Damien's Vacation
Blurb:
In the midst of what should have been a peaceful rest, Damien finds himself trapped in a nightmare of grotesque body horror, where the boundaries of reality begin to unravel.
Damien was a hardworking craftsman living in an apartment complex near Shredwoods Field. He had a playful gray cat named Milo.
One night, Damien came home drunk and darted straight to bed without even brushing his teeth or checking the locks. His work clothes still clung to his musky skin, and his bearded face carried the smell of sardines from the dinner he had eaten earlier that evening.
Damien slumped onto the sheets uncaring, his mouth hanging open as he snored through the night.
Meanwhile, Milo jumped onto the soft mattress and padded toward his owner. His whiskers brushed against Damien’s face as he sniffed the fishy scent lingering around his mouth. Slowly, the cat began licking the leftover sardines from his lips.
Thereafter, Milo grew to like the oceanic taste mixed with the metallic flavor of flesh. Nibble by nibble, his owner’s upper lip was slowly torn like shredded meat.
Blood trickled down Damien’s mouth.
He woke from the pain, though he was still too numb and groggy to fully understand what was happening. His eyes flickered open just as a passing train blocked the lamplight outside, plunging the room into darkness for a brief moment.
Blood spilled onto his dirty shirt.
Panicked, Damien staggered toward the bathroom and examined himself in the mirror. Horror spread across his face as he screamed, wiping frantically at the blood while trying to stop the bleeding. Medical supplies tumbled from the cabinet onto the floor as his trembling hands searched desperately for something to help.
Then suddenly, Milo transformed into his owner.
The reflection staring back at the mirror wore Damien’s deep-set eyes, confused and frightened. His hand touched his mouth while his trembling palm pressed against his temples, feeling the heat rising beneath his skin.
“I could be sick,” he whispered.
With bloodshot eyes, Damien rested on the wooden chair, still confused.
What had just happened?
