Exalls Attacks Trilogy: Books 1-3 (The Complete Collection)

Andre Gonzalez

Exalls Attacks Series: Books 1-3

First published by M4L Publishing 2021

Copyright © 2021 by Andre Gonzalez

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

Andre Gonzalez asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

First edition

ISBN: 978-1-951762-22-3

Cover art by Natasha Gonzalez

Editing by Keidi Keating

Editing by Stephanie Cohen-Perez

Cover art by ebooklaunch.com

This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy

Find out more at reedsy.com

This book is dedicated to my grandmothers, Tonie and Esther. Thank you for teaching me so much. You never know who your real heroes are until they are gone.

For my Auntie Tanya, thank you for all the trips to the bookstore.

For Arielle, Felix, and Selena

It’s so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone.

― John Steinbeck

Contents

A Poisoned Mind

I. PART ONE

Followed Home Cover

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

II. PART TWO

Followed East Cover

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

III. PART THREE

Followed Away Cover

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Epilogue

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Acknowledgments

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A Poisoned Mind

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I

Part One

Followed Home: Book 1

Followed Home Cover

Chapter 1

Kyle Wells moaned as snow swallowed him up to his neck. This snow is insane! he thought as he returned from his Dad’s truck to fetch an extra box of cereal for breakfast. The snow piled up as high as the doorknob, which stood at about chest level, and he had to wriggle his way through the path he had made on his way out. With his scrawny frame, he didn’t find it as difficult returning.

When he reached the door, he shook the clinging snow free. A pile of snow had already fallen into the cabin when he opened the door, and he could see the dent that had collapsed in the wall of powder that clung on to the cabin’s wooden exterior.

He opened the door to find his father, Travis, sweeping the melting snow off the floor of the cabin entryway. The fireplace crackled behind him in the living room as a deer head watched them from its place above the mantle. The welcome mat had soaked up most of the snow, turning it into a shade of dark red, which reminded Kyle of blood.

Well, this is a real shit storm, eh? Travis said. Being the travel day back home, he wore his favorite outfit of sweatpants and a long sleeve tee. He had caught some sun the day before the blizzard hit, leaving his tone a light shade of pink. His dark hair was spiked in the front, a nod to his clinging on of his youth despite being a father to a teenager.

No shit, Kyle agreed. The boys enjoyed the fact that Travis couldn’t care less if they cursed or not while their mothers weren’t around. He remembered using every curse word in middle school, when he was away from his parents.

You’re lucky your Mom isn’t here. She’d kick your ass if she saw all this snow inside, Travis uttered, happy he had the authority while his wife wasn’t around. The boys were almost as tall as him anyway. Kids these days seemed to grow at disgusting rates, in his opinion, but perhaps he was just bitter at never experiencing such a growth spurt.

Kyle kicked off his boots and sat at the kitchen table to enjoy a bowl of the cereal he had worked so hard to get from the truck. His long, curly hair draped over his eyes in waves of brown, hiding his typical groggy complexion after a short night’s sleep. His friend, Mikey, sat across the table with his laptop open, pounding away at his keyboard.

Mikey had more brains than anyone in his group of friends and they often wondered why he even hung out with them. He had worked on cutting back his use of big words when he was around them, as they would all look at him like he had spoken Mandarin. Kids at school called him the Wiz because he had the answer to everything. He had even built his laptop from scratch. I just YouTubed it. It wasn’t hard, he told his friends when they had gawked at his creation in disbelief.

Kyle believed Mikey would be the first black person to walk on the moon, and he would probably build his own spaceship to get there. He often told Mikey to not dumb it down when they were hanging out. Typically, the brains of a class would have minimal friends, or be picked on for being a nerd, but not Mikey. Every day he felt blessed to have met these friends who empowered him to use his talents while helping him to live a normal teenage life. Sometimes, they had to pull him away from his computer or books to go and throw a football around. Somehow, they even convinced him to join the basketball team, and the coach agreed to let him track stats to help improve the team.

Listen to this! Mikey barked in excitement. I just read an article on 9news that some guy in Denver saw a gray man snooping around his house last night. I swear, the legalization of marijuana is turning people into nutjobs in our city. What a crock!

Riiight, Travis replied. Slow news day I take it.

Even worse, the guy said it happened at night, Mikey continued, the glare of the screen reflecting off his widened eyes. If you saw someone outside your house at night, how would you know they had gray skin?

Gray people? Kyle questioned. Sounds like nonsense to me.

Ugh, I know. Journalists these days are garbage. They’ll literally write anything, Mikey said. That’s why I write my own blogs.

Stomping boots approached the door, likely in order to remove the snow that covered them. Maybe it’s the gray man, Kyle mocked, as his Dad chuckled.

After the rattle of the doorknob, the door swung open, blowing another gust of snow inside.

Jesus Christ, you kids! I’m glad this is our last day, Travis cried.

I’m sorry guys! James Jensen announced, throwing his arms in the air in disgust.

Nice one, dipshit, said Kyle, laughing.

