its just a Horsefly: chapter 3

Viviann walked through the white void, the bodies of thousands being yanked past her. She looked around the oddly familiar white, as though she'd been there before. The sound of skittering feet came towards her as she looked around the void.

Vivian made the mistake of turning around as she met, its large desaturated eyes. The thing looked at her almost sympathetically as its thousands of brothers and sisters continued to drag the people away into a long tunnel. Vivian felt her nerves go on end as she stared at the creature.

"You are still breathing." the thing's voice rasped, Vivian swore it sounded familiar. No, it didn't she would never know a monster like this. Vivian peered back at the thing's long black ropes. To her surprise nothing was attached to them.

"I'm not here to hurt you." The thing whispered

"then why are you here?" Vivian managed to force out as she slowly backed away from the creature. The thing looked at Vivian, if she didn't know better, she would have said it was hurt by the comment.

"You already know why, I exist for the same reason all my kind exist. you want, we give, then once we have finished giving, we take." Vivian shook her head, fear boiling in her heart. she didn't know what this was, yelling and a multitude of cusses echoed through her brain.

"I don't want it, whatever you're offering. I HAVE EVERYTHING ALREADY! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" The thing sighed an almost peaceful smile in its large bug-like eyes.

"I know, dear." Vivian's breathing grew heavy as she looked around desperately.

"John? JOHN? JOHN WHERE ARE YOU?!? WHAT DID YOU DO WITH JOHN!!" The thing looked at Vivian annoyed. The light of the void grew brighter as John's face came back into view. She was in the car. John looked at Vivian concerned. Vivian cried wanting to grasp him tight.

"John, I had a nightmare John." Jon looked over at Vivian, an almost sad look on his face.

"what was it about?"

"I was floating, in the air, in nothing, no, not nothing. the sky John, I was in the sky. I saw a monster, and you- you weren't there I cried out, and you weren't there. you didn't exist John." John took his hand from the car's wheel placing it comfortingly on Vivian's shoulder.

"I'll always be here dear. I couldn't leave even if I wanted to. we're going to get you back home after we pick up Lux's significant other." Vivian looked at the small person sitting in the back seat they waved to vivian. Lux, Lux, that's right. They met in trader joes, Lux was her friend. Vivian looked at the back window covered in brown parchment paper. She looked at John annoyed.

"Oh John, again with the paper?" John looked around the area nervously.

"I'm sorry dear, I don't want you to panic." Vivian looked at her husband confused. Panic? about what? If John was covering the windows, it must be something bad. Vivian took deep breaths trying to calm down. John looked at Vivian concerned realization on his face.

"oh no, I shouldn't have- honey, everythings fine." Vivian flipped through her book in hopes of some answer. one of the pages was ripped out. she looked at John angrily as he tried to avoid her gaze. Vivian sighed, John was right chances are whatever was happening freaked her out. The car stopped John looked at Vivian concerned.

"Me and Lux are going to go find his significant other. stay in the car and don't look outside." Vivian nodded scribbling a note in her notebook. John read the note, making sure it was clear enough for future Vivian to comprehend. Lux hesitated as he got out working up their courage before charging towards the buildings umbrella in hand. John gave Vivian her phone kissing her cheek before running after Lux.

Vivian moved to the back seat of the car hopefully to avoid triggering her anxiety. What was going to trigger her anxiety? Why was she in the back of a car again? Vivian took out her notebook flipping to the newest page.

"Stay in the car so you don't see the bad thing. John (our husband) is helping Lux find his significant other, they will be back soon." Bad thing? What was the bad thing? Who the hell was Lux? Vivian heard a banging on the car door and a high-pitched voice echoed from the other side.

"Let me in, god PLEASE LET ME IN!!!" Vivian hesitated, what if this was the bad thing, what if she saw the bad thing when she opened the door. the desperate banging continued. Vivian gave in opening the car door. A person wearing glasses quickly hopped in the car in bloodstained clothes. The person sighed their terrified body shaking.

"Thank god, thank you!" the person cried, clutching onto Vivian.

"For what? why are you covered in blood?" Vivian asked she peered towards the car window a small horse fly Appeared in the windshield it banged against the window angrily. Vivian tried to keep her composure for the sake of the scared person.

"What do you- haven't you been outside? don't you know what's happening? aren't you here to hide to?" Vivian's body shook as she peered out the window. John, the man who was apparently her husband, went outside. more flies gathered on the windshield till the window covered itself with flies. Vivian screamed, backing herself to the back of the car. The person looked at her confused.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" Vivian pointed to the window, the person looked at the window confused.

