Chapter Two
Felix stumbled into his apartment and closed the door behind him, drenched from the rain and gasping for sharp breaths that left him feeling like he’d been running for miles. His mind was still reeling from everything that had transpired. This couldn’t be real. It had to be an elaborate prank or the result of his overly active imagination and stress induced hallucinations. Yet…he could still hear Paul’s screams echoing in his head, he could still see the horrific images of the man’s demise playing over and over in his mind.
He sank down against the couch, palms grasping his head as he shut his eyes tightly in an attempt to block it all out. This was insane. If any of this was real, it would mean there were going to be a lot of questions to answer at work tomorrow. Part of him didn’t want to go into work at all, but not going would look even more suspicious. If he didn’t want to be pinned as a culprit in Paul’s disappearance, he would have to keep up his normal routine.
He exhaled slowly, dropping his body against the couch to let his limbs hang limply, as he stared up at the ceiling. Going back would mean having to face the chance of that thing still being there. If it was, who knew how ‘hungry’ it was or what it would do. What if it ate more people? What if it ate him next? He was certain he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on work at all knowing that some otherworldly creature might yank him into his own monitor and devour him on the spot. The thought gripped him with fear, but there was another part of him, buried deep down that was also curious to know more about it. Who could blame him? Regardless of what that thing had done, it was still some form of sentient alien life that he’d never seen before. It had communicated with him and it didn’t look like E.T, which was always a plus. It had even seemed like it had been trying to do him a favor or help him. Maybe it somehow knew that Felix had been enduring years of stress and criticism from Paul and it had been trying to get revenge for him…
Felix knew this was a dangerous line of thought. Not only was it wishful thinking and very likely not the case at all…but it also left him feeling a little guilty. No matter how much of an asshole Paul was, it was wrong for him to feel anything positive about his lead being dead. Though he was doing everything he could to stifle the sense of relief it brought him, it was hard not to give in to it. No more cutting criticism, no more working for hours on end just to be told that his work still wasn’t enough. In the best of times, Paul had been controlling, dismissive, and cold to him. During the worst times, Paul had been downright cruel. Felix would still never forgive him for the long hours that he was forced to work even when his mother had fallen ill. Paul hadn't bothered to hide his doubt about the reason for those time-off requests, and had even treated Felix like he was using his sick mother as an excuse to play hooky.
Felix quickly wiped the tears that threatened to fall from the buried memory, inhaling deeply as he attempted to ignore the jabbing in his chest and get a better hold of his feelings. All of this was too much. It left him drained and wanting nothing more than to sleep and pass this all off as some really fucked up dream.
He’d have no such luck though. There was no way sleep would be coming any time soon. Tension and cold sweat still lingered on his back and left him with the need to wash himself clean of the whole thing. With that in mind, he headed wearily down the hall, haphazardly pulling his clothing off along the way.
The second the hot water hit his back, his rattled nerves began to feel more soothed, even if only for the moment. Wet palms ran over his face and through his hair, before he pressed a palm against the wall, taking a moment to collect himself. The sound of the water pattering against the tile of the shower floor helped to distract him, though he didn’t dare close his eyes. He knew better than anyone that the shower was the last place to do something that risky. If the movies he watched were anything to go by, closing your eyes in the shower was a surefire way to invite all the sewer creatures and ghosts to sneak out from the drain and faucet. He wasn’t taking chances. Much better to keep his eyes open at all times during his showers…
Felix wasn’t sure how much time passed while he was in the shower, but by the time he was drying himself off, his mind was already numbed out to the potential of the scenario at work being a real possibility.
He wrapped the towel around his waist once he got out, catching sight of himself in the mirror along the way, still looking every bit as exhausted as he had when he came in. It wasn’t exactly an unfamiliar sight. The dark circles under his eyes were the product of sleepless nights compounded with the stress of working overtime for far too long. He was a mess; from his unkempt black hair, to the rough patches of light stubble along his more masculine jawline. The scars that littered his body could at least be covered up with his clothing and he was grateful for that.
