The pair soon set out to scout their immediate surroundings, beginning with the houses closest to their current shelter, but their caution quickly turned to dread the moment they stepped into the first house. It wasn't empty as they expected but rather a chilling exhibit of the newly warped world.
One creature, unmistakably once a dog had clearly become some kind of slimy, insectoid horror. Its four legs had contorted into razor-sharp blades and its head was like a incarnation of a nightmare, a bulbus, pulsating mass of insectoid mandibles and wriggling tentacles.
Nearby, another horror stirred, its form a grotesque parody of humanity. What might once have been a person was now a monstrous grub, bloated and immense as it towered over John and Alice. Its body seemed like an obscene caterpillar firmly rooted to the floor. Shell-like shields armoured its multiple limbs, while its face was a knot of interconnected, worm-like tentacles.
But the true horror, the one that commanded the room seemed to be a colossal, fur-covered monstrosity that brushed against the ceiling well hunched over. Its immense bulk was supported by three tree-trunk-like legs and from its dense fur, an unsettling array of elongated and twisted arms seemed to snake in and out rhythmically, too numerous to count. Most disturbing about him though was the indistinct faces that seemed to shift and writhe beneath the fur, each conveying a silent scream of anguish. The room felt suffocated by this nightmarish trinity.
John's hand instinctively tightened around his dagger well giving a subtle but silent command to Alice that they were going to retreat. Facing just the dog-like or grub-thing, he might have gambled it, had them fight and take their chances. Even the large, hairy behemoth, he'd have cautiously probed for weaknesses if it were alone all well being ready to flee if it proved too much. But all three at once along with whatever horrifying things might be lurking around in the shadows? It was an unwinnable fight, a suicide mission.
They began a slow, agonizing retreat, every muscle tensed as their eyes remained locked onto the grotesque trio. Each step backwards was measured, a silent promise to fight with desperate fury should their escape be challenged.
Just as the tension reached its peak, a reedy, aged voice cut through the silence, warm and entirely out of place with the scene in front and around them. "Well, well, I didn't expect guests. Come, come, I just made some coffee and biscuits. Won't you join me? Oh, but only if you're normal people and not a pair of those nasty crazy ones who come to cause trouble. You're not crazy like they were you right?"
The colossal, fur-covered beast shifted to reveal a hunched-over old man. He looked utterly out of place in his plaid shirt, sweatpants and slippers holding a tray laden with cookies and a substantial coffee French press, his hand trembling slightly but steadily as he walked over with the tray.
John was momentarily stunned but somehow still managed to stammer out an apology, clarifying that they had stumbled in by accident and certainly had no intention to rob anyone, rather having thought it was an empty house they could clean out before making extremely clear they were nothing like the crazy people he had been referring to. He subtly urged Alice to remain still, watchful but unthreatening. Carefully, he relieved the old man of the tray, helping to set it gently on a nearby end table, hoping the gesture conveyed their peaceful, if bewildered intent.
The old man's sharp eyes assessed them. "Indeed, neither of you strikes me as thieves," he mused, a hint of amusement in his voice. "The girl, well, she might be a bit eccentric, perhaps a touch... unwell. But then, the last group that wandered in here was dressed rather oddly too and where far from as nice as you are proving to be. Maybe it's a new fashion trend or that awful stuff they call music these days, eh? Still, despite your initial intentions you're surprisingly polite. Admitting you were going to rob my home had I not been here? Well that does take a certain honesty I suppose." He settled comfortably into a worn armchair, reaching for the French press to pour himself a cup before dunking a biscuit with a contented sigh.
He took a sip. "You've not acted aggressively and you haven't made any hostile advances. You don't have accomplices lurking outside, right? Planning a grand ambush with numbers? Sadly, if you are that won't work on an old man like me. The last group who tried that... well, they only helped create Fluffy over here." He patted the immense, furry creature beside him, which responded with a low rumbling growl. The insect dog-like abomination, once bristling with menace, now lay placidly at his feet. The grub-thing remained perfectly still, making John wonder if it could even move at all. Despite the bizarre hospitality, John felt a prickle of unease. He gently steered Alice to a seat opposite the old man, their guard still up.
"Again, were rather sorry sir," John reiterated, trying to sound as sincere as possible. "Our intention was never to steal from you directly. We only would have if the house appeared empty of people to help try and gain supplies and goods for our own and if there where others around only acting if needed. I couldn't bring myself to harm someone who seems… well, in control of their faculties and un-transformed by all this if I were to be honest. Besides," he added, looking at the monstrous assemblage, "I doubt we could effectively combat your… companions?" He stumbled over the last word, finding no polite or accurate term for the creatures.