"there's nothing there. oh hysteria, that's what this is. I've read enough apocalypse books to know people don't normally handle the end of the world well." Vivian's eyes went wide buzzing echoed through her head.

"the end of the world?" She stuttered, The person looked around, nodding. Vivian took out her phone, typing in the number that had been crudely written in her notebook, no answer. Vivian grasped the person's shoulders.

"MY HUSBAND! HE'S NOT IN THE CAR!" Vivian opened the car door dashing out to look for her husband. The person peered out at Vivian.

"DON'T GO OUTSIDE! THEY'LL GET YOU!" A large thin rope swung through the sky attempting to wrap itself around Vivian's neck. The rope screamed as it touched Vivian's skin. Vivian bolted through the grassy field looking for someone who matched her blurred memory of her husband's face. wails of agony screeched through the courtyard. People melting before Vivian's eyes, the horse flies circling around the college students remains.

That when Vivian realized she didn't have an umbrella. the hot rain fell on her face as she continued to run, any of these people could have been her husband. he could have died without her knowledge. Vivian hear the sound of skittering feet behind her. she dared to look behind her. the monsters from her dream followed behind dragging the bodies of their victims. Vivian's pace quickened as she made her was to a more modern looking building. She slammed the door leaving the things to bang against it their claw like hands unable to open the door. Vivian took a deep breath she looked around the building. a large hole sat in the top of the buildings glass like structure. Vivian cupped her hands around her mouth.

"John? JOHN?!?" Vivian heard the sound of skittering coming towards her once more. She came face to face with the Thing. Vivian looked behind it. The Thing had no victims attached to its long rope. Vivian screamed, backing away from the Thing. Flies surrounded the thing covering every inch of the building as the thing made their way towards Vivian. The flies grasped Vivian's feet forcing her in place as the weight of thousands of flies crushed her feet. The Thing looked at Vivian slightly worried.

"Oh, Vivian, their just horse flies they aren't even real, remember?" Vivian breathed deeply.

"It's not real, it's not there, It's not real, it's not there, It's not real, it's not there" Vivian opened her eyes. All the bugs had vanished. The Thing though still remained looking at Vivian concerned.

"John?" Vivian said confused. The bug like creature looked around nervously.

"y-yes, who else would it be?" Vivian's body shook as she looked at the giant monster.

"You're a, YOUR A BUG!" John sighed shaking his large mantis like head.

"No, honey, I think you're still hallucinating. your still calming down." Vivian nodded, she normally hallucinated John was a mantis. She didn't know why but it was a very inconvenient time to hallucinate about mantis'. it seemed the appearance of the monsters was affecting her normal perception. John lowered his head with a mix of anger and worry on his face.

"I thought I told you to wait in the car, what happened." Vivian cried relieved her husband was alright.

"I don't know, I dropped my book. I was scared though, I-I thought, John, it's hell out there." John nodded sadly.

"I know honey, we'll head home soon. me and Lux are still looking for their partner." Vivian peered in the distance a creature with a bug head searched the halls frantically. John peered at Vivian's face, her anxiety clear as day.

"them too?" Vivian nodded looking at the flyman.

"Please tell me they aren't real." John put his claw hand on Vivan's shoulder trying to comfort her.

"they are, but I'm sure they don't look human right now." Vivian nodded, it seemed like John wasn't the only one affected by her hallucination. She should have stayed in the car, why did she leave anyways? that's right!

"Someone's in the car. they were trying not to be outside." John looked at Vivian, Lux ran towards the group, their fly head vanishing as they became human once more.

"WHAT DID THEY LOOK LIKE." Vivian did her best to remember the person's face.

"glasses, they, they had glasses. that's all I can remember." Lux rushed past the two pulling out his umbrella as he made his way back to the car. Vivian and John followed behind his skittering legs sending shivers up Vivian's spine. The person peered out the car window meeting Lux’s scared face. Lux screamed running towards the other person squeezing them tight. Vivian Got in the car followed by John who returned to his normal form.

A noise shot through the campus as each one of the Things turned their pencil-thin necks towards John’s car. John pushed Vivian’s head down as he stared daggers at the creatures who moved slowly towards them.

”tractor” they hissed, at least that’s what Vivian thought they said. It probably wasn’t what they said at all. Her eyes focused on the break a small fly sat on it looking at Vivian. She wanted to run or back away. She couldn't, she needed to do something, anything before she forgot where she was again. Even if it meant being eaten.