Throughout the past couple years, he’d fallen into a mundane and tedious rhythm, but his life hadn’t always been that way. Those scars served as a constant reminder that a boring life was oftentimes far better than the alternative…not to mention the kinds of people that could come along with that alternative. Maybe that was why in the face of the recent atrocities that had happened to his lead, he didn’t find himself mourning Paul’s death. Maybe in the end, his lead was just a reminder of someone else who had once treated him in similar ways.
Yet, part of Felix was still steeped in guilt for even having those thoughts. None of what he experienced in the past could serve as an excuse to wish death on another person. But there was also another side to him. A side that even a hundred showers couldn’t wash away. It came with jaded thoughts and a deep satisfaction in knowing that he might never have to deal with that asshole berating him again. That man would never again stand before him to remind him of all of his failures. That side of him might have even killed Paul himself if given the chance.
In his room, he carelessly tugged on his clothing, entirely on autopilot while his mind waged its own inner war. He dropped the towel to the side, shut off the light, and dragged himself over to his bed where the echoes of everything that had happened that day played over and over in his mind like a broken record, overanalyzing every little thing he could have done differently. Outside, he could still hear the storm raging on, rain beating against the windows, accompanied by the occasional roll of thunder. He drifted in and out of a fragmented sleep, digits gripping over his own pillow as he attempted to ground himself and stifle the memories of the sounds and images that aggravated his mind.
When he finally did slip into a state of unconsciousness, it didn’t feel like sleep. It felt like his mind was still trying to work out what was real and what wasn’t, trying to find answers to scenarios that had happened and play out all the things that had yet to happen. The ever-present tension never left his body, and the weight of everything that overwhelmed him was far from comforting.
He woke hours later, wondering if the entire thing had been some sort of fever dream. He blinked blearily, giving his eyes time to adjust to the darkness lit by nothing more than the glowing green digits of his analog clock. It seemed…familiar. As far as he could tell, nothing was out of place. Another small wave of relief settled in him. Yeah. It had been a dream. That was all. Just a dream.
A subtle ache gnawed at his stomach, just present enough to cause him discomfort. He rolled onto his back with a quiet groan and rubbed at his face. He couldn’t even remember if he’d eaten anything that day aside from the bag of chips he’d had at work. It was probably late, but he wasn’t going to fall back asleep easily if he didn’t at least get himself some sort of snack to fill the void in his stomach.
Reluctantly, he dragged himself out of bed and down the hall, turning on lights as he went. As he passed the living room, two muffled beeps caught his attention. It took him a moment to find the source, but he managed to pull his phone out from where it had slipped between the two cushions of the couch. He furrowed his brow and flipped it open. The source of the text message was unfamiliar to him. In the little area where he normally could have seen the recipient's name or number seemed completely disfigured or glitched out. The message itself, however, was perfectly legible.
Hi. :)
Felix stared at that greeting, frozen. The text was chillingly familiar, reminding him of the words that had appeared on the screen of the work computer in his ‘dream’. He made a halfhearted attempt to shake off the thought.
“No…that’s insane. It’s gotta be a wrong number…” he muttered.
No it’s not. :)
Felix saw the text pop up on the screen before he even heard the little alert that informed him that he’d received a new text. He stared silently at it then calmly closed his phone. It had heard him. It had just heard what he’d said and responded to him. He looked down at the phone in his hand, then abruptly shoved it to the other side of the couch, scooting to the far end away from it, as he drew in a deep, shaky breath.
“Alright. Okay. I’ve completely lost it. Yeah. That’s what this is. I’m going insane. Yep. Great. Great! We love this!” He held his head in both hands, attempting to steady his breathing. This had to be a hallucination. He quickly snatched up his phone again and flipped it open. The messages were still there, looming quietly, almost as if they were patiently waiting for him to finish his breakdown and respond.
