Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There are many days you wake up to find yourself questioning if you're really supposed to exist. All you've ever wanted was to feel accepted, not ogled at constantly as if you were a museum display. There was a time when you were proud of your looks, a time when you were only 3 feet tall and full of spunk, and every kid in kindergarten would stare at you in awe, wondering just who exactly the albino girl was.

But those days have long passed.

The children who once admired your long platinum blonde hair and snowy eyes now gawked at you obnoxiously, making obscene gestures as you walked by. Called you a freak of nature. A ghost. A mistake on God's part. Incomplete. Unfinished. Useless. And your previously high self-esteem gradually crumbled into nothing but dust.

Your father thought it would be a good idea to move you and himself to another distant town due to the cheating fiasco your mother stirred. The two of you left the busy city life for the quiet small town a few hours away from your home after your sixteenth birthday. You had hoped that the change in scenery would help, but was sorely disappointed to find that the kids in your new high-school were just as rotten as the ones you left, if not worse. It left a bitter taste in your mouth.

However, today was different from the moment you got out of bed.

It was the last class period of the day, listening to the middle-aged man up front drawl on about Southeast Asia. History was always your favorite class, and you consistently took notes from the words on the slide show.

You hear a soft pfft somewhere in the lecture hall and felt a hard jab in the back of your head shortly after. Your pen froze as your body went rigid at the sound of muffled snickering. You resisted the urge to turn and glare daggers at the boys behind you, setting you jaw in the familiar irritated clench. You returned to your studies.

Pfft!

Another one smacked your earlobe right above the tender spot on your new piercing. You wince in pain and lightly rub the silver bar. These boys had better stop their jerking around. Now.

Your teacher suddenly raises a question to the class. Just as you are about to raise your hand, another spit ball nicks the back of your exposed neck. You slam your hand back down on the desk and whirl around in your seat, giving your signature death glare to the boys who were desperately trying to smother their laughter.

"Will you dicks knock it off?! This isn't kindergarten anymore!" you yell.

The teacher does a double take and walks to your desk, raising his voice as he does. "What was that outburst just now miss Lucille?"

You point defensively at the classmates behind you, who now used their typical façade of innocence. "These guys were throwing spit balls at me."

"We didn't do anything to her," one boy said. "Nobody wants her, much less touch her with stuff." This earned a snicker among the class.

"Yeah? Then explain these then!" You hold all three spit balls in the air with a bright, defiant look in your eyes. You were in the right and they knew it. You felt it deep in your gut. Justice would be served; there was no way they were getting away with this.

Unfortunately, your teacher shared none of your zeal and simply stared back at you with an odd look on his pocketed face. "And what does this prove? You have a history of poor conduct, so I'm sure you can understand why I'm not inclined to believe you claim."

Your face instantly grew dark with anger. "Are you serious right now?!" you scoffed. The evidence was right there is his face! You're practically giving it to him as a present!

"I gotta side with ole' teach on this one. I mean, she probably just chewed the paper herself," a boy muttered.

"I agree. Disgusting little thing isn't she?" you heard a girl whisper.

"You think she starves herself to the point where she can only eat paper now? She's practically paper herself." another girl whispered.

"Ew. Cannibal."

The class was swept with a wave of laughter and teasing as you stood there with your arm still raised. You look to the balding man with a look of sincere pleading.

"Please...I-I'm telling the truth..."

The teacher did nothing but grunt and slip you a piece of all too familiar pink paper and bold letters. You let your arm fall to your side, staring hard at your boots as hot, angry tears threatened to spill. This was the third time this week. You didn't allow yourself to be an emotional girl, but the anger that scorched your chest burned with the fierce intensity that made your shoulders shake and your fists tighten. You wanted a way to release it and not just bottle it up like you've done for so long. You needed it.

The bell rang, snapping you back to the spot behind your desk. As you haphazardly stuffed your belongings in your bag, the boys behind you knocked into your already fragile frame while they walked past, joking around with each other as if you didn't exist. You sent another signature death glare at their backs, reminding yourself that one day, they will get what's coming.

You leave the detention hall in a hurry with your ear buds in, eager to leave the dark building as soon as possible. Your dad texted you that he wouldn't be home for the weekend, which you promptly rolled your eyes at and stuffed your phone in your pocket. You knew he would be staying with girlfriend #4's house no matter how many times he tried to convince you otherwise. He always came back home well into the night reeking of sex and cigarette smoke. Disgusting pig of a man, you thought. You barely notice how dark it had gotten as you turned the corner to your house. All you want now is a long, hot shower and a good night's sleep, grateful it was a Friday. You make it a few steps on the sidewalk when you notice a large, bulky silhouette further down the street.

Shit.

You knew who they were, and they knew you.

Trying to avoid being noticed, you start to walk faster down the street. You instantly recognize the smell of marijuana and the guttural grunts of teenage boys and the high-pitched laughter of teenage girls, all huddled underneath the shade of a tree. One of them noticed the white shadow clad in black by the fence. They called out to you.

Your stomach drops between your feet and you break into a full sprint down the road.

You didn't bother to look behind you as you dashed into a nearby alleyway, remembering the shortcut to your apartment. You may be small, but you were the fastest thing on two legs in this town. You felt a slight wash of relief as you neared the spiked gate you practiced jumping over for when this happened. You remained calm and confident.

You stopped dead in your tracks as the three boys from earlier came into view, blocking your path. You had a feeling it would come to this one day, so you made sure to prepare for the worst.

Your hand automatically unsheathed the pocket knife clasped to the hilt of your belt and back away from them. They tried to rush you and you set off again, only to stop when a group of about five to six stood their ground. A tiny pinprick of fear ebbed at your mind. You were soon cornered like a rat against a garage door. The autumn chill seeped through your jacket.

Gathering all the courage you could find, you glared boldly at each of them, careful not to show them any weakness. A girl approached you with a smirk on her small face and jutted her chin at your weapon.

"Whatcha gonna do with that little thing?" she teased.

"You don't want to know," you say, pointing the blade in her direction. Two boys rush you and attempt to grab your arms. You quickly turn your body and nick one of them on the shoulder, but the other wormed his way behind you and pinned both arms behind your back at a painful angle. You open your mouth to yelp in pain and the girl smacks you hard across the face.

"Keep your mouth closed. You're in enough trouble as it is, right?" She plucks the weapon from your hand and tilts up your chin with the edge of the blade. "I heard you tried getting my boyfriend in trouble today. Not a smart move at all dear. A bad girl like you needs ample punishment." You snatch your face away from her, not caring about the fresh new cut under your jaw. The girl shrugs and walks away, twirling your knife in her hands as a familiar face takes her place. Your eyes widen slightly in fear as he cracks his knuckles.

"I'll just be adding some color to your scrawny ass. Maybe now you'll keep your fucking mouth shut."

The boy delivered a hard punch to your stomach and then to your jaw. You hissed defiantly, tasting the blood pooling in your mouth. He continued to hit and kick you until he began to pant. Soon you couldn't stand up straight any longer, relying on the boy behind you to hold you up. The girls took their turns ripping your clothes and burning pieces of your hair. They raided your book bag and took your electronics, including your cherished iPod. This drew your attention.

"N-no! D-don't lay your-ngh...fucking hands on that...It's mine!" you cry. It was the one thing that kept you sane during your parents' messy divorce, the one retreat from your personal hell. They paid you no mind. You helplessly watched them as they tore your ear buds and smashed your iPod to bits of plastic and computer chips. It suddenly became very hard to breathe. This was too much. They'd gone too far.

The boy held your face in his hand, drawing back a fist aimed straight for your eyes.

"I'm really doing you a huge favor. Maybe somebody will feel sorry for your ass and fuck you. But there isn't a who'll screw a freak anyway!" he laughed.

A spark of rage fluttered through your chest and, without thinking, you spat blood in his face, standing yourself up straight despite the excruciating pain in your abdomen.

"I don't need any favors from you, asshole."

The boy's face contorted so fast it was almost comical. "You fuckin'...bitch!!"

You braced for impact.

You felt nothing but warm liquid splatter across your face.

A chorus of shrieks and gasps echoes around you. You opened your eyes and jerked backwards, nearly screaming yourself. A large knife had somehow lodged itself in the boy's head, his eyes rolled back into his shattered skull and mouth hanging open. You notice the tip of it poked a few inches through his forehead and nearly touched yours. With a few short grunts, he dropped to the ground with a heavy thud, blood pooling from the back of his head. You stared at the body wide-eyed. The boy behind you dropped you on the ground and you land squarely on your behind, but you barely notice, still staring at the boy who just died. The girls kept shrieking in terror before a deep, resonate voice rang out in the alley.

"Shut the hell up. You're way too noisy," someone said.

You watched as the teenagers who were once beating you senseless now turned into nothing but lifeless corpses, all of them slashed and stabbed by a figure too fast to be considered human. It darted between them like a ping-pong ball, landing one-shots with each pause in its fluid movements. Bodies fell one after another, leaking blood from their slashed necks, leaving you and the girl who slapped you cowering beside her dead boyfriend. A hooded figure leaned down and yanked the knife from his head, bits of his skull and brain matter sliding off and landing with audible plops!

From what you could tell, it looked male from behind. He stared at the teary-eyed girl for a moment in silence before giggling softly to himself. She screamed and scooted away from him in a panic, babbling pleas to spare her. He squatted to eye level and pressed the knife against her throat, easily keeping his stance as she struggled to get away from him. He slowly dragged the blade across her skin, earning screams and bursts of crying as he neatly cut through an artery. Above her wailing voice, you could hear him whisper as he watched the girl feebly claw at her throat.

"Go to sleep..."

"...and never wake up," you said softly.

It was the strangest thing you've ever seen. The moment of death. One second they're here, alive, even on their deathbed, and then they're gone. No light in their eyes. You stared hard at the fresh body as blood steadily leaked from the wound on her neck. You felt no moral conflict over what you've just witnessed. Does that make you capable of murder too? You smile and shake your head.

You knew you always were a little off.

You felt eyes on you and looked up, nearly jumping out of your skin when you saw whose face they belonged to. But strangely, you felt no fear whatsoever. An eerie calm took its place. You took in the broad shoulders and the thin black hair than framed his bleached face. There was an intense red smile that was a little disturbing, but reminded you of the Joker from your favorite Batman movies. It was almost as if he had a son. The thought made you smile a little and the boy's grin grew, yet you caught a glimpse of something in his charcoal-rimmed eyes.

Like sadness, almost.

He held his hand out to you and you took it without hesitation. You try to stand on your own stumble, your entire body weak and trembling from the beating. The boy lends you support with his chest and arms, holding you firmly as you peered up at him. The sudden closeness caught you both off guard and neither you or him dared to breathe. After a moment of silence, he backs away and casually hands you a knife from his pocket. Confused, you took it from his blood-stained hands.

"...your teeny knife won't do shit," he said gruffly, turning away from you. You grip the handle and managed to find your voice, though raspy from your earlier screaming.

"Thank you...um...what's your name?"

"You better take care of that one. They don't make high quality blades like those anymore." The boy stuck his hands in the pocket of his white hoody and continued walking away, as if murdering people was the most normal thing in the world for him. You stare down at the blade and run your finger along its blunt edge. On the far right, you noticed cursive writing etched in sliver on the hilt.

Jeff...?

When you look up, he was nowhere to be found.

Chapter Text

You sit in the far corner of the library, grazing the handle of Jeff's knife with your thumb as you read. Several days passed since you last saw the teenager clad in that red-stained hoodie. You often thought of him during the day, idly wondering where he was or what he might be up to. The more you envisioned his face, the less bizarre-looking he was to you. For some reason you couldn't explain, Jeff was the only thing you could think of, even during your favorite history class.

....snowflake?

A new nickname. A cute one at that. Staring at the wrinkled sticky note in your hand, you smile with emotions you haven't felt in years.

"See you around Jeff."

Chapter Text

"Fwa! I'm so sleepy!"

You collapsed into your bed with a huge smile on your face. Winter break had arrived with the promise of snow, and you couldn't be more pleased. Two full weeks away from school and all the time to yourself. And to top it all off, your birthday loomed close by. Rolling over in your bed, you hug your favorite over-sized stuffed polar bear close to your chest and lay still for a few minutes, breathing in the scent of cotton and fresh linen. You were grateful for the utter peace you felt; the aches and pains that stung your doll-like frame were no longer there. The bruises and welts healed up nicely. Even the scar under your jaw became nothing more than a thin, slightly discolored line that curved gracefully along the bone. The only reminders of that night ever happening were the sharp gleaming blade and your short bob of messy hair. The winter chill hung aimlessly around your bedroom as you begin to drift off into a light slumber. Before you consciousness faded, it uttered a final fragment of thought.

"...where are you Jeff..."

Your eyes opened somewhat.

That's right.

You hadn't seen the teenager since you nursed him back to health on this very bed. Sometimes you would catch a glimpse of the signature white hood, and the brightest glimmer would brighten your icy irises. Yet the moment you focus your eyes on it, your building euphoria stands still and crumbles. There were also times when you would spot a very strange sight on the edge of the forest. A very, very tall mannequin wearing a black suit and tie was hoisted directly on the walkway towards the forest behind the school building. Whoever owned a suit shop tailored for insanely tall individuals definitely knew how to advertise. You've never met anyone that tall before, but this was a small town. Strange things were bound to happen.

You feel your pet mouse sniff around your eyelids and you smile a bit, reaching up to scratch his head with your finger. He squeaked in surprise and nudged his head against your fingertip.

"Hi buddy," you murmur half asleep.

The mouse ran his ears under your fingers and scurried away from you. Deciding you would sleep well this time, you roll onto your back with your polar bear and allow drowsiness to pull you under.

You feel a pulsating heat inches above your face. You hear a light panting noise as if there were a dog in your ear. Confused, your eyes open.

You had absolutely no idea about what you were looking at. An inhumanly large row of grimy sharp teeth bombarded your field of vision, pieces of flesh stuck in between the gaps. The panting noise grew louder and you shift and suddenly freeze. A pair of beady eyes locked onto yours and an impossibly low growl echoed in your room. A thick, matted veil of black hair fell over its face and back, and you could see a pair of pointed ears sticking up straight from underneath. It looked like a horribly disfigured dog. And that smile reminded you of the man who saved you a month before. You blink.

"What the...how'd you get in here?"

The dog stood up on all fours and your body prickled with needles. It was huge. A huge, bloodied animal with a demonic-looking grin had somehow wandered its way into your room.

To say that you were scared shitless was an understatement.

Unable to tear your eyes away from that horrific smile, you sit there scanning your brain for anything useful in this situation. The dog seemed to be at ease as it stared back at you, wagging its bushy tail. You decide to chance it and offer it something to play with.

"Uh...heya big guy! You wanna play?"

The dog's mood instantly changed to the slap-happy giddiness of a puppy. It jumped on its two front feet and stuck its butt in the air, waving its tail like a militant flag. It yipped a few times and bounced around on the floor, drawing a giggle from you. Looking down at your polar bear, you decided you could patch him up later. You wave the toy around a bit and watch the dog track it with its eyes, its whole body stopping in a focused pounce buildup. You took this chance to get out of bed and cross over to an open space in the middle of your room.

"C'mon buddy! C'mon!" you call. Your voice was surprisingly light and delicate.

The dog barked and charged after you. It took a meaty bite of your polar bear and started to tug on it, growling playfully as it shook the doll around mercilessly. You laughter chimes over the grunts of the animal as you both play tug of war. How strange. You saw no collar around its neck, yet it behaved exactly like a household pet. It took no time at all for it to accept you as part of its pack. It was almost as if the dog came here already knowing your scent. No menace. No fear. Just jubilant playfulness. It instantly put you at ease.

The dog made an especially hard tug on the bear and you hear a loud riiiip! You loose your footing and slip onto your side on the carpet. The dog stopped playing and watched you, the torn bear hanging out of its mouth. You sit yourself up and rub your side with a groan with a smile on your face.

"Well that was fun, eh?" you said, directing your grin at the animal.

The dog dipped its head and walked over to you, ears flattened on its head. It made an apologetic whine and dropped your bear covered in dirty saliva in front of you, plopping down on the carpet beside you. You watch the dog carefully and reach out to pet it.

"Hey, it's okay. I can fix it no problem," you said, slowly patting the top of its head. The dog whimpered and rested its head on your lap as if to say "I'm sorry".

You smile and rub a spot behind its ears, earning you a pleased rumbling and a fidgety leg tapping. Before you knew it, you were giving the dog a full belly rub and enjoying every minute of it. The dog wormed away from your hands and tackled you, licking your face. You squealed like a little girl as you tried to push the dog off of you, but good lord was it heavy.

The dog seemed to thoroughly enjoy this and it became even more excited. It pushed some of its body weight on you and watched your face. The more you giggled, the more the dog played with you in this way, until a familiar voice demanded both of your attention.

"Smile!"

The dog stopped and swiveled its head towards the door. You couldn't see anything past the massive ball of fur, but you knew who it was.

"What the hell are you doing furball?"

Smile gave a hearty woof and its tail perked up again. You heard footsteps come closer to you.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to leave the house without telling me? I swear you're such a-"

Smile barked again and rose to its feet, leaving you exposed for you-know-who to see.

You clear your face of the dog's saliva and look up to where the it stood. Next to it was a bewildered Jeff the Killer.

You sit up and stretch your arms over your head, trying your best to act as nonchalant as possible despite the abrupt thudding going on in your chest. You certainly hadn't expected to see him today, especially not covered in dog spit. You turn your gaze to him and beam a smile.

"About time you came back. I started to think you forget all about it."

Jeff blinked wildly and averted his gaze to the wall. A faint pink hue started to rise in his cheeks. "Did Smile do that?"

"Huh? Do what?"

Jeff grimaced as his face turned red and pointed at your shirt. You suddenly feel a draft across your stomach.

Your shirt was crudely torn in half, leaving your bra in plain sight.

You make a high pitched squeal and stand up suddenly, covering your chest with your arms. Jeff flinched at the noise and eyed you warily as you reached for the alarm clock on your bedstand. Even Smile looked nervous.

Jeff backed away when your arm hoisted the clock high in the air. "U-uh? What are you-"

"GET OUT!!"

You chuck the alarm clock straight into Jeff's face. The boy sputtered and fell over Smile's large body crouched behind his feet. He hit the floor without an inch of grace and scrambled wildly for the door. You continue to pelt him with various objects from your room in your embarrassment until he finally managed to get on his feet and out the door. Frazzled and somewhat dazed, you head to the bathroom with a new set of clothes, fighting the trembling feeling your body made.

"...Jeff? You still out here?"

You creak the door open a bit more and poke your head through it. It was quiet in the hallway. You timidly step out of your room.

"Jeff? Smile?"

"...over here."

You look down and see the boy and his dog huddled in a corner reading a book you probably threw at him. A pang of guilt hit your stomach as you smile apologetically. Jeff remained silent and glanced at you without a trace of emotion, however Smile bounced up from his seat and greeted you with a happy bark. You grin at the devilish canine and gently pet his head, careful not to repeat the tackling expo all over again. Jeff turned his attention back to the book and paid you no mind when you walked over to sit next to him. You peek at the book title and raise your brow cutely.

"My Edgar Allan Poe collection? ...did I throw this one at you too?"

Jeff's face was calm as he turned the page. "Clocked me right in the shoulder with it. It's gonna leave a bruise."

You instantly frown and draw your knees up to your chest. "S-sorry...I just...I didn't really mean to...I was so embarrassed I wasn't-"

"Thinking straight?"

You stay quiet, staring at the floor. Jeff's voice was gentle as he spoke.

"...there's no need. I shouldn't have come in unannounced. You simply reacted. No harm done." He flipped to the next page and glared at Smile, who was now sitting a little ways away from you. "But this mongrel knew better."

Smile's ears perked up and his smile seemed to grow. Was he laughing?

Jeff returned to the book with a focused expression on his face. You looked between him and the old pages repeatedly, trying your best not to stare at him. Your eyes swept across his strong jawline and the gentle swoop of his brow, now furrowed as he read. His mouth was set in a firm line, negating any chance of the cuts in his face to smile. But what caught your attention most was the deep color of his eyes. You thought they were black at first, but in the mid day sun, they shone a brilliant deep sapphire color, ringed in the black fringe of his eyelids. You even saw dark eyelashes that cast shadows down the bridge of his nose. His eyes flickered towards yours, and you freeze all over again.

He stared at you for a moment. "...what?'

"....y-you have a lump here..."

"A what?"

"From the alarm clock. It hit you in the face right?"

Jeff brushed his hair from his forehead and gently felt around with the edge of his fingers. "Mm...so there is." He shrugged and returned to his reading.

"Who wrote this...?"

"Eh? Oh, Edgar Allen Poe. It's...kind of on the book cover..."

Jeff nodded slowly, completely entranced by the words. "...he's a dark man. I like it."

You smile a little and relax into the comfortable atmosphere. "He's one of my favorite authors. But my favorite story of his is A Tell Tale Heart."

The boy turned to you in curiosity. "What's that?"

You smile and take the book from his hands, leaning into him so that he could see. The two of you began reading the book in a comfortable silence. Smile eventually padded his way to your side and plopped down next to you. The added weight pushed you into Jeff's body.

Both of you stayed still in the awkwardness until Jeff moved his arm away from you.

"Ah, sorry. Smile kinda just..."

The words died in your throat as Jeff wrapped the same arm around your shoulders, drawing you in closer to his broad chest. You could swear he could feel your heartbeat through your sweater being this close.

He glanced at you and readjusted the book as if nothing happened. "Easier to read this way. That dog won't budge now."

You could only nod as a strange new feeling bubbled in your chest. What is this? 

The sun had fallen behind the clouds long ago. The halls devoid of light. You slept in the bliss of true comfort, one of which you'd never experienced before. There was a soft yet strong sensation, and an overwhelming feeling of warmth surrounded your body. Protection. Safety. Peace. It all moved in time with the rise and fall of your chest. You've never felt such security.

It carried the scent of pine trees and fresh rain, and a subtle human smell hung underneath it. It was seductively pleasant.

You couldn't explain the way it made you feel. All you could do is smile.

You felt a gentle swaying and a weightless descent into a fluffier sensation on your back. There was a light, feathery caress to your cheek and the soft. calming voice of someone nearby. The warmth pulls you back in as you rest, lulling you to sleep as gentle as your mother's distant lullabies.

Except this time, it stayed with you the entire night.

Chapter Text

Tap tap!

….

Tap tap tap!

“It’s open genius!”

There was a bit of muffled shuffling and the sound of your window swinging open.

“What is it with you and windows?” you ask.

You hear a loud thud behind you and the soft patter of footsteps drawing closer to you, but no answer to your question. You turn and see your bay window open wide.

“The hell…? Jeff?” You could’ve sworn you heard him come in.

You climb onto your bed and close it with a confused look on your face, adjusting the curtains. You shake your head and rub your temples. You were probably imagining it again.

Out of all the days in the past week and a half, today just had be the one that turned your nerves into jelly whenever you thought of your new friend popping in for a visit.

Shrugging, you turn back around only to find a pair of crazed eyes and a huge red grin impossibly close to your face.

“WOAH—HOLY SHIT!!” you holler, jolting backwards and banging your head on the windowsill. Jeff, however, clutched his stomach in a fit of laughter. You shot him an angry glare as your massaged the back of your head as he toppled off of your bed.

“I’m going to kill you,” you growl. This only made the boy laugh harder and wheeze for air.

Jeff sat himself upright on the floor, wiping tears from his eyes. “Oh come on. Have a sense of humor Lucy,” he chuckled.

“You scared the crap out of me you dick!” You toss a pillow at his head. Jeff caught it with both hands and looked at you with his classic trolling grin. You huff and turned away from him to hide your growing smile. It was pretty funny, but you wouldn't admit it. You found that Jeff's uncontrollable lust for teasing you fed off of how much it made you laugh. It surprised you both how close to each other you've grown within a week or so, scared you even, yet it brought you great joy to see him hanging off of the lattice of your window every afternoon.

The boy got to his feet and playfully shoved the pillow on your head. “So where were we headed again?”

“You forgot that quick?”

Jeff smirked at you and rolled his dark eyes. “’S your idea. Don’t blame me.”

You sigh and roll off of your bed. “It’s Christmas Eve. There’s a light show going on downtown.”

Jeff’s eyes wandered to the ceiling. His voice was very soft and melancholic. “Christmas huh…”

“Yep,” you answer, shrugging on your black winter coat. “Good thing you came when you did too. It ends at midnight.” You pull on a boot and bend down to lace the front when you notice Jeff watching you intently. Your eyes ask him what’s wrong.

Jeff blinked and gently tilted his head to the side. “You’re nervous.”

“What? I’m fine. Why would I be nervous?” you say quickly, hiding your face from him as you continue tying a knot.

“When you get nervous or stressed out, you rush what you’re doing. Your speech pattern changes. Even your hair poofs up.”

