The Host

Struggling to catch their breath, Abyss hardly noticed the sound of footfall echoing through the volcanic tunnels- until it became all-consuming. At first, it was a distant sound- a faint, rhythmic tap that went unnoticed until it steadily grew louder. It became a clicking in their head, a gnawing sensation that muddled their already jarred thoughts. Click. Click. Click. In their state, every sound was amplified, reverberating through their skull with a painful clarity. Click. Click. Click. A clarity that felt like a thunderous invasion, tugging at the edges of their awareness until they felt consumed. Even the air around them seemed to thicken, as if the cavern was holding its breath, anticipating a climax- perhaps, the explosion of their brain matter out of their ears.

Abyss pulled their paws over their ears and dragged their claws against the tender flesh, drawing blood with a sickening scream. Their scream morphed into ragged coughs, brought on by another wave of nausea that resulted in another spell of vomiting. Make. It. Stop.

Oh, Abyss. Their breath suddenly stilled, the rhythmic tapping fading into a distant hum, as the world around them seemed to pull back in the presence of Ravana’s voice. What have we here? One of their eyes cracked open, struggling to focus on their sibling’s approaching figure. Her voice washed over Abyss, bringing a false sense of comfort. Abyss wouldn’t have guessed their sister had come to experiment on her.

Ravana was mocking Abyss, but they did not register it- instead, their sibling’s voice filled the cavern with warmth, melting away some of the agony that ravaged Abyss’ sickly body. “R-Rav-vana.” They hardly managed to gurgle her name out, just as Ravana placed a paw on their feverish forehead. Her paw trailed down their body, and Ravana started palpating their bulging side with enough force to bring on a fit of coughs. Blood-tinged sputum splattered onto the floor, weeping in vicious tendrils from their nose as they remained vulnerable beneath Ravana’s morbid touch. At this moment, they were a specimen laid bare for inspection. But if this was the only help Abyss was going to get, they would have to accept it. “I,” They say, gritting their teeth and fighting back another wave of nausea. “Will n-not die.” A testament to their resolve, even if it was wavering.

Ravana was hyper-focused, taunting Abyss as she completed her… inspection. As she prodded, Abyss’ breath hitched beneath the pressure of her palpating paws, and the cool air that Ravana blew in their sibling's face. Abyss wondered what Ravana thought she was looking for- the methodical placement of her paws was clinically precise- meaning, she seemed versed in her assessment skills. Abyss’ face scrunched up, the taste of copper and rot burning in the back of their throat. What was happening to them?

And suddenly, Ravana’s movements stopped. Abyss didn’t know it, but their sibling had caught sight of movement in their belly- a tiny, rippling beneath the skin, akin to the writhing of unborn pups in the womb. The crawling sensation took Abyss’ breath away, a weak groan escaping their lips, as it amplified with their protest. More ripples surfaced beneath their skin- tiny, writhing motions, as countless worms twisted and squirmed in the confines of their host. “J-just get them out.” Abyss groaned, almost desperate for any degree of relief. Even if it meant putting their life in the paws of their morbid sister. Because they would not allow fear to consume them, even as the vivid memory of the loner's belly splitting in two, parasites spilling out of the wound, played inside of their mind. Had they caught this disease from that man?

"Speech"