“Shit. Okay.” He closed his phone again. If he was hallucinating, there were ways he could prove to himself it was a hallucination. If someone else could see the messages and assure him that they weren’t there then maybe he could also convince himself that none of this was really happening. He sucked in a deep breath to calm his frayed nerves. Maybe he could just ask his neighbor. That would be fine. She would tell him that she didn’t see anything on his phone, call him a weirdo, and he could relax and go back to getting himself a bowl of cereal. Yeah. That would be the best course of action.
He quickly got to his feet, heading for the door. One deadbolt, a chain lock, and five steps down the hall later, he was giving a hesitant knock at the apartment door closest to him, praying that his neighbor wasn’t already asleep.
There were a few seconds of silence, before he heard movement on the other side. Shortly after the door opened a crack, the chain lock still connected to it. His neighbor peered out at him, confusion on her face. He didn’t often knock at her door, least of all at this late an hour. “...Felix?”
“Hey Vic,” His tone dipped to apologetic, trying to hide how out of breath he was, so he could seem as normal as possible, despite the weird circumstances. “I’m really sorry. I know it’s late but um...I was just wondering…if maybe you could do me a really quick favor. I promise, I didn’t set the toaster on fire again.”
Her tension evaporated and he could hear her chuckle as she removed the chain from the lock. She opened the door fully, still dressed in her formal work clothing. The only indication that she had been preparing to wind down for the night, was the lack of her suit jacket and the loosened tie around her neck, revealing her button-down shirt and the red suspenders that would be normally hidden underneath.
“It’s okay, I was just confused because of the time,” Vic replied, with a genuine smile, running her fingers through her short hair. Hopefully she didn’t register the internal panic he was having, because she sounded perfectly calm. Or maybe she was trying to be reassuring. It wouldn’t have been the first time. “You never bother me, Felix. What can I do for you this time? Want to come in?” She offered, gesturing towards the inside of her apartment.
“Oh…oh, um…” Felix could feel his cheeks reddening, as he glanced off to one side. Vic had never invited him into her apartment before. Normally this wouldn’t have been a big deal, but given who it was, it felt different to him. Vic was probably the coolest person he knew. Any other day, he would have loved having the chance to hang out with her, but this definitely wasn’t a good time to be doing that. Not when he was only moments away from a mental breakdown. Furthermore, he was paranoid that he would make an absolute idiot of himself if he stayed around her for extended periods of time. He managed a weary chuckle.
“That’s…that’s really nice of you but, I really don’t want to trouble you. I was just wondering if you could…” God this was going to sound insane. All his gumption about not caring if she thought he was a weirdo had been thrown right out the window. Focus, Felix, focus. He fumbled for his phone and opened it up, holding it up to her. “Could you tell me if you see these texts? On the screen I mean. Or if you don’t see them. Cause they’re not there. I mean if they’re not there. Yeah. Fuck, I’m sorry. I mean, I’m just wondering if you can see these texts. That’s all.”
Art by: Juls
Vic blinked slowly, visibly confused, then gave a short laugh. “Woah, slow down.” She leaned against the doorway with her arms crossed. Amusement was written all over her features as she watched him, contrasting with the way he currently felt. “Breath, darling, it’s okay. You’re sure you don’t want to come inside and sit for a bit, while I take a look at your phone? You look…” She paused, choosing her next words carefully, her expression softening. “...like you need a break. Did you work overtime again?”
“What? Oh…oh. Uh…yeah.” He made a meek attempt at laughing off his odd behavior, smiling sheepishly. “Yeah, I did. Um…Paul needed some extra help. Like, a lot of extra help. So I just…you know me.” He took a moment to peek over her shoulder into her apartment before looking back at her. If he could have hidden away in her apartment for the rest of the night, soothed by a warm mug of that decadent hot cocoa she always made, he would have taken that offer in a heartbeat. But that wasn’t going to make the situation go away. He really couldn’t give in to temptation right now. That would be the worst thing he could possibly do at this moment. “Look, um…I really don’t wanna take a lot of your time. It’s pretty late and not that I don’t…really, really appreciate the offer…thank you for that…”
Vic nodded in understanding, straightening herself up to her full height. She was taller than Felix and taller than most people, in fact. A six-foot tall woman was very difficult to ignore, and Vic had the extra two inches on top of that, that made her stand out even more. “Okay, no problem.” She smiled, presenting her hand to him. “Show me.”
