The flame melts through the skin in an instant, and the film underneath crackles and warps. With a high, panicked radio-static squeal, it drops Tim, scrambling to get away.

For a terrifying instant, it leans its weight on the hand caging Jay, sending a bright shock of pain across his chest.

The shadow flees toward the far end of the room, clawing at its face, at its neck. Its movements are unnatural, dragging, as the skin flakes away from the twisted wire underneath. It's falling apart from the inside.

Jay tries to catch his breath, tries to pull himself into a sitting position, but god, it stings. Gritting his teeth, he forces himself up. The camera's still running, and with an awful twinge of pain that worsens as he tries to steady himself, he lifts it to face the shadow.

Heaving, its chest rising and falling like a broken bellows, it crawls into the small pool. It curls into itself, trying to submerge itself completely, sending waves of hot water sloshing over the edge and across the floor, but there isn't room. The fire keeps burning. There's not much left now.

The lights behind the cracked mask gutter and die. The breathing slows.

The shadow's body crumbles, rust and decay crawling across its remains in uncanny fast-forward.

Soon, all that's left in the pool is a bony human body, battered and burn-scarred, with a cracked mask still over its face. It twitches, taking in a thin, wheezing breath, and grabs for the edge of the pool with a shaking hand. Its grip falters.

Jay pulls himself to his feet with a small, pained cry he can't quite suppress. He takes a step forward, pauses, glances over at Tim.