The old man savoured his soaked biscuit; his eyes closed before slowly opening them with a content sigh and sweeping his gaze once again over them. "Well your rather polite and clearly don't seem deranged," he concluded. "The girl's appearance may be unconventional and she is no doubt a bit ill in the head like I mentioned earlier, but she also seems to be under your care, so I'll consider it your responsibility to keep her in check, also if you had others they probably would have acted by now" He commented well taking another biscuit in thought before addressing John. "Would you like coffee or a biscuit?" he inquired, his voice amiably dismissive of their previous near-confrontation.
Alice, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and childlike wonder, nodded eagerly, her gaze flitting between John and the tempting pile of cookies. At John's subtle, encouraging nod, she carefully selected two, settling back to nibble on one with slow, deliberate bites. "These are absolutely delicious!" she exclaimed, her voice bright and unburdened, savouring each crumb. The old man's deep chuckle filled the room, his smile widening.
"I'm glad you like them," the old man said, a strange twinkle in his eye. "Improvised with whatever I could find in this house's kitchen. Now, what to do with you two? I could, of course, incorporate you into Fluffy, make him bigger, stronger. But I feel I might lose control if I rushed the process especially with you two. Speaking of which, do either of you have any idea what's currently going on? I tried all the channels on the TV, but it was no help at all and the only channel actually playing proved to be rather annoying with its religious drivel. Perhaps you, the younger generation, can tell an old man what's happening and help him understand what's gotten everyone so worked up?"
John considered his words for a moment. "I'm sorry if this comes off as rude or blunt, sir, but… didn't the supposed 'God' provide you any guidance upon your class selection?" he asked, genuinely curious about the old man's experience.
The old man's expression darkened, a shadow passing over his face. "Lad, I know gods exist, just as I know there's a hell. But that thing? That was nothing close to a god. It wasn't happy, not one bit when I found myself in front of it. Called me a 'walking corpse' for whatever class I got, then ranted about hoping I'd die soon before kicking me out of wherever that wretched place was." He paused, shivered slightly. "Soon after waking up or coming back or whatever it was that happened, I found myself kidnapped by lunatics who dragged me here, babbling about wanting to eat me."
"My memory admittedly gets a bit blurry after that, but I remember holding a weird-looking grub worm, small and squirming. I was wishing, hoping and praying for safety and protection at the time. Then, one of those thugs, a big one with a knife and his dog came at me, planning to share me with his pet like a true lunatic. I hit him with the grub, a rather desperate move I admit but it got him to drop the knife which I quickly grabbed, I then used it to try and fend off the dog." He told them, face scrunched before turning into a large content smile.
"That's when it happened. Something extraordinary. The grub sort of… bit into the man making him scream. At the same time, the knife I was holding seemed to melt and flow right into the dog. Both of them started to transform right there in front of my eyes." He gestured, a tremulous hand sweeping towards the grotesque blade-legged dog and the static grub, a silent testament to his bizarre tale.
"And the strangest thing," he continued, a faraway look in his eyes, "I discovered I could command them with my thoughts. An intriguing development to say the least. The commotion brought the others rushing over, but somehow my fear had gone. A surge of adrenaline pumped through these old bones and I gave the order. My two new companions attacked. They took care of those lunatics quickly."
"I can't recall all the details, truly, the carnage was… chaotic. It brought back memories of a different kind of war, memories I'd rather keep buried. But when I tried to step past their bodies, they didn't just lie there. Their parts, their blood and everything else seemed to dissolve and mush together, moulding and merging until it all became... Fluffy." He patted the immense creature again, a strange affection in the gesture. "He's been rather fierce and protective of me ever since then. I suppose that's also why I feel that rushing the process of fusing a bunch of other people into him would make me lose control or turn him into something I don't want, especially since you don't manage to live as long as have by being reckless," he finished with a dry chuckle, an unsettling glint in his eye.
"Glad to hear you're also sceptical about them being gods," John said, finding a strange kinship with the old man. "I just call them higher beings; it's just they didn't carry the air of gods or disposition. As for everything around us? It seems our world has turned into some kind of game for their amusement." His voice grew firmer. "To be entirely honest you're the first sane person I've actually met since this place transformed. So many seem to have changed entirely because of their new class or become consumed by them. I plan to give them hell for what they have done though sir. Not just for what they've done to everyone and everything, but for taking my family from me." He admitted as the old man leaned back listening to him talk and explain the various points he had been told by his sponsor, the old man's own eyes showing a flicker of understanding and offered a sympathetic nod.
"The world has shifted around us," John continued, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone. "Even the plants and animals have changed. And that's probably just the beginning. We've already encountered creatures that defy anything we knew and if things go like I think they will then there will be missions, unforeseen events and perhaps even grander schemes still to unfold. We're told there are merchants appearing, along with a peculiar vending machine rumoured to dispense special and vital survival items. And then there are these imp-like beings who are supposedly here to maintain order and entertain the higher powers watching over us well maintaining the 'game' as we it was explained to me."