James -or Jimmy as he preferred to be called- balanced out Mikey in every sense. He couldn’t stand books or studying. All he cared about was playing sports. With an athletic build and a lofty height, he would likely finish high school at a height of more than six feet. Despite his awkward size, he moved quickly and gracefully. He shined in every sports team he played on and the girls loved him. His blonde hair flowed wildly, and his pearly teeth shined when he grinned. His path to fame as the sexy, dumb jock in high school was all but set in stone.

Relax dudes, I’ll clean this mess up, Jimmy declared. He threw his Denver Nuggets beanie onto the ground, causing some left over snowflakes to dust his hair. Brian isn’t back yet?

No, I thought he’d left with you this morning? Kyle asked with a curious look. Jimmy and Brian had gone out into the snow, wanting to be adventurous with the blizzard that made history.

Yeah, he did, but he wanted to head back here before me, Jimmy explained. He said he was hungry and wanted to eat.

Kyle felt the stress start to boil inside. They had all visited the cabin at least forty times since they had met in the sixth grade, and everyone knew the area well, even in the midst of a snow-storm.

I think we might have a problem, Jimmy said, a shadow of fear creeping over his face. I heard a scream. I thought it was down by the Tucker’s cabin, so I didn’t think anything of it. The Tuckers neighbored the Wells’ cabin about a mile away.

Travis shot up from his lying down position on the couch in the living room. Jimmy, are you being serious?

Yeah, I wouldn’t joke about something like this.

Dad, we need to go find him! Kyle jumped up from his seat, letting his spoon clang in the empty bowl of cereal.

Absolutely, let’s go! Travis grabbed some more layers of clothing to wear out into the cold. Jimmy and Mikey followed.

Kyle stormed into his room, snagged his hunting rifle, and returned dressed, all in what seemed like a handful of seconds.

What’s that for? Mikey questioned.

Well, Jimmy said there was a scream. What if someone is out there? said Kyle as he loaded the rifle.

That’s not reasonable, Ky. Travis was now fully bundled and ready to begin the search. We know the Tucker’s place is empty this weekend, and there’s four feet of snow. There’s no way someone is wandering the woods in the middle of nowhere today!

He’s right, Kyle, Jimmy chimed in, now also ready to go. Brian’s probably fine. I would’ve seen someone, don’tcha think?

They all huddled in the living room while Kyle returned the rifle to its safe.

Okay, let’s split up, Travis commanded. I’ll take north towards the Tuckers, Kyle, you go east back towards the main road. Jim and Mike, you head the opposite way, and spread out. If you find him, shout as loud as you can and we’ll come."

Mikey slid on his ski goggles as they barged out of the cabin to find Brian. They all shouted his name a couple of times as they broke into their different directions. The shouting died down in disappointment as they reached the conclusion that Brian either could not hear or could not respond.

Kyle headed towards the main road that twisted down from I-70 as his Dad instructed. Having already fought through the snow earlier, he continued the shuffling motion with his feet that he had found to work so well.

He was now out of sight from the cabin, which caused him some anxiety as he looked back and saw nothing but a whiteout of snow that swallowed tons of towering pine trees. Thanks to the whistling wind and the lengthy distance from the cabin, he knew a shout from this distance would never reach the others. Alone in nature, the silence was deafening in his mind. He began to hum as he treaded along some of the pine trees to try and distract his mind. A faint groaning sound like someone makes while they are asleep escaped the trees, chilling Kyle’s blood.

Brian? Kyle trembled, panicking in his mind.

Ky! It was definitely Brian’s voice.

Where are you? Kyle shouted into the blindness of the storm. Brian’s voice seemed to bounce off the trees from every angle.

Tree…with heart on it, Brian gasped. Clearly he could hardly speak.

Kyle spun around frantically and identified the tree stump that some young lovers must have carved out years ago; a large heart encompassing the chiseled script of A + N.

Kyle darted towards the tree, hugging it as he rotated himself around the trunk.

Holy fuck, Kyle whispered to himself. His knees locked at the sight of a dark red trail, which led to a pool of blood surrounding Brian who lay on the ground with an apparent gash in his leg.

Kyle collapsed to his knees, his whole body tense beyond belief. He forced himself to crawl along the trail of blood towards Brian.

As he approached, Kyle vomited in the snow. Brian’s left leg was completely torn open at the thigh. He thought if the flaps of skin were pulled apart any further he would see the femur.

Wh-what happened? Kyle asked.

Brian had relaxed somewhat thanks to Kyle’s presence and could now speak and breathe a little more clearly. All I remember…was being sucker punched from behind. Then I woke up with my leg throbbing. Brian paused and glanced around as best he could from his stiff position in the snow.

Kyle peered around, hoping not to see some creep wandering around the woods while his father and friends were nowhere to be seen. He dropped his head back towards the snow, letting the realization of what had just transpired sink in. He gathered his strength and pulled himself back up to his feet. His heart dropped straight into his stomach as he saw a man staring right back at him from between a couple of trees roughly twenty feet away.

The man stood tall, bigger even than Jimmy. He wore baggy snow gear and donned a ski mask, which covered his entire face.

Once the tightening in Kyle’s throat let up, he was able to muster a confident, Who are you?

