Something didn't feel right. She knew that from the dizzying feeling and how her surroundings looked weird, unfamiliar. And the fact that there was a strange broad man across from her who was asleep.
Oh god, did she sleep with someone!?
The redhead barely refrained from shrieking, startling the man awake, and she stumbled backwards.
"Whoa, what's wrong?" The man asked, eyes wide and hand curled around a knife.
Val felt her stomach drop when she studied his most popping out features. White hair and reddish eyes. Her first thought was, "oh God, Tristan's back to life and he's looking for revenge." But then again, the Tristan from back then didn't have broad shoulders, or dark eyebrows, so the hair was probably dyed.
So who was he?
"Who are you? Where am I? Am I still a virgin!?" Val demanded, trying to look defiant. She wasn't gonna he scared, she's over that. She's better and good at adapting and has longer hair again- wait.
She felt around her shoulders, the little weight of hair was new. She frowned and checked her ear, no piercing, and when she looked down at herself, she was in a familiar hoodie.
"Uhh." The man said, raising an eyebrow at her. "Hey little girl-"
Val dashed from the man, looking for a mirror. It couldn't be true, she couldn't be-
She found the bathroom, which had a wide view mirror, and her fears were confirmed. She was in her late teens again. Maybe 18, since she had the hoodie Jane got her. Wait, Jane.
"Where's Jane?" Val asked, turning to the man when he got there. "And Peri, Slender, Hell I'll even take Ben!"
"Jane, you know her?" The man asked, a confused expression on his face. "Well, where's Izzie?"
"Izzie?"
"Yeah, her daughter."
"Jane has a daughter?!" Val felt hurt, her best friend, besides Peri, had a daughter she didn't know about? Did she adopt or something? She knew she couldn't have had a boyfriend, so...
"I thought you knew Jane."
"I do!"
"Then where's Izzie?"
"I don't know who Izzie is, now tell me where I am!"
"Not until you tell me who you are and where is Izzie!"
"My name's Val- oh frick, what about my dad?"
"Who's your dad?"
"Jack."
"Which Jack?"
"Er, Eyeless Jack? Or Jack Nichols if he told you it." Val rubbed her arm, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Jack has a kid?"
"Ugh, now who are you?" Val groaned, frustration gnawing at her.
"I'm Clyde."
"No last name?"
"You didn't tell me yours. Or wait, let me guess, Nichols?"
"No, my mom didn't want me to have his last name, so it's Queens."
"Right, yeah I'm not giving you my last name, kid."
Soon, they calmed down, after Clyde convinced her he meant no harm. Though she'll keep her guard up -Tristan too seemed like he meant no harm- they talked a bit, her explaining that she has no idea how she got in this strange house.
Or why the house felt really eerie, bringing Val paranoia and unwanted memories.
"So, here's my theory. You're from somewhere else." Clyde said, making Val snort.
"Right, I believe I too came to that conclusion."
"Don't be a smartass. I meant, like from another universe or so, alternative dimension. You know, the multiverse theory. Where you're from, Jane has no daughter and everyone in the mansion is different. I mean, Ben isn't really a perv here, though your Jeff-" she shuddered from that mere thought of Jeff being hers, no thank you. "Is definitely similar to our Jeff. Assholes and such."
"Right, this is just strange." Val said, rubbing her arms. She kept getting goosebumps from being in this house, she wanted to leave. "So, we should try figure stuff out and go to the mansion, maybe they can help."
Clyde nodded, then frowned. "Geez, I'm probably gonna be killed when Jane hears I've been in contact with Izzie."
"Pfft, yep. My mom would freak if I went missing too." Val smiled, thinking of her mother. "She'd probably even temporarily forgive dad if it meant getting me back, if a weird scenario like that ever happens and she was still alive."
Clyde sighed and stood, motioning that she follow. They left the house, thankfully, and she trusted him to lead the way. He was good with kids, when he relented and told her about the makeshift orphanage, and that he said he'd never hurt anyone innocent.
After they passed a particularly crooked looking tree and a weird area with one part of the ground looking like it was stabbed repeatedly -don't ask how she made that comparison- Val felt something cold land on her shoulder.
Flinching hard, she turned, wide eyes searching. But there was nothing. She swallowed, trying to keep her breathing steady. When it seemed like nothing was gonna happen, she turned back and caught up with Clyde, trying to ignore the creepy feelings. She didn't like it here.
