Calypso wasted no time, reaching out toward the shadows she darted pass, collecting them to form her Shadowshroud in her hand, wrapping it around her shoulders. Glancing at Gale on her left, Natalie on her right—thankfully equally cloaked, despite the flickering light cutting her vision off.
And despite the raging, cackling problem behind them.
“GET BACK HERE, YOU LIL’ SHITS!”
Melissa’s voice was strained into a shrill, to illustrate Cassie’s bubbling rage.
“ONCE YOU TELL ME WHERE YOU’RE HIDING MY BODY; YOU’RE GONNA GIVE ME MY FUCKIN’ COAT BACK--!” Melissa was forced to chuckle into a crazed, manic mirth.
It wasn’t enough that they were fighting exhaustion. Not only fighting against the pull of being in this haunted space—repressing the transformations.
But all of them were wearing elegant clothing.
“Running—in flipflops—suuuuuch a bad call--!” Gale huffed out while raising the bottom of her dress. And to be fair to her, she wasn’t wearing her usual footwear. These had a band across the foot.
But that was the least of their troubles. Despite scoping out these thin, concrete tunnels—it was still a challenge to dodge the walls trying to drag them away.
The bricks separate, using the cracks that formed after years of disrepair, forming a mouth that tries to bite at Calypso. Her Consumed senses allowed her to evade each of the bites, having thunderous reverberation behind the bites.
But there was a deep, painful, yet alluring urge that coarse through her veins. The more she uses her other side’s abilities, the more she wanted to just shed her human hide—these stupid clothes—to be a Grim and do her job.
She can’t. Not yet.
“WHAT’S WRONG, YOU FUCKS--?!”
Calypso turned her head, to see Melissa climbing the ceiling, her claws burrowing into the concrete as she kept advancing, lunacy written on her face with glowing blood-red eyes.
“AT LEAST GIMME YOUR GAME FACES, MAN~! HAHAHAHAHA--!”
“W-well, mean ladies’ first!” Gale hacked out, trying to look back, and had to focus looking forward. “Leeeead by example, Terrorizer-!”
“I, Cassie don’t need to--!”
The body snatcher used her captured body, to bound from the ceiling. Landing with a massive thud in front of them.
“I’M NOT THE ONE FEELING IT!” And Melissa was forced to take a swipe, causing a massive wave of molten blood to be launched at them.
There was no choice, Calypso retreated into the cloak—letting herself fall back into her own shadow as she plunged deep within.
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It was always disorienting, being in the shadows. Left with this deep-set haze to navigate through, and thankfully, Melissa’s body created a shadow for her to surf towards.
Popping out, forcing herself forward, Calypso stumbled before running again.
There was immediate panic and desperation once the skeletal monster girl realized that she couldn’t see her friends anywhere—before clarity clicked back into place. She quickly rose her arms, full mocking reference to the Count himself, and thankfully—Gale and Natalie shot themselves out of the shadow provided, gasping and shivering themselves.
There was no time for reprieve, as the floor started to pulsate—as if Cassie’s attack gravely hurt the underground tunnels. Adding to the strain, adding to the need to transform, adding to the mounting fear that’s been steadily building.
“GOOOD—FUCKING DAMN IT!”
Calypso was aghast. This was the most she heard Natalie be upset.
Natalie bore clenched teeth, and a muffled groan of tangible rage rocked the air that they were forced to breath in.
“We have to make another—fucking—round now—These places are mazes, remember--?!”
And just like that, Melissa’s body darted in between Calypso and Gale.
“Hey, you’re finally using that dome piece of yours—”
She then swiped at them, thankfully (or tellingly…) with no blood this time. Calypso had to rely on the flickering lights, as a cheat of sorts, so she was able to dodge using the cloak. Getting yanked by the short bursts of travel, and that being enough.
Gale wasn’t so lucky. She fell onto her side, causing Natalie to scramble for her—catching onto Calypso’s idea but instead, using the short bursts to double her speed. Thankfully due to the bulging floors, she was able to scoop up Gale on the rebound.
Perfectly bundled up for Melissa to loom over them, hand raised before them.
Calypso didn’t even entertain the thought, let alone any cheesy one-liner.
She surged forward, immediately wrapping both arms around Melissa’s and pulled back—a sickening crunch being heard.
Cue the spray of molten blood gusting into the ceiling—cutting off the lights in this part of the halls.
“WE HAVE TO DO IT NOW!” Calypso roared, looking at her friends.
Letting go. Letting the cloak completely cover her. Letting Gale and Natalie get their one second of recovery, before surging within the darkness.
Flying past the wall mouths, slightly swaying side to side as she is nothing but onrushing clouds of shadows, Calypso had to keep her fractured mind focused.
She hurt Melissa—but she couldn’t think about that. She desperately wanted to be free of this human flesh—but she had to stay as such for a long while longer. She has anxiety about this being the longest time that she’s held out, if the lessons were taking root, if she’s able to turn the tides of this horror event in the first place. She let these things take hold…
Before taking a deep, shuddering breath. Focusing once more.
It’s all the same. These doubts, these worries, these fears.
It’s always been the same.
Calypso flew throughout the hall, and managed to take the left that they missed. Surging up the concrete steps and burst through the wooden planks of the entrance. That hole under the desk.
In the now-condemned hospital, plunged in the darkness.
Calypso waited, as Gale and Natalie landed at her sides. Out of breath, coughing softly due to it.
“S-stick to the plan--?” Gale croaked out.
Calypso nodded. “No matter what…”
As the two began to move about, Calypso quickly grabbed their wrists, startling them before looking back. Gale wearing a clearly puzzled expression, mouth cutely agape. Natalie raised an eyebrow, letting her eyes glance towards one of the broken windows, as if to say, “I’m in a hurry”.
Calypso smiled. Genuinely.
“Love you both. We’re best friends, once we get past this shit.”
Gale openly wept, laughing shakingly. “We alr-already are, silly…”
“Damn it, man—” Natalie shook her head, looking down. “Hoping you wouldn’t say that. Now the sacrifice fallback plan’s gonna hurt more…”
Cassie forced Melissa’s body to shatter the last remnants of the planks. Landing with a thud, Melissa’s brow lowered in a confused, but nevertheless fuming expression.
Calypso just looked back, keeping the smile. What was once warm and genuine, now tightened. Demeaning.
“Take your pick, Terrorizer.”
And the trio spilt apart, surging through the window. Into the night.