His palms were sweating despite the 20 degree weather. The man’s ski mask crinkled in the mouth region, leaving Kyle to believe a smile had formed behind the mask. I’m your worst nightmare, kid, a calm, baritone voice said.

Kyle wished he had his rifle right now. He should have trusted his intuition. He stood there completely defenseless, face to face with a clearly dangerous man twice his size.

Did you do this? Kyle questioned.

Nothing but a blank stare out of emotionless snow goggles responded. The man raised his hands to reveal two yellow ski gloves covered in blood, causing Kyle’s stomach to twist into tighter knots.

Look kid, the man said, breaking the silence. I have some things to do, but I’ll see you around.

The man turned and ran back into the thick stand of trees.

What the fuck? Brian cried from the ground.

We need to go to the cabin, get everyone, and leave right away, Kyle cried. Will you be able to get back on one leg using me as your crutch?

I don’t have much choice right now. Brian groaned in pain.

Kyle examined the wound, but had no clue on what he could do to help, so he slouched down to wrap Brian around his upper body, and pulled him up as Brian flailed around in an effort to get proper footing on his good leg. He was fortunate to be in the cold, as his entire body had gone numb, making his pain only a soft throb for the moment.

A depressing gray continued to rule the sky, and the falling snow picked up speed again on their way back to the cabin. Kyle and Brian walked in unison, pacing each other’s steps through the woods. Brian didn’t worry about the man as he could only concentrate on his bleeding leg. Kyle, however, kept looking back to make sure the monster in the ski mask wasn’t following them. They were 100 yards away from the cabin, but the snow and paranoia made it feel like 300. He had never seen a soul on his family’s property before and couldn’t figure out who it might be.

* * *

Kyle kicked in the door to the cabin, still half-hugging Brian around the waist. The ritual of snow falling inside continued, but it didn’t seem such a big issue this time around. A deserted cabin greeted them. Everyone had left in a panic, yet the fireplace still cracked its soothing tune. The two tumbled into the living room. Brian all but dove onto the couch.

Kyle raced back out of the open door and shouted as loud as he could. I FOUND HIM! WE’RE AT THE CABIN!

He ran back inside, slamming the door behind him, and tended to Brian who clenched his leg as he lay on the couch.

Brian’s composure surprised him. He was never one to handle adversity with such grace, but something about him seemed more confident than normal.

I’m still numb, but it’ll get warm and wear off. Do we have painkillers?

We should, Kyle dashed to the kitchen and rummaged through a cupboard which contained all kinds of medications. Got it!

All they had was a mild painkiller and a bandage, but that would have to do for the time being. Brian extended his hand for the pills as Kyle moved towards him with a glass of water. He took four of them and lay back as Kyle wrapped his leg with the bandage.

Kyle felt nauseous as the white bandage instantly changed into a dark red color as it absorbed Brian’s blood.

Tears rolled down his cheek as he imagined this devilish man in the ski mask telling him he would see him around. Kyle wiped away the tears as multiple footsteps paraded toward the front door.

Travis burst into the cabin, panting, followed by Mikey and Jimmy.

Oh my God, Travis whispered as his eyes met the massacre that had occurred on Brian’s leg.

Mikey and Jimmy stood there speechless and both turned pale as they too saw the bloody scene.

He’s losing blood. We need to wrap something tight around his leg, Travis said and grabbed a belt hanging on one of the chairs, fastening it firmly around the bandage. Brian fainted in his already sleeping position. Tell me what happened.

Kyle explained everything he saw and experienced from the moment he found Brian lying on the ground. The mood in the room stiffened when he spoke of the large man roaming in the woods, and the blood on his gloves.

We need to leave right now, Travis declared. He always did well at keeping calm in desperate moments. Everyone pack your bags quickly. We need to get Brian to the hospital. There’s no time to wait for an ambulance.

Travis smacked his hands together twice in rapid motion. Now!

The boys snapped out of their shock and retreated to their rooms to gather their belongings. It only took five minutes for everyone to throw their belongings into duffel bags and reconvene in the living room. Travis had put out the fireplace before pulling his Dodge pickup right to the front door and was already loading the bags into the bed of the truck.

Alright, I need two in the front with me. Brian will be laid on the backseat, and the other one of you will need to squeeze in on the floor below him, Travis instructed.

Travis, Kyle, and Jimmy carried the now unconscious Brian into the backseat while Mikey loaded the rest of the bags into the bed. Everything was ready to go and the boys all jammed uncomfortably into the truck.

Travis scraped away inches of snow that had blanketed the windshield. Kyle and Jimmy sat in the front as they stared at the blank white slowly give way to the world as the back and forth motion of the ice scraper glided across the windshield.

Travis hastened into the truck, breathing hard with a dazed look in his eyes.

Everything okay? Kyle questioned.

Yes, we just need to get out of here. It’s going to take a long fucking time with these roads, Travis replied in a monotone fashion. He threw the truck into drive and headed back towards the main road.

* * *

A long fucking time couldn’t be closer to the truth. Travis squeezed tight on the steering wheel like he wanted to suffocate it. He had lived in Colorado his whole life and had never seen or driven in snow like this.

