"Ow my head," I groaned as I got up, rubbing the bump beginning to grow. I looked up and saw Elizabeth standing over me.

"I'm going to make your heads going to hurt a whole lot more if you make us late for graduation," she yelled.

"Did you have to push me off my bed? Who let you in any way? " I yelled back at her, rubbing the back of my head.

"Your mother she let me in and told me to get you out of the house honestly, you'd be hopeless without me" she said with a smirk. "Now come on focus we got to go."

I Shutter at the statement she just said the exact same thing in my dream.

"You ok?" she asks with visible concern on her face.

I pause for a second to collect myself "Yes I'm fine," I mutter. "Just had a pretty bad dream."

"Well, don't get too down about it. we just have to make it through the graduation ceremony, then well be heading on our summer road trip." She said with a smile.

"yah sure" I muttered. "You sure you're not going to miss going to prom?"

She looked at me with a bored expression. "Why would I want to go to prom? No one I wanted to go with even asked me." She remarked with a smug look. She started going through the stack of horror movie DVDs i had on my desk.

That liar half the guys in class probably asked her to go. The other half were just too afraid to ask her. She can be quite intimidating. Besides, I may be the only one she's told, but boys aren't really on her list of interest.

"Hey!" Elizabeth yelled, i must have been lost in thought.

"Are you sure you're ok? we've known each other since we were kids. You can tell me I won't judge." She says to me, as she puts the DVD she was inspecting down and wandered over to me placing her hand on my shoulder.

I get goosebumps when she places her hand on me, I get defensive "for the last time I'm fine." I snap at her. She looks at me even more concerned now. Silence, I don't know what to say. I still see Elizabeth from my dreams when I look at her. I need to gather my thoughts, and a shower would really help.

She looks at me worried. "Hey, did you send in that DNA test kit I gave you?" she asked just to break the silence.

Right, I almost forgot I did that, she got really interested in her family history and did one of those mail in your spit test kits or whatever they're called she hasn't even gotten her results yet, but she got one for me to send in as well.

"Yah, I sent it in last week."

"Ok, sorry, just trying to get your mind off whatever is bugging you." she said with a nervous look on her face.

"Look I'm fine it was just a bad dream got me a little on edge wait for me downstairs, ok? Ill be out in a minute." I say getting rid of my annoyed look and replacing it with a reassuring smile.

She looks at me and sighs "Fine but don't take too long." Elizabeth made her way out my bedroom door.

Ok time for a quick shower and get dressed I can't keep Elizabeth waiting or she'll berate me the whole road trip luckily, I packed my bag last night. I get done with my shower feeling a lot better the dream becoming a faded memory. I get dressed look at myself in the mirror I spike up my dark brown hair and look at myself, I need to start going back to the gym I thought to myself looking at my reflection and seeing my scrawny arms, well nothing I can do about it now, I grab my bag and head downstairs. I can hear Elizabeth and my mom talking in the kitchen.

I enter the kitchen and see Elizabeth eating my food no longer shrouded by the image in my dream.

"I'm ready to go." I announce on entry. She takes the last bight. "What couldn't you save me any?" I yell

"The early bird gets the worm" says Elizabeth with a mouthful of pancakes.

"Really mom you couldn't stop her?"

She looks at me with a smile and says "I tried to wake you up Hun, but you just kept ignoring me, so I gave up. As Elizabeth said the early bird gets the worm." she started to take a sip from her coffee.

"Thanks Mrs. Nielson." Belched Elizabeth finishing the last of my breakfast.

"Whatever ill see you and dad after the graduation, right?" I ask walking over to give her a hug.

"of course," she says, "we won't miss seeing you before your big summer road trip."

"Ok we are going to head out I love you."

"Love you too" she looks at Elizabeth and says "Elizabeth always a pleasure keeps him out of trouble" she said with a smirk.

"of course i will." Elizabeth gave her a mischievous grin

Walking out to the car I had to load my bags into the back of the van. Elizabeth got this old-fashioned family van for the road trip its got a TV in it and everything else we could need while on the road. She got it just for the road trip her parents are loaded, and she picked this antique. After loading my bag, I hopped into the front seat.

"Ready to go" she asked

"Ready as ever."

On the road we argue over what music to listen to for so long, that we don't even get to listen to one full song how are we going to make it through a month on the road together.

We get to school and see are perspective friend groups and split off Elizabeth goes and hangs out with her popular friends, not necessarily jocks this school isn't like that you didn't have to be a jock to be popular just be friends with the right people.

Me on the other hand I go hangout with my group made up of all sorts, no particular clique we have nerds' cheerleaders, jocks, even a marching band member, we just were a group of friends that liked the same things.

