[PUNCH CLOCK ANIMAL] MAYBEQUEST: PART 1

[skinstealer]

 

MAY: ...you all might want to step back.
FULLER: Don’t need to tell me twice.

 
You let go of Mason and set down Maes, Chance doing the same with Melanie. You notice a look of recognition in the kids' eyes as they hurriedly huddle back with the others.



 
The doctor backs up and turns towards the flesh wall, reaching into their backpack’s side pocket and taking out their scissors. You grimace as they start hacking at the wall, Dwayne making a similar face as the wall makes a horrible noise in response- but he starts going for his own bag, drawing his shock stick and attempting to fry the flesh with it.
  

FULLER: Sh- Warn me next time, you could have fried me too!
DWAYNE: Just don’t touch it when I do, we’ll alternate strikes!

  

Chance gets back long enough to grab a shock stick, then steps forward with you, ignoring your advice. Nelson tries to follow his example, but Dwayne quickly catches him and pulls him back to help with the wall.
 

Chelsea continues to approach, and you tighten your stance.   
  

MAY: I don’t want to fight you.
MAY: I’m not letting you hurt anyone either, we can just talk-
CHELSEA: You have no choice.
MAY: We’ve talked before! Years ago!
CHELSEA: …

   

 
She stops, pausing to look at you intently. You pull your mask down as best you can with one paw, showing your face. There’s a slight flicker of recognition in her face, but it’s gone as quickly as it comes.
 

CHELSEA: I see a lot of kids here.
CHELSEA: It doesn’t change anything.
CHELSEA: What I’m going to do to you is still ideally a mercy, and I’d like to make it quick.

 
Chance speaks up, gripping his shock stick tight but keeping his tone stable.
 

CHANCE: So you’re going to kill the kids now, too?
CHANCE: If you can disobey your orders to do that, then why is it such a stretch to let us try and make it out?
CHELSEA: Because you will get caught.
CHELSEA: And they will torture you, and they will make you wish that your escape attempt ended here with me.
CHELSEA: The lives of these children are not going to get better. If they survive the hell that their mother is going to put them through, which is a very big “if”, they will live a life full of suffering and likely serve in the same position that I do now.
CHELSEA: I would not wish this life on anyone.
CHELSEA: Allow me to carry this burden and spare them from it.

  

 
Something shifts across her form, red flesh bubbling along her amputated arm.
 

CHELSEA: Let me prevent them from sharing my fate.