Chapter 3 - Cookies and Cream

The cold breeze of the coming winter wind blew below the waxing of the moon. Her fair glow looked over the world, casting shadows wherever her light cannot penetrate. Tall buildings loomed in the distance, creating legs of darkness that stretched out scrambled, like those of a struggling spider, utterly hiding the dotted folds and creases of the quiet streets. Mako and Reese walked down one of those hollow paths, as they always did everyday after school.

Mako was staring blankly at the book Anne gave to him, which he forgot at school earlier. And then that girl "Lia" gave it back to him. He tried to think back to the vivid image of her face. Her thin, quill-sharp eyes almost looked like a madman's. Her mysterious gentle voice sent tiny kisses to Mako's ears that made him wonder more who she really is. His subtling daydream went for what he felt were more than thirty minutes. His lips start to move on their own, whispering words in the air, but in his mind was nothing more than a precious fantasy, ebbing inch by inch into his life. He smiled blindly, as if he had already accepted the fact that his sanity started to fall off slowly as the minutes pass.

Beside him was Reese, who was busy fiddling with his phone. The earphones plugged into his ears blasted heavy metal as he continued to swipe and poke at his screen. He looked up for a bit, taking out one of his earphones to listen for anything off-place. At last he looked at Mako, who had been spacing out for quite a while now. His eyes looked still, locked in place as if they were severely paralyzed. Reese could hear the softly mumbled words and sudden chuckles even under the noise emanating in his other ear. He lifted his hand and waved in front of Mako's eyes.

No response.

Reese raised an eyebrow in suspicion, he poked Mako's shoulder.

"Earth to Mako." He shook him desperately, to which, Mako looked up with a flustered look, like being awoken from a deep trance. He looked around, feeling confusion and at the same time embarrassment.

"You've been whispering to yourself for a while now buddy, everything ok?" Reese took out the other headphone from his other ear, unplugged them from his phone, and sent them straight to his pocket.

"Look, you've been acting all weird this past few hours. Did something happen with you and Anne? Lemme' guess, you got dumped huh?" Then he paused, before smirking. "Or did Anne finally accept your pleas to be her boyfriend."

It took Mako a few seconds before he realized what Reese was talking about. And when he finally did, his eyes lit up, with a mixture of emotions, especially hopefulness. His face flushed a light red, "You think me and Anne are… a thing?" He couldn't help but smile a little, making up a whole new fantasy world in his mind. Just great, another fantasy to hide. He sighed.

"No. It's nothing like that." He slowly put his other hand in his pocket, and clutched the book tighter with his other. He stared at the mysterious cover, guessing the contents from the outside.

"Hey Reese… Do you believe in ghosts?"

"Ghosts?"

At first, Reese was suppressing it, but after a few moments, he was already bursting in laughter, tearing away at the thought. He let out the final breaths with slow, heaving sighs, before halting to a sudden stop. "No." Mako kept his head down the next few minutes, leaving nothing but silence in the area. I should have never brought that up.

Mako always got along with Reese for some reason. Even though they were complete opposites in terms of personality. Mako was extremely shy and timid, some would even say he was the epitome of being edgy. He'd always hide behind the ever energetic Reese, who was supposed to be a social butterfly of some sort. Yet he only blended in the rat's group.

"Well… This is my street." Mako whispered calmly.

"No it isn't. Your's is about four more blocks away."

Mako paused. "It just occurred to me. I still have something to do." Reese was surprised by the answer. He shrugged before turning to his own direction.

"Well… Stay safe dude." Reese patted Mako's shoulder, then went down the dark street in front of them.

"Yeah. You too." Mako managed to whisper back, looking at the shrinking silhouette of his friend over his visible yonder.

He looked at his right. The gaping mouth of an unilluminated alleyway looked back at him. He sighed, before walking straight into the darkness. Mako knew the ways around town, he had to. Ever since his parents passed away in some accident when he was younger, he had been living with his aunt along with his younger sister. And one way or another, he knew inside him that he had to take responsibility somehow, sharing the burden of a breadwinner.

Straight ahead.