Something about his tone sends you to a familiar but unwelcome place in your memory. The last person you wanted to think of was now in the forefront of your mind. You forgot the reason you were nervous in the first place the minute your walls stood tall in your mind.

No.

Not today.

You purse your lips and stand up straight. Jeff watches you quietly as you zip your coat closed and tug on your gloves.

“I’m not,” your voice says devoid of emotion. “That man won’t notice I’m gone. He never has in the past…too busy fucking anything that moves.” You look him in the eye and offer a half-hearted smile. “He’s not important right now though.”

Jeff didn't say a word and nodded. He knew all too well what that smile really meant.

The boy stepped onto the ledge of your window and offered his hand to you suddenly. “Let’s go.”

“Huh? But the door is…?”

“Screw the door.”

Jeff pulled you into his arms and held you close, preparing to jump off the ledge. Your stomach somersaulted and you cling to his neck in fright. You were ways away from the ground. Heights were not your cup of tea. The boy looked at you from the side, already anticipating your next words.

“Just trust me alright?” he said.

“T-trust isn't the issue here! I’m just not fond of—“

You both fell forward. Jeff’s grip was almost painfully firm on your side, and you clutch his hoodie with much more intensity than before. Wind and snow rushed into your face, but you didn't look away. It was over as soon as it begun. You landed lightly on your feet and Jeff released you, looking you over for good measure. You stumbled a little, but you felt fine, surprising you further.

Jeff chuckled and drew his hand from your waist. “Sorry, what was that?”

“Heights…I’m not fond of heights…” you finish, grabbing your stomach in its tumbling fit and giving him the middle finger. Jeff smiled and started walking down the sidewalk. You run a hand through your hair and take a deep breath of winter air, smiling inwardly.

He may be reckless and missing a healthy sense of danger, but there’s no one else you’d trust with your life. Looking in his direction when he calls you snowflake, you jog to his side and gently shove his shoulder.

Both in complaint and gratitude.

“It’s so pretty out here…” you sigh, a small smile on your face.

Jeff didn't reply, his eyes bright with child-like wonder underneath his hood.

The two of you wandered around the square, looking at the various light displays in the windows of shops lined along the sidewalk. Not as many people as you expected were outside, either scared away by the cold or the number of children they had to keep watch over. Christmas lights glowed softly under the snow-ridden trees and streetlights, and an infectious serene atmosphere surrounded you, leaving you a bit giddy. The chill was easily lulled by the pleasant feeling you felt in your chest.

Strangely, it seemed to spike every time your eyes met the dark sapphire hues of your companion.

The soft chime of bells rung through the street, signaling the final light show before the countdown to Christmas.

“It’s about to start! Let’s go find a good spot,” you say. Without really thinking, you grab the boy’s arm and link yours through his, promptly pulling him along behind you.

Jeff stayed quiet and didn't try to stop you.

You find a pocket of space underneath an evergreen tree decorated with small glowing lights and huddle close together as the crowd began to build. Jeff stayed close and moved behind you, his hand slipping down to hold yours. You glance at his face at pick up on the traces of anxiety in his eyes. You squeeze his hand reassuringly, and Jeff glances at you and intertwines his fingers with yours, obviously very uncomfortable with the growing amount of people.

“It’s alright,” you whisper to him, sensing his intense anxiety in crowded places. “It’ll be over soon. I’m right here.”

The boy merely nods and lays his chin on your shoulder. “I know.”

The lights around you dim and holiday fanfare plays sweetly through the speakers. Every now and then, you turn your eyes to Jeff to see how he was doing. The boy seemed calmer as he listened to the melody of violins and piano music, gently rubbing his thumb over the back of your hand. You watch the gleaming display in front of you and lay your head against his, hoping that the small motion would help. Jeff drew a deep breath and released it slowly, his eyes closed.

“….Christmas was never this nice before,” he muttered.

You remain silent and nod slightly, closing your eyes as well.

“I only had bad memories of this holiday…but now…” Jeff rolled his shoulders and leaned his body weight into you. “…I don’t even have the feeling here…”

You grin at the bright ‘Merry Christmas’ logo at the end and the sound of cheering. Normally, this sort of thing would make you cringe and the mere thought of it made you uncomfortable. Christmas was all fake, pompous bullshit to you. Parents doing their best to outshine their neighbors in decorating or trying to appease their bratty children with toys. Everyone dressing up their problems in pretty red bows and cringe-worthy carols. It's all you could remember since you were young. Neither your mother of your father behaved like the carbon copy family in the movies. Not even the bad ones.

Then you remember the pleasant pressure against your head, the firm grip between your fingers. 

If all the pain you've experienced in the past meant you got to experience this moment, in your mind, it was more than worth it.

He was more than worth it.

You feel something swell within you, a violent storm of emotion you thought you would never feel as long as you lived. You tense up automatically, unconsciously squeezing Jeff’s hand tighter. You've never felt something so strongly positive before.

The lights return to their original soft glow and the crowd breaks into a collective cheer.

“Merry Christmas!”                                  

Neither of you wanted to move from your spot under the tree. The crowd soon dissipated and the stores began to close, leaving you and the teenage murderer to your lonesome. You reluctantly let go of Jeff’s hand and turn to face him.

“How’re you holding up?” you ask softly.

Jeff stared at your face for a moment before answering, avoiding your gaze. “…better. The less people the better.”

“We should probably go then,” you say with a smile. “Stupid people tend to come out at night. I’m surprised we didn't run into anybody drunk.”

Jeff nodded and quietly started off down the street, you once again jogging to his side.

Your house was deathly quiet, save the creaking of the door as you open it. You quickly usher Jeff inside and you lock the door behind you. The boy looked at you quizzically.

“Why am I here right now?” he asked.

“I forgot I had something to give you,” you say as you walk up the stairs. You motion for him to follow.

Jeff shrugs and trots up the stairs behind you, relaxing when he enters your room.  You take off your coat and toss it on your bed, rushing to a corner behind your bed. Jeff gave you a confused look as you walk back up to him with a pastel green paper bag. You smile a little and hold it out to him.

“I don’t know how Christmas used to be for you but…here.”

Jeff’s expression visibly changes to mild shock. “…you got me something?”

You give him a warm smile and take the contents of the bag out for him. “…I didn't know how to thank you for what you did back then. You saved my life…”

The boy shook his head. "No, I didn't. Those kids wouldn't have killed you. I don't think you'd let them."

You come closer and wrap the scarf you knitted around his neck, tucking the edges inside his hoodie. Your hands linger on the soft yarn as your eyes water unexpectedly, keeping your gaze downcast. “But you did...I'm not talking about them...You saved me from myself."

Jeff stepped closer to you with a serious expression on his face. What you said might have struck a cord in him.

“I have no idea why you decided to intervene…and really, I don’t care about how you did it either. To someone who wanted to die for so long…what you did was…i-it was…” You use the sleeve of your sweater to wipe your tears. “I didn't think about saving myself for long. I figured it was time for something to happen. Like maybe they'd beat me bad enough to cause internal bleeding or snap a few ribs to puncture my lungs. But when I saw you...I can’t describe it…” You raise your head and smile weakly, blinking away your tears. “...it's like you gave me a reason to live again. Does that sound silly?" you laugh.

Jeff looked straight into your eyes as if a decision had been made. "No. It doesn't." 

Drying your face completely, you laugh at your own emotional state. “Sorry, I didn't mean to get like this. I just wanted you to how grateful I am to have you in my life…and I hope you stay.” You pat his chest with a smile, preparing for him to leave without a second glance like always. "Merry Christmas."

The boy stared at you with half lidded eyes, their gaze locked on yours. The eye contact made you blush in embarrassment.

“…Lucille.”

“Mm?”

Jeff grabbed your shoulder and gently pulled you close as he leaned into you. His lips hovered over your ear as he spoke in a soft voice.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

With a pause, Jeff gently pulled you into a hug and rested his chin on the crown of your head. You relax after the initial surprise leaves you, dully noting the scent of pine from his clothes. The boy held you closer to his chest when you wrapped your arms around his abdomen and laid your head against his chest. You could feel the toned muscle of his chest, proving that he was more athletic than his body suggested.

It had to be less than 20 degrees in your room, but you didn't feel it.

"...I saw a lot of myself in you at that moment. Cornered like a rat and looking for an explanation. Bullies were my crux growing up, and they didn't stop until I stopped them myself."

He took a long breath and pressed his face into your hair. "I can't stand injustice. It...angers me. And then the feeling shows up and it won't go away until I...I try to keep it under control as best I can but in that moment? I couldn't just leave you like that. I didn't even know you. But I had to do something..." Jeff paused and spoke directly in your ear.

"...every life is precious, so don't thank me for anything. Every life is worth saving Lucille, especially yours."

You hug him closer to your body and bury your face in the shoulder of his sweater, your shoulders shaking. The boy chuckled at the irony and rubbed your back soothingly.

After you wipe your puffy eyes, the boy releases you and looks at you with a new light in his own. “I have to go now. Expect me in three days,” he says while crossing over to your open window once more.

You blink in confusion and slowly follow him. “What’s happening in three days?”

Jeff looks back at you and smiles softly. “Your birthday, remember?”

“…oh…okay…” You look down and smile shyly. Your own father didn't remember your birthday. It felt strange hearing it brought up by someone else. “But won’t you be cold out there with just your sweater?”

Jeff brought a hand up to his chest and tugged the dark blue scarf up around his face, his eyes smiling at you. “I’ll be fine from now on.”

You nod and smile sweetly, the emotions from earlier welling up in your chest again. "Hey, Jeff?"

"What?"

You froze momentarily and a bright red blush swarms your cheeks. Jeff's shadow illuminated by the moonlight was startlingly gorgeous, so much so all you could do was stare at his face. Snow stuck to his hair and shone softly, making his eyes and strong jawline stand out all the more. He cocked and eyebrow at your behavior and swung his legs over the terrace. "Uh...so see you later...?"

"N-no, wait, hang on!" You lunge forward to catch his sleeve.

The sudden movement made Jeff loose his balance and sway towards you. Twisting his body to catch himself, you end up sharing the most awkward moment of your life with a boy half hanging out of your window.

Jeff made a muffled noise and snatched his mouth away from yours, looking equally flustered as you now, unable to form words as he stared at you with round eyes. You blink in confusion until your brain registers the slight glimmer of his lips and the intense throbbing heat in yours. You squeal and cover your mouth with both hands. Jeff jerked backwards with a short cry.

It wasn't long before he lost his balance and slipped off of the steel bars.

"Jeff!" You hang over the terrace yourself and look around for the white hoodie. You hear a groan and breathe a sigh of relief. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine I'm fine...just...g-go back inside already...you'll get sick or somethin'..." he grumbled, rubbing his lower back as he walked away. You frown a little.

"...I'm sorry..."

Jeff sighed and turned to face you. His face was still red and he avoided looking at you. "I-it's okay. Just go to sleep already." He shoved his hands in his pockets and hunched his shoulders against the cold, putting his face in the scarf. His expression was that of a petulant child.

How cute.

"Goodnight..." you call softly, latching the window shut.

Jeff remained still after watching you close the window and turned back to the pathway. He watched the ground as he walked and pulled the scarf around his face, blushing harder. It carried your scent.

"....goodnight snowflake," he muttered under his breath.

Chapter Text

Something odd was happening in the mansion.

Something Slenderman neither knew of nor understood.

The ethereal silently sipped his morning coffee as he read, his brow crumpled together in thought. He wasn't accustomed to dealing with teenagers and their strange hormonal changes despite housing so many of them. Jeff started to disappear more often, which wasn't entirely unusual; he knew well enough that he had to satisfy his murderous cravings. But what stuck out the most was the lack of blood Jeff came back home with. A few days ago the boy even returned with a scarf, his face flushed a bright red color. It may have been from being out in the cold for so long, but when questions about the scarf started to fly, Jeff’s cheeks reddened further and he stormed upstairs to his room. Slenderman sighed internally. The matter gave him a headache. With another sip, he leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs, deciding that he’ll relax for now. Whatever it was, he was sure it would pass on like a phase. Nothing to truly worry about.

Jeff, however, was on pins and needles.

The sun shone brightly in Jeff’s room as he hurried about, Smile watching him lazily. He double checked and triple checked the items in his bag and made another sweep of his room just to be sure. Today had to be perfect. No exceptions. Zipping his bag, Jeff turned to his beloved companion.

“Let’s hit it,” he said with a wide grin. Smile woofed and got to his feet, sporting the red bandanna around his neck with a pleased expression.

Jeff went to the mirror for the twelfth time and ran a hand through his hair self-consciously, making sure the fluff would stay put. It was strange. He’d never cared how other people saw him until now.  Jeff chuckled and shook his head.

Lucille really was a strange girl.

Remembering his final task, Jeff walked to Ben’s room and rapped on the door impatiently. There was shuffling and a loud thud on the ground, but the door finally swung open. Ben blinked in surprise and tilted his head, his elven ears poking out from under his blond hair.

“Mkay...this is really weird by normal Jeff standards,” he said bluntly.

Jeff dug into his pocket and handed him a box and a few broken computer chips. “Can you sync those together?”

Ben looked over the contents in his hand, the gears turning in his eyes already. “Do I need to ask why you’re doing this? I mean, you already have one of these. I’m lost here.” He glanced up at Jeff with a smirk. “Got something to do with the scarf?”

Jeff huffed and turned away, fighting the blush threatening to appear on his face. “Will you just fix it already?” Ben chuckled to himself and laid the box on the bed. “I got it bro. Just sit tight for a few minutes.”

Jeff nodded and sat down in the doorway, holding Smile’s head in his hands. Ben hummed as he worked, his delicate fingers waving over the bright lights between them. He glanced at his best friend and then the scarf around his neck. There was a soft expression in his dark eyes, one that only surfaced when he lowered his face in the wool. Ben smiled and closed the top of the box, turning to Jeff.

He knew what it meant.

“Hang on one sec, okay?”

Ben walked to the other side of his room, leaving Jeff leaning awkwardly in the door sill.  The ghost returned and tied a red ribbon around it, knotting a quaint bow in the center. Jeff looked at Ben with wide eyes and pursed his lips. Ben nudged Jeff with his elbow and smiled his trademark toothy grin.

“Go get ‘er tiger,” he jested.

Jeff scowled as his face flushed a light pink. “Shut up,” he growled. Ben only laughed and started to push the boy out of his room.

“Try to come back home tonight, yeah? Don’t get too crazy.”

“What, like your perverted ass?”

“You know it.”

Jeff slid the box into his pocket and glanced back at Ben with a slight grin. This is what he loved most about the ghost. Jeff was never god with words, but Ben seemed to know exactly what the problem was. It was this quality about him that drew them together in the first place. He understood everything without having to say a word. He just knew. Ben winked and saluted at him before going back into his room. Smile ran down the stairs towards the front door, yipping that Jeff follow him.

The boy took a deep breath and trotted downstairs, a smile growing with the giddy feeling building in his chest. He took energized steps out the door despite him not sleeping a wink the night before. It was obvious what was truly on his mind.

You swing the arches of your bay window wide open and hang over the sill, drawing a deep breath of fresh winter air. The snow gleamed beautifully with the light of the sun, clinging to the evergreen trees that lined the streets. Birds sung faintly in the distance and the world around you became all the more surreal. Were things always this beautiful?

“Sup snowflake,” you hear.

You glance down and beam a smile. “Morning!” you call cheerfully.

Smile barked and wagged his tail furiously as he greeted you at the door of your house. You open the door and get down on your knees, hugging the canine around his neck. “Good morning Smile,” you giggle. You scratch at the spot behind his left ear and pet his back, marveling at how normal the dog looked this time. Instead of the demonic grin and shaggy hair, Smile looked just like a regular husky. His fur was soft and very shiny, and you could smell the shampoo off of his coat.

“Is that vanilla?” you ask. Smile woofed and nudged your head with his nose.

“You look happy,” Jeff said softly.

You look up from your spot on the floor and stare unintentionally. There was a softness to his expression that literally made your heart thunder in your chest. Even Smile’s ears perked up in response. Catching yourself at the last minute, you smile at him and get to your feet.

“Observant as always,” you giggle nervously, brushing Smile’s hair off of your pants.

Jeff smiled and dipped his head into his scarf as he laughed, a new habit he developed since that night. A warm feeling spread in your chest at the sight. It was unbearably cute.

“What’s that smell? Cinnamon?” he said suddenly. You nodded proudly.

“I made pancakes this morning. They go pretty damn fast,” you said.

Jeff sputtered a laugh and bit his lip, thoroughly amused. “You mean you were a total fatass and ate them all.”

You stick your tongue out at him. “You’re just butthurt that you couldn’t have any. I’m a boss at cooking.”

“I’m what?”

“Butthurt.”

“What the hell does that even mean?”

You opened your mouth to answer when all three of you jumped at the loud thud from upstairs. You frowned unconsciously at the groans and slurred cursing that follow, an expression Jeff caught immediately. He raised an eyebrow that asked one word.

“Dad?”

You rolled your eyes and he nodded.

“C’mon. Grab a coat. You’re coming with me today.”

“Good. I’m already ready to go.”

You zipped your dark blue winter coat and fastened the belt around your waist, wasting no time to pull on your gloves. Jeff blinked and slowly put his hands in his pocket, seeming to stare at you this time. You fixed the fur-coated hood and looked up to see his eyes flicker away from your mouth. You quickly turned your eyes away and bit your lower lip, faintly blushing yourself. You felt Smile lean against your legs and you stumbled forward. Jeff reached out to steady you, but froze suddenly. You looked at him quizzically.

“You okay weirdo?”

Jeff stared your face for a moment before coughing roughly into his shoulder and turning away from you, the tips of his ears turning red.

“Who you callin’ weird…” he grumbled.

You sighed and knocked into his shoulder as you walked out the door. “Wherever we’re going, let’s get a move on.”

Jeff sniffed and closed the door behind him, nervously fumbling with the box in his pocket.

Being around you proved to be much harder than he thought it would be.

“Eyes closed. No peeking.”

“Jeff, you’re covering half of my face. I can’t see shit.”

A laugh. A pleased sigh. A dog bark.

“How much more of this? I can’t take you stepping on the back of my shoes every five seconds.”

“Relax, we’re almost there.”

You fumbled over a rock and tilt backwards, squeaking. Jeff laughed in your ear as he held you from behind.

“We’re here.”

Your eyes opened gradually from the blinding light and come to focus on the sparkling icicles above you. Jeff released his grip on you and watched you take small steps in front of him. He couldn't stop smiling at how wonder-eyed you were, twirling in circles with the biggest smile he’s ever seen on your face.

The two of you wandered into the forest ankle-deep in snow, the entire area frozen in its beauty. The sun began to set and reflected its warm light off of every inch of ice and snow, bathing you in a gentle orange hue. A soft breeze carried the scent of pine trees and wood, and you inhaled with your eyes closed. The atmosphere wrapped you in a feeling of safety, as if the forest was another place to call home. It was truly a nice place to be. You turned to Jeff with a genuine smile.

Jeff, once again, stood directly in the middle of the sun’s pathway, the outline of his body illuminated in an otherworldly glow. He smiled gently when his eyes met yours and walked toward you. You blushed a little and looked away from him, squeezing your hands together.

“So?”

You exhaled happily and looked back at him. “This place is…how did you know this was here?”

He shrugged with a smirk. “I come out here sometimes. Calms the nerves, soothes the soul.”

You gave him a warm smile and tackled him playfully, tucking your arms underneath his. “Thanks for bringing me here. It’s beautiful…”

Jeff blinked repeatedly and swallowed hard, not bothering to try and fight the blush on his face. “’S no big deal really…” he said. The boy cautiously wrapped an arm around your shoulders and muttered a ‘you’re welcome’ in your hair.

You pulled away with a mischievous glint in your snowy irises. That instantly made Jeff all the more nervous and his blush worsened. You bend down and gather snow in your hands.

“What are you…?”

“Snowball fight!” You promptly threw the ball of snow at the boy.

Jeff dodged it with ease, but also went to making his own snowball and threw it at you with surprising speed. It hit you dead in your face and he doubled over in laughter, clutching his stomach. You shook your head and huffed audibly, balling more snow in your hands with a dangerous glare. Jeff flinched.

“You’re dead!”

“Shit—Smile! Come!”

Jeff took off running with the dog and you chase him, easily matching his speed as he wound through the trees. You both went back and forth between the trees, strategically pelting each other with snowballs that soon became any clump of snow you could find. You and Smile double teamed him for a while before he turned on you both, digging snow in your face. You started chasing Smile around as well while Jeff tried to hit you with snow. In that moment, you were the embodiment of pure joy.

Smile crossed in front of your legs as you were running forward. Jeff happened to be in front of you as you run straight into him, sending you both rolling down a hill. Jeff swore and you laughed besides yourself, letting yourself fall with the motion of the snow. You landed with a soft thud, giggling and exhausted, barely noticing the gentle weight on your chest.

“Sorry man. Smile keeps doing stuff that nearly kills me I swear,” you said, reaching up to wipe snow from your eyes. Drawing your hand away, you suddenly stopped your laughter. Jeff didn't dare move. Neither of you dared to breathe.

Time stood still as you looked at each other’s faces with a few inches between you two.

This was the first time you had a chance to really see Jeff’s face clearly. Your eyes wandered over his features, undeterred by the look of his skin or scars. His eyes take you in, and your breath hitched in response. God damn was he beautiful.

“…you have really nice eyes…” you said softly. Jeff looked away from you in embarrassment and stayed quiet. Your gaze fell on the scars on his cheeks and you timidly raised a hand to his face when he tried to get off of you.

“May I?”

Jeff glanced at your gloved hand and back to the snow beside him, giving you a slight nod in response. You pulled your glove off with your teeth and gently trace the outline of the slit in face with your thumb. Jeff’s eyes closed and he leaned into your touch slightly.

“…I thought they freaked you out,” he murmured.

“Freaked me out? Why would they?” You cupped his cheek and soothingly stroked the outline of the scar.

“People tend to be whenever they see it. But you just looked at ‘em like they’re normal. You didn't even flinch.”

You smile and turn his head to face you with both hands. Jeff’s eyes were locked on yours.

“I don’t think anything of them really. Everyone has scars on them, ones that show and ones that don’t. They’re a part of you, and I like you. The scars are part of the package.”

Jeff’s face suddenly turned bright red, even to the tips of his ears. The boy launched himself off of you and scooted backwards. “Y-you…you what?!”

“Eh? What’s the matter with you?” you said, sitting up. He was being weirder than usual.

“You just—I’m your—fuck!” Jeff covered his face with his hands and looked away.

It was your turn to turn red. “Huh…? No, Jeff, I didn't mean it like that you moron!”

“You’re confusing me woman!”

“Didn't anybody ever tell you they like you as a friend?!”

“No! Of course not!”

You sighed and stood up, walking further into the forest to hide your red face. Too low for him to hear, you muttered, “….you didn't have to freak out like that dumbass.”

Jeff watched you walk off and mentally kicked himself for jumping to conclusions. Why’d it have to be that conclusion anyway? He sighed, frazzled. The aim for today wasn't to piss you off, but hearing those three words out of the blue set him off. The boy couldn't help but be embarrassed. He got to his feet and trotted after you.

“Lucy, can you hang on for just a second?”

Jeff pulled out a box tied by a red ribbon. You stare wide-eyed at him. The boy placed it in your hands and waited for you to open it. With hesitation, you untied the bow and pried it open. The contents inside made your breathing stop short.

You looked up at Jeff with wide eyes, clutching the box with shaking hands.

“Go on…try it out,” Jeff urged.

You fumbled with the earbuds and pushed one into your ear. You scroll through the long list of familiar songs and search solely for one in particular. You closed your eyes and covered your mouth with one hand when it began to play. The boy watched closely, stiff with waiting to hear your approval. After a moment, you look up at him with teary eyes and urge him to take the other earbud. He stepped closer to you and bent down slightly to your level, popping the earbud in as well.

The Neighborhood's "Sweater Weather" began to play sweetly in his ear.

You sniffled quietly and wiped at your eyes. Somehow…somehow Jeff managed to replace your beloved ipod with the songs that were once there. He returned your tiny piece of heaven, and you couldn't begin to describe the heavy feeling in your chest. Jeff looked at your face with a concerned expression, and you shook your head as you smiled. It wasn't sadness you felt.

Not even close.

Unable to vocalize your feelings, you curled your arms around his neck and held him close, muttering thank you repeatedly in his ear. Jeff lightly wrapped his arms around your waist and laid his chin on top of your shoulder, smiling from ear to ear.

“So I take it you like the gift?” he said jokingly. You snorted and squeezed him tighter. With a pat to your back, he murmured a soft ‘happy birthday’.

You swallowed hard and pull away from him slightly, keeping your eyes on the ground in thought. There was still so much you wanted to express to him, yet you were never the best with words. Something was missing. As Jeff pet your hair and the song continued to play, your answer was sung directly into both of your ears.

