Warnings: Descriptions of Cannibalism, Death, Drug use, Gore, Violence, Vomiting.
He wakes up coughing, or trying to. His throat feels raw and slick with fluid, like the worst cold germs can buy. Each cough triggers a gag and a shudder, his body heaving in the pure darkness. He realizes he doesn’t know where he is, he’s closed in by something on all sides. It’s a hard thing to focus on with his body wretching and reeling constantly. He tries anyways, pushes his limbs out. They feel weak, but they push against the plastic anyways. The sheet slides off as he keeps heaving, blinding him with the clinical white light of a morgue. He recoils, flailing, and falls off of the table he was suspended on. He lands on the ground on his forearms, the force finally shaking him enough to vomit. Saliva drips and then blood pours from his mouth, finally something dislodges. He coughs up two fingers, a left pinky and ring finger, still stuck together by a chunk of a hand. They sit in the puddle of emesis, he feels relieved. That’s the end of that. He allowed himself to lay there for a while, catching his breath and recovering. Once he was more centered, he got to his feet.
“So- What’s- Why am I here?”
He talked to himself, more to change the sensation in his mouth than to do anything else. This throat still burned and the stabbing pain hadn’t left, but it was good to organize his thoughts.
“Where- Isn’t this a hospital? Shouldn’t there be people around?”
Though it was strange, he was glad nobody was around. In the room, he found a bin of discarded clothes. He changed out of his ruined hospital gown into items from inside: a baggy black tee, camo cargo shorts, and a heavy black hoodie. None of the shoes fit but a pair of sandals, they’d do for now. There was still a wallet in the shorts. The ID didn’t look much like the face in the mirror, but he didn’t care. He just needed a name.
“Stacey Mantis. That works fine.”
Tristan stormed through the doors to the hospital. The receptionist startled as he ran up, backing up against the wall. He vaulted the front desk, cutting her scream short by slashing her throat with his blade. Tristan stuffed his knife back into his pocket and went to searching. If the patients and nurses slaughtered in their rooms weren’t enough of a sign, the emergency exit was forced open. She was here, and she made it in without anyone knowing. He’d tracked her this far, it would be a shame to lose track of her now. On the hospital stairs there was a body missing its jaw. None of the other bodies were maimed like this, a sign from his darling Julia. Like she was whispering “I’m just up these steps” right into his ear. He’d tracked her this far following similar clues. This kill was fresh, the blood was still hot, still stank like hands handling change. It meant she was close. Tristan bristled with excitement as he climbed the steps up four floors. The door to the roof was ajar, propped open with someone’s bottom jaw. She did always know how to tie up a hunt in a little bow. He drew his knife and kicked open the door, stepping out into the night.
Stacey opens the heavy wood door from his bedroom and steps out into the hallway. The walk is a long one, this place is huge. Gives him time to think, though. He appreciates that. He doesn’t really understand why the people who live here want him, why they let him stay in this mansion in the forest. He doesn’t bring anything to the table. He’s not sadistic, he’s not a killer, he isn’t like the other people here. Sure, he doesn’t scare easy and blood doesn’t bother him, but that feels like small potatoes. Nothing special about him, if he can help it. He could keep going, but his walk’s over. Stacey’s faced with his destination, the bathroom medicine cabinet. It’s sparsely stocked, but it has what he needs.
Stacey shakes out two sleeping pills into his hand. He needs these to get to sleep anyways, he just takes one extra once a month. It isn’t a big deal that he prefers to sleep through his monthly transformation. If he didn’t he’d be waking up miles away with hair and gristle in his teeth every full moon. It’s such a pain, so he opts for a bit of chemical intervention instead. It’s mostly for his own sake, he couldn’t care less about the loss of life his other half is prone to causing. The only real downside is that the pills make his dreams vivid and terrifying. Scenes from the mantis’s old life, when he was human. Before he died and left the body vacant. Before Stacey set up shop in it.
He takes the pills and settles in for his longest night of his month.
“Open up, Tris.”
The request was teasing. Julia’s sword was gouged into the floor of Tristan’s mouth and through his chest, pinning his jaw gaping wide. He couldn’t speak, just gasp as she held him in place. His view of the night sky was blocked by Julia’s looming presence, it was just as soothing. He hurt, a lot. Losing this much blood was making him dizzy, but as long as she was there he was happy. He let out a contended sigh and a giggle, both turned to gurgles in his ruined throat.
“Shush. I thought, oh, since this is the last time I’m seeing you that I should do something nice. To end things on a high note. You understand.”
What do you mean “last time?” He’s come back from worse than this with her help before. He’s fading fast, but nothing about this is final. He’ll be fine as long as she-
Tristan’s train of thought is cut off by Julia biting off two of her own fingers, the left pinky and ring fingers, along with a good piece of the flesh of her hand. She looked him in his eyes, her smile crooked and messy with the digits poking out. Julia leaned in as Tristan’s vision went black. His last experience is the feeling of two fingers being pushed down his throat.
He’s in the forest. He woke up and he’s in the forest. It’s as dark as it always is here and the fog still hangs low. No blood in his mouth, no hair in his teeth. No scratches, scrapes, or cuts. Stacey can still see the mansion from here, even. It’s not like before, not like coming to and seeing the mantis went on a spree. It’s like sleepwalking. Just sleepwalking. That’s fine. It should be fine. Might be best to get inside before anyone puts two and two together.