UGH UGH UGH!
It was so much more gross targeting a single bug, and such a massive one at that. Big and juicy. Its shell, its exoskeleton, crinkled. Its many lugs stuck to the wood of the bathroom’s ceiling, and Zachary absorbed it like he’d reached up with a little mouth to suck out its insides... its essence.
Essence +6
Ahhhhhh! He wanted to shout or throw up or run around. I just ate a huge... he couldn’t even bring himself to name the creature. What was left of it, a thin outline of its shell, its shape, turned to dust. The creature was a part of him now.
And the worst part? It tasted good. Like he’d bitten through a chocolate brownie, the kind with a hard, chocolate glaze on top that crackled before he got to the soft, chewie insides.
Sophronia stared at the notebook. Was this really the only way to communicate with her? She grinned up at him before flipping the book around to show him the new line.
Essence +6
“Thank you! Thank you!” she shouted as she rushed out of her bedroom.
Zachary wrenched his mind back from the bathroom so that she could finish her business in privacy. He didn’t want to know anything about the bathroom until she was done, though he could feel the curious sensation of water moving through the pipes in the rest of his body.
It was strange how he could section off a part of his mind from the house. He’d done it last night with Sophronia's parents – wait, not last night. That night had been two and a half years ago. That was annoying, but he checked himself. Was he sleepy right now?
There was a hint of weariness, and he wondered if it was because that bug was so small. Or because he’d only targeted one creature this time instead of every single one of them. Zachary’s mind accidentally veered toward the cellar beneath the floor, and he recoiled in horror again. Spiders and centipedes and beetles and all sorts of things. How did they multiply so fast?
His Essence was 6/200 now. He remembered it needing 100 to get from Bronze 5 to Bronze 4. So that must be the necessary number to rank up. He could see the numbers on the book Sophronia had left open on the bed as well as in his mind. Every time he absorbed something, his Essence count went up. So when he reached that threshold, he’d reach the next tier of Bronze and he’d get stronger And after Bronze was Silver.
Was that how Sophronia got so strong so quickly? Did she... eat bugs?
Or was it different from him because he was a house? A “Daemon” Sophronia had called him. That sounded and looked like demon, the word in black ink on the page, but he pushed the thought from his mind and focused instead on the Essence thing.
He had to ingest more creatures to get stronger. Was there another way to get stronger? He couldn't imagine eating his way to the top, but... ugh. He figured Sophronia would know, but how would he even ask her?
Wait. She'd mentioned that he couldn't talk yet. Would it be possible later? If he got strong enough?
If Zachary could tell her that he was actually a human trapped in here, she’d have to let him go, right? She’d definitely know some magic that could free him. Or maybe, if he could get powerful enough, he could escape all by himself. He could become human again. And this world... this world was better than his. It had magic. It had powers. And if he could get strong like Sophronia, then he could move things with his mind too. Why would he ever want to go back to his old life of delivering food?
Hunger filled his insides. A hunger for power. A hunger for a better life. But most importantly, a hunger for all the little things crawling all over him. Suddenly, they were less revolting, less disturbing. It was two birds with one stone. He'd get rid of the creepy crawlers so they wouldn't bother Sophronia, so they wouldn’t bother him, and he'd get stronger. But would I fall asleep again?
She didn't seem to mind him sleeping. She seemed to have been aware of him the entire time, and maybe they were connected somehow. She would want him to get stronger.
He made up his mind. He'd use Ingestion again, focusing on all the new creatures and taking care to avoid Sophronia who was washing her hands. He didn’t let his mind go into the bathroom, but he knew the faucet was running by the sound of it, by the tug of water moving through a different pipe.
Actually? He didn’t have to maneuver around Sophronia. She was too strong, and he could sense her power resisting his ability. It was impossible to use Ingestion on anything or anyone stronger than him, which meant the most he could manage were the tiny creatures currently inhabiting his body.
That gave him a sigh of relief. He wouldn't ever accidentally harm her or her parents. And he found that funny. He was already so protective of the girl, even though he hardly knew her. But Sophronia already felt familiar in a strange way. Was it the sadness she'd expressed? Was it her ingenuity? Maybe it was her rule that she wouldn't hurt a living thing. Something about her was so endearing.
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Despite being a child protege, she was thoughtful and kind and innocent and sweet. He didn't want any harm to ever come over her. She didn’t have an ego about her capabilities. She wasn’t a toxic person. She could’ve easily pushed around the kids who’d bullied her, but she didn’t. And judging by her many books, all she wants to do is learn. How could Zachary not want to protect her?
Alright, he thought trying not to think too hard about what he was about to do. No time like the present. Ingestion!
Sweetness filled Zachary with excitement. There was a meaty flavor too, something chewy and thicker than the bugs, and now that he was allowing himself to eat, now that he wasn’t shying back from the grossness of it, he could appreciate the process. Could a house sigh with contentment? It was delicious. He could taste the sweetness of the spiders and bugs that crawled through the attic, through the cellar. And the mice family? They tasted salty and savory and he thought he could hear them squeak before he finished Ingesting them.