Your hands slipped from the back of his neck and stopped at the scarf wound around him. You pursed your lips for a moment before lightly pulling Jeff closer to you. The boy stopped his jesting long enough to notice the motion, however, it was much too late for him to realize what you were going to do.

With a hesitant breath, you stood on the tips of your toes and gently placed your lips on his.

Jeff’s hold around your waist suddenly became tight and rigid. You kept your movements as soft as possible, though they only lasted for a few seconds. Too embarrassed to look him in the eyes, you lowered yourself back down on your feet and leaned against him. Your mind raced with a sudden wave of doubt and regret until you felt Jeff tenderly tug your face up by your chin to meet his. As flustered and nervous as you were, you didn't resist him.

This was the most serious you've seen him since that night in your room. His eyes were intense, seeming to search for something in yours. You blushed harder from the direct eye contact, but managed to maintain it long enough for him to find whatever he was looking for.

Jeff wordlessly brought his mouth to meet yours again, softly cupping your cheek in the process.

It’s rather difficult to describe what you were feeling at that moment. Your pace quickened and your body grew degrees hotter than before. A tingling sensation ran down your spine with each soft kiss, with each gentle caress on your back that pulled you two closer together. You couldn’t feel the deep winter chill of the afternoon, nor the subtle warmth of the setting sun behind you.  The feel of cotton and wool faded from your fingertips. The slight ache from standing on your feet for too long became non-existent.

The intimate glance you shared after he pulled away and the shaky breathing that followed was all you knew.

Jeff closed his eyes and touched his forehead to yours, intertwining his fingers with yours in the small space between you. You gently squeeze his hands and follow suit, listening the final pieces of the song. It was so peaceful that Jeff’s barely audible voice roused you from your state.

“…stay with me,” he whispered.

“…? Jeff?”

“…please…I only want you by my side…it can only be you…”

His voice quivered and almost sounded pained. You silently agreed by tilting your head to one side and kissing him once more before laying your head in the crook of his neck. Jeff reached around you and held you there with one hand, pressing his lips into your hair.

You knew the pain he felt right then. It may be from a distant memory, but you understood the ache of being alone, how badly it tore at the heart when you witnessed others together yet you remained isolated and alone. With a sudden urgency, you place your hand over where his heart would be; you knew for certain how you felt about your kindred soul.  

You ignored the ominous feeling creeping at the back of your mind.

All you could focus on was the furious heartbeat of the one you adored most.

Neither of you noticed the bulging pair of empty eyes that watched you from afar.

Something odd was happening in the mansion.

Something odd indeed.

Chapter Text

It was a long while before Jeff could bring himself to release her from his hold. Seeing her hazy eyes stirred him further, but he resisted the urge to take her into his arms once more and nestle in the warmth she provided. There were a number of new, intense feelings coursing through him, all of them centering on the shorter white-haired girl in front of him.

Jeff was no idiot. He knew what this meant.

Lucille’s face was flushed a soft pink color, making the tangle of emotions in him tug at his heart. Both her eyes and her lips were soft, and Jeff had to force himself to stop constantly glancing down at them. He wanted more. He wanted to feel more of her skin against his, to hear her voice breathless and unashamed as she called his name, to cradle her body in his arms and never let go.

But he also wanted to see her smile, even glare at him when he made a stupid remark. He wanted to make her laugh at every moment possible. He wanted to be the shoulder she leaned on, the person she ran to when things became too much for her to bear all by herself. He wanted to protect her more than anything. Especially because of the kind of company he kept.

Lucille’s eyes dropped to his hand and she laced her fingers with his without hesitation. Jeff instantly stiffened, but relaxed at almost the same time when her warmth melded with his. He gave a small smile and gently kissed her cheek, at which Lucille automatically blushed at and fidgeted. Jeff chuckled and squeezed her hand.

“We should head back soon. The moon is already up,” she said.

Jeff nodded in a trance; he too busy staring at her to let the words register. Lucille smiled a bit and waved a hand in front of his face.

“Anybody home?” she called.

Jeff shook his head and stared hard at a tree to his side, fighting the oncoming blush to his cheeks. Lucille giggled and poked him. “What, you embarrassed?”

The boy quickly took her hand and brought it to his lips, lightly kissing the palm with half-lidded eyes. Lucille went quiet. Jeff chuckled to himself as he pressed his lips to the back of her hand. “Are you?” he teased.

The moment she scowled at him, Jeff noticed the darkness around them. A surge of urgency suddenly hit him.

They would be coming out soon.

Jeff didn’t wait for consent. He scooped Lucille into his arms and made for the edge of the forest. The girl squeaked and clung to his neck in surprise.

“Jeff? What’s going on with you?”

Jeff glanced down at his counterpart quickly, tightening his hold on her and running even faster. The forest was no longer safe for her.

“I have to get you home,” he breathed.

Lucille gave a confused look. “But why so urgent?”

For some reason, Jeff couldn’t respond. He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t bear to the thought of telling her what he was, what they were. He shook his head again and sped up. He could feel one of them already outside.

Lucille fell silent and hugged his neck, closing her eyes. Jeff could feel her lashes graze his neck. The feeling was so faint, yet it nearly distracted him altogether.

Moments later, Jeff cleared the forest with ease and arrived at her front door.

The boy set Lucille down and panted, leaning on the building for support. Lucille brought him inside and gave him a cup of water to drink. Smiling softly, she rubbed his back soothingly.

“You’re so weird,” she giggled.

Jeff glanced at her and slowly brought his hand to cup her cheek. The motion made the girl freeze, her eyes trained solely on his. His brow knit in thought, Jeff slowly stroked her face the way she did when they first met.

“…I remember now. You did this too.” He swallowed and looked down at her. “I never did say thank you for helping me, did I.”

Lucille blinked and gave him a warm smile. “S’alright. I’d do it a million times over.”

 Jeff felt a surge of affection as he watched her place her hand over his and lean into his hand. He moved his fingers to her jaw and brought her face closer to his. Lucille’s eyes fluttered closed.

This kiss was meant to be a goodbye, but it soon turned into a much more emotional gesture. Jeff cupped the back of her head and let her run her fingers through his hair, earning a pleased muffled sigh from him. Jeff hugged Lucille around her waist with his free arm. Lucille pulled away slightly and made a tiny gasp, her eyes closed and her face flushed.

Oh shit. This was getting dangerous.

In an effort to calm himself down, Jeff touched her forehead with his and breathed slowly. Lucille’s eyes were hazy and slightly watery, and she bit her lower lip. Jeff closed his eyes in a hurry; anything she did at this point would rile him up further. Was she even aware of what she was doing to him?

With a quick peck to her temple, Jeff pulled himself away from her. “Time for me to go snowflake.”

Lucille huffed a laugh and squeezed his hand. “Thank you for everything today. I had a ton of fun.”

Jeff smiled at her and caressed her cheek again. “…I really don’t want to go…”

“But you have to, silly.” Lucille kissed his palm and pushed him out the door from behind. “Just make sure you come back.”

Jeff blushed and looked back at her. “Like I can stay away from you.”

Standing outside in the snow, the two of them stared at each other unintentionally. Jeff sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets, his face even more flushed than before. Lucille wrapped her arms around his middle and held him tight.

“You be careful, okay?” she said softly. Jeff hugged her back in response, pressing his face into her hair.

“Of course I will.”

The boy inhaled quietly. The scent of her hair lingered long after they’d separated and gone their separate ways, and her warmth never seemed to leave him. He could still feel her lips on his. There were many things Jeff felt at any given moment, but that came with him being so unstable. However, Jeff’s mental state would level itself out whenever he was with the white-haired girl. He felt normal. He felt secure and at ease. Most of all, he felt accepted.

The realization made him shudder happily. He knew very well it was much too soon to call it love, but it felt too strong in him to just call it liking someone. Jeff knew it was something beyond that.

The black forest welcomed him home, as usual. Jeff could feel the presence of his various family members out in the open. Ben’s static. Slenderman’s pressure. The demonic twinkle of L. J.’s lullaby. Smile’s searing heat. He even caught glimpses of E.J., though spotty at best. He figured his friend was heading home for the night. Perhaps he found a new specimen to cut open.

Jeff walked up the steps to the manor and passed through the familiar onyx gate and opened the door, deciding to go see him.

“That’s the last one…” said Eyeless Jack, wiping at his brow. Today’s haul was productive and full of rewards. Jack finally gleaned enough kidneys to last him all of next week, thankful that he won’t have to go back outside for a while. He walked at a steady pace back to the mansion, carrying his sack of organs with careful arms. Jack grinned to himself when an image of a pouting Pinkie asking about the rest of the bodies popped up in his mind. He always hid them well; Jack was much too clean a killer.

Wandering further down the pathway, he felt Jeff’s presence like cool metal on his skin. Smile’s was less detectable, but it was clear he was there too. Jack smiled and changed directions. Maybe he caught a new kill. A new kill meant a new pair of kidneys to nibble on.

Jack nearly dropped his bag of kidneys.

Jeff was a lengthy distance from him, but he could see clearly through his mask. He was most definitely with a human, but…she wasn’t dead.

Quite the opposite.

The two of them were startlingly close, just staring at each other. Jack furrowed his brow and crept a little closer behind a tree. Smile wagged his tail and paid them no mind. Jeff seemed to be in deep thought as he looked at her, almost as if he were confused. That made the most sense. No normal human would get that close to him, much less stand there with him. Maybe it was an aberrant?

Jeff dipped his head towards her and stayed there for a while. Jack furrowed his brow. What in the world was he doing?

Then he saw Jeff’s hands move to her back. The human girl wrapped her arms around his neck, and Jeff hugged her even closer to him. Jack’s eyes widened and a furious blush crept over his face behind his mask.

H-He was…h-he just…with a human?!

Jack snatched his eyes away out of embarrassment and clutched his bag to his chest. He swallowed hard and sank to the ground, trying to steady his breathing as his thoughts raced. Jeff would be in so much trouble if Slenderman knew about this. Who knows what would happen to him if he did. Jack automatically refused saying a word about this to him, but he was terrible at keeping secrets. But what if Jeff noticed how weird he was being? What if Slenderman noticed? What if he got interrogated? What if he couldn’t keep quiet?

It was then he felt Slenderman’s presence reverberate throughout the forest.

He was out for a hunt. If Slenderman found them…

Jack quickly stood up and looked at Jeff. He noticed it and picked the human up, charging out of the forest. Jack watched his friend dart out of sight. He sighed in relief despite the worry in his chest.

“Jeff…”

“Woof!”

Jack jumped and found Smile looking up at him, happily wagging his tail in greeting. He exhaled through his nose and bent down to pet him.

“You gotta stop scaring me like that man,” he said with a smile. Smile nudged his hand happily, letting his demonic form take over. Sometimes Smile would hide his presence at any given time, giving the phrase “element of surprise” a new meaning. Jack ruffled the dog’s scraggy hair and fanned himself a bit. Smile’s heat was beyond normal.

Jack leaned back on the tree and pulled off his mask. He rubbed his eyes and blinked repeatedly, thinking that he should just talk to Jeff about what he saw. Smile nudged Jack’s arm in a goodbye and bounded off into the darkness.

“Take care of yourself,” he called. Smile barked in response.

Jack finally stood tall, kidneys in hand, and walked back to the mansion. He greeted everyone upon arrival, and Pinkie whined about not having any other organs to harvest for her baking. Ben’s holographic figure jogged past him and waved a quick hello. Dark Link passed him on the way down to the basement with a nod and sultry gaze, and Jack simply grinned back. Crossing over to the deep freezer, he greeted Skintaker and Ticci Toby with a warm smile, throwing open the door to the fridge with ease.

“New haul today?” Toby asked. His mask and goggles were gone too, and there were traces of blood on his face. Jack licked his thumb and wiped the remainder of the blood off.

“Mhmm. This should last me at least a week.”

“Whoa…that’s a lot of kidneys man…how many did you kill for those?” Toby wandered behind Jack to get a closer look.

Jack smiled uneasily. “You know I don’t like to kill. I got most of them from the hospital, but a few were from drunkards I found in the alley.”

Toby helped him push the bag inside, careful not to tip over Skintaker’s stack of prized skin. “Won’t those be spiked?” Toby grinned mischievously.

“A little alcohol isn't bad every now and then. Wine is a popular cooking tool anyway.” Jack closed the door to the fridge and pat Toby’s shoulder. He grinned and gently nudged Jack in his chest.

“Yknow, I don’t mind getting them for you. Bodies I mean. I know you like surgery and all. If not me, then Jeff would—“

“Aha, yes, Jeff! Absolutely! Thank you for your generosity Tobias, I truly appreciate it! Now, uh, if you’ll excuse me.”

Jack reached into the freezer and snatched a kidney from the bag. He quickly shoved one into his mouth and sped walked to the stairs, leaving a very bewildered Toby in his wake.

Jack heard the manor door open and the customary loud greeting from everyone in the front room. He knew exactly who it was before he turned the corner.

“Oi! Jeff’s home!”

“How was the hunt? Any new weird presents today?”

“Didya bring back some new organs? I want my cupcakes!”

Jeff laughed at the pony at his feet and gave her a gentle smile. “Not today. Sorry Pinkie.”

Pinkie stomped her hooves in a fit and threw her head back at an unnatural angle. Jeff chuckled and walked past the couch, glancing at the group huddled in front of the television.

“Oi! Hoody, stop cheating!”

“Wha? But I’m not!”

“You’ve been hangin’ out with Ben again haven’t you?”

“B-but…”

Red made an irritated smacking noise and flicked Masky in the head. “Quit harassing your opponent dammit. Focus on the damn go karts!”

“Red stop it! You’re gonna make me lose my place!”

“G-guys…c’mon. You do this every time we play…”

Jeff shrunk back from the game and walked towards the corner where Jack was. He greeted him with a friendly smile upon sight.

“Hey E.J.,” he chimed.

Jack avoided eye contact with him and greeted him, a little put off by his warm demeanor. He knew Jeff well enough to be on his good side, but this was totally different from how he usually was. It made Jack all the more curious about the girl he saw him with.

“Hey…Jeff? Can we talk?” he asked quietly.

Jeff blinked and smiled again. “Sure man. What’s up?”

“Ah…n-not here…it’s confidential…”

“You look nervous…is everything okay?” Jeff gave him a worried glance.

Jack smiled a little and waved him over to the stairs. “Please. Follow me.”

You sang a sweet song as you showered, a flowery feeling in your chest. Lathering the shampoo in your hands, you vaguely remembered the feel of Jeff’s hands in your hair. The memory made you blush heavily and you smiled to yourself. Your lips most definitely remembered what his felt like. They were much softer than you expected, and he was very careful with the way he kissed you.

Not so much when he kissed you again before he left though. Reflecting on it made you feel even stranger. You felt shockwaves and a sharp tingling sensation when he held you there, and you helplessly lost yourself in the moment. His glazed eyes did something to you. The need was in plain sight. His eyes, his voice, his body…it was intense.

After rinsing your hair, you stepped from the shower, your singing reduced to a light hum. This fluttering in your chest wouldn’t leave you be.

Sure you've had crushes before. You've had your fair share of puppylove too. But what you felt towards this boy was completely different. A tangle of emotions all wrapped within your heavily guarded heart, most of them you didn't even understand yet. Somehow Jeff managed to knock down your walls. Or perhaps he simply saw through them and brought your true self back to the surface. The snowball fight was proof of that. He probably didn't realize it, but you know for certain that it has been a long time since Jeff enjoyed himself that much. The light in his sapphire hues was undeniable.

You left your bathroom wearing an over-sized t-shirt without any pants, sipping your mug of hot chocolate. It was just you in the house. You were intensely grateful that your father was gone tonight, and in your pleasant mood, you kept humming.

Then you notice the tune you were humming.

When did it change from your favorite song to Pop Goes the Weasel?

You stopped abruptly, slightly disturbed, but you still heard it.

“What…?”

You knew your ears weren't playing tricks on you. It was faint, but you definitely heard the soft, melodic tune playing from somewhere in the house. You walk outside into the hall and look around in the darkness.

You heard a faint child’s whimper back in your room.

“The hell?” You run up the stairs and jog into your pitch black room.

You didn't turn off the lights.

“Please…help….”

“Who’s there? Hello?”

“…please…help me…”

In the farthest corner of your room you could make out the silhouette of a child. The more your eyes adjusted, the more of the child you could see.

What you witnessed froze the blood in your veins.

A little girl was strung up by her arms and neck, bleeding profusely from the crown of her head and down her legs. A much larger hunched figure stood beside her, seeming to be the one who did this to her. The girl looked up with dull green eyes and croaked in pain.

You slowly reach for the lamp on your bedside table.

The hunched figure looked behind itself and laughed quietly, slowly pulling on the strings that held the girl in place. Before your eyes, the girl was strangled to death, circulation in her wrists cut off completely. You felt a surge of anger at the strange figure and you tighten your hold around the lamp, ready to charge.

Then the girl’s body fell apart.

Her head, her arms, her legs….everything collapsed. Blood splattered on the wall and all over the carpet. You could faintly make out the shape of her organs pouring from her severed stomach slumped within the fabric of her pink dress. The figure turned to you and cocked its head at an unnatural angle, a wide grin stretched across its face. It looked like a crazed clownish character form a bad dream. Its arms and legs were bent at odd angles, drooping from the hunch that made its back. The whites of their irises challenged yours, and you feel a strange resolve within you. You stepped back a bit, preparing to charge at with your lamp, when the figure rose to its full height and came towards you at frightening speed.

You had no time to move.

You swung the lamp with all your might. You heard it connect with something hard and a slight hiss that followed.

However, it wasn't enough to stop the darkness from swallowing you whole.

Chapter Text

Mm...mnn…what hap…pened?

You blearily open your eyes to complete black surroundings. The smell of earth fills your nostrils.

….

You feel around you for a brief moment and slowly try moving your numb body.

The ground…dirt? I’m outside?

You sit on your knees and hold your head. It pounds furiously behind your eyes. There is an odd weightlessness to your movements, and you frown at the strange sensation. As the pain subsided somewhat, you stand to your feet and look around you.

A heavy sense of dread begins to take root in your stomach.

You stand before a large carnival tent, stained and torn along the seams. Booths and funhouses surround you, each of them worn and abandoned. Dull lights flicker above your head and cast ominous shadows that dance at your feet, none of them coming from you. Your eyes flicker to the opening in the tent, and all you see is dark nothingness.

Every fiber of your being is screaming not to go inside. You obey the nervous twinge in your gut and set off to finding a way out of this place.

“…all around the mulberry bush…”

You stop midstep as a chill runs down your spine. You hear a child’s voice singing softly somewhere behind you.

“…the monkey chased the weasel…”

You turn and look for the source. Everything looks exactly the same as before, except now there was a dim yellowish light deep inside the tent. You could vaguely make out a small dark figure near the tent’s entrance.

“…the monkey thought 'twas all in good fun…”

You come closer to the tent and see a little boy standing in the middle of the entrance. Shadows cover most of his face underneath his dirty blond hair, but you could see his smile from where you stood.

Why on earth is there a kid here?

You call to him in concern. His clothes are filthy to say the least, and his body is covered in little scuffs of either dirt or bruises. Checking your surroundings one more time, you edge closer to him.

“ POP! Goes the weasel….”

You jump a little from his sudden outburst. The boy giggles and turns on his heel, disappearing into the carnival tent. In your surprise, you naturally run after him.

It only takes a few strides for you to stop dead in your tracks, bathed in the ominous light above you.

You look around frantically at the sound of children’s laughter and pattering footsteps around you.

Hello?! Who’s out there?!

You hear whispering children’s voices, and one finally steps partly into the light. You let out a soft sigh, recognizing the blond-haired boy in front of you.

Jesus, you scared me little man. It’s no good running off into dark places like that.

You smile at him gently, yet receive no response.

My name’s Lucille. What’s yours?

The boy lifts his head and smiles sickeningly wide. You suppress a scream and break into a cold sweat as you take him in.

A glowing white eye twitches and locks onto you. The boy tilts his head and opens his mouth to speak, his hair moving to reveal the gaping eye socket filled to the brim with maggots.

“Tim0tHy”

His warbled, distorted voice makes you cringe and step back. Timothy coughs and blood spews from his lips, landing on the ground in dark red chunks. You gasp and cover your mouth. The burn of vomit laces your throat.

Suddenly, Timothy begins to sing. The song is now terrible and gut-wrenching.

“…aLL Ar0UnD The MulbERry busH…”

Numerous pairs of glowing white eyes appear behind Timothy as the voices build upon each other, becoming less like singing and more like wailing.

“…tHE m0Nkey ChaSEd the wEAsEL…”

You try to run and yelp in horror as other mutilated children stagger toward you.

“…the m0nkey th0ught t’was all in go0d fuuuuun…”

More and more children walk toward you, those of them who still have their arms with hands outstretched. Soulless pairs of eyes stretch up to the ceiling and snuff out the only source of light you have.

“ POP GOES THE WEASEL!”

You scream in short bursts when you feel cold, damp hands all over you. They claw at your clothes, pull your hair and skin, and you’re pushed to the ground. Countless eyes and twisted faces cloud your vision, and you struggle against the hundreds of hands forcing you down.

Above the mangled voices, a clear, deep clown’s chuckle echoes across the air.

You instantly feel a soft tingling in the back of your head. Your eyes dart between the faces of the dead youths and notice that they begin to focus on pulling your limbs and hair. You scream out someone’s name in intense pain.

It feels akin to being torn apart.

The more you scream, the louder the chuckling grows. The more the children pull, the louder you wail and the faster tears stream.

Two blank eyes stare down at you from the ceiling. A comically pointed nose of black and white. A large black grin and a row of sharp teeth. Shaggy black hair.

Its mouth opens and blots out the eyes of the children surrounding it. You struggle to breathe and utter a name softly.

“J-Jeff…Jeff!”

The mouth extends wider and lowers itself down to you.

You call his name firmly.

“Jeff!”

Your body is swallowed in numbing darkness and you glare boldly at it. Your traces of fear dissipate.

“Back the fuck off right now!”

You see a large crack of light similar to glass breaking apart before you. You scream from a place deep within you.

“I said FUCK OFF!”

The darkness shatters into blinding rays of light, and you quickly shield your eyes as it takes you in.

The first thing you felt was the dead weight of your body. You groaned and rubbed your eyes irritably, very annoyed with the grogginess of a sleepless night. With a heavy sigh, you slowly moved from lying on your side and blinked your eyes open, expecting the usual ivory ceiling and the lazy fan in the middle of it.

You jolt upright when you notice your room is nothing of the sort.

Black and white stripes invaded your vision no matter where you looked. The walls, the bed spread, whatever furniture you could see, everything. There were eerie shelves full of small porcelain dolls, all of them damaged or disfigured. The nightmare you just had rushed back into your memory, along with the horrific murder you saw in your room. You involuntarily shivered and swallowed hard, flashes of the hellish scene appearing in your thoughts.

Some psychopath brought you here. The same one who murdered that little girl.

You clenched your fists around frilly fabric and glance down at yourself. You wore an extravagantly detailed Lolita dress, complete with the ridiculous frills and lace that seemed to fit a doll more than you. In confusion, you stood up carefully and look yourself over. No bruises or scratches anywhere. The dress was a clean, pure white, and fell elegantly against your body shape. Even the stockings underneath were without blemish.

“…this guy…undressed me…” you murmured.

You took a deep breath and decide to cut him severely for it later. Now wasn't the time to fret over it. At least he had the decency to dress you up nicely. You close your eyes and remain still, listening intently for any sounds.

It was faint, but you could pick up commotion from behind the door.

Thinking you should have a weapon of some sort, you quickly glance around the room for anything remotely sharp or blunt and heavy. You spot a small parasol with a pointed tip resting beside a closet and weigh it in your hands. It was lightweight and easy to wield, its sharp end making soft whooshing noises each time you swung it like a sword. You look confidently at the door ahead of you and grasp the doorknob tightly.

You took one last deep breath and pushed it open, forcing the fear bubbling in your chest back down.

There was no way in hell you were going to stay a damsel in distress.

You’d save yourself.

“…so you saw us then.”

‘I…I did…”

“…”

“I-I swear I didn’t mean to peep! I just felt your presence and I wanted to see how you were doing so…”

Jeff breathed through his nose and cracked his knuckles, making E.J. flinch unconsciously. He leaned back into the bed and looked at him. Jack hesitantly returned his gaze and pulled his knees to his chest.

“Are…are you mad?”

Jeff sniffed and grinned at him. “No, I’m not mad at you. You didn’t do anything wrong. I just wish I had a little more time with her…”

Jack’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean? Isn’t she just another human girl?”

“She’s more than that E.J….much more…”

“…I don’t understand…what does that mean?”

“Well…think of something that means a lot to you. You can’t really explain how or why it means so much, but you can feel it. You want to protect it from anything that could hurt it, and absolutely murder anything that does in the bloodiest way possible. Whenever you look at it, you feel funny…like you’re nervous and excited and downright stupid all at the same time. You want to be around it all the time, and you feel sad when you have to leave it.”

