I had conjured up just about a million different places to look for her, but for some reason, my mind kept dragging me back to the idea that she was in the woods right behind her house. The overwhelming feeling of being watched hadn't ended at the woods; it had followed me home, followed me into my bed, and followed me into my restless slumber.
Whatever Henry had involved her in was deep, that much I knew. Paranoia hung around every corner, willing me to stay away yet drawing me closer nonetheless. I needed to find her, make sure she was safe and sound. Though somewhere deep in my heart, I knew she was safe. She hadn't been harmed yet, a part of me knew that if something had happened to her, if she was no longer with me, I'd know. I'd feel it.
Somehow, I had let my thoughts consume me to the point of no return as I stared, once again, into the thick trees behind her house. I didn't remember getting in my car, I didn't remember the drive there, and I didn't remember taking the gun out of the car, or slinging the carrying strap over my shoulder.
But I did know that Henry had kept dirty little secrets from her, and as a result, had hurt her. Not only had he kept secrets from her, but he had forced me to keep his secrets from her as well. In some ways, I felt responsible for her absence. Had I spoke up sooner, would she had still gone missing?
Wind whipped against my face, my hair swirling around similar to the way my mind had been for the past few days, reminding me that this was real life. This wasn't a sick nightmare about my best friend going missing; it was real. All too fucking real.
My eyes wearily scanned over the ominous forest as the sun steadily set behind me, casting ghastly shadows over the tree-line, spilling into the thick of the forest.
And all at once, I saw and heard them.
A dull yellow-orange sweatshirt peeking from the brush.
"We have to end this, Tim! Stop being ignorant about this!"
I was well aware that he had mentioned another name, meaning that he definitely wasn't alone, but had I really cared at that point? Not even in the slightest.
Who would be looming around the house of a woman who had just gone missing, especially in the woods behind said woman's home, if they weren't involved?
My legs pushed themselves into overdrive as I broke out into a sprint towards the sweatshirt-clad man, and as I barreled ever closer to him, another man came into sight; donning a creepily feminine mask and tan-brown jacket, it looked as if he had been arguing with the other man.
But I didn't care to listen in on a lover's quarrel; I wanted my fucking friend back.
I had hushed my steps to barely a whisper when I finally approached the tree-line, my gun that once swung freely at my side now cocked and aimed, more than ready to be fired.
I locked my sight in on the two men, trying to decide which one appeared more dangerous, which one I'd have to take out first. I didn't want to bother with questioning them, finding out if they were involved or not; I had heard her name mentioned more than once, though the context I hadn't been able to make out. And that was enough for me.
And suddenly, both of them froze in their place. Unprompted, as I had made sure to account for my footing; I hadn't stepped on any twigs or branches, hadn't crunched a pebble under my foot, I hadn't even shifted a fucking leaf out of place.
Their silence and unwillingness to move was becoming eerie; something inside told me that they just knew. In the same way that I had been able to sense eyes on me from outside the forest that day, I knew they probably felt it now.
Raising my weapon silently, I aimed, and I fucking fired. The recoil was strong, but my grip and footing both were stronger as I planted my shoes sturdily onto the Earth beneath me, ready to fire once more.
But there was absolutely nobody there. I surely had shot the orange-hooded one; I had been able to hear the bullet make contact.
"You're a great shot, I'll give you that,"
Whirling around on my heels, I stood before two men, mouth agape. There was no way.
Sewn, circular red patches stared back at me as his stitched-on red frown mocked me.
My eyes trailed from the unsettling mask to the small twinkle from between his fingers, the setting sun reflecting off of the now rugged material; he rolled it in his fingers. The bullet I had just shot from my gun was now between his fingers, taunting me.
The figure beside him wearing the white mask donned with feminine features let out a sinister chuckle from behind it as he slung his arm around the shoulders of the second man.
"What have you come to do, hm? Avenge your friend? You don't even know if we had anything to fucking do with it,"
He scoffed, glancing over at his partner before letting the arm he had draped over the other man fall as he stepped toward me. He pointed a finger into my chest, digging in enough to make me back up on instinct.
He noticed the flinch, and grabbed both of my shoulders roughly, shaking me a bit as he did so. Tears began to well in my eyes as I processed the scene that was unfolding before me.
"I-I didn't want to cause t-trouble, I-I just want my friend b-back. She's all I f-fucking have,"
He let out a laugh directly in my face; he was turning my pain into some sort of comedy show. I knew I should have just taken my shot right from where I stood when I had first seen them; they would have had no time at all to prepare for it.
"I-I-I-I j-j-just want you to s-s-s-shut your fucking MOUTH,"
He mocked my stuttering, which I had lost control of containing due to pure and unbridled fear, and looked over his shoulder at his partner.
