TWO YEARS AGO

It was a surprisingly bright winters day. The warmth of the sun irradiated the patchy green grass, heating the dirt. The sky was lit with an azure hue, with barely a cloud to be seen.

Brooklyn and Samuel both sat on a small picnic blanket, in the middle of Civic Park. Her head laying on his crossed legs, she peacefully sat still watching a video on her phone. The couples newly purchased build-a-bear named Jeremy sat on the corner of the blanket, looking over the two as they enjoyed the uncommon winter's sunlight.

Samuel took a sip from his earl grey boba tea, gazing out at the wide open bustling park. School friends sat in circles spreading rumours and drama, families played with their loved ones on a small brightly coloured playground, and dogs were running rampant.

As Samuel took in the lively scene, a gentle breeze rustled the branches of the nearby trees, scattering a few leaves onto their picnic blanket. He reached over and brushed the fallen leaves away, his attention returning to Brooklyn.

She was engrossed in the video on her phone, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Samuel marveled at her peaceful expression, feeling a surge of contentment. The sunlight bathed her in a warm glow, accentuating her features and making her eyes sparkle.

He gently ran his fingers through her orange glowing hair, relishing in the softness and enjoying the quiet intimacy they shared. The sound of children's laughter and the occasional bark of a dog provided a pleasant backdrop to their moment of tranquility.

As the afternoon progressed, Samuel couldn't help but feel a growing connection with Brooklyn. Each date seemed to deepen their bond, and he found himself yearning to know more about her. He wanted to unravel the layers of her personality, to understand her dreams and aspirations, and to be a part of her world.

Brooklyn finally looked up from her phone, her eyes meeting Samuel's. The smile on her face widened as she noticed his adoring gaze. She set her phone aside, and slowly sat upright, crossing her legs. They both sat close together, knee to knee. Her eyes shimmered under the sunlight, her cheeks became a shy red.

Slowly she moved in towards him. Her lips meeting with his. Her eyes sensually closed upon impact. Samuel couldn't help but feel a surge of discomfort. The warmth and tenderness of the kiss were overshadowed by his self-consciousness. His eyes remained wide open throughout the embrace, darting around to see if anyone was watching. He felt a tinge of embarrassment creeping in, as if the eyes of the parkgoers were fixed on their moment of intimacy.

Despite his unease, Samuel didn't want to ruin the moment for Brooklyn. He tried to relax his body and soften his expression, hoping to convey a sense of enjoyment. However, his internal struggle continued to distract him from fully embracing the affectionate gesture.

Meanwhile, Brooklyn was completely immersed in the moment, her eyes closed and her senses attuned to the connection they shared. She was unaware of Samuel's discomfort, assuming he was as lost in the kiss as she was. Her heart fluttered with delight as the soft touch of their lips lingered, and she deepened the kiss, unaware of Samuel's internal turmoil.

He looked over Brooklyn's shoulders, noticing a few curious glances and whispered exchanges among the nearby groups. The feeling of being observed intensified his unease, making him long for a moment of privacy. Shifting uncomfortably on the picnic blanket, his eyes still darting around nervously. He longed for the kiss to come to an end.

Before he could build up the courage to pull away, Brooklyn grabbed his boney hand, forcefully placing it between her legs. Motioning Samuel's hand to pleasure her.

Brooklyn let out a soft moan, muffled by their lips intertwined. Samuel's eyes slowly moved down, his face was completely red. He didn't know what he was doing. Samuel didn't want to stop because he knew she was enjoying it, except he wasn't feeling the same way.

Dreading every second, his heart began to feel heavy. His innocence trapped his voices from escaping. Samuel didn't know how to break free. He was embarrassed, scared, and confused.

Brooklyn slowly reached down to her pants, unzipping them. Without asking if he was okay, she forced his hand underneath her white underwear. His fingers became soaking wet. His eyes becoming flustered. He didn't know how to stop. He didn't want to ruin her fun, but he wished it was coming to an end.

Eventually, Brooklyn slowly pulled away. Her eyes welded to his. Samuel relieved, took out his hand from her pants, wiping it on the picnic blanket. Her arms were still wrapped around his neck. She gazed across the park, making eye contact with a public restroom.

"Do you want to fuck?" Brooklyn confidently asked.

Samuel looked down to the picnic blanket, he was uncomfortable, embarrassed, confused. He managed to speak, "Where?".

Brooklyn pointed her head towards the public restrooms, "Maybe in the disability toilets?" she asked with an eager expression.

Samuel's face became as red as a tomato, his heart began to race. "I don't think that's a good idea." Samuel timidly responded.

Brooklyn looked away for a moment annoyed, "My mum's coming to pick me up soon. We don't have much time." she pushed.

Samuel nodded his head, repeating what he had said initially, "I don't think I want to." He began to feel the pressure upon him.

"We don't have to be long. Just quick. It will be fun." Brooklyn asked once more, trying to pressure him to change his mind.

"No." Samuel answered as blatant as possible.

Brooklyn removed her arms from around his neck. Her head drifted away from his eyes, she gazed out towards the open park. Her eyes quickly began to swell. She wiped the tears away from her eyes, pouting her lips in disappointment.

Scared she was going to make a scene, Samuel sighed. Her tears forced him to muffle the word, "Fine."

Brooklyn's head immediately pivoted back towards him. Her tears disappeared as she quickly stood to her feet. Picking up their belongs, they folded the picnic blanket, placing it back into Samuel's backpack.

Together they walked across the park, heading towards the public restrooms. Samuel's head was facing down, gazing at the green patchy grass. It was a walk of shame. His heart was beating with fear and embarrassment. He knew he couldn't get out of what was about to happen, no matter how bad he wanted to.

