Chapter Text
On the left side of Jeff’s face, the skin was warped, rough, and patchy, some parts looking more leathery than others. Toby could see where he had been burned, a patch of hair that would never grow back. He watched as jeff cleaned the blood off his face.
“Stare much.” Jeff snorted, his voice full of sarcasm and malice. “You know you could have helped.”
“I- I did help Jeff. I tripped him.” Toby mumbles the last part under his breath a few times.
-Tripped him, I tripped him.
It was an aggravating thought. That he had helped Jeff, but what else was he supposed to do? He had nowhere else to go. They made sure of it. Taking one of his own weapons and planting it at a crime scene. He saw it on the news.
Children reported dead, a hatchet reported at the crime scene, suspect Toby Erin Rodgers.
Jeff snaps his fingers in Toby’s face, Toby quickly jumping back in surprise, “what?”
“You were spacing out; I knew you had problems, but geez kid.” Jeff laughed obviously finding what he said humorous, Toby, on the other hand, did not find it quite so funny.
“Fuck off, Woods.”
“In your dreams, Rodgers.” Jeff let out another laugh, but this one was much more short-lived. Jeff turned back to the mirror in his room, continuing to clean himself up. His hoodie and previous outfit, discarded on the floor and in its place a black T-shirt and some shorts.
…..
Toby had eventually managed to get away from Jeff who was in charge of watching over him and had decided to look about the place he was now forced to live in. He ran his hand across the wall only to quickly pull his hand away and wipe in on his pants leg. The wall was covered in a layer of grime, the wallpaper faded and chipping away.
He had considered using the bathrooms on multiple occasions but everyone he had entered was worse than the last. Clogged drains, broken toilets, mold, and spiders. The only working thing in the house in Toby’s eyes seemed to be the water, which he didn’t trust, and the fridge.
Toby opened the fridge, and a mist of cool came out. He sighed, a relief that at least there was something to eat. Nope, Nope, I was very wrong, Toby thought franticly as he slammed the fridge shut, stomping on a roach that had crawled out.
“This place is a shit hole”, Toby groaned under his breath in defeat.
…..
Toby scratches at his arm, he’s not sure if it’s the stress or the fact that he hasn’t showered in weeks that’s causing it, probably both to be honest. He knew he couldn’t go home but that didn’t stop him from thinking about it constantly, spacing out for hours at a time.
All he knew was that he had to find a way out of here, out of this hell hole he now found himself stuck in, the smell of rot and decay in every surface.
But that was much easier said than done, after all, he not only had to escape, but he needed somewhere to go.
Toby jumps quickly turning around, a tap on his shoulder snapping him out of his downward spiral. “Geez- what- w-what was that for?” Toby asked sharply, only to see Clockworks.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” she points at the arm toby was un-knowingly scratching, “Wasn’t sure if you were aware that you were bleeding, you looked pretty out of it.” The girl tilts her head to the side, a look of curiosity and concern on her face.
Toby looks down at his arm, the place he had been scratching had a mix of dried blood and a slight trickle of new blood. It didn’t hurt, it couldn’t hurt, but he knew he had to at least clean it. Infections were bad. Especially in a place like this. Who knew what kinds of germs there were?
Toby looks back up at Clockworks who had now started talking again, “I’ll be right back,” she smiled, “I have a first aid kit. The girl then proceeded to run off to go get it.
Why is she helping me?
Aren’t these people all crazy killers?
Clockworks reentered the room, a small box in her hands. It had Adhesive bandages, Butterfly Bandages, Gauze, Gloves, ACE Wraps, Tweezers, Alcohol Wipes, and Duct tape. Who knew they just kept First-Aid kits lying around? “I-I don’t need all of that,” Toby stated, wondering why she was going through all the trouble to help him.
Clockworks laughed, “of course not, just gonna clean up your arm and put something on it to keep it from getting dirty.”
Clockworks proceeded to clean his arm and bandage it once she was done, she put everything back in her box.
“Why?”
Clockworks only hums in question.
“Why are you helping me?”
“Because I can?” Clockworks raises a brow. Toby proceeds to gives the girl a confused look.
“You’re one of us now,” she sighs, “I’m trying to be friendly.”
“Oh…”
Clockworks rolls her eyes and chuckles, “Yea, “Oh” you know how to make friends don’t you?”
Toby responds defensively, his mouth twitching involuntarily, “y-yea.”