His voice dropped to nothing but a whisper and Jack had to lean in to hear what he was saying.

“…you want to hold it and never let go…and when you do, it’s the most peaceful thing you could ever feel…that’s what she is to me Jack…”

Jeff smiled softly to himself and closed his eyes, touching the scarf still wrapped around his neck. The feeling of Lucille’s body against his remained a fresh memory in his mind, and he wanted to feel more of it. But now that his little secret was found out, his hopes of seeing her again had to be snuffed out. The thought of it made Jeff wince and open his eyes.

It…hurt…

When did he become so attached to her?

Jack watched him silently and squeezed his shoulder. Jeff looked over at him, full of emotions he didn’t understand, and waited patiently.

“I’m not entirely sure I understand what you mean by all this, but I know she’s very important to you. Honestly I’ve never seen you this serious over anything.  I won’t say a word Jeffery. You have my word. I won’t say anything about it.”

Jeff paused for a moment and chuckled quietly, clasping his hand over Jack’s.

“Don’t get in trouble for me because I'm dumb and selfish.”

“Nonsense. You’re the brightest man I know.”

“Bright is way different than being smart though.”

“Which makes you all the more brilliant, Jeffery.”

The two shared a smile and fell into the ease of the atmosphere. They were about to slip into more of the easy conversation when L.J.’s presence hit them simultaneously. Jeff looked at the door and stood.

“What the hell is he doing?” he muttered. Jack blinked and shuffled to his feet, joining Jeff at the door.

They leaned into the hallway with confused faces, followed by a confused Ben standing in the hall further down. His headset could be seen blinking its green light near the mic. Jeff walked up to him and followed his line of sight.

“Any idea what’s going on?” he asked casually. When Ben didn’t respond, he looked down at him and waved a hand in his face. “Helloooo?”

Ben jumped slightly and looked up at Jeff with wide, wonder-filled eyes. “Dude…do you feel that?”

“Huh? Feel what?”

No sooner had he spoken did Lucille’s voice ring in his head.

“Jeff!”

The boy sputtered and backed away slightly. What the hell was that? It sounded like she was right next to him!

Her voice rang out again, this time with interesting new dialogue.

“Don’t come near me or I swear to God I will stab you!”

“Oh come now, little doll. Be a good girl and have some candy hm?”

“Tsk! You’re the one who put me in this ridiculous costume?!”

“You don’t like it? But it’s so fitting!”

“For a ten year old with mommy problems!”

“My poor Annabel, you seem so stressed. Here, some candy will calm you down.”

“Wha—Annabel?! My name’s Lucille, and I’m not your doll!”

Jeff nearly blacked out and leaned against the wall. Ben ran to his side and rubbed his back.

“You okay dude? You look like you’re gonna pass out.”

“I…I don’t—know…”

A furious headache pulsed behind his eyes and he felt a slight chill encase his body. He put his hands on his head and winced from the pain, trying to decipher what on earth was going on in his brain.

Jeff quickly switched gears when he felt Laughing Jack’s presence grow more volatile. Lucille was in definite danger now. He launched himself off the wall and down the hallway, leaving Ben and E.J. to stare at his back.

Jeff nearly leapt up the stairs to L.J.’s room, grateful that most of the folks who lived on this floor were out for the night. He could hear the voices more clearly now and ran faster as he neared the corner. Suddenly, Jeff ran straight into a smaller person with enough force to shatter bones.

They landed on the hardwood flooring with a heavy thud.

“Ow….fuck fuck fuck fuck fuuuuuuuck…” Lucille groaned.

Jeff remained silent and didn’t bother to try and get up. His entire face hurt at the moment.

Lucille gasped and shook Jeff’s shoulders, whispering for him to wake up. He groaned and sat up slightly, not noticing who he’d just collided with.

“Jeff, get up! We need to get moving!” she said. There was obvious relief in her voice.

Jeff stiffened and looked down at the girl pinned underneath him. Her snowy eyes were wide and frantic, betraying her facial expression completely. The boy quickly sat up and pulled her into his arms.

Lucille squeaked into his chest and calmed down a little when she felt him kiss her temple. He pulled away and held her at arm’s length to get a good look at her.

“You okay?” he asked, his eyes scanning for injury. Lucille nodded and raised her arm.

“Aside from this ridiculous dress that is,” she frowned

Jeff smiled teasingly and looked her up and down. “I think it’s cute. You even have a wittle bow in your hair.” He toyed with the bow in her hair with a playful glint in his eyes.

Lucille glared at him and pinched his nose. “Focus. We need to go. Crazy clown man chasing me.”

Jeff’s smile wilted away instantly and he lowered his head. “Actually…you’re fine now.”

“Eh?”

Jeff lifted his head and looked behind her, Lucille following his movements. L.J. stood tall and foreboding at the end of the dark hall, his white irises glowing softly against pitch black. He seemed to frown as he walked closer. Lucille turned her body completely and scooted closer into the boy behind her, shivering slightly. He grinned and hugged her close by her abdomen.

“It’s okay. Don’t be scared, I’m right here.”

The girl squeezed his hand and nestled in his arms, keeping a watchful eye on the clown. “I know.”

Jeff felt a strong tug at his heart and carefully pressed a kiss to her hair. L.J. finally came near enough for him to see who held Lucille away from him.

“Heeeey…Jeff that’s miiine,” he whined. “You can’t take my toys.”

Lucille looked between Jeff and the clown with wide eyes. “You…know this guy?” she whispered.

Jeff nodded sullenly. “What about all of the other dolls in your room. Don’t they get jealous when you leave them behind?”

L.J. looked away and nodded. “Yeah but…but this one is extra special!” He sat cross-legged in front of them, his mood suddenly brightening. “I mean look at her! She’s so cute and tiny, and her eyes are white like mine! I just had to dress her up and make her look even cuter. It suits her right?”

L.J. hunched his body toward her in approval, edging closer to the hem of her dress. Without thinking, Lucille kicked him in the face and sent him flying backwards. Jeff flinched and looked between her and L.J. who was now rolling around the floor giggling.

“Oh ho ho do I like this one. She’s small but so ferocious! She tried to kill me with my own parasol yknow.”

"Wha-L-Lucy?!"

“That’s for touching me without consent asshole!” she growled. L.J. sat up and rubbed his chin happily.

Lucille glowered at him and Jeff mouthed ‘holy shit’ to himself.

“C’mon Jeff, I want my favorite one back. I know she’s perfect but you can’t keep her,” L.J. sighed. “I gotta do the nightmare thing over again. She broke the first one somehow.”

“…she did what?”

L.J. sat back down and scratched his head. “She broke the nightmare sequence. I almost had her too, but she stopped it like it was nothing. She’s an extra special human doll.” L.J. smiled happily as if he were proud of finding such a unique human.

Jeff looked down at the girl in his arms both in awe and slight fear. He was well aware of her strong will, but being able to resist Laughing Jack’s mental attacks was on a completely different level. They were specifically designed to destroy a human’s will, to break them beyond repair. It was honestly a feat worthy of respect.

Jeff wondered if being able to hear her before had anything to do with it.

Lucille visibly growled and pressed herself further into Jeff’s body. “I’m not going anywhere with you. I’m staying with him,” she said.

L.J.’s grin fell into a sad puppy’s frown. “But…but I found you…”

“No.”

“But—“

“No dammit!”

“But I has all the candy!” L.J. waggled a thick lollipop as if to taunt her into returning.

“Come near me again and I will shank your ass.”

The clown sighed heavily and stuck the candy in his mouth. “And after I took the time to dress you up so carefully…you’re much too fragile to be outside your cage.”

Jeff’s ears perked up automatically. “You did what?”

L.J. beamed a smile. “I picked one of the best pieces I ever made and dressed her up while she was unconscious. Such pretty alabaster skin she has…I don’t think I’ve ever seen a human so pure white. Even her nipples were barely pink.”

Lucille went deathly pale and gasped for words. Jeff began to tremble with an unreadable expression on his face.

“Oh, but I didn’t dare touch her. It would sully her beauty, don’t you think? After some polishing I can get back to making her into the doll she is.” L.J. smiled and made grabby hands at the girl.

Jeff gritted his teeth and stood up at his words, holding Lucille close still.

"Oh yeah?"

Jeff pushed the girl into the wall suddenly, hoisting her legs up to wrap around his hips and pinning her wrists above her head. He hovered closely in front of her and trailed his other hand down her stomach, a hungry look in his eyes. Lucille gulped and looked back at him, unbelievably embarrassed at what he was doing right in front of the clown. She squeaked from the feel of his lips on her neck and tried to speak up, jerking slightly when he bit her.

"Um-Jeff-what-"

"Quiet."

She stared at him and realized what his aim was.

Jeff proceeded to hold her by her waist and push his lower half in between her legs, claiming her lips as his own. She blushed furiously but followed his lead, groaning a little when he began to massage her defenseless womanhood through the fabric. Jeff knew to separate the kiss then; he wasn't sure if he'd be able to control himself if this went on, crazed clown or not. When the girl clung to his shoulders, he took a moment to kiss her neck, glaring at L.J. in the process.

It seemed he got the message.

"Aww Jeff! Now I gotta go clean her up again!" he whined, rolling on the floor.

“No way. I’ll be keeping her with me. If you hurry you can find another doll even better than this one.” Lucille shivered against him and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. His voice was terrifyingly low.

L.J. stopped his rolling and pondered this. He jumped onto his feet and slunk away into the hall, giggling madly about a new doll for him to play with.

 Jeff briskly walked away with Lucille in tow, suddenly very edgy. He stopped for a moment and stabbed the wall with a random butcher knife, glaring at it like it kicked a baby. Lucille shrank back a little and nervously touched his shoulder, a little breathless from their earlier.

“Uh…Jeff?”

“First thing’s first. We need to get you out of that damn dress before I maim him.”

You emerge from the closet with one of Jeff’s black hoodies on and the stockings you wore already, figuring it was better than nothing for your legs. Thankfully his sweater was big enough to cover you to mid-thigh, and the embarrassment of lacking pants was less of a problem. You had many questions about how he knew the clown man, where you were and what happened earlier, but all you wanted right now was sleep. You decided to deal with these problems in the morning.

Jeff sat on his bed with his back turned to you, wearing a simple t-shirt and comfortable pants. His room was surprisingly normal, save the glass box of knives he kept on his drawer. You sigh quietly and run a hand through your hair, feeling very at ease with your surroundings.

“God I’m exhausted…” you yawn, stretching your arms above your head.

Jeff rolled his shoulders lazily and flicked his bangs out of his face. “Really long day eh?”

You sighed in agreement and sat on the bed behind him. Jeff’s hair was much longer than you thought it was, falling down his shoulder blades in full dark tendrils. It was actually very pretty. You touched his hair gently and a faint smile crossed your lips.

"It's not okay when you're hair is better than mine," you said wistfully.

Jeff laughed a little and turned to face you, leaning back so that your hand didn't leave his hair. "Jealous?"

"Hardly," you scoffed. Suddenly irritated, you sat up and punched his shoulder blade. Jeff nearly fell off the bed.

"Didya have to go and do all that just so he could leave me alone?"

Jeff looked back at you and glanced downward sheepishly. "Okay, look, I wasn't trying to do all that, I swear. It just...kinda happened that way...?"

"Kinda happened? Dude, that was frickin' embarrassing! That's only for the bedroom!"

"I was just pissed ok? He saw you before I did..." The boy scowled and looked at you, a faint blush on his cheeks.

You sigh and fold your arms, blushing in turn. "I'm still mad at you."

Jeff stared at you for a moment before touching a hand to your hair. "...let me make it up to you then."

You suddenly felt flustered at his low voice, yet you kept your eyes locked with his. Jeff rose from the bed somewhat and leaned toward you, cupping your cheek with the hand once in your hair. The feeling of his soft lips on yours made you shudder happily, and you grabbed fistfuls of his shirt to pull him closer. Jeff wrapped and arm around your waist as you both laid on the bed side by side, lost in the feeling of each other's body. You gently run your hands through his hair, and Jeff moaned softly, pulling you against his body with firm hands. He left your mouth for the scar under your jaw, leaving soft, sensual kisses down to your neck. The moment you felt his warm tongue trace small circles against your delicate skin, your breath hitched and released itself in barely audible whimpers in his ear. Your light voice spurred him on further and he rolled you onto your back, continuing his kisses on your neck. You shifted underneath him and closed your eyes, feeling the impulse to wrap your legs around him again.

You then feel an odd bulge on your thigh.

Possibly keys or something were in his pocket? Confused, you pushed against it with your leg.

Jeff turned to look at you and suddenly went rigid, his mouth slightly agape. You notice his odd reaction and look at him quizzically.

"Are you okay?" you asked.

“A-ah…no, I mean yes,” he stuttered. He swallowed hard and lifted his hips off of you, only to groan a bit and blush madly. You blink once and suddenly put the pieces together.

"Oh...oh jeez I-I'm sorry!" You hurriedly tried to get up from underneath him and accidentally kneed his crotch.

All the color drained from Jeff's face and he doubled over in pain, trembling on the bed in fetal position. You squeaked in distress and try to rub his back soothingly, whispering apologies and begging for forgiveness for turning him on in the first place. All Jeff could do was swear profusely in a hushed tone until he could sit himself up straight. You glanced down at his pelvis and remembered the sizable bulge in his pants, and you smacked your hands over your eyes as your face burned bright red. Jeff looked all over the room equally embarrassed, and neither of you said a word.  

…well this is awkward.

Jeff let out a long sigh and got up from the bed, fumbling with a blanket and an extra pillow. You watch him lie on the floor and crush the pillow under his head hastily, trying to avoid any eye contact with you.

“So…gnite I guess…” he muttered. He was too embarrassed to say any more.

You frowned and sat up. “But won’t you be cold on the ground?”

“I’m fine.”

"Um...sorry about your uh..."

"Forget any of that ever happened, alright? For both our sakes..."

"...okay...goodnight..."

The room was dark, and the bed was indeed comfortable, but you couldn't get to sleep. Thoughts of the nightmare flooded your mind, and you were afraid of the nightmare returning. You rolled over to the edge of his bed and looked down at Jeff. He wasn't asleep either/ Your eyes softened naturally and you pull up the sheets, calling Jeff softly. He looked up at you with questioning eyes.

"...Jeff?"

"Hn."

"I can't sleep."

"...neither can I. But what's up with you?"

"I...well...a lot happened today and...I just can't sleep all that well knowing that guy is here too..."

"Who, L.J.?"

"That's his name?"

"Don't worry. He won't bother you anymore now that he knows you're with me."

"Yeah but..."

"Hey. I'm here. There's nothing to be afraid of anymore, I promise."

"...could you be here though?"

"Huh?"

"I-I mean...here in the bed... with me..."

"..."

"I-I just thought I'd be more at ease if I could feel you next to me...that's all..."

Jeff remained still for a moment before slowly getting up and standing next to the bed. His eyes never left yours and you moved to give him room to sleep with you. He blushed faintly and hesitantly put his weight on the bed.

“Are you sure?” he asked quietly. You answered by meeting his gaze despite the terrible fluttering in your chest.

Jeff smoothly sat next to you and pulled the covers up above you both, lying on his back and awkwardly staring at the ceiling. You watch his face out of the corner of your eye and gradually turn your body towards him. Jeff looked at you and you shyly reach out to touch his arm.

You couldn’t say how truly afraid you were of the nightmare returning, but you could tell that Jeff knew.

"...come here," he whispered.

Jeff pulled you into his chest and wrapped his arms around you, rubbing your back in the most soothing way he knew. He held you gently and nuzzled against you, calling you by your nickname before stroking your hair to make you drowsy. You buried your face into him and gladly took in his natural scent as your body melds to his in comfort.

"Thank you..." you whimper into his shirt.

Eventually, you began to slip into a deep sleep, and you thought you heard him say something else before the last of your consciousness winked out.

"No. Thank you."

Pine trees and fresh rain.

Chapter Text

“Jeffery! Come downstairs!”

There was a series of footsteps and unfamiliar voices. His mother’s loud greetings can be heard down the hallway and more voices collided with his eardrums. Jeff sighed irritably; it was another stupid dinner party.

“Jeffery! I said come downstairs!”

The ten year old huffed and simply turned another page in his book.

“S’ok mom, I’ll go get him.”

“Thank you Liu.”

Jeff could hear his brother’s footsteps clambering noisily up the stairs and a soft knock on his door.

“Can I come in?’

“Hn.”

Liu pushed the door open and glanced around his brother’s room. Jeff didn’t turn around.

“You know we have to.”

Jeff made a low smacking noise with his lips and scowled at the book in his hands. Liu smiled and crossed over to him, taking a seat next to him on his bed.

“Why does she always make us go to these things?” Jeff asked, obviously irritated with the intrusion of his reading.

Liu cracked a smirk and sighed heavily, heaving his shoulders in a dramatic slump. “Dad’s a businessman, and mom wants to land as many friends with money as she can. Dinner parties are just for show. First impressions and all that.”

“Is that all she cares about?”

“Probably. But that’s we’re here for. To fuck shit up in the most subtle way possible.”

Jeff looked at his brother’s amused face, watching the mischievous gleam in his bright blue irises stare into his own darker hues. Liu smirked his way and ruffled his hair, getting off of the bed.

“C’mon bro, up and at ‘em. The sooner we do it, the sooner we can leave it.”

Jeff hung his head in defeat and grudgingly closed his book. “Fine.”

The younger brother got up and rummaged through his closet for something classy, but that also said he didn’t give a shit about what his mother wanted. His slender hands rested on a familiar white hoodie and a pair of dark dress pants hung next to it. Upon seeing his choice, Liu snickered and covered his mouth in amusement.

“Hell no. Mom would pop a blood vessel if she saw you in that thing again.”

Jeff frowned. “What’s wrong with it? It’s clean.”

“Here man, I got it.”

Liu pulled out a simple white dress shirt and threw a tie at his brother. “There. Try that.” Jeff groaned and tossed the clothes on his bed.

“Oh yes, hello! Welcome Mr. Blackstock. So good to see you and the missus. Welcome Mrs. Remming! Please come in! Oh goodness, I didn’t think you’d be showing up today sir! I hope the cold wasn’t too harsh for you.”

Greeting after empty greeting. Strangers kept filing in line whilst Jeff’s mother kept ushering them inside with fake smiles and deceitful eyes. The boy watched his mother work her bewitching magic on each of the guests from the winding gothic staircase of their home. His brother stood silently behind him, observing each of the pampered wrinkles and stiff-necked collars that waddled awkwardly in between each other’s conversation partner with drinks in hand. It wasn’t until the guests managed to find their seats at the dinner table that the mother noticed her sons were present.

“Oh good, you’re both here. Your seats are beside your father’s.”

“Sweet. C’mon J,” Liu chimed.

Jeff was about to follow his brother when his mother stopped him suddenly midstep. He blinked up at her red-swaddled frame, puzzled. He hadn’t done anything has he?

“I expect you to be on your best behavior Jeffery. The last thing I need is for another incident like last time.”

Jeff looked away from his mother, already knowing what was going to happen next. Mrs.Woods straightened Jeff’s tie as she spoke.

“I don’t understand why you have to make such a scene out of everything. Your brother doesn’t do a thing, but you’re his total opposite. Just do mommy a favor and do what Liu would do right now, ok?”

“…”

“Okay?” she repeated in a sterner tone.

“…yes.’

“Yes what Jeff? You know the words, don’t play around with me.”

“…yes ma’am.”

“Good boy. Now go on and have a seat. And fix your expression on the way there. Is that how you want people to view you before they meet you?”

“…I really don’t give a shit mom.”

Jeff sat in the seat facing his brother and scowled at the dinner cloth before him. Liu noticed his foul mood and sighed, smiling at him to help lift his mood. Jeff met his gaze for only a second before snatching his eyes away, feeling a little angry at him. It wasn’t fair. How much his mother doted and praised his brother Liu as if he were the only son she had. Jeff’s father acknowledged him, but still held his brother on a higher pedestal, probably unconsciously.

Why is Liu always the one everyone likes? What about me? Am I not good enough for them?

Am I not good enough?

…am I?

Suddenly, Jeff felt a surge electrocute his body. A cold steel-like sensation ran down his spine in shivers.

You’re good enough for me Jeff~

The afternoon sun peered shyly behind the curtains in Jeff’s room. Jeff yawned and rubbed his eyes, wondering how long he’d been asleep. He moved to get up when he noticed a weight resting on his chest.

“….oh…”

A soft sigh escaped his lips at the sight of Lucille curled against his body, still sound asleep. One arm was wrapped around his waist while the other was draped across his stomach. Jeff could feel the rise and fall of her chest against his body, even hear the tiny snores of undisturbed rest. He watched her face only mere inches away from his own and smiled to himself.

“Hey snowflake,” he whispered, kissing her forehead lightly. “Gotta get up.”

Lucille’s eyebrow twitched and she snuggled closer to him, muttering nonsense about wanting pancakes in her sleep. Jeff chuckled and cradled her in his arms, closing his eyes as well.

It’s been a long time since Jeff had a dream about his family.

He could still see the warmly lit dining room adorned in expensive furnishings and gleaming chandeliers. He could hear the muffled chatter of the adults around him and the clanking of silverware being used. He remembered the playfulness in his brother’s eyes, the forever loving sleepiness in his father’s and the sharp sting of disdain in his mother’s. They were memories he thought were long forgotten.

Yet he knew the voice in his head all too well. The one who first started his bloodlust.

Strangely, that voice has been near silent since the day he saw Lucille battered and bruised against the garage door.

Jeff opened his eyes and gently ran his hand through her hair. It was soft to the touch and carried a unique flowery scent that reminded him of lavender. He did so over and over in a slow pace, his thoughts now taking a more serious turn. The sudden realization of their situation landed like a ton of bricks in his stomach.

Lucille was smack in the middle of a house filled to the brim with killers, some having a taste for human flesh, others who thrive on their screams due to torture. Not only that, but she’d wake up questions he wasn’t sure he was ready to answer just yet. And the fact that he was the only one who knew she was here brought more anxiety on top of what he already felt. Jeff broke out into a cold sweat at the thought of the worst case scenario.

If Slenderman ever found out she was here, he’d kill her for certain. No matter what Jeff said or how much he pleaded for her life, his Lucille will die by his hands. The mere thought of it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Hell no...there’s no way I’d let her die here,” he said. Jeff hugged her close and pressed his face into Lucille’s white cloud of hair. “I will not let you die here.”

At that moment, Lucille opened her eyes to find Jeff’s bare shoulder in front of her nose.

“Jeff…you’re squishing me…”

“Hn?”

Jeff loosened his hold on her and looked her in the face. Lucille yawned into her hand and rubbed her eyes sleepily. “G’morning,” she mumbled.

Jeff smiled. He did the same thing when he woke up not too long ago. “You mean afternoon. It’s already dark outside.”

“Really? I was out cold,” she chuckled.

Jeff’s eyes softened and he returned to running his fingers though her hair. “How’d you sleep?”

Lucille smiled and leaned into his touch, tempted to go back to sleep. “The best sleep I’ve had since I moved here…thanks for staying with me. It really helped.”

“Glad it did. You know you snore?”

“Wha—I do not!”

“You do!” Jeff laughed, jumping when Lucille pinched his nose. “It was cute though, I swear!”

Lucille’s face turned a light shade of pink and she began to smile herself. “Flattery won’t get you anywhere jerk.”

“You sure about that snowflake?” Jeff leaned in closer, his lips barely touching hers.

Lucille closed the distance smoothly, placing her lips on his with the gentlest force. Jeff’s eyes widened slightly as he blushed in surprise.

“Positive,” she winked.

Jeff gave her a half-hearted glare and touched his forehead to hers. “You can’t go and do stuff like that. That’s my job dammit.”

Lucille only grinned and looked Jeff in his eyes, the boy reciprocating the motion with steady breathing. After a moment in staying in silence, Jeff touched his hand to Lucille’s cheek and whispered, “What is it about you that makes me feel so calm…”

“You’re not most of the time?”

“No…I’m not. I’m nervous, anxious, everything and nothing at the same time. If you knew what life was like before…”

“…will you tell me what it was like?”

Jeff pondered at this and glanced away from her eyes. “I might not be ready for that yet…but I don’t think I have a choice anymore.”

“Jeff?”

The teen sat up with her still in his arms and took a deep breath, fighting the fear threatening to spill over. Lucille must have noticed and softly cupped his cheek with warm eyes.

“You can tell me anything. You know that, don’t you?”

Jeff bit his lower lip and clutched the hand on his face tightly. “I know that…but still I’m…afraid that you’ll be afraid of me. I’m afraid that you won’t want to be near me anymore or talk to me or even see me.”

Lucille’s eyes widened with concern and her brow knitted painfully, but she kept silent.

“…you need to know. No, you deserve to know.”

Jeff took away her hand and held it in his, a look of determination on his face. Lucille turned her body to face him and leaned in, giving him all of her attention.

