Chapter Text
Three of us. We were the only ones left, the only ones to make it to the island. But this isn't the heaven we dreamt of, this was hell. We just needed to get out of the water but it would have been better to drown. We were chased by that thing, it wasn't human but it acted so much like one. The island was worse, these creatures scream at us at night, they walk around our camps and whisper our names as if they know us. I've only seen one since we arrived, its pale skin clinging to the bone like there wasn't any muscle under it, not even veins. I shot at it, its flesh tearing away from its body as its blood scatters onto the trees like some sick, sadistic painting. It smelled like death and sounded like my family, every day I can hear it getting closer to our camps. Bones grinding against bones, and teeth grinding against teeth. I'm going insane, I'm worried I'll become one of them. We can't go into the forest, there are only two of us left because of it. We have to eat the bodies that wash up onto the sand, the sea is the only escape from this damned hell but none of us want to go back through it. The bodies that wash up dwindle in number, I hate seeing their faces when I eat. It looks like they are writhing in pain like they are still alive and screaming. I've gone deaf from those pale figures in the forest, or I just can't hear them anymore. I'm not taking any chances either way. I want to go into the forest, I want to tear one of their flesh with my teeth, I want to eat it alive. It killed my friends and ate them, so I will do the same. Once the fire goes out I will. Once it's dark enough to only see stars. I don't want to see the face of what I'm eating. It sounds so much like my friend when it begs me to let go. Its screams in pain make me so relieved. I've started camping in the forest. I haven't seen the sun in days. I haven't seen any more of the beasts either, I'm so pale and skinny that I believe I think I'm one of them. Recently a group of three washed up on the beach. They all look so familiar. I wish my buddy was still alive to meet them, we could have escaped with them. But I'm so hungry and there's no food in this forest. Sometimes I scream for them in the forest but they always look so scared. I go by their camps and try to wake them and warn them of the beasts. I have to keep my voice down or they will run. One of them shot me the other day. I'm scared that I'm still alive. This all feels too familiar. I was too hungry and I had to eat one of them. I worried what they would do if they figured out it was me. I haven't seen my face since we ended up here in this hell. I can hear my bones clacking together when I move, I think I'm decaying. It's dark tonight, I can hear screaming. Every time I run to it, it gets farther and further, I think it knows me. The people have been eating the bodies that washed up, it's a disgusting sight. I'm so hungry. I want to get closer to their camp, I just want their food before it runs out. I just want to eat. One of the men at the camp is looking at me. He's eating his friend alive, he doesn't even look human anymore. I need to retreat into the forest, he looks like one of the beasts. Every time I step forward I can feel my skin tear off, it sloshes down onto the ground like sludge, my bones can barely stay together without cracking, my blood is black and there is mold growing out of me. I stopped moving a while ago, just fell to the ground. I can feel the maggots eating away at me, my decaying flesh and muscle drenched with sour mucus and blood. My body is covered in flies and my eyes were eaten away. I feel nostalgic, I've lived through this before.
I can hear them scream.