Seeing everyone one more time seemed bitter sweet. Before long the graduation ceremony would start, and I probably won't see any of these guys again. Ill go on my road trip and they'll go to prom then we will leave for college and I'm heading across the country.

As much as id like to say we would all stay friends, i've been told that once you are in college you tend to forget about your old friends. Soon all are late night movie nights, slushy runs, and just sneaking out and terrorizing the neighborhood with harmless pranks would become fond distant memories.

After a few hours that felt like an eternity we got to throw are hats in the air and cheer. After talking with my friends for some time, I said some tearful goodbyes and wandered over to my parents who are with Elizabeth's mother.

Mrs. Marandi wearing an expensive dress make up done hair styled like she was dressed for the red carpet not a high school graduation.

"Hey mom, dad, Mrs. Marandi" I wave as i walked over.

"Hey mom where is dad?" Elizabeth said walking over, to join us

Her mother looks sad "he's in another meeting he's sorry he wishes he could not be here."

I could see where this was going.

"Hey we got to get going if we want to make it to make it to Chicago by nighttime." I said hoping to avoid a full-on argument.

"He's right." Said Mrs. Marandi in an apologetic tone.

Elizabeth eyes began to turn red "It's Fine its just Graduation he'll make it to my next one." Elizabeth said lashing out, before storming over to her van.

"Don't worry i will talk to her for you." I gave Mrs. Marandi a sympathetic smile, said goodbye to my parents and went to join Elizabeth at the van. we both hopped in.

"Ok let's get going do we need to stop for anything say it now because I don't plan on stopping anytime soon." Elizabeth stated with a look of irritation.

Sitting there I can tell she's upset I should say something.

"I'm sorry about your dad not showing."

I could tell that's what she's upset about her dad wasn't a bad guy just missed almost every special event she has had. Always busy with some business meeting or something like that.

It looks like she's about to explode I can't tell if she's going to start ranting or crying. She finally breaks the silence with a sigh

"Uhhhh"

"Look I'm fine, I know his work keeps him busy." She pauses "but he has missed every important time in my life from birthdays to my fencing competitions, and finally my graduation." tears started rolling down her face.

I do my best to comfort her, over the years of being friends and her only non-popular friend I seem to be the only one she vents about this too. Whether its because she thinks the popular kids will make fun of her for it, or maybe I'm just the only one willing to listen to her, I turn in my chair lean over and hold her close, sometimes that's all she needed to vent and be held. Its weird to see her like this.

After a few moments she gently pushes me away.

"Ok let's get going, should we stop and get snacks?" she said wiping the tears from her eyes with a weak smile on her face.

"Yeah, sounds good, can we stop at the convenience store near the pawn shop? I want to see if they have any VHS tapes?"

"Why would we need VHS tapes?" she asked.

"Well." I took a deep breath ready to rant "That tiny tv was made in the 90s and has a built in VHS player, and no offense but if all I have to watch is the old kids cartoon movies, we found in my parents basement I'm going to go crazy." I said overexaggerating every movement to sell the crazy.

She started to laugh, and her genuine smile came back. Worth making a fool of myself, I guess.

"Ok fine, let's go." She said laughing.

It doesn't take long for us to get to the convenience store. A small little area with a few stores at the crossroads of two major roads. We park at the convenience store and get out of the van.

"Ok I'm on snack and drink duty you go to the pawn shop." She says as she clicks the lock button of the van.

I look over and see the pawn shop green roof and a giant diamond with a golden pawn inside it with words written in gold paint "GOLDEN PAWN."

"Ok. Meet back here in thirty." I say as I turn to walk to the crosswalk. I make it across the street narrowly avoiding a speeding car ignoring a red light.

Walking into the pawn shop I see a showcase showing expensive phones and knives in a small part of the front of the shop on my left and 2 isles of old videogames and paintball guns. I see an older man, and a young guy maybe a year older than me helping a boy pick out a paintball gun. I approach the old man at the desk, he was a frail man with what I can only describe as a walking corpse type looks like he's been dead for weeks, but his body just keeps going.

"Hello sir, do you have any VHS tapes." I ask trying to ignore his horrifying looks.

He gives me a chilling smile and says, "the three isles right over there." I thank him and turn walking over to the isles all I could think was the longer I was near the old man the worse he looked, his teeth looked like they had been filed down into points as if to rip flesh with every bite.

I make it over to the VHS isle and start finding some movies horror, comedy, and a few fantasy movies. As I'm grabbing the movies off the shelves, I hear someone taking raspy breaths and feel breath on my neck. I turn to look, no one there I only see the old man behind the desk giving me that creepy smile. Must be my imagination maybe the dream is still bugging me, I brush it off.