Should have gotten those god damned snow tires, he thought as he peered down at the speedometer daring him to accelerate above 20 miles per hour. He had already fishtailed a couple of times.

They crawled down the side road that twisted its way back into the city of Golden. Three feet of hard-packed snow and ice, wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour, and low tread tires hanging on for dear life kept Travis plenty occupied. If I could just see, this wouldn’t be so bad.

Travis checked the clock on his stereo as it taunted him with a time of 3 p.m. The boys grew restless while Brian kept coming in and out of consciousness. When awake, he gladly contributed to the ongoing argument regarding the hottest girl in their eighth grade class. Brian voted for Monica Duhamel, his life-long crush since the first grade. Even in his weary state of mind, he defended her honor.

Travis couldn’t care less and turned his attention to the steady back-and-forth gliding of the windshield wipers dancing across his line of vision. The sky remained an unforgiving gray and dumped more snow, leaving visibility no more than 15 feet on the already treacherous drive back into the city.

Mental fatigue drowned the boys from the events that had transpired earlier in the morning, and they all fell victim to sleep, leaving Travis to drive in silence.

The helpless father let his mind wander as he stared out into the whiteness swirling in every direction. He wished the trip didn’t have to end so abruptly. Back home nothing but problems awaited. His marriage was on shaky ground and hiding it from Kyle was mentally exhausting him. Sleeping on the floor in his own bedroom in order to keep the secret, broke every level of his pride. This incident with the friend of Kyle would be sure to spark an instant fight. He could only hope that he would not need to duck flying objects.

As much as he wanted to mentally prepare for the impending fight, he had to keep an intense focus on the road. The snowfall refused to let up and Travis fought his mind from jumping to other thoughts. Visibility vanished before his eyes, and the road conditions worsened by the minute. It’s going to take six fucking hours just to get to Golden. The headlights only reflected the snow making it look like more than there actually was.

A figure appeared in the road a few feet ahead, which reminded Travis of the movie poster for The Exorcist. A dark figure of a man wearing a fedora stood out from the showering of snow. A thick coat slung over the figure and it appeared the man was looking down at the ground, not acknowledging the approaching truck.

He slammed on the brakes and squealed, losing control of the truck as it screeched and slid out of control like a child ice skating for the first time. The headlights revealed the person did indeed have their focus on the ground. The fedora was angled enough to cover the eyes so Travis couldn’t get a clean look. The body grew bigger and closer as the truck slid towards it and struck the person straight on, causing their head to violently snap backwards. The dark figure flew back from its standing position into a sprawled out form and slid across the road until it met the stump of a tree roughly 30 feet away. The way the body slid reminded Travis of the stones used in curling during the Winter Olympics.

He threw a glance over his shoulder to find more disaster. Brian had fallen into the space between the front and back seats where Mikey sat. His shredded leg smashed down on Mikey and became pinched underneath a couple of duffel bags that flew forward from behind the head rests. Blood flowed like a river out of the belted down bandage that had turned as black as night.

Brian took one glance down at his leg and fainted again, leaving all his dead weight to crush his helpless friend.

Is everyone okay? Travis could barely speak out of his tensed throat.

Kyle gave a steady nod, enough to confirm no harm was done. The shock on his face, however, told another story. Jimmy did the same and looked behind him to see the avalanche of friends in the back. The truck slid to a complete stop and Travis could see the body a few yards ahead, not moving.

I need you two to get Brian off of Mikey and wake him up, Travis commanded with a crack in his voice, while Mikey grunted from beneath to try and lift his passed out friend himself. Get his leg re-wrapped as best you can.

Travis flailed at the door handle multiple times before grabbing hold. His hands shook uncontrollably like a severe case of Parkinson’s disease. His mind tumbled in its processing of what exactly had just happened. Who in Christ’s name had been standing in the middle of the road in this blizzard?

Nothing about this situation made any sense in Travis’s flustered brain, but it finally clicked that he had just hit someone with his truck. Although his speed wouldn’t exactly win the Indy, it could still have caused some serious problems, or worse.

Unaware of his heightened adrenaline, Travis rammed his shoulder into the door so hard that he shot out of the truck hands-first, diving like a swimmer jumping into a pool of snow. The shock of the situation had numbed his body so he wouldn’t feel the gashes on his leg until much later that night.

Once he had gathered himself, he skirted to the front of the truck expecting to see blood and limbs on the snow like freshly butchered meat atop dry ice.

Nothing? Travis couldn’t believe his eyes. He refused to believe them for that matter. He crouched to get a view below the undercarriage of the truck, hoping he would see something to confirm his own sanity.

Nothing there either? Okay. Good, but not really. I know I saw something, right? His mind raced out of control. There’s no way I made this up. I saw a person and I hit that person. Hard.

He glared back down at the spot of impact where he had hit the body. Tire tracks illustrated the path of destruction his truck left, but not a god damned smudge where the fucker sat.

Convinced his mind had just hibernated for six months, Travis stumbled towards the nearby forestry where he had witnessed the lifeless body soar through the cold air like a sack of potatoes. He knew that the body had slid all the way across the road, yet the snow resting on the ground appeared undisturbed and continued to accumulate as if nothing had happened.

