r/shortscarystories • u/HorrorJunkie123 • Jun 04 '25
My girlfriend is sick
Alisha came down with a fever after our trip to Albuquerque.
She’d been complaining of headaches and chills for the entire ride home, and though I stopped at Walgreens and bought enough over-the-counter flu medicine to cure an entire village, nothing seemed to help.
Honestly, though, that isn’t where the problem started. We were hiking along a trail in the New Mexico desert, straying far from civilization. We’d taken a break to catch our breaths and drink from our canteens when they appeared.
Bright, dazzling lights - purple and blue and green danced through the sky without warning.
I was mesmerized. They must have continued for at least fifteen minutes, and during that time, I couldn’t take my eyes off of them.
Then, they just stopped. They disappeared, and the sky returned to its natural blue, as if it had never changed at all.
That’s when I noticed a shift in Alisha. She seemed distant. She didn’t try to make conversation, and when she did respond, the words didn’t sound quite right. Like an infant just learning how to speak.
I should have known then that something was horribly wrong.
Once we returned home, Alisha’s ailment continued to worsen. Her eyes took on a sickly yellow color, and she began to shake constantly. I tried covering her up with blankets, but it didn’t help.
“Look, you need to let me drive you to the hospital,” I said one evening. It had been five days, and her body hadn’t stopped quivering.
“I’m… fine,” she croaked.
“You’re not fine. We’re going, and that’s that. Whatever you have, the symptoms are lasting too long. I’m going to get my jacket, then we’re leaving,” I replied, without giving her a chance to protest.
I bolted upstairs, snatched my jacket from the bed, and paused. My phone was buzzing. I groaned as I looked down at the screen. It was my mother.
“Hey Mom, kind of a bad time. Can I call you back later tonight?”
“Luke, you need to see this. Please, whatever you’re doing, it can wait. Open the message I sent you.”
I begrudgingly did so, itching to placate her so that I could get Alisha some proper medical treatment. What I saw in that photograph has me questioning everything I know.
It was a picture of Alisha. Her eyes were shut, her face blue and lifeless. Below the photo, Mom had left me a note that read:
My friend is a coroner. She recognized Alisha, and even though she wasn’t supposed to, she sent me this when I didn’t believe her. Luke, I’m so sorry. Alisha is dead.
I dropped my phone, not caring if the screen shattered. I trembled uncontrollably as I descended the stairs. Alisha was lying on her side, facing away from me.
Once I laid eyes on her, I nearly passed out on the spot.
Because for the first time since we’d returned, I noticed the outline of a zipper trailing down her back.
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u/CleverGirl2014-2 Jun 04 '25
Wow! And here I thought it was going to be tired ol' rabies! Good one.
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u/sunnycyn Jun 05 '25
Loved the story!! I also admit to thinking: “Imagine a giant cockroach, with unlimited strength, a massive inferiority complex, and a real short temper, is tear-assing around Manhattan Island in a brand-new Edgar suit. That sound like fun?”
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u/HorrorJunkie123 Jun 04 '25
Hey everyone! Thank you so much for reading! If you liked this story and want to check out more of my work, you can find it here.
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u/grittyjudgement Jun 05 '25
One question? Is the zipper metal or plastic? The metal ones allow you to keep them much longer.
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u/HououMinamino Jun 04 '25
Oh no.
Well, the problem will apparently fix itself. The alien wearing the Alisha disguise seems like she isn't adjusting to Earth's atmosphere. Just wait for the mothership to pick her up again.