“Do you remember the day we met? What I did?”

She nodded.

“This place is home to a lot of people like me who’ve done the same. Others call them monsters and urban legends, but the fact still stands that we were once human.  Most of us had families and normal everyday lives…but the difference between us and them are the fact that we’ve lost whatever it was that kept us human. A lot of the people here have suffered immensely, so much so that some lost the fight for their own minds, and others just came here this way. Half of those here were created by some kind of entity and left all alone…that is until Slenderman found us and took us in.”

“Slenderman?”

“He’s the one who owns this mansion and keeps us all safe here. Nobody knows where he came from or how long he’s been here, but he’s both kind and dangerous. He’s like a father figure or maybe just a really cool landlord. We can live in peace and carry out our needs without worrying about being hunted down or found. We take care of each other because we’re the only family we have. That said…I just hope you can see that past the bloodlust. Both in them…and in me. They call me Jeff the Killer for a reason.”

Jeff looked up from their hands hesitantly. Lucille’s expression was unreadable as she took her chin in thought.

“Just as a recap. You live in a house full of people like that clown.”

“Mm.”

“And the owner of said house is some kind of spirit or entity?”

“Mm.”

“So then…I know you killed those kids, but does that also mean that you kill regularly?”

Jeff opened his mouth to reply and paused. “Well…I used to…but I haven’t killed anyone since I met you.”

To Jeff’s surprise, Lucille smiled.

“Then…okay.”

“Okay?”

“If I had to go through what you’ve been through…hell I wouldn’t even be here right now. You have this place as a safe haven and you’re not alone. You have a family who knows what it’s like to be where you are, and that’s something I can’t speak to. It’s an immense treasure to have something like this. Really, who am I to judge?”

“Lucille...”

“The fact that you kill doesn’t scare me…in fact, I the only time I’ve seen you do it was to protect me, right? You said you can’t stand injustice, and albeit it’s on the extreme side, I can understand where you’re coming from.  I can’t say that I’m completely at ease here, but I know you wouldn’t keep me here if it weren’t relatively safe. I trust you,” she giggled.

Jeff was at a loss for words and focused his attention on their hands again, his face showing the tangle of emotions swelling within him. Lucille intertwined their hands and tilted his head back up to look at her.

“And just so we’re clear, I could never not want to be with you. Not only are you the one I care for most, but you’re the one person who saw my life as something precious. You didn’t think I was worthless like I did. You didn’t think I was better off dead like I did. Even though I still think these things sometimes, seeing you smile convinces me that it’s worth another day.”

Jeff outright blushed at this and stared at her, his eyes visibly watering. He dropped his head and let Lucille pull him into her arms. “You’re sure you want me?”

“I’m your girlfriend. Of course I want you,” she whispered.

You sat on the edge of Jeff’s bed swinging your legs as you wait patiently for his return. He left the room saying that he wanted to get you home without being detected, but he’d need back-up to do so. You looked down at your hands and think over the events of the day, still feeling the warmth of his tears on your collar bone.

His words echoed in the back of your mind.

“You’re sure you want me?”

You don’t think there ever was a time he was more vulnerable. There was still much you had questions about, and many things about this situation that naturally made you uneasy. But you couldn’t stop yourself from wanting to be here for him. Despite the ominous feeling in the pit of your stomach, you cherished his well-being above your own. You wouldn’t feel tugging at your heart if you didn’t, or a sudden rush of warmth every time he smiled or laughed. You wouldn’t ache for him at the sight of his tears. These new, intense feelings made you question what exactly it was you felt for him. Whether or not it was what people call love, both your heart and mind for once agreed; there was no way in hell you would be leaving this boy unless he wanted it himself.

A few moments after, you heard a door open up behind you and an ensemble of footsteps rushed into the room. You turned and stared shocked at the scene before you.

Jeff and Smile you knew. But the shorter blonde haired kid and the much taller grey-skinned person wearing a blue mask was an entirely new sight to see.

Jeff stepped forward and motioned at the two boys. “Lucy, this is Ben and Eyeless Jack, or just E.J. for short.”

“…ah?” was all you could say.

The boy named Ben looked at you appraisingly with void, black eyes and a deep crimson pupil. “Woooow…so this was who gave you the scarf…she’s really pretty man. Nice…” he sighed airily. There were tears of blood streaked down his face.

“Uh…um…you got a little…something….” You said weakly, motioning at his cheeks.

“Huh? Oh, right right, that’s always a thing. Don’t worry about it,” he beamed. “It happens when I’m working.”

“…gotcha…I’m Lucille by the way. It’s nice to meet you Ben.”

“Pleasure’s all mine pretty lady,” he chimed in reply. He then nudged Jack in the ribs and mouthed ‘say hello dork.’

You figured he was a bit on the shy side and walked over to him, extending your hand. “Nice to meet you E.J., I’m Lucille. Do you mind if I call you by your nickname?”

Jack shook his head no and took your hand carefully, as if examining it. “Ah…pleased to make your acquaintance miss Lucille,” he said quietly.

“These two are my closest friends here. I told them what’s going on and they agreed to help me get you out of here,” said Jeff.

“Is it dangerous for me to be here?”

“Dangerous?!” Ben scoffed. “Slendy has a rule about humans. We can’t bring live ones home. Something about upsetting the balance or disrupting the system…I dunno. I usually space out in conferences,” he snickers, scratching the back of his head. “Basically, if he finds you here, you’re toast. Or maybe a muffin, I dunno, depends if Pinks gets first dibs on ya.”

Jeff sent an icy glare at Ben. “Idiot, cut it out. You trying to scare my girlfriend to death?”

Something somersaulted in your chest and you immediately blushed. The term sounded so good when he said it.

Jack seemed equally disgruntled, his once composed frame collapsing into a fretful one. “G-girlfriend?! Jeffery, you’ve become attached to this human?”

Ben laughed and clapped Jeff’s shoulder, the other still looking irritated. “Heh, in a manner of speaking,” he said with a sly smile. “You guys are dating now right?’

 It was Jeff’s turn to blush. He awkwardly looked at you and you returned his gaze, suddenly feeling very embarrassed.

“I—um, well yeah. I’m her boyfriend,” he mumbled, staring hard at the floor. “So no ideas you flirt.”

“Pfft, don’t worry, she’s all yours. Besides, Lucy looks like she could kick my ass if she wanted to,” Ben chuckled.

You had to smile at that one. Ben had a good eye.

“So what’s the plan Jeff? Any idea how we’re gonna get our lady friend home safe and sound?” he asked. Jeff whistled and Smile came into the room through a black sphere and a blast of heat that made you break into a sweat almost instantly. Upon sight, Smile headed towards you with a slap-happy dog grin.

“Hello there,” you said as you bent down to greet him. Smile woofed and leaned against your legs, wagging his tail happily.

“My…Smile surely has taken a liking to this human…” Jack said absently. You look up at him and smile a little.

“He showed up in my house once, and he looked waaaaay different from this. I guess his true form had all the teeth, huh?” You laugh lightly as you scratch the dog behind a certain spot on his ears, making Smile tap his leg against the floor.

Jeff smiled at you and turned to face the others. “E.J., I want you to keep an eye on Slender while he’s out on patrol. You’re the most sensitive to his presence, so you can tell easily once he’s far away enough for us to make it out without us getting caught.”

Jack nodded. “Easy enough.”

 “Ben, I need you to cause as many disturbances as you can. Pull pranks, fuck up the game screen, and knock out the power, anything and everything you’ve got up your sleeve.”

Ben seemed less enthusiastic about the idea. “You know I’m gonna catch hell from the guys right? Red will cyberstalk me for months.” He groaned at the idea.

“That’s only to distract them for a bit. I actually want you to go with Smile and get Lucy out of there through one of your projections. I’ll stay in the house with them and take up the fight myself. Red won’t ever miss a chance to try and slug me and it’ll keep the snitches entertained for a while. Then they’ll have a story to tell Slender once he gets back. Smile knows the way and can keep you guys hidden in case something happens, and if something does, you can tell me.”

“That’s…actually not bad. I’m surprised. I didn’t take you for being a tactical genius, but this one makes sense,” Ben said with a smile.

Jeff smiled back and turned to look at you with warm eyes. “It’s for her after all.”

Night crawled in slowly as the house grew more lively. Jack stayed beside the main entrance in his favorite corner, reading quietly. Jeff joined the others downstairs in a Contra war, whooping at the top of his lungs with the others at his eminent victory and Red’s growing snarls. You stayed inside his room with Smile and Ben, lazily talking about the mundane when it took a more curious turn.

“So how’d you guys even meet up? It’s not like him to slip up and get caught,” Ben asked.

‘It’s not like that. Jeff helped me out by taking out the kids who were beating me senseless…saved my life actually.”

“He…saved your life? Wait, so, didn’t try to kill you too?”

“Nope. He also gave me a dagger to replace my pocket knife.”

“Huh...well I’ll be damned.” Ben smiled and laughed to himself. “He really loves you then.”

You turn to him, flustered. “I-I wouldn’t say love yet! I mean, we just started dating and all.”

“Eh? Then what’re you dating him for?”

You tilt your head to the side. “Well, I like him and he likes me so—“

“Is that really it? You just ‘like’ each other? You might as well be little kids with crushes and not date.”

You feel a little ember spark in your chest. “Excuse me, but I don’t think it’s your place to—“

“Calm down, just listen to me for a second. I’ve known Jeff for a long time now, and the man he is today didn’t even exist until about a month ago. The Jeff I knew didn’t care about others or go out of his way to help other people in need. He thought human suffering was something to laugh at and just enjoyed killing for the sake of it. He did what he wanted and just didn’t give a shit, laughing all the way home. It took me a while to crack his shell enough for him to not throw a butcher knife in my face every time I tried to talk to him. Which is why I’m so confused as to why he didn’t go ahead and kill you right then and there.”

You understood what Ben meant by it, but it still sent shivers down your spine. Hearing that Jeff was a full blown murderer out of someone else’s mouth made you tremble. You pulled your knees up to your chest and pet Smile’s large head resting beside your leg.

“But…since he’s met you, I’ve never seen him this happy. He’s much friendlier to everyone, looks genuinely happy. He’s so much calmer and less sporadic, and willingly does things for you like get you a brand new ipod and restores all of your old songs on it for you…through me anyay. And the way he looks at you? You don’t know how happy I am to see it.”

Ben paused and sat down in front of you, looking you dead in the eyes. You look back, finding a strong sincere feel in them made them less horrifying.

“I know that’s it’s all because of you he’s like this now. Jeff isn’t one for change; he’s changed because he’s in love with you. Just liking someone would never do this to a guy like him. So…I wanted to personally thank you as his friend for accepting him as he is…I think that’s all he’s ever wanted.”

Ben smiled warmly at you and stood, offering his hand to you. When you took it, he easily helps you stand. There was a focused expression on his face.

“Ben? What’s up?”

Smile stands on alert as Ben smiles wickedly. “Time to party.”

Chapter Text

“Hey Red. How much you wanna bet I can kick your ass at Contra?”

“You?”

“If you’re too scared to do anything, then I understand. Can’t risk your rep of being top player and all.”

“Give me a break. Ain't no way you’re gonna beat me in anything Jeff.”

“Then if you've got nothing to worry about, let’s play.”

Ben silently eased himself off of the door and beckoned for you to stay hidden behind him. Smile trotted out in front of the door to guard while the ghost worked his magic in the darkness.

“Mkay, do you have anything on you like a cellphone or mp3 player?” he asked, rubbing his hands together methodically.

“Sorry, no. The clown stripped me of everything I had on from home.”

Ben struggled to keep his laughter silent. “That’s fine. We’ll just use one of mine and have Jeff pick it up later. Here.”

You opened your hand and Ben placed a small black object in your palm. It looked like a Bluetooth receiver.

“As long as you have that on you, I can manifest wherever you are. It won’t be for very long, but it’s enough to keep an eye on you until you get home.”

“You won’t be coming with me?”

Ben shook his head and began moving his hands in a circular fashion, creating bright green flashes of light between his fingers. You give him a confused look and he smiled mysteriously. “You ready big guy?”

Smile began to shake his body as if he were drying himself off. Black vapor began to cling to his fur out of nowhere as his size steadily grew. By the time he had stopped, the once silvery-black husky was now a hulking pitch black mass of muscle that stood above your hip on all fours, his large eyes a bright crimson color. Smile nudged your hand and offered his back to you, crouching a little. You look to Ben and he nods encouragingly.

“Don’t let him scare you. He’s still a dope of a dog,” he said, cracking a smile at the canine.

You put the earpiece on your right ear and straddled Smile’s large body. You lie on your stomach and grip his fur tightly, surprised by the soft velvety feel of it. Smile flicked an ear and looked back at you. You could swear you saw a wolf-like grin plastered on his face. Hooking your legs together underneath him, you prepared for Smile to take off.

Ben watched you two wander into the hallway silently before pressing the ball of light his hands into the wall. With a rumble and an electric snap, the ghost smiled as his havoc begun.

Smile slinked across the shadows with the grace of a well-practiced cat, pressing his body against the wall stealthily. The hall was enormous and intimidating, shadows and random voices that seem to speak directly into your ear making your heartbeat embarrassingly loud. A tall, looming figure with the head of a bird’s skull wafted past you and you bury your face into Smile’s fur, squeezing him with all your might. You watched nervously and trembled as it passed, wishing that Jeff was there with you. Sensing your fear, the dog turned his head and licked your hand, his ears pointed towards you.

It’ll be alright.

You sat up in surprise. “You…you can speak?”

Smile only grinned and started down the hall once again, stopping at a stairwell.

It didn’t take long for the complaints to hit your ears.

“The power’s out?”

“What the hell man? I wanted a turn after Jeff!”

“You gotta be kiddin’ me.”

“…scary.”

“Don’t just sit there! Go see what’s up with the damn thing!”

“Why me? You go do it asshole!”

“What did you just call me bitch?”

“Oh my god can we not do this right now.”

“Either you shut up and stay out of it, or I come over there and beat your ass too.”

“Red, you can’t even see me.”

“Okay, okay, let’s take it easy. It was a one-sided game anyway Red. You got owned.”

You gripped Smile’s fur tightly. You knew that voice above all the others.  Hearing it again calmed your nerves slightly. Smile seemed to be waiting for something, his body tense and his nose pointed down the stairs. After a few minutes he straightened his body and glanced back at you.

Close your eyes.

Smile pawed his way down the stairs quickly, keeping his body close to the ground as he moved. You kept your head down and concentrated on breathing slowly, your eyes squeezed shut. You could hear footsteps all around you, different voices and names being tossed around the room. At some points Smile would slow his pace and step around a person or speed up, and you would feel someone’s leg brush up against you from time to time, but Smile’s warmth was reassuring and constant. Eventually he broke into a sprint and huddled in a corner with you pressed into the wall protectively. You opened your eyes to see a great looming door leaking moonlight from beneath and through its windows. You saw Eyeless Jack gently push the door open wide enough for you both to escape.

“Thank you E.J.” you whispered a softly as you could.

The tall boy looked at you through his frightening mask and seemed to nod once before Smile dashed outside into the frozen winter air.

You clung to the dog even tighter than before as he sped through the snow. You kept your face buried in Smile’s fur for warmth, waiting patiently for him to arrive at your home. You began to relax in the steady strides of Smile’s powerful legs. He had a steady pace, but then suddenly stopped short and backed away, growling deep in his chest.

“What’s this on your back little doggy?” you heard a woman say.

You lifted your head and shielded your face from the wind with your sleeve. Through the snow, you could see a woman’s figure in a black dress standing a few feet away from you.

“My my…isn’t this interesting,” she chuckled.

A deep shiver ran laps down your spine. You didn’t know who she was, but something about this woman ticked you off to no end.

Ben was having a field day running wild across the wires throughout the house. It had been ages since he last had this much fun, and haunting that single college kid wasn’t nearly enough for him. He had space and flexibility here. Seeing Red’s disgruntled face after he’d shocked him through the controller was especially funny. Ben was about to short out the game and delete Red’s progress when he felt a terrible shiver pierce his spine and the pit of his stomach fall. He immediately stopped what he was doing and closed his eyes.

A flash of white. Lucille’s hair whipping in the wind. Smile on his haunches as he growled threateningly at the figure before them.

The black dress was all he needed to see.

With a gasp, Ben pulled his consciousness from the wires throughout the mansion and back into his body. He leaned on the wall for support, cursing himself for being so out of practice. The ghost gave himself no time to rest and forced himself out of the room. Ben ran down the stairs and lunged for Jeff, seeing him clearly in the dark. He pulled his arm and hurriedly whispered in his ear.

“She found them.”

Jeff froze and stared at Ben’s shorter form, currently bent from exhaustion. He grabbed his shoulders and forced him to look him in the eyes. Ben only wheezed and mouthed ‘it’s her’ over and over.

“You’re sure it’s her.”

“I’m sorry?”

Jeff stopped breathing for a moment and Ben shuddered in his hands.

“There it is again…it’s like ice…” Ben whispered, his frame going slack against the taller male.

“That sweater is obviously too big for you…I’d know that tattered piece of fabric anywhere. So tell me, when did you become Jeffy’s little plaything?”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. I know for certain that’s all you are to him. As soon as he gets bored with you, he’ll get rid of you. Seen it happen myself.”

“Okay, look, I don’t know who you are nor do I care at this point, but you’d better stop talking about him like he’s some playboy. Jeff isn’t like that at all.”

“Like a mere human would know what a psychopath’s true intentions are. Do you know what you sound like right now?”

“Do you? I’m getting jealous ex-girlfriend. I can see why he dumped you.”

“Dumped me? Sweetie, I dumped him. And in case you want to stay alive, I suggest you shut your little whore mouth before I cut out your tongue myself.”

“You wanna go princess?”

“You’re as stupid as you look. Are you seriously trying to fight me right now? Do you know who I am?”

“I give zero fucks about who you are. Either you shut up and get out of my way or I shove an icicle down your throat. Make your choice bitch.”

Jeff grabbed his head with his free hand and looked to the door, hissing in pain. “Ben…Ben I need to go. Now.”

“Huh?!”

‘I’m sorry, change in plans. I have to go right now.”

Jeff motioned for Jack to take Ben and he ran for the door. Jack looked down at the ghost in his arms and called out to Jeff in a frantic tone.

“Wha—wait! Jeff hold on a second!”

“There’s no time!”

Smile growled low and stood protectively in front of you, the fur on his back now spiked in aggravation. You look between the dog and the woman, concerned about Smile’s behavior toward her. You didn’t see any weapons on her and she looked fairly normal. What was getting Smile so bent out of shape?

“Who are you?” you ask.

Her black lips curled into a smile as she gazed at you with mocking eyes. “Dear sweet, I don’t see why you need to know.”

The woman suddenly vanished into thin air and reappeared behind you, too fast for both you and Smile to register in time.

“But you can call me Jane.”

In one swift motion, a keen blade pushed deep into your side.

Pain exploded behind your eyes.

“Agh—aah!”

Jane chuckled in your ear and twisted the blade slowly in your flesh, the blood pumping out audibly. You choke back another scream, clutching her hand until your knuckled threatened to poke through the skin.

“Y-you…bitch!”

You ram your elbow straight into the bridge of her nose and stumble away, your hand hovering above the hilt of the knife still embedded inside you. Jane fell backwards and Smile was on her immediately, snarling with the ferocity of a demon as he bared his slick fangs. Jane scowled at the dog and kicked him off of her, running a hand over her face.

“Stupid mongrel,” she spat.

“Smile! Are you okay?” you call, leaning against a tree trunk.

Smile barked in your direction and shook himself off. Jane glanced behind her and appeared in front of you again with a sly smirk on her face. Her hand clasped around your throat as she spoke.

“Let’s go somewhere a little more private, shall we?”

You glared at her rebelliously and tried to move away, but the pain blossoming down your leg told you otherwise. You winced and held your side again, tears attempting to spill down your cheeks. Jane smiled and brought her face up to yours.

“I’ll be sure to give Jeffy your regards,” she hummed.

Smile’s ears perked up and he bolted for Jane once again, only to stop short when the both of you vanished in a blur of black smoke. The dog whimpered and paced around the same trunk until he heard Jeff’s heavy breathing behind him.

“Smile? Where…where’s Lucy? What happened?”

Smile whined and pawed at the splatters of blood on the ground and the footprints that followed. Jeff physically jumped and he punched the tree with blood smeared across the bark, his voice barely above a whisper.

“...no…”

Chapter Text

There was something oddly empowering about pain.

Words, fists, hateful glances, no matter what form it took; it all served the same purpose.

For most, it was to prove to the receiver that they were stronger than they ever thought they were before.

It crafted people into their ideal selves the moment they overcame its paralyzing clutch.

But for you, it only pissed you off and pushed you forward.

As you heaved heavy breaths in the frozen winter air, and the more your consciousness roused itself awake, pain began its relentless assault on your body. You clenched you jaw tight and opened your eyes.

“Oh good. You’re awake now.”

"..."

“I was afraid you bled out before we could chat.”

"..."

“But Jeff wouldn’t have picked someone weak. I know what I’m dealing with here.”

You smiled eerily.

Both this woman and pain had no idea who they were dealing with.

You moved your body slowly, carefully.

“Come, take a look at your grave.”

Your hand grazed over the gaping wound in your side, stiff with dried blood. The knife remained embedded within you.

“I would’ve buried you properly under the ground, but I want Jeff to see you here on this sparkling ice. It’s only fitting for a girl who looks just like it.”

You looked at Jane through the red in your eyes. Snow clung to her dress and face, wearing the same smug grin. You carefully rest your hand on the hilt of the knife and start toward her. This seemed to amuse her.

“Heh, still got some fight in you after all? I don’t know what you’re going to do. You’re already half dead as is.”

Your feet dragged through the snow and ice as you pull your heavy body towards her by sheer willpower. Your eyes stayed solely on her own. Jane smiled at you and opened her arms for you.

“I suppose a sooner death is better than a long, pointless one. I’ll end you quickly.”

You stopped and rested your heard on her shoulder, your body heaving with the strain of breathing. You take one last gulp of air before speaking.

“I appreciate it.”

You lifted your head and bite down on her shoulder. Before Jane could shove you off of her, you use her own weapon against her.

You rip the blade from your side and stab Jane directly in her stomach, dragging the blade through her left side. You bite down so hard that your teeth sink into her pale flesh, drawing black blood. Jane shrieked and clawed at your back wildly, leaving bloody scratches in her frenzy.

“GET...OFF OF ME!”

Jane kicked you in your gut and sent you toppling to the ground, smearing bright red blood across the ice. You coughed roughly into the ground and watched Jane writhe in pain, desperately clutching her side as a bit of her entrails poked through her fingers. Glaring at you, she stumbled toward you as black blood traveled down her leg in a steady stream.

“I try to be kind and civil by letting you die quickly! But you stab-ugh! Me!”

You spat out the blood in your mouth and turn your body over, keeping an eye on the woman as she kneeled on the ground. With a grunt, you tear off one of the sleeves to Jeff’s sweater using your teeth and began to tie it around your waist, knotting as fast as you could with numb hands.

Jane struggled to keep her voice down when a piece of her intestine slipped through her fingers. “You ungrateful little girl! I should’ve killed you right in front of him when I had the chance! If it weren’t for that damned mutt you’d be torn apart by now!” she screamed angrily.

You sucked in icy air as you slowly stood yourself up, wiping the blood from your mouth, and looked around you. You recognized the circle of evergreens and tangle of bushes, even the pond you stood on.

You started to hobble across the ice, deeper into the forest.

Jane wasn’t having any of it.

“You…you get back here!” she yelled, using her free arm to scoot toward you on the ground. Her blood spurted from her hand in thick, oily puddles, emitting eerie black smog wafting into the air. “I-I’m not—tch !”

You glanced at her with cold eyes and gave her the middle finger. “Sorry, but you messed with the wrong girl today.” You continued to walk away, ignoring her rage-induced string of profanities.

Jane growled and coughed up more blood, staring at you all the while. “Why…why does he want you huh? What’s wrong with me?! I’m better for him than you! You’ll only get him killed, don’t you get it?!”

 “How can I of all people get him killed? You said it yourself, right? Mere human?”

“You’re so stupid! Why do you think he’s going through all this trouble just to keep you safe?!”

Jane took a ragged breath and sat on her knees, pieces of her innards very visible now. “If Slenderman found out about you, not only would he would kill you, but he would make Jeff an example to the rest of us! It doesn’t matter that Jeff has been under his care; he would still kill him!”

Your face blanched at her last sentence and you turned around to face her. “...you're lying’ you mumbled quietly.

“That’s why…I need to kill you—gh –now! I must protect him!”

Jane made a move towards you, but you stayed rooted in your spot. You nearly forgot about the pain coursing throughout your body as you watched her stand and stagger your way, her bloodied hand outstretched. You remained still and waited for her cold hands to close around your throat once more.

That was when you heard the sound of a dog barking in the distance.

