Chapter Text
They stood in the middle of their house, clippings of blond hair around them. Now, with a satisfied grin, [Name] relished on their finished piece. Sitting up, their hair matted in clay and blood, back pain struck them. Wincing with a hearty cough, blood dribbles from their mouth. They recoil, wiping their bottom lip with a grunt. Something was off, and it wasn’t their new rotting corpse sculpture. Standing and wobbling to their window, they close the blinds and pull the curtains, the bright blue clashing with the white and red studio.
The former coworker’s head wasn’t completely covered... his eye was too beautiful to take off, but the liveliness made it unnatural... Imperfect. They take a curved chisel, taking it out, putting it in a jar filled with water. [Name] stares at the sculpture, humming in satisfaction. It was perfect.
Standing in the middle of their room, the artist’s lips quivered.
The ringing never stopped, honestly it was driving them insane. No sleep could comfort them; no tub refresher made them relax. With furrowed brows, they touch their nose. Blood, again? They are too tired to go out and clean their nose in the bathroom. Stumbling forward, they take the jar with the eye, cleaning their nose with the water inside it. Sniffling, they watch the water turn much redder than it was.
It got louder.
Falling to their knees, the entire world seemed to buzz. Coughing up blood, their vision blurs like static. Everything was indistinguishable; their nose was dripping blood excessively. A figure appeared in front of them, lips quivering as their stomach churned. What was this, with buckled knees, they drag themselves away from it. A faceless creature, tall and lean, it was almost like their sculptures. They backed up to the wall, throat closing as they tried screaming for their safety. As it got closer, the ringing got louder, the world spinning like a record. Is this how they die? Scared, trembling, and bloody? They haven’t even finished their sculpture! They gasp for air, coughing up more blood.
With a blurry vision, they say one word.
“P-perfect...”
Everything went black, tendrils wrapping around their arms.
Nothing and everything all at once. It hurt yet it comforted; it crazes yet it calmed. Are they dead? Everything was cold as a corpse, and their body were stiff as a log. They cough, opening their eyes.
The room was dark, definitely not their studio. Sitting up, they cough again, eyes shifting around as the world spun in their drowsiness. With a scratchy throat and heavy shoulders, they gasp in pain as they stand up, legs trembling. The room was buzzing, dark, and cold. Gasping, their knees buckle as they walk forward, a door with light seeping from the bottom being their guide. As quiet as they could, they lean on the door, eyes watering as they bear the pain. Outside they could hear murmuring voices, some grave, some flat. Calming their breathing, [Name] leans back, backing away as the voices get louder. Drowning themselves in a corner, they make themselves small, hiding in the dark as wounds erupt in flame.
When the door creaks open, light covers the entire room. Two frames tilt their heads at the area [Name] was laying on while unconscious, both separating to look around the room. The shorter frame, resembling of a woman, walked the opposite corner that [Name] hid in. A white hoodie covered them, black splotches making it look gray. Their face was hidden, black patchy hair sticking out slightly. What made them tense was the taller figure; brown locks stuck out from their cap, orange tinted goggles covering their eyes. Why did it make them tense? Because they were nearing closer. [Name] tried moving, yet the wounds made them burn, while the ringing told them to stop moving. The tall, framed person was jittery, popping their neck as they muttered incoherences from time to time.
“K-kate! Found them- fwoop!”
Kate, as [Name] just learned, turned around stomping her way towards them, eyes dark with a white ring... Was she even human...? She stopped right in front of them, swinging the mask that belonged to [Name]. They snarled, taking the mask and putting it on. Both figures chuckle, one raspier than the other. The taller leans forward, coughing slightly, taking off their muzzle. They grin, a gash making their bottom face unflattering to the eye. Focusing their eyes up, [Name] stares, amused by the jittery figure.
“HAha-Boss wants t-to FWIP! see you...”