“Are you okay?” I asked. He pointed to the side of the bed and I noticed my old clothes there, including the journal he had given me.
“He’s just pissed they took his fucking hat,” Caspian said. The red eyes narrowed on Caspian in displeasure. The antennae on his head twitched almost angrily.
“Can you get the diary?” I asked Brandon, pointing at it. He did as I asked, collecting it off the floor before passing it to me between the bars. I clutched it to my chest.
“Ava, what’s inside you?” Brandon asked. Makwa was silent inside me as if sleeping somewhere. The connection between us felt settled. I eyed the others and they all stared at me in expectation.
“He took over, didn’t he?” I asked, looking towards the window. The sun had started to breach the sky. There was a fog over the mountains nearby. It was a calming sight as I came to the uncomfortable realization that Makwa had shown himself to everyone. That my dirty secret was out. A little smile tilted up one side of my face. Guess no reason to try hiding my shitshow any longer.
“He’s a ghost? Does this have something to do with the splinter?” Caspian asked. “We’ll get him out of you, I promise.”
“No, you won’t,” I said, turning to him. He looked at me in shock.
“Why?” He asked. I looked down at the discolored skin of my hand, a reminder of the splinter’s curse.
“Because without Makwa I’m dead,” I said and Caspian’s face seemed to drain of blood, his eyes wide and body still in shock from my words. He shook his head.
“Don’t say that,” he whispered to me. “Don’t ever say that to me.”
“Fine, Caspian. I don’t want him gone.” He looked at me questioningly.
“He said he used to be a witch like you,” Brandon said. I felt his fingers wrap around my ankle. My mind drifted to the visions I’d had before waking. I had the impression those weren’t dreams, they were Makwa’s memories.
Something had changed between Makwa and me. For the first time in days, I didn’t feel like I was battling against something in my head. I’d finally accepted him fully and now the connection between us was easier. However, I had the feeling I would never be exactly the same anymore. Whether because our personalities were connected or because just too much had happened.
I remembered trying to tell Caspian what had happened before and him snatching the memories from me. Would he do the same now?
“I made a bargain in the cave with him,” I said. Makwa didn’t rouse to stop me from explaining this time. Mothman shifted, a low groan of disapproval coming from him. I looked over at him.
“Do you know who he is?” I asked. Mothman seemed to think, his eyes shifting around as if sifting through memories.
“Ava, you understand this isn’t good, right?” Brandon asked. I looked back at him.
“Why are you wearing that?” I asked, looking at the skull attached to his face. His hand quickly left my ankle and slid back out of the cage. He gripped the skull and began pulling on it. I could see his muscles straining as he growled, pressing with all his might to get it off.
“Brandon?” I asked. Caspian was looking at Brandon in concern. He panted then bent over, pressed his palms to the ground, then slammed the skull’s front into the floor. I sucked in a breath of shock.
“Why am I so hungry?” Brandon snapped, grabbing his stomach and groaning. Pollux’s eyes grew bigger. He began frantically waving his hands around at me.
He huffed in frustration when I stared at him blankly. He shifted his attention to Caspian.
“Ava, get back,” Caspian said quickly, his voice firm.
“Get back from what? I’m in a cage,” I said in confusion.
“From Brandon. Something is wrong with him.” I pulled back from the edge of the cage. Brandon was groaning and mumbling about being hungry. I pressed into the back of the cage on the opposite side of him.
“Brandon? What happened?” I asked.
“I’m so fucking hungry,” he said in anger, suddenly scrambling on his hands and knees towards a large metal platter on the floor near the door. He clutched it in his hands and my eyes widened as a long tongue slid from his mouth, licking long lines down the front.
“Why am I so hungry?” He snapped, flinging the platter away. It smacked Pollux’s cage, making a loud sound before clambering to the ground. Brandon pressed his skull face to the ground and then punched the floor. When he brought his fist back up to do it again, I saw blood on his knuckles.
“Brandon, stop!” I said. His head swung towards me. His blue eyes peered out from the skull. The antlers atop his head were long. Brandon looked thinner than he had before. His ribs and spine were uncomfortably visible.
“I’m starving, Ava,” he said blankly. Pollux pressed against the opposite side of his cage, his eyes wide and never leaving Brandon.
Suddenly, the bottom of the door opened and another platter was shoved through. Raw meat was piled on it. Brandon made a snarling, animalistic noise as he grabbed for it. His fingers gripped the meat, blood dripping onto the floor as he brought it towards the mouth of the skull. The opening in the door shut and Brandon never paid it any mind.
