Chapter Text
Hellen wasn't the sort of person to aimlessly wander, but Sam very much was, exploring every inch of the first floor for anything he might have missed. One might expect that they'd have long since discovered everything they possible could have already, and yet, the twisting labyrinthine hallways always held more secrets to uncover.
Today, they had come across a doorway, surrounded by strange, green growth, and Hellen said nothing as he opted to enter, pretended not to recognise the apartment number.
She was a private person, and there was no need for anyone to know the inner workings of her life, so she kept it close to her chest, as she followed behind, into the jungle like layout within.
"What the hell…"
She said nothing, as Sam trod on something that snapped underfoot, said nothing as he realised it was a skull, and shrieked, kicking the bits of bone fragments away.
"Jesus, ok…" He seemed to recover quickly enough, even as he suppressed a shudder, and gazed around the room, full of hanging vines and buzzing flies, and a strange, green mush everywhere he looked.
"…Guess whoever lived here like plants, huh?"
"Mmmmm."
Sam doesn't seem too bothered by her lacklustre reply.
He knows by now, not to pry.
"…Reckon we can find anything useful here?"
She could have replied yes. She could have told him where everything was. But she didn't.
Sam was a grown man, he could figure things out himself.
"…"
"Just a quick look then. Let me know if you spot anything we need."
She shrugged, and continued to follow him, as he ventured through the abandoned apartment, listening out for the sounds of enemies.
"Wow… whoever lived here liked their horror movies…" Sam whistled as he flicked through a large film library next to the tv.
Hellen said nothing.
"We should bring some of these back, can make a movie night of it after the kids have gone to bed… what do you think?"
"…mmmmm."
"How about you choose a few to take back. We can always come back later." He smiled obliviously as he held a few stacks out to her.
Her fingers itched, and she longed to wipe it off his face, grip on her knife tightening.
The tired looking man was incredibly lucky, that she was able to control her impulses, and her ever constant thirst for blood.
She lets her fingers relax, and takes the stack out of his hands, picking out a few of her old favourites. The Prowler, Opera, Black Christmas, Blood and Black Lace … she puts the rest back, if only a tad reluctantly.
"Wow… I don't think I've seen any of these… I only really know the uh, classics, I guess…"
Figured. She hadn't even chosen anything that was especially obscure, but, she supposed most people didn't have her… interests.
They continued their exploration, cutting down the ferocious, carnivorous plants that lunged out at them with some effort, sweating under the humidity and heat, as Sam pocketed more and more items he thought might "come in handy."
Most of the enemies they faced were small fry, easy enough to cut down with a few swipes of her blade, even if she might have recognised them, remembered the long hours watering, pruning, cutting, and feeding them.
She tried to stop thinking entirely, letting her cleaver do the thinking for her. It was easier that way. It always was.
The work had become almost mindless, slash, hack, stab, slash, again and again and again, over and over. It was familiar, and she felt herself slipping into that old mindset, hell bent on one thing and one thing only.
It was only a shame that they didn't bleed.
All good things came to an end however, as she heard Sam shriek.
… when had they become separated?
She stormed over, to see a much, much larger enemy towering over him, vines wrapped around his ankle as he kicked and struggled, trying to swipe at the vines with his weapon, while the monstrous flower unfurled its petals, preparing an attack.
Distantly, a part of her shivered in anticipation at the idea of him becoming the plants meal, his blood and bone, broken down into the soil to serve as its nutrients, to help it grow bigger, better, stronger, more beautiful.
He locked eyes with her, and the fear on his face was sight to behold.
"H-Hellen…!"
…She wasn't quite sure what she was thinking in that moment, perhaps she wasn't thinking at all, but as the creature wound itself up, she ran, and lunged in front of it, taking the brunt of the attack as it breathed a heavy cloud of thick, golden pollen that immediately engulfed her, cloyingly sweet as she involuntarily breathed it in.
Her head swum, and she stumbled for a moment, as she heard Sam panic behind her, heard the monster flower screech as something whizzed past her ear and then…
nothing.
"Hhh… will….. alright…?"
"Don't…w… she'll be…"
She came to the sound of voices, faint, barely audible over the heavy buzzing in her skull.
She let out a small groan, and the voices grew louder, more insistent.
"H…llen?"
"A… you… al…ight?"
"Give her space-"
The insistent buzzing in her ears only grew worse as she felt a hand grasp her shoulder, skin rippling under the gentle touch.
"Hellen? Don't panic its-"
She was gripping something in her fist, something warm, that pulsed quickly against her palm.
"Ghrk- He- Hellen, it's just- it's just me- it's Sam."
Her vision swam into focus, and she saw his face come into view, sweaty and nervous.
…
Ah.
She was gripping him by the neck. That would explain why his face was so flushed and red.
Must have acted on instinct.
Her eyes rolled over in place for a moment, and she let him go, watching as he gasped for air, rubbing his neck where her fingers left marks.
She felt a sudden want crawl across her skin, and suppressed a shudder.
She wanted to leave more.
"Ah- um. S-sorry, I, didn't mean to scare you."
… She'd grabbed him by the throat, and he was the one apologising?
