“The Community; Vivian”

Little Vivian, 9:

Thud!

the early of morning peers it’s way thru little Vivian’s tired eyes. Opening and closing until comfort & curiosity arose her little mind. Finally awakening after fully shuffling the blankets off her body with her tiny feet. The cold awoke her.

[The 9 year olds bathroom]

She tiredly makes her way to the bathroom, half asleep and half awake, she sits through the unpleasant cold of porcelain. 

Here she preplanned her morning by way of cartoons and a fresh bowl of cereal, but…

it was all startled by a repetitive sound outside her bathroom window. Sitting there still as she listened. 

It was a thud and a scream as if someone was struggling to get by the fence in their backyard. She quieted to not making a sound as it got louder; her heart almost stopped. 

She was frightened as it was still dark throughout the house. The sun still not shining enough to make one act bravely. 

Looking to elusively drown it out with her cartoons and cold cereal. She bravely set her feet down but didn’t flush. Her decision to flush was discouraged by the thuds and sounds she was still hearing. Just this once, and maybe it was nothing.

Maybe it was her mind playing tricks and maybe… just maybe her parents would understand. 

Nonetheless, the sound was almost gone, but it was still faint as she tried to remain as quiet as she could opening the bathroom door. The screams which were once mildly loud now stopped.

She continued with the door knob sounding as she turned it, the door creaked as it slowly opened, the sound outside simultaneously quieted…

She stood there almost looking back at the bathroom window, but continued to the kitchen. She looked to her father and stepmom’s room, a corridor of a hallway that was shadowed by all the closed doors. 

After they wake, she thought. Then I’ll tell them. 

In the kitchen, now, as she climbed the counter then back down; preparing her cereal. Dumping the captain crunch and pouring the milk. She finally made her way into the living room, setting up comfortably atop of the couch. 

She steadies the tv remote in her hand, switching it on and flickering thru the channels. News and emergency warnings played on each channel she saw. Paying no mind until it was all she saw. 

Disappointed then there it was, the thuds and banging at the front door. Maybe it was someone knocking, but this… it had sounded different. It did sound different. 

She looked to investigate out the living room window, slowly peeping through the blinds… 

It was a lady… one seeking help perhaps, but wait!

She recognized this lady as her neighbor. Someone she saw almost daily. 

“Help me, please!.. the banging & rapping at the door stopped as the sounds moved away.

Little Vivian raced to unlock the door and slowly opened it…

She was gone… “Where did she go?” she thought. 

She opened the screen door and curiously peered out.

Laying on the grass was her neighbor, still dressed in her pajamas, a mix of sweat, tears, and blood covered it.

She was moving back away from Vivian and struggling as she muttered, “Help…”

She was laying with her back on the grass; 

blood painted on her hands as she reached out to the 9 year old. Her hand falling as she stopped moving all together. 

Wanting to help, little Vivian moved closer to investigate. 

Just then, before she could get any closer… 

Her attention stolen to the direction of her neighbor, in whom she recognized from across the street, a cop but not dressed in uniform. His face was distinct as it was stern. 

“Get inside, Vivian!,” he urged.

It was at this moment she felt her neighbors hands tug at her pajamas. Almost ripping it off, and in a flash, her screaming neighbor’s face pressed against hers. The sound of munching and scraping against bone is heard amongst the fierce scream of her neighbor. She tried to pull away and scream but the shock took over. All she could see were flashes of red… red which were mixes of her blood and neighbors. 

Her vision shaking back n forth, eyes closing and opening, pushing and trying to get away, yet pulled back and forth like a rag doll. In this panic she was able to catch glimpses of her neighbors eyes: Red, yellow and inhuman like, 

they burned with a rage.

Her neighbor working steadily to get a clear shot… it was too late but still, he manages to gun down their neighbor who bit poor Vivian’s mouth off, and just before he could run to her aid, the sounds of pattering footsteps make its way to him. The sound almost throws him off, 

he panickly turns and is met with frantic screams that are directed towards his face, only inches away… 

Gunshots go off. 

Vivian cries out as she falls down, weakly making her way back inside the house, gurgling trying to call out to her parents. She feels out the entrance, and tries to make her way while desperately trying to see through the draped blood that is gushing from her face. 

The screen door was enough to shelter her.

She tumbles onto the living room floor gurgling… choking… writhing in pain. 

She rolls over to hold onto her face. 

She can feel parts of it out of place, each touch a burn that set in with a panic. 

She squeezes onto the living room floor carpet, it’s noodled stringed pieces giving her something to squeeze.

“Mommm…. Dad….” 

Her panic cries slow and shuttered breathing matched her heart beat. It echoed like a deep bass knock in the distance, and she followed it into darkness…. into light. 

A warm sensation pools over. 

Vivian’s eyes close…

Then again, they open, disturbed like that by a stinging fire, and jolts that repeatedly pick at parts of her body…

It’s awakened, 

and what used to be Vivian is now gone. 

Her gaze piercing through its windows, 

they were bloodshot red… 

Red with rage, and a human no more…

….an alarm is heard in the far end room of the hallway. 

                               ….to be continued….