mistakes like this, hockstetter ✩ೃ

xxi. six feet under

his heavy footsteps echo throughout the bare house as he walks around, hoping that she'll pop up out of nowhere, and tell him she's okay.

he needed her to be okay.

“god damnit, y/—” before the black haired male can finish his sentence, the front door is slamming open, causing a gasp to escape him as he immediately turns around.

he finds himself face to face with henry, who stared back with the same expression.

“oh um..am i interrupting something?” the dirty blonde haired boy chuckles uncomfortably, though a feeling of hope surfaces.

henry knew that patrick and y/n were destined to be together. everyone knew it. everyone but themselves.

patrick quickly shakes his head, taking steady steps closer.

“n-no, actually. i…” he cuts himself off with a gulp as he notices her cousin's furrowed eyebrows, “y/n... can't find her.”

the bowers boy still stares confusedly.

“what do you mean?”

patrick shifts from one foot to another, his long, pale fingers fidgeting with one another.

“i mean i can't find her. sh-she called me about an hour ago, she sounded spooked and then she just—shit, henry, i should've been there for her.”

at the sight of his best friend's eyes becoming red and watery, the slightly shorter boy steps forward and pulls him into an awkward hug.

“it's okay,” he mutters calmly, though his heart is now racing too, “are you sure she didn't go home with mas—”

“no.” the dark haired boy winces at the thought, “she called me. she called from here.”

before henry bowers can respond, an ear-splitting scream echoes throughout the house, as well as the lights flickering.

both boys make eye contact, the shorter of the two quickly shaking his head as notices the wild look in the hockstetter boy's eyes.

“no, pa—”

“henry. that was her.” he begins to slowly step away towards the back door.

“no, you don't know that. it could've been the neighbors, they're always banging.”

“the only neighbors you have are the animals living in the trees. i'm going out there whether you like it or not.”

patrick doesn't waste another second in yanking the door open and stumbling into the backyard.

he squints his blue eyes as he looks through the many trees, hearing the leaves rustle.

“y/n!” he calls, hands cupped around his mouth to hopefully extend the distance of the sound.

the boy stands still for a second, stepping a bit closer to the woods as he hears what sounds like footsteps crunching in the grass.

“patrick.” her voice whispers, sounding as if it's right behind him, “oh god, patrick. turn around.”

he obeys, but regrets it as the sight in front of him is the most terrifying he's ever seen.

this kind of stuff was supposed to only be in the movies or those silly horror stories.

“ho-ly dick balls.” his eyes start at the feet and slowly pan up, a feeling of pure fear erupting in him the longer he stares.

and then he sees her.

well, the toes of her bare feet, dangling inches above the ground, twitching and kicking.

when he's finally gotten a full view of what's in front of him, he can't help but let out a sob.

his y/n was being held in in the arms of some weird, circus clown gone wrong, her eyes barely even open, her cheeks streaked with tears.

bruises lay scattered all on her arms and some on her neck, and god, did patrick want to kill the little shit who did this to her.

he steps forward, arm swinging back as he's about to punch the sick fuck in the face, but as henry's voice calls his name, the thing vanishes.

“patrick!” the bowers boy runs outside to his friend, eyes showing concern.

“no!” he shouts, turning back around towards the trees and beginning to run as he catches a glimpse of that tattered, not-so-white clown suit.

before he can reach it, henry has caught up to him and is pulling him back, both of then tumbling to the ground at the impact.

“what the hell are you doing?” he asks his tall friend, voice thick with what seemed to be held back tears.

“y/n, she—you stopped me! i could've saved her. now she's alone with that thing and she's hurt and i-i couldn't save her.”

henry shakes his head, shaking hands reach and resting on the dark haired boy's shoulders.

“calm down, okay? we'll find her. we'll get the others and i promise, we'll find her.”

&.

this entire book is a mess
but i'm keeping it that way ig