You turn to face the noise. “Smile?”

Jane swore under her breath and pounced on you, her hands clasped around your neck. You landed roughly on your back and cried out from the impact. You may have hit your head just now. Jane pressed her thumbs into your jugular, bearing down with all her weight with a homicidal grin on her face.

“Now it’s time for you to fall asleep little girl,” she giggled.

You struggled as much as you could, but Jane was heavier, and you were wracked with pain with your wound being dug into by her knees. Before your consciousness could fade, you made sure she would feel what you felt, shoving your hand into the slit in her abdomen and twisting crudely on an organ. You shivered involuntarily; she was cold inside.

Jane let loose a blood-curdling scream with every writhing move you made, but her grip wouldn't slack. You stuck both hands inside of her and crushed her intestine between your fingers, digging your nails into them simultaneously. Jane tightened her hold and banged your head against the ice.

You took the chance to cry out and saw a black blur fly above your head.

The weight suddenly vanished.

You groaned as you weakly raise your head and saw Smile in his true form, snarling loudly with his mouth locked on Jane’s throat. The girl was limp in his grasp, vacantly looking off in the distance as blood dribbled from the corner of her mouth. You lay your head back down on the ice, feeling a throbbing pain in the back of it. You could hear someone running and panting roughly coming closer to you.

“Oh my god—Lucille!”

You smiled unconsciously.

Jeff appeared in front of your face dotted with a mixture of sweat and tears, his breaths nothing more than large puffs of air illuminated by the moonlight. You felt him carefully lift you in his arms and hugged you close, his dark eyes full of worry.

“Oh god, Lucy, Christ are you alright?” he asked.

You struggled to keep your eyes open, feeling a wave of drowsiness sweep over you, and smiled softly. “…my head hurts…I’m sleepy…”

“Your head…? No, Lucille, don’t go to sleep! Stay with me, c’mon!”

Jeff held your face in his hands and stared into your face, wiping the blood from your mouth. “Don’t go to sleep Lucy…don’t go to sleep…”

You tried your best to stay awake.

Jeff kissed your forehead before hugging you again and rocking you gently. “I’m so sorry…I’m so sorry…I love you Lucille, don’t go to sleep, please! I love you…I love you so much dammit!

You heard his voice crack with a quiet sob and his body shook in tremors. Your eyes opened slightly to find tears streaked down his face.

“I can’t lose you too…I can’t I can’t I can’t! Not you…not you…I love you…”

Using the last of your strength, you touch his face with the edges of your fingertips. Jeff halted his cries and looked at you with wide eyes.

With a weak voice, you hummed, “I love you too.”

Jeff’s hold became suffocating and almost painful.

Your eyes slipped shut.

There were other voices in the distance. You thought you recognized them before your consciousness fell silent.

Drip

….

Drip

….

Drip

…..

Drip

“…this is the first time I didn't want someone to fall asleep”

drip

“…because if you slept, I thought I’d never wake up”

drip

“…you mean the world to me”

drip

“I just didn't realize it until now”

d r i p

 “I didn't know how much I really needed you with me”

d r i p

“You kept me going…the same way you said I kept you.

d r i p

“but now…now I don’t think I can go on…”

d r i p

 “you’re my world…you made this life worth living…”

d r i p

“without you, there’s no reason for me to be here anymore”

d r i p

“He wants this body now…he wants to come back…”

d r i p

“and I don’t think I can stop him this time”

d r i p

“I did my best”

d r i p

“but I can’t continue to fight to live in this world without my purpose”

 d r i p

“I love you snowflake”

d r i p

“remember that I love you, no matter what happens”

….

“don’t ever forget that my heart belongs to you”

“but my mind is under his control now”

“Hey Lucy…good to see you’re back.”

You opened your eyes to the familiar lazy ceiling fan in your room. You recognized the voice in your ear and you look around to find the source.

“Ben…?” you croaked.

A static figure flashed on the edge of your bed. It looked like Ben from its shape, but it was nothing more than glitchy green light. You tried to move and flinched from the sharp pain in your neck. Ben jumped and outstretched his hands toward you.

“Whoa, take it easy girl! No moving or you’ll mess up E.J.’s work!” he said.

You lay propped up against a large pillow in your bed, swaddled with soft blankets and a set of warm pajamas. There were bandages on your hands and feet, and tight gauze wrapping around your waist. You were comfortable and not in any pain, even a little hungry. You noticed a small tray of red gauze and other surgical supplies on your bedside table, the remainder of Jeff's bloody sweater strewn about on the floor. Even Smile's large paw prints dotted around the carpet, leading toward the bathroom.

Ben saw the question on your face and answered before you could ask. "E.J. had to wash off the blood before he could treat you, so he had Smile bring in towels and whatnot. It was pretty messy. But you held up well...we thought you wouldn't wake up after you passed out. A hit to the head is a dangerous thing, especially if you go to sleep right after."

"So that's why Jeff freaked out about it so much. Wait, where is he? He didn't come back with you?"

Ben dipped his head and turned away from you. "He couldn't…Jeff  is under detainment.”

You snapped your eyes back to the hologram, nearly jumping out of your seat. “What? Why?”

“Slenderman smelt Jane’s blood and he could feel all of us where it originated. Smile took you and ran as fast as he could but...Jeff lost it. He came after her and messed her up even worse than you did. There was so much blood..."

“He did...?" You look down suddenly feeling very guilty. You never intended for Jeff to get into trouble because of you. Jane's words echoes coldly in the back of your mind.

"You'll only get him killed!"

"Which reminds me." Ben shifted from his sitting position and leaned over, his body language suggesting that he was excited about something. "How the hell did you dismember her?"

"Used the knife she used to stab me with. Had to rip it out of me though," you replied, shivering in the memory. 

"Wait...you ripped a knife out of your own body and still kept walking?"

"...yeah?"

Ben's figure began to glitch in random spasms."Dude that's awesome!"

"A-awesome?!"

"You were a total badass! None of us has been able to kick her ass like you did and keep walking!"

"Uh..."

"Damn girl. No wonder he hooked up with you." Ben's laugh sounded mechanical, like he was talking through a receiver. You smiled and shook your head lightly; it was kind of badass.

"Is she alright though? I didn’t mean to hurt her that much…”

“Oh, trust me, Jane is fine. The girl can’t die anyway. Blood loss will just make her pass out until she sleeps it all off. She got what was coming,” he chuckled. “But given how bad it was, Slenderman got concerned about Jeff’s mental state and closed him off from everyone else for a while. He thinks he’s a danger to us now.”

You gulped and clenched the fabric in between your hands, the words you heard from earlier shaking you to the core. You broke out into a cold sweat as anxiety swirled in your belly.

“Will he be able to come out again?”

“If Slendy thinks he’s stable enough. When he first came to the mansion, he stayed in that room for days before he managed to chill out. He did it himself then, but somehow…I don’t think he can pull out of it on his own this time.”

“What happens if he doesn’t?”

Ben lowered his voice considerably and turned away from you, seeming to consider what he'll say next. You tilted your head and mouthed his name in concern. When the hologram finally responded, it left you unable to breathe.

“…Slenderman will put him out of his misery”

Chapter Text

“I don’t think we should do that.”

“Jesus…lighten up will ya? Since when did you turn into a goody two-shoes?”

“You know she’ll just blame me for it and I’ll get in trouble again.”

“Then I’ll take the heat for it, just chill out yeah?”

“You say that every time, but you never do…it’s always me…”

Liu turns and gives his brother a smirk. “When have I ever not gotten you out of something?” The boy stands and glances down at his younger brother with his bright blue eyes highlighted by the sun. Darker irises skitter away from them in annoyance.

“Maybe dad doesn’t yell at me, but mom always does. I think she hates me.” Jeff’s shoulders sag against his boyish frame. Liu tilts his head and he grabs Jeff’s shoulder.

“Now why would she hate you?”

Jeff’s jaw becomes taught with distress, avoiding eye contact with him. He fervently didn’t want to answer his question. Liu is about to press the matter when the sound of clicking heels travels through the air. The older brother turns with a broad grin on his face.

“Sweet! They’re here early!” he chimes.

Liu scoots across the attic floor on his belly to a small hole in the floor and peers into it. Jeff sighs and follows behind, moving into the space his bother left for him, and looks down.

From his position, Jeff could see a number of elderly women pour into their living room accompanied by their much younger husbands. Liu shifts and pulls a small container from his pocket and shakes it gently. Inside were numerous tiny spiders. Jeff’s eyes became narrow with suspicion.

“What the hell are those?” he whispers.

Liu smiles and unscrews the top and tips the lip of the container to the hole. “Approximately 28 daddy long-legs. I was gonna use the ladybugs out of the garden, but those aren’t scary to old ladies.”

Jeff immediately grabs his brother’s wrist before the spiders can fall. “Have you lost your mind?!”

“Hm? What’s gotten into you?” Liu looks up, confusion written all over his face.

“You told me you were going to spook them, not give them a damn heart attack!”

“What? It’s just a couple of spiders. These don’t even bite.”

“You’re missing the point here. They’re old Liu! A scare like spiders in their hair really could hurt someone! Somebody could faint or something!”

Liu rolls his eyes with a ‘pfft’ sound. “You’re being dramatic Jeff. No one’s gonna drop dead from a spider.”

The older brother dips the container down again.

“Liu, no!”

The spiders fall in a cascade of tangled limbs and beady bodies.

Jeff’s body tenses when the women from below begin to shriek in alarm. Liu howls in laughter at the sight of wrinkly clown-faced women flailing their thin limbs about, even more so when the men who try to help only end up getting smacked in the face. The younger brother frowns and looks into the hole once more, spotting his mother with a severe expression. Her steely gray eyes travel up to the small crevice in the ceiling—looking Jeff dead in his sapphire hues.

The familiar clench of her fingers and the digging into the skin with her polished nails practically broadcasts how absolutely livid his mother is.

Jeff flinches back instinctively, swallowing upon hearing his mother’s fake pleasant tone of voice to calm the fretful ladies down. The elder brother continues to laugh and wipes his eyes, rolling around on the ground as he clutches his stomach.

“Oh God that was priceless! Did you see that lady with the powder wig? She ran into the wall!” he wheezed.

Jeff sends an icy glare at his brother, opening his mouth to reply, when a shrill yelp echoes around the room. The boy dives back to the ground and searches for the source.

He feels his body break into a cold sweat when he sees the body on the ground.

“Someone call an ambulance!”

“I can’t feel her pulse!”

“Please, someone help!”

Jeff backs away from the scene unfolding below him as Liu takes a look for himself, his smiling profile vanishing as quickly as it arrived. “Shit!”

Liu bolts from the ground and runs downstairs in a flurry, leaving a shocked Jeff to his lonesome. Moments later, Liu’s clear voice could be heard from below. Jeff gulps down air to slow his steadily rising pulse and peers out of the hole again.

“Mom!”

“Oh, thank god you’re here. I need you to go get the fan from my room and pillows.”

“Mom,I gotta tell you th—“

“Now, Liu! Hurry!”

“But—!”

“I already know who the culprit here is, you don’t need to tell me. Now go and get what I asked for!”

Liu huffs in defeat and dashes from view.

Jeff doesn’t move from his spot above his mother for a very long time, fearing that she’d hear any movement he might make.

“…is she gonna be alright?”

“I’m sure she will be, son. The paramedics say she simply fainted, but they want to keep an eye on her at the hospital.”

“Oh…I see…”

“…retrieve your brother for me. I wish to have a word with him.”

Jeff’s heart thunders in his chest in time with Liu’s footsteps up the attic. He doesn’t move to look at him when his brother finally nears the edge of the staircase and watches him from afar.

“….Jeff…”

“…”

Liu sighs and walks to his brother, the younger looking out of the window with his back turned to him. “Jeff please…”

Jeff turns upon hearing his name, his well-practiced poker face already in use. Liu’s frown deepens as he gazes at his brother solemnly. “I swear I’ve got your back on this,” he says, gripping his shoulder firmly. “I promise I won’t let her hurt you this time.”

No matter how much warmth and concern Liu’s light blue eyes held, it never seemed to reach the darkness in his brother’s.

Jeff doesn’t respond and walks downstairs, Liu walking closely beside him, to face the ever present rage his mother always let loose on him.

Mrs. Woods’ eyes narrow and her body straightens into a dominating stance, a finger tapping irritably on her folded arms.

“So I see you’ve had a bit of fun today, hm?”

Jeff doesn’t respond.

“I hope you’ve enjoyed yourself.”

Jeff remains silent.

His mother draws in a sharp breath and closes her eyes, the irritable tapping on her arm increasing.

“I’ll ask you this once, and once only. Did you put those spiders on my guests?”

“No I d—!”

CRACK!!!

It takes a long moment before Jeff can register that he’s been slapped hard across the face. He doesn’t move, his brown curls covering his face. Liu can only stare in shock at his brother as a strange, scorching fire builds in his chest.

“I paid those women thousands to come here! I had to kiss their asses for them to even look at me twice!”

CRACK!!

“Those were the prestigious CEOs of your father’s joint companies!”

SMACK!!

“And you’ve just ruined the one solid business opportunity I had to finally rise in my rank!”

BANG!! CRASH!!

“You will not sully my career Jeffery Woods! I never asked for you to be here! I never wanted to have a second son! Liu is my perfect little angel and you—!”

THUD!!

“You’re nothing but my last mistake!”

CRACK!!

“MOM STOP!”

SMACK!!

Jeff lay on the ground, holding the side of his angry red cheek, and stares up at Liu now towering over him protectively. His back was broad and taught with wrath, heaving with the fury of his ragged breaths.  To his disbelief, Liu had just protected his mother’s rampage, taking the last hit himself across the head. Mrs. Woods pauses long enough in shock to see that it wasn’t Jeff she just hit. Liu stares at her evenly, his jaw tensing in frustration.

“Stop treating him like a damn dog! He didn’t ask to be here either! What, you think he wants to mess up your life just by being alive?!”

Liu turns to Jeff and kneels beside him, picking him up by his shoulders and cradling him into his chest. He can’t look his mother in the eye any longer and glares heatedly at the ground.

“You think he wants to have a horrible mother who puts her job in front of her own kids? Or who treats one kid better than the other because he looks like her?! What kind of mom puts their own son down like that?!”

“How dare you use that type of language with me young man?!”

“Jeff is fucking amazing, okay?! He’s amazing and you don’t deserve him as your son!” Liu pauses for a moment to breathe, resting his head on his brother’s. Jeff can’t find the words to speak and simply stares at the collar of Liu’s sweater, clutching his forearm for support. The elder brother sighs apologetically.

“…and I don’t deserve him as a brother. Jeff told me not to do it, but I did it anyway. He said it was a bad idea and tried to stop me…but I was the one who put all those spiders on those women. Not him.”

“Stop trying to stick up for him Liu. I know you wouldn’t do something like that.”

Jeff’s mom stares at the boys with an unreadable expression, making him more uncomfortable in his brother’s arms. Her words succeeded in making him shove Liu off of him. Liu sputters in surprise and gets up after him, catching his arm before he could get too far. Jeff can only hiss in frustration; his brother’s hold is tight and desperate.

“Jeff, wait!” Liu pleads.

“…just leave me alone asshole!”

“Jeff!”

Jeff snatches his arm away and runs out of the room.

Liu knew better than to sneak up on his brother, especially since his reflexes were much too sharp for a thirteen year old, but the temptation of seeing Jeff so unguarded was too much for him.

He wanted him to smile at least for half a second.

With this is mind, Liu tiptoes cartoonishly up to his sleeping figure on his bed, preparing to pounce on him when Jeff mutters, “…go away.”

Liu’s body deflates with disappointment. “Aw, I was gonna scare you.”

“I wasn’t asleep and you’re breathing heavy. All you would’ve done was get socked in the face.”

The elder brother pouts and plops himself on the bed beside him. The two remain silent for a while before Liu smirks and hops on his brother’s back gently, smiling when Jeff gives an annoyed groan.

“Get off me Liu.”

“Oh c’mon now. I’m just trying to have a little fun with ya,” he chimes.

Jeff huffs and shoves his brother off of him, sitting up reluctantly. Liu rolls himself over t face Jeff and frowns at what he sees.

His younger brother’s face was painted hues of black and blue, splotches of red where his mother’s earlier assault only grazed him. There is a bright red scar on his brow and his eyes are puffy. Liu smiles sadly and moves to cup his face. Jeff eyes him and snatches his face away, not looking at him. The elder brother sighs and brings his chin to face him, tilting it this way and that to get a good look at him.

“Yeah…she got you pretty good this time…” he mutters. Jeff breathes through his nose and looks away from him.

“So? What do you care?”

“I care a lot.”

Jeff blinks and dips his head. “…why do you always do that?”

Liu smiles and tilts his head at his brother.

 “That! Smiling like everything’s okay when it’s not!”

 “I’m not smiling at the situation. I’m smiling at you.”

Jeff’s eye twitches and he shoves Liu with half of the strength he used earlier. The elder laughs and smooths out the younger’s hair, pausing when he notices his shoulders shaking.

“Jeff? You ok?”

“Why…why are you always so..?”

Liu peers into Jeff’s face, staying quiet and gently petting his hair. “Why am I always what?” he asks softly.

Jeff smacks his hand away in a fit of anger. “Why did you do that?! You didn't have to say all of that to her! It was too much and you know it. You went too far!”

Before he can react, Jeff had him on his back, punching blindly at his chest. Liu doesn't push him off. Instead, he lets him wail on him.

“Why’d you have to go and say all of that huh?! Don’t you get it?! You’re her favorite! She’s supposed to like you better than me dammit! Why the hell do you keep throwing yourself in front of me like that?!”

Tears begin to fall from his dark eyes.

Liu purses his lips and grabs his arms, shaking him. “You’re asking me to stay on the sidelines and watch you get hurt? You want me to keep my mouth shut while she badmouths you?”

Without another word, he pulls Jeff into his arms again, the younger automatically fighting him and pushing against his chest. Liu stays firm and doesn’t lessen his hold.

“You’re an idiot if you think I’m going to do that.”

Jeff struggles to get out of his grasp. “Why the hell do you care?! We’re not even real brothers!”

“You shut up right now and listen to me.”

Liu’s stern tone always had a way of making Jeff be still. It rung in his ears like cathedral bells ringing in the bright morning sun. With Jeff’s ear being pressed against his chest, it reverberates deep in his head, and makes him shudder involuntarily.

“I don’t need blood to make you my brother. We have different birth parents, sure, but that doesn’t change the fact that I love you regardless. I can’t stand it when she just blames everything on you and doesn’t let you stick up for yourself. And she just yells and yells and yells...I hate that. She acts like you weren’t even here first.” Liu sighs and hugs Jeff close, petting his hair again. “Even if she won’t say it, I will. I love you Jeff, and you are a sarcastic little shit I would run in front of a train for…I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you earlier. You were always right, a lady did faint. But you gotta admit it was pretty funny though.” Liu’s chuckle bounces Jeff’s head softly against his chest, and he brushes a bit of his hair from his forehead before lifting his head and leaving a light peck on the younger one’s skin.

“…I don’t deserve a brother like you…” he whispers.

Liu smirks and hugs him tight. “Nah, not really. But you’re stuck with me, so get used to it.”

Jeff finally manages a smile as he chuckles, earning a sincere grin from Liu, and pushes himself off of his brother. “Okay, okay, I get it. You’re mushy as hell you know.”

Liu smiles and picks up a nearby book. “Mhmm.”

The two boys lay side by side again staring up at the ceiling. There was no need for them to talk right now.

“…hey”

“Mm?”

“…thank you Liu.”

“Anytime Jeff.”

You woke with a start, glancing around your room with wide eyes. You sat up gingerly and ran your hands through your hair, staring straight ahead.

“How weird…” you murmur.

Your dreams have been strange over the past few days. You kept seeing a pair of boys, brothers from the look of it, either playing or yelling at each other. You couldn’t hear a word they said, but you felt a strong pull at your being every time you looked long enough at the younger one.

It felt almost familiar.

You sighed and looked out of your window. You haven’t heard anything about Jeff’s current situation since your scrape with Jane. After almost a week of nothing but waking up and passing right back out again, you began to recover even faster with Eyeless Jack’s advanced medical care.  The boy was quite secretive and quiet, but he handled you gently and seemed to genuinely care about your condition. Within the third day of him tending to you, you managed to engage him in conversation when you asked about his methods of stitching you up. As you asked more questions, the more excited he grew and he soon was the most animated person you’ve ever seen. He was passionate about his topics and willingly shared them with you so long as you kept showing your curiosity. Jack seemed to be more fascinated with you and your albinism and asked question after question about how different from other humans you were. You found his child-like wonder infectious; it didn’t take long for you to get attached the strange mask wearer.

You smiled when you hear the light double tap on your window.

“Come on in,” you say warmly.

A nimble gray hand unlatched the window and the rest of its body followed, landing gracefully on the carpet. His warm voice could be heard as he gathered his supplies together.

“Evening Lucy,” he greeted. “How’re you feeling?”

You grinned and stretched your arms up above your head. “Pretty good, thanks to you of course.”

“My pleasure. I’ll only be checking the stiches for now and cleaning up any residue. The painkillers I gave you should be in effect by now.”

E.J. scooted closer to you on the edge on your bed and lifted the corner of your shirt. He gently ran a finger over the thread and dabbed a cotton ball in peroxide, moving to clean up the edges of the opening. You watched him expertly move his fingers around the wound and a lingering question bubbled up in your mind.

“Hey E.J…how’d you get so good at this sort of thing anyhow?”

Jack replaced his cotton ball with another, dabbing directly on the wound. It made a slight hissing sound.

“Years of practice and study all kinds of medical field. I’ve yet the chance to dabble in brain surgery, but in due time. That’s all I have besides,” he replied.

“Sounds like you’ve been here for a while,” you said, shifting so that he could apply a new bandage.

“Indeed,” he chuckled. “I figured the best way to spend this abundance of existence would be learning all I can about this world. You humans are the most fascinating specimens I have ever laid eyes on…especially you miss Lucille.”

You blinked at his words and turned to look at him with eyebrows arched in question. “Uh…I am?”

You could see E.J.’s grin under his mask. “Yes. You are the single human who doesn’t fear Jeffery. In fact, you hold romantic feelings for him. Whatever it is you did to him, it’s certainly working some strange neurological tweaks in his brain.”

You giggled at his choice of words, making him turn towards you. “Tweaks? I’m sure it’s just him liking me.”

“I’m afraid not. The word I heard him use was love I believe. He was screaming it at the top of his lungs when he found you.”

Jack pressed down on the bandage to make sure it would stick and took off his latex gloves, standing as he did so. You brushed down your shirt and curled your knees into your chest. Jack noticed this and sat next to you on the bed, attempting to comfort you by rubbing your back.

“I know I said it too but…how can he say that he loves me Jack? What does that even mean? What is love?”

“I do not understand human emotion. That is another area of study I’ve yet to explore. But it surely is a very powerful emotion for someone to feel. The man I knew as Jeffery before you was much different from the man you know now.”

You smiled a little. “Ben told me the same thing.”

Jack seemed to find that amusing and looked up towards the ceiling. “I suppose he would. Anytime the two of them would interact, Jeffery would almost always try to impale him with a knife or two. When they first met, Ben got nothing but a quick slash across his face. Poor boy still has a scar from it all.”

You watched Eyeless Jack for a moment before turning towards him, your guard down low for an honest answer. “…can I ask you something E.J.?”

“Of course milady.”

“Jeff said before that everyone in the mansion had suffered to the point that they lost their humanity...and some even lost their minds…what happened to him? Before he came to the mansion?”

E.J. looked as if he were about to speak and suddenly stops himself, looking out of the window. “I have a feeling that you’re about to find out soon enough.”

“Huh?”

“Look out there.”

You gave him a confused look, but follow his instruction to the window, looking out of it. At first you don’t see anything, but then your vision gets…odd.

All you saw was the static screen of a malfunctioning TV and there was a deft ringing in your ears. You winced from the oncoming headache and held your head in one hand. This phenomenon felt like it wouldn’t stop, but it does abruptly, and it leaves a deep chill in the air.

You decided to take another glance out of your window and see a very, very tall mannequin. The same one you caught at the edge of the forests when you walked home from school.

But this time, it moved.

“He’s here…” Jack whispered.

“W-who is?”

“Slenderman.”

You gasped and look out of your window to find Slenderman stoically looking up at you. Though there were no eyes to speak of, you could feel his gaze boring into you. You shivered and backed away into E.J.

“W-what does he want with me?” you asked quickly, your heart’s furious pounding making it hard for you to speak.

Jack doesn’t respond right away and instead moves to the window, staying still for a few minutes before muttering a few “yes sirs” under his breath. When he turned to you, he spoke quietly, all humor leaving his voice.

“Slenderman wishes to hold an audience with you in the mansion. His instructions are to come back within a week’s time from now and go directly to his study. I shall be there to guide you, so do not worry.”

“What? Why? What on earth for?”

