Marilyn slowly sneaks up the steps, making her way towards the opening she's familiar with.
A grunt is heard from the kitchen and Mairlyn stops, an alarming amount of fear building up in her.
"This is too bad. You could've saved her. Oh well. More for me."
The girls eyebrows furrow in confusion at the grabbers voice. He was talking to someone. Who? She had no clue. All she knows is that she could use his distraction to her advantage.
Peeking her head around the corner she spots the man ontop of someone, pinning them down.
Marilyn squints her eyes to see who he was standing over and when she spots the familiar bushy mane she's come to love a small gasp escapes her lips.
Vance.
He found me.
Marilyn quickly grips onto the toilet part tighter, making her way towards the two.
"Nighty night naughty boy."
She could spot the gleam of a metal knife hovering above Vances neck and wastes no time before diving into action.
+++
The rain is falling hard as Gwen and Finney both look at eachother in sadness, watching as a body bag gets dragged from the brick house, Mr. Kate following after it with a grief stricken gaze.
Gwenny let's out a small whimper.
"This is my fault. I was too slow." She whispers.
Finneys head snaps toward the girl, shaking his head. "No. Don't you dare say that Gwen. None of this is your fault. Don't ever think that again." He says, grabbing her face and making it face her so she understands what he's saying. "You did the best you could okay? That motherfucker was just too fast for us to catch him."
Gwen nods lightly, clenching her jaw before looking over at Franklyn.
Gwenny couldn't help but feel the guilt overwhelm her. She knows it's not her fault. But she still feels bad that she didn't find them in time.
"Come. Let's go see them." Finney says, holding his hand out.
Gwen nods, taking his hand before he leads the two of them over to Mr. Kate.
The man's head slowly raises from the closed body bag, looking up towards the two teenagers infront of him.
"Hey kiddos." He sends them a weak smile, trying not to look sad.
Both siblings send him a look of sympathy. Marilyn was much like he was. Always hiding her true emotions from others, keeping her thoughts to herself.
"I'm sorry." Finney mutters.
Mr. Kate shakes his head, waving his hand. "Its alright. No need to be sorry." He whispers, his voice not being able to go any louder.
Gwen shakes her head at the man. "Wheres Marilyn?"
Franklyn shrugs his shoulders. "They don't know."
+++
"Nighty night naughty boy."
Vances life flash before his fear stricken eyes as the grabber presses the knife harder into his neck.
The knife breaks his skin, lightly drawing blood. But before the grabber could slit any further, a loud bang was heard, followed by a thud and the weight was removed from Vances body.
Opening his eyes, Vance spots a sight he never thought he'd see again.
Marilyn.
His Marilyn.
Holding...a toilet lid?
Panting, Marilyn sends the boy a small smile. "Hey Vance."
Vance was in shock. Marilyn was there, infront of him. She was covered in dirt and sweat, a few bruises on her body, one extra dark one on her head. She looked horrible. Like she'd been through hell. Which, in a way, she has.
"You bitch!" The grabbers voice breaks Vance from his transe, both teens heads snapping towards the groaning man.
Marilyn goes to swing the toilet part at him again but it's knocked from her hands as the grabber unexpectedly tackles her to the ground.
Marilyn let's out a small scream as she feels a sharp pain in her abdomen. Looking down, she sees blood soaking through her shirt.
A loud yell can be heard from behind them as the grabber is thrown to the ground once again, tackled by Vance.
"Keep your filthy hands off her." Vance says, punching the man.
The punching doesn't last long before the grabber kicks him off, throwing Vance into the drawers.
Marilyn looks at Vance with worry, she could see the blood pouring through his own shirt.
Vance holds his head in pain, looking at the girl and sending her a small nod, telling her exactly what she needed to know.
Finish this.
Marilyn nods before running to the kitchen bench, reaching for a knife.
Her finger tips brush over the the handle before arms wrap around her waist, yanking her from the knives and throwing her into the fridge.
Marilyn let's out a yell of pain, holding her arm. But she's quick to snap out of it as she sees the man stomping towards her, knife in his hand.
"I think im done with you now." He whispers before swinging the knife at her.
Marilyn holds her hand out, grabbing his arm before the knife comes in contact with her.
Raising her leg, she kicks her foot up right into his balls, the grabber dropping the knife and grabbing onto his crotch in pain.
"You bitch!" He yells.
Vance laughs lightly from his spot on the floor before quickly stopping and grabbing his head in pain.
Marilyn grabs the knife quickly, kicking the grabber in his face, knocking his mask off in the process.
The man let's out a scream, covering his face with his dirty hands.
Marilyn uses this to her advantage and running at him.
The grabber is quick to act, grabbing the girl before he bunts him, slamming her onto the floor and knocking the knife from her hands.
