Plague Stories

A Dead by Daylight Fanfic

Running. Endlessly. Sometimes escaping alive, sometimes not; but always returning here, or to a similar place anyway.

But this time there's a noticeable twist; whereas there's usually only one murderous lunatic to escape from, this time there's one for each of the four of us.

I'm severely winded, and not to mention wounded, by the time I hear the second of my allies screaming out, their final mortal cry; the last mark they would leave on this "trial" but not the last they would leave in my scarred head. I collapse against a brick wall that will hopefully be out of sight for a while.

I take a long-smashed but still functioning mp3 player from my pocket. Taking only a moment to get the wired earphones usably untangled, I insert the left one into the intended ear. Between my exhaustion and blood loss, I begin to doze off as the sounds of '80s shred guitar music blares in my ears. I'm somewhat alarmed when I have the thought, "I'm listening a little too loud. I should turn it down, else someone just barely hears the music and finds me." But I don't have the energy to grasp the device in my hand again.

After spending some time on edge of sleep, I realise I feel a presence next to me. It feels ominous, and like it's probably been there for some time. I open my eyes and slowly turn my head to my left.

Sitting there, with my right earphone in their ear, is one of our pursuers from earlier. Seeing them up close for the first time, I notice it's a girl. I'm hoping and praying she's asleep, as she hasn't reacted to my movement yet, but just as the thought to sneak away from her enters my mind, as if on cue her masked face suddenly spins towards mine; a pair of green eyes look deep into mine from behind a fixed porcelain visage.

"Good taste," she says quietly. "I normally go for stuff that's a little heavier in the riff department, but the leads on these tracks of yours are to die for. I also appreciate the lack of vocals; not into singers."

I try to conceal the trembling of my voice as I respond, "You really like it? This stuff is my favourite." We then have an entire conversation about all things music. I'm surprised at how the topic comforts me enough to completely remove my fear and discomfort for her. Time passes as we chat, and I realise we must have been talking for a very long time, now, and that at some point, the girl began resting her head on my shoulder. For what may be the first time ever, I really feel my heart beat as I look at her face resting on me.

I hear what sounds like a group of people approaching, talking loudly amongst themselves and laughing.

The girl shoots upright, ending the pleasant feeling of her cheek on my shoulder, "Shit! Lie down against the wall. Try to twist your neck against it in a way that looks uncomfortable." She whispers whilst still audibly full of urgency. I follow suit, and she begins wiping blood from her knife, clothes, hands, anywhere she can find, onto my body and face. I close my eyes and say a prayer in my mind, as I hear the audibly leather-clad individuals approach closer, the friction of the material as they step is distinct.

Seemingly right in front of my 'corpse' a man's voice barks out, "Julie! There you are. Been looking for these third and fourth fuckers for ages. I can see you found our third guy." So her name is Julie . . .

"Knifed him up nicely, huh! You know the entity won't be happy. Thing likes to eat." the man then laughs nastily, "Fuck the Entity anyway!" and he continues laughing.

And another member of the lunate group adds, "Right on, Frank. That thing isn't the boss of us."

The group continues to banter and disparage the Entity as I hear three sets of feet walk away. When I open my eyes again, the girl is squatting down in front of me. She removes her mask and gives me a quick kiss on the cheek. Seeing her face for the firs time, I'm shocked by what an understated beauty she has. In the way that a cashier at a grocery store or fast food restaurant can blow you away more than a supermodel ever could. "When we find the other guy, I'll keep the others away from the hatch. You make a break for it."

I must be experiencing an advanced form of Stockholm syndrome, because I feel my face turn beet red. With what I expect is an embarrassing desperation I tell her, "Come and find me . . . next time the Entity places us together. I won't forget you." With that, she gently places her hand in my hair for just a moment, then stands and quickly jogs away to catch up to her crew.

Several minutes later I hear the last of my allies cry out, followed by the hum of the hatch near me. I take a quick look around, more to try to glimpse one last look at Julie than to scout for danger to myself, as I run for it. Before I jump in, I see Julie standing a distance away. She takes off her mask again and smiles at me, then gently waves with her knife. I must be insane because I smile back at her. With a heaviness in my heart that I cannot understand, I jump to my safety.

In this place that never ends, always repeating, I never expected today to be different; to wish I was back in the trial.

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

Art by @gemoglobinchik