Death and Destruction (Jeff the Killer Fanfic)

9. Lighter

Eyeless Jack

It was incredibly weird and yet extremely comforting to wake up in my own bed again, the smell of stale pot hanging in the air while Jeff snored on the ground below me. I took a moment just to take it all in before I sat up and slid the window open, the rain already gone as the sun shone brightly outside. My clothes were a little dusty but I pulled a henley down before I walked out into the living room, finding Delilah on the couch with a cup of tea while she absentmindedly paged through a book. It was always interesting to watch her, the page flipping at the gentle wave of a hand like she was using a type of telekinesis.

"Good morning sunshine," she chuckled as I sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "you two doing okay?"

"He's still out, it's been a long trip," I sighed, "Del, I'm going to be honest with you, it's worse. I've hit stage three and...I— I don't know how much longer I've got left."

"Does he know?" She pulled her reading glasses off as she closed the book. I shook my head.

"I wanted to ask if you'd figured anything else out, maybe a way to stave it off a little longer," my stomach twisted while I practically begged, "the kidneys aren't doing what they used to."

"Well, I found something, but I don't know if you're going to like it. Delilah got up and put the book she was reading away before pulling another one down with a red spine and red symbols etched into the black cover. Not this one. "I'm not certain, but it looks like this curse you have might have two outcomes instead of one."

"What's the other outcome if it's not something I'd like?"

She held the page out to me and I read through the old English before taking a look at the diagram, my head spinning as the letters all jumbled together. This was...I didn't even have a good way to describe this.

"That craving for kidneys isn't just because you've been eating them for so long," she explained as she sat down next to me again. "it's your body trying to tell you it wants to change. Like puberty, but instead of desires like sex and testosterone, it's flooding your body with new hormones and hungers. The reason death is the typical outcome is because they don't want to go through the change, or in your case, don't know there's another option."

"I wouldn't be human anymore," I gagged a little as I handed it back, "do you really think it would be worth it?"

"Compared to dying? You're talking to the daughter of Morgana, I'd take that over death any day."

"I guess I'm not entirely changing, if I can help it," I groaned as I leaned back, "I'm already missing my eyes for Gods sake, I guess some added appendages and new teeth wouldn't be much different."

"That's the spirit," she chuckled to herself while I eased in my worries, "ultimately it's up to you whether or not you want to become an eldritch demon but you'd be able to help me out for the rest of eternity."

"As if I'm not already doing that anyway," I teased and she smacked my arm as she got to her feet.

"I've got to head into work, you two keep out of trouble. If a kitty shows up at the door his name is Grinny, leave some of the beef bits in the fridge out."

"I'll keep an eye out," I chuckled as she set her cup in the sink, grabbing her keys and waving to me before she walked out the door. There was a new key on the counter for me, silver and shiny that I snagged and slipped into my pocket.

When I wandered back to the bedroom I found shithead up and moving, letting out a yawn as he rubbed beneath his eyes. I smacked him as I walked by, earning myself a middle finger while I fell back down onto my bed.