Colours....

"Dammit!" I jerked my hand back away from the hot pan, went to the sink, and immediately ran my fingers under cold water. I'm not much of a cook, but casseroles I can do. The issue is just getting them out of the oven without mortally injuring myself.

Where is Jason anyway? Usually, he does this for me. I glanced at the clock. He was twenty-five minutes late. That's not like him. He was supposed to stop at the market and pick up some lettuce for a salad because I forgot to get it when I went yesterday. That shouldn't have taken him more than maybe fifteen minutes in the store. He's been off of work for almost an hour. He should be here.

I dried my hands and tried again with the casserole. This time, I got it out of the oven without burning myself. I checked my phone for probably the fifth time. Nothing. Maybe he just ran into an old friend. Or an old girlfriend. I groaned inwardly. Let's just say we've had our problems.

I picked up my phone and started to dial. Then, promptly hung up. I'm not going to be that person. He needs to call me. I had ended it with him a week ago. This dinner was just happening because he begged me. Literally, on his knees begging. I had no intention of working it out. I've been there, done that. He just couldn't keep it in his pants. He was a doctor, and he worked with too many young, pretty nurses. They idolized him. I wanted to move on while I still had some good, young years in me.

I poured myself a glass of red wine and took my phone to the living room to sit and wait.

I turned on the television. It was time for the evening news. I'm okay with watching the news as long as I have a glass of wine to drink as I watch. So much doom and gloom every day. It's a wonder that we're all still alive.

The "Breaking News" banner flashed at the bottom of the screen, and I turned the volume up with renewed interest. I took a drink of my wine and almost spit it back out. Wait a minute! The newswoman was reporting in front of Jason's work. The building windows were busted, and the doors were missing, like they had been ripped off of their hinges.

My phone rang, startling me. I looked at it. It was Jason's phone.

"Hello," I answered.

"Colours?" it was a woman's muffled voice.

"This is she," I answered.

"Jason's girlfriend, Colours?" she whispered.

"Who is this?" I asked, growing impatient.

"This is Lilith, Jason's nurse," she answered. Great! One of Jason's many flings.

"I know who you are. What do you want?" I asked, annoyed.

"Jason's dead," she whispered, choking up.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" I growled. Of all the low things to do. She could've had him without the prank call.

"It's not a joke," she cried quietly, "A drug trial went wrong. It was supposed to just be a trial for an acne medication, but he had us inject them with something else."

"That doesn't explain how he's dead," I said, not believing her.

"After we injected them, he said that it was some kind of love potion. He wanted you to fall in love with him again. The test subjects got angry. They started mutating. They broke their restraints. They're really strong. They raped and beat him," she wouldn't stop talking now. It was like the floodgates had opened, "Men and women both, raping him." She stopped talking. I heard sniffling.

"Why did you call me?" I asked, a feeling of dread needling its way into my mind.

"Colours, one of them is coming for you. He wasn't like the others. He didn't rape Dr. Jason. He knew your name and forced your address out of a nurse. You need to leave. I'm calling to warn you," she answered quietly. I heard a loud noise, like splintering wood. "No!" she gasped, "Please! No! Please don't hurt me." I heard a growl, then a woman screaming.

"Lilith!" I yelled at the phone, "Lilith, are you there!" I could hear her screams, but was powerless to help. I could only imagine the bad things that were happening to her. I didn't wish that on anyone, not even Jason's conquests. I got up and rushed to the home phone. I quickly dialed 9-1-1.

"9-1-1, how may I direct your call?" the operator answered.

"I'm on the other line with one of the nurses at Hillside Pharmaceuticals, and she needs help right now," I blurted into the phone.

"One moment, please," I was put on hold. Since when does 9-1-1 put you on hold? I could still hear Lilith screaming.

About thirty seconds later, the line was picked up by a man, "I understand you're on the line with someone inside Hillside."

"Yes, I believe she's being raped. She needs help right now," I told him.

"Ma'am, everyone in Hillside is being raped. We are under direct orders not to enter due to a contagion. No one goes in. No one gets out," he said.

"What?" I asked, not believing what I was hearing.

"Sorry, ma'am, we're under orders," he started to repeat himself.

"I heard you," I interrupted him, "So all of those people are just on their own against these mutants?"

"Ma'am, what's your name?" he asked sympathetically.

"Colours," I answered without thinking.

"You're Colours?" he asked, "Colours Akron?"

"Yes," I answered, reeling at the impossible situation.

"We have units on the way to your house. Do not leave. Do not answer the door until they arrive. They are going to take you to a secure location. We have reason to believe that you are in danger," he ordered.

"Me?" I squeaked.

"Yes. Just wait for the units," he emphasized.

"Okay," I whispered.

"Now, I'm going to ask you to do a horrible thing," he said, "hang up the phone on that woman. There is nothing you can do for her, nothing anyone can do for her. That building is under quarantine. There is no use torturing yourself over it."

