The Other Symbiote

Blippity Blip

As Raiva opened her eyes, she was astounded to see a bright orange hue around her. It seemed endless, but familiar. She looked down, confused as to why she was in ankle-deep water that was clearer than any beach of the Galapagos Islands. In front of her was a thin but tall house, one she recognized from her childhood.

"La Casa del Diablo."

Raiva tilted her head up at the sound of another voice, one she hadn't heard in a long time.

"That was the first nightmare you had when I bonded with you. The House of the Devil."

"Stella, what are you doing here?"

The symbiote, proud and tall like her uncle but still holding Raiva's feminine shape, stood a few feet away from her.

"I'm here to say goodbye."

"What?" Raiva shook her head.

"No, I jumped off. You were supposed to go into Mom."

"I'm not a great listener." Stella shrugged.

"There cannot be two Soul Stones in one exchange."

"Which is why only one of us has to go inside."

Raiva turned to the house and narrowed her eyelids, seeing through the nightmarish veil and eyeing the shady orange front door. She turned back to Stella and stood defiantly.

"I'm going through that door."

"No, I don't think you are." Stella spoke simply, her hand moving into tendrils that tied Raiva's legs to the ground beneath the water.

"Stella!"

The symbiote sighed and made her way over to Raiva, hugging her tightly.

"You have tried. You have sobbed. And you have lost. It is time for you to be happy. You deserve to be happy, Raiva."

Tears began to prick at Raiva's eyes, unsure of how to process losing her symbiote again.

"I-I can't lose you, Stella. You've been by my side for so long."

"You'll have me back soon." Stella pulled away slightly and kissed her host's forehead, mindful of her teeth but Raiva didn't care in that moment.

She watched painfully as Stella walked away from her and towards the house, a voice in her throat that she couldn't bite down on.

"How will I know?!" She yelled as Stella's hand slowed above the doorknob.

The symbiote turned back to her and shrugged.

"You won't."

Her hand fell onto the doorknob and a blinding flash of light fell over Raiva's eyes, forcing her to close them.

"Say hi to Mama for me, yeah?"

"I will." Raiva promised the darkening world.

----

Raiva shot up from her spot in the sand, clumps of it stuck to her wet hoodie and jeans whilst she slowly focused on the two faces above her.

"Raiva?! Raiva, come on!" The feminine voice sounded so far away, but if she could just...

She felt a jab in her thigh and shot up, almost breaking the masculine face's nose.

"WHOO! Do that again!" She looked down to see a labelled needle of adrenaline stuck into her thigh.

Nat scrambled to sit in front of Raiva, her hands patting all over her to check that she was real. She touched her cheeks, her shoulders, she checked her tattoos, she opened both of her eyelids wide.