Essence: +322
Essence 328/200
Spirit Rank: Bronze 2/5 -> Bronze 3/5
Maximum Durability has increased to 1775
Durability: 702/1775
Excess Essence has been converted into Durability
Updated Durability: 830/1775
Updated Essence: 0/300
Ingestion: Bronze 2/5 -> Bronze 3/5
Every creature turned to dust as he absorbed them. A part of him felt bad for the mice, but they were infesting Sophronia's home. They'd ripped through things and potentially carried diseases and would get into the food.
He was going through the notifications as Sophronia waltzed back into the room, looking rather relieved. Her eyes narrowed and she surveyed her surroundings before lighting up. “You used it again!”
She pounced on the book and read out loud all the notifications he’d gotten.
“So much Essence! Your Ingestion ranked up too. You must’ve found something bigger than the bugs cause there aren’t as many now... and look. You’re Bronze 3!” She set the book down and beamed with pride. “You’re almost as fast as me! And look, look! The rest went into Durability. Ma and Pa are going to be happy about that. Even though they don’t believe me yet. But... oh, House. Are you falling asleep?
It was true. Sleepiness surged again through his body, through the building, but he couldn't help but feel happy by the delight in Sophronia's voice. She sounded so excited. So proud. That wasn’t something he was used to. And he was happy. Happy to see that wholesome wonder on a child's face.
In a very wonderful way, it was healing. He was healing his own inner child.
And he was getting stronger. But sleep darkened the corners of his consciousness, and he felt himself settling.
Sophronia looked up and around as though she didn't know exactly where his consciousness was anymore. Her brows furrowed, but then she walked over to her desk, climbed on top, and pressed her hand to the wall. “Goodnight, House,” she said as she patted him gently, as though she were comforting a pet. “Wake up soon, okay?”
When Zachary awoke, Sophronia was hanging from the ceiling of the dining room, her long bushy hair extending downward like a waterfall. She had her shirt tucked into her pants to keep them from falling, and her arms were crossed. A yellowish-golden aura emanated gently from her entire body, outlining her form and her hair. She looked possessed.
Her parents sat below her, talking gently and eating from bowls of green, leafy salad. Zachary stared in amazement. They were eating like this was completely normal. Her Pa was a tall slender man with glasses. He had dark hair combed neatly to one side and he wore a checkered shirt that gave him the appearance of an office worker. Sophronia's Ma looked like a much older version of Sophronia. The same bushy brown hair cascaded down her back, and she seemed very bright, with a smile permanently etched on her face, like she always had a joke ready to go. Every once in a while, they glanced up at their daughter and shook their heads lovingly.
"Your salads gonna get cold honey," said her Pa.
"It's a salad," said her Ma. "Salads don't get cold. They're always cold."
Sophronia didn't move a muscle. She remained rooted to the ceiling. Arms crossed. Face not betraying anything. If she was feeling any of the stress of hanging upside down, she didn’t show it. Her cheeks weren’t red; she looked relaxed.
“Blah,” said her Pa. “She'll eat when she's hungry. Anyway, dear, wait til you hear about the new ruling by the governor. This guy-"
"House!" shrieked Sophronia so loudly, that both her parents jumped. The girl kicked off the ceiling and descended like a feather, grinning wildly as she looked at Zachary whose consciousness had moved across the table from Sophronia. "You're awake again! And only seventeen weeks this time!"
Seventeen weeks? A bit over four months?
"House?" asked her Ma, confused. She shoved a big leaf into her mouth and glanced in Zachary's direction while chewing. He could tell she had no idea what she was supposed to be looking at. Her eyes went through him.
Her Pa looked amused. “Ah yes, House. How lovely it is to meet you.” He mimed shaking hands with someone invisible, and Sophronia scowled.
“No, Pa. He's the entire house. How many times do I have to tell you? I bound a daemon to the house.”
“And you call him, ‘House’?” asked Ma, with a little laugh. “I’m sorry honey. I’m just teasing. It’s a very sweet name.”
“Sounds like those at-home lessons are weighing on your little head, Sophie,” said her Pa, reaching over to ruffle her hair.
Sophronia growled, wrinkling her nose and making a face.
This was very strange to Zachary. Since Sophronia could always see him and acknowledge him, he hadn't felt the weight of not being a person till now. But he couldn't even say hello to her parents. He wanted to tell them they looked rather kind. They clearly loved their daughter even though they didn’t believe her about this.
Maybe he could use Poltergeist on something? To prove that he was here? He could slide some drawers open. Knock over their glass. They looked like they were having red wine; could he drink that? Would it give him Essence?
“Okay look,” said Sophronia after failing to convince her parents. She raised her bowl of salad, green leaves and carrots and corn, and held it to the air. She looked so focused, so determined. "House! Eat my salad and show my parents that you're real!"