I turn to look at the other isle, I feel the old mans stare sending a shiver up my spine.

Looking through the isle I find a bunch of older anime seasons and some other shows I knew Elizabeth would like. I look to see if the old man is still watching me, he is his gaze never leaving me I decide its time to go I look away from the old man for a split second to gather everything.

SLAM

I drop my box of VHS it sounded like a door slammed shut from by the front desk.

I look the old man is gone.

Ok definitely time to leave, but before I can reach down to grab the box of tapes, I feel the warm beath on my neck, and horrible breathing, a smell of sulfur fills the air. I jump away and turn to see what was behind me. Nothing I must be losing my mind I walk over and pick up my box and turn around that's when I see it.

A creature about 7ft tall, with a mouth full of jagged teeth, with claws the size of daggers, its eyes were pure black, it had long patchy hair, and its body looked to be covered in open wounds. I really am going crazy I back away slowly, I can't really be seeing this can I? I just need to run for the door the creature is still in between the two isles it won't be able to cut me off.

SLAM

the noise startled me I turn to see the front door slam crap why did I look away idiot I think to myself I flinch drop the box full of VHS tapes and raise my arms to protect my face expecting to be attacked by the creature seizing the opportunity, but nothing I put my arms down and look and the creature is gone I'm going crazy. I hear someone yelling.

"Hey lance lets go you said thirty minutes and it's been 1 hour what is taking you so long?" i look up and see Elizabeth.

she sees me and the box on the ground "you good she asks?"

"Yah I'm fine you slamming the door freaked me out."

"Right." She said in a long sarcastic tone "you got what you need?"

"yes, just got to pay and we can head out" I said picking up the box off the floor.

"Ok I'll wait for you outside" she says heading out the door.

I walk over to the counter and put the box on the counter 6 horror movies 4 comedies 3 fantasy movies, 3 anime series 2 seasons each and 2 adult cartoon comedy shows 2 seasons each. Came out to about 60 dollars I paid and headed out. I saw Elizabeth standing impatiently with a worried look in her eye.

"Hey you ok?" I ask her.

"Yeah I'm fine, are you ready to go?" she asked.

"Yah i got plenty of great choices." I said holding up the bags of VHS tapes.

I don't want to push her she already broke down once today ill just let it be I nodded, and we head across the street to the van and get in and start heading down the road.

A few hours later and we were about to pass through a small town I could definitely go for something to eat. I see the sign for the town coming.

Welcome to Tenebris.

"Let's get something to eat I'm starving." I say as my stomach growls in agreement.

"Seriously we have snacks just have some of those we are making great time" she said looking out the window at the town as we drove. "Besides I doubt a town like this even has a fast-food restaurant." She mumbled under her breath.

I look around and she may be right. This looks like your stereotypical small town no big chain stores just small mom and pop shops with one family apartments on them, and then I see a place called anthropophagi burgers.

"Hey what about their it has a drive through." I exclaimed pointing at the fast-food place.

"fine" Elizabeth sighed.

As we pulled up to the building it gave me a weird vibe it looked like a normal fast-food place, but its just the way its making me feel the closer we get I feel like its an evil place, like were in danger from whatever lurks here I feel like I'm being watched I look around and see the people of the town walking through the lamp lit main street smiling and waving at me as I make eye contact with them.

"Hey lance!" I jump at the sudden sound.

"What!" I yell at Elizabeth who is staring daggers at me.

"don't get mad at me I've asked you what you wanted multiple times."

"Oh sorry" I said "I'll just get a large number 5" I muttered after briefly looking at the menu.

Elizabeth gives her order, and we begin to pull up to the window to pay.

"What's your deal, you've been zoning out all day?" asked Elizabeth while going through her purse for some money to pay for the food.

"I don't know just been getting these weird vibes from this town and I didn't get much sleep last night." I say to her staring down at my lap not knowing if I'm telling the truth or if I really am going crazy. I few moments pass, and Elizabeth doesn't say anything.

"What no advice no its fine your just too stressed with graduation and heading off to college?" I turn to look at her, I see a sign on the drive-thru window. It read

Window broken we will bring food out

What a weird sign you can just push those open. Then I finally realized Elizabeth she looks frozen in a state of fear. I look out the windshield to see what she's staring at. What is going on why is it pitch black out the only lights on are from the fast-food restaurant and the car headlights I look out to where the beams of the headlight illuminate a figure. With glowing read eyes skin as pale as the moon, pointed ears, a mouth full of jagged teeth with the body of a human wearing a shredded employee uniform covered in blood. In its hand it held a white paper bag and red spots started to appear on the bag as if the paper were absorbing uncooked meet. It lets out a blood curdling scream.

