The next day...

The smell of cooking and the sound of laughter came from the kitchen, stirring me from my nightmare filled nap. I couldn’t call it sleeping, not really. Between the mounting desperation of my condition and the dread inducing announcement from the skinwalker, even unconsciousness was barely a sanctuary any longer.

I could practically feel the bags sitting heavy under my eyes, as my stomach hurt a little from hunger. Laughter coming from the kitchen was likely Alicia and Frank… although Jessica could be there too. Even Grace could be, although her quiet demeanor had the unintentional side effect of making her too stealthy to tell.

Anxiety and a certain affected self-loathing held me glued to my sheets, as I tried to summon the energy to get out of bed. This wasn’t the kind of morning where a triumphant feeling would spur me out from the mattress; rather the gloomy kind where mounting misery would eventually drive me up.

Eventually, it did. I’d slept in my jeans, last night’s clothes sticking to me, creased and just a little smelly. I frowned before spraying myself down with deodorant.

Such an elegant solution, Alex…

I rolled my eyes. Even my inner monologue wasn’t giving me much of a break today. Walking into the corridor, wan grey light filtered through the window, as if through a haze. I at least appreciated the overcast weather for matching my mood, if nothing else, before opening the door to the kitchen.

It seemed all my suspicions were correct, all four of my housemates present and accounted for. It was rare enough to see them all in one place, but it seemed today was just my lucky day.

Or unlucky, as the case may be… any one of them could be a vessel for that monster.

Grace gave me a silent, shy look from the corner, before averting her eyes and reading the book she’d been studying. Last night had been so terrifying, I’d almost forgotten the circumstances between us until now.

She’d been building up to tell me something, it seemed important… I made the right choice, I know I did. If I hadn’t gotten away from her then I’d probably be buried inside her skin at this very moment.

Even if I felt that way logically, it was still tough thinking about it. I could almost feel the distance between us emotionally now, even as we were at opposite sides of the room. I tried to turn away, to bury how I felt. If the skinwalker was here, I didn’t want it to see any vulnerabilities in me, and be reminded of a source of emotional weakness it could exploit.

Elsewhere in the room, leaning back on her chair, a bored look on her face, sat Jessica. She was wearing a black tanktop and sports leggings, her usual attire, her hair tied back in a ponytail with her usual daily make-up on. I let my eyes scrutinize her, but I couldn’t find any discrepancy or difference from the person she normally was.

If the skinwalker was still wrapped up tight inside her, it was playing her role to the fullest. Not even the slightest hint she was anything more than the usual bitchy, yet hot young woman we’d been living with.

In a sense, it’s almost crazier to think the skinwalker has left. I know that if their memories have been altered, skinwalker victims have no idea what happened to them, but seeing Jessica here, just as her normal self… when only yesterday she was a skinsuit a monster was using to assume her identity… it’s really crazy.

Finally, rounding off the kitchen guests, sat Alicia and Frank. They were cheerfully eating their brunch, enjoying what appeared to be French toast covered in Maple syrup. Even on this cloudy day, rays of sunlight were practically beaming off Alicia, her golden hair a little messy and a relaxed, summery vibe coming off her, while Frank eased in his chair with a certain masculine confidence, a quiet and understated power while the two of them bantered.

“Morning Alex!”

“Hey buddy.”

The two of them greeted me with typical friendliness, while Jessica just rolled her eyes as I took the free seat at the table.

“Looking a little rough, Alex. Did someone have a bad dream scary monsters were coming to get him? Awww, widdle Alex was scared, huh?”

Jessica mocked me, seeming to inflate with a petty joy when she noticed how pale I’d gone. If that was the skinwalker inside her, it made perfect sense to taunt me like that; it was so in character even a perfectly accurate statement like that could have been a fortunate accident.

“Isn’t it enough of a bad dream being greeted like that, Jessica?”

I laughed nervously, as an evil grin spread on Jessica’s face. Now and again she liked her food to bite back a little.

“Now Jessica, c’mon. Alex, here. You can have the rest of my French toast.”

Alicia extended her meal to me with a smile, a typically generous move on her part.

“Ah, but…”

“No buts! You look like you could eat a horse. And don’t worry, I haven’t touched that part, so it’s sanitary and safe.”

Her tone was innocently teasing as she passed it over to me, and I could feel my stomach rumbling just looking down at it.

It’s true, I am really hungry…

I looked at Frank for approval, and he just laughed a little.

“Hey, go ahead. If Alicia wants you to have it, I say go on.”

“Plus, I want you to know how amazing my boyfriend’s cooking is.”

Alicia leaned over and kissed Frank on the cheek, before he grabbed her chin and started kissing her on the lips.

“Eep…”

A tiny, nearly imperceptible sound came from Grace as she blushed and buried her face in her book; such a sudden, public display of affection was a little much for her. I took a bite of the French toast, dipping it in the maple syrup, and felt sparks fly on my tongue. Alicia hadn’t been lying, it really was delicious.

Those two are so lucky… they really are the dream couple.

I watched them casually, the relaxed intimacy they shared even as they were so selflessly generous. Being so in love like that, high school sweethearts so obviously walking the road to marriage together, it had to have been really special.

“Ugh, gross. Get a room you two.”

Jessica rolled her eyes, glancing down at her phone to avoid seeing anymore with a certain level of derision in her tone. It wasn’t as though she was adverse to love and sex, not at all. The whole apartment had heard the string of boys she’d brought back since starting university. Rather, she was likely just jealous.

I knew better than most just how much Jessica prided herself on her sexuality. She knew she was hot, and she knew most guys would do anything to be with her. Using them and manipulating them was something she enjoyed, a fun ego boost she craved on the regular. Anyone could see Frank was an attractive guy, muscular and capable with spades of cool, masculine charm.

Alicia was his perfect match too, the sunshine girl next door with a classic, wholesome appeal mixed with just the right amount of sensuality. A lady in the streets and your perfect, personal slut in the sheets. The exclusivity of it, and the way as long as they were together, Frank wouldn’t think twice about Jessica, it bruised the redhead’s ego.

Watching the way everyone interacted, I’d barely even realized I’d finished off the French toast. It really had made me feel better. I smiled at the plate, looking up in time to see Alicia and Frank break their kiss. Frank had a dopamine rich smile, even as Alicia had a certain breathless, stars in her eyes blush.

“I’m going to get a shower, and then maybe we can head out on a date or something…?”

“Sure thing, babe.”

Frank was cool and collected, but you could hear the affection in his voice even as Alicia stood and went to shower.

“I- I’m going to study in my room…”

Maybe it was only me who heard that quiet statement, Frank and Jessica ignoring Grace as she spoke up for the first time since I got here before immediately disappearing out the door. Two flatmates were gone, and I was no closer to finding out where the skinwalker was hiding.

I guess… I guess I had a choice to make. I can either stay here, and try and interrogate Jessica or Frank. Or, I can head off and try to find out more about Grace or Alicia…