Chapter Text
The silence of a convenience store was never truly silent. Even without the people, music played lightly over old speakers, neon signs buzzed overhead, and the freezer full of ice next to the door hummed a monotonous tone. It was eerie. Given that it was three in the morning, though, you figured it was better than dead silence. The new LED lights they'd just started installing everywhere were bright on your eyes as you entered, but you adjusted as the doors closed behind you.
Beneath your hands, the cart that you'd snagged on the way in shuddered violently after a few moments of moving. The front wheel spun and squeaked—It hadn't done that outside, but on the linoleum seemed to be a different story.
You could put up with the periodic squeaking, though. It wasn't like there was anyone else around to bother.
You had come to the store with one goal in mind: Restock your fridge and pantry. Thanks to your uninvited house guest from a few nights ago, you'd gone through the dredges of your groceries a little faster than you'd intended. Truth be told, you'd been running low well before that—You had only had fruit and cheese to offer him, you recalled. After living off boxed food for a few days, here you were—In need of a late-night refresh.
Not that it particularly needed to be late-night. But you were up anyways. Grocery shopping at this hour was like an optimistic attempt at tiring yourself out. Plus, grocery prices were so high, lately—You really didn't want to be fully awake to think about that.
As you walked past the pharmacy, you took a moment to study a small selection of melatonin gummies. Could they be worth it? Something about that whole break-in had been making it hard for you to sleep lately. It was keeping you up to the late hours of the night, straining your ear for any out-of-place sounds. Once that odd man had left, it had fully hit—The absurdity of your situation. How terrifying it was that some guy broke into your house. How ridiculous it was that you simply fed him dinner.
How lucky you were to be alive, if that slime demonstration he gave you was anything to go by. A number of your dreams—Nightmares, really—had included various depictions of what might have happened if that apple you'd given him was your hand. With a shudder, you decided against the melatonin, and pushed your rickety cart onwards.
The cherry on top of all the lingering horror was that he knew where you lived. He could decide to pop back in and demand to be fed again at any time. Or even take more... Drastic measures. It wasn't like you really had the means to move away on a whim, and you had a feeling that changing the locks would just be a waste of time...
Actually, now that you were thinking about it, it wasn't weird to be feeling off lately. And that was comforting for a moment, but it didn't quite help the overall feeling. If anything, thinking about it more made it worse. Exactly none of these thoughts were terribly helpful for sleeping, or staying calm in a store.
With a long sigh, you scrubbed at your face, trying to force your attention elsewhere. You were on a mission—You didn't need to think about him. You just needed to find food. One step at a time.
Starting with some deli. Easy sandwich fixings—With how little sleep you'd gotten, you needed something simple.
As you turned your cart and rounded the corner, you froze dead in your tracks. A familiar grey trenchcoat hung off of the frame of the tall man in front of you, a coil of black hair curling out from beneath the hood. The anxiety that you'd been trying to ignore settled to a deep dread in the base of your lungs.
... This was just unfair.
Gavril didn't look like he cared about the cart's noise, or your presence, enraptured as he appeared to be with selecting a cheese from the display in front of him.
Maybe he'd stay that way. This was a public place, after all. Maybe that would deter him from anything odd...? You needed to get past him to get to the rest of the store. With a deep breath, you nudged your rickety cart along, and attempted to scoot past him.
Keyword: Attempt. Something shifted in your lower peripheral—And your cart's wheel suddenly jammed, stopping you directly next to him.
Trying to push the cart didn't work—And it was stuck fast when you tried to lift the wheel to keep going. Adrenaline rose in your veins as you quickly let go of the cart, backing up a bit.
You had a sinking feeling you knew why the cart was stuck.
"Hello, stranger. Having trouble, there?" He purred—But instead of turning to look at him, you glanced down at the floor. Hiding in the shadows of the cart, you could just make out a thin trail of ooze connected to the shadows underneath Gavril's trench coat. A slow panic rose in your chest as the sludge crept closer.
