Duskwood: Unrecognisable

Part 3

"Oh my God! No, I can't!" I stopped dead in my tracks.

We had only gone about one hundred feet down the dank sewer and already I thought I was going to die from the horrific smell. Jake had LED lights for both of us so we could try to tread carefully, but seeing what we were walking through just made it that much worse. I tried to hold my breath, but realising we'd be walking for miles, that just wasn't going to cut it.

"It's easier if you put a mask on," Jake called out from in front of me.

"Oh, I didn't think of that," I reached for my back pocket for my mask. "Ugh! I must've dropped it back there!"

"Sucks for you!" I swear he cackled.

"You are such an asshole, you know that!?" I yelled.

"The more you talk the more you inhale shit!" he shouted back.

I tried coming up with a retort, but my senses had enough of my surroundings and I nearly wretched. It took all of my self-control not to lose my lunch.

"Please, just kill me. This is too much," I groaned.

Jake paused for a moment, then turned around to come back. With his hood and mask covering his face, I couldn't make out whether he was coming to offer support or chastise me. The last thing I expected from him was to take off his mask and to loop it around my ears. I could feel the heat in my cheeks rising from the feeling of his fingers on my skin.

"Don't you dare vomit on it," he threatened casually.

I rolled my eyes as he went back to leading the way. Just when I thought I saw a bit of the Jake I knew, he had to taint it with the prick version. I still had so many unanswered questions, but I didn't want linger in the sewer longer than I had to. I walked quickly to catch up to Jake, who didn't even look back.

"Shouldn't we be running?" I commented.

"And risk slipping on shit? No thank you!" he replied. "It'll take them a while to sweep the building before they realise how we gave them the slip."

"So, can we talk about earlier then?" I questioned.

"What about earlier?" I couldn't tell if he was playing ignorant or if he really was that clueless.

"You killed those people back there," I pointed out.

"And?" he acted so nonchalant about it.

"Is that an everyday thing with you?" I frowned.

"Only when it's necessary," he clarified.

"That was necessary!?" I asked in disbelief.

"For my survival, yes, I deem it pretty fucking necessary," he glared at me. "Don't act so high and mighty. When you have people shooting to kill you, you gain a different perspective."

"Is that what made you so bitter?" I teased.

Jake was quiet for a moment, then responded with a simple, "No."

I realised I must've hit a sore spot so I left it there. "There's still that other thing I'd like to discuss, if it's all right with you."

"What?" he said with a layer of annoyance.

"Duskwood...," I trailed off. "You just vanished. I waited a long time for an explanation."

"Didn't seem like it," he mumbled. "It was complicated."

"Try me. We've got plenty of tunnel left," I sighed.

"I'd rather not," he insisted.

"Ok, fine. Your turn," I offered.