Lie To Me~Ticci Toby X Reader

Chapter 19 I Have To Look Up Just To See Hell

Then there were the dreams about an endless, black forest. Enormous black trees, bereft of any foliage, would tower towards the silver skies above you. Ancient and haunting as you stood among them on a small path that led straight towards the deeper parts of the forest. No life around you, other than your own heart; no warmth, only the chill running down your spine when you know you look upon something deadly and dangerous. Eyes watching you at all times, whispers echoing in your thoughts, in languages long ago forgotten.

You shouldn't be here.

You must not remain here.

None must be here other than Him.

The next time you surface, there is a voice calling your name.

'______'

Trembling, your eyelids open and your (e/c) eyes are assaulted by pure white light.

At first, you don't know what you are looking at; your body feels sore, but the pain is no longer there, and as you blink a few times, you realize two things: first, your eyesight is restored -probably courtesy of Master's powers- and second, those bright white lights belong to the ceiling of a sterilized, white room.

You are lying flat upon a cold, metallic surface if you were to judge by the uncomfortable feeling and the chill, at the same time your strangely heavy breaths tangle with the sounds of various machines breathing as if alive from somewhere around you. One picks up as you blink again, and you vaguely wonder what it is, but you are too tired to make any moves. In truth, you have no other feeling other than your breath echoing in your ears and your eyes blinking; there is no feeling left in your body, puzzling you even more.

But before you managed to form a coherent thought, a black-teared blue mask invades your field of vision.

'It appears the effects of the morphine have worn out faster this time. Our specimen is awake, Anastacia.' Eyeless Jack leans over you, flashing your eyes with a small medical flashlight, unemotionally addressing his helper; Halloween most probably 'Reacting to the light. Are you lucid _____?'

Genuinely, you try your best to answer him, but your throat has something lodged inside, and your lips are too parched.

'Ah, but of course.' Jack tilts his head to the side, studying you with feigned interest 'The acid that reached your vocal cords is preventing you. Blink twice if you understand me, human.'

The-the WHAT now? Somewhere in the back, the beeping skyrockets, but gathering your thoughts, you blink twice.

Jack hums darkly 'Good. Very good. Quite resilient for a human female. Although we did bring you back four times within the timespan of a week.'

Jack remains silent and immovable, staring down at you with his face covered by his mask, never betraying any of his thoughts or emotions. Out of everyone in the mansion, even above Hoody himself, Jack was the only one utterly in control of his self, rendering it impossible to read him. Suddenly, you realize these are the first coherent thoughts you have formed in a while; (e/c) uncertain, you try to take a look at your surroundings, but your body doesn't obey. The movement seems to put Jack back into motion, snapping his head at you.

'For three weeks, I have placed you in a medically induced coma. The acid gave you third-degree burns along the entirety of your body.' He says calmly as if he's talking about the weather.

Bringing one of his scalpers and examining it to the light, 'Epidermis and dermis are almost non-existent; the nerve endings in certain areas destroyed. As a result, you have now permanently lost all sensation at said parts. Blink if you understand me.'