Samuel didn't want Brooklyn to be sad, especially in the middle of a park. However, he didn't want to have sex in a public restroom, let alone the disabled toilets. No matter how much he tried to get out, it was useless. Brooklyn knew what she wanted, and she couldn't take no as an answer.

Inconspicuously they entered the restroom, locking the door behind them. Brooklyn tidied her hair in the mirror while Samuel stood uncomfortably in the corner, staring around the dark white tiled room.

With her neatly tied up, Brooklyn slowly walked towards Samuel. Their lips met once more, his heart began to beat rapidly, not wanting what was to come next.

She slowly guided him towards the closed toilet bowl. Pushing him onto the seat, she unzipped her pants and slowly pulled them off. Samuel nervously and reluctantly pulled his pants off.

He sat there uncomfortably, waiting for the pain and trauma to occur. He wanted to get up and make a run for it, but he couldn't. He knew this is what Brooklyn wanted. It was obvious she didn't care what he wanted, so Samuel kept his thoughts to himself. Allowing Brooklyn to sit on top of him.

He sat there as she moved her body up and down repeatedly. Her moans echoing around the small restroom. He sat there idly, not receiving any pleasure from the experience. His mind and expression became blank, like a blur. He hardly remembers the traumatic experience, or at least he just chooses to forget.

Samuel recalls boarding the bus back home, deeply lost in his music. The memory of rushing to his bedroom and immediately curling up into a tight ball remains vivid. Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably, soaking his shirt. Overwhelmed with confusion, he found himself at a loss for what to do or how to process the events that had transpired. Trust became a foreign concept, as he grappled with an utter lack of understanding regarding the situation.

PRESENT DAY

Samuel stared directly into the open black void. Muffled screams of agony were bellowing on repeat, scratching in his ears. Cold tears were flowing down his face, splashing onto the hard carpet. His mouth was gaping open, saliva was sluggishly dripping out.

"Samuel? Can you hear me?" Brooklyn desperately asked.

Snapping out of his trance he came back into reality. Wiping his tears from his eyes to clear his vision, he scanned the room, locking eyes with Brooklyn.

"What happened to Keaton?" Brooklyn asked.

With little motivation in his voice Samuel timidly announced, "He fell off the balcony. The biters, they broke in and pushed him off."

"That's horrible." Brooklyn replied, her hand over her mouth in shock.

The rising sun cascaded an orange hue through the balcony door, revealing the dust particles floating in the air. In the moment, the serenity was disturbing.

"Maybe you should have a seat?" Brooklyn suggested patting the free spot on the couch next to her.

"No. We need food." Samuel noted touching his hungry stomach.

"You said we couldn't go out there." Brooklyn replied worryingly.

"We've got no other choice." Samuel explained.

Stepping into the dark unlit kitchen, Samuel slid open the old flakey cutlery drawer. Reaching in he took out a large chefs knife. Scanning the knife from the handle to the sharp pointy edge, he tightly wrapped his skinny fingers around it.

"You aren't actually going to use that are you?" Brooklyn asked.

Ignoring her question, Samuel held the knife close. He walked across the kitchen to the front door. He peered out the peep hole, seeing an empty hallway.

"You should stay here. Keep yourself safe." Samuel suggested, his hand reaching for the lock.

"I'm coming with you. I'm not staying here alone." Brooklyn replied standing up from the couch.

She closely stood behind Samuel, her hand resting on his back. Slowly unlocking the door, his hands reluctantly turned the door knob. With a loud squeak, the door swung open. Samuel scrunched his nose, afraid the biters would hear him.

His eyes surveyed the empty hallway. The flickering lights above cascaded a green yellowish tinge, engulfing the hallway. The colours of the lights made the hallway look even more daunting. The blue carpet continued out into the hallway and beyond. There was a stain of blood soaked into the carpet. Splatters of blood were scattered across the cream green symmetrical walls.

Bloody footprints led down the hallway, into an apartment. The door was eerily wide open, with a black darkness pouring out from the room. Samuel's eyes met with the stairwell door, at the end of the hallway. It was thankfully closed shut.

Samuel tucked his knife into the back of his belt. He explained his idea, "We can use the couch to block the door. Nothing will be able to get in."

Frightened to make a sound, Brooklyn agreed. They rushed back into their apartment, grabbing each side of the couch. The pillows sitting on top fumbled off, landing onto the ground. Brooklyn's face strained under the immense weight.

Carefully they guided the couch out from their apartment, diagonally pulling it through the door, to fit it into the hallway. Under stress from the weight, Brooklyn dropped the couch. The large thud echoed down the hallway. They both stopped, their eyes gaping open wide in fear. An aggressive muffled groan came from the end of the hallway. Samuel's head slowly pivoted making eye contact with the stairwell door.

The door began to rattle, and eventually slowly opened. Dark fingers wrapped around the door as it swung open.

In a moment, Samuel pushed his back against the couch, utilising all of his strength, he dragged the couch across the carpet, screaming from the weight of the couch. Before the door could fully open, the couch pushed the door shut, with a loud metal thud, squishing the fingers of the biter, slicing them clean off.

Samuel grabbed his shoulders in pain from the weight of the couch. He caught his breath attempting to get his energy back. The groans of the biter behind the door became louder, as it bashed on the door, trying to break in.

Unbeknownst to him, the open apartment door began to creak wider behind him. Emerging from within, a biter emerged, its movements hindered by a limp, causing it to stumble clumsily.

"Look out!" Brooklyn desperately screamed.

With a swift turn, Samuel abruptly faced the oncoming biter, its gnashing teeth lunging towards him.