage to make a move. Now here I was, standing mere feet away from her as she laid in bed.

The covers, no doubt, clutched tightly to her chest. Hello? She called again. More fear in her voice this time. I turned the handle, swung the door open. and stepped inside. She tried to scream, but I rushed over and clamped my hand over her mouth. She struggled, but she was such a small woman, so delicate and soft and harmless. I said to her, taking in her smell and the sight of her bedroom. It was everything I'd pictured it to be. I used her hidden spare key to come into her house at night. For months I'd been coming,

just sitting downstairs in the dark, trying to build up the courage to do the thing I was was now in the middle of. It's me, I said to her. I'm the one that's been calling you at night. I'm sorry if I scared you, waking you up in the middle of the night with my calls. I really wanted to tell you how I felt every time, but I just couldn't. Not until now. I love you. Do you love me? Her eyes were wide with terror. She tried to punch me, but I caught her little fist in my large one. This wasn't at all going as I'd planned. I wanted her first date to be special, I said. I wanted to surprise you.

I know you've seen me at the coffee shop, walking down your street. I even thought you saw me when I followed you home the first time. You did, didn't you? You can admit that you liked it. You can admit that you find me attractive. I feel the same way. She continued to struggle, screaming into my hand. This wasn't going at all as I'd planned.

But there were ways I could say. silence her. I wasn't about to stop. I'd waited too long, building this up in my mind. I stared into her eyes so big and bright with fear. They swallowed me up, seeing them this close. It was my big mistake. I'd been paying too much attention to her eyes, and too little to her left hand going for the knife I couldn't have known was there in her nightstand. And when she slammed the blade into my neck, I felt a sorrow so crushing that it made the best of her left. It was My pain seemed like a mere scratch. As the world dimmed, I could only feel the sting of her betrayal.

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Depos minimum of 10 dollars. Veil to play in a relationship. I've never been one of those people that needs to be in a relationship. I can honestly take it or leave it. I mean, I'm still human. I experience attraction and I want companionship. But it's not such that I need to go out and find a girlfriend. whenever I don't have one.

The problem with this is that my female friends are always trying to hook me up with women. And sometimes I'll take them up on it. At least meeting the woman for coffee or something casual. Unfortunately, this is what led to the blind date that ruined my life. This was 10 years ago when I was 26 years old. At the time, I was working at a bar as a barback, stocking coolers, cleaning glasses, hauling ice, and generally helping the bartenders out with whatever they needed. One of the female bartenders, a woman named Stephanie, who was a couple of years older than me, caught my attention one night as I brought her a bucket of ice.

It was a weak night and pretty slow. There were maybe 30 people in the bar, which had a capacity for over 200. Hey, Sean, Stephanie said after I dumped the bucket of ice into her ice well. I've got the perfect girl for you. Oh, yeah? I said, playing along. I didn't know you knew Scarlett Johansson. I'm serious, Stephanie said.

You guys would be the cutest couple, and she's super sweet, just like you. She's actually here right now. She's one of my regulars. Or she has been for several weeks. You've probably seen her before. I was busy checking the beer cooler to see what kind I'd need to bring back from the storage room.

But I looked up and scanned the bar to see if I could take a guess. I spotted a knockout, sitting at a table in the corner, nursing her drink. She was just my type, dark hair, alabaster skin, and a beautiful, art-shaped face. Well, if that's that dark-haired one in the corner, I'm in, I said, thinking that there was no way it was the same woman Stephanie was talking about. The bartender squealed into light and grabbed my arm. I knew it. That is her. I knew you'd think she was cute. Cute was an understatement. I looked at Stephanie.

Don't mess with me. Is that really her? Yes, Stephanie said. She thinks you're cute. I smiled and looked over at the woman, while Stephanie waved at her, catching her attention. The woman waved back at Stephanie and smiled at me. She came over to the bar, and Steph introduced us. Her name was Eva. We talked for only a little. a few minutes and I offered to meet her the next day for coffee. She agreed. I was actually pretty excited. Nothing seemed strange during the first interaction. She seemed like a sweet, normal woman.

