Bad Medicine

This is a really weird short story that deals with man-eating demons. My main character, Chase, is a girl; apparently that's hard to figure out, but I say it towards the end. Enjoy!

Bad Medicine

I could not believe what came out from under my bed that morning!  As I was getting ready for school, I came to the realization that the shoes I was going to wear waited under my bed.  When I looked under the frame, I saw four pairs of vibrant, red eyes slit like those of goats staring back at me.  I froze with fear.  Next, I started to hear unearthly voices and the sounds of something moving under there; with my heart already galloping out of my chest, I charged out of that room and ran until I crashed right into my mother.

            “Oh, what’s wrong Sweetie?  Are you ready for school yet?”

            I just continued to pant; my heart was still pounding and I was too bewildered to even think of what to say.

            “Chase, what’s wrong?  You’re as pale as a ghost!”

            When I did not respond again, she shook me and yelled my name.  I realized I was hyperventilating; I was having a full blown panic attack!  My body began to shake until I collapsed on the floor.

***

            Several hours later, I found myself waking in a hospital with my mom asleep nearby.  When I stirred, she rushed to my side, but before she had a chance to say anything four doctors oozed in.

            “Good afternoon!” one said with a Cheshire grin.

            “You passed out after a panic attack” said another with a chuckle.

            “I beg your pardon!” I said a little too loudly.  The four doctors all broke out into harmonized laughter; apparently, I am freaking hilarious!

“Well you see all we know is that your little 'baby' here got scared,” said a third doctor practically mocking us.  The four doctors just smiled at each other like this all was a private joke.  I did not know what their deal was, but I would not entrust these guys with something as little as a piece of tape, let alone my health.  With one look, I could tell my mom felt the same.

***

When we returned home, my mom wanted answers.  I told her I was not ready to tell what happened yet.  She said she understood, but she looked... downhearted.  Today was so much; all I wanted to do was sleep, just be safe within my mind.

I felt content outside, as long as my mom was there with me.  I could not manage to close my eyes though; every time I did, I saw those eyes peering back at me.  I watched the sunrise while my mom slept, but I think the lack of sleep caused me to be a bit jittery �" every minor creek or breath caused me to jump about twenty feet into the air.  I heard the bus stop to pick me up, and accidentally woke my mom.  She was not expecting to hear a blood curdling scream that early in the morning.  Looking at me with her sad eyes, she told the bus driver I would not be going to school.

We spent the day together until she got a call from the hospital.  Apparently, the doctors said that they were not done with us yet, and we needed to come back.  They said that they had some tests that they wanted to do to see if my fainting was caused by something in my genetics.  We were confused, but agreed.  What harm could come from tests -- besides being near those nitwits again.

***

We met the doctors in their office; they were just as creepy as ever.  “Because of the unusual circumstances we would like to do some tests on your mom,” said the fourth.

“What unusual�"” I asked.

“Oh, nothing you need to worry about.”

“It will be a blast!”

We did not trust them, but consented.  I told my mom to hurry as she left, I still did not want to be away from her.

“Oh, your poor mother; she’s on fire!”

“No, I’m fine, don’t worry about me, Chase, I’ll only be a minute.”

***

I waited for hours watching the door as the clock ticked on.  Every second felt like an eternity as I slowly started to loose my sanity.  It did not help that I still felt those eyes peering through me -- burning holes in my skin.  I started to get worried about my mom, so I carefully went to look for her.  When I passed through the doors, I saw that everyone had left.  There was no sign of a living soul anywhere.

I calmed down a bit when I heard the familiar laughter of those doctors.  I tentatively followed their cackles, knowing my mother would and should be near.  I eventually found them relaxing in a doctor’s lounge.

“What are you doing!?  Where is my mother!?”  I said practically snapping the door off of its hinges.  I froze in my tracks when I saw what they were doing.

“She is no longer here.”

“Yeah, she was practically bubbling over.”

“Made a tasty treat though!”

“She got in our way when we tried to get you.”  Their teeth gleamed red, and the blood of my mother mixed with their spit poured from their mouths with every word.

“Get me? But�"”

“Aw you don’t recognize us?”

“WE ARE THE ‘MONSTERS’ UNDER YOUR BED,” they said in unison, “AND WE, WE WILL NOT BE STOPPED FROM GETTING YOU NOW!”

I did not even give myself time to think.  I ran faster than I ever had before.  I jumped in the car and drove, the doctors trailing behind me, obviously no longer caring to keep their disguises.  They twisted and turned, clawing their way around in the air like solid black smoke.  Their red eyes and now pearly, white teeth shining within the smoke, struck terror without them even having to do a thing.

I was not sure where I was driving to until I stopped.  I was home.  Even though here was where it started, I knew this was the best place for me to be.  It was still home; the one place where I used to be able to trust that my mom would protect me.  I guess internally I thought she could still save me somehow.

I leaped out of the car and ran straight into my room, those things not far behind me.  I slammed my door and piled things in front so that they would not be able to get in.

After awhile, I backed away from the door to see my work.  When I was satisfied, I cautiously turned my head around until�"

***

“Did you honestly think you could get away from us!?”

“No, please, no!”  They grabbed at me grasping with their thick, black claws, harshly pounding my body to the ground and dragging me under the bed.

Not finding anything to grab, since it was all in front of the door, I clawed desperately at the carpet pulling it up as I was dragged harder, more hands appearing from under the bed and clawing in my skin.

They slithered out; I managed to pull away for a second, but just as quickly I was pulled down and under the bed with nothing but the combination of their laughter and my screams echoing in the distance.

***

“You have been a very bad girl Chase.”

“Your human half will be delicious.”

“And your demonic half will spend eternity in blazing, suffering.”