I looked at my cellphone. I had sat it on the kitchen counter. Can I just do that? I slowly picked up the phone and put it up to my ear. The funny thing is, it didn't sound like fear or pain anymore. It sounded more like ecstasy. Could it be? I had never had sex so good that I made sounds like that before. I wondered if she had made sounds like that with Jason. I pushed the thought out of my head. Is it possible that she went from fear and pain to actually enjoying it? Then I heard a loud moan, "Oh, Jason! Don't stop!" My blood started to boil. If it weren't for the police telling me something was going on, I would've assumed it was a prank and hung up. I set the cell phone down.

I put the home phone back to my other ear. "Sir, it sounds like she likes it now. Is that possible?" I asked him.

"Colours, whatever they have is contagious. It's entirely possible. That's why the building is under quarantine. The whole city's about to go on lockdown. We don't know how many escaped before we got here. We don't know if it will be contained," he answered.

I decided to hang up the phone on her. He was right. I couldn't help her. I no longer wanted to. It sounded like she was having a good time now. I put the phone to my ear one last time. The screaming and moaning had ceased. Instead, there was heavy breathing. A chill went up my spine.

"Colours," it was a guttural voice on the other end. I didn't answer. "Hey, Baby, I can't wait to get home. I'm really excited to see you." It was Jason, "I think we'll be skipping dinner, though. Why don't you put on something sexy. You know the one I like. I'll be home soon." I dropped the phone on the counter. He's supposed to be dead! What is going on? Tears sprang to my eyes. A wave of revulsion hit me, but mostly, I felt fear.

I hung up the cell phone and put the home phone back to my ear. "Please hurry," I whimpered, "he's coming."

I got no answer. In fact, I heard a man yelling. It was fear. I rushed to the living room and stared at the pandemonium on the television. People, including the police, were running for their lives. They were being chased by people with what looked like pink colored Kool-Aid stains around their mouths and green goo staining the front of their clothes.

I watched as a man, pink smeared face, caught a policeman, and full-on kissed him. This is just craziness! Is that how they're spreading it? Kissing? Then Pinky spun the other man around so fast and with such force that I was left dumbfounded. He jerked the policeman's uniform pants down, exposing his bare backside, and then pushed him up against a car. I looked away. I just couldn't watch that. Why are they showing this on TV?

Then the camera angle moved. I felt a huge weight come down on my shoulders as it dawned on me that the police probably weren't going to make it here. What do I do?

I should probably have packed a bag and left right then, but something caught my attention. The camera feed was now focused on the front entrance of the building. Out walked Jason, looking very much alive, and a scantily clad Lilith, holding hands.

Jason looked different. He had cherry red hair, something that Jason never would have sported. He was shirtless, displaying well developed pecks and a six-pack. His upper arms were the size of my thighs. Things that he didn't have before. Jason didn't have time for the gym. It would have cut into juggling his girlfriends.

The camera zoomed in for a close-up of Jason's face. What stood out the most were his eyes. They were red with a sort of incandescent glow, matching a stone placed in the center of his forehead. His pupils were black slits. He wore that signature charming smile, just covered in a pink Kool-Aid mustache and had green stains on the front of his pants.

They both seemed unfazed by the chaos going on around them. Jason turned to an also smiling Lilith and said something that I couldn't make out due to all of the screaming and cries of blissful sex surrounding them. Then he got into a police cruiser and drove away.

A pink smiling, Lilith approached two deputies to the side who were trying to pull another deputy off of someone I couldn't see. Lilith firmly gripped the upper arm of the one closest to her and spun him around. She immediately planted her lips on his and gripped his hair with both hands. He struggled, at first, trying to push her away, then slowly relaxed into the kiss. Then he progressed to a frenzied unfastening of his fly. He pulled himself out, right on camera, then pushed Lilith up against the closest patrol car. Then, a look of pure enjoyment, mixed with relief, was on her face as he entered her.

I looked away. I didn't want to see it anymore.

Then it occurred to me that Jason had got into a car and left. I whimpered. He's coming here! I have to get out of here! His work is only fifteen minutes away. How long had I sat there watching? Panic began to set in. I got up and hurriedly put on shoes. Right as I was reaching for my purse, there was a knock on the door.

Oh no! What if he's here?

I froze, not wanting to make a sound. If he thinks that I'm not here, maybe he'll just leave. A few seconds passed, and then there was another knock.

"I know you're there. I'm here to help," came an unfamiliar male voice. Relief filled me. The police actually made it. I couldn't get to the door fast enough. I unlocked the deadbolt and swung the door open wide.

"Thank God!" I began, but the words left me in a harsh gasp. I backed away until my back hit the entryway wall behind me. My mouth went dry. "You're not the police," I whispered hoarsely.

My eyes were riveted to his pink stained lips as he responded, "The police aren't coming. I'm going to help you."