To Mako, there wasn't really much to think of in his life. He loved his parents, he loved his family. They were happy for as long as he can remember. And now that they've come and gone, he was devastated, losing almost everything, trying to protect what he had left, mourning for the life he once had. Somewhere in the middle, he felt the need to blame someone, but who could he blame? He would always look up, trying to find the answers he desperately searched for. So he did what he could, planting anger towards the idea of a universal fate, any form of supreme luck, strings that would control everybody's lives, higher beings, even up to religion. He blamed God.

Left. Then right.

He knew people would oppose him for it, and at first he hid it, and kept searching for more answers. Time went by and he soon realized that he couldn't keep on blaming God for everything. Still, he tried so hard to find someone--something else to blame. So he left everything then and there, leaving behind everything he believed in, and then that was it.

Go straight, then take a left at the third turn.

Mako was left an empty husk in the eyes of many. A poor soul who has nothing to believe in. Yet he brushed it all away, and continued living, just for the sake of those who were left with him. Friendships, sibling love, material possessions.

Wait, no, I was supposed to turn right.

He met the love and support of his aunt, and his sister. He met Reese, and Anne, along with the rest of his friends who comforted him, made him feel that he still had a complete family. And for a bit of time, he was happy.

What the? Dead end… Did I make a wrong turn?

He continued to live, as he continued to hate, shunning both himself and everyone around him. But he had to keep up a facade or else he would lose. Though, there were still those who helped him, even if they didn't know. In the end, Mako wasn't sure whether he would be thankful for it, or hate them for prolonging his emotion.

Where am I? This doesn't look familiar at all.

Mako was once again led astray by his own daydreaming. He was sweating, not really sure where he was. He looked around, the last thing he remembered was that he took the usual alleyway shortcut to a nearby convenience store. Through the maze-like gaps in between skyscrapers, he had never been lost in there before. He walked a little more, trying to circle the block at his side. Around the corner, he turned--dead end. That wasn't there before. He looked behind him. His sweat beaded more and more as he blinked twice, taking in what was in front of him--another dead end.

"What the fuck?" Mako's breathing started to hasten as he panicked, circling around more and more. The heat inside his hoodie contrasted with the cold wind swirling around him. He was trapped within four dead ends all around him. He was about to scream when he saw a shadow move above one of the walls. It was swift, but his eyes caught them crystal clear. Mako stared in the darkness in front of him, his heart beating through his chest. He tried to calm his breathing, trying to shake his mind to tell him what was actually happening. And as if expecting an answer, he paused for a few seconds--and then it did. But it wasn't from his mind, and the answer wasn't anything he expected.

"We. Found. You."

Mako froze. He wanted to confirm what he had just heard. The moment he heard the dreadful words, another feeling rose within him. Along with the paralyzing fear, he felt something familiar, almost nostalgic. His mouth went dry, but he wanted to speak, even if it was just one word. One question.

"...Mom?"

No answer.

How could she? She died in an accident along with Mako's father years ago.

But it was her voice. Mako was sure of it. He slowly took out his phone from his pocket. His hand shaking heavily. He carefully swiped through the screen, opening the flashlight app. He shone the light in front.

At first, it was only the head. The scar filled delicate face turned into a mummified-like horrid picture reared her head just in the range of the light. The face was distorted, the mouth elongating into the forehead where teeth and blood were showing. The thin obscure eyes at the side actively looked around. Then the torso showed, followed by the lower part of the body. The thin, spider limbs tore away her own skin as the fingers glued to the ground with every step, ripping more skin as she moved closer and closer to Mako. Holes were littered on both of her legs as writhing worms and maggots came out, falling to the ground then being squished by the unnatural bent toes of her feet. She was no longer his mom. It was a monster. And it shrieked a high pitch noise the moment Mako was about to scream.

