Everything in her mind was completely swept away… Images of it's body morphing, twisting, bending, shifting… It was horrific and beautiful at the same time. What the hell is going on? How could that Thing be inside of me? Who had done this? Why the fuck would they do this? Jack felt her stomach tighten, telling her she needed to leave the room before everything inside left her body.

"Get me outta here." She mumbled while forcing herself to stay calm, but Riddick wouldn't budge.

"No Jack, you just had surgery, you need to stay still." He was trying to keep her steady as she pushed against his unwavering strength.

"God damn it Riddick! I'm going to throw up!" She growled and with a hard shove she sent him across the room to meet with the wall in a loud Smack. Jumping from the examine table she lost her footing and fell hard into the floor… Just inches from the small container…

Riddick resumed his cool and flew back onto his feet, his face a portrait of feral emotion and anger. Jack's little reaction did not impress him… At all. "Nice Jack, what's next? Ballroom dancing?" He mused darkly and stalked toward her, his heavy boots making no sound as he took precise steps in her direction.

Her eyes opened and focused on a small cage like container placed before her. "What the..?" She mumbled in a dry voice when her vision cleared.. "NO!" She bellowed suddenly and went into a panic.

Nothing could stop her as she flailed her arms, desperate to get away from the haunting image of its deranged grin. Without paying attention she grabbed onto the container and threw it across the room. Enraged emotions ripped through her fear induced insanity as she watched the container hit the wall and snap open, falling to the ground in several metallic pieces.

Madness filled eyes fixed on a small flesh colored creature as it slithered across the deck, searching for an escape. A roar raged from her twisted jaws as she lunged through the air, about to pounce the small creature when she was thrown back by a hard body slamming into her in mid flight. They fell back with an earth shattering crash in a mess of limbs and growls.

"GET OFF ME!" Jack howled in a voice unknown to her as logic and reality was no longer working in her mind. All she could think about, all that made any kind of sense through the film of red was the destrution of the eyeless beast. "I have to kill it! It can't Live!"

Careful not to hurt her he pinned every ounce of his weight against her struggling form. He had never witnessed anyone so frantic before, so filled with the need to kill was nearly unnerving… And that to Riddick, was unnerving in itself.

"Jack.. JACK!" A deep voice sent a shock wave of reality through her bones, bringing her mind back to life. "You with me?" Riddick asked still holding her beneath him. "C'mon kid, answer me."

Eyes closed then reopened, blinking several times as if somehow seeing for the first time. Something went terribly wrong, she could feel it eating at her soul. "What happened? Why are we on the floor? What the fuck's going on?" Her voice was scared and confused, mirroring the emotions dancing in her eyes.

A sigh whispered from the fullness of his parted lips as he loosened his grip and sat up, bringing her with him. "You flipped out."

"I flipped out?" She repeated the words as shock slipped through her heated veins. Just as she opened her mouth a whoosh of air rushed from her lungs, leaving her speechless. Wide eyed she resembled a dear in headlights, catching Riddick's curious gaze.

"What is it?" He asked and let his gaze fall on her sudden cold expression. There across the room was the container… In several different pieces… Empty…

Every inch of her body trembled with fear as she pulled herself into a ball and started rocking back and forth. Her eyes clenched shut as she shook her head, mumbling something Riddick couldn't understand.

Strong arms reached out, snatched her quivering body and gave her a good shake. "Jack get your shit together!" His deep voice boomed through the cloud of thoughts snapping her out of it. "Enough of this Jack! You're stronger then this, now put yourself in check!"

No answer…

A deep frustrated rumble bellowed from his massive chest as he gripped her by the waist, flung her over his shoulder and stood. Her body went limp against him, her breathing slow and soft. "I hate this shit." Riddick muttered under his breath as he took a passed out Jack from the med lab. He wasn't going to worry about that creature right now, it wouldn't get far. His first thoughts were on her, and her health.

He made his way down the hallway and toward the bedroom, vanishing into the darkness.

Somewhere, deep in the belly of the ship is a small pool of crimson, and several remains of rats littered in a disgusting fashion in a unlit corner. Coiling up under a crate, its small snake like body remaining very still as blood drips down small metallic jaws. It would wait as a natural growth of skin cocooned over its form, shedding the old pink flesh as it shifted to a dark gray, melting into the shadows… Until it was ready to reveal itself to its company on board.

A day had went by and Jack hadn't gotten up. Riddick understood her need for rest, she had just gone through a traumatic experience, so he kept himself busy looking at star charts and checking the scanners for any Mercs that might be on his tail.

While standing at the monitors and screens on deck Riddick had a strange chill flow up his spine. Furrowing his brow at the sensation his inner beast suddenly reared its head and let out a growl in warning. Something wasn't right. The need to grab his shiv flipped through his thoughts, every muscle tensed, something was watching… "Jack." In a flash he was heading down the hallway…

"Oh man.." A scratchy voice murmured as Jack sat up in bed. Her head pulsing, her vision blurry. Everything seemed upside down, just as before. "I feel like I have a gnarly hang over." Her legs flung to the edge of the bed as she put both hands on either side of her body. Gaining some strength Jack stood, keeping her balance as her temples continued to swell with pain.

Looking about her surroundings she focused on the dim light of the room, her senses slowly coming to the surface as she let out a mighty yawn. Tilting her head back she took a few shorts breaths, made a face and sighed, "Of course he's not here Jack, you flipped remember?" Slapping a hand to her forhead she went to shake her head when she stopped.

Pulling her hand away, globes of slime oozed from her palm to her head. "Yuck!" She exclaimed in disgust as she wiped the gooey substance on the edge of the bed as well as her forehead. "Oh that's nice.. Yea.. Damn it." She growled and turned to step toward the bathroom when something made her blood run cold with fear.

A blood curdling scream echoed all around him, "JACK!" He roared and charged from the end of the hallway into the bedroom. His heart pounded furiously in his chest as his eyes searched the room for her, for any sign. Shiv cluthed tightly in his hand he made causous steps into the room, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end.

A low buzzing drifted through the still air of the ship, enveloping his soul in an essence of dark chaos. Riddick remained silent and calm as he looked at every corner, under the bed and in the closet… No Jack… 'Where the hell is she?' He thought with urgence as his patience was wearing thin. He placed a hand on the bed to test its warmth, but pulled back quickly when he felt a wet substance ooze against his hand and inbetween his fingers.

A brow raised in fascination as he glanced at the slime only to wipe it off on his pant leg. "Jack?" he called out, wondering where she could be hiding. Her scent was still thick against his nose, indicating she was close. A wave of fear swept over him, nearly throwing him back. But this wasn't his emotion, it was familiar… It was Jack.

His head whipped around toward the energy and found that the bathroom door was open. His footing careful and calculated he inched toward the door and slowly pushed it open. There, on the shower floor was a figure curled up in a ball crying uncontrollably. Riddick moved in, closing the space between them and knelt before her, his eyes showing concern and relief that she was unharmed.

Jack was deathly pale, her eyes wide, while her arms wrapped tightly about her knees. She wasn't speaking, nor responding to his presence as he reached out and gently touched her cheek with his fingertips.

Hiss…

A shrill wave of energy pulsed through his veins as the sound bellowed behind him. He looked to the floor, catching a glimpse of something dark behind him. Bringing his gaze to Jack he watched her face contort and twist into a look of silent terror…

-End Chapter Thirteen-