📹Marble Hornets: After Entry 35

Chapter 1

Masky was in a bad way, unconscious in the abandoned house where Alex and Jay had left him. Collapsed on the floor, leg broken, passed out from the pain and exhaustion, still tangled up in wire.

Hoody appeared. Watching the whole time, naturally. Considering.

Ought they take Tim to a doctor? No, Jay would be able to track him down there, leaving him vulnerable to Alex. Tim must recover quickly however; Hoody was running low on medication and would need Tim to refill it.

Considering further: Masky could prove useful if guided in the right direction. They'd seen what he's capable of, and strength in numbers and all that. But can they fully trust him? Not sure yet.

Hoody moved closer and inspected the wound. A stable fracture, thankfully. Could have been much worse, for sure. Will only need a splint and proper rest.

Not here, however. All their supplies were back at their shelter near the old hospital, and it was much safer there. Plus, who knows what effect the proximity to the hospital may have on Masky's appearances. Masky would be more cooperative, if not delighted, to have a comrade in Alex's destruction. Tim was too soft, even if he put up a tough facade.

The hooded figure crouched down to pick up the white mask on the floor, the plastic cracked on the sides where the string once connected. Broken in the struggle, black paint chipping around the eyes.

They glanced back and forth between the mask and motionless man, deliberating. When he should finally wake, who would be looking back at them? How much would he remember, if anything? It was all hard to say. They had worked together previously, successfully scaring the dumbass Jay out of his loser apartment before Alex could burn it down with him in it. But Masky's entropic nature and bouts of memory loss had erased any progress they had made.

Speaking of progress. Hoody set to work finding a thin plank and spare cloth, makeshifting a splint for Tim's shin. Once things seemed sturdy, they sat back on their heels, looking down at their unconscious accomplice. They needed to get to the hospital. Away from Alex. Away from all else.

Tim's car was hidden close by. There was still enough muscle left in Brian's limbs to carry him there, even after however long it had been without eating real food. Hoody fussed the broken mask into their pullover's pocket and stooped to lift Tim's body. They growled with effort to keep his broken leg clear of the ground as they staggered towards the exit.

Partway to the car Hoody stopped to claw in a few breaths between coughs, but they managed to settle Tim's body against a tree before dropping him.

"Fuck's sake," Hoody rasped quietly, as the ground slowly became still again. They glanced at their company; still asleep. Didn't hear them slip.

But then again, neither Tim or Masky should recognize their voice, so what would it matter? Some half awake part of Hoody's mindspace flinched, but they ignored him pointedly.

It didn't take long to carry Tim's body to the car. Hoody set him awkwardly in the backseat, but stopped before closing the door and looked at the limp figure. Tim. Hoody shook their head violently against the whisper; they weren't going to be distracted anymore. They gave the mindspace a rough shove and it quieted. Hospital, they reminded themself, digging through Tim's pockets for his keys. Get to the hospital.

The drive had no time attached to it, like usual. It seemed like only one moment or perhaps several years before Hoody was carrying Tim's body into the burned out hospital. At this point Hoody was grateful that neither Tim or Masky had woken up, but it was also... disappointing. Why?

Their mindspace once again convulsed. Don't you fucking dare, Hoody warned, but he was already there and reaching for the front. He was already looking at Tim's bruised face through the shirt's bleached eyes. He was already full of distracting feelings, turning the mindspace into an unfocused blur.