"Here we are, the place where I die." Clyde said in a cheery fashion, though he had sweat running down his brow. Val wanted to think that he might deserve it, as no one should keep a child from their mother, even if the child wanted to be alone. In her opinion, Val thought it would've been better if this Izzie girl had people around, since she was in denial that she needs help, if what Clyde said was the truth.
If Val herself got help, she could've had less nightmares about zombies.
Clyde opened the door and went in first, keeping the door open for her. She had a vague feeling of déjà vu, and before she could think about it, she bumped into someone. Someone named Jeff.
Annoyed, though tired, blue eyes met hers, and before she could help it, she let out a small whimper, sidestepping him and hiding behind Clyde. In her defense, it's been a good while since she saw Jeff and she suspected that underneath her older personality, this younger body still had her nervous one.
"The hell's wrong with her?" Jeff rasped, frowning, making that permanent smile look really wrong. Ew, seemed like this Jeff had open holes around his mouth and she could see what food he ate last.
"She's shy." Clyde excused, grinning. Then with a sly look in his eye, he added, "did you recently fight someone? Your clothes are dirtier than when I last saw you."
Jeff did his own version of narrowing his eyes, which looked really weird, and stormed out.
Val let out a breath of relief and let go of Clyde, cheeks burning in embarrassment. "S-sorry, I'm usually better at interactions with him."
"It's alright, now let's go and get this over with." Clyde patted her head and walked forward. Val followed close behind, resisting the urge to hold onto Clyde. The mansion hadn't changed much, apart from different placement of furniture here and there. Strangely, no one was really around in plain sight. Not in the living room or the kitchen.
Where was everyone?
"Uh, where is everyone?" Val asked quietly, peering closely into each room, wondering if she could've missed them in the corner. But that was weird, to think of everyone huddled up in the corner. Y'know, unless they wanted to do a surprise.
"Ah, it's the tension. Even if anyone here doesn't really care about Izzie, they're either uncomfortable or annoyed when Jane's out here worrying. She'll probably be in her room, or come barging in after a long search. Ben's kinda helping, so's the proxies by Slender's command. Dunno where EJ or LJ is." Clyde explained.
"Oh."
"And if you know Helen, he probably has, like a sixth sense of knowing when I'm around and left."
"I didn't meet him yet."
"Ah, alright, then let's just keep moving and-"
"Clyde!"
Clyde went still, sweat beginning to run down his brow. "Uhh-"
"I checked everywhere, I checked where we used to live, then tried to get to where we lived before that, I just can't find her!"
Val felt her heart wrench when Jane threw herself at Clyde, looking like she was repressing sobs but failing at it. She wanted to hug her, help comfort her. But she remembered that this Jane wouldn't know her and would probably take offense or lash out at her.
Or maybe, she would just let a stranger comfort her, too tired from grief and worry.
Val doesn't think she'd like this Izzie person if she does meet her. Who leaves their mother to worry and worry?
'Stress would drive someone to that.'
'Why are you interacting with her?'
Before Val could process those voices, Jane calmed down enough to notice her.
"Clyde. Who's this?" She asked, suspicion in her tone.
"Uh, Janie! Buddy ol pal, do I have a lot to tell you!" Clyde said, moving to shield Val from Jane's suspicious glare. "But you have to promise not get mad, kay?"
"Why would I get mad, Clyde?" Jane's glare was transferred to Clyde.
"You probably should get mad at him." Val said. Clyde gave her a look of betrayal. She shrugged at him, giving him a look.
They moved to Jane's room, her letting in Val in reluctantly, and Clyde explained everything that he told Val. Except with more details. Like Iz and Jeff had a fight.
When he finished, Clyde was tensed, ready for something. Jane was blank, which wasn't really good, because Val remembered that look before she snapped and almost got the upper hand of Jeff, if Masky hadn't interfered. And Clyde made the mistake of leaving in.
Slap!
Clyde practically fell from the impact of that slap, surely a red mark was going to form on his cheek. Thankfully, to Val though, Clyde didn't react negatively like in those abusive relationship movies.
"You- you knew." Jane whispered, shaking violently. From anger or shock, maybe both. "You knew where my daughter was and you didn't tell me!"
