Stitched

Chapter 2. Smile for Me, Baby

Content warnings: A lot of gore :D

“Lay? What the fuck?” Kaden’s voice yells out from the door.

Layla yanks her hand out of my chest. I fall on the edge of the bed, rolling into my side as my hand grips the covers. Dark red blood pools around me. Wheezing gasps escape me as the gaping hole starts to heal itself. Phase One of the plan is complete. Now...

Phase Two.

Lucas shakes my shoulder, yelling my name, only for me to stare back at him unblinking. Playing possum is just for funsies, since freaking him out is what I also want. He then tries to scramble off the bed when he freezes like a statue as Layla lets out a piercing shriek and lunges at Kaden.

Okay, so the order in which they turn/die doesn't actually matter that much as long as Lucas is the last one, saved for me. I watch as Layla lifts Kaden from the ground with her hand wrapped around his throat.

His feet kick in the air, choking sounds mixing well together with the storm. The lightning flashes illuminate his gray, bulging face. His hands swipe at hers.  Black cracks already start to spread up his neck, weaving toward his jaw like snakes when Layla flings him behind her. He crashes into the wall, sending old picture frames smashing on the ground.

Lucas’s face goes into paralyzed horror. Layla reaches Kaden in a blur, who continues to choke out dark blood. Black threads begin to sew into his mouth. Agonizing screams pour out of him as he falls forward on his knees. His hands, nails claw at his face, streams of blood cascading down his skin.

Layla stands in front of him, her head snapping to the side. Lucas squirms beside me, panicked sobs sending his body into trembling mode. Watching his reactions as Kaden finally sports a matching stitched smile as his girlfriend, it is now my cue to rise up. From the "dead".

So, slowly, I sit up and, with a wide smile, turn toward his fear stricken face. “Hello, Lucas.”

That tips him over the edge. “Mila? What the hell is going –”

Kaden grabs his wrist with a hiss, his face a grayish, white color with black veins flowing through his skin. Lucas yelps and tries to pry his hand away, but fails as I swing my leg over him and once again pin him down with my bodyweight. He struggles, pushing me away, but he's not escaping me. Especially with my demon helpers.

“Shh, stop moving baby. You're only going to make the process harder.”

“What– what process??” he gasps out, eyes wide with terror. “And how… are you… alive?”

I laugh. “Oh, I'm not exactly alive. Although, I'm not dead either so I'm somewhere in between. Anyway, that's not important and not your concern.”

Kaden and Layla groan in agreement from both sides. I nod to them, and they pin down his wrists. Agonizing screams erupt from Lucas as smoke sizzles from his skin at their touch. The stench of burning human flesh is in no way even slightly appetizing as the smell of blood. Fresh blood which overpowers it.

Hot liquid kisses my cheeks. I wipe my index finger against it and bring it in front of me. Dark red covers the tip.

“Oh… will you look at that…” Bringing it to my mouth, I lick it off. “Mmmm. Blood.” I grin.

His eyes widen in terror. “What are you–”

“Shh.” I press my finger against his mouth. “Madéleine!” I call out in a singsong voice. A bright giggle comes from behind me as she appears beside me. She hands me the knife from the kitchen, the blade glinting inconsistently from the lightning outside as rain torrents against the roof.