Sacrifice

Jason’s world was spiraling. Where did Leon come from? Why did he kill Mink? Oh god, why did he kill her? He looked up at Leon, whose face was buried in Mink’s neck, tearing into her flesh.

"Oh my go—" Jason threw up.

When he gathered himself, Leon was grinning at him, his face covered in Mink’s blood.

"Why?"

Leon’s smile faded. "Remember how I left? How we left the States overnight?"

He did. "They told us it was due to personal problems... and if someone had contact with you they should report to the principal."

Leon was pleased by his answer and let out an unnatural laugh. "I was the personal problem."

He began frowning and... steaming? Streaks of smoke escaped from his head. As his frown deepened, a sizzling sound could be heard.

Skin started peeling and melting off his face, falling to the ground in dripping splashes. Jason watched in horror as muscle and bone were laid bare.

"What... are you?"

Leon’s body convulsed as if laughing. Instead, whistling could be heard, like wind blowing through hollowed bone. Black gooey tendrils popped from his sides, and the creature began assimilating Mink’s body.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU!?"

The thing was frantically bellowing through countless orifices, as it began expanding. Wet fur forced itself through the muscle tissue, while its skull morphed into something else entirely.

Jason jolted by the sudden pain in his hand.

"AHRG! What the—"

Blood was dripping from his hand. Kensuke had made his move. Jason fell to the ground, stuck between two monsters.

"Jason-san. Offer blood and pray. Only way to live."

Before Jason could ask what any of this meant, Kensuke jumped at the horrifying mess they once called Leon.

"DIE DEMON! YOU NO DISHONOR KENSUKE ANY LONGER!"

He stabbed at the fiend in frenzied ecstasy, its screams revealing that it was feeling it. Still mid-transformation, Kensuke began sinking into the amalgamation of blood, flesh, and black goo. He went from wildly stabbing to cutting through the tendrils, in a desperate attempt to break free of the tiny anchors that tried to drag him down.

Confused, Jason put the pieces together. He ran up to the stone stele, pressed his bloodied hand onto the cold stone, and prayed.

"Jason. Take your hand off the stone."

He was petrified.

"Beb?"

He turned around, and there she was. Everything was gone. The creature, Kensuke. Even the blood and goo that had been splattered in every direction. There was only Mink.

"Come to me, let’s go home. You’ve had your fun. Leon is waiting in the hotel."

Jason wasn't falling for it. He knew he couldn't have imagined everything that happened today. Right?

"Where’s Kensuke?"

Mink looked at him in confusion. "Don’t you remember? This is a sacred place. He’s still waiting at the entrance." She looked worried. "Come, let’s go to him."

"Jason-san," there was a whisper in his ear. "Kensuke is sorry. I did bad things. Brought so many. Too many. But no more. If I die, I die with honor."

"Argh!"

Mink grabbed her chest and sank to her knees. She opened her jacket, and a bloody stain began soaking into her shirt.

"Jason. I’m scared. Help me."

He didn’t move an inch.
Mink went down, twitching on the ground.

"What the...". Jason looked on in confused disgust.

Curled together, a feral scream suddenly burst out of her. Followed by a knife and a hand surfacing from her chest. Kensuke clawed himself out of Mink. Covered in grimy muck, the malicious smell was overruled by Kensuke’s shout.

"RUUUUUN!"

Like an Olympic runner hearing the shot, Jason bolted out of the cave. That was shaking from Kensuke’s and the thing’s screams.
He didn’t know how long, or where he ran toward. But he felt limitless amounts of energy pushing him forward. As the trees thinned out, more light fanned across the forest. It was dusk when, after breaking through some bushes, he finally made it out. As soon as he exited the forest his vigor expired, the stockpiled stress hitting him all ot once. He didn’t recognize where he was, but that was of secondary concern. He was out. He was alive.