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A figure stumbled out of the darkness, shaking hand pressed over two bleeding, pinprick shaped wounds. It was a desperate chase under the moonlight, to safety, or perhaps just the illusion of such. Their lungs burned, eyes glazed over with tears.
They barely managed to make it to the door, fumbling with scuffed silver keys.
Legs buckled and gave out from exhaustion. They collapsed against the door, the ground below was cold, hard and unforgiving.
They were going to die, weren’t they?
Jess checked the time on their phone. They were running late, and though they kept their head down, they couldn’t help but notice every strange look they got as they rushed along the footpath. Hopefully Puddle wouldn’t mind the delay, hopefully they weren’t already booked out.
As the door to the salon came closer, they faltered. A strange sense of dread washed over them, and they slowed to a shuffle. The lights were off, and the curtains were drawn. Something wasn’t right…
The sign was flipped to closed, but the door was unlocked.
Inside, they found the studio a mess; towels thrown over the mirrors, tools and other decorations strewn about the floor. In the middle of it all was Puddle, sitting on their knees, their back to the door. They barely acknowledged Jess as they stepped closer.
“...Puddle?”
They took in a sharp intake of breath at the sound of Jess’s voice, whipping their head around to see them.
“J-Jess–”
Pale, sickly, almost hyperventilating. There was a dressing that sloppily covered some sort of injury on their neck. A million horrible thoughts ran through their head in that moment. They took another step closer.
“What.. what happened to you?”
They didn’t answer, instead looking down at their own quivering hands. Jess fought to stay calm as they tried to parse through all the information they knew thus far. They appeared hurt, the salon was in disarray and they hadn’t yet gotten an answer. Could it have been a break in? They didn’t even know the extent of Puddle’s injuries, if there were many at all.
Puddle sniffled, rubbing their eyes. Jess took the time to close the distance, coming to sit at their side.
It was hard to see them now, even as their eyes started to adjust to the dark. Using the light of their phone screen, they further inspected Puddle’s condition.
Their pupils were dilated, squinting at the sudden bright flash. They seemed almost dazed until Jess cautiously reached toward the dressing on their neck. Puddle slapped Jess’s hand away, and in that moment they felt just how cold their skin was. It was as if they were going into shock. They can’t waste time now.
“Okay, okay, I won’t touch you. Just let me see. Please.”
They took in another shuddering breath and picked at the edge of the gauze themself, squeezing their eyes shut as it peeled away.
That looked… oh god…
Jess was honestly shocked it hadn’t gotten infected yet, with the dried blood surrounding what looked like a pretty gnarly snake bite, not to mention the lack of cleaning around the bite, or the improper dressing.
“How did this happen? Puddle?”
Again, they didn’t respond.
For once, Jess felt no comfort in the quiet.
“Hey, talk to me. I can't help you if you don't tell me what happened.”
“Can't help. It's too late…” they whispered, barely audible of the pounding of their own heart.
“What do you mean?”
Puddle went quiet. They started to panic.
“ What do you mean? Puddle?!”
If they lost them now– no, they didn't want to think about it. They had to do something, and if they had no valuable information, they'd have to call someone.
But the moment they dialled an emergency number, Puddle snapped to attention, pulling from some unknown source of energy to snatch their phone away.
“Hey- Puddle! What has gotten into you?”
They jumped to their feet as Jess tried to grab the phone back, stumbling into the dark. The clattering of metal against the wooden floor was the only indication of their position. That and their wavering voice.
“You don't understand, you can't.”
Jess followed blindly in the dark, feeling along the wall as they struggled to make out Puddle's silhouette.
“Puddle, come on…”
“It's over! My life is over! Don't you get it?!”
They were almost there, Puddle's frantic cries were so much closer now.
“You're not making this any easier, just come out and tell me what–”
They bumped a switch and before they could react, the light came on, a shock to both of them.
Puddle cried out, falling against one of the dressers. They desperately reached for something to shield their eyes.
A towel was pulled from the elegant frame of a mirror, and for just a moment Jess glanced at their reflection, or rather, the lack of… They had to do a double take, and the realisation washed over them in one horrifying wave.
They didn't have a reflection.
That's when it clicked. The bite, their demeanor, their uncanny features, and now…
“...Puddle.” They averted their eyes. “Who did this to you?”
The silence was deafening, Jess fought to remain calm. Puddle never had the best experiences with people, but just how bad could it have been for them to hide it?
They took in a deep breath, before finally making eye contact.
“It was a date, we were just out getting some drinks, but…”
“Who was it?”
“Fuck, I-I barely knew the guy!” they cried, their attempts to wipe away tears further messing up their makeup. “I didn't know that he'd–”
They… didn't know what to say. Everything froze for a moment as Puddle wept. Their best friend, one of the strongest people they'd met this far, reduced to this because some bloodsucker couldn't keep his hands off them. They couldn't imagine how it must feel.
“–and I had no idea I was even sick until I opened the salon. I was just trying to forget it ever happened, but I looked in the mirror and there was nothing there, I just-”
Jess hugged them. They weren't sure what else to do, they just couldn't bear the sight of their friend in such distress. There wasn't much they could do but hold their friend as they cried into their shoulder. They couldn't imagine how they must be feeling right now.
The embrace seemed to sooth Puddle, if only a little. That gave them more than enough time to speak as Puddle started to relax.
“So… you managed to patch it up on your own?”
Puddle nodded, still shaken. “I barely made it home that night, and did all I could before passing out. I had to finish the job when I woke up.”
“How come you didn't call me?” How are you even alive? The question sat on the tip of their tongue, but they held back. “D-did you call anyone?”
“No, I figured you were busy. I wasn't thinking straight, I just- I wanted it to be a dream, I wanted it to be over…”
“How long ago did this happen?”
Puddle huffed, rubbing their freezing arms. “About a week ago? I can't remember.”
“...Can I at least help you clean up?”
They nod in response. Good. Great. They could work with that. Thankfully, they had all they needed on hand to help.
Perhaps they should have been at least a little more concerned by their friend's demeanor, but they were in rescue mode now, despite the unusual circumstances of this situation. They hadn't quite finished their training yet, but by this point they were qualified to handle first aid. They wouldn't let that skill go to waste.
Though, as they turned away to pull all they needed from a handbag, Puddle reached out to put a shaky hand on their shoulder. Jess glanced back at them for a moment.
“Can you stay with me? I'm sorry, I know you're busy…”
Jess gave a strained smile in return. “Yeah, yeah I can do that.”