BLAKE SANDERS

This just in. Reports are coming in from all over the country that victims of the recent terrorist attacks are returning from the dead. The military have issued a warning that the returned victims are extremely hostile and dangerous and should not be approached by members of the public under any circumstances. They have said that, all reported cases so far are showing substantial reduced mental faculties and further increasingly worrying side effects such as aggression, agitation, no control over their actions, cannibalism, insatiable hunger, mania and a complete disregard for their own safety and of the safety of the people around them. They have urged that any known cases should be reported immediately to the number below where a specialist team are on standby to take your calls twenty four hours a day. We must stress, do not approach anyone showing these symptoms and call the below hotline number immediately. More on this after we go live to New York where...

I blocked out the news anchors voice as my mind ran at a thousand miles per hour. Just as it had done ever since yesterday afternoon in the girls apartment. But now it was driven more in fear than in confusion.

At first, I was ecstatic to see her alive and well on that sofa laughing and joking with Connor. Well, he was laughing and joking, she was throwing sharp elbows and murderous glares that even had me impressed. She was fiery with a spine made of steel that only came from a complicated past. I mean, I should know. I could see myself in her mesmerizing blue eyes and I hated it. I hated it because I wanted her but I couldn't have her. With our pasts, our insecurities and our defensive personalities, we would destroy each other and I knew all of this without even knowing her name.

I was fine knowing that I could never have her because I had made the decision. I was in control and I liked being in control. I needed to be in control. But when I found out that she was dead, that decision was taken right out of my hands. After all, anything between us would be necrophilia for fucks sake! And now, the fact that Mother Nature said that I couldn't have her made me crave her in a way that I have never craved anyone before.

I will not be told what I can and can't have. Like I said, I have to be in control and now she was forbidden fruit and my mouth was watering for a taste and that's why I left.

This girl was dangerous, not just to me and my friendships but now according to the media, the rest of the world. She didn't seem like she was unstable, that she had lost her mental faculties. Other than the lack of a heartbeat, she didn't have any of the symptoms that were mentioned. And cannibalism, really? It wouldn't surprise me if she was a vegan!

I took in the number and the eyed my phone on the coffee table in front of me. Battling with the choice to call or not. To report her to the authorities. It would be so simple to pick up the phone and make the call. She would be out of my life and it would have been my choice. I'd have the control.

But then I got thinking about what would it mean for her. I know she isn't showing any of the symptoms but she did return from the dead. She was an anomalyand I had a feeling that the government would be very interested in her.

They would rip her apart for tests, all in the name of science. In the name of humanity. And that was not ok with me. The thought of someone hurting her twisted my stomach into one tight knot.

But would she hurt my friends? I wasn't going to find out hiding in my apartment.

I picked up my phone checking the time. Five thirty AM. Jay and Conner must still be at her place. They would have come right over the second they left her place to call me out on being a little bitch and running. To be honest, I'm surprised they haven't been in touch at all to cuss me out over my treatment of the girl. I checked my messages just in case I had missed one but there was nothing. Unease settled in stomach as images of my friends dismembered bodies ran through my head. Her place was directly above mine and when I heard a sudden thud my mind was made up. Fuck the unsociable hour it's better to be safe than sorry.

Grabbing my keys from the kitchen counter, I headed out of the door and to the stairwell. Taking the stairs two at a time up to the floor above took no time at all and before I knew it, I was stood in front of her door.

I took a moment and pressed my ear against the door, listening for any clues on the other side. But it was completely silent.

Holding my breath, I twisted the door knob, praying that it was still unlocked. Only releasing it when the door gave way and swung open easily. Quietly I stepped into the dark entry way of the apartment. The silence enveloping me as I went.

Water dripped from the faucet in the bathroom as I passed. Sounding like a bomb dropping in the quiet apartment. Drip. Drip. Drip. The sound set my teeth on edge.

As I made my way in to the living room, muted light was starting to seep in from the windows, casting an eerie glow over the sparse and worn furniture. The light highlighted the bedroom door like a spot light was aimed right at it making my blood run cold.

I kept my foot steps light as I made my way over flipping on the torch light on my phone as I went. The door was slightly ajar and as I reached it, I peaked in hoping to get an idea of what had happened if anything, before opening the door and giving away my position. Holding my phone back so the light didn't shine directly into the room, I narrowed my eyes and waited for them to adjust to the dark room.