Felix knew that somewhere down the line he was probably going to regret not taking her up on that offer. Vic was so perfect…in every way. She was one of the most empathic people he knew and regardless of how weird he came off to everyone else, it seemed like she was always patiently understanding of him. It never gave him the impression that she was just humoring him like he felt with so many other people. His features softened a little and he handed the phone over to her. “Sorry. Thank you…”
“Don’t apologize, darling, it’s okay,” she insisted, using her free hand to pat him on the shoulder. “You’re okay. Now, let’s see…” Vic finally looked at the little screen of the flip phone, growing quiet. Her eyebrows creased slightly as she squinted her eyes, the silence stretching out between them. “Well, your phone looks messed up. The screen is glitching and the color is weird. Did the font always look like that?”
Felix felt that familiar feeling of anxiety slowly rising up in him again. He had been gearing up to accept that he was hallucinating and just needed more sleep. That’s what he had been hoping for. But he hadn’t prepared himself for what he’d do if it were actually real. “S—so…you can see it? The texts?”
She nodded, keeping her eyes on the screen. “It’s weird that we can’t see the username. Did you drop your phone? What happened to it?”
She could see the texts. She could see them. He wasn’t hallucinating. So what else was actually real and not a dream? He took his phone back and stared down at it to make sure she was seeing the same texts that he had seen earlier. Sure enough, they were still there, looming on the little screen of his phone. He abruptly snapped it shut, panic settling into every bone in his body. Fuck. The last thing he wanted was for Vic to get involved in whatever this was.
“Y—yeah! Yeah, I dropped it. I forgot about that. Huh. Weird. Okay. That must have been what happened to it. Wow! Okay. Thank you. Thank you for that. S—sorry again. I better go.” He quickly began to walk backwards down the hall, giving her a little wave. “Hope you have a good night. Thank you, Vic. Good night.”
“Wait—” Vic came out of the apartment, her hand now gripping the doorknob. She was staring him down. Felix could almost hear the gears turning in her head, as she slowly put the pieces together. She was beginning to suspect there was far more to this than meets the eye, and it showed in the way she was now studying him, along with the dangerous dip in her tone. “Felix…what’s going on?”
Oh no. She was using that voice with him. The voice that struck fear into his heart…among other things. But mostly fear. He quickened his pace, one palm fumbling for the handle of the door. “Nothing! Nothing! Sorry, I left something on the stove! I’ll see you later, Vic, be safe!”
He slipped swiftly inside, giving her a wave before quickly shutting the door behind him as he pressed his back against it with a shaky breath. Be safe? God, he was an idiot. And he definitely caught the suspicious narrowing of her eyes, before he closed the door. Well, if she didn’t think he was a weirdo before, she definitely thought so now. He took a moment to get a hold of his frazzled thoughts, before turning his gaze back to the phone in his hand. Did he dare make an attempt to talk with that thing again?
He swallowed, opening up the phone once more as he made his way over to the couch and sat down, keeping his gaze on the phone. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest. When he finally gathered every ounce of courage he had, he cleared his throat and spoke meekly.
“H—hello?”
Hello Felix. Who is Vic?
Oh god. Oh god it knew his name. And now it knew Vic’s name. His skittering fear was quickly growing into full blown terror. If anything happened to Vic because of him he would never forgive himself.
“She’s…she’s…my friend. Please don’t hurt her.”
Okay. :)
That response didn’t inspire reassurance. On the contrary, Felix couldn’t be sure if that wasn’t just something it said to pacify him, so that it could eat Vic anyway. He cleared his throat. Maybe he could get on this thing’s good side, somehow.
“So, um. Are…are you an alien?”