He was so… pathetic. Weak. Submissive. She suppressed another shiver, and grit her teeth.
"… What happened."
"I'm… not too sure? You got sprayed with something, and passed out."
…yeah. That sounded about right.
"… You brought me back?"
"Well. Yeah. Couldn't just leave you there…"
So he must have dragged her back to the apartment. Literally. That would explain why she felt so sore.
She tensed and untensed her shoulders, stretching her neck from side to side until she heard a pop and clickexperimentally. She didn't feel particularly worse for wear.
"… you feeling alright?"
"…Could be worse."
Sam's face seemed to relax in relief. She wanted to smash it against a wall.
"Oh, good, I thought… well. You weren't waking up and I… are you sure you're ok?"
She noticed a bunch of their medical supplies sitting by the couch, where she had been lying. Oh. So he'd been really worried.
"… I'm fine."
"Right, but do you think you need anyth-"
"I'm fine."
"Right, right, sorry… I'll uh. I'll leave you be then."
Sam rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, and got up, leaving her alone on the couch.
… a few of their roommates stared at her curiosity, but most seemed content to leave her be, either because of Sam's orders, or from the way she had practically throttled him when he'd gotten close.
Suited her just fine.
… Especially since that unpleasant crawling across her skin had yet to cease, an itch, an urge wracking through her.
She wanted… something. She wasn't entirely too sure yet, but there was a throbbing heat in her gut, twisting and coiling unpleasantly with a growing need.
She was no stranger to holding herself back however, even as the want began to gnaw at her.
She tensed her shoulders, and let out a soft sigh. No. She would not let her impulses win. She was stronger than that. She was more than her urges.
If she wasn't, she'd have far, far more blood on her hands than she already did.
Whatever this new urge was, she'd repress it. It was sure to pass soon enough.
Hours had passed, and these new, insistent desires had only grown stronger, more irritating, more… troublesome.
She could feel the heat in her body continually rising, a broiling, burning heat that made her sweat uncomfortably in her clothes, and worse still were the thoughts plaguing her mind whenever she caught a glimpse of Sam or Leigh or even Papineau, thought's of pinning them against the nearest available surface, ripping off their clothes and-
Her toes curled inside her boots, and she bit back another shudder.
She wanted. And she wanted so, so much. More than anyone could reasonably give. It was enough to drive a normal person insane.
Lucky then, that she was already a so called maniac. She was far from normal, even before the visitor arrived, as beautiful as it was destructive.
She would not let whatever this was win. She would not be broken so easily. This strange haze… it had to be the work of that cloud of pollen she'd inhaled.
Lucky then, it had hit her, and not Sam.
Who knew what kind of state he'd be in if it had…
Now… there was a thought, enticing as it was intoxicating. She could almost picture it, picture him, needy and desperate, rutting against her leg.
Mmmm.
She paused, and shifted her position on the couch slightly to… adjust herself, an uncomfortable tightness between her legs growing more and more evident, and huffed.
… That could become an issue, especially if it became… noticeable.
She sighed, and got up to head to the bathroom, which was thankfully free, and let herself inside, locking the door behind her.
…Perhaps there was simple way to get rid of these… desires, something she could take care of herself, without involving anyone else
She shucked off her coveralls, grunting as the cool air hit bare, flushed skin, biting back groans.
She felt so hot. It was like being back in her- that apartment, the sweltering, humid air having followed her all the way back to even here, in the sanctity of Sam's home.
Hopefully, what she did next would take care of it.
As she pulled down her pants, a heavy bulge pressed against the tight confines of her underwear, begging for release, her boxers slick with both sweat and precum as she hastily tugged them down, groaning as she felt her dick catch on fabric in its haste to be freed.
She didn't bother with formalities as she wrapped a hand around her throbbing cock, eager to get it over and done with, unable to hold back a grunt as she felt her palm glide across its length, felt her pulse throb and quicken.
It wasn't particularly sexy, or erotic, as she beat herself off. She tackled it like a chore more than anything else, the same way she'd tackle lifting heavy bags of soil, or cutting up tough chunks of meat to store in the fridge for later.
That didn't mean it didn't feel good. It did. Of course it did.
But something was missing, and even as she came into her hand with a shudder, the insisting, nagging heat refused to dissipate or die down, sweat clinging to her skin as she leaned against the wall, panting heavily.
More. She needed more.
Her hand wasn't enough, she needed-
"Hellen? Are you alright in there?" The sound of his voice alone was enough to send the blood rushing back into her cock again, and it gave a limpid twitch.
"… Yes."
"Oh, that's good I guess… we're about to head out, wanna come with?"
"No."
"Uh… ok. Do you need anything?"
You.
"… No."
"Well… If you're sure."
She was. She always was, even when she wasn't, donning more than just a literal mask to hide her inner strife.
She'd keep her issues close to her chest like a bouquet, where they couldn't be used to harm her- even if that meant harming herself in the process, skin catching on the thorns.
She wasn't about to break from this. Not when she'd been through worse, wanted worse.
She's just have to live with it, same way she lived with the rest of her urges and desires, no matter how long it took.
…She just hoped that it would pass soon.