"Don't do that," you managed through the tightness in your throat, glancing between him and his goop. There was a slight jolt at the shoulders of the trench coat. He glanced over his shoulder, curious eyes peering out at you from beneath the hood.
They widened in recognition—And squinted again as his grin turned sharp.
"Ah! Now, why didn't you say something? You're no stranger," He spoke smoothly as he turned around fully. In one hand, he was fidgeting with a large wedge of cheese. The other came up to pull his hood down. If it weren't for the trenchcoat and the sludge that you could still see hiding in the shadows, he could have looked almost innocent.
The darkness creeping across the floor receded—But you still didn't quite feel safe.
"You could even say hello right now, in fact," He prompted, and you glanced up from the ground.
Gavril had shifted to lean against your cart, keeping it stopped where it was—Despite the goo being removed, it would seem that he wasn't letting you rush off just yet.
He was staring at you, silently. He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, giving a slight nod. With a start, you realized he was waiting for your reply. Ah. "Uh... Hi, Gavril."
That crooked grin widened. "Oh, you even remembered my name. I'm honored! Now... What are you doing here? It's late, y'know."
You raised an eyebrow slightly. "Of course I remember you. You certainly left an impression. I'm... Just grocery shopping."
He was silent, as he watched you. Waiting once more. Man, he was a little creepy when he just stared... You cleared your throat, and nodded towards the display. "... I need some cheese, to start."
Gavril's intense stare morphed into a gentler smile. "Don't we all?" He replied, pushing himself off of the cart and turning back to appraise the cheese section. "Can't go wrong with a good cheese. Really, I'm having trouble picking myself..."
Duly noted. Should you pick up extra, as a bargaining chip in case he ever decided to break in again? Or pick up less, so he wouldn't be quite so inclined to come back?
All this worrying hurt your head. Tonight—Just for tonight, all you needed was something sliced.
He'd stopped leaning on your cart, so you began to push it once more, heading away from the gourmet and towards the more mundane cheeses.
... In between cart rattles, you noticed that there were footsteps behind you. A glance revealed that he was keeping pace, walking by your side with one hand in his pockets.
Gavril only grinned back when he noticed your look. His movements were totally relaxed, like he didn't have a care in the world. With a sigh, you simply endeavored to just get through it as quickly as possible. Catching him looking at you whenever you glanced over was odd, but you could deal with it.
At least he wasn't threatening to kill you.
He was holding a cheese wheel in his free hand as he walked. Was he planning on getting it...? You snagged a more reasonably-priced package of sliced cheese, and moved on to the lunch meats. A crinkle of plastic from behind you had you glancing back once more in confusion.
That black substance had made a reappearance on Gavril's hands, and appeared to be currently... Eating? Absorbing? Doing something to get rid of the wrappings on the cheese wheel.
... No, yeah, that tracked. Theft seemed a rather petty crime for him. Especially when you considered what he'd hinted he was okay with when he broke in. The gaze he fixed you with still made you feel like prey in this situation—And it wouldn't do to poke the bear. Without a word, you turned to head towards the rest of the store.
The cheese in his hands slowly dwindled as your grocery pile grew larger. Over by the canned soup, you saw a hand reach into the corner of your vision—You flinched back, staring at Gavril as he picked up a can with his free hand. He wasn't reaching for you, at least. Of all the things running through your head, your momentary panic settling... You noticed Gavril's nails. They were painted black.
"Do you ever pick up beans?" He asked as he appraised the label, turning it around in his hands slowly. You blinked as the lettering rotated towards you, and showed he was looking at chickpeas.
"... I don't know. Sometimes, I guess? Why?" You replied warily, reaching out for the soup you'd been going for.
Gavril shrugged as he tossed the can into the air. "Cooked beans are a good snack for rats."
Ah. Right. He had rat friends. You turned to push the cart down the aisle, his long strides putting him back to your side. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see his stare. Waiting. With a sigh, you shrugged. "I guess when I'm making chili, I get beans."
He grinned, and faced front again. "Fair enough. Do you make chili often?"
