video | 003 | day 35

[rigging]

[ He means for the broadcast to be private, but his expression and the circles under his eyes are probably indicators that sleep deprivation is the cause for his mistake. He rubs at his face and curls up more tightly, hood pulled up over his head. ]

Hey, uh. Bruce. Y'there? I gotta talk t'you about something. Remember what I told you about? I think it might be happening.

Comments

[rigging]

[ That gets a scowl. ] Me n' Galen dragged you into our mess, y'damn hypocrite, the least I could fuckin' do is --

[ Except she points at him, and her hoodie sleeve pushes up, and he sees the bandage. Oh, what's... what's that? Jesse tenses up, stumbling back. ] The fuck is that? What's with your arm?

[ Did she get bitten? She was bitten, something - the dog's been here, it was around here, he saw it outside, what if it's already been inside, what if it got to Kenzi? ]

[onteamdyson]

Wh- nothing.

[Fuck. FUCK! She pulls the sleeve back down and turns back to the sink. Nope. Not getting into this. She can't explain. She cant show him. It's infected as fuck. And she fucking knows what it looks like... ever since he explained about Galen.]

[rigging]

[ Haaa, no, that's not gonna fly. Jesse stumbles back further, trips and nearly brains himself on the counter, but he's picking himself back up and scrambling. ] It bit you, it ain't you, you're gonna --

[ And it's not really there, he's the only one who can see it, but there it is, the dog made of snakes and smoke curling around Kenzi's legs, watching him with bright eyes. ]

[onteamdyson]

[WOAH! Hey. She moves after him, realizes, stops. Hands up where he can see them in a non-threatening manner.] Jesse! Calm down. It's not what you think! Nothing bit me. I swear to god.

[rigging]

[ The dog weaves through Kenzi's feet, sniffing the air, and Jesse flinches, breath shaking. ] Don't. Don't touch me, don't -- [ He's not even looking at Kenzi anymore, eyes around her feet. The dog turns its gaze back on Jesse and takes a few dainty steps towards him, not growling, not doing anything but slinking towards him, and Jesse knocks over a chair in his attempt to scramble back. ]

Shit, shit, no! Get the fuck away from --

[onteamdyson]

[Maybe ... maybe if she shows him. No bite. Maybe he'll calm the fuck down. SLOWLY, so slowly, she reaches for her sleeve and pulls it up. Then she slowly unwraps part of the bandage. It's all purpley on top and red all over. Creepy, infected-looking, but no bite marks]

Jess, come on. You can trust me. We're friends, right? Dude, seriously. Don't-- just stay here.

[She knows that look. She knows he's gonna just fucking bolt.] Don't go.

[rigging]

[ It'd help, it would, but he's already seeing things, and it's not too much of a stretch to think what she's showing him looks like a bite. Like a bite made with human teeth, nasty and black and blue and red and gross, infected.

And she says we're friends, right? Don't go. Stay here, stay here, you can trust me, and all Jesse can see is the fucking dog, and this time, it snarls. Jesse flinches, and looks up at Kenzi, and she - isn't her, she's like Galen, when he was almost completely gone. Pale, and smirking, and Jesse can't.

He bolts. He stumbles to his feet and clips his shoulder on the door as he runs, as fast as he can. ]