Unfortunately, that was just a facade. I found out the next day that she was anything but normal. I met her at a downtown coffee shop, bought her a drink, and led her to a corner table. Wow, she said as we sat down. I can't believe I'm actually on a date with you right now. I've been thinking about this ever since I first saw you at the bar. I laughed politely, flattered. Oh, I'm not freaking you out, am I? She asked nervously.

No, no, I'm flattered, I said. Even though Stephanie said she'd been irregular, I couldn't remember ever seeing her before. Of course, I was almost always focused. focused on my work. I'd learned a long time ago that if I made eye contact with anyone waiting for a drink at the bar, they'd think I was a bartender and asked me for a drink. So my habit was to keep my eyes down, focusing on everything behind the bar instead of in front of it. Oh, good, Eva said, relaxing a bit. I started asking her questions about herself, typical first-date

stuff. We talked for a couple of hours, and, aside from her being overly enthusiastic, and never taking her eyes off me, it was a pretty normal date. But things got weird when I said I had to leave. Already? Eva said. I feel like we just got here. Yeah, I said, me too. But I need to hit the gym before my shift tonight, so I better go. Maybe we can get together again soon? I'd like to go to the gym? Eva said. What if we went together? I've been meaning to sign up for a membership. What better time than now? Uh, I don't know, I said, weirded a doubt. I'd generally like to work out alone. It's how I relieve stress. Besides, it's kind of a strange activity for a first date, isn't it? I'm so sorry, Eva said, nearly sobbing. I am freaking you out, aren't I? No, no, it's okay,

I said. It's just, don't you have your own things you have to do today? I guess so. But I can put them off to hang out with you. Aren't you having a good time? Don't you like being with me? Sure, I like being with you, but life gets in the way, you know? We both have things we should do. We can't just shirk our responsibilities no matter how tempting. We'll see each other soon, okay? Even nodded reluctantly, wiping her eyes. I was just trying to let her down easy and avoid a scene in the coffee shop. I already knew I wasn't going to call her for a second date. She was already obsessing, and we barely knew each other. I felt bad, but I didn't think dragging things out would be good for either of us. Okay, I said after a moment. I'm going to go. I stood up from the table.

I'll text you, okay? She reached out. and grasped my arm, hugging it to herself and rubbing her cheek on my bicep. What if? she said, railing off. Are you okay, Eva? I said, gently taking my arm back from her. Do you need me to call someone? My words seemed to snap her out of it, and she shook her head. Oh, my God. This is so embarrassing. I promise I'm not normally like this. It's just been so nice to talk to a good guy like you. You're so handsome and so.

sweet. Okay, I said. Well, I need to go. I'll talk to you later. I walked out of the coffee shop feeling sorry for the woman. She clearly had some issues she needed to work through. And as bad as I felt, I wasn't willing to be the guy to help her through them. The next couple of days passed, and everything seemed normal. I didn't text Eva, and she didn't text me. I thought it was just a particularly strange first date and left it at that. Although I did kind of dread what would happen when she came into the bar. But she didn't in those two days after our date. I thought that maybe she came to her senses and was too embarrassed to show up. Stephanie was off for those days, but we worked together again on that Friday. It was a busy night, so we didn't get a chance

to talk much. As I was bringing a couple of cases of beer up from the storage room, I felt eyes following me from somewhere in the crowded bar. I glanced up and spotted Eva, out in the crowd, staring at me. She smiled when her eyes met, but there was something strange about the smile, and she didn't look very good. Her pale skin seemed sallow and unhealthy, where two days before it had been well cared for. I pretended like I didn't see her and continued with my work. I felt her eyes on me for the rest of the shift, although the few times I looked around. I didn't see her again. Still, I knew she was around.