"When I have the time. It keeps pretty well in the fridge," You replied, looking up at the aisle labels to find your next groceries.
... It was a strangely normal conversation. If you hadn't already experienced some of Gavril's odder aspects, you might even be comfortable right now. It was kind of hard to completely relax around a criminal who occasionally alluded to having a body count, though.
He took another bite of cheese as you stopped to survey the snacks, his eyes darting through the options. You squinted at the cheese in his hands, trying to figure out why it looked so out of place—Until you realized that he was just blatantly taking bites out of it, in the middle of the aisle.
"So... Why're you eating that?" You inquired. He met your eyes for a moment, and tilted his head. When he didn't reply immediately, you turned back to the shelf of snacks in front of you. "I mean, in terms of... Putting it in your mouth. When I gave you fruit, you just... Absorbed that. And, given that you've gotten rid of the price tag on that..." You paused to nod towards what was left of the wheel. It was pretty obvious that he wasn't planning on paying for it. "The goo would probably be a little more discreet than... Taking bites out of it in the middle of a grocery store. Why risk it? What's the difference?"
Gavril gave a pause—And then a dark chuckle. "Oh, that. The goo doesn't taste," He replied. "It's quick, and it'll satisfy me just fine, but it's not quite as... Fun as tasting something is."
You chose a bag of snacks, and turned to put your selection in your cart. You didn't get far before you realized something was wrong.
Gone was the air of normalcy your interactions had shakily achieved. Gavril had gotten closer, silent as a whisper. He was standing just behind you, that smug grin on his face. Goo dribbled down the corner of his mouth, and you caught a glimpse of his unnatural tongue as he spoke.
"There are plenty of other ways to have fun with your food, though. For example—I find that the thrill of a hunt to be more than suitable to make up for a lack of taste..."
For a moment, it was as if all the air in the room had disappeared. You stared at him with wide eyes, trying to figure out what you could do.
Should you run?
Shout, and hope there was someone who could do anything?
Like a rabbit staring down a wolf, you were frozen in place.
With a snicker, Gavril stepped back and reestablished personal space. "You're too easy. C'mon, where's the fight that knocked me out the other night?" He teased, walking over to lean against your cart once more.
The air rushed back into your lungs as you blinked at him. Oh. So this was how he wanted to play. He wanted you to struggle, like a fly in a web. You narrowed your eyes and tossed your bag of snacks at him—They bounced off of his arm and into the cart as he cackled, making no move to defend himself.
"Ugh. Well, how am I supposed to know when you're messing around or not?" You grumbled as you leaned on the handles of your cart. A gentle push, and Gavril straightened up to walk beside you. "I don't know you. And it's not like I have my bat with me right now, y'know. I didn't come to the grocery store expecting to get jumped."
There was a thoughtful look on his face... Hm. Should you be worried?
"I think you should always be prepared," Gavril decided on after a long moment, before tucking the rest of the cheese into his mouth. "Never know when you'll run into someone who isn't quite as... Nice, as I am."
"Easy for you to say, with your built-in sludge defense system," You grumbled back, shoving your wobbling cart towards the checkout. "I don't want to have to be on edge all the time. Living like that seems... Awful. Safe enough, I suppose, but..." Trailing off, you reached to grab items from your cart and begin scanning them.
There was no response from Gavril—You glanced up.
... Gone. He was just—Gone. You were alone in the checkout. A quick glance behind the shelves didn't immediately reveal anything about his whereabouts.
Cool. Great. Right after you'd just gotten used to his lurking, too. That was fine. You could feel your heart sinking as you internally begged that he wasn't about to jump out from somewhere to try and scare you.
There were footsteps approaching from behind you—And you turned around to see a man in a plain shirt and beige shorts. Something about him was off, though. His shoes, the way he carried himself...
It looked like he was beelining straight for you. You busied yourself with scanning items instead of worrying. Maybe he was heading for another checkout?
"E-excuse me! Are you alright?"
