Pure of Mind and Sharp of Knife (Male Reader x Female Creepypasta)

What Goes Bump In the Night

The shore of the beach is decorated by countless flower petals delivered by the ocean waves. The petals ebb with the tide as if the land were gifting them to the sea. My eyes trace over the curve of the world, mountains peaks just on the edge of the horizon. The wound on my neck has been exchanged for a scar that I'll carry for the rest of my life.

It's our last day here – our last day to laze away and forget about the tide of darkness that's bound to swallow the mansion. In a way, it's our last day of true peace. I haven't cherished it enough, unfortunately. Most of it was spent sleeping in recovery.

We'll be returning to the mansion soon. Any minute now, actually. Slenda said we'd leave at midday and the twin suns have already risen to their peak. Saltwater rushes to meet my feet, giving them a warm hug before retreating.

Everyone has healed just fine, bearing new scars and a stronger conviction to better themselves once we head home. But is the drive to become stronger enough? It won't matter how much we want to succeed if Zalga's the one swinging the biggest club. Someone wraps their arms around my waist.

Jackie leans her chin on my shoulder, "Five minutes. Do not keep us waiting. Or me."

"I obviously did if you ended up coming to me," I tilt my head into hers, "Sorry."

"It was a joke," she pulls back, spinning me around to face her, "We train when we return. Yes?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," I nod, turning to the sea again, "I don't wanna leave," I admit sadly, staring down at the flower petals scattered about the sand, "How come Slenda doesn't just let us settle down somewhere like this and forget about Zalga forever?"

Jackie spins her mask on her finger, "Zalga follows. Moving delays her. She catches up inevitably. Better to hunker down. Moving constantly is tiring."

I pick up a conch shell buried in the sand, "Maybe. It's just so peaceful here. Are you sure we can't take vacations sometimes?"

"We do. But rarely. Our hands are full with Zalga," Jackie takes the shell I hand to her and holds it to her ear.

"Alright," I force my eyes away from the ocean view, "let's go. We don't want to keep the big woman waiting, otherwise she'll chew us out."

Jackie grabs my arm, "Wait."

"What?" I ask.

"You know," Jackie sighs before kissing me.

The sound of the waves cheers us on as I lean deeper into it.

She pulls away and shows me a sharp, toothy smile, "My first... that was nice."

As we walk along the shoreline to Slenda, Jackie plays chicken with the incoming waves. I chuckle on the inside, eyes drawn back to the infinite, swirling sea. To think that she could only say a few words to me when we first met... now she's the one making moves? I'd never believe it. I'd never believe any of this had my future self come along and told me.

I follow her footprints in the wet sand, keeping my eyes on the floor and playing a game with myself to place my feet exactly where hers were. A smile rests on my face, and it takes a minute for me to realize it was there at all.

Thinking about the mansion... it makes me happier than I've felt in my entire life. Even in moments with my parents and my best friends. When I think about it, they replace them not only in number but also in emotional support. The more I dwell on it, the more I accept their deaths, albeit selfishly.

Friends drift away naturally whether it's on their own or not, but, eventually, they are replaced. The friends at your side are never the same, but they'll make you forget, they'll keep you on your feet, and they'll never leave you behind. It's only natural that I move on, too, right? Even if my future cost their lives, I need to keep walking. For the sake of my new companions at the mansion. My friends are dead and gone forever, but they are not forgotten.