A flash of memory intruded on Emmett’s thoughts: an apartment building tucked behind that little car wash place on Rosecrans Street, a sign readingTHE PRESIDIO—NOW LEASING. Then what? Something must have happened to separate the man’s arm from the rest of his body, and there was nothing here like a blade.
The word echoed through his mind in Hank’s voice, recalling a memory of the time Emmett bit him:monster.
Maybe the strange cravings and dark urges he’d been experiencing for days, writing them off as side effects of Obexity, were something else. A buried part of his nature at last beginning to show.
Maybe Hank had been right about him.
Emmett should go to the police. Turn himself in before he hurt anyone else. Surely there’d be security-camera footage from the gym parking lot or the apartment complex. He’d be in custody soon anyway.
But in so many ways, his life was finally starting to turn around. The new job. Aaron. His online following. Why did this have to happen now that he had so much to lose?
He slammed the trunk closed and collapsed against it, not knowing what to do. Not truly caring. It was difficult to focus. Underneath all the horror, disgust, and self-loathing, his stomach cooked in its own juices. Saliva filled his mouth. His heart ached for the taste of succulent meat, setting a stream of intrusive thoughts running through his mind.
The guy’s already dead; it’s not like you’re going to hurt him.
Your life’s already over; what difference will another bite or two make?
Who knows where your next meal is coming from—or how hard it will be to catch?
Appendix S—Health Journal
PARTICIPANT DETAILS
TRIAL ID:OBXII202305
PARTICIPANT NO:82941
DOB:12/8/94
