I should tell him

Reading over the text conversations, a strange certainty settled on me. Jimmy was my best friend, and the real worry and care in the messages he’d sent was plain to see. No matter what happened, I was in big trouble with this Skinwalker thing, and I needed serious help. If he couldn’t accept me, then likely no-one would.

Either way, if he accepted it or was horrified, I would know one way or another. It didn’t matter it I kept it secret for years or told him today, it was so out of the left field that hearing it anytime would be shocking. If anything, there might be even more of a sense of betrayal later if I kept it secret now and eventually told him.

It might be a little awkward explaining what I’d done as Lisa though… I laughed and blushed a little thinking about it.

“Look, it’s something I need to tell you in person. Just trust me, explaining over text isn’t going to cut it. Give me some time to get ready and I’ll come over today, and we can talk about it.”

The replying after a pause, he said;

“Sounds kinda serious. Well, come over when you want. No matter what, I’ve got your back!”

If only he knew the half of it. Well, I had to hope that he would be understanding at least, and wouldn’t turn on me instantaneously. I got up and threw some clothes on, dressing simply in jeans, a hoodie and my trainers before heading out. I was grateful my flat was so quiet, my nerves were up now knowing what I was about to do, so I didn’t really want to run into any of my flatmates.

Jimmy lived on the other side of campus from me, so I knew it would be a decent walk. I plugged my headphones in and lost myself in the music, just getting carried away as I went. It was evening, and the orange light from the setting sun added a beautiful atmosphere on such a clear day. The time blended away into nothing before I got to his house.

Jimmy had always been a sociable guy, and had managed to get a student house with people he had befriended on Discord, which sounded crazy to me. I had never really been the social media type, which is why I wound up with flatmates the college had just picked for me, but from everything I’d heard Jimmy had a pretty good house. Physically, it was an old-fashioned brick house, but it was even detached with small gardens at the front and back, which elevated it to being one of the best living spaces out of any other college students I knew.

Thoughts of living spaces floated into my mind, as the thought of freedom involuntarily rising up; Freedom to live anywhere I wanted now. I could live in a basement apartment, a palace or a penthouse, thoughts of me living as a random stranger, a housewife, a spoilt rich girl, a struggling artist, a sultan… I could become any or all of them.

The door opened, revealing a girl who was nearly my height in her Demonia boots, with all the hallmarks of a goth. Black lipstick, a choker, a leather corset with a black pleated skirt and fishnet tights, her hair was dyed a dark blue, and she wore it down and with a fringe, but with two ponytails at either side too. Her almost unnaturally pale skin looked ethereal in the evening light.

“Oh Rachel, hi. I’m here to see…”

“Yeah, yeah, he’s upstairs.”

Straight and to the point as ever, it would seem. She stepped aside to let me in as I started climbing the stairs.

Rachel was one of Jimmy’s flatmates, who was blunt and to the point a lot of the time. She was very honest, which I found really likeable, even if people thought it was rude sometimes, I just laughed when that happened though. She didn’t shy away from revelling in her darker and more niche interests, and the way she dressed just helped underscore how she didn’t really care what polite society thought about her. I’d only spoken with her a few times, and even though she was attractive I always figured I didn’t have much of a chance with her. She was probably into alternative guys, and I had always just been ordinary enough seeming. Other than that, we just didn’t seem to run in the same circles, so I’d usually only see her when I was visiting Jimmy.

I went up the stairs to Jimmy’s room, so lost in my thoughts as I opened the door to find…