“I’m sorry.”

Abi glared. They folded their arms, shifting their gaze to the side. Lost in thought, their head tilted. Blood streamed down their cheeks, dripping onto the white table cloth.

“Please don’t cry, Abi,” Rui softly begged.

“I should have killed you the day I found you,” Abi said. They wiped the blood off their face with their wrist, bringing it to their mouth. Slowly, they licked their hand clean.

Rui couldn’t bring herself to look at them. “All I ever do is bring you down.” She paused for a moment, lifting her head up to look Abi in the eye. “But I refuse to be captive forever.”

The sorrow in Abi’s eyes vanished under the immediate rage they felt. “So you thought it was best to leave without telling me?” they asked, anger seeping through their voice. “You just left and you thought I’d be alright?”

Rui looked up to the ceiling, holding back her tears. “All I want is to be free. To live like, like the people who live in houses like these.”

“Rui,” Abi said softly. “Where do you think your food comes from?” they asked. “Where do you think I vanish to and why do you think I leave home so often?”

Rui’s eyes widened. Abi pointed to the kitchen. “Why don’t you have a look?” She walked slowly, each step seeming further than the last. She tried desperately to close her eyes, but her stomach let out a growl, leading her to the entrance. She quickly covered her hands with her eyes, but through the gaps between her fingers, she saw the remains of what used to be a human man. His carcass hung from a hook, the skin peeled off his body. Bones poked out through a hollow cavity in his chest. His blood was pouring down rapidly, filling the bucket beneath his feet. Rui gasped. The man had opened his eyes. He let out a scream so hoarse, it seemed as if his voice scraped through his throat with a knife. In a flash, Abi sliced his neck open.

“Humans are difficult to kill,” They said, moving the twirling the man with one hand, cutting through his neck with the other. “I didn’t want you to see this.” Once the head had been completely removed, Abi dunked it into a plastic bag. “For the dogs.”

Rui’s knees crumbled to the floor, her hands too weak to hold onto anything. She could almost taste the blood from its scent, and her mouth began to water. A loud banging noise came from the cupboard beside her. Rui shrieked, pulling the doors wide open. A boy sat inside, with his hands and mouth tied shut. He wriggled out of the space like a worm, desperately crying for help. Rui didn’t know what to do. “I’m not like you,” she said to Abi. Her claws began to spread out. “I won’t ever be like you!”

Rui’s stomach could no longer take it, its teeth ripping through the layers of clothes she had on. The boy was howling, pushing his body back into the cupboard to get away from her. Abi poured themselves a glass of water, quietly sipping it as they watched Rui crawl towards the boy. She stopped an inch away from his face. Her eyes slowly began to focus. She pulled her head out from the cupboard, turning to face Abi.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“I’m not like you.”

“I’m sure you aren’t.” They took another sip.

Rui’s tongue emerged from her stomach. She grabbed her tattered clothes, pulling them down to her waist to cover it up. Abi leaned against the counter, smirking. “You think you’re so much better than me, but guess wh–”

Rui’s tongue lashed at Abi, wrapping itself around his body. Her teeth plunged into his shoulder, biting the flesh off. Abi screamed in agony, his hands and feet twitching uncontrollably. Another bite and their arm disappeared in a second. As Rui snapped back into reality, a third of Abi had been wiped clean. Their eyes had rolled to the back of their head. She quickly let go of them, placing her hands on the sink to vomit his flesh, but nothing would come out. She turned back, and Abi was nowhere to be seen. She bent down, holding onto herself as tight as she could. So much had changed in such little time. She looked at the man’s corpse. ‘If I were to survive for the next three months, I’d need something substantial,’ she thought. She paused. She slapped her face, unable to believe she’d think of something so sinister.

“I’d do it if I were you,” an unfamiliar voice said. By the window, a tall woman stood, with her striking blue eyes peering into the room. Rui stared at her dumbfounded, unable to respond.

“If you won’t have it, I will,” the woman said, climbing into the kitchen. Rui stared in horror as the woman invited herself inside. She looked so human, so..normal. It was a strange sight for Rui.

As the woman chewed through his bones, a soft cry from the cupboard caught her attention. “More food?” she asked.

“No!” Rui yelled, standing in front of the woman to block her.

“Relax, this much is good for me.” she chuckled. “I’m Baruni, an amateur extrovert, and an expert human-eater.”

Rui didn’t know what to say. Baruni handed her the bucket of blood. “At least this will keep you full for a while,” she said. Rui’s tongue latched onto the bucket, pouring its contents into her stomach. She looked down, ashamed.

“Let’s pack a few supplies from here. We’ll drop off the kid in the nearest village while we’re at it,” Baruni said.

Rui nodded. She looked around the house, stuffing anything of use into a satchel. She took a quick shower, wiping off the dirt on her body. There was a shirt by the bathroom floor, presumably belonging to the man. She wore it along with one of the skirts she’d packed. She took a quick look at the mirror, combing her hair into a neat bun before walking out.

Baruni stared at her in surprise. “You’ve never worn a shirt before, I’m guessing.”

Rui looked confused. “I thought this is how you wear it,” she said, embarrassed. Baruni chuckled, aligning the buttons properly.

“There, it’s fine now,” she said. Rui tried to smile, but her thoughts were drawn to the boy.

“It’s alright. He’ll be fine,” Baruni said. She patted Rui’s head, smiling sadly. She went to the boy, watching him with a blank stare. She smacked the side of his neck, immediately making him faint.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Rui yelled. She tried pulling Baruni back, but she wouldn’t budge.

“I told you to relax. I know what I’m doing,” she said. “Do you trust me?”

Rui didn’t know what to say, so she took a moment to think. Nothing was going in her favour, and she could use all the extra help she could get. “Yes,” she replied.

“Great! Then let’s get going.”