Travis had no clue what had happened. Did he fall asleep and dream the whole thing? Did he hallucinate it? One thing he did know is that his crazy bitch soon-to-be ex-wife could never find out about this. In the custody hearing that was sure to follow, she would tell the judge how Kyle’s friend had almost lost his leg, and how four boys were damn near killed as part of Travis’s mental instability. That was a sure way to end up with only weekend visitation rights in the best of scenarios. Regardless of what had actually happened, he needed to come up with something to tell the kids. They were all napping when he had decided to wake them in a sliding death box, so no one saw a thing. He stomped back towards the truck with pure disgust towards himself and his head hung low. The boys, with the exception of Brian, had gathered on the passenger side looking for any indication of what Travis was searching for.

You gonna tell us what happened? Kyle demanded.

With the feeling now running out of his legs, Travis snapped out of his trance. A dog was sitting in the road and I had to swerve out of the way, he told them flatly, trying to keep a firm complexion.

A dog? Mikey questioned. Out here? We’re in the middle of nowhere.

It doesn’t matter right now, Jimmy interrupted. Brian is passed out and bleeding more. We need to get him to the hospital now!

Travis had heard enough. Everyone in the truck now! He hated losing control of a situation and this one had all but vanished from his grip. Brian is our priority. I’ll explain everything later. They all piled back into the truck. Brian was situated back in his spot, lying across the back seat, unconscious. Travis trotted around the truck back to the driver side and caught his own reflection staring back at him in the window. The years have taken their toll. Bags under the eyes, a few gray hairs freckled into his sea of brown. It seemed like only last week he came to the cabin as a boy with his parents.

Dad! Kyle brought Travis out of his nostalgia. We need to go!

Travis opened his door and slid back behind the wheel to find the engine idling. God dammit, I didn’t even turn off the truck. He felt helpless, as if he were watching himself in a dream, but couldn’t control his actions.

It’s fine, please start driving, Brian croaked from the back seat, startling everyone else in the truck. I feel like shit.

Awkward silence blanketed the truck as Travis began to cruise back along the road. Jimmy gave Brian some potato chips to help with the hunger, which was probably making him feel worse.

I’m sorry this all happened, boys, he said in a confessional tone. Something is going on and I wanted to be sure that we’re okay to go home. Brian, I’m going straight to the hospital, so hang in there.

Brian groaned in pain. For the next several minutes they remained in silence as they all listened to the steady hum of the engine, wondering what the hell had happened with Travis. His own mind also wandered while he drove.

I know what I saw. I think we’re being followed right now and I know who it is. Travis leaned back and thought about his mother. She always had an answer.

Chapter 2

Seven more weeks, Tracy Stephens whispered under her breath. She pulled the coffee pot out she had just refilled and worked her way back to the restaurant floor. She strolled by Rodrigo and Antonio, the cooks who always yelled Spanish obscenities to each other while flipping eggs and bacon.

Tracy had become immune to the smells of eggs, pancakes, bacon, and pretty much any breakfast food that filled the air within the confines of the Denny’s establishment. She had worked there since August when she had moved from San Diego to begin school at Denver State University (DSU). The deal she made with her parents consisted of them paying for her $10,000 per semester tuition, as long as she covered all other expenses, including books and rent. She had seven more weeks until the spring semester ended and then she could quit her God-awful job and return to Mommy and Daddy’s house for the summer.

With the DSU campus located in the heart of downtown Denver, life didn’t come cheap for Tracy. She had survived this far on free Denny’s meals and a five-hundred dollar check every two weeks with some measly tips thrown in.

Her return in the fall to start the second year concerned her the most. People from all over the country flooded to Denver thanks to legalized marijuana and trendy technology companies expanding their offices into the Mile High City. This led to skyrocketing rental rates, especially in the downtown area. Tracy rented a 500 square foot studio apartment about half a mile from campus. Her landlord had already warned her that the rent would likely double by the time she returned in the fall.

Due to this, she started to familiarize herself with some of the suburbs right outside of Denver. The city of Grant seemed a likely candidate with a fifteen minute drive to the city and reasonable rental rates for the time being. Grant was a suburb that had benefited from the economic boom in Denver. Once a smaller suburb and home to average income families, the city had grown into an expensive and rapidly expanding community. New schools, hospitals, and even a strip mall had popped up in the past year due to the growth in population.

Her father, Chet, tried talking Tracy into attending a school that was not in the center of the bustling city. DSU had everything she could ask for, from the beautiful campus overlooking the city, and an energy and passion on campus unmatched by any of the other schools she had toured.

Chet outlined the pros and cons for each school within Colorado since he insisted she move out of state to experience life. A Jesuit college just outside of downtown offered plenty, but the thought of being hounded by religious nuts for four years was too much. Boulder had the reputation as the party capital of colleges, but what was the point of school if you had a hangover every day?

Denver State had felt like home from the beginning and Tracy wanted it no other way. She had her grades right where she wanted, the friends she needed, and the rent money to have a place to sleep.

