Chains: Eyeless Jack X Reader

Chapter 13

            Jack was now crouching in front of me, hand extended towards me. Staring at it dumbly, it took me a few seconds to realize he was offering to help me up. Hesitantly I took his hand and he gently pulled me to my feet, glancing away. "...Sorry..."

            "It's... okay?" I mumbled uncertainly. His gaze fell to my ankle, and after a moment he just silently walked down the hall, quickly returning with something in his hand. Crouching by my leg, he revealed the key and fit it into the shackle, unlocking it and letting it fall to the ground with a clatter. "Ah, thanks..."

            "..." He didn't respond right away, but then he abruptly reached for my ankle. Squeaking in surprise, I watched as he rolled down the sock, eying the bandages. He sighed as he rolled it back up and stood. "Sorry... I forgot to unlock it last night... I didn't have a good night."

            "...I heard," I muttered, and could have sworn he flinched.

            "...I'll make your breakfast..." he started, but I shook my head.

            "Uh, why don't I make it today?" I suggested meekly. "No offense, but you seem a little... off." He looked at me silently for a moment and I held my breath, expecting him to refuse or get mad, but instead he just nodded slowly.

            "...Alright..." Wait, did he really just agree? I'd expected more of a fight. Something really WAS wrong. I kept silent, though, as I followed him to the main part of the cabin. He plopped onto the couch while I headed to the kitchenette and opened the fridge, only to quickly close it.

            "...There's a half-eaten lung in there."

            "Oh, that's just leftovers from last night... I couldn't finish, though."

            "...You said you had cereal?" I wasn't in the mood to open the fridge again.

            "Yeah. It's in the fridge, bottom shelf."

            "...You don't know much about human food, do you?" I asked, and he shrugged. Seriously, how had this guy been feeding me the last few days? I walked to the pantry and opened it, locating a loaf of bread and some jelly. Jelly was supposed to be refrigerated, but I assumed he'd put peanut butter in the fridge. Wordlessly I took the jar and bread and made myself a warm jelly sandwich, quickly tucking the jar into the fridge with my eyes closed so I wouldn't have to see the lung before hesitantly sitting at the table. Jack glanced at me but didn't offer any objections, so I assumed it was okay.

            Neither of us spoke, each in our own little worlds. My thoughts quickly wandered to Jack's little outburst this morning when he'd seen me. What was that about? While at the time he'd just seemed angry, now I thought that I'd heard a little panic in his voice, too. I glanced at him discreetly. At the moment he was just staring at the dim TV set, probably deep in thought as well. One of his arms was draped over the back of the couch, and again I couldn't help noticing how thin it seemed. Muscles were there, sure, but overall it seemed rather, well, scrawny, probably from who-knows-how-long of disuse.

            Wait... Suddenly a new possibility struck me, making me pause mid-bite. Could it be...? I quickly shook my head, finding the notion difficult to believe, but at the same time I couldn't dismiss it so easily. His screaming from the previous night came back, his voice desperate and filled with panic. This morning he'd had similar notes of despair when he'd yelled at me. I recalled how I thought I'd heard sobbing from his room as well. Somehow I knew it was all connected, and the pieces seemed to fit together in regards to my new theory. Still, it was hard to believe. I couldn't exactly ask him about it, either...

            "[Name]?" I was jarred from my thoughts by Jack's voice, and turned to see him looking at me with his head tilted. "Are you okay?"

            "Uh, y-yeah," I mumbled, blinking. "Why?"

            "...You've been holding your sandwich next to your mouth for about three minutes without eating." I blinked and turned my head back. Sure enough, I was holding it just inches from my mouth. Staring at it dumbly for a few seconds, I then took a large bite and swallowed.

            "Just thinking," I explained with a shrug. Jack looked at me for a few moments but didn't press it further, turning back. He switched on the television, the screen lighting up to display an ad for some special baking pan. He quickly changed the channel, flipping through them until he reached the local news. I watched in surprise, half-expecting to be sent back to my room, but he didn't say anything so I just turned in the chair for a better view of the TV.

            "...will hopefully win," the newscaster chuckled, apparently wrapping up a story on a local sports team. "Today a young man's body was found in the lake after having gone missing for six months." A picture showed on the screen, and Jack snorted, surprising me.

            "Sounds like BEN," he muttered, and I blinked.

            "BEN?" I repeated, puzzled. He turned his head back to me, making me flinch.

            "...A friend." He left it at that, and I didn't press any further. I didn't want to know too much about Jack's friends. The reporter featured an interview with the victim's mother before cutting to commercial, and when it came back they gave the weather. Sunny, the smiling woman reported, with high temperatures. As soon as it finished Jack turned off the TV and got up, stretching. "Where are your shoes?" I blinked, jarred by the sudden question.

            "Huh? Oh, uh, my room... Why...?"

          "Put them on," he told me, heading for the hall. "We're going out."