Chapter 7: The Warning

POV: Sam Landon*

Sam watched in disbelief as Quest—or rather, Godzilla—turned away from the set. The shoot was over, and everyone was ready to call it a day, but Sam couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. The way Quest had moved today, the silence, the strange breathing… it all gnawed at him.

And now, he was walking toward the exit, still in the suit.

The massive Godzilla suit, towering over everyone, lumbered toward the lot where the cars were parked. Sam's mind raced. *He's really going to leave with that thing again.* But this time, it felt different—more threatening. Sam's instincts screamed at him not to interfere, but he couldn't just let it go. The suit was studio property, and Quest had already taken it once. No one knew how long he'd kept it or what he'd done with it.

As the hulking figure neared the door, Sam took a deep breath and started after him. "Hey, Quest!" he shouted, trying to sound authoritative but feeling a knot of fear tightening in his chest. "You can't just walk out of here with the suit again. We need it for the next shoot!"

The crew members who were packing up turned to watch, their faces a mixture of concern and silent warnings. They knew something wasn't right, but no one dared approach Quest. They all just stood back, helpless, as Sam made his move.

He caught up to Quest just as he reached the doors, reaching out to grab the shoulder of the Godzilla suit. "Hey, I'm talking to—"

Before Sam could finish, the massive form stopped dead in its tracks. Slowly, almost methodically, Godzilla's enormous head turned toward him. Sam's hand froze mid-air, a cold sweat breaking out along his spine as he looked up.

The towering figure loomed over him—easily over 30 feet tall if it were standing upright, and even hunched, it was still terrifyingly large. Sam could feel the weight of the suit's presence, the sheer size of it making him feel like an insect in comparison.

Quest—or Godzilla—breathed in, and then exhaled with an unmistakable growl that sent a chill down Sam's spine. It wasn't a full roar like the one from yesterday's shoot, but it was unmistakably animalistic. Low, guttural, and laced with warning.

Sam's blood ran cold as he stepped back instinctively.

The Godzilla suit lowered its head, and through the dim eyes of the mask, Sam could see Quest's face just barely visible behind the mechanical monster. His eyes locked onto Sam's with an intensity that was unsettling. There was no warmth there. No recognition. Just… coldness. And then, without a word, Quest let out a deep, glitchy roar, blending his voice with the suit's own mechanics.

It wasn't just the sound itself that terrified Sam—it was the message behind it. The roar was a warning. *Don't touch me. Don't come closer.*

Sam stumbled back, his heart pounding as the Godzilla figure straightened again. For a moment, he thought about calling for help, but the way Quest—*if it even was Quest anymore*—was looking at him made it clear that no one would be able to stop him.

As the giant turned away, Sam caught a glimpse of something in Quest's face—something that felt alien, primal, as if the man inside the suit had merged too deeply with the monster he was playing.

The director stood frozen, watching helplessly as Quest lumbered through the exit and out to the parking lot, the enormous Godzilla suit barely fitting through the doorframe. No one dared to follow him. No one tried to stop him.

Sam swallowed hard, the fear still coursing through him as he watched the door slowly swing shut behind Quest. He wasn't sure if it was the suit or something far worse that had taken over his actor, but one thing was clear:

Quest was no longer just wearing Godzilla.

Godzilla was wearing him.*

To Be Continued...