Hybrid

Chapter 14: Crisis

You wake up to the soft cracking of the campfire and the deafening hubbub of the killers around you. The entity inside you is agitated and they must have felt it as they all keep their distance from you. Even Michael doesn't move.

You soon shrink back to your human form, and watch your appendages fall off your back, disappearing in a cloud of dark smoke. The stretching is way more painful than the shrinkage and you feel, overall, relieved to be you again.

You're about to take a deep breath but someone pats your back vividly.

"How many kills?"

Guess who it is. Of course, Ghostface has to try befriending you again. You briefly answer:

"Two."

"Ouch! That's why the entity was mad. What punishment did you get?"

Punishment?

"I didn't get punished. The entity just scolded me a bit but that's all."

Some pairs of eyes suddenly turn around.

"What do you mean 'it just scolded you'? Entity always does the same shit. Kill four, you're rewarded. Three, pass. Two, get punished. One or less, you'll feed it instead of the survivors. Are you sure you only killed two? No one passed out from bleeding? Or stayed too long after the gates got opened?"

By the look of everyone, Frank just spoke what they're all thinking. You can not admit that you got under the entity's skin by resisting its control over you. You gotta find an excuse, and quick.

"It was definitely two, but I made them suffer and I was close to getting a third one. Maybe the entity felt it was just enough. But from the way it had threatened me, it was an exception."

Your answer is followed by a bunch of growls and sighs. They believe you, but they are pissed that you got a preferential treatment. Some of them might start to understand your 'special link' with the entity and you'll have to think of any potential question they may ask to find the best reply possible.

All the stress you were escaping from the survivor's camp is now settling down on the killer's side. You're drowning lie after lie, and know that one day, they'll find out. Your idea wasn't bad, but you have to find a better plan if you want to keep your friends in the long run.

But first, you want to rest for a bit. Easier to think when nobody's around.

You sit on an isolated part of the ruins and stay there for an hour. Killers got called multiple times but you remained there. A part of you feels grateful that you don't have to go for another match yet but deeply inside, you know it must be a bad omen for you.
Talbot comes to ask more questions about your world and you accept to give him a bit of your time, but point out you can't stay for too long. He doesn't mind and starts questioning, mostly about geopolitics and a little about cultural events of your country.

You get cut off by the doctor approaching you:

"W'anna ta'lk. 'Rivate."

The Blight nods to him and salutes at you before leaving. You don't want to be alone with that freak, but denying his demand will sound suspicious and you want to keep a low profile. You make sure to maintain some distance from him but the man gets very close to you and whispers:

"I 'now your shecret, 'lil sh'ider."

You stay calm and listen carefully to his every word, hoping he's wrong and you can get away with it.

"I 'now a 'urderer w'hen I shee one..."

He grabs your chin and makes you face his dry eyes:

"You're innoshent."