Beneath the Surface [Yandere Creature x Reader]

Chapter 21 - Smile Your On Camera

Oh god,

oh dear god,

they plan on leaving me here to die.

The realization hit me like a punch to the gut, leaving me breathless and terrified. I looked around frantically, my mind racing. But how do they know anything?

Then it hit me -

Camera!

I quickly turned the walkie-talkie off, my hands shaking as I tried to hide any evidence of my eavesdropping. I sat back on the couch, my mind slowly swarming with questions and fears. What on earth is their endgame? Did they know about the creature all along and decide to leave me here to die?

Were we all supposed to die?

Was this entire expedition just a setup?

My breathing became rapid and shallow as I tried to process the betrayal. I was hyperventilating, the room spinning around me as panic set in.

Suddenly, I heard a sound that made my blood run cold. A slithering noise, accompanied by the sickening crack and snap of bones rearranging. I looked up to see the creature approaching, its form fluid and changing as it moved across the ground.

As it neared, its body began to shift and reform, taking on a more human-like appearance. The transformation was both fascinating and horrifying to watch. Bones realigned with audible cracks, skin rippled and changed texture, and features rearranged themselves like clay being molded by invisible hands.

"Here, a feast for my darling," it said, its voice changing from that otherworldly whisper to something more... familiar.

I looked down at the offering it held out to me, and my heart nearly stopped. The face looking back at me was that of the translator - Mateo. But it wasn't quite right. The eyes were too bright, the smile too perfect. It was like looking at an idealized version of him, crafted from my memories and perhaps my subconscious desires.

"M-Mateo?" I stammered, unable to reconcile what I was seeing with what I knew to be true.

The creature, wearing Mateo's face, tilted its head in that now-familiar bird-like manner. 

"Is this form pleasing to you, my love? I thought you might find comfort in a familiar face."

I felt sick. It was using my memories, my feelings, manipulating them to try and make me feel at ease. And yet, a part of me couldn't help but respond to the familiar features, even knowing it wasn't really Mateo.

"Why?" I managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper. "Why are you doing this?"

The creature's expression softened, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of genuine emotion in those too-bright eyes. 

"Because I want you to be happy here, with me. I want you to understand the gift I'm offering you."

As it spoke, I couldn't help but think about what I'd overheard on the walkie-talkie. My team, the people I had trusted, were willing to let me die here. And this creature, as alien and terrifying as it was, seemed to genuinely care for my well-being...

In its own strange way.

"I... I don't know what to think anymore," I admitted, tears welling up in my eyes. "Everything I thought I knew... it's all falling apart."

The creature reached out, gently wiping away a tear that had escaped down my cheek. Its touch was cool and sent a shiver down my spine. 

"Then perhaps it's time to let go of what you thought you knew," it said softly. "Embrace the unknown. Embrace me."

I stared into its eyes - Mateo's eyes, but not quite - feeling lost and conflicted. On one hand, I was terrified of this being and what it wanted from me. On the other hand, it seemed to be the only thing on this island that didn't want me dead.

"I need time," I said finally, my voice shaky but determined. "I need to understand... everything. The truth about this island, about you, about why I'm really here."

The creature nodded, a small smile playing at its lips. 

"Of course, my love. And I will show you. But first, you must eat. Regain your strength. There is much for you to learn."

As I reluctantly turned down the offered food, my mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. I was trapped between two impossible choices - the alien unknown represented by this creature, or the human betrayal of my own team.

Whatever I decided next would change everything. But one thing was certain - I couldn't trust anyone or anything I had previously believed in. My only hope for survival - and for answers - lay in navigating this strange new reality I found myself in.

As I stared into the distance, I steeled myself for what was to come.