Victoria had been adjusting to her new life within her new environment. About two days ago, she had moved into her apartment. A large, two bedroom flat with a somewhat small kitchen and an even slightly smaller living room. It seemed most of the space was given to the bedrooms and bathroom, much to Victoria's dislike.
With the impending doom of a new school being on the horizon, she didn't expect to be roped into a disturbing scheme.
—
"Fuck... I need groceries." Victoria groaned, rummaging through the refrigerator to the pantry unable to find something that looked edible.
"How do I even manage with this..." She had turned to lazily slump on her couch, her stomach growling as she laid there gazing at the painted white ceiling.
Victoria had eventually mustered up the more optimistic side of herself to stumble off the couch and pack her wallet in her pocket.
Exhaustion, unable to sleep and unable to figure out where the fuck a pharmacy even was to gather up an army of melatonin gummies.
"Maybe one of the nearby grocery stores has a pharmacy?" Victoria murmered to herself, walking around in her crocs while walking to the nearby convenience store to get the simple necessities.
Instant ramen, vegtables, milk, eggs, fruit, yogurt, a bit of sweets... Just whatever was somewhat cheap. Well, according to her parents, everything was cheep anyways and well within her budget regardless.
She walked over to the cash register, handing over a black card and letting the woman manning the stand do her thing. Afterwards, she'd walk out after tipping the woman while stuggling to carry her shit back to the two minute walk to her apartment.
She breathed heavily, taking a small pause in front of an alleyway and seeing a homeless guy, sitting there with garbage beside him. He kind of smelled, his clothes dirtied.
"Hey." Victoria spoke up, holding out a hotdog bun in a wrapper with an apple. "My bag is too heavy. Would you like some?" She asked, thinking it was convenient for herself.
"For me?" The homeless man spoke up, having a bit of a raspy voice with a fumble in words based on his two missing front teeth.
"Yeah. Why not?" Victoria replied, glancing around and puling out hand sanitizer from
her other pocket. Never know when to come prepared.
"Here." She extended the sanitizer, squeezing some of the liquid on the mans hands and watching as he rubbed his skin. Somehow, it looked cleaner.
"Enjoy, old geezer." She handed over the food, putting the sanitizer back in her pocket while watching the old guy eat incase he needed help.
After about ten minutes, the man finished eating. Before Victoria walked away, the voice called out to her.
"Child, you are kind indeed. Take this, a family heirloom. I have no children of my own, and the pawners said it wasn't worth anything anyways." The old man extended out his hand, holding a precious looking earring with lettering she couldn't read. Surprisingly, it looked well kept. Well cleaned, in fact.
"Videam te, mitis anima?" A small thought in her head, unable to figure out the pronunciation.
"Oh... thanks, old guy." Victoria muttered, finding it rude not to accept. She reached out, taking the earring and pocketing it. "See ya, old guy. Try and get your life in check with the time you have left." Victoria spoke, then walking away while the old man having a smile on his wrinkly lips the whole time.
"Good luck, child." The old man quietly replied, then, disolving into the darkness as the sunlight dimmed momentarily.
—
Victoria walked through the street, eventually reaching her apartment without much issue.
She always wondered about many things, like death. It was always fascinating to speculate what would be on the other side once the chord of life was cut.
She entered her apartment complex, weakly trudging up the stairs with four bags of groceries in hand. It felt agonizing, eventually reaching the fourth floor and using a trembling hand to unlock the door.
Victoria breathed heavily, placing the bags lightly on her kitchen counter to be sorted in a moment or so. She slumped against the fridge, breathing heavily before having no choice but to will herself to get the job done.
It was tedious, placing things into cabinets, the pantry, and the fridge. After about an hour of stock up, she finally had finished putting all of her groceries away in their respective areas.
It had already gotten late, and she weakly stumbled from the kitchen to her bedroom, letting out a weak sigh. Victoria had flopped onto her bed like a fish, her eyes fluttering to sleep not even a moment or so later.
The moon light illuminated through the blinds of her window, which eventually woke her up. Victoria felt parched, stumbling out of bed and falling on the carpet next to her bed. She managed to get up afterward- the fall managing to wake her up.
Victoria slowly walked into her living room, glancing out and seeing the moonlight. Slowly, her head turned to the kitchen.
Victoria stood there, feeling the goosebumps rise on her skin. Her hair standing upwards, cold. She was freezing- the source was in front of her.
"Hello." The figure whispered, gasping sounds being heard after the word was spoken. Raspy, rough. It was as if their voice was being forced out.
Their body was choped up in multiple places, their limbs on their last strand of muscle or tendon. The bone? No where to be seen, somehow.
"What... the hell are you?!" Victoria quickly questioned, a step back from whatever that thing was.
"A... human." The figure gasped out again, noticing Victoria's distress and moving back themselves as if shrinking.
"A human?" Victoria repeated, questioning- trembling as the figure seemed upset Victoria was seemingly distraught by their presence.
"Oh!- Sorry, sorry-" Victoria quickly picked up on the figure's reaction to her fear. "- I'm not afraid, promise. I- I'm confused, is all!" Victoria explained, trying to compose herself as she took a step forward. She was back to where she stood originally, staring back at the figure.
"... Please, aid... me." The figure whispered, turning their head in a somewhat disgusting angle that made an uncomfortable squelch.
Victoria stood there, mind spinning as the figure was now pleading for assistance. Help, she supposed.
"Sure. What do you want?" Victoria smiled nervously, extending a hand outward after finally thinking momentarily and making up her mind.
Victoria didn't know it, but... this was only the beginning of her maddening fall into becoming more aquainted with death.