The Reaction

Browsing through the clothing selection of the store he had decided to visit, Umbra scratched his neck.

As the minutes passed, Umbra couldn't help but notice that he had developed a festering itch on the back of his neck. However, it was only a minor uncomfortable sensation, so Umbra figured he could cope with it.

"I knew I shouldn't have switched fabric softeners," Umbra muttered bitterly under his breath, pushing through pairs of pants hung on a rack. "That stupid stuff must be irritating my skin. I'll have to throw it out when I get home. I don't want Victor to be bothered by it as well."

He picked up a particularly nice pair of dress pants, holding them up to admire. They were made of soft, expensive fabric, which deeply pleased Umbra. He had also found a pleasant, pastel colored sweater that he thought would look nice on him.

I think I'll go and try these on... Umbra thought, turning around to find a dressing room. There was one on the complete other side of the store, in the women's section. Stupid Belks and their obvious catering towards females, Umbra mentally grumbled, hanging the pants and shirt over his arm and shoving his hands in his pockets.

Reaching the dressing rooms, Umbra stopped to catch his breath.

Why am I breathing so hard? This isn't right...I can sprint hundreds of yards before I even start panting... Umbra blinked, rubbing the nervous sweat that had began to collect on his forehead. Perhaps I'm slightly ill? He shook his head. Preposterous. I feel fine...right?

Umbra wasn't sure if it was just a touch of nervous hypochondria, but he felt that something was amiss with his health. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it was a strange feeling.

Trudging into a dressing stall, Umbra reasoned with himself. I'll talk to Matthew once we meet up again. I'll alert him about my concerns and we'll go home and have a movie night with Victor.

Umbra unbuttoned his vest and pulled off his undershirt, smoothing down the locks of hair that had been disturbed by the motion. As he went to change into the sweater, Umbra caught his reflection in the mirror on the stall door.

And he nearly screamed.

A red, festering rash had developed on the base of his neck, dipping onto his chest and stretching around the top of his back. The skin was blotchy and agitated, hot fever pulsing underneath and making Umbra sweat even more.

"What the h-" he started to whisper, but then the itching started. 

It was a searing fire had been ignited around his neck. Umbra, acting on pure, horrified instinct, dug his fingers into his skin, desperately clawing at himself to relieve the pain. He unintentionally broke the skin in several places, blood burying itself under his sharp finger nails. He gasped out loud, taken aback by the sudden rush of the throes caused by the mysterious rash.

He managed to pry his fingers away from his neck, brain finally communicating to his body that scratching would only make the problem worse. Umbra realized he was gasping for breath, and his throat felt like it was closing up.

He threw himself out of the dressing room in the midst of putting his shirt and vest back on, searching for a bathroom. His stomach was doing somersaults, and he wasn't sure whether he was going to asphyxiation or vomit.

Umbra shoved past a random shopper, slamming into the door of the bathroom and falling to his knees. Black spots dotted his vision now, and he was becoming incredibly disoriented.

Through the blood roaring in his ears, Umbra thought he heard the door creaking open.
"S-Sir! Are you okay?! I'm calling 911!" The man's voice sounded far away, but Umbra knew that it couldn't be.

Another flash of pain struck Umbra like lightning, sending him crashing to the floor. He struggled to breathe, trying to relieve his body's yearning for oxygen before he suffocated.

Umbra choked and shuddered once more before his vision faded to black and his breathing stopped entirely.

Author's Note- :0