@4shcroft said; it was so dark, and it happened so fast.
it's a feeling you know all too well. lost in an all-consuming darkness that seems to devour you, and everything in your vicinity, whole -- swallowing screams and panicked breaths, spluttered out from lungs that feel so small they might as well be nonexistent, into an endless void. your hands hesitate in their suspended position above grace's shoulders, waiting for only a moment before they descend to deliver what you hoped was a reassuring squeeze. " it's over now. " your words lack the typical warmth that comes with providing comfort -- it has never been your strong suit, but you try nonetheless to calm her panic. you were well acquainted with the fear of others, less so when said terror wasn't directly caused by your own grotesque mutation. though you suppose that was the case here, even if the darkness had concealed you from her fearful gaze.
" it's over now. " even with your best efforts, the monotonous drawl of repeated words as you crouch before her dutifully remains -- a habit you have yet to kick thanks to the isolation imposed upon you by those who claimed to be your saviours. grace didn't need to be privy to the knowledge that it was you in that darkness. limbs sprouting from your back, spine elongating in a series of abhorrent cracks, harrowing whines whistling through a maw of teeth as sharp as needles, the repulsive sound of claws tearing through rotten flesh. there was no need to tell her the girl she was with, barely aged out of your teenage years, was the creature monster in the dark. all she needed to know was that they were safe. the problem had been dealt with, left in a motionless heap of decay in the darkest corner of the room that was now only illuminated by the dancing flame of a single candle you'd found after returning to your normal self.