Vivian shoved the gas pedal forcing the car forward a loud bump as the car rolled over something. Lux’s partner let out a shocked scream as the car took off to who knows where. John looked down at Vivian, surprise and pride on his face as they drove through an incredibly bumpy road. At least that’s what Vivian chose to assume.

In reality the group we’re driving through the campus grass hitting a multitude of living things in the process. Vivian chose to believe they were hitting the giant Creatures that seemed so obsessed with them. She was half right, unfortunately, half is not all as the skittering of thousands of legs was heard behind them. John looked out the back seat. Vivian heard a loud crash and the strange man jerked his head back to face her.

”stay under there.“ Vivian stared at the stranger confused

“Why?”

”because we’re in trouble!” The man responded Vivian looked around the car seat.

”Why are we driving?” She asked. The stranger’s voice began to strain as he tried to keep himself calm.

”so we can get out!”

”of trouble?” Vivian asked the man nodded. Vivian's imagination ran wild as she wondered what was happening. They slammed into a statue knocking it down, they hopped over a large devastating cliff avoiding certain demise, one of the things chucked a loose branch at their back window desperate to catch the group. The only thing Vivian couldn't think about is what got them there in the first place.

an odd creaking came from the roof of the car as an odd grey liquid dripped on the dashboard melting through the plastic surface. A bad feeling built in Vivian's gut as a giant horse fly leaned on the car roof grey liquid dripping from its mouth as it stared at Vivian.

Vivian screamed the stranger looked down at her surprised. Vivian bawled as the multi-eyed monster looked down at her, mouth agape. The stranger turned the car into a nearby parking building scanning the area for any signs of invasion. when satisfied he parked the car peering at Vivian who was cowering in the passenger seat. He held her, taking deep breaths as he tried to not further upset her.

"It's okay, we're okay." Vivian grasped the man's collar desperately.

"it's going to eat me, it's right outside, it could knock this whole place down if it wanted to." The stranger peered outside getting a full grasp of their environment before. Saying anything else.

"honey, it's just a horsefly." Vivian took a deep breath letting herself out of the car. the stranger made his way to the car looking for anything that could be used to camp out. He pulled out a multitude of things including two gently used sleeping bags offering one to Vivian. She took it gratefully unrolling it out in the parking lot.

"I feel like I've met you before, do I know you?" Vivian asked the stranger. the stranger smiled as he pulled out a bunch of firewood from the back of the car.

"You have, I'm your husband, John." Vivian felt a burst of joy, this man was her husband. Lux took some of the firewood looking through the pile confused.

"Why do you have all this stuff?" John shook his head, a small smile on his face as he avoided Lux's eyes.

"oh, I just figured we'd need it someday, you can never be TOO prepared for dangerous situations. I'm sorry to say I only have two sleeping bags. I wasn't expecting company." Lux's partner smiled, patting their significant other on the shoulder.

"that's alright, we can sleep in the car. if that's alright." John shrugged pulling out a couple of blankets he packed beforehand. He handed them to the two as they began to set up their temporary camp. Vivian looked at the two.

"your, Lux?" Lux nodded, John looked at Vivian with surprise and happiness.

"that's right honey," Vivian turned to their partner.

"And your... I want to say... Bumble?" The person shook their head somewhat amused.

"Bee, actually." Vivian looked at Bee confused.

"I don't think we've met, have we? I'm Vivian." Bee shook Vivian's hand awkwardly trying to comprehend what was happening. Lux spoke up pulling Bee to the side.

"Vivian suffers from short-term memory loss and hallucinations." Bee looked at Vivian realization and guilt dripping from their face.

"I am SO SORRY" Vivian looked at Bee confused. Sorry for what? What the hell happened before she got in that car. Vivian sighed as she looked into their guilt-ridden eyes.

"I don't know what you did, but I forgive you." John chuckled as he stacked the wood on top of each other Bee looked at the towered up logs.

"Are we even allowed to light fires in a parking lot?" John shrugged

"Well, I don't think they'd mind. The world's ending after all" Bee nodded John was right now was the worst time to talk about the laws surrounding parking lots in Boise. The logs went up in flames John grab a small metal cage from his bag placing it over the fire. He put his hands in his pockets shuffling around for something. his shuffling became more desperate as he did his best to keep a calm look on his face. He looked at Vivian concerned.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to bring your medication." Vivian flipped through her notebook. that's right, she didn't take her medication correctly that morning. Vivian sighed as she sat around the fire with the others. Lux looked at Vivian desperate to start some sort of small talk.

