Rose Petals - Eyeless Jack x Reader

Chapter 23

   Seeing the trees alone was enough to make you shiver, though you tried to pass it off to yourself as being the fault of the cool breeze, and moved a little closer to Jack as you pressed on though the grass.

   None of the lights were on in the farmhouse, though that didn't make any of you any less careful. You looked down at Liam, knowing he was going to hate was going to happen next. As the four of you came up to the side of the house, Jeff carefully peered inside one of the windows, and then began to pick at it with his knife when he presumably spotted no activity. As he worked on unlatching the window, Jack turned to you and took hold of one of your hands, giving it a gentle squeeze, as if silently asking about your current state.

   "I'm okay," you said in a whisper, squeezing back.

   He gave a single nod, but didn't let go of your hand until after Jeff had shoved open the window and crawled inside, and the three of you went in after him. You blinked rapidly once you were inside, as even with the moonlight pouring through the now open window, your eyes were struggling to adjust to the darkness.

   "You're sure you can do this by yourself?" Jack asked Jeff, who had insisted before you all left the hideout that he do the harvesting himself.

   Jeff shot the other man an aggravated look over his shoulder, before seemingly remembering Jack couldn't see it. "Of course I'm fucking sure," he hissed back quietly. "Take care of unpacking the shit," he then said, and began to creep off deeper into the farmhouse.

   Moving you and Liam a little further away from the cold wind billowing through the window, you and him began to set down your stuff on the floor, Jack following suit. As you did so, you tried to swallow the lump in your throat, as well as the worries that you were somehow going to be spotted by the people who lived there before Jeff could get to them.

   You watched as Jack slipped the paper containing all of the information about Mixture 15, and handed it to you. You sighed, fighting against your nerves and the urge to tail it out of that building and away from everything so you didn't have to face any of this, and began to double-check for the fourth time that day that everything needed was there.

   Rosemary. White snakeroot. Dog teeth. Legs of a wolf spider. Brain matter from it servant. Human saliva. Human hair. Lemon verbena.

   "Uh... yep. We've got it all," you managed out in confirmation.

   You proceeded to read through the rest of the information. Most of it was instructions, and the rest of it was detailing the effects of the mixture.

   Upon insertion in the bloodstream, be it by open wounds or any other means, it will take an average of a minute before the solution takes effect. The one who contributes their own substances will then be able to manipulate to their own desires, until the effects inevitably wear off in an estimated time of an hour. It should be known that there is yet no understanding as to whether The Old One is aware of what happens while under the effects, or is capable of resisting it. If used incorrectly, the consequences for those who apply the effect are always agonisingly fatal.

   Why do these things always have to be so vague? you wondered, before glancing at Jack to see he had everything out and ready to begin. In such, the both of you carefully read through the instructions and began to create the solution. As you did, Liam got up and began to wander the room, observing what he felt like, before eventually meandering over to the window and staring out of it in complete boredom. So long as he was staying close by and being quiet, you minded none what he did.

   Once the mixture was completed, Jack suddenly brought up: "Jeff hasn't come back."

   You let out a sigh, knowing that meant something wasn't right, and tried not run through too many bad scenarios of what might have been happening in your head as you rose from the floor onto your feet. "I'll go see what's going on."