"I think I know a guy that'd have fun with this one. L-L-Likes to s-s-s-s-stutter, heh,"
The hooded man nodded, but gestured back toward me, which made the masked man turn himself fully back to me.
If I was tired of anything in my life, it was being pushed around by men. I had been pushed around, manipulated, and beaten by my father. I had been cheated on, assaulted, and abused by my ex-boyfriend; after enduring every fucking obstacle that he been thrown at me, I wasn't about to buckle under the weight of yet another man's internal issues.
I knew there was one thing that sadistic men just couldn't resist; reveling in the vulnerability of others.
I sunk to my knees dramatically, dolling it up with a flutter of my eyelids as I let my body go limp, hitting the ground hard as I pretended to faint.
"Look at her, fucking pathetic! Can't even handle a little scare before passing out,"
Both men shared a small chuckle before I heard footsteps beside me. I felt a breath on my face, hot and reeking of cigarette smoke; I knew it had been the masked one. He reeked of cigarettes, I could smell it before he had even forced me closer to him.
Working slowly, my hands found their way to the gun that had fallen beside me, strap now completely off my arm, most likely it had fallen off during my theatrical display.
I made quick work of it, feeling it out, making a mental map of where the butt of it would be, and once I found it, I wasted no time.
I raised the butt of that gun above me with so much force that whatever it had made sickening contact with was surely broken. Whether it was a nose or an orbital bone wasn't my problem as I scrambled to my feet, leaving the two men far behind me as I urged my legs to carry me as fast as they possibly could.
I finally allowed myself to slow, as I hadn't payed much attention to where I had ran and found myself more than thoroughly lost. Not hearing footsteps behind me, I sank against the closest tree beside me and let my head fall in my hands as a few tears slipped down my cheeks.
Whoever they were, they knew of (Name), and most definitely knew something about where she was or who she was with. If I were to leave these woods now, I'd never be able to find them again.
If I ever wanted to see (Name) again, I had a choice to make. In frustration, I grabbed tightly at my brunette locks and let out a short scream of anger; ultimately, against my better judgement, I tossed the gun to the side of me with no intent to pick it up again.
They'd probably kill me on contact, but then again, they might not.
If I didn't try, I'd never know.
"Where'd she fucking go? I'll fucking rip her to shreds,"
Sighing, I quickly wiped my tears, and walked toward the voice belonging to the masked man.
If I died now, I wouldn't have to bear the pain of missing her anymore. If I lived, I'd still have a fighting chance to reunite with her. In my mind, both outcomes were good enough.
--(Name) POV--
Just like that, I had been left to my own devices yet again.
I had been able to fool him yet again, and the feeling of power it had given me was euphoric. I knew the passwords to nearly all of Henry's accounts; he was too drunk most of the time to really function, so it wasn't uncommon for him to hand me his laptop and allow me to do his work for him.
Though I had found myself quite enamored with the mysterious being, when he had kissed me just before he left, I came to my final conclusion; what seemed to good to be true was probably just that. I had been through my fair share of abusive, manipulative men.
Jack had thrown me a rather pleasant grin when he had alluded to 'finishing his assignment', which seemed harmless at first. But I saw the sadism behind his eyes when he admitted he wouldn't just off me. I saw the manipulation shining from between his teeth.
And in that moment, my mind was made for me. Jack wasn't someone I'd be able to forget easily, however. I'd probably always be left wondering how it would have gone. What we would have been like together, what other things I'd discover about him, or even discover about myself.
But on the flip side of that coin, I'd never be able to have a normal family with Jack. I'd never be able to marry him, have children with him; I'd never be able to forget something at the grocery store and send him out to grab it for me. I'd never be able to have even just a sliver of normalcy in my life ever again. I'd have to condition myself to accept his food habits, I'd have to condition myself to being inside this little cabin, and I'd have to condition myself to be happy. I'd have to learn how to thrive in the sun rather than survive under the clouds I had always known; change was terrifying.
Being here, with Jack, was everything my soul craved. Jack was everything I wanted; he posed a mental challenge to me. He was something I'd have to slowly grow to understand, as I'd never be able to conceptualize all of him in just one sitting. Jack would keep me guessing for the rest of my mortal life, he would keep me enthralled, but most of all, he would keep me happy.
And I really didn't know, after all I had went through, if happiness was something I was ready for. I hadn't been able to properly grieve the loss of Henry, the loss of my outside life, or the loss of who I used to be. Now that I was aware of the very real evil that lurked just outside my realm of perception before, I knew I'd never be the same. If I didn't stay with Jack, I'd always be worried that he was watching from just over my shoulder. Yet, for some reason, I found that way of living preferrable to even just staying here one more minute. I just needed some time away from everything. I needed some time away from Jack.
