Never The Same Again

If this had been a scene from a horror movie, Maya would have made fun of a scene like this. How can anyone be so stupid and not run away in a situation like this? But that was easier said than done when faced with the real deal. Her legs wouldn't budge. And her stomach felt all twisted up and uncomfortable; she might throw up at any point.

The large man rose, those red eyes of his never shifting from her figure even once. His gaze darted over her body; he was probably thinking how best to gobble her up. The thought of herself lying cold in a pool of her own blood while being devoured, not by an animal, but a damn ghoul, was what got her moving.

Maya darted through the alleyway. Her legs shook with each step, and the cold seeped into her bones. Behind her, she both felt and heard the lunatic giving chase. He was fast, of course, he was. He wasn't human after all, and she was no match for him. She was swept off her feet before she could get far.

A shriek escaped her as she collapsed. "No!! No, please!" Maya tried to push herself to her feet, but a clawed hand latched onto her ankle and pulled her forward. The more she struggled, the more those claws dug deeper into her flesh. At one point, she was so certain he was clawing at her bones.

"Please... No! Don't touch me!" The man growled, claws sinking further into her flesh. Maya was frozen with fear as those sharp teeth flashed across her face. 'She's done for. This is where she dies.' The pain was blinding. And a part of Maya had already accepted her fate, death at the hands of a ghoul.

When those sharp teeth sank into the flesh of her arm, she squeezed her eyes shut and prepared herself for a painful ending. But the sound of a police siren echoed from an unknown distance. She felt the monster above her tense; she hardly registered anything else before she passed out, both from blood loss and immense fear.

The next time she opened her eyes, it was to the white walls of a hospital room. Her condition was relatively stable, or so the doctor said. Maya didn't feel stable, however; in fact, she wasn't feeling anything. Everything was numb.

"You were very lucky, kiddo." The police were involved in the case. Apparently, Maya had nearly been a victim of mass genocide. "Cooper is known to be quick with his kills. If we'd gotten to the scene a minute later, the story would have been different."

"Can you let her be? She hasn't recovered yet." Her mother wasn't too thrilled by the police insistence on talking to her. "Please leave." Maya stayed in the hospital for a total of sixteen days before she was released.

Everything should have relatively gone back to normal after that ordeal. But no, she simply couldn't get over the incident. She could hardly sleep a wink without images of that incident haunting her. She couldn't eat without the thought of sharp teeth sinking into delicate human flesh.

* * *

"You know, not all supernatural beings are bad." Maya stared blankly at the older woman before her. She was certain Sarah was a lovely woman who was very easy to get along with. But as a therapist, she was simply dreadful.

Maya hadn't even wanted a therapist, mostly because she knew they wouldn't be of much help to her. They wouldn't help with her insomnia nor with her eating disorder. But she'd seen the pleading look in her mother's eyes when she suggested attending therapy; she couldn't say no.

"My husband is simply wonderful. He would never hurt a soul." Sarah was happily married to a ghoul; no wonder she was so defensive about them. She wasn't very good at her job, so not worth the price she charged for a session.

"I get it; you've said that for the hundredth time today."

"I'm just saying, perhaps you should try making friends with one. I know it's not easy getting over your trauma, but you can't keep going on like this."

"I'll try." She wouldn't. The very last thing she would do would be to befriend a ghoul, but she needed this woman off her back. "Now, if there's nothing else, can I go?" Sarah obviously had a lot more to say, but she knew Maya well enough not to press the issue.

With a sigh, she scribbled down some notes and ended the session. Maya was out of the office as soon as she had the chance. She dug through her purse for her car keys, barely taking notice of the familiar Mustang parked right next to her car.

"Maya."

"Sweet Jesus." This day just couldn't get worse. Maya fought back the urge to roll her eyes as Evan approached her. She knows well enough that he was faster than she was. If she took off running, he would easily catch up with her.

"Please Evan, not today."

"Babe." Evan kept a considerate distance from her. He knows about her issue. Everyone in this town knows about it. Her face had been on every news channel for weeks. She was labeled the lucky human victim who survived the psychopathic zombie killer.

"Come on, it's been weeks."

"What the hell do you want from me?"

"I know we've had our misunderstandings."

"Misunderstanding?" She could laugh at the audacity of this guy. "You fed on me for years. Took pictures of me while we were having sex and shared it with your stupid friends! You call that a misunderstanding?"

"I was so stupid for doing that to you. Baby... you can't imagine how sorry I... I am. Fuck! I love you so much Maya, if you give me one more chance I will..."

"No!! No no no! I can't deal with this right now! Can't you see I have a lot to deal with? Go away."

"Maya, please..." She brushed past him. Evan didn't try to grab her; he hadn't done that since the last time it triggered a panic attack. He's awfully attentive of her condition. It's sickening.

The drive back home didn't go as smoothly as she planned. She'd had to park her car twice due to how much her hand was trembling. Somehow, she got home in one piece.

Her mom had gotten off work early and was busy in the kitchen. That night, they had spaghetti and meatloaf. Well, her mom and sister did; Maya just had some bland bread with mayo. Everything had been fine at one point. They all talked about their day, and Maya gave some account of her therapy session.

She'd stared far too long at her sister munching on a meatloaf. And suddenly, the smear of red sauce seemed far too blood-like. She could swear she saw the brush of sharp fangs against her neck, and the metallic smell of blood. It had been too much. Maya had lost it. She'd passed out.

She'd stayed in bed the entirety of the next morning. Maya had only gotten out of bed due to the persistent knocking on her door. "What?"

"Mom wants you to be ready in thirty; we're going to the airport."

"Why are we going to the airport?" Nia shrugged.

"We're moving to Korea."

"What?!"

"Seoul to be exact. It's gonna be fun, right?"

"But why?" Nia shrugged once more and hurried away before Maya could pry more information out of her.

Maya went downstairs, where her mom was busy piling briefcases outside. She was dressed and ready to go. "Mom? Why does Nia think we're moving to South Korea?"

"Oh, that's because we are. I think a change of scenery would do us some good."

"Mom, is this... is this because of me?"

"Of course not, baby. I just think this is good for us, that's all. Now go pack your stuff; just the things you need. We'll work out the rest once we get to Seoul."

'It is because of me,' Maya thinks as she heads back to her room. 'It's all my fault.' How nice would it be if she could just forget about the past? If she could just be normal?