Chaos and Corruption (Jeff the Killer Fanfic)

31. Symbiotic parasite

Kitty

Tuesday morning I woke up sore and groggy, my eyelids stuck together before I forcefully pried them open and sat up. It was earlier than I typically woke up but I didn't want to try and sleep again, not with my mind still racing from the events of the night prior. Just as I thought about it I looked at my door, half expecting to hear a knock but not getting one. If I wanted answers I needed to go get them myself.

I pulled a pair of leggings on and a fresh sweater, the vintage scent comforting the shaking in my fingers that had reappeared. I'd never been nervous to talk to Jules before but this wasn't technically Jules...was it? I glanced to my wall and I pulled the stiletto down, placing it in my pocket before I walked out into the hall. There was movement downstairs and I slowly descended the steps, spying Jules moving about the kitchen while she made herself a cup of coffee. I made myself known and she paused, giving me an apologetic half-smile as I'm sure she could see my unease.

"I take it you've got a few questions for me."

"A little more than a few," I wheezed, my voice scratchy, "a lot more than a few, actually."

"I'll start then," she hummed quietly as she took a seat at the island, slowly approaching to pull out a chair at table across from her, "I didn't know Habit was here until the night I followed you. You'd told me about whispers and voices so I assumed the one I was hearing might be the same thing but once I started asking questions, he started answering."

"So...you're still you," I let out a deep breath as she nodded.

"I know what he did to Chelsea so I haven't said anything. I'm mostly in control but once the blood starts spilling he likes to come out and get his hands dirty." Jules sipped at her mug. "He's the one who's been talking while I'm sleeping. Operator tries to communicate and convince him to come back but he doesn't want to go back and I'll be damned if I let him take my body where I don't want it to go."

"Jeff said you showed up at the house with a chainsaw last night and broke someone's contract. What happened to them?"

"Oh, Firebrand is out taking care of some business but he'll be back soon," she waved a hand dismissively, "he's a lot different than us. Nice guy, he was surprised Habit chose a female body over a male one for once."

"Different how?" I arched an eyebrow, "and why did he choose you?"

"Interdimensional, calls himself a 'rogue God'. Little high and mighty for my tastes but he's got the power to prove it so I won't knock him down too much— um, Operator was attempting to use me as a ploy to get you to agree to being a proxy. My body was supposed to start dying after a couple days once his power left my system and I'd be nothing more than a corpse within the week if you didn't make a contract. He saved me and in return the borrowed power we're both using is not only keeping me alive but allowing him to inhabit just about the best vessel he's ever had."

"Do you know why he's been showing up then?"

"That I'm not sure about. I know he was waiting to see me start kicking the bucket but once that didn't happen I'm sure he had his suspicions something was going on." She paused, her voice changing as her eyes flashed with something else. Did I see purple? "Excuse the interruption, but I do know what's going on. Stick-in-the-mud still wants his proxy and he's taking the low road on this one. I'm impressed, he hasn't had to pitch someone through a window since Kate got uppity with him."

"I'm talking to Habit now, aren't I?" I asked, her head nodding, "you're really stuck in there then?"

"Stuck as a buck in a rut," he snickered, "I don't mind the change of pace for once, Evan fought the whole murder thing the whole way through but Jules, damn she likes the rush. You were right on the mark with that 'Pet Sematary' thing, y'know, and I'm glad someone finally agrees with me, being surrounded by others with the same fucked up sense of a moral compass is pretty fun too."