This particular Tuesday night, when the homesickness started to kick in, she had some unforeseen excitement come her way. Since her classes ended in the early afternoons, she no longer found the second leg of her double shift to be as tiresome as it was when she had a full day of classes. Pushing eggs and filling coffee mugs in the middle of the night thanks to the graveyard shift didn’t exactly challenge her. If she needed to work tired, hungover, or just plain unmotivated, it was quite easy for her to do so. As was the case every late night shift, drunken college kids would tumble in around two in the morning in dire need of grease to soak up the alcohol they had consumed all night at the bars. Entertainment never lacked in these special moments; she even looked forward to it.

Girls would spill their life stories and guys would hit on her non-stop. She tried her best to look unappealing by leaving her makeup off, but all that seemed to get her were creepy compliments about her beautiful green eyes. Just a part of the job her manager informed her.

Tracy topped off a coffee for a middle-aged man who appeared to be on a lunch break for his own graveyard shift. As she turned away from his table, she froze at the sight of blaring headlights that illuminated the restaurant through the front windows. The light remained for about ten seconds before disappearing back into the still darkness of 1 a.m.

Tracy felt the blood rush into her gut. It’s him!

Around this same time during her shift the previous night, Tracy sat in a booth with a customer and learned all about his life. His name was Cole, a young twenty-something fresh out of college currently working a late night shift in a customer service call center for Netflix.

Tracy reciprocated by opening up to Cole about the struggles of trying to live up to her father’s expectations, the hate she was developing for her job, and the overall love she had grown for the city of Denver during her stay.

Then, the conversation took a deep turn. Cole wore a long, tan parka with a matching fedora cocked low enough to shade most of his face. The weather wasn’t nearly cold enough to warrant a jacket. So what gives? Tracy lightly asked. Cole confessed that he had a rare skin condition called Argyria that caused his skin to turn a slightly gray tint at random times. Embarrassed by this, Cole explained it was why he always tried to cover up his skin and used the hat to cover his face. His disease wasn’t severe, so the graying condition came and went like strangers passing by. This particular night appeared to have no problems as he showed off his regular, pale skin.

Tracy developed instant sympathy upon discovering this disease. Her little brother had burned his face in an accident and lived with a scar shaped like Florida smacked across his cheek. She understood the struggle of people afraid to live in their own skin.

They continued to swap stories and Tracy was overcome with emotion from learning of Cole’s past. He spoke of being beaten, burned, and nearly murdered in middle school due to his condition. The school staff nor his parents seemed to give two shits and left him to fend for himself.

As the countless and horrific stories piled up, Tracy felt as if she were listening to a Holocaust survivor speak of the unthinkable terrors they experienced while trying to survive.

Tracy wanted nothing more than to be there for Cole, as by the sound of it, he still lacked someone in his life he could count on. No friends, not even acquaintances. She also felt intrigued by him. For all he had gone through, he still had a gentle demeanor to go along with the mysterious vibe, and a persona that steamed out of his jacket and fedora.

With her emotions strung high, Tracy stood up from the booth before she ended up chatting with Cole for her entire shift. Cole stared up at her, startled by her sudden movement.

Did I say something wrong? he shakily asked.

Of course not, but I’m at work, she explained as she looked around the empty restaurant. Cole glared around and met her eyes again with a small grin on his face.

I see how it is, Cole said in a much more confident tone. I see you’re a busy woman. Pretty, too. I get it. But, I like talking to you. Just throwing it out there. Her face blushed as she gave a coy smile in response, brushing back her dirty blonde hair behind her ear.

Tell you what, Cole continued. "I want you to think things over. I know you will anyway, as you’re a college smarty pants after all. I’m going to leave now, but I’ll be back at the same time tomorrow night.

I’ll come to the same booth. If you’re interested in seeing me outside of these walls, bring me a milkshake. Chocolate please. If you want to keep this friendly and confined to these walls, bring me a coffee.

A romantic! Tracy looked away like a little girl embarrassed to talk about the cute boys in school. Cole rose from the booth and slapped down a twenty on the table for a tab that was only seven dollars and some change.

See you tomorrow! she finally said. Cole gave a tight-lipped smile, headed down the maze of tables, and out of the front door.

Tracy couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as she picked up Cole’s table. She would indeed do some thinking on her way home.

* * *

The early morning passed and Tracy finally went home for some sleep before her late morning classes. She tossed and turned all night, waking to find the sheets a tangled mess. Her mind seemed to gravitate towards Cole, even when she tried her hardest to think about anything else. Since sleep avoided her, she decided to commence her internal debate on the chocolate shake versus the Cup of Joe.

Well, he’s cute in his own weird sort of way. He seems pretty together for having such a rough childhood. She turned on her TV for some noise and distraction. Late night reruns of The Office played and kept her entertained. I just want a Jim and Pam kind of relationship. But it’s hard since I never have any free time. I don’t know if I should even be getting into a relationship before leaving for home for three months. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be and it will happen. If he’s still around when I come back in the fall, then that’s a sign.

