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Red. That was all there was. Just red.
Jimmy curled in on himself, hacking out more red. The scraps of corruption splatted on the ground, sticky with his golden ichor. He shivered weakly.
The vine that had been slowly clawing it’s way around his eye socket wriggled, and he whimpered in agony.
He pulled his shawl tighter around him. The Codfather mask sat beside him, the press against his face too painful to bear. The bark of the tree he was leaning on scraping his back, but he could barely feel it.
James. Cattail, his most trusted guard, swam over to him. She crawled onto the ground and nudged at him with her long snout. Cypress and Hyacinth are patrolling this grove. No one will find you. A messenger has been sent to inform the Ocean Queen of the meeting’s delay.
Thank you, he rasped.
Do you need anything else? She asked.
He shook his head, wincing at the pain.
She regarded him. Her face, despite being that of an alligator, could be rather expressive. Very well.
He watched as she left.
The vine in his throat stretched, and he coughed. One of the ones under his nails wiggled, and he choked back a sob.
The corruption snaked around his body, choking and burying him. Everything was red. Everything hurt.
Jimmy was dying. The swamp was dying, and so he was dying. All he could do was hope that Katherine and the others could find a cure, and soon. Otherwise, he would be consumed.
The vine between his ribs shivered.