“It’s about Jeffery.”

You inhaled sharply and look back towards the window. Though you were terrified of meeting the head honcho, the one who killed humans like it was nothing, there was no question that you’d be going out there.

You felt the need to tell him this and scoot back to window.

To your surprise, he was already gone.

“I’ll be there,” you said, pressing your hand on the window. “I swear I will. I’m not leaving you all by yourself in there…just wait for me.”

Jack watched you silently and opened the window to leave. “I truly wish I understood this entity called love…”

Chapter Text

You stared at yourself in the mirror for a long time, doing your best to control the swirling anxiety in your stomach. You never gave yourself the luxury of looking in the mirror for too long after a few years of endless taunts over how you looked, thinking there was no point in lying to yourself anymore. You began to abhor yourself so much that you unconsciously hated mirrors. You believed you were ugly, always have been and always will be. Why subject yourself to any more suffering?

But he didn’t see you that way.

You clenched your fist against the glass and studied your face, now contorted in pain. Your skin, a white porcelain blemished with stress and fatigue. Your nose, a small, perky extremity that complemented the symmetry of your eyebrows.  Your eyes, a pair of icy-blue marbles feathered by white lashes. Your hair, wavy tendrils of fresh snow that stopped short above your shoulders.  Your lips, round and supple with the faintest hint of rose pink. A thin scar curved elegantly against your jaw line and nipped at the bottom of your chin.

For the first time in years, you gave yourself a full look at yourself.

You tried avoiding it before, but today required something else of you. Insecurities were under no circumstances permitted this time.

A quiet tapping sounded from your bedroom window.

“E.J?” you called.

You heard the window unlatch and close, followed by footsteps across the carpet floor. You didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

Jack remained silent and watched you from the doorway of the bathroom, waiting for you to speak.

“I have to memorize every little piece about myself…otherwise Jeff won’t recognize me.” You turned to look at him and offer a tiny smile. “Right?”

Jack tapped his fingers on the door and shifted his weight, looking at you. You could feel his concern through his mask. You looked back in the mirror and leaned on the counter, your brow scrunched in thought. Neither of you spoke for a long time.

“…can I really do this Jack? I mean…if I mess it up…”

Jack stiffened at your words and quietly made his way over to you, prying your hands off the counter. To your surprise, they were white from you clutching the edge so tight your knuckles showed through. You looked up at him with a curious expression.  Jack dipped his head towards you and smoothed your hands with his thumbs. There was a certain kindness to his touch.

“Miss Lucille…I believe that you are the only one who can,” he whispered.

Your eyes fell to the ground. “But this isn’t like a normal test. This is someone’s life! I don’t have a second chance here! E.J. I’d rather die than lose him like this!”

Your trembling shoulders cause Jack to do something he’s never done before.

Jack stiffly pulled you into him and wrapped his arms around you, awkwardly patting your back in his effort to still your tremors. His height made it so your face was pressed against the lower part of his chest.

“Do you love him?” he asked. His voice was strangely deeper than usual.

“…what?”

“Do you love him?”

“I…why are you asking me this?”

Jack lightly pushed you away so that he could peer into your face, looking straight into your eyes. His hands gripped your shoulders and he lightly shook you.

“Do not avoid my question Lucy. I ask you because you need to know in order for him to know. This won’t work unless it is as true to you as it is to him. Jeffery cares for you beyond himself. His thoughts only rest on you. His priority is you. These are all very heavy responsibilities for one person, but for him it is of no consequence to take them on. This is what I have seen in both him and you.”

You closed your eyes and played through the events leading up to this moment. The feelings you’ve felt since meeting him only intensified, gradually shifting to a violent storm of both warmth and terror.  It was true that you liked him, that you enjoyed his company and found him unbelievably easy to get along with, but when the four-letter word was heard, the unfamiliar emotion would blossom into that fear.

It took you no time at all to decide to stand tall in front of it. You were more concerned about the person who already did.

“I shall ask you again,” Jack murmured. “Do you love him?”

“Yes.”

Jack felt the resonating resolve in your tone and sighed in relief. “Then, you will not fail. You will reach him.”

You smiled up at him and nodded. “Let’s go.”

With a final glance at your room and a tiny petting to your pet mouse, you leave from the exit of your bedroom window, a nimble Eyeless Jack following closely behind.

The wind blew ominously into the forest, nearly dragging you within. You pulled your hood even tighter around your head as you struggled to keep your balance in the snow. It covered most of your calves, sucking onto your snow boots with vigor. Jack frequently had to wait for you to catch up to him, his longs legs keeping him well above the deep snow. The two of you ambled further into the dense pine, the snow getting deeper with each step you took. It wasn’t until you almost fell in that Jack decided to improvise.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m ok. Sorry I keep getting stuck like this,” you laughed nervously.

Jack shook his head and came toward you. “It’s not a problem really; however I’m worried about the time.”

This took your attention and you look up towards the sky through the trees. The sky was a crisp midnight blue, a bright full moon hanging a little closer than usual.

“Do things tend to come out at night?” you asked.

“Usually, yes,’ Jack replied, “But most of the residents will be in tonight. Jeffery being locked away has caused quite a stir. We should hurry.”

Jack knelt in front of you, offering his back. “Come. I can get us there quickly.”

“Uh…” You shrunk back in hesitation before shrugging and climbing onto his back like he asked. You held his shoulders as he stood, surprised; his back was much broader than it looked. Jack adjusted his arms to let your legs through and looked over his shoulder at you.

“Are you comfortable?”

“Y-yes!” you squeaked. Jack was way too tall for your liking.

“Please hang on.”

“Wha??”

Jack suddenly leaned forward and sprinted off in an inhuman speed, forcing you to yelp and cling to him for dear life. He seemed unfazed by your reaction and ran ahead, nimbly dodging trees and fallen debris in his way, kicking up snow as he went. You kept your face hidden mostly, but you could see pieces of the forest you knew. The little clearing where Jeff had taken you for your birthday, the decline where you both fell over during the snowball fight, the patch of ice and frozen willow trees where Jane had tried to kill you, further into the blackness of the forest.

Then for a moment, the world was to dark to see.

Jack ran underneath a natural arch of trees and old vines, thick with branches that sprouted thorns. You glanced up and caught sight of the progressive budding flowers on each thorn, accidentally nicking yourself on the forehead. You winced and pushed your face back into Jack’s back, waiting for the run to be over.

And soon enough, it was.

“We’ve arrived Lucy,” Jack said.

You lifted your face to the most beautiful sight you’ve ever seen.

Small, white flowers edged in crimson bloomed on every black branch. A fragrant aroma wafted from the dozens of black trees, their sizes ranging from the smallest near the entrance to the largest standing beside the enormous Gothic mansion much further away. Snow glittered from the ground it covered to the plants it lightly frosted over. A large onyx gate stood as the entranceway to the mansion, a stone pathway continuing from then on. The moon bathed everything you could see in a soft pale blue, stars dotting the sky as if the heavens were brought down to this place only.

You let yourself down and looked around, breathing in complete awe.

This was where they all lived.

“Follow me, “Jack called.

You fall into step with him, still entranced with the sheer beauty of the acres of untouched snow. Jack held the gate open for you and led you towards a large, foreboding door, its handles in the shapes of strange, demonic creatures. The mansion was crafted in stone, black lace-like finishing trailing along each angle and arch. You stopped at the last step in front of the door and glance at Jack, remembering what happened the last time you were. The boy turned toward you, a sense of seriousness held in his posture.

“Now, listen carefully.  The others know that a live human will be brought inside for the first time under Slenderman’s distinct order not to harm her. Most won’t go against his rule, but that won’t stop the few who would from trying to take a bite out of you given the most opportune moment. Stay close to me, and no matter what happens, do not show them your fear.”

“…”

“Lucille?”

“Yes?”

Jack paused and gently laid a hand on your shoulder. You looked back at him, doing your best to stamp out the rising terror in your gut.

“Do you still wish to go through with this?”

Your eyes sharpen with determination. Jeff was in there, alone and maybe even afraid, losing himself with each passing day. You didn’t need any other reason to go in there.

He needed you more than you could ever imagine.

“Absolutely.”

Jack nodded and hooked your arm with his, the other hand place over the fraying cherry wood.

“Welcome to the Manor.”

Your boots echoed against the checkerboard marble floor as the heavy door swung closed behind you. You searched the large front room for anything out of the ordinary and see nothing but Victorian furniture and a Neo-gothic expanse, almost resembling a cathedral with its round shape. Tall beams lead to countless arched halls and spiraled staircases, candles and heavily ornamented glass chandeliers illuminating the walls.

“Where is everyone?” you asked.

Jack opened his mouth to respond when both of you jumped at the sound of loud hollering.

Your heart wrenched from the voice and you tore away from Jack’s arm, starting up the stairs you heard it from.

“Lucille!”

Jack made to run after you and stopped short when a faint chill seeped into his bones. He recognized this feeling, as if it were the presence of another one of his kind, but was confused as to where it came from. He was alarmed when he found he couldn’t move a muscle by his own will. He was rooted to the spot. Why wasn’t he able to move? What force was holding him back?

Watching you barrel up the stairs answered his questions in an instant, only to give life to many more.

It was as if you were possessed.

You ignored all reason clawing at your mind and ran on autopilot. The screaming spurred you on further into the twisting halls and stairs, guiding you through the maze as the cries grew more frantic. When you reached the hall where it shook the walls, you stopped in your tracks.

A large crowd of everything and anything nightmarish all turned their heads toward you at once.

Glowing eyes, beady eyes, crazed eyes.

Every iris was locked on the human named Lucy.

You were so shocked that it didn’t occur to you to run.

“Who’s that?” asked a brunette wearing goggles and strange bandana over his face.

“She smells human,” muttered an elf-like boy with stark white hair disapprovingly.

“Human? That means organs!” shouted what looked like a talking over-sized plush pony doll.

“And even more skin. Her’s must be particularly rare…pure white.”

“I call the eyes.”

“I want her teeth.”

The inhuman figures all move toward you, some of them salivating at the thought of eating you, breathing heavily in anticipation. One by one, they grabbed onto you, tugging you this way and that, wrenching your coat off of you and sniffing your body hungrily. You squirmed and tried to pull away from them, but one twists your arm around your back. You thought you heard a bone crunch with the stress.  A moving skeleton tore off your sleeve and ran its bony fingers against your forearm, lightly pressing down on a visible vain. A clawed hand took your jaw and yanked it up, exposing your neck.

You knew Jack said not to show them fear.

But you were close to hysterically screaming when someone threw off the entity from behind you. His voice was deep and resonate in your ear.

“Back the fuck up. Slenderman told you dumbasses not to harm the girl.”

Smile bounded toward you and stood in front of you, baring his teeth in a full snarl as he pressed his weight against your legs protectively. Those who grabbed you backed away, very wary of the dog barking at them, left you alone and stood a few feet away. You released the breath you didn’t know you held and gasped for air, holding a hand to your chest as if to still your fiercely beating heart.

Looking behind you, your eyes met with the bright red hues of a taller, built male. His shaggy dark hair fell over his face under his hat, casting a dark shadow over his eyes that seemed to glow. He looked down at you for a short while before grunting and walking away, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

“If you’re looking for Slenderman, he’s this way,” he said.

You paused before quickly following after him, glad that Smile was by your side as you went. You held your head high as you passed, keeping your eyes forward and doing your best to avoid eye contact with any of them. Two people wearing similar hoodies watched you, one wearing a feminine mask of black and white and the other showing nothing but red eyes and a deep frown. You caught sight of the Laughing Jack watching you from the ceiling, somehow hanging off of the beams.

You let out a relieved sigh when you passed through the hall to enter a much more spacious one. You look up at the boy’s back and sheepishly spoke.

“Ah…thank you for helping me earlier,” you said.

He didn’t turn around and walked briskly. “Don’t fucking talk to me,” he spat, his voice cold.

Your eyes flew open wide and you hugged your arms together, frowning. “Well shit. Nevermind then.”

You two continue to walk along this way, turning corners as needed and finally arriving at a set of dark wooden doors.  You slowed down and gaped at the lovely furniture while the boy in front nodded at someone ahead. “Missing someone?” he asked. You snapped your head up at how different his tone was. There wasn’t a trace of his earlier ice.

“Lucille!”

You turned and lowered your head apologetically. “Ah, sorry about that E.J.”

For a moment, Jack seemed very unsettled. He sighed and removed his mask, rubbing his eyes irritably. You blinked in astonishment; he really didn’t have any eyes. Then how on earth did he see?

“It was a good thing Redrick found you when he did. I could feel the others getting volatile the moment they saw you.”

You glanced at the other male standing aloof in the window. “So his name is Redrick…” you mutter to yourself.

Jack quickly regained his composure and beckoned you to come closer, facing the doors. “Are you prepared?”

You nodded in response, unaware of Red watching you through the reflection on the window.

Eyeless Jack rapped on the door. “Sir, I’ve arrived with Miss Lucille Isbelle.”

Slenderman spoke without voice or words.

The doors opened to a large study, the main attraction the brown leather chair facing the windows overlooking the manor courtyard.

“Enter.”

No eyes.

No nose.

No lips.

No ears.

A blank sheet where a face should be.

Long, bony fingers.

Elongated arms and legs.

A mass of tentacles unfurling from his back.

All kept within a fresh pressed black suit and tie.

“You are Lucille, correct?”

You trembled and struggled to speak. Your body was numb with fear.

“Y-yes…”

Slenderman moved and brought your face close to his with the tip of a long black tentacle. Your eyes widened from being so close to him. Every nerve in your body screamed that you run like hell, but you were as limp as a puppet. He examined your face as you notice his focus remain on your eyes. He began to speak, a voice appearing out of thin air.

“I see now…this is what led Jeff to descent so willingly. You are much like us, miss.”

You blinked, confused. “Ah…pardon?”

“Typical humans are in no shape or form attractive to our kind. They are a detestable, self-centered race that we absolutely abhor. We kill and use them for harvest, nothing more. But there are a few who are not so ordinary. Aberrants, we call them.”

“Aberrants?”

“Humans born with an extra part of them that separate their souls from the filth of this world. It seems that a part of your brain normally not active in humans is fully awakened in yours. Our kind can sense this abnormality in aberrant, and thus, the relationship between us and them changes drastically.”

Jack stepped forward from the door and coughed into his hand, the other tucked behind him in a butler-like fashion.  “If I may,” he began.

Slenderman nodded, drawing his extremity away from you. “Proceed son.”

“Given Miss Lucille’s stability, I believe that she is most able to go forward with the procedure. We’ve seen evidence that simply being near her levels his mental state considerably. It is most likely that Jeff’s condition will stabilize after she makes direct contact with his subconscious.”

Slenderman seemed to think about his words, and you sensed a bit of doubt in the room. He shifted in his seat and turned his attention back to you.

“I’m sure Jack has told you about what I plan to do to save Jeffery’s life. However, I cannot ignore the fact that he has committed the ultimate taboo against his own family and is now a danger to my children. I am willing to try and stabilize him, but if this fails, both he and you will die by my hands. Do you understand this?”

You grew irritated with the constant doubt in your resolve and firmly answer a little louder than you intended.

“I understand completely sir.”

“You are willing to lay down your life for him? A murderer who has taken the names of the innocent of your kind?”

A familiar smile crept upon your lips.

“Nobody’s innocent. Not anymore.”

You feel a deep uneasiness standing in front of this bolted door. It was nothing but solid metal and a safe-lock mechanism, but it was a hallow reminder of the gravity of the situation at hand. Jeff was on the other side.

Jack and Smile came with you immediately, Ben following after hearing that you had arrived and Redrick when you were about to go inside. A steady trickle of onlookers came through the stone dungeon walls, all of them curious about you since they first saw you. You nestled yourself in between the ghost and the mask wearer, taking comfort in their support. Many things ran through your mind as you looked between Ben’s smiling face and Jack’s completely calm one. As if hearing your doubts, Ben nudged you with his arm and offered you a smirk.

“Don’t worry about it Lulu. You’ve got this in the bag,” he chimed. You couldn’t help but sputter at the nickname. Smile seemed to thoroughly enjoy it and licked your hand comfortingly.

“I think it suits you.”

“Not you too Smile!” you giggled, bending down to pet the dog. Smile leaned into and pressed his head into the crook of your leg.

Jack watched you with orbless eyes and smiled to himself. “They’re both right. You have nothing to worry about. I shall be there to monitor you the entire time.”

You looked up at Jack and smiled back. “Thanks for everything E.J. I’m glad I had the chance to meet the both of you.”

Ben spoke up, his voice a little shaken. “Aw, don’t talk like that Lucy. Both you and Jeff will come back safe and sound! So no more of that chance bullshit, alright? You’re not going anywhere.”

“Hey girl,” you heard someone say. It was Redrick.

“Yeah?”

“You better bring him back,” he growled. You turned to face him and nodded firmly.

“You’re damn right I will.”

Slenderman turns to face the audience and urges them to move away from the door, beckoning you and your friends to stay behind him.

“Everyone please be cautious. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt, understand?”

There was a collective shuffling behind you. Your heart raced immediately when the door unbolted. Slenderman turned to you and spoke in the kind, soft tone of a father. It almost pushed you to the verge of tears.

“Are you ready, miss?” he aked.

You felt Ben squeeze your shoulder and Jack put his arm around your back lightly.

It brought the reassurance of camaraderie. A sensation you didn’t think existed for someone like you in this world.

Then again, you were never of this world to begin with.

“Yes.”

The door creaked open slowly, revealing a dark, padded room with one sole resident.

You felt something break deep inside of you.

Jeff stood off in the farthest corner of the room facing away from you. He was tied securely in a straight jacket and other belts around his head, covering his eyes. His hair was matted and riddled with split ends, and his skin was paler than usual. He was thin and frail, barely holding himself up on his two feet.

He looked absolutely terrible.

“Oh god…Jeff…” you whimpered, covering your mouth with your hands.

He turned his head slightly at the sound of your muffled cry.

Ben drew in a sharp breath at the sight of his friend. “Jesus…”

Slenderman looked equally upset. “Come now Jeffery…it’s time for your medicine. We’ve a visitor to help you.” He turned and nodded his head toward you.

You take a deep breath and give a final smile to both Ben and Jack, scratching Smile in his favorite spot behind his ears as you walked past. Once you were inside, Slenderman bolted the door behind you. The sound of the locks thrummed in your earsdrums.

Slowly, you stepped further inside, feeling the dark undertones of the room. It disturbed you to the core.

Something was very, very wrong.

“Jeff?” you called softly

He didn’t respond to you. He didn’t move from his spot in the corner.

“Jeff, it’s me….snowflake, remember?”

You walked closer to him, enough to touch him at arm’s length.

“…Jeff?”

You placed a trembling hand on his bony shoulder. Your palms began to sweat from the lack of body heat he had.

“…please…look at me Jeffery…”

Jeff slightly lifted his head and tilted it.

“…Lu…cy…”

Tears began to fall from your eyes as he turned to face you. His face was haggard and bony, wracked with fatigue and malnourishment. His eyes were covered by the belts overlapping his head, and his lips were pale and chapped. His voice croaked out your name as he made to move into you, leaning for a hug. You held him close and wept silently, your shoulders shaking with sorrow.

This would be the second time you’ve cried on his shoulder. Now it was for a completely different reason.

Smoothing his hair away from his face, you leave soft pecks on his cheek, trying to dry your tears and move on to the next matter at hand.

You took a pill from your pocket and slipped it into your mouth.

“Jeff, I need you to look at me…look at me,” you croon, taking his face in your hands gently. You held it level to yours for a moment, preparing to lean in and kiss him when he began to speak.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing little girl.”

“What?”

“He might be blind but I’m sure as hell not!”

Jeff began to laugh. A long, warbled laughter. You let go and back away from him, now on high alert.

“Aw, what’s the matter? I thought you wanted to make out!”

His smile grew large and utterly horrifying.

This is what you saw that day in the alley.

This was who was hiding inside of him all this time.

Jeff chuckled and bent over, stumbling as if a drunken stupor.

“Come on baby, just one?”

He abruptly straightened and positioned his head unnaturally.

“Just one couldn’t hurt, right? Riiiiight?”

Without any warning, Jeff charged at you in full speed, toppling both of you to the ground. He bit down on the first thing he came in contact with—your neck.

You yelped in alarm when you felt hot blood trickle down your throat. Jeff laughed and licked the blood from the wound, causing you to tremble from the pain and strangely exciting flickers of electricity that shot through your nerves.  Jeff felt you jump when he bit down again and sat himself up on top of you, thoroughly enjoying the reactions he received.

“Huh, so you like it when I play rough? Do ya?” Jeff grinned, bright crimson coating his lips.

You stopped him from biting you again by covering his mouth with your hand. He grinned and lightly nibbled at your fingers.

“If you want to bite me, do it for real,” you said, fighting an oncoming blush from the feel of his tongue in between your fingers.

“That a challenge babe?” He sounded very amused.

You gripped the back of his head before he could move and shoot upward, planting your lips on his forcefully and pushing the pill in your mouth to the back of his throat. Jeff grinned even more and warred with your tongue, swallowing the already half dissolved pill. You pulled away when he began to choke, giggling as he did so.

“Hehe…so this is the game you wanna play…okaaaaay. I’ll play. I’ll…play…”

Jeff went limp as a doll and collapsed into you, the same bright red grin plastered on his face. You gently laid him on his side and watched him sleep peacefully until your own consciousness slipped away from you.

The drugs had begun their work.

Monitors beeped rhythmically, tracking the pulse of the two teens laid side by side on the hospital bed. Jack continued wiring them for the perilous process ahead, an uncharacteristic fluster to his movements. After switching on the last cable, both were stable and ready to begin.

“Sir, I’ve finished hooking them up to the sensors.”

“Good, son. Good. I’ll take it from here.”

Slenderman gently laid a hand on Jack’s head, his voice filled to the brim with approval.

“You’ve handled yourself well. To say that I’m proud of you is quite the understatement.”

“You’re much too kind,” Jack said, bowing his head in respect.

“Go, rest. You’ve certainly earned it today.”

Jack nodded and took one last look at the girl fast asleep. Clenching his fists, he left the room and shut the door behind him.

Ben and Smile were upon him in seconds.

“So, how is she?”

“She got him to take the drug somehow. That alone is a feat within itself,” he replied, shaking his head. Ben pursed his lips and looks up at the taller one.

“What’s going to happen to them Jack? They’re gonna be okay, right?”

Jack looked down at his younger friend and sighed. “It depends. We’ve managed to sync up their brain waves so Slenderman can move her consciousness into Jeff’s subconscious. That’s where his insanity first started. But as far as those two coming back…it all depends on Lucy. If she can reach him, then they’re both saved.”

“And…and if they’re not?”

A hush fell over the pair. Smile began to whine and claw at the door.

They knew very well what would happen.

With a heavy sigh, Jack finally lifted his eyes to look outside.

“Then…we bury them in the fields…where the blossoms are brightest.”

Chapter Text

“Good afternoon class!”

“Good afternoon Mrs.Wright!”

“Let’s end our day with a little free time, okay?”

Screech! Rumble! Patter patter patter…

The sounds of a lively classroom ring in your ears.

A small palm touches your back.

You stir awake.

A small boy with bright blue eyes looks down at you, a goofy smile showing off the freckles dotting his cheeks. The edges of his wild dark hair brighten from the sun’s rays peeping through the open windows behind him.

The boy’s eyes flicker with joy and his smile grows when your eyes meet his.

You sit up and take a look around. You were sound asleep in the middle of a room full of playing small children, desks and bookbags set in rows. A larger desk sits at the front facing the door. Alphabet sheets flutter in the wind from their place on the walls, and the childhood smell of chalkboards and crayons fills your nostrils. High-pitched giggles and cries of glee surround you as the warm light of the afternoon sun shines on your eyes.

You rub your eyes and stare down at your hands. They were small, pale porcelain pieces that seem to fit a doll more than you. Confused, you stand and walk to the nearest mirror.

A 3 ft tall version of yourself stands in your reflection, neatly clad in a navy blue and red-gingham patterned uniform tailored for a high-end private school. Your hair falls down your back and against your small shoulders, framing your childish face to the epitome of delicate cuteness. The pinkish pigment that faded with age is bright and pearly in your irises.

Somehow, you are no older than six years old again.

The boy straightens his uniform suit jacket behind you and starts to walk away, gesturing that you come with him. When you’re close enough, he delicately takes your hand in his and walks toward the door leading outside. You glance down at his small hand, puzzled.

His hand feels absolutely weightless in yours, as if you were grasping nothing more than air.

The boy takes you outside to a field behind the school, a swing set tied to a set of tress. Other children played with a ball a safe distance away, ignoring the child idly sitting on the swing. You and the boy stand and watch for a while, a mild spring breeze gently carding through your hair. You turn to look at the boy and see his eyes dim with the frown on his face, pointing to the loner by the tree. You turn your attention back to the group of kids who now stand awkwardly pressed against each other, as if they are afraid of something. Looking closer, you see a bright red ball rolling directly underneath the child on the swing.