And that's why, instead of logging into the financial icon for Jack, I logged into it when he had left. I wouldn't need much money to get by, just enough for a bus pass and a plane ticket, maybe a little bit for some clothes and an apartment once I finally landed. Where was I going? Anywhere but here. Anywhere but my old home. Anywhere.
Giving the wiring button one final click, I sighed somberly, looking around and absorbing Jack's cabin one last time. This is the last time I'd ever be here. It had been weeks, maybe months now, since I had been on my own. Maybe I should have taken just a little more when I had transferred the money; surely I'd be needing some intense therapy after all of this.
But when I turned my gaze back to the laptop to view the transaction details, the amount had changed from ten thousand to one hundred thousand dollars, and a message reading 'You shouldn't have done that...' appeared across the screen. There was no other option to dismiss or even click on the message except one, reading, '***'.
After reading over the message a second, third, and then a final fourth time, my body trembled due to the sudden chill settling over the air as the eerie feeling of being watched cascaded over me.
"Planning an escape, hmm? Don't worry, I won't tell Jack,"
A cold, soft breath caressed the shell of my ear; I had learned all too early on to let whoever was speaking to you show themselves before you decided to face them yourself first.
Though, this time I certainly wished I had just swallowed my fears and had turned around. A pair of startlingly cold hands trailed from the nape of my neck down my upper arms, snaking their way down further to come to a resting stop at my forearm.
"What's so interesting about him, if I might ask?"
From my peripheral vision, I could only make out a bit of green and a spot of red belonging to the man whispering into my ear. His voice was smooth, his every word leaving his mouth was encased in a freezing cold sincerity; what he had said so far was genuine interest, that much I could tell.
He shifted himself from my left to my right ear, his hands still lingering against my skin.
"No need to be shy, I've been watching you for quite some time,"
He chuckled to himself darkly, removing one of his hands for just a moment only to replace it with his hand again, but this time he was loosely holding a small, intricately designed dagger.
He lowered himself to my ear slowly as he breathed in sharply, exhaling slowly as he quietly laughed to himself.
"You're quite the manipulator, (Name). You pretended not to know your little ex's passwords, and actually fooled him. Impressive, especially for someone as particular as Jack,"
I finally grouped together the final pieces of courage I had left in my body and turned to face the man that had been looming behind me on the couch. How long had he been in the room? I hadn't even seen the front door open, which was, to my knowledge, the only way to enter the cabin.
I gazed upon the man, a bit dumbfounded. He strongly resembled Link from The Legend of Zelda games, yet with a dark twist. His eyes were completely black, but where his pupils should have been were instead small, red, glowing irises. Brimming up in the corner of both eyes was a constant stream of deep, dark, crimson blood; it pooled up on his waterline before spilling over into the already-formed streams, cascading down his cheeks and down along his neck, his green tunic becoming stained at the collar from it.
He raised an eyebrow as he watched me consider him, and in all honesty, I didn't blame him. If it wasn't for the stalking admission and the tears of blood streaming down his face paired with soulless eyes, he would pass as extremely attractive.
"I'm here to question you, doll, not be checked out by you. But, you aren't unpleasant to look at yourself, so by all means, continue,"
His smugness definitely wasn't as attractive as he was, however, and I quickly diverted my eyes to the dagger still loosely gripped in his hand.
He followed my gaze with his own; he was observant. He didn't waste even a moment tracking exactly what I had been looking at, and it made sense. Jack had stated that each and every one of them had gone through some sort of 'conditioning' to become as lethal as they were, and though I didn't exactly know if this man was associated with them, I had a pretty strong feeling he was.
"Oh, this thing?" He twirled the blade between his fingers effortlessly without even looking at it.
"I brought it just in case you decided to do something irrational, but you're pretty intelligent. Not a good idea to attack someone with a knife, though I'm sure you know that by now,"
I nodded, not sure whether to speak or not. I didn't get a particularly bad feeling from this man, but feelings just couldn't be trusted in relation to unstable murderers.
"You can talk, you know, I'm not really into the whole 'sit and be silent and listen to my demands' type of interrogator,"
He flung himself over the back of the couch with one hand, landing next to me at a much closer proximity than I would have preferred.
"You've been watching me?"
He nodded without missing a beat, almost as if he had been anticipating the questions before I had even asked them.
"Of course. You've caused quite a bit of trouble since being kidnapped, not that you'd know. Jeff's dead, by the way,"
My mouth hung open and my eyes went wide at the news. It wasn't surprising that he was dead, but more or less, it was one less serial killer I'd have to be on the lookout for.
He gauged my reaction, nodding to really lock in the severity of what he had said.