Fuck. There was nobody else here—He must be trying to talk to you. You turned to glance at him, and tilted your head. "Uh... Yeah, I'm fine. Is there something I can help you with?" You carefully replied. What was this guy here for...? As you got a better look at him, you noticed his shirt looked... Odd. Like he was wearing something underneath it, maybe...?
The man looked nervous, but nodded quickly. "There was a man walking with you a moment ago—Was he harassing you? Do you know him?"
Oh. He was here for Gavril? That was... Maybe not the best of signs. And given that Gavril had disappeared just before he came over—You had a feeling they weren't friends.
For a moment, the thought came to mind of revealing the break-in. You hadn't told anyone since it happened. Nobody would believe you—The goo really shouldn't have been possible, let alone how you handled the situation. To have knocked out your intruder, tied him up instead of calling the police, and then fed him and sent him on his way? And everyone stood up and clapped, you could imagine the response being. Besides, he'd only broken a single vase—Nothing valuable enough to warrant an investigation. But... Telling some random person, right here and now? When you knew Gavril was still... Somewhere out there?
He knew where you lived. And your locks didn't stop him the first time.
"I didn't catch his name. He was just asking me a bunch of questions about what I was getting as I shopped. What's it to you?" You half-lied. Hopefully deflecting would help steer the conversation away.
The man blinked, and dug into his pocket. As he pulled out something small and dark, you noticed the doors across the store behind him automatically sliding open. A grey form darted out—And you could only assume Gavril was using you as a distraction to escape.
"Officer Bailey, at your service!" The man—A cop, brought your attention back, offering you a badge. You tried to look impressed, but honestly, you were already tired of this. First Gavril, now a run-in with the law—All you could hope for at this point would be that he'd just ask for a statement and go. "Allow me to accompany you back to your car—I have reason to believe you ran into a wanted criminal tonight."
You inspected his badge for a moment, doing your best to keep your expression under wraps. "A wanted criminal? He sure looked the part..." You mumbled, passing the badge back and turning to scan your items. It wasn't surprising, given what you'd already seen from him. "Wanted for what?"
You tried not to sound too curious—But you were itching to know. Officer Bailey shuffled off to your side. "That's classified. And besides, I wouldn't want to scare you. We've got everything under control, now that we've got an idea of where he is!"
For some reason... You doubted that. You scanned your card with a sigh, and collected up your grocery bags. Bailey followed you out the door and to your car, as he'd invited himself to do. For an early-morning trip like this, you were certainly getting interrupted an awful lot more than a normal trip. Groceries went in the trunk, and you went into the drivers seat.
The officer tapped on your windshield as you buckled up, and you obliged by rolling the window down.
"If you see him again, give emergency services a call, will you? That man is dangerous. The sooner he's behind bars, the better," Bailey instructed.
"Will do," You said out loud. Internally, though... You wondered if there was a jail cell that could even hold Gavril. His sludge had been dissolving plastic. You hadn't seen it attempt to... Dissolve? Ingest? Whatever it was that it did. You'd never seen it try metal, but you wouldn't be surprised if it could dissolve that as well. Was there even a limit to what it could do? You weren't quite sure this cop knew what he was dealing with, but you also weren't about to correct him. "Have a good night, officer."
"Drive safely," He replied, before walking away. With a sigh, you rolled up your window and reached up to adjust your rearview.
A paranoia check in your backseat revealed it to be empty. There hadn't been anything in the trunk when you'd packed up, so... Gavril was not waiting to jumpscare you in the car.
You spoke a quiet plea as you turned on the engine, for no goop in the ignition and nothing stopping the wheels. Your car was kind enough to start smoothly, and you drove out of the parking lot.
Out of sight of the building and the officer, you finally let out a shaky sigh. So much for being close to relaxing from the break-in. You were shivering in your seat as you drove.
But the trip had done one of the things it was meant to—Exhaustion had sunk deep into your bones. You felt like a zombie walking from your car, straight into getting ready for bed. All you did before giving up for the night was check to make sure your bat was within reach. You fell into an uneasy slumber, your dreams filled with sensations of a shadowy black mass, slowly creeping ever closer.