Only the conscience could talk itself out of what it had already decided against. She fell asleep while she thought about pouring coffee into Cole’s mug, but hoped the summer would not send him completely out of her life. They could still talk, but a long distance relationship was simply out of the question, even if only for a few months.

She woke up groggy and out of sorts, needing at least two additional hours of sleep, but class awaited. The day at school dragged and she felt like a zombie crawling across a deserted highway looking for anyone to eat. She couldn’t recall a single lesson during her classes, but she also hadn’t thought back to Cole either. The grind of the semester always took its toll, but one night of bad sleep could throw the whole thing into overdrive.

She thought God threw her a bone, cancelling her last class of the day, which left her with two and a half hours to take a nap in her car before work. Thanks to running late in the morning, she had no choice but to park in the school’s multilevel parking garage which was always cool, quiet, and dark.

She reached her midnight blue Mustang that her Daddy bought for her as a high school graduation gift and collapsed into the reclined front seat, having no issues sleeping. Her dormant mind didn’t even wake her to the sounds of screeching cars and loud mouthed students that passed.

When she awoke from her phone alarm, drool dripped down her cheek in a stream. Time for this fucking job. She still hadn’t let Cole back into her mind, partly because she knew he wouldn’t arrive at the restaurant until the rest of the world was a good two hours into their night’s snooze.

The dinner rush brought the usual crying babies and cranky parents that looked even more tired than she felt. She put on her best fake smile as the power hour from six to seven provided the biggest opportunity for tips. She ran when her hands were free and made sure to check on every table in her section every ten minutes. A friendly face doesn’t mean anything if they don’t get to see it, her manager recited one of his usual cheesy quotes.

Dinner fizzled into a smaller dessert crowd of people wanting to eat some pie before returning home for the evening. Once the pie people left, the restaurant may as well have been a morgue. Between ten and midnight she’d be lucky to have one table. After that a small boost of graveyard shift workers came in on their lunch breaks and an entertaining crowd of drunk college students.

She tended to a couple of businessmen who rushed through their meals when the bright headlights flooded the building, blinding Tracy for a moment as she picked up the dishes from the businessmen’s table. When the lights flickered off she glanced at her watch and realized it was a few minutes past 1 a.m.

Cole, she just knew it. Nerves rattled through her body as her mind raced.

Hopefully he would understand why she wanted to stay friends for the time being while she tried to figure out her life. She understood that may not be likely as many guys had strong opinions against the friend zone.

Tracy skirted into the kitchen to get out of sight from the main floor. She heard the front door creak open and chime its bell, giving way to a subtle shuffle of feet walking by her hiding spot. She peeked around the corner and saw the same booth from the previous night occupied by a man in a long, tan parka with a matching fedora. His back was facing her, but who else dressed like that at this time of year?

The coffee machine chimed to indicate its latest brew had finished. Tracy strolled over and poured the fresh coffee into a mug to take out to Cole, awaiting his disappointment. She sighed as the coffee reached the brim, knowing she would need to let Cole down easily so as not to ruin anyone’s night.

Tracy grabbed the mug and walked back onto the main floor, striding straight towards the same booth with her shoulders held high and a confident posture, oblivious to the businessmen who waved goodbye as they exited the restaurant.

She stayed silent as she approached, noticing his hands tucked under the table and his head staring down at the tabletop.

Hi, Cole. Tracy faked an excited tone as she slid the mug into Cole’s line of sight.

Silence.

She couldn’t tell if he was looking at the coffee or not, since his fedora rested extra low tonight. He remained so still that Tracy had to fix her stare on him to ensure he was actually breathing.

Cole, I can explain. Tracy couldn’t take the silence anymore.

What the fuck is this? a flat voice questioned from below the fedora. Still no movement. Tracy took a step back from the table, not expecting such a harsh response.

I thought we had something going, the emotionless voice continued. We had a good time and you had to go and talk yourself out of a great thing.

Cole, please let-

I suggest you stop talking. Save your nonsense about ‘not being ready in life right now’ for someone who gives a shit!

What? Cole’s accurate statement caught Tracy off guard. How did you-

"I know everything, Cole continued. You can’t keep anything from me. You’re not sure about your life? Well, I’ll help to answer some of those questions tonight." The voice remained steady and unwavering. He still showed no signs of movement, keeping the brim of his hat low enough to shade his entire face.

I thought this would be cordial, but I guess I was wrong, Tracy mustered out in a nervous tone. The anger radiated off of him like an atomic bomb.

"I know… I know how you wanted it to be, but you fucked it up," Cole continued without movement. Tracy stared down into the darkness cast over his face, wondering what was happening behind that shadow.

The restaurant was eerily deserted, and she didn’t expect any of the drunk college kids for another hour. Tracy looked around at the empty chairs and booths, patiently awaiting her next move. She knew her cooks were in the back of the kitchen watching soccer on their phones like any other night along with her fellow waitress for the night (in case things got busy), Yolanda, who never worked too hard during these late shifts.

I think I’ll be leaving now. Cole rose from the booth in a swift motion. Perhaps you’d like to join me? He snatched Tracy’s arm just below her elbow, pulling her in closer towards his face. The hand felt cold, dead, against her skin as he towered over her. His breath reeked of chewing tobacco and that nearly made Tracy vomit all over herself, but she kept her composure.