Mako tripped backwards as he lost grip of his phone. The light shone beside the monster as another one appeared. This one was a bit larger, it had a bulkier structure and was more hairy. It resembled Mako's father. They both walked on all fours as they stopped in front of him, the rotation of their necks made harsh clicking noises as the mouths opened and closed repeatedly. Before Mako could scream again, one of the monsters latched its mouth unto Mako's arm, the whole head splitting as the sharp teeth dug into Mako's skin, ripping away the muscles and digging until they've reached bone. Mako let out a wail of pain. The monster didn't let up and was now violently tugging at Mako's arm, biting harder and harder. A few more breathes, and then he felt gushing in his arm, then searing pain followed by the sound of something crunching. He shook his head as he screamed in pain and horror. Blood was everywhere as the monster backed away into the shadows, only its head went into view as Mako saw it chewing on something. He looked down on his shoulder as his eyes widened. His arm was gone, the pink, torn flesh scattered across the floor as a pool of deep red blood flowed out of his shoulder. Just before he could react, the other monster went for his right leg, chomping it up until his knee. His vision blurred, but the pain kept him awake. The sounds of his screams resonated around the four walls surrounding him as the monster continued to chew his right leg, and was soon adding the other one into its mouth. He tried kicking, but it was futile. His bones were already broken and he couldn't feel them anymore. Trickling blood came out of the monster's mouth as it chomped more and more unto Mako's lower body. He continued to scream, his voice cracking, faltering against the weight of the pain he was feeling. Snap. The monster stopped chewing on his hips. Mako felt a tug, and then another. The monster kept tugging until the skin broke, followed by the flesh ripping apart as Mako's intestines started to show. The almost black liquid squirted out of his body as the putrid scent of pus leaked from the depths of his insides. With one final tug, the monster ripped apart Mako's whole lower body, the intestines scattered around its face, still connected to Mako's torso. The rest of his intestines sprawled across the floor, like leftover yarn after being played with by innocent kittens.

Mako couldn't even scream anymore, he was tired, and he wanted to sleep. He closed his eyes, slowly falling into a deep slumber. Outside, he could hear voices. He had heard some of them, but there were many that he wasn't sure of. Random phrases raced against his ear as his brain started to shut down.

"Stop. It's too early to break him." A familiar voice broke into his ears before losing consciousness.

***

Mako woke up cold and dizzy. He was lying on a cemented floor deep in an alleyway filled with garbage bags. He sat up, shaking his head in hopes to jog his memory. His eyes widened as he suddenly remembered what had happened to him. He quickly felt his left arm, still there. As well as his legs, he tried moving them. He gingerly poked at his stomach, half expecting that pus would come out. Then he had the sudden urge to vomit. Looking around him, he crawled on all fours and threw up in the corner. The strong smell of his own blood still writhed in his nostrils. Yet here he was, perfectly fine. His head groggy, he stood up after he made sure that he was done. Behind him was no dead end, instead was a path to the street he was supposed to be in. He tried taking a step forward, still dizzy. Was I drugged? He tried remembering anything else that had happened. Wiping his mouth clean, he weakly walked towards the end of the alley. Walking out on the streets, other people were busily minding their own business. Groups of teenagers were chattering and laughing nearby, various cars and buses raced pass Mako's peripheral vision as honks of horns blared into his ears. Mako kept his hood up, avoiding the crowd of people walking against his direction.

It's too noisy, he kept thinking to himself. He couldn't even explain what had just happened to his own body, so he doubts anyone else would believe him too. He thought back at the suddenly fading memory. The searing pain he felt was so real. The things he saw and heard was all too vivid. And what's worse, those things--his "parents" said the three words he feared. Shoulders bump as he pass by a few more streets, coming up along a familiar blue glow from a convenience store he always went to. He bought a small bucket of ice cream, "cookies and cream" flavored, just as he always did. He exited the store as he heard the familiar ding from the bell of its door. He silently walked across the street towards the residence district.

Along the street-lamp lit road, he felt the need to hurry home and cry. He longed for the familiarity of his room, the cheerful voice of his sister, the noise of their bulky television. Tears rolled down his face as he walked by weakly. His brain still can't comprehend what had happened to him. But then it hit him.

"I get it…. I'm already insane aren't I?" He whispered small breaths to himself as the cold air started to fall in his vicinity.

The first snowflake fell.

