??, ??, 2017
The passage of time became a blur in that wretched cellar. I lost count of the days, unable to discern reality from hallucination. The only constants were the unrelenting torment and the ever-present dread of Jeff lurking above.
My attempts to hide from him had grown increasingly desperate. Boxes, once used for storage, now served as makeshift barriers to shield me from his view. My blanket, once a source of comfort, was now a tattered remnant of what it used to be.
My physical state deteriorated in tandem with my mental anguish. I couldn't sleep, and my persistent nausea left me unable to eat. My throat ached from the constant screams that had long since fallen silent. My clothes, like my socks, had succumbed to the filth and decay of that wretched cellar.
As my mind unraveled, the hallucinations grew more vivid. I heard voices—phantom echoes of those who had once been a part of my life. I saw people—friends and strangers alike—flicker in and out of existence. Reality had become an elusive concept, and I clung to the last shreds of my sanity.
Despite my desperation, I lacked the means to escape. The chain that bound my ankle to the wall remained unyielding, a symbol of my powerlessness. It seemed that death might be the only escape from this never-ending nightmare, but even that prospect felt like a distant dream in the abyss of the cellar.
The voices from upstairs continued to echo in my prison of darkness. I strained to make sense of the words, desperate for any information that might help me survive this ordeal. My own voice was barely a whisper now, parched and weakened by days without water.
Jeff's bellowing always cut through the eerie silence, and I found twisted comfort in his loudness. It meant I could eavesdrop on their conversations, their twisted plans, and perhaps find a way to outwit them. Jeff's aversion to showers was another eerie detail that filled my thoughts. It was surreal to ponder such mundane habits in the midst of this nightmare.
Days ago, I had thought I heard Masky's distinct presence, a beacon of hope amid the madness. But the memory of that possible encounter had begun to fade, leaving me unsure and desperate for any sign of help.
Once more, their voices erupted into argument, making my heart race. Jeff's defensive stance and the mention of "the boss" sent shivers down my spine. The stranger, sent to check the basement, was an unwelcome guest in my living nightmare.
The cellar door creaked open, and I instinctively retreated to my hiding spot, clutching the blanket in my trembling hands. "why the fuck do you need to check my basement! ben got rid of that fucking bitch weeks ago!" The footsteps on the stairs grew closer, a menacing presence that seemed to circle me like a shark closing in on its prey.
"I'm telling you. She's gone, look at the bloodstain," Jeff's voice echoed through the cellar, his twisted pride evident.
"She isn't who we're after," the stranger countered, and a cold dread enveloped me like a shroud. They were talking about me. They knew I was here, and my heart raced in panic.
"Well, she's the only one. Ben disposed of her after I had my fun," Jeff insisted with a sinister glee.
"I don't think she is," the stranger's voice grew closer, inching toward my hiding place, and my thoughts raced as I struggled to prepare for whatever horrifying fate awaited me next.
The stranger's pacing brought him ever closer to my hiding spot. My heart pounded in my chest, and cold sweat dripped down my brow. I clutched the rusty pipe tightly, trying to control the tremors that shook my body.
Jeff's protestations and the stranger's refusal to believe I was gone had put me squarely in their sights. I was trapped, vulnerable, and defenseless. Panic coursed through my veins, but I couldn't move. My body had grown weak, and dehydration had left me on the brink of collapse.
The cellar's darkness felt like an oppressive weight, closing in around me. The seconds dragged on like hours as the stranger's steps grew louder, echoing in my ears. I knew I had to act, to find a way out of this dire situation, but fear held me in its unrelenting grip.
"Y/N L/N." The boxes surrounding me were swept away with one movement of the stranger's hand, revealing a darker version of Ben. At first glance, I thought it was him, but as the truth unfolded, I realized it wasn't.
This figure had white hair, pale skin, and striking red eyes. He wore an exact replica of Ben's clothing, but in greyscale, and stood slightly taller, exuding an eerie aura.
"What the fuck," was all Jeff could manage, his hands buried in his white hoodie pocket. It was the first time I saw his face, and it was nothing short of terrifying. Scars marred his cheeks, resembling the ones he had inflicted on Maya. His eyes' surroundings were a blood-red hue, and his skin was pallid.
"I told you," the white-haired man spoke as he leaned down towards me. "Bet you're glad to see some human life, eh?" His lips curled into a smirk. I wasn't entirely sure if I'd call them human, but I nodded in agreement nonetheless.
"So, you're telling me that other bitch was a decoy? That little fucking dickhead. I'll kill him when I see him," Jeff ranted.
"Now, now, Jeff. All will become apparent over time," the white-haired man, who introduced himself as Dark Link, said. He leaned down to inspect the chain that bound me. "Rightio, Y/N. My name is Dark Link. I'm not here to help you, but essentially, I am." His cryptic words left me puzzled, but I continued to nod, pretending to understand.
His hands were cold against my ankle as he kept inspecting the chain. "I'll refrain from questions for now. That's not my job," Dark Link said, holding his hand out to Jeff, who looked puzzled.
"A key?" Dark Link queried, and I couldn't help but find his name strange yet fitting for him.
"Why would I have a key? It was YOUR lookalike you put her here," Jeff retorted.