"So, you guys met in the hospital?" Vivian nodded, she forgot Lux knew about that.

"yes, I fell off my horse, and..." Vivian paused as a horsefly landed on the car's roof. Vivian continued reminding herself it wasn't real.

"My horse broke his leg, it was tragic. there was also-" Vivian stopped herself not wanting to bring up the subject. it was too late though as Lux stared at her patiently.

"my husband, he- he." Jim's voice echoed through Vivian's head.

"HOW DO YOU FORGET EGGS YOU STUPID BITCH!!" Vivian flipped to the first page of her notebook hoping to reassure herself. It was true... Jim was gone.

"died." Vivian managed to finish Bee looked at Vivian surprised.

"I thought you two were married?" John looked at the fire, anger in his eyes. Vivian really didn't want to bring up Jim. John hated Jim.

"I'm her second husband." Bee's interest was intrigued they leaned in their pulled-back hair drooping over their shoulders.

"What happened to him?" John looked at Vivian checking for any signs of approval. Vivian nodded, she didn't like hearing about Jim, but sometimes it was better to get out of the way.

"He actually died in the same incident... We don't know how but the horse got spooked, it bucked Vivian off and then went for her husband. damn thing stomped him to death." Lux looked at John confused.

"You mean trampled to death?" John shook his head.

"No, that was the odd part about the whole incident, the horse kept stopping on him again and again, with a BROKEN LEG. Pushing through the pain with adrenaline. It was almost as though it had the intent to murder the man." Vivian glared at the fire. she completely forgot Buster killed Jim.

"Serves him right," she whispered under her breath. She didn't remember much about Jim. The parts she did remember were the yelling, the crying, the bruises she had to hide on a daily basis. She never told anyone about that though. Only John who never actually met her late ex, and wanted to avoid talking about him as much as she did.

Bee shook their head.

"don't say that, that's horrible. That poor man." Vivian chuckled, poor? Vivian didn't remember much about Jim but "poor" was the last word she'd use to describe her memories of him. The man was a monster, if he were still alive right now she was sure Jim would just let her die. He wouldn't even bother to call her. John pulled Vivian close to him, the warmth of his body comforting her.

The rest of the night was spent attempting to pass the time as the screams of the innocent echoed through the air. The group soon fell asleep.

Vivian was on her horse clutching the reins. She felt her hair flowing back as she ran through the tall yellowed grass of the foothills. A man rushed up the hill screaming at Vivian.

"WHERE ARE THE EGGS? YOU FORGOT THE EGGS AGAIN. LET ME GUESS, YOU FORGOT THE BEER TOO. YOU ALWAYS FORGET EVERYTHING DON'T YOU BITCH?!?" Vivian felt her heart begin to pound as the previously clear sky became thick with clouds. Jim stopped his tangent an oddly scared look on his face. Vivian turned behind her as she met two large eyes on a slightly lopsided head. The thing swung one of its claws at Buster. Vivian screamed as the terrified horse swung her into a rock the pain filling her skull Buster fell over whining as he struggled to stand back up.

The thing scuttled towards Jim clutching a small rock in its giant claws. Jim screamed as the thing bashed the rock into him again and again. Till Jim stopped moving. The thing began to approach her backing away as Vivian screamed in pain and fear. a bright light flashed. She was in the ER. The door opened. John looked at her and an odd familiarity sat in his eyes as he checked how she was doing.

Vivian's relief was short-lived though as the door opened once more. A man clutching a bouquet of fly heads wandered in, it was Jim! That didn't make sense, Jim died. They killed him. Jim gave Vivian a disgusted look.

"Are you happy bitch? ARE YOU FUCKING HAPPY? IT'S YOUR FAULT YOU KNOW!!! NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF YOU JUST DEALT WITH IT!" Jim grew larger and larger eventually becoming the size of a skyscraper. Vivian screamed as Jim's shoe came careening towards her ready to stomp her to a pulp. Vivian opened her eyes, John looked over at her smiling.

"It's over honey, we can go home now." Vivian looked at John confused. What was over? Why were they in a parking garage? that didn't matter though. All that matter was John was there, and they were safe.

Vivian looked up at the ceiling a group of flies swarmed above her creating a number.

12:15, Vivian didn't know what that number ment, and after what she just went through, she didn't quite care.