He stopped in front of a familiar house with a familiar door. Of course it was familiar, it was his house. He unlocked the door with his familiar key. He opened the door to a familiar hallway, turning on the lights as he closed the door behind him.

"I'm home…" He said softly with a smile before collapsing on the floor. Soon, rapid footsteps came rushing towards him.

"Mako! Are you okay?" Mako could feel a pair of soft gentle hands helping him up, and sitting him on the couch. He focused his vision to see his little sister in front of him.

"Oh, hey Serry." He smiled as he felt his hand lose grip on the plastic bag he had been carrying all this time.

"What happened to you?" Serry sat beside him, taking the plastic bag and placing it on the table in front of them.

"I'm sorry… Im just really tired. But hey, I bought ice cream." Mako managed to speak.

"Cookies and cream?" Serry replied.

Mako nodded with a genuine smile on his face.

Mako managed to relax on the couch thanks to his sister. He opened the T.V. and turned it to the news channel. His sister popped open the bucket of ice cream with a spoon and started scooping and eating beside him.

"Another case of unidentified murder occurred last night on…."

"The victim was tied to a pole and was burnt alive…"

"Another victim is found dead on…."

"...Skinned alive…"

"...The culprits are believed to be an unnamed cult…"

"Cult huh? The killings are getting pretty serious." Mako finally got his mind to focus on what he was doing. It really is a strange world we live in. He leaned his head back on the couch, closing his eyes. A few more minutes later, they heard the door open up followed by a familiar "I'm home!" Aunt Jiyuri. Her name always felt strange to Mako's ears, and he was already hearing that name everyday ever since she became the acting parent. Despite his exhausted state, he greeted her as she walked into the room.

"Hello auntie…" Mako managed to keep up a small smile.

"Mako, you're a mess. What happened to you?" She rushed into the kitchen and got a moist towel for Mako.

"I don't know, I was walking home when I…" He tried remembering what happened. The horrid visions, the vivid details, the sound of his own cracking bones and ripping flesh. In the end, he decided not to bring it up, especially that Serry was around.

"It's nothing. I just had a really bad headache." He figured to just avoid the subject.

"Well, you better get rested up then." Aunt Jiyuri stood up and pecked Mako on the forehead. Their mother used to do that to them, but to Mako and Serry, it didn't really feel the same. Yet they took what they got.

Mako stood up and went straight for the stairs when he felt a tug at the sleeve of his hoodie. He turned around to see Serry with sad eyes like those of a begging puppy.

"Promise we'll hang out tomorrow?" Her look had a mixture of concern and a sudden longing for attention.

"Promise." Mako replied and gave her a pat on the head before going upstairs.

As soon as he opened the door to his room, he plopped his bag on a nearby desk. Stripping down to his undershirt, he took out the book Anne gave him and collapsed on his bed. The posters of metal bands on his walls seemed to look straight down at him as he tried to relax. He felt a soft bump under his pillow, and pulling out the discomfort, he fished out his old stuffed cat plushie, which his parents gave him before they died. He kept it with him for years, never having the guts to throw it away, it was one of the few things that reminded him of their love. He held it up, examining it, he noticed that it already lost an eye, a lot of loose strings tented on its back and it had a peculiar scent that strangely reminded Mako of coffee. He set it aside on the desk and opened the book to the first chapter.

Minutes pass, and Mako felt something dribbling down the side of his face. The warm liquid continuously came out of his eyes as his mind told him to sob--and so he did. Some stray tears fled his face as they rained down on the pages of the book, dampening the crisp paper. He closed it and slumped over on the corner of his bed, rolling over and covering his eyes with his arm. He won't stop crying. Why would he?

He didn't want to.

The sobs slowly faded as his eyes started to shut and his mind wander. He managed to bury his face in a pillow just before he fell into a deep slumber. But he still knew he couldn't escape. If his mind really was playing with him, then dreaming probably wasn't the best thing he would do. Yet he couldn't resist the comfort of his home, under the soft caress of his bed, he slept through the first night of winter. Whatever the hell he had been experiencing, he'd have to deal with it tomorrow.