Honey-Comb [A Dead by Daylight Fic]

Chapter 18

The hatch was an empty black ocean, sinking down to incredible depths, where no arrow of light could ever hope to pierce. She lost count of how long she had been falling for and thought instead that maybe she had stopped some time ago.

No air passed beneath her wings, no whistle in her ear, and no anchor dropped within her stomach. Wherever she had been going had either come or gone. Like Alice she hung there in an infinite darkness, no up or down, just there.

She whistled to hear her echo, but it never responded and left her even more so alone. Until all at once she fell very fast and very hard. Light exploded outward from the boundless hollow and threw her up like an offending piece of meat. She slammed down into the couch she'd fallen asleep on, bounced up, and out onto the floor.

She groaned a long, pained sound, arms tightly tucked to her chest as every bit of her ached. She felt like she'd been hit by a truck, which was part way true.

Slowly she forced herself to sit up, which was nothing at all what her body wanted to do. She looked down at herself, black pants tucked into dirty work boots, halter top and long black gloves. Bruises had already started to decorate her exposed skin, no longer wrapped up in a big, comfortable, bee infested coat.

Hopefully Myers would be kind enough to return it.

She planted a hand firmly upon her knee and stood up. Wisps of tangled brown hair curled about her forehead and cheeks, no longer neatly brushed or bound. She used her own self as leverage and stood up, idly brushing the wayward strands from her face as she did.

"Trapper?" She asked.

He wasn't on the couch where she'd left him, but the blanket was, neatly folded now and draped over the back as if to make the place a little more homey.

"Trapper?" She paused and listened intently to the sounds of the old MacMillan house. She thought for a moment he might have been inducted to his own trial, but the bear traps by the door suggested otherwise.

She quietly padded to the door.
He was standing on the porch, talking with another silhouette of a person she didn't recognize. Not that she had many people to recognize.

Honey pulled open the door.

"I'm back."

"Where's your coat?" The Trapper asked.

"Myers is borrowing it," she said.

The Trapper quirked a brow at her.

Honey waved it off, "Who's your friend?" She asked, brushing her hands down over her hips and into her pockets.

"This is Susie," the Trapper said with a half caring gesture of the hand, "she's one of Legion's."

The girl was just about her height tucked up in a hoodie a little too big for her. Her pink hair spilled out from the hood and onto her shoulders, framing a delicate face quivering with nerves. She held out her hand.

Honey took it with a smile and shook.

"Nice to meet you, I'm-"

"You're Honey McKeever," said Susie, "Evan was telling me about you."

"Oh?" She directed a cheeky smirk to the Trapper. "Is that right, Evan?"

The Trapper's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I spoke with Susie during your trial. I thought you'd be more comfortable staying with her," said the Trapper reaching for the door, "you can bother her between your trials."

"Are you dumping me on someone else?" Honey asked.

"It's ok, really," said Susie, "I don't mind."

The Trapper offered a lasting glance of narrowed eyes as if it might goad Honey on to agree with his decision before allowing the door to swing shut behind him, leaving Honey and Susie out on the porch.

For a long moment they shared an awkward silence, then Susie piped up in an effort to stave off the weirdness between new friends.

"So, Honey...How many trials have you been called to?"

"Uh, only two?" Honey said, slowly redirecting her attention to Susie.

"Who were you with?"

"Well, first one was with the big guy," Honey said gesturing over her shoulder with a jerk of her thumb, "second one was with Myers."

"The Shape?" Susie asked, "no way! No one has ever trialed with him."

"Lucky me."

"Lucky you is right. I can't believe you survived!"

"Me either," said Honey, "he was not happy when one of the girls escaped."

Susie's mouth hung open, "What?"

"Yeah."

"Someone escaped?"

"Yeah?"

"No one has EVER gotten away from him."

Honey blinked, "Well, first time for everything, right?"

"I guess," Susie said, unconvinced.

"So, How long have you been here?" Honey asked.

"A while," Susie said, fiddling with her sleeves.

"And how long have you and the Trapper been friends?"

"Oh, we're not really, uh, friends. He was my first, just like you," Susie said, then jumped and quickly waved her hands as she corrected, "not like that, I mean trial! He led me in my first trial."

Honey laughed.

"Evan's nice, but w-we don't really hang out," she said, doing her best to tame the blush that crept up on her cheeks, "he's kind of a loner. A lot of the guys are. But I think he's just worried about you feeling safe," she chuckled a sad sound, like safe was something they could ever actually hope to feel.

"Kind of counter intuitive when all of you guys are murderers" Honey said with an amused snort.

"Yeah, but not all of us enjoy it," Susie said.

"And you don't?"

"Not really," she said, "The first time I ever killed someone...it was awful. I didn't even want to do it, but my friends..." she shook her head, "doesn't matter, the point is...if you stay with me, you don't have to worry about anyone hanging over you with a knife while you sleep."

"Thanks," Honey said, "but I'm not really worried about it."

"Are you sure?" Susie asked, "because it's no problem at all."

"I appreciate it. If I change my mind, you'll be first to know."

Susie smiled, "Alright," she wrang her shirt sleeves in her fists, "well, you guys should come by some time anyway," she waved her hands out, letting the loose ends of her sleeves flap over her hands, "Jed likes to host these little get togethers. I don't see a lot of the other girls there, it'd be cool to have someone else to talk to."

"Sure," said Honey, "I'll talk to the Trapper, uh, Evan about it. Let me know when the next one is."

Susie nodded, "Alrighty, it was nice meeting you Honey."

"You too," Honey waved, "see you later Susie."

Honey pulled open the door and stepped back inside the MacMillan house.