Vance tries to raise from the floor but a wave of dizziness washes over him, causing him to collapse back down.
He's lost too much blood.
The grabber grabs onto the girl tightly, sending her a jagged smile.
Marilyn stares at him in fear. This is the first time she's seen him without fave coverage. He's even more horrifying then she imagined. She can finally spot every ounce of psycho in his features. From his bloodshot eyes to his crooked smile.
"You're done for little girl." He grunts before his rough fingers wrap around her throat, applying pressure almost immediately.
Marilyn gasps for air, trying her hardest to relieve the pain in her lungs as the man blocks her air way, tears slipping from her eyes.
"You and your friend weren't good enough. Not that you needed to be good." He smiles, leaning down and looking iver her bruised and bloody face. "You couldn't have killed me even if you tried. I've studied you Marilyn. You wouldn't hurt a fly." The man grunts, pushing harder.
Marilyns lips close and part once again, her hand reaching for the knife she dropped.
"Try." She mutters, the force from his hands making it extremely hard to talk.
"Me." She whispers, finally reaching the knife, her fingers wrapping around the handle tightly.
"Bitch." She let's out, bringing her hand up and jamming the knife in the man's throat, moving through the flesh like butter as blood splatters from the gash.
The grabber let's out a choked groan, blood dripping from his lips as he comes on it.
Marilyn pushes the man from her, his body landing with a thud as he lets out his last few breaths.
Coughing, Marilyn rolls her to side to breath easier, her throat screaming in pain from each breath she takes.
"Vance." She mutters, slowly getting up and making her way towards the boy, holding her hand out.
He sends her a small smile, raising his hand and wrapping his fingers around her own. She pulls him up to her, grabbing onto his face and looking over the cut on his neck.
"Shit." She mutters before looking at him.
She could tell he was weak from his half closed eyes, but the hint of a smile on his face tells her that he was still aware of everything.
"C'mon." She mutters, putting his arm around her shoulders. Vance leaning onto her without a question.
Marilyn winces lightly as the wound in her own abdomen finally begins stinging as the adrenaline in her body begins to die down.
They did it.
+++
Finney and Gwen were staring at the man infront of them with shock.
"They don't know? How can they not know?" Gwen asks in anger, glaring at the detectives from her spot.
Finney goes to say something but a scream interrupts them.
"Help!"
Franklyn's head snaps up at the familiar voice.
Vance's voice.
Raising from his spot, he squints his eyes through the misty rain, staring infront of them.
Two figures emerge from the house opposite them, both limping and stumbling around.
"Marilyn?" Franklyn asks.
Finney and Gwen snap around, gasping as they spot their friend infront of them.
First responders immediately make their way towards the two, everyone running around to make room.
Marilyn looks around in shock, trying to figure out why everyone was here.
Did they know?
Looking at the people who were running towards her, she nods her head towards the house. "Kitchen." She whispers, her voice unable to go any higher.
The detectives nod before running into the house.
Paramedics make their way towards her and she immediately shakes her head, taking Vance's arm off her shoulder.
"Him first." She whispers.
The paramedics look at her with concerned expressions but the girl just waves them off. "Him first." She repeats, trying to be louder so they would understand.
The paramedics nod before taking Vance from her, moving him to an ambulance.
"Marilyn!"
Marilyn squints her eyes in the rain searching for the source of the voice. Smiling lightly, she spots her father running towards her, tears in his eyes.
It doesn't take long before the girl in engulfed in a tight hug, letting out a wince at the sudden contact but wraps her arms around him anyway.
"Marilyn. You're alive." He whispers and she nods into his chest.
"I'm okay. I'm here." Her voice cracks.
Her father breaks from the hug and grabs her face, scanning over her injuries.
"Oh my poor baby." He whispers, looking at her bruising neck. He could tell she had been choked just from the bruising. It was horrendous. An explosion of purples and blues, greens adding into the mix.
Marilyn sends him a sad look. "I'm sorry-" She whispers but her throat stops her from going any further, as well as a wave of nausea flooding her body like a tsunami.
She lost alot more blood than she thought.
"Jesus Marilyn." A voice says from beside her and she turns to see Finney and Gwen staring at her with shock.
Gwen runs forward and englfs the girl in the biggest hug she could muster, Finney following right behind before quickly pulling apart when the girl winces.
"Sorry." Gwen says before looking down at gasping.
There was a strong amount of blood on her shirt, more appearing with it.
"Holy shit Marilyn, are you feeling alright?" Finney asks, grabbing the girls arms to steady her.
Franklyn looks at Finney with confusion as to what he was referring to. Looking down, he spots the blood and hole in her shirt, his own eyes widening.
"Marilyn?"
That was the last word she heard before darkness consumed her vision.