After a moment the room became more in focus and I could now make out the bed against the far wall opposite me. The room was so still, it was hard to make anything out. But what I could see made my anxiety crank up a notch or six. Two forms lay stock still in the bed, completely covered by the covers. A foot of space separating them like someone had been in between them. I had no idea who the two were or who was missing but I had a good idea though.

When I lifted my hand to push the door open a movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention over by the kitchen. My heart in my throat, I spun around, lifting my phone up to shoulder height; I pointed it towards the kitchen and right in to the blood smeared face of the girl.

I didn't think. I just reacted and dove right at her taking her to the floor. An ear piercing wail filled the air as her back hit the hard wood and my body landed on top of her. Her arms flailed, clawing at my face and her hips bucked but I used my weight advantage to grab he wrists and pin them to the floor.

"What did you do to them?!" I screamed in her face just as the over head light flicked on allowing me to clearly see the blood smeared around her mouth, but also the fear in her eyes. That's right, you better be afraid I mentally threw at her but when she saw it was me she started to relax. What the fuck?!

"Dude! Get the fuck off her!" Jay shouted from the bedroom door before running to my side trying to push me off of her.

"Where's Conner?!" I demanded "She's covered in fucking blood!"

"I'm right here" He appeared in the room rubbing the sleep out of his. "What the fucks going on?"

I froze before staring down at her confused. The same look mirrored back at me.

"I thought she ate you..." Ok, now that I say it out loud it sounded pretty fucking stupid. But she still had blood smeared around her face.

"I fucking wish!"

I heard rather than saw Jays smack to the back of Conner's head.

"What do you mean?" Jay asked "Why would she eat us are you having one of your nightmare's Blake?"

"Do I look like I'm fucking sleeping, man!" I exclaimed, insulted that he threw such a personal accusation at me. He knew I suffered terribly with nightmares from my child hood but never once have I ever sleep walked. He knows that.

"Sorry, I just had to ask" He held up his hands in his surrender "Do you think you can let her go now?"

I looked down at the girl as she lay silently beneath me. Her chest raising and rubbing against me with every deep inhale. She was panting, but I didn't think through fear. Wait. Was she fucking turned on?!

It was then that I took in our precarious position on the kitchen floor. She was laid on her back with her arms pinned above her head and her fiery red hair spread around her like the devils halo. But that was not the scandalous part. Her back was arched so her chest rubbed against mine and her knees were bent but spread, with my hips nestled neatly between them. She ground her pelvis against mine, making me hard as diamond.

I made a move to scramble off of her but thought better of it when I remembered why I was there in the first place.

"Not until she tells me where the blood came from"

"Blake, what the hell are you talking about?" Jay asked still confused

"Turn on the fucking TV and see for yourself" I nodded towards her old set on the far side of the room.

Conner strolled over and flicked it on. Luckily the story I had watched was on repeat on every news channel and their cautious eyes swung back to the girl beneath me.

"Agnes?" Conner asked softly as if he was talking to a wounded animal that would bolt at any second. Agnes though, her named seared through my veins. "Tell him where the blood came from, beautiful"

Her eyes bounced between Conner's stare and mine.

She'd been so quiet through the exchange that her response shocked us all.

AGNES LEFAY

"Have you guys lost your damn minds?!" I shouted at them. Making them jump out of their skins like they'd shit their pants "You think I'm one of them bastards! That I fucking ate someone!"

I couldn't believe what I was fucking hearing! Is this some practical fucking joke?

I made a move to push Blake off of me but it was like he was made of marble. Hard and heavy against me and completely unmovable.

I couldn't see Jay from the position I was in so I looked over to Conner for help. But was disappointed when I saw the torn look on his face. He didn't know whether to help me or restrain me too. Oh, for fucks sake! Fine! They want to know where the blood came from, I'll fucking tell them!

"Steak!"

Jay shifted into my line of view besides Blake. I could now see all three men looking down at me in confusion. I rolled my eyes. I guess they were going to need it spelling out for them.

"I haven't eaten in nearly two days and the hunger pains were excruciating when I woke up" I hesitated, not wanting to tell them the rest of my story. I was kind of embarrassed. I'm worried that they will judge me but then again what's worse than Blake thinking that I'd turned psychotic and eaten his fucking friends!

"I'll admit that sandwiched between Conner and Jay seriously fuelled my hunger. But I didn't hurt them, I wouldn't, I swear! So I came to the kitchen in search of food"

Conner laughed so loudly it made everyone in the room jump as understanding spread across his face.

