SMOTHER.

You didn’t wake up immediately after you glimpsed the symbol for the first time. You saw a vision.

You found yourself in a hallway stretched out into boundless infinity. The wall, floor, and ceiling were all constructed out of the same benign, spotless wood. There weren’t any adornments on the walls, no paintings, or markings, or any sign that any creature - mundane or not - had ever lived within this place at any point. The first thought you had was to find a window, to look outward and see where this place was situated, but there were none to be found.

The only illumination came from lights affixed to the ceiling. You realized quickly that the further you walked, the dimmer the lights became, dampening in intensity with every little step you dared to take. Eventually, the lights you had passed long ago began to be erased, the flames inside them extinguished by an encroaching darkness. The fog of pitch-black grew thicker, and it began to pursue you in earnest.

You tried to run, but of course, there was nowhere to go but forward, onward into the cold, unfeeling grip of infinity lying ahead. The walls to your left and right didn’t even bother to budge when you attempted to kick through them. It was like trying to bring a mountain down with brute force, so you abandoned that ill-fated plan of action and kept running.

As with all humans, you grew tired. Exhaustion weighed heavily on your legs, like iron bands had been strapped around your calves and ankles. Sweat dripped in thick rivulets down your forehead as you quested inside yourself for some last reservoir of energy yet untapped. Surely, some miraculous burst of resolve lied within, something, anything, to save you from the certain doom awaiting you in the abyss. Nothing. You were fresh out of options.

The darkness swallowed you whole. You screamed out, but no one could hear you in the void. You were crushed within the fog, smothered by the abyss.

And then, only then, did you wake back up. The notebook laid with its page splayed out on your bed, looking for all the world like an innocent item. You felt something hot and wet on your ears and nose, and your hands came away, marked with your own lifeblood.

The symbol was burned into your memory, and your life changed forever.

…

…

"What’s up with you this week?"

Sonya was standing right in front of the couch. She was leaning down real close, right up in your face to where you were currently seated.

You’d fallen into another reverie of your own making. It was a little worrying how often that happened when you reminisced on the notebook and the symbol it had imparted on you. But then, how on earth were you meant to forget?

"It’s nothing," you answered out of reflex more than anything else. Eye contact wasn’t something that used to be hard for you to accomplish, but you couldn’t bring yourself to do it. Ever since you’d become Aware, looking into Sonya’s eyes made you feel like a gazelle standing before a wolf, seconds away from a gruesome demise. It was like an instinct once buried had now been unearthed and was brandishing a megaphone at your ear, shouting at you to run far, far away.

"Clearly it isn’t," Sonya scoffed. "You’ve been acting weird around me for the last few days, and I wanna know why. Come on, what’d I do?"

You’ve known Sonya for at least a year now. Were you foolish, to have not had any suspicions, to have missed the signs that she was not human? For the life of you, you couldn’t recall any hints that pointed in this direction… before a few days ago. Sonya was a kind, if slightly prideful and snarky woman. But a few of the inconsistencies in your memory gave you pause.

Had she always been so pale? You could recall either Todd or Michael bringing it up at some point in the past, but the subject had dropped, though you couldn’t remember exactly why. Her smile had always been bright, wide, and oddly transfixing, though it was by all accounts a regular expression. But why had it been that way? Why could you only now see the reason behind it all?

Clearly, the notebook was responsible for your newfound sight. The number of questions as to the logistics behind such a scenario made you head hurt.

"Really, it’s nothing. Just stressed about what presents I’m gonna get for everyone." You gave her a smile, but even you could tell it’s too shaky to be truly believable. You adjusted it a little too late, and her eyes narrowed. You winced internally.

"That’s a shitty excuse," Sonya drawled. "Okay, look. I’m going to a Christmas party at this club tonight. I’ve got a Plus-One I can take in on the invite ticket. How about you come with me, we have fun, and we break whatever ice or stress or bullshit that’s clumped up between us?"

She straightened up and held up her hand. You could see the tip of one fang poking out for just a second.

What could you say? Your greatest fear was that if you now saw the truth, could she know that you know? Was she aware? It stood to reason that if you could see her for what she really was, she might be able to notice your attention in kind. She was clearly suspicious, and this might be a lure to bring you somewhere secluded.

Or she’s just trying to be a good friend.

You hoped the second was true.

[ ] Agree. You’ll go with her to the party. Even if she’s not human, you still trust your friend. Plus, maybe you can learn more here by idle observation

[ ] Agree… mainly because you want to know the truth. You’ll go with her, but you’re going to call her out on her true nature, no matter what comes next. You can’t keep living with the uncertainty hanging over you.

[ ] Disagree. You don’t want to agitate the situation further. It could be a trap, and if not, you might slip up and say something you didn’t mean to. This must be safer.

[ ] Disagree… but you’re going to investigate. You’ll tell her no, but you’re going to follow her in secret. You want to know what actions something like whatever she is will take. You want to know, even if danger looms ahead.