The Corrupted Soul

Chapter 21

I ran from the bathroom and looked back at Clementine, who was still staring where I had gone. I was breathing fast at this point. This wasn't happening, this couldn't be happening!

"What the hell is going on!?"

Clem just stared back at me, she didn't have an answer. She always had an answer. My hands came to cover my face, my nails cutting into my forehead and temples. I wanted to scream.

This explained the strange haze in my vision from earlier, that same haze had flooded my mind when I was attacking Olive as the Queen. I hadn't recognized it then because seeing it and feeling it within my mind were two very different things. It wasn't disputable though.

Clem stayed where she was, likely not willing to test my possibly fragile control. Thankfully my mind hadn't started to go yet, I felt none of the heightened Lurker instincts or aggression. Yet...

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"Excuse me, what?!" I turned my head away from Julie as she yelled.

I turned to look at her with narrowed eyes, though she couldn't see as sunglasses once again adorned my face to shield me from the blinding lights of the lab, "You know I'd be able to hear you if you whispered across the room."

Felix snickered, but quickly tried to hide it by faking a cough. I was glad Clem had contacted them, I sure knew I couldn't. They had both been surprised to see me, of course, but Olive had almost immediately hugged me. I had to pry her off because she refused to let go, saying she thought both Martian and I had died. She was shocked enough when she came home last night and saw Martian on his bed, but was even more worried when I was still nowhere to be seen and he was covered in enough grime his fur appeared darker.

I refused to tell her we both actually could have died.

Clem hadn't told them exactly why she had called everyone, other than to say I had returned and we now had more information on the Shadow Ferals, that turned out to not even be Feral. No one found it suspicious I was wearing my sunglasses, as Olive and Felix were too. I just hoped no one noticed how frazzled I was before Clem brought it up herself.

Julie likely knew no more than the other two, and probably assumed this was another random meeting that she was only part of because she was basically Clem's second in command, and they both knew a larger meeting with more humans could be dangerous with three Crawlers, especially while one of them was me in a bad mood.

Julie shook her head again, "I just can't believe you were stupid enough to trust those people from the get go!"

I hissed under my breath and glared, flexing my claws slightly, "I did not trust them right away. I slashed two of them, mind you. I started to somewhat trust them when they seemed more and more Sane, I had no reason to believe another Sane would have malicious intent."

She raised her eyebrow, "And you didn't think maybe they had a reason not to go into the city years ago?"

Felix actually laughed from his chair in the corner. We all looked over. Clem, Olive and I from the main table, while Julie was standing beside it. He looked right at her with a grin, "You think years ago anyone would have accepted them? It took several months for the stigma of us three to wear off and people to stop fleeing the room when we entered. At any point before that there would have been chaos, and any point after, they likely realized it would make more sense to get us out there, than for them to come in here."

I nodded, "He has a point. Not to mention, if I hadn't gone with them to their nest, I never would have found Martian."

I noticed what I said a moment too late. Olive slowly turned to look at me, "What did you just say?"