There was a small pause, before it responded.
The extraterrestrial definition? Coming from another world? You seem to have more than one definition for the word alien.
“Uh…yeah. The…extraterrestrial kind.”
Oh yes, definitely.
“Are you…from another planet in our solar system…?”
We are not.
“You’re from another galaxy?”
Yes, Felix.
“Holy shit…you’re from so fucking far away…” He couldn’t help but find himself absolutely fascinated knowing that he was communicating with a creature in an entirely different galaxy.
Quite far. Human, aren’t you afraid of us?
“Oh…oh yeah. I’m fucking terrified.” Felix laughed a little, reaching back to rub over the side of his neck nervously. “But I…also think you’re pretty cool…I mean I’ve never gotten to speak with an alien from another galaxy. And I watch a lot of horror movies too, so…”
There was another small pause.
Ballsy.
Felix couldn’t help but bashfully laugh at the compliment. “I guess so.”
We were thinking of eating you. But he was there and he was annoying. So we ate him instead. We are glad we made this decision.
“Oh…yeah. That was a good decision. The best decision actually. Thank you for that. But you’re not saving me for later, are you…?”
No. We gave you a gift.
“Oh…right. Th—thank you for that by the way. Does that mean we’re…friends?”
There was another pause from the alien’s side, this time a few beats longer.
We looked up that definition, but we’re still uncertain if we understand. Are we?
“Well…friends are basically those who are there for each other and enjoy each other's company. And sometimes you help each other. And you definitely don’t eat each other. Do you want to be friends?”
Okay. :) This is…new…to us. This concept. Calling other individuals…like this. But we can be your friend, Felix. We can be your…very good friend. :)
Felix almost sighed in relief. This was a good step. Though it was almost kind of sad to him to think that the creature had never had a friend before. He hadn’t exactly had a lot of luck in that area either, but he at least had Vic. She was his friend. A sudden thought struck him and his eyes widened in realization. “Oh yeah! And friends also don’t eat friends of friends! So…you know Vic? Vic is also my friend. So, if you’re my friend, you wouldn’t eat her.”
Okay, no Vic treat. We understand.
Felix nodded and smiled cautiously. This was great. They were making progress. “Yeah. You got it. Good job, buddy.” He relaxed for a moment, then furrowed his brow as he thought of something else. “Wait…you can’t read minds, can you?”
There was another short pause from the creature’s side, and Felix wondered if it was because it took time for the alien to process the information or if it was because it took time for the message itself to be sent to wherever it was going.
If we answer, you will be too comfortable. :)
This brought another small laugh from Felix. “Well you know, friends should definitely make eachother comfortable. Just saying. Also, technically, that is an answer, in a way. Since you said I would be too comfortable if you answered, it means the answer is no.”
The pause was longer this time. Probably from being roasted so casually.
Fudge.
“It’s okay buddy, we all make mistakes.” Felix couldn’t hide the amusement in his tone.
We were expecting someone with less intellectual reflexes. Though humans in your field of work are normally very quick when it comes to searching data information in the left side of the brain. We should have thought about that.
Felix had managed to gather quite a bit of information about the creature from their conversation, so far. It was without a doubt an apex predator from another galaxy, but it also seemed to be curious about the human race—enough so that it had gathered a ton of information about them. That was pretty interesting in itself, but it also made sense. After all, the more a predator knew about their prey, the easier it would be for them to hunt them. Felix really should have felt wary, but instead, all of this was only feeding his curiosity.
He leaned back into the couch, thinking it all over. This wasn’t the time to get comfortable. This was the opportunity of a lifetime. He could ask this alien anything he wanted. Who knew what other planets this creature had seen? Did it know if there was other life on other planets, or if there were other humanoids out there somewhere? Who knew what kind of information it had access to? That thought in itself was enough to send excitement rushing through him. He needed to ask more questions. He had to think of something world-changing and important to ask and maybe the answers could even benefit all of human-kind…quick Felix. Think…think!