"Get off her, man" he laughed "she didn't hurt anyone."

He gave Blake a soft push and this time he relented and let his friend move him back. He then held out his hand to me before pulling me to my feet and tucking me protectively in to his side. Jay and Blake waited patiently for the rest of the explanation.

Just as I opened my mouth, Conner picked up where I had left off.

"There was a bit of an accident after you left last night, Blake. Agnes took a tumble and made a bit of a mess of her nose." my hand reached up to my face feeling only slight ridges along the slope instead of the peaks and troughs that were there yesterday. Relief filled me that Jay had fixed ot and i was no longer disfigured.

"Jay fixed her up while I made dinner. But when he straightened her nose, she fainted." His arm squeezed me tighter in a comforting gesture as I buried my face into his t-shirt. He smelled exactly like his shirt that I was still wearing. Like Autumn. A Smokey, outdoorsy kind of smell. I really liked it, a lot.

My hand that was wrapped around his back and out of the view of the others, slid down to his waist. My fingers making soft circles against a small patch of exposed skin, just above his hip where his t-shirt had pulled up. Conner stuttered on his words and looked down growling at me.

"Don't start what you don't intend to finish, Red"

My face blazed at his words

"But her nose didn't bleed" Jay cut in, thankfully breaking the lust filled atmosphere that was surrounding us. Conner stared a few seconds longer before turning his gaze back to the other two.

"No but after you carried her unconscious body to her room. I think I got the same idea that you did, Jay. I didn't want to leave her like that for two nights in a row." His smile was back now "So I turned off the stove and put the raw steaks that you had Blake bring over yesterday back into the fridge before joining you in the bedroom"

Jay and Blake nodded in understanding as Conner looked back down at me and whispered in my ear "Best nights sleep of my life"

"Why didn't you just say that?!" Blake asked relieved

"Two reasons" I said holding up my fingers to count them off "One, it's fucking disgusting. Who the hell eats raw fucking meat" I knocked one finger off, leaving only my middle finger up so I was essentially flipping him off "And two, you tackled me to the floor like a line backer in the Super Bowl before I could even say anything!" My hand reached round and rubbed my soar ass from when I'd landed on it. "Who the hell do you think you are, fucking Luke Kuechly?!"

This had all three of them laughing loudly. And hearing my words back, even I joined in. The light humour felt good after the last few days of stress.

"Come on, Red" Conner pulled me towards the kitchen "Lets finish getting you fed"

As we entered the kitchen, he grabbed me by the waist and then hoisted me up so I was sat on the counter top before grabbing the rest of the meat out of the fridge. The smell permeated the air the second it was out of the enclosed fridge making my mouth water instantly.

"Do you want it as is or do you want me to cook it?" he asked but I could tell he already knew what I wanted just from the look on my face.

"I want it raw" I said licking my lips

"I bet you fucking do" he said stepping in between my open legs "but lets get you fed first" and then he winked at me. This earned him a hard slap to his chest making him chuckle.

He laid the meat on a plate to my side and then cut it up into small bite size pieces.

Spearing one of the pieces with a fork. He brought it to my mouth and slowly grazed it across my lower lip while gazing in to my eyes before placing the piece of meat in my mouth.

I don't know if you have ever been fed by someone before, especially some one you are extremely attracted to. But let me tell you this, it is awkward as shit!

The whole will they won't they moment when you try to decide at what point to open your mouth so you're not just sat there looking gormless with your mouth wide open. And then once they do get it in your mouth and they accidentally push too far in making you almost choke on it. I know this sounds like one big sexual innuendo, but it's quite the opposite and totally unsexy.

"I appreciate the Gesture, but I've got it from here" I smiled at him hoping he will just accept my words and not try and ram another piece of beef down my throat.

"Sure thing, beautiful" he said before bringing some paper towels to my face and wiping off the residual blood from my ravenous early morning snack.

I hung my head as shame washed through me. Until strong fingers softly gripped my chin, lifting my gaze back up to his.

"Hey" He cajoled "You have nothing to be embarrassed about, especially around me. You didn't ask for any of this and we are not going to let you go through this alone.

Now, where's that little firecracker hiding from before?"

He leaned in and placed a soft chaste kiss against my lip, stealing the very breath out of my chest. Hot liquid, pumped around my veins, warming me from the inside out. But there was only one place it was heading and that was down south.

After a moment he pulled back. His shimmering grey eyes staring deep into mine like liquid pools of silver.

"Ahh, there she is..."