Ashon Ruffins is a native New Orleanian and a Veteran of the Louisiana Army National Guard. He holds a Master’s in Business Administration, while holding certifications for several other professions. He simply loves spending time with his family or submerging himself in a good book or movie.
He loves the art of storytelling in all genres and believes the best lessons in life can be told through fiction. The human struggles and victories are perfect avenues to tell outstanding stories through all genres. Horror has always been the only chosen road for him because the depth at which someone can tell layered cautionary tales seemed almost infinite. Ashon is a huge mental health advocate
Descent of a Broken Man is his debut horror novel and the first in the Uncovered Darkness 3 book series.
Read and connect with Ashon right HERE.
THE LATE LUNCH
by
Ashon Ruffins
Sometimes, I preferred to surprise my wife, Rachel, at work with an original recipe I’ve whipped up in the kitchen. She loved taking an intermission from her daily drudgery and devote her lunch break spending a little quality time with me on occasion. The conversation usually covered the incompetence, or heroic efforts of various co-workers for the night. She had only been in her new nursing profession for a couple of months, but was thrilled at the thought of helping save lives on a daily basis. It was a longer commute for her than the last job, and the graveyard shift made it difficult to get to her during the week. Luckily, our special day fell on a Saturday, and she was absolutely worth the effort. The love we shared often pushed us the extra unselfish mile to please the other.
The savory aroma of the stuffed pasta shells permeated throughout the car during the forty-five-minute drive over the darkened waters of the massive lake. As if it was perfectly planned, a thick fog hovered above the black waters of the vast lake. The only sources of light that accompanied me as I cut through the fog were the blue halogen headlights of the car and the bright crescent moon which sat prominently in the sky. Even after fifteen years of marriage, my heart still fluttered with anticipation of seeing her, and the lengthy drive only heightened as my dampened hand gripped the stirring wheel. As I turned into the emergency room’s graveled parking area, Rachel was already standing outside in her black scrubs, almost blending perfectly in the cover of the darkened night sky. Her face still painted in flawless costume makeup we applied in the bathroom earlier tonight before she left for work. I had to admit, it made her one of the prettiest zombies I had ever seen. Halloween was always one of our favorite celebrations, and this was an ideal night to spend with the woman I love.
After sneaking my way into the employee parking area, I stopped just a few car links away from the staff exit in the building’s rear. I wasn’t fond of the lack of lighting in the area, but along with the fog, it helped sustain my desire not to be discovered by hospital security. My smile and energetic wave greeted her as she started her slow walk to the car. Her face, absent of a smile, hinted to me her night was not going as smoothly as I hoped.
I reached over and opened the door, ready to hear about the apparent struggles of her shift. After she sat in the car, I handed Rachel the still hot plastic container of food covered in condensation and a plastic fork. I watched as my wife ripped of the top of the container and devoured the late lunch prepared for her. She did not say a word, not a glare in my direction either. Her head tilted down with her hair slightly covering her face.
“Has it really been that bad tonight, baby? It can’t be that bad, I see you had some time to make some improvements to your makeup,” I said. My voice was timid and trailed off, hoping I didn’t upset her.
Usually, it would take only a bite or two before she would give me feedback on a new recipe. That was not the case tonight. She fed as if it had been weeks since she enjoyed a good meal. The fork in her hand aggressively prodded the contents of the container. The rattle from my phone as it vibrated temporarily destracted me from my frustration with her lack of communication. The subtle vibration from the incoming text message was the only break in an otherwise silent car, and the luminous screen displayed the word ‘Wifey’ on it, brightened an otherwise dark atmosphere. I peered over at my wife as she continued to eat. Only a fork and food container in hand, ravenous. The sudden stench of rotten eggs engulfed the car.
“My God. What is that smell?” I said. The odor made it almost impossible to stay in the car.
Her head still hung down as her hair fell and impeded my view of her face and the impressive Halloween makeup. Rachale must have enjoyed the food because she rendered a laugh as the phone continued to vibrate. The fork and empty container fell to the floor of the car. Her laugh was different, raspy and wicked. It was a type of laugh I had never heard from her before.
“Hey baby, I hope I caught you before you left home. We are getting slammed tonight. A lot of people with bite injuries. I won’t have time for lunch. Love ya,” the text read.
My hands trembled after I read the message. My heart pounded in my chest, as her laugh became louder and more sinister. I slowly reached out toward her and gently pulled her hair back away from her face. She turned and looked at me with her pupil-less black eyes and grinned, prominently displaying her tar-colored teeth. Her bloodied, peeled, and blistered skin was grotesque and was not the product of Halloween makeup as I previously thought. My hands trembled violently, but my legs were paralyzed with fear. I could only gather one thought in my bewilderment.
If my wife was still inside, what in the hell was sitting next to me?
“Huunnggryy,” it moaned.
It let out a raspy blood curdling scream as it lunged toward me. It’s teeth gripped the meaty flesh of my neck ripping it away from the muscle beneath it. I screamed as it continued to chew and devour my flesh as feverishly as it did the late lunch I prepared. The comforting blanket of warm blood poured down my neck and onto my chest. Then, everything went black.