He paused, letting the implications settle. "Much of this comes from a… well, let's just say a very reliable source I encountered recently. But it's clear things will grow far worse in time, to be honest I feel like I'm eventually going to wonder who the real monsters are between the animals and people." John said with a sigh before looking at the old man again. "You, with your experience and resourcefulness, could be invaluable to us though. Would you be willing to join our group? I mean we could really use someone like you."
The old man, who now sat across from them, listening intently, simply shook his head. "I appreciate the offer young man, truly. But I prefer to walk my own path. I have my own… companions you see and others I need to head out and find and frankly, I don't trust you enough to risk joining forces just yet." A faint smile touched his lips. "Feel free to clear out this place tomorrow evening though if you wish. We'll likely be gone by then. It's not even my place, to be honest." He said with a small laugh well looking around the room. "I'll probably be finding a new spot to settle. Maybe the government has already started making moves, establishing secure camps to become havens? I might head to one of those, or perhaps seek out emergency gathering sites." His gaze sharpened, meeting John's briefly before flicking to Alice. "For now, would you two please leave? This old man would like some time to think. To be alone."
John nodded respectfully, rising to his feet. Alice, ever opportunistic, managed to discreetly pocket a few more cookies before following suit.
As they stepped out, Alice nudged John, a hint of annoyance in her voice, but her eyes held a spark of a mischievous child. "Aren't you even going to try and convince him? These cookies are absolutely heavenly and I could have all id ever want if he joined us!"
"Show some respect, Alice," John murmured, shaking his head. "He's been through a lot and these new changes have only piled more on. Did you miss his passing mentions of war? Things like that… they change people in ways most of us can barely comprehend. I won't pressure him just for my own benefits."
Before fully exiting, John turned back to the old man. "I'm John by the way and I hope that if our paths cross again, things will have taken a better turn for us all. Far more stable than they are now at the very least."
A soft chuckle escaped the old man. "I'm Charles. And I do hope so as well young man. Farewell and take care, I wish you all the luck these old bones can spare."
The moment they were outside, the hulking form of the grub creature materialized, its segmented body filling the doorway, its thick, scaly shields instinctively erecting into a barricade behind them and effectively sealing off the house.
Alice's scythe, which she had unconsciously gripped tighter during their conversation, now felt heavier in her hand. "So why did we just play along?" she asked, a frown creasing her brow as she crunched on her final stolen cookie. "If we'd just killed him, those creatures might have died with him. What was the point of all that talking and… stuff? I could've taken him out quickly with my scythe or even more effectively, sent his head flying in a few seconds. So why did you choose to talk and waste time?"
John continued walking, his steps measured, a newfound caution in his demeanour. "Can you guarantee the other creatures would have died along with him? No, you can't. Besides, he was sane. I wasn't going to make an enemy out of someone who could potentially become an ally." He glanced back at the grub creature, then at Alice. "Furthermore, can you say for certain the thing I was speaking with was his real body? I'm glad you let me do the talking and followed my lead, though."
They moved towards the next house, heightened vigilance guiding their every step. "What do you mean, his 'real body'?" Alice retorted, a puzzled expression on her face as the grip on her scythe tightened instinctively as they entered the new, unfamiliar dwelling. "He seemed human, old and somewhat senile sure but not monstrous."
"Maybe on the outside he looked human," John explained, his voice low. "But I was watching closely and picked up on some odd details. Like when he was enjoying a biscuit, I noticed a cut on his wrist. Something was… wriggling inside that wound and took a nibble of the biscuit along with him. And when he moved, there was an odd jerkiness to it, which I doubt was just old age." He paused, scanning the dim interior of the new house. "I'm doubtful he was actually human, or that his class let him stay human. The only reason I even suggested his accompanying us was to gauge his reaction. He had a definite pause before responding. His ear also moved in a very strange way at one point, changing to become pointed then deformed for a few seconds before returning to normal which only added to my suspicion. I thought, perhaps, he might not be human at all, perhaps just a puppet at the very least. If he had come with us then we could have kept a close eye on him well having a new ally, but I was already almost certain he wouldn't agree. Also look around, we weren't in there long but out here is as if hours had passed, the days almost over already."
Unspoken between them was a chilling understanding had settled as he explained things and pointed the time difference of when they had walked in to when they had left. What he left unsaid though was that for a brief and terrifying moment, he had felt like he saw through the old man. He had glimpsed a shadowy form with blazing red eyes and sinister, too-sharp teeth. An entity intent on devouring them except was biding its time, waiting for them to let their guard down before striking. It was why John hadn't relaxed his grip on his dagger for a single second through the whole thing and perhaps why Alice, even unknowingly, had mirrored his vigilance, her hand never straying far from the familiar weight of her scythe throughout their entire conversation even well enjoying a cookie and seemingly relaxed.