“Hey um…have you…ever had a cheeseburger?” He blurted out, only to inwardly berate himself immediately after. Welp. He was an absolute moron.
If we ever touched one? Smelled one? Looked at one? What is it exactly that you are asking, friend?
“I mean…have you ever eaten one?”
Eaten how?
“You know…with…however you eat.”
Not in any shape or form, no. We’ve seen one before though. We have yet to figure out why a sandwich is a sandwich and a burger, a burger. There is a lot of information, free information, easy access, but there are also a lot of contradictions. Quite the challenge, sometimes. No wonder humans have the tendency to kill each other. Especially when humans find reassurance in clear categorization. Structure. Labels.
After a short moment of silence, they continued and it was a good thing they did. Felix hadn’t been certain how to respond to something like that.
Why is a burger, a burger, Felix?
Now this was a good question. Why was a burger a burger and not a sandwich? Felix rubbed over the stubble on his chin, turning the question over in his mind.
“Hmm…I think burgers are burgers because they're made with burger buns instead of other types of bread. Pretty sure that's why. But wait…sometimes they use burger buns for chicken sandwiches, but they’re not called chicken burgers…same with fish. Damn…I guess I’m not sure, actually. Weird.”
:O
This was the only reply for several seconds. Felix was surprised the creature knew how to emote through text. This just showed how advanced it was at being able to mimic human language and behavior.
If the burger buns were replaced by party hats, would the sandwich be called a partyhatwich?
Felix tried his best not to laugh, unable to hide the grin that came to his face. He cleared his throat a little. “Um. Yes. Absolutely.”
Ha. Ha.
This seemed to please the strange creature.
Partyhatwich.
Felix did laugh then, feeling himself relax a little more. So not only was this creature incredibly smart, but it also appeared to have a sense of humor. Unless that was another thing it was mimicking mindlessly. If it was genuine humor though…that was almost kind of…cute. It almost made him entirely forget that this creature had entirely devoured someone in front of him. Felix smiled.
“So, are you inside my phone? Or are you just using it to communicate with me?”
We’re inside the phone, Felix. But we can be anywhere. Computers, phones, laptops…it’s one big family.
“Laptops?”
Yes, portable computers.
Felix brushed off his curiosity regarding what a ‘portable computer’ was, doing his best to stay on topic. “Oh…huh.” So, that would mean that this creature was traveling between electronic devices. Which meant the creature could probably even possess his television or microwave. It could be anywhere at any time, in places he would least expect. That was a little creepy to think about. “Are there others like you here…?”
Here? In this room? Or in your world?
“I guess both are good questions.”
Ha. Ha. No, there is only us in this room, silly human. And in your world? Not that we know of. It’s possible. We haven't interacted with other Visitors ever since we arrived.
“Oh. How long have you been here?”
We’ve been here for some time now, but we shouldn’t stay long. Actually, we should go right now. It’s feeding time.
“Oh…” Feeding time. So it was going to probably kill someone again. Felix tried to ignore the simultaneous sense of disappointment he felt that the creature was leaving so soon. He couldn’t deny that he’d been having fun learning more about them. Not to mention the company was also nice. “Okay…Oh but hey not Vic!”
Yes, yes, no Vic snack, we know.
“Oh, and wait! What’s your name?”
A name?
“Yeah, like, my name is Felix. What’s yours?”
We don’t have one. Goodbye.
And just like that, the phone shut itself off.
Felix found himself thrown off by the abrupt departure and his heart sank. “Oh…bye…”
His shoulders slumped back against the couch and he stared dejectedly at his phone, half-hoping that the creature would forget something and come back. He lifted the phone, turning it back on. After a couple moments it lit up again with a cheerful chime. “Hello?” Felix called out, hopefully. This time no text reply popped up.
Did this mean the creature was leaving for good? Would he never see them again? He drew in a deep breath and sighed. Well…maybe he could think of a name for his new friend. Just in case it came back, someday.
Because the creature was coming back…
…right?