introspective isolation! ;tanner fic;

one

You knew what room it came from.

The steps creaked under your weight, the sounds of them extra loud as your ears tried to focus.

Now upstairs, you faced the door to the master bedroom filled with hesitation. You hadn't been in this room once since your return, and if you were being honest with yourself, you didn't want to. Turning the knob slowly, you opened the door, flicking on the light switch and walking deeper into the room.

Everything was lightly dusty, the bed still made with its floral bedsheets, and the lamps from the switch were dim and soft. On the floor in front of the nightstand, laid a picture frame on its front. Considering its placement, you picked it up and sat on the bed.

It was a picture of you as a kid, your smile wide, missing teeth and all. To the left of you was your father, the corners of his eyes wrinkled with age, and to your right, your mother, her face appearing not that much younger than your father. She was bent down with her hands on your shoulders, her head next to your own, smiling just as bright as you.

Mom...

You found yourself smiling at the memory of that day, and you ran your hand down the side of the frame. The other picture on the stand was a picture of your father holding you as a baby. He looked younger there, maybe in his early fifties. Looking back down to the picture in your hands, your smile slowly began to disappear as the hairs on the back of your neck began to stand.

A ghost? No, not a ghost, you didn't even believe in ghosts. Or did you? You didn't know. You stood, still holding the frame in your hand as you backed to a wall and looked around.

Nothing seemed out of place, besides the knocked over picture, so you wondered if maybe there was some paranormal force at hand. Growing bold, you separated your lips and took a breath.

"I know you're in here."

Your body was stiff and still in anticipation,

"Show yourself."

Silence answered you, and after fifteen seconds of just standing, you started to feel like a dumbass.

Until the closet door opened.

"Alright, alright, you got me."

Your body went ramrod stiff as some random man came stepping out of your mother's closet, his head bending down in the process. He was neatly dressed, his lips fixed in a grin as his playful eyes focused on your own, shocked ones.

He began to make his way to you as your mind blanked and the grip on the frame grew stronger, proving himself to be way taller than you had first noticed in comparison to your own vulnerable body.

Your eyes darted down to the object he had in his hand and back up to his unwavering face.

"What is it?"

As if his voice set you off, you threw the picture frame at him and immediately turned to the door behind you, running out and down the stairs to the dark kitchen. He was close behind you and when you made it to the dining room table, you both began to run around it until you stopped and started baiting each other on which direction to go in.

Your jaw was screwed shut while your eyes were wired open, absorbing his every move. He looked amused and maybe even happy with the little tango you two were doing, until you figured to just make a break to the utensil drawer.

Before you could open it he had you by behind, one arm behind you as the other drew closer with the syringe.
You folded your body onto the counter and abruptly came up, headbutting him from behind allowing you to slip out from your grasp.

But in a lapse in judgment on where to go, passing the front door, you ran back up the stairs again.

He followed you, of course, right on your heels and you tripped on the last step causing you to fall and for him to pounce on top of you. You began to throw punches at him as he fought you back with one arm, the other holding the syringe pointing up. When he caught your hands, you slipped out of your towel and started to get up, before he caught you from behind again, pressing your front with his own body against the hallway. You pushed him as hard as you could with your backside, causing him to grunt and back away, but that temporary freedom just made him cross his arm around you with his other elbow digging into your ribs, bringing you both down to the floor again.

You felt the carpet against your ass as he crossed his long legs over yours rendering you unable to kick him or get up. He had his long arm over yours by the elbows, squeezing you as your chest shook while you squirmed. You tried headbutting him again but he moved back in time, resting his chin on the top of your head while your wet hair stuck to the sides of your face.

The more he squeezed you, the less you were able to move, and so he brought the tip of the needle to your neck, successfully pricking you as your vision drew blurry and your body grew numb and as your wide eyes slowly began to close...

.;.