I didn't really care for the reason that he died; Jeff had been incredibly agitating with his delusions. Once he came up with some crazy, other-worldly idea, it seemed like neither rational explanation of it not being possible nor flat-out denial could coax him out of his little world.
"See, you don't really get to have a good look at what's going on in the inside, but the men you've met so far? Yeah, they're all absolutely obsessed with you. It's come to the point where there's people dying because of it, like Jeff,"
And at that, for some reason, I felt extremely guilty. What had I done to cause every single person I'd had the displeasure of meeting become obsessed with me? And then, it settled in.
Jack had mentioned that they were all conditioned to deny their humanity and to deny the humanity in others, but they had never been forced to keep someone with humanity in them alive. They only ever had to kill, they never had to hold hostages, especially not for this long. I had been exposing cold-hearted, cold-blooded murderers to kindness and humanity. Even when I was trying to escape them, they were still able to sense it.
A smile graced his handsome face as he scanned over my own, nodding in response to my knowing expression.
"See? You've got it. You're humanity is driving them nuts. It's been like a factory reset for some of them, they're forgetting their roots here and going back to their old ways of thinking. I'm assuming it's an experiment of sorts by the Oper-erm, our boss, and your nightmares don't do much in denying that theory, either,"
I sunk into the couch a little deeper, fixing my gaze on the floor. It all made sense. Why Jeff had spouted crazy nonsense about him and I, and why Toby had paired with Jeff back at the mansion to take me from Tim. It even made sense regarding Tim; he had willingly taken me back to that wretched mansion to get away from Jack and the cabin. Why would a serial-killer just randomly decide to be kind to a hostage they had never had contact with before?
"Was I always supposed to be an experiment, then? Was I brought here for a real mission, or assignment, or whatever the fuck it is? Was I meant to be a test of sorts for a bunch of serial killers this whole time?"
He shook his head in the negative, but considered me for a moment in silence.
After a minute or so, he too slumped back into the couch.
"I can't really answer that one honestly. Our boss only tells us so much, and lately, it's been even less. I'm thinking he wants to test the loyalty of his employees or something, see who's really devoted,"
I directed my gaze at him, to which he instantly returned. We held deep contact like that for a moment, him nor I faltering even for a moment.
"Are you devoted to him?"
He shook his head no instantly, laughing out loud. It sounded almost as if there was a sort of autotune over his voice, as if a robot was making the sound rather than him.
"If I was loyal to him, I would have let you escape and snitched to him about it instead of showing up to speak with you myself,"
I gave a small sigh of relief, though still not fully trusting in his statement denouncing any loyalty to this supposed 'boss'.
He noticed this, and in response, he flung the blade he had held in his hand across the room, the handle sticking out of the cabin wall a good six feet away from where we sat where it had hit.
"Listen, you don't have to trust me, but I would listen carefully if I were you. You've managed to make a mess, and when it comes time for you to clean it up, don't fucking hesitate. You're gonna meet a man named Brian, and it's not going to be a pleasant meeting,"
He gestured toward his blade sticking out from the wall.
"See that knife? You keep that knife, and you hide it under your mattress in your little room over there. And as soon as you feel like you're being watched, it's because you are. You grab that knife, and you fucking fight for your life-,"
I shook my head no, cutting him off. There was no way that I would win against one of them in a fight; they were all just too skilled. They had been trained to track, hunt, and kill, I had been trained to be silent and take on the trauma of others. I'd be dead before I even had time to cry, which was completely useless, but it was the only thing I knew how to do.
"What makes you think I'd stand even half a chance against one of you? You've all had training for that type of shit,"
He didn't laugh or even chuckle this time; he stared directly into my eyes, his glowing pupils burning with intensity and seriousness.
"You've met some of the most proficient serial killers in the occupation and have, so far, lived to tell the tale. You wouldn't be here if he didn't want you to be. You fucking count on that, and you fucking play on that."
I had looked back at his blade stuck in the wall for just a single moment, and when I turned back, he was gone without a trace.
In his place sat a little note reading, 'BEN'.
I hung my head in my hands, sighing as I gripped onto my hair. I shouldn't have even bothered with the computer, I should have just fucking left as soon as I had the chance.
-- so this chapter is offically the longest in the entire book capping at 4039 words, not counting this AN
I'm very excited where this is going and I love BEN to no end. He knows what's coming, and he has grown to care for (Name) but not in the same way as everybody else.
ABAHHIAOFHIOHOHFHA I don't have much to say on this one, i'm tired of typing after doing all this but i got carried away for sure, didn't want to end on a cliffhanger so i just DIDN'T<3
And as always, if you're going to Meatball, do it Extravagantly.--