The goosebumps going up my spine told me so. When closing time came around, I finally had a chance to slow down. I headed over to Stephanie and asked her if she had talked to Eva lately. Stephanie screwed her face up, putting a hand to her mouth. You don't know? she said. Know what? Eva killed herself this morning. I've been trying not to think about it all day.

the poor woman. I can't imagine what made her do such a thing. That's not funny, I said. I saw her tonight. She was here. Stephanie looked at me hard. No, Sean, she said. I'm friends with her sister on Facebook. She committed suicide. You must have seen someone that looked like her. She paused for a moment. Did you end up going on a date with her the other day? Yeah, I said, distractedly. I can't believe she's dead. I had no idea she was so depressed, Steph said. She must have been struggling through something really tough. I finished the shift in a daze, unable to get the sight of Eva out of my mind.

I started to think that her suicide had something to do with me. But then I thought how silly that was. We'd only had one date after all. But the way she acted. As I drove home well past two in the morning, the roads were nearly empty. but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. I kept seeing a figure in the corner of my eye, but when I turned my head, there was nothing there.

By the time I got to my apartment, I was vibrating with unease. I opened the front door, stepping inside, and turned on the light. And there she stood, right next to me, staring up at me with big, sickly eyes. I screamed, flinching away from her. Her yellowing skin seemed to hang off her body. Her hair looked greasy. She reached out, gripping me with one icy hand. I'm here, she said, the smell of her breath like a broken garbage disposal stuffed with weeks old food.

You're dead, I said, stupidly. You killed yourself. She nodded, smiling a distorted smile thanks to her loose skin. I did this for you, Sean. She said, grabbing my right wrist in her other hand. No, no, you didn't. You couldn't. Why? You said it yourself at the coffee shop.

Life gets in the way. Well, not anymore. Now I can be with you wherever you go. I don't have to work or sleep or even eat anymore. I can just be with you. I had backed into a corner, pressed up against a wall. She pushed up against me, bringing her rotting mouth to mine, kissing me with her cold lips. She put her rough, slimy tongue into my mouth, and I couldn't take it anymore.

The rotten taste of her was too much. I vomited into her mouth, the stream of pukes flashing back into my own, flowing down my chin and onto my shirt. She backed away, swallowing what I had regurgitated into her mouth, still smiling that dead smile. It's okay, she said. It'll take some getting used to. Every relationship has its bumps.

I ran into my bathroom and vomited once more, this time into the toilet. I washed my mouth out with scope. I was shaking and sweating, unable to believe what was happening to me. To this day, I don't know how it all worked. She wasn't visible to me all the time, but I came to realize that she was always there. I just couldn't see her. When I finally got to sleep around six that morning,

I let myself believe that it was all a bad dream, a manifestation of guilt, maybe. She hadn't appeared to me again. after I got out of the bathroom. But when I woke around noon, she was lying in the bed next to me, staring at me. I pleaded with her to leave me alone in those early days,

but it only made her mad. She would hurl things at me, write cryptic messages on my walls and some kind of black sludge, and purposely scare me by appearing at the worst times. People started to think I was insane. I moved across the country. But she stayed with me.

Yet, as the years went on, she began to appear to me less and less. Finally, two years ago, I started to believe that I was free of her. I let myself date again, before long meeting a woman that I came to love. It was a bit of a whirlwind with Leslie. And after only a year of dating, I decided to propose to her. I figured that if Eva hadn't shown up by then, she wasn't going to. Of course, I'd never shared with Leslie my experience with Eva. Doing so would have surely scared her off.

So I felt confident in making a life with Leslie. And last night, just over ten years after that first date with Eva, I proposed to Leslie. She said yes. It was the best night of my life. The elation I felt, my bright future stretching out before me with this wonderful woman at my side, was like nothing I'd ever experienced before.

I fell asleep with Leslie, snuggled up against me, my arm around her. After all the excitement, I slept soundly, not waking once until morning. And when I finally opened my eyes, only an hour ago, I saw Leslie there, crucified against the bedroom wall. Her hands and feet had been pierced with knives from my kitchen, the blades pinning her to studs to the wall. Above her, written in that black sludge with the words, Life gets in the way.

I cried out of the horrific sight, screaming and cursing Eva's name. I couldn't move. I sat there in bed, overcome with despair. Sensing movement beside me on the bed, I turned to see Eva, that sloppy smile on her rotting face. She moved in for a kiss, and I knew that I would never, ever be riddered. her not even in death.