Kin’s dead mother advanced on him, teeth chattering together in a nightmare imitation of his own jaws. Jerking forward awkwardly, the corpse moved in fits and stutters, jerking its decayed bulk forward like a lurching ship on a high sea.

Of course, by this time, Kin was too terrified to do anything except curl up in a ball, shaking.

I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I lived. I’m sorry you died, please don’t come here, I’m sorry, sorry I was born

As his mother bent down over him, she dissolved, melted into nothing, her image blurring as it simply evaporated.

Revealing the distended, bulging head of the strange, bighead Siren.

Ah.

With his mother out of the picture, Kin’s mind regained a sliver of focus.

And as the Siren reached out to him, Kin kicked. Hard. He didn’t know what direction he was attacking in, only that it was in the general vicinity of his accoster.

Contact, and the Siren’s weak hand didn’t do much against the force, sending it backwards and giving Kin several precious seconds to regroup. Thinking quickly, he reached for his pressure pistol and shot, throwing the Siren back. Pulling out his knife, he advanced forward, paddling slowly and cautiously towards the monster, now crouched like a cornered cat.

And then it stared at him with those lifeless eyes, grey like his dead mother’s, grey and muddy like the one on the head of the thing that smiled.

Truly, this was the face of Death himself.

Another barrage of thoughts assaulted Kin’s head.

Murderer filthy murderer killer aren’t you

“Agh!”

?sorry? Aren?t you sorr,y?*

It was stronger than before, completely assaulting Kin’s mind and subverting his train of consciousness.

Eh? Why can’t I t^%nk?

What i$ thi&*)?

More and more, Kin’s mind began to decohere.

The S???? began moving tow???s Kin again, it’s mo??? opening again to reveal the acid-spewing appen??ge.

What’s going o& wi^h my b$5^^@n?

Kin’s thoughts were annihilated as soon as they be??n, the mental onslau?ght crushing his logical processes to pieces.

I’m--

I’m--

I’m--

I’m--

I’m, I’m, I’m, I’m, I’m, I’M, I’M, I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M I’M

As all his thoughts faded to white and Kin’s vision blurred out, he could faintly hear someone laughing. An rusty, old, corroded sound that had the sour tang of things better left unremembered.