Inner Demons Part 1-Chapter 6

Instructions

WARNING: This chapter contains descriptions of death and violence Do not proceed further if you are not comfortable with the aforementioned things. Halo stepped out of Decontamination, shaking her head. She was getting closer. It would all be over soon. She passed the spot where she had killed Cal as she walked down the hallway. She pushed away the memory of his body lying there as the pain in her head spiked, causing her to wince. Phae and Erin were in the Specimen Room, sorting samples. Phae looked up as Halo stepped into the room. Halo waved, and she obliviously waved back before going back to her task. ‘Phae and her son are the only ones in the room. Now would be the perfect time to kill her.’ ‘But... her son’s right there,’ Halo thought, rubbing her head. ‘It doesn’t matter. Is a small, weak little child going to stop you from achieving your goals?’ ‘No,’ Halo thought. ‘I’ll do it.’ Halo quietly drew out her knife, glancing over at Phae. She was still focused on her task. She had no idea what was about to happen. The knife sliced through the air as Halo threw it. The blade buried itself deep into Phae’s back, causing her to let out a startled cry and stumble forward. Erin backed up, looking startled and terrified. Halo darted forward and sank her claws deep into Phae, shoving her to the ground. She grabbed the knife and yanked it out. “Erin, run!” Phae yelled to her son, coughing. Halo stabbed her in the chest, grinning, the thrill of killing dazing her, blinding her to the rest of her surroundings. She didn’t see Erin sprinting out of the room, his little eyes full of tears. “Y-you killed them...” Phae weakly accused Halo, coughing and sputtering up blood. “And you won’t live to see the rest of them die,” Halo snarled, yanking out the knife. Phae’s body shuddered one last time before it went limp. Halo was just about to dig in when she heard a startled gasp behind her. “...H-Halo...?” Liam said, his voice trembling as he stepped back. Halo froze. Oh no. It took her a moment to calm herself, push past the dull pain in her head, and say something. “I should have known you’d follow me,” Halo sighed. She turned to Liam. “It’d be a shame, killing you. I really have enjoyed our time together.” She was a bit surprised by the sincerity of her words, but she didn’t show it. Liam looked at the body on the ground, then back at Halo. “Wh-why...?” he asked, shaking. He was thoroughly terrified. His expression was one of shock and betrayal. Halo paused for a moment, thinking. Why exactly? “Satisfaction, pleasure, and hunger, I guess,” she said, licking the blood off of her claws. “I... I thought you were my friend...” Liam said quietly. He clenched his hands into trembling fists. Halo felt a pang of regret. She did want Liam to be her friend. She didn’t want to kill him. Without him she’d be… No. She couldn’t let herself get distracted. “I can’t let you hurt the rest of our crew!” Liam exclaimed, startling Halo. He lunged forward, yanking the knife out of Halo’s hands before she could react. With tears in his eyes, he plunged it deep into her chest. The room went silent for a few moments. Liam looked into Halo’s eye, looking sad, then confused, then horrified, backing up slightly. Halo looked down at the knife. She began giggling. The giggling erupted into laughter as Halo ripped the knife out. “You idiotic crewmate! You thought THAT would kill me?” she cackled. She backhanded Liam with enough strength to send him flying across the room. As he lay stunned against the wall, Halo stepped towards him. Blood trickled down her chest, but she didn’t feel pain. She felt powerful. “...Halo... please...” Liam whispered, “...don’t do this...” “Why not?” Halo asked. “Afraid to die?” She licked her maw in anticipation, grinning despite the pain, both physical and emotional. He’d stabbed her. He didn’t care for her anymore. She was no longer his perfect little friend. He would never trust her again, never seek comfort from her whenever he was scared again, never give her a shoulder to lean on and whisper her deepest worries to again. Liam looked up at Halo. She saw fear in his eyes, but also sorrow. Like he was mourning someone he had lost. “...yes, but that won’t stop you from doing it anyway,” he said, hanging his head in defeat. Halo made sure his death was swift.