Dark Link sighed, "Well... a saw? Something? To cut the chain at least." I tensed up at the thought. I didn't want him to cut me accidentally. What if he wasn't here to help? What if it was actually Ben?
With that, Jeff went back upstairs to see what he had. Link had deemed his knife to be 'unprofessional.'
"You've been here for quite some time. You're very resilient," the albino male spoke as he looked up at my face. "But you look like death. And that's coming from me." Despite the dire situation, I appreciated his attempt at humor; it made the situation a little more bearable.
He continued to inspect the chain while we waited for Jeff to return. It felt surreal, sitting in that cold, dimly lit cellar with a mysterious figure who resembled Ben but wasn't. Dark Link's presence was both unsettling and strangely comforting, given the circumstances.
Finally, Jeff returned with a rusty hacksaw, and Dark Link took it from him without hesitation. He carefully began cutting through the chain, and even though I was still on edge, the prospect of freedom made my heart race.
As the chain fell away, I could hardly believe it. I was no longer bound, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, I could move freely. I rubbed my sore ankle, feeling a mixture of relief and anxiety about what would come next.
Dark Link looked at me with those blood-red eyes, his expression unreadable. "There, you're free," he said calmly. "thanks jeff." link spoke before handing the hacksaw back.
"I want you to tell the boss I was a help. I can't stand staying here much longer, you know how shit of a cook I am," Jeff spoke as he took the hacksaw back from the smaller male.
"You're more than welcome to join us and tell him yourself," a smirk never seemed to leave the white-haired male's face.
"I'll pass. You know he doesn't like unexpected visitors." Link picked me up, realizing that I was wary and probably unable to walk, so I unwillingly took this opportunity.
"One last thing," he spoke to the ravenette male as Jeff looked at him as if to say 'continue.' "A hoodie?" Jeff seemed appalled by this question.
"first you come into MY place and then march into MY basement and now you're asking for MY CL-"
"You want to be back in the mansion? or would you rather stay here." And with that, Jeff just headed upstairs, mumbling and grumbling to himself.
"Alright, Y/N. This may seem scary, but you're going to have to trust me here," Dark Link said as he started walking up the stairs with me in his arms. "We are going to head to where we all stay, okay?"
Reaching the top of the stairs, he gently placed me down on the couch. Taking the white hoodie from Jeff, he started putting it on my upper half, all while continuing to speak reassuringly. "No one's going to hurt you. No one's even going to know you're there. Not even Ben," he spoke in a hushed tone as both my arms and head popped through the holes of the majorly oversized hoodie.
I nodded, unable to find my voice
As I nodded, Link picked me up again, his strength evident as he effortlessly swung me onto his back. Jeff, on the other hand, nodded in silence. He seemed somewhat frustrated or annoyed, but I couldn't quite discern his emotions.
With me on his back, Link headed for the door. Before we left, Jeff directed a statement toward me, "When I'm back, I'd like to speak with you." His tone was ambiguous, leaving me curious about what he wanted to discuss.
Dark Link opened the door with one hand, and as we stepped outside, he advised me, "You'll be a bit sensitive to sunlight, but luckily, it's dark now, so you won't need to worry about that today. Oh, and make sure your hood stays up. We don't want to attract anyone else, do we?"
I obliged, keeping the hood of the oversized white hoodie over my head as I let my head rest on Dark Link's shoulder. My arms weakly draped around his neck, and I listened intently as he began to explain the situation.
"I'm going to tell you some details about what may happen. You don't need to do any talking for now, just listen," Link started. I was a bit distracted by the eerie forest surroundings and missed the first part of his explanation.
"I'm sure you've met some of us already, but I don't know your full story. That's why we're here," he continued, talking at a rapid pace.
"Our boss noticed Ben's disappearances a few weeks ago, and he kept a close eye on him, which led us to you." He adjusted my position on his back, and I couldn't help but think about how surreal it felt to be outside, breathing in the fresh air.
"Well, it led us to the first girl. We assumed it was her he was visiting. After he disposed of her body, we received intel that it wasn't her at all," Link explained further, and I couldn't help but shudder at the thought of what had happened to the other girl.
"It took a lot, but now you're here," he concluded, and the sensation of being outside, surrounded by nature, felt like a small piece of heaven after the nightmare I had endured in that cellar.
We continued our journey through the forest, and Link seemed to enjoy the sound of his own voice as he kept talking. Despite my thirst and desire to finally speak, it was nice to hear a human voice after being in isolation for so long. I couldn't wait to get a drink so I could finally share my own thoughts.
Link proudly referred to himself as the right-hand man to his boss. "I'm his fine right-hand man!" he exclaimed, though he quickly added some clarification, "Well...kind of. There are four of us, we're called proxies. We all serve a purpose for the boss and are in debt to him. So we serve him. I mainly deal with anything related to tracking and technology. But I've been sent out here because the other three are on patrol or missions."
He went on to explain that the boss had decided he needed some fresh air and had been sticking around more lately due to increased vigilance. I could barely see it, but there was a large cleared-out area in the distance, devoid of trees.
"Ah, already? Shame. I must've been rambling on," Link remarked with a chuckle, then turned the question to me, "Do you think I ramble on, Y/N?" I nodded slightly, though I was more concerned about what awaited me in this mansion. But surely, it had to be better than being confined to that dark basement, right?