"Jane, I-"
"No, no. You had no right, no right, to keep my daughter from me." Jane snapped, fists clenched tightly. "Or you could have at least told me that she was ok, that she wanted to be alone! I would've understood that."
Clyde didn't respond, keeping his head down.
"Now, is she ok, Clyde?"
When Clyde looked up, trying to find a way to answer, Val decided to say it for him. "She's missing."
Jane looked at her, as if remembering she was here and frowned. "What do you mean, missing?"
"It's a long story, Jane." Val sighed.
'A really long one too.'
"Which is why, we need to talk to Slender." Clyde said, still not meeting Jane's eyes. "Y'see, um, she's from here, but not exactly from here."
Jane narrowed her eyes at him, searching for something. "That doesn't make any sense."
"Correct. So let's go see Slender and find some sense."
They left the room, though Val was staying in the same spot. She couldn't move her feet or arms, only could watch their retreating backs, unaware she wasn't close behind. But she stayed calm, they'd notice, right?
'She's more clear-headed than Izzie.'
'Why are you interacting with her?'
'She's innocent, Erica. Let's leave.'
'Valentine or Iz?'
'This Val girl.'
'I don't like this, Erica. I'm thinking more clearly, why are we even haun-'
'Shush.'
Val felt a chill run down her spine, her arms shaking and legs feeling wobbly. The door was slowly starting to close, the room itself dimming to a soft glow. She shut her eyes, unable to to move, even if she wanted to sit down. She wanted to get out, she wanted to scream, she wanted her mom.
"Mommy isn't here, Valentine."
Val's eyes snapped open, meeting brown eyes with a slitted pupil and red veins running all around, a wide grin filled with jagged teeth and inky saliva dripping and running down her chin. She screamed, finally moving backwards until she fell on the bed. She watched with wide eyes as the (rotten) woman ambled towards her.
'No one to save you, no one to hear you scream, no one to hear you beg for you life.'
'Erica!'
No. No! Val was not gonna go through some damn nightmares again. She wasn't gonna cry and watch as corpses taunted and scared her. She was better, she was stronger!
She grit her teeth and made herself crawl backwards, glaring at the curious and amused zombie and rolled off the bed. She stood up, jutting her chin out in defiance, like she watched Jeff do to Slender.
"Nope," she growled, "I am going to walk past you and you aren't going to do anything, because you are nothing. You're probably dead and the living have more power, etc the whole paranormal movie and religious logic."
The woman's shoulders moved like she was laughing, but no sound was coming out of her.
The she started to deteriorate, black sludge coming out of her mouth and she just went poof.
'Clever.'
"Hey, Val, why're you taking so long?" The door opened and Clyde peeked in, looking annoyed and exasperated.
"S- sorry, I'm coming." Val said, shaking off the whole thing. They weren't real. She followed him out, not looking back.
They stopped outside of Slender's office. Or only Val stopped, because her father was right there.
Val noticed big differences between her father and this guy. This guy was more relaxed, more indifferent than her dad. Plus, he was standing next to Jeff, who he couldn't stand at all.
Curious, she wanted to try something. "Dad?" She said, staring at him keenly.
Jeff snorted, covering his mouth and his stressed expression became mirthful. EJ (despite her curiosity, she was not gonna call him dad again) just tensed and looked as uncomfortable as he could with that mask.
"Uh, sorry kid," EJ said, rubbing his neck. "I'm not into that, and you're, well, you're a kid."
Val felt giddy, for once being around someone that resembled her father. She couldn't embarrass him even if she tried her best.
'I can't believe you actually like your dad.'
Dammit,
'Considering what he did to your mom.'
'Such big difference between her and Iz. Too... forgiving, too nice.'
Val swallowed dryly, leaning against the wall. She felt tired, all of a sudden. Sleepy, like she was seconds away from passing out.
'Time's up.'
'Time to go back to your story. Valentine.'
.
.
.
Val woke up, sweating, in her bed.
Wow, what a really weird dream.
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So, this was supposed to be updated on last Halloween, but stuff happened.
But anyways, even if I discontinued the Laughing Jack one and Offenderman one, deciding to just post these. Even if I didn't fully finish the rest, planning to btw, just getting tired of these sitting in the drafts, y'know.
Tell me what you thought, if you don't mind :).
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