Cole removed his fedora, revealing his dark gray skin and beady, black eyes staring at her. His lips parted in a grin, revealing a set of charcoal black teeth.

A shriek froze in Tracy’s throat that she could not force out. She felt as if she had no control over her mind or body after Cole had grasped her. It felt like her body was running on autopilot.

Cole released his grip on her arm, throwing her a couple steps backwards. I said I want to talk…outside, Cole demanded, flashing his black teeth in an evil smile. This time she saw the sharp points of the teeth, similar to those she imagined a werewolf to have.

Tracy took advantage of her freedom and bolted for the kitchen where she knew she would have a numbers advantage over Cole. She screeched to a halt once she crossed the entryway of the kitchen and shrieked with all of her might.

Behind the industrial stoves and ovens, lying on the back wall next to the freezer was Rodrigo with his throat slit wide open, as if smiling at Tracy. His once white apron had turned a deep shade of red, almost black, from the amount of blood he had lost. Next to Rodrigo, splayed out face down on the ground was Antonio. A puddle of brains and blood formed around his head.

Tracy wondered where Yolanda was. She could be dead or hiding, but had no way of knowing for sure. A sense of loneliness clenched its ugly teeth around Tracy’s already paranoid mind. She turned back out of the kitchen and sprinted for the front door, banging a couple of chairs out of the way en route to her freedom.

The moonlight glowed over the still night as Tracy burst through the front doors of the Denny’s. She stumbled onto the pavement of the parking lot and gathered her footing, panting, out of breath. Her hands fumbled in her pocket, searching for her car keys while she dragged her feet down the front sidewalk of the building. That feeling of puppy love towards Cole had vanished like a balloon in a hurricane and gave way to a much stronger sense of terror. The night felt eerily quiet until her keys made their ever faithful jingle and she clutched them with a fist, yanking them out of her jeans pocket.

With the sense of security her keys brought, Tracy broke into a sprint around the corner of the building, giving a quick glance to confirm Cole had not followed her out of the restaurant. Employees were required to park in the back parking lot behind the building where the overflow spaces often filled up on busy Sunday mornings after the church rush. Otherwise, it served as an unofficial employees only lot.

When Tracy turned the corner that led into this lot she froze to see Cole leaning against her Mustang, one foot on the front bumper and both hands on the hood behind him.

He must have come out the backdoor through the kitchen. She would have too, if not for the blood-covered floor and two dead bodies laying there like roadkill on the side of the freeway.

Sweet ride you have here, Cole’s voice came out cold, slightly raspy. "All I wanted was to talk outside, but you insisted on causing a scene."

Get the fuck away from me! Tracy shouted with hopes of attracting the attention of some poor soul that might happen to pass by at this time of night.

Oh, I’ll be out of your way in no time, Cole responded calmly, with a devilish smirk. Even in the dark, she could see those black, rotting teeth that looked like fangs.

He stood up straight and extended a hand towards Tracy. Now, come here so we can have a discussion…please!

Tracy felt her legs move forward below her. The feeling of no control engulfed her once again. After five steps she tumbled and fell within a couple feet of Cole. Her keys that she held in her hands flew out of sight as she caught herself, scraping her palms in the process.

Sorry about your cook friends. I didn’t want any distractions, just some quality alone time for me and you, Cole said, and then howled up towards the moon.

Oh, my God, please don’t let me get raped. Please, please, please.

"You think we’ll do what? Rape? Physically impossible for us to do, so don’t flatter yourself."

We? Us? It’s just him, she thought, while getting some relief from his words.

Tracy rolled over onto her back hoping not to get any more scrapes than she already had from falling. Cole promptly swung his foot back and rammed it into Tracy’s face. Blood gushed out of her nose and onto the pavement below her. Her head rang and her vision came in and out of focus.

She lay still, which didn’t feel very still due to her head spinning. She could hear Cole laughing, sounding as if he was coming from every angle around her. It felt like there were ten of him circled around her, laughing at her like a ring of bullies gathered around their innocent prey.

Dear God, please send someone to save me, she began to pray.

Pleeease, she whined. Leave me, please!

You’re going nowhere, bitch! Cole barked. He reached inside his parka and retrieved a cleaver, which looked like the one from the Denny’s kitchen. He held it up into the night, catching a reflection of his own smile on the blade.

I thought about letting you go tonight. I really did. But then I thought on it some more, much like you did. Cole knelt down beside Tracy’s head so he could speak into her face.

I guess I had a change of heart, so you aren’t leaving me tonight until I say so. Cole grinned in her face, revealing those hellish teeth. Tears rolled down Tracy’s blood-soaked cheeks. I’m going to die tonight.

I really do like your car. Would you mind if I borrow it later? Cole casually asked, like a friend would.

Cole, please. Why are you doing this to me? Tracy pleaded in a low, desperate tone.

Let’s just say I’m doing you a favor, Cole responded and stood above her head. "You’ll be leaving before the fun really begins and you’ll be glad. It’s going