Aughhhhh!!!

The windows on the van crack Elizabeth and I instantly cover our ears all the lights go out. I hear running outside the van scrapping rustling.

"What the Hell is going on!" I scream shifting in my seat to look out the windows to see where the creature went.

SMASH

something ran into the side of the van putting us up on two wheels for a second.

"I don't know, I don't know the car won't start" screamed Elizabeth turning the key in the ignition trying to get the van started.

Then I see them one by one glowing red eyes lighting up the dark. It just occurred to me what happened to all the other people in the town, why did they stare at us. Why did I have that feeling right when we got there. The lights on the other buildings began turning on we start to make out more of the creatures they all look just like the one in the restaurant uniform. Then I see the town body parts littered all over the place, inside the store's windows shattered like the town had been attacked by a pack of wild wolves and there was no mercy shown to its inhabitants.

"Get us out of here!" I yell at Elizabeth. The lights in the town go out again.

I feel rumbling the car begins to shake, and then i hear the blood curdling screams

"Hurry Up Liz." i shout

"I'm trying" grunted Elizabeth.

SMASH

The rumbling and screams stop. The red eyes disappear.

"What was that" I cried.

Elizabeth peered eyes straining to see what was through the windshield "something just landed on the hood of the van, but I can't see it" as if on queue the lights on the restaurant flickered to life an illuminated the van.

I looked to where I heard the loud thud and saw it the fast-food bag and its content spread across the hood, the sight horrified it looked like human intestines stuffed into hamburger wrappers and a few fingers stuffed in a fry container spewed across the hood.

"Come on" screams Elizabeth giving the key one final turn.

The van roared to life Elizabeth stomps on the gas, the red eyes of the creatures appeared and began to rush the van. as we sped away the one in the restaurant uniform jumps at the van claws raised to slash through the windshield. Elizabeth swerves to avoid the creatures attack the tires making a high-pitched squeal.

EEK!

The creature misses the windshield, but its claws manage to scrape the side of the van causing sparks to fly from its claws on the metal, we got pushed off course Elizabeth swerved to avoid a stone fence, and we hopped over a curb and made it back on the main road. Elizabeth struggles to keep control and straighten us out while not losing momentum the tires scream as if they are about to burst.

SCREACH

We peel off down the main road at 70mph Elizabeth drives as fast as she can I don't know how long it's been.

We finally stop I look at the clock it's been about 20 minutes, but I kept looking out the back window to searching for any sign of the creatures if they were perusing us.

Elizabeth unbuckled her seat belt and reached for the door.

"wait" I said, "what about the creatures."

"We have to see how bad the van is messed up, are you coming or not." She said while opening her door.

I just look at her with a blank expression not able to muster the courage to get out.

"Fine just stay there and keep an eye out to make sure they didn't follow us, ok?" she said to me in a reassuring tone.

I nodded in agreement, but as soon as she got out, I heard her gasp.

"How?" I heard her say. "Come out here and take a look at this." She waved me out of the van.

I sighed and unbuckled my seat belt and hopped out of the van I didn't want to make her angry by not listening she can be quite scary when she's mad. I make my way around the van to the side the monster attacked with his claws. I looked at the van how could this be I thought.

"You saw the sparks that thing was real it attacked us right!" screamed a confused Elizabeth

How the van there isn't a mark on it, I didn't even notice the windows were no longer cracked when I got out of the van but now the van looks brand new no claw marks but how it clearly clawed at the side of the van there should be damage of some kind.

"You're not crazy, I saw it too I saw all of them." I felt relief as I said those words strangely the fact, I knew I wasn't going crazy calmed me down a little. I decided to tell Elizabeth about my dream at least what I could remember.

A brief silence after I finished my story finally Elizabeth looked at me and said with a concerned look.

"I know it sounds crazy, but I think your dream is linked to whatever is going on with these creatures we are seeing, I saw something earlier too." She said rubbing her arms as if she got a chill.

She started telling me about how when she was waiting for me outside the pawn shop a little boy walked up to her, he was polite at first, but them he started to change his eyes turned black his smile elongated and he spoke in a tone much to deep and crackly for a child.

"Then I heard you call out I turned to see you looked back at the child, but he was gone." She finished with a sigh of relief like the story had been putting immense pressure on her.

"Its getting late we should put as much distance between us and that town"

I nod.

We get in the van and drive as far as we can.