No one went near it.

The child gets up and lifts the ball from the ground, tentatively looking up at the group of children doing their best to stay away. When offered the ball, they scream and run away, deserting their toy for good.

Though nothing was said, you hear faint voices float around you.

“Leave us alone!”

“Freak!”

“Don’t come near us you weirdo!”

The child stands for a while, head hung low before dropping the ball and sitting back on the swing. The ball slowly rolls toward you and stops at your feet. The boy beside you frowns even more and looks at you, an expectant look in his eyes.

You let go of his hand and pick up the ball.

The voices become less faint.

When you stand up straight, he is nowhere to be found.

The scenery changes when you walk toward him.

The once vibrant plant life begins to wilt and decay. The sun fades behind dark grey storm clouds as the wind changes from a spring breeze to a fretful stormy gust. As you walk closer, the voices grow louder and the sky grows darker. Tree leaves turn black and begin to fall from their branches. You can hear the child crying now.

It sounded like a little boy.

You see a humanoid shadow creeping behind him, lacing its fingers in his hair and clothes. Its eyes were colorless and crazed, and a horrible, horrible smile ripped its face in two. The voices grow distorted and warbled, some too high-pitched and others low and demonic.

Your grip on the ball tightens as fear forces you to stop.

Do you think you can save him?

Your head spins at the sound of the voice. It sounded like the same person was talking over himself.

Yet you recognized it.

You watch the shadow dig its fingers into the boy’s shoulder as its size grew from a small child to a full grown man.

His sobs sounded even more desperate.

You force yourself to walk closer to him.

The shadow smiles even more, blood pooling from the slits in its face.

Aren’t you scared?

You keep your eyes on the boy, clutching the ball close to your chest. Your footsteps don’t falter until you’re a mere few inches away from him. The boy hasn’t lifted his head and continues to cry, hot tears running down his face and onto his pants. You gulp and gently place the ball on his lap.

All the voices screaming in your ear abruptly stop.

His cries choke silent.

He doesn’t move at first, but he eventually lifts his head and looks at you through glossy sapphire hues.

There was confusion in his eyes mingled with a hint of disbelief. You take the sleeve of your uniform and dry his tears, gently holding his face in your hands. He opened his mouth to speak, but there wasn’t a word he could find that could express what he was feeling right then.

You tilt your head and run your hand through his chestnut brown hair, smoothing it away from his face. The boy blinks slowly at you, as if trying to process what he was seeing.

Then, hesitantly, he touched a hand to your face.

The gesture surprised you, but you didn’t shy away from him.

“Are you…are you real?” he whispered.

You nod and smile.

“I…who are you? Do I know you?”

You shake your head yes, lightly squeezing the boy’s hands in your own. He shivers and dips his head. A sad smile played with the corners of his mouth.

“You can’t be real…everyone’s afraid of me.”

Black ink leaves flutter gently around you as you pull him from his seat and hug him tight. You feel him tense immediately and you try to soothe him by rubbing his back.

“It’s okay…you don’t have to be alone anymore,” you say. Your voice is small and delicate, but it carries heavy emotions with each syllable.

“…I don’t?”

“No.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

The boy lets out a heavy sigh and his arms finally find their way around your small body.

There was nothing he could say.

The shadow knelt before you and wrapped its long arms around both of your bodies. You shudder from its touch and hold onto the boy even tighter.

You won’t ever leave his side? Not ever for anything at all?

You lift your head and glare defensively at the shadow, staring straight into its lidless eyes.

“I love him.”

The shadow smiled a red, red smile.

We’ll see

The boy’s grip becomes terrifyingly tight. His nails dig into your skin as he squeezes your body to the point of snapping your spine.

Let me show you the truth

You groan from the pain, but you don’t let go. The boy lifts his head from your shoulder and stares at you with those same wild eyes, giggling.

Wild eyes that you don’t recognize.

And we’ll see how much you love us

Without another word, you disappear into darkness so thick and suffocating, you begin to wonder if you died just then.

The red ball rolls back to its place under the swing, crushing black leaves into dust.

You woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside your bedroom window. It was an early summer morning in your new home, and you wanted nothing do with it. You promptly pulled the covers over your head and adjusted yourself to go back to sleep.

“Jeeeeeeeeff! Wake up!”

THUD!

You groaned irritably and kicked your brother in the gut from the sound of it. Liu let out a strangled coughing noise and fell off the bed, taking a few of your books with you. You shook your head and pulled the covers tighter over yourself.

“Owowowowow…Jesus Christ you’ve got one hell of a kick…” he wheezed.

You snorted in reply.

Liu smiled and stood up, walking to your window and fiddling with the lock. You lowered the soft comforter and scowled at him.

“What are you doing?” you mumbled.

Eyes as clear as the brilliant summer morning sun gleamed with excitement.

“Let’s go. We get to go to our new school today,” Liu beamed.

Good god, not this again.

You answered with a prompt, “No. Thanks.”

Liu tugged the window open and stuck his head outside, smiling when the wind ruffled his hair. You watched him open the curtains and turn to you, and you scowled and flipped over. School wasn’t fun in the least to you, and you couldn’t understand why your brother enjoyed it so much. If you didn’t have to suffer through hours of sitting around people you borderline hated, that was more than fine with you.

“It’ll be our first day of high school. And we’ll be in the same class for once!”

When you groaned in reply, Liu promptly jumped on top of you again, giving you his usual childish smirk. You glared at him, but you knew how useless it was. Once he got an idea in his head, there was no stopping his persistence in taking you along for the ride.

“Fine,” you muttered. “But don’t expect me to be nice.”

Liu chuckled and got off of you at his mother’s call. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

You spent the next half hour sulking at your reflection in the mirror, eyeing the fine uniform with mild interest. You adjusted the tie as you look over your face. There was no denying that you looked good, probably better than your broad-shouldered brother in the suit. If there was anything positive you could find from your appearance, you settled on the attention the red tie gave your contrasting dark sapphire irises.  You sighed irritably.

The last thing you wanted was more unwanted attention.

You checked your clock and headed downstairs, a classy briefcase in hand. Liu met you halfway down the stairs, his gold locks framing his face elegantly. Even at 14 years old, your brother was very handsome, already showing signs of manly features in his face. He grinned and pats your back encouragingly.

“You look good J,” he commented, smoothing a bit of your hair back. “You’re gonna make the girls pass out.”

“Isn’t that your thing?” you asked, brushing his hand away. Liu shrugged and walked towards the door.

“Can’t help it if they find you hotter than me.”

“Christ.”

Greeted by the warmth of the sun, the two of you strutted outside, one full of zeal and the other basking in his infectious energy.

School went just as you expected it to. Upon introducing yourselves at the front of the class, you could tell it wasn’t just Liu the female students were excited to see. Even with your disinterested greeting, many pairs of frilly eyes wavered from your gaze. Liu was all smiles and pleasantries while girls encircled him at his desk after class, earning looks of envy from some of the other males. You ignored any attention by gazing from your window seat, watching some of the children from the elementary nearby play in the yard. A gentle smile crossed your face when one of them ran from a curious dog passing by with its owner. A little girl pressed her hand against the gate when the dog pushed its nose up to it, waving her friends over to come and play.

Something about a child’s innocence made you feel at peace with the world around you. There wasn’t a soul you knew who was as honest as a child, and their ability to take joy in the small things in life indirectly made you feel a little better.

It was this element about them that made you want to be a child psychiatrist one day.

At 13 years old, you were already in high school, having skipped the 5^th grade. You were exceptionally talented in science, especially when it came time for science fairs and dissection periods with the older kids. You had a natural flair for exploring the dark places everyone ignored, and you often found yourself huddled in a corner in the library reading everything you could about the mind of a toddler.

Despite your great achievements at such a young age, you couldn’t quite get your mother to acknowledge them.

Nothing seemed good enough for the 42 year old entrepreneur.

The heat of the afternoon was near overbearing. As you and your brother walked home, navy blue jackets in hand, you listened to him chat happily about the day. Liu was enrolled in mostly fine arts classes, much to his pleasure. He was in love with the art of performance, be it through stage, song or dance. You had to hand it to him; Liu’s voice was lovelier than liquid gold, and his limitless charisma on the stage coupled with his looks made him an instant heartthrob. It was no surprise to having him help host functions while you sat in the background, your attention buried deep within a book.

Margaret Woods had something to be proud of.

 Upon turning a corner, you see a boy ride up to you confidently on his skateboard. You dismissed him as you would anyone else, however he had other plans than simply passing you by.

When Liu crossed over to you, the boy purposely ran over his foot, flippantly giving you the middle finger as he flew pass. Liu stumbled into you as his face contorted in pain, startled by the sudden attack.

“Hey—what the hell?!” you started, watching him skate away.

Liu held onto your shoulder for support as he pressed his fingers into his toes, feeling for injuries. Satisfied, he lowered his leg and looked in the same direction. “Eh, leave the kid be. He’s obviously below the bar.”

You managed to quell the fire in you and took a deep breath, exhaling sharply through your nose. “Little punk,” you muttered under your breath. Liu chuckled and returned to his laid-back stride beside you, a hand tucked away in his pants pocket.

You did your best to ignore the strong twinge of that same odd feeling whenever you thought of it.

As you and your brother ate breakfast the next morning, the feeling became stronger, tugging at your skull every time you looked at your mother. You tried to shake it off as a headache and move on with your day, but it grew to almost being vocal. Liu must’ve noticed your distress and placed a hand on your shoulder.

“You feelin’ okay man?” he asked.

Strangely, the headaches subsided a little when your eyes met his.

“I’m fine,” you answer curtly, giving yourself another spoonful of frosted flakes.

Liu shrugged and downed the last of his orange juice, scooting off of his chair in a hurry. “We’d better get a move on if we want to catch the bus on time.”

You left your bowl on the counter and follow after him, greeting your father on your way out when your mother called you back inside. Her tone was as sharp as ever.

“I do hope you don’t think I’m going to clean up after you at your age,” she complained.

You took a deep breath and look back at her cutting eyes, ignoring the pulsing pain in your frontal lobe. You silently moved your bowl to the sink, your mother watching your every move with a critical eye. Seeing you about to leave it there, she barks out another order, causing you to bite down on your tongue and comply. You turned to leave.

A manicured hand grips your hair with enough strength to rip it from your scalp and drug you back to the sink. Your eyes widen from the sudden pull and you tripped into the counter, righting yourself when you’re shoved hard into the metal finishing.

“Clean it up.”

“Mom—“

“I said clean it up!”

“Mom, we’re going to be late.”

“Be quiet Liu.”

You slowly turned to face your mother, a seething anger building in your chest.

That, and something else.

“Kill her.”

You shook your head in bewilderment.

…what?

“Kill. Her.”

“Hey, mom! We’ll miss the bus!”

Someone grabbed your wrist. Liu was by your side in seconds, looking up at his mother with a challenging expression. The woman’s steel gray eyes bore into your own as your brother pulls you away without a moment’s hesitation.

“Let’s go,” he whispered to you.

You walked behind your brother and listen to your father slamming the door, yelling at your mother about what just took place right in front him. Liu remained silent until you both got to the bus stop, where he proceeded to comb your hair back into the way you had it before. He sat beside you once he was finished and handed you your briefcase quietly, looking out into the scenery before him.

“….thanks Liu,” you murmured hoarsely.

“Anytime,” was his soft reply.

Leaning back on the bench, you tried to relax and put off thinking about what happened. You just decided to save it for the shower when a blur of gym shoes and dirtied wheels fly over both Liu’s and your lap.

Both of you pressed back into the bench in surprise and looked to where the flurry landed.

Your mood turned dangerously fowl upon recognizing the kid from yesterday.

“Well well well…looks like we got some new fresh meat.”

His smug grin made your skin crawl. Something about the ginger-haired boy irked you despite him looking younger than you. His rough appearance was a dead ringer that he wasn’t from around your neighborhood.

Liu tilted his head at him and narrowed his eyes. “You’re the kid from yesterday aren’t you?”

The boy ran a sun-tanned hand over his freckled face, his smile getting cocky. You noticed after a while that two other boys eventually joined him on each side, one looking terribly thin and the other grotesquely engrossed with fat deposits. Typical sidekick looks, you thought.

“Since you’re new here, I’d like to introduce ourselves,” their ringleader began. “Over there is Keith, and he’s Troy.”

Liu turned to look at the skinny boy and the larger one while you barely gave them a glance. They weren’t worth the recognition. You kept your eyes on the Aeropostale shirt in the middle whose owner called himself “Randy”.

“Now, for all the kids in this neighborhood, there is a small price for bus fare, if you catch my drift,” Randy began, obviously eyeing Liu’s briefcase. Your brother almost immediately stood up in response, the left side of his jaw tensing repeatedly. You knew him well enough to know that he wasn’t as good as you were at keeping your emotions in check.

Maybe it was because you both had a rough morning that Liu was unusually aggressive.

This kid will catch one straight in the mouth if he didn’t back up.

Liu’s protective stance in front of you seemed to amuse Randy, and the skinnier boy beside him pulled out a knife from his back pocket. Randy made a smacking noise with his teeth and smiled. “I had hoped you would be more cooperative, but it seems we must do this the hard way.”

The both of you protested audibly when Randy smoothly plucked Liu’s wallet from his back pocket. When his tawny eyes met yours, you winced in pain.

The feeling returned.

You shot up from the bench and walked towards him, ignoring Liu’s hand on your shoulder urging that you sit back down.

“Listen you little punk,” you growled, pushing back the burning in your throat. “Give back my bro’s wallet or else.”

“Oh? And what will you do?” Randy teased, his smug grin igniting the flames in your gut even further. He tucked the wallet in his pocket and unsheathed his own knife in his other hand, daring that you try something with his eyes.

This. Little. Shit.

You let the burning sensation take over.

All you saw was red.

Right when Randy closed his mouth, you delivered a quick pop to the nose. You bend his wrist backwards as he tried to cover his face, letting go when you felt it snap and heard his frenzied cry. Shoving the kid to the curb, you took his knife and brandished it at the other two boys who tried to rush you. Keith dived at you first, but you easily evaded him with the agility of a seasoned street fighter. The boy quickly recovered and lashed out at you with his weapon. You side-step his attack and take advantage of the opening, plunging the short blade in your hand deep into his forearm and dragging it across, severing the tendons keeping it together. He dropped to the ground and screamed wildly for his mother.

A dark chuckle bubbles from your chest as you watch the blood pour from his useless forearm.

“What a weakling.”

You hardly took your eyes off of him to take care of the other boy hurdling your way. You angled your body so that Troy would run straight into your fist upon impact, and allowed his obesity to do the work for you. You drove your fist into his stomach and stepped to the side. Troy crumpled to the sizzling concrete ground and vomited, shivering with every heave his body made.

You stood and watched the three boys tremble from your handiwork, a twisted grin pulling your lips upward in amusement. You felt somewhat disappointed with your short fight.

“Too weak...all of them were too weak…”

Another chuckle slipped past your lips as you gripped the knife tighter in your palm.

“So weak…they’re better off dead…”

You took one step toward them, your eyes warped out of focus.

“Better off…dead…”

Your brother’s soft voice tugged you back to reality.

“Jeff…how’d you…” he whispered, his eyes wide in astonishment.

You snapped your head toward Liu and slowly came back to your senses. You were seized by a terrible headache again and you groaned, rubbing your temples. Liu walked up to you and dusted off your jacket, promptly ignoring the blood reaching towards his shoes.

That’s when you heard the sound of a bus.

Liu shot you a panicked look and you took off without another word, Liu running right beside you. You managed to get far enough out of sight to see the bus driver rushing over to Keith first. Even from this distance, you could tell how close to bleeding to death he was. Troy finally stopped his heaving and was helping him wrap up Keith’s arm in something tight, Randy now standing over his friend in shock, lamely holding his own injury. Liu hissed that you hurry, and you rushed to the school yard without complaint.

You sat in the same window seat without nearly as much composure as you would normally have. The feeling didn’t return for the rest of school, but that only increased your anxiety about the whole ordeal. Your brother thought lightly of it and saw it as you just taking down a few bullies with some serious new moves, but it you knew, deep down, it was much more than that. You never thought of yourself as violent, much less sadistic enough to enjoy the suffering of others, but you couldn’t dismiss the electric chill of newfound power in your fingertips.

It felt downright amazing.

Liu seemed to have recovered well from the incident; hanging around in drama club did wonders for his stress levels. As you walked home with him, you passed by the spot where the assault took place. A large pool of dried blood permanently stained the concrete. Liu frowned a little and looked back at you.

“…don’t you think it was a bit much? Tearing up that kid’s arm like that?” he asked.

You looked over to him and stare for a while before answering, the sunset highlighting his bright blue eyes. You spoke slowly in a near cryptic manner.

“Well, now he knows not to mess with us again. And now he can’t.”

The next day came all too soon.

A sharp knocking on the front door stirred you awake. You rubbed your bleary eyes and began to shuffle off of the bed when Liu practically crashed into your room. You felt your nerves spike almost immediately at the sight of Liu’s disheveled appearance.

“T-the cops are here,” he said in a hushed tone.

You inhaled deeply through your nose and passed by Liu hanging on the doorframe. He found two officers waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs, your mother still wrapped in her red nightgown while she glared heated daggers at you.

Strangely enough, you weren’t nervous for the cops’ presence.

“Jeff, these officers told me that you…attacked three kids. That is wasn’t like a normal fight. A kid was stabbed! Stabbed son!” She covered her mouth with one hand and her eyes glazed over, as if she couldn’t believe what was just came from her mouth.

As if she really cared about you.

Such a great actress.

Your gaze fell to the hardwood floor, not bothering to protest. “They pulled the knives on us, not the other way around. I was just defending us.”

One of the officers spoke up, a short, round male with a puffy red face and not a wisp of hair to speak of.  “Son, we found three kids, one stabbed and another with a broken wrist, and we have witnesses proving that you fled the scene. Not only that, but both your own and your brother’s bags were found. Now, what do you think that tells us?”

In response to your silence, the officer sighed and requested that you call Liu from upstairs.

Did he bother to check the kid’s pockets? You wanted nothing more than to defend yourself with all that you had, but you knew there was no point. You were seen as the guilty party, and to make matters worse, your brother was pulled into it. You knew for sure it was all you, you and that frightening feeling of limitless power in your hands. Liu even tried to hold you back, but you didn’t listen to him. It took a mind of its own, no, it had a mind of its own, and you were merely its body.

You half agreed that you should be locked away. A feeling like this was much too terrifying.

“Sir I…I did it. I was the one who hurt all those kids. Liu tried to hold me back, but he couldn’t stop me.”

The officers glanced at each other and nodded in unison, guiding your arms behind you back. You knew that you’d be locked in for at least a year.

At least, that’s what you thought.

“Wait!”

You turned to see Liu barreling down the stairs frantically. Your ears were trained to pick up the tiny nuances in his voice that betrayed his facial expression. You only needed to hear him to know what he was going to do.

The glare from the gleaming silver knife in his hands met your eyes.

The officers dropped your arms and faced him, their hands flying to the tasers on their hips. “Son, just put the knife down,” one of them said.

Liu stepped forward and dropped the knife, standing up slowly with his hands high in the air.

 “It was me. I beat up those punks. Take a look at my arms.”

You did so involuntarily. There were bright red cuts along his arms and shoulders, even a few bluish bruises here and there. His face sported scratches that weren’t there when you woke up. When your eyes met his, he smiled at you through sky blue irises.

A smile so full of warmth and affection that your eyes widened as your vision clouded over with tears.

This was too much.

No…

No…

…Liu

Your mother rushed over to him and held his face in her hands, looking at him closely while murmuring “this can’t be” over and over again. “No, t-this must be a mistake. Liu, please stop this I know you didn’t do this. Stop fooling around and tell them the truth.”

Liu looked back at her vacantly. “I already did.”

When Liu started to walk toward the front door, your mother lost her mind.

“N-no, NO! Stop this Liu! You didn’t hurt those boys! I know you didn’t!” You watched as the prideful Margaret Woods wildly thrashed about in the taller officer’s arms as her son was led to the backseat of the squad car. After the door was shut closed, she yelled and screamed all manner of profanities at you.

Yet you didn’t hear a word she said.

You struggled past your mother and ran to the car window, pressing your hands against the hot glass. Liu looked up at you and smiled again, laying his hand against yours through the other side of the window. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes as he mouthed his goodbye. You let yourself wail without an ounce of shame, shaking the car with each heavy sob. Laying his forehead against the glass, Liu began to cry with a smile on his face and whispered that you shouldn’t cry, that he’ll be back before you know it and to stay strong.

But how could you without the person who made living worth the trouble?

“I’m sorry…I’m so sorry Liu…I’m sorry…” you chanted.

The world around you became overbearingly silent when the car finally pulled off.

You didn’t notice your father coming home from work.

You didn’t hear the arguing back and forth from within the house.

You didn’t feel the air grow colder as the day came to an end.

It was 3 am when you finally moved from your spot on the curb.

The months went by in an empty blur.

All you did was sit and stare out of your bedroom window, letting guilt and depression eat you alive. You didn’t bother going to school, unable to walk past the bus stop without bursting into automatic tears. You rarely ate, and whenever you did, it was because your father nearly force fed you. Your mother was surprisingly docile; not once has she tried to come after you about what happened.

The house was nothing but a happy shell encasing the thick somber tension in the air.

On an autumn Saturday morning, your mother appeared in your room, shaking you awake for the first time in nearly a decade.

Puzzled, you gave her a questioning look in contrast to the smile plastered on her face.

“Wake up, today’s the day,” she chimed.

“…what day?”

“It’s Billy’s party. Come on, go and get ready to go.”

You flinched; genuinely shocked that she would even propose something so thoughtless.

“Mom, you don’t really expect me to go to some kid’s party after…”

The words caught in your throat and you looked away, feeling the sting of tears in the edges of your eyes.

For some reason, Liu’s departure was the equivalent of him dying to you.

You never realized how much you really loved your brother till now.

“Jeff, we both know what happened. But I think this party could be just what we need to brighten our spirits a bit.” She smiled, actually smiled, and ran downstairs to prepare herself. Blinking in utter confusion, you pushed yourself out of the bed and stared around the room, wondering what exactly to put on.

Decided on a simple jeans and t-shirt combo, you walk downstairs to see your mother fastening a glittering earring underneath her elaborately curled hair. She took one look at you and balked, mothering instincts showing through her body language.

“Is that all you’ll be wearing?” she asked.

“Better than wearing too much,” you replied. “Why are you all dressed up anyway?”

Your father scooted past you, headed for the mirror. “Now, Jeff, we may be over-dressed, but this is how you go to any social gathering if you want to make a good first impression. It’s a miracle worker with business partners,” he chuckled, nodding at you to go back upstairs and find something dressier.

You returned with nothing more than a pair of black slacks and a white hoodie. Your parent’s frowned at your choice of clothing, but left with you regardless. Your mother’s strange behavior put you on edge, but you understood it the moment you crossed the street to the neighbor’s house.

It was nothing more than a ritual your mother did to put on her best socialite façade.

Billy’s mother, Barbara, opened the door to reveal a large room full of adults. All of them were highly over-dressed and stuffy, drinks in hand. Walking in between them, you felt a nagging pain when you remembered Liu wasn’t there to help you adjust. Large crowds always made you nervous.

You let out a relieved sigh when you saw the children playing in the large back yard. You wasted no time going outside and sitting on the step of the back porch, dully watching the children play cowboys in their colorful costumes. One of them ran up to you and placed a toy gun in your lap. You looked up, startled.

His eyes were a calm hazel underneath his messy dirty blonde hair. In his hands was another cowboy hat. “Hey. You wanna pway?” he asked.

There was a light lisp in his voice and you couldn’t help but smile. It was too cute. You decided to tease him a little. “Ah, no thanks. I’m way too old for this stuff,” you replied.

The boy’s face contorted into an adorable puppy dog pout. “Pwease?”

You caved in from the sight of those two honest eyes looking up at you. “Fine, I’ll play.”

You put on the hat and made mock shooting noises at him, sending the kid into a flurry of excited giggles and happy squeals. You felt ridiculous at first, but when the other children joined in, you felt much better. You went from being chased by them to being held at gunpoint by a small girl with a pink toy gun, who boldly demanded that you reach for the skies. It soon turned into a game of tackling each other and tickling them until their faces were red from laughing so hard.

This continued until you heard a faint, familiar noise.

The sound of wheels on concrete roused you from your playful mood.

You turned to find Randy, Keith, and Troy coming into the yard, skateboards in hand. Dropping the gun and taking the hat off, you watched them advance to you. The kids huddled behind your legs, their little bodies shivering from the chill in the air.

Randy stopped a little ways away from you, hatred leaking from his eyes. You saw that his wrist had been surgically repaired, and there was little evidence of the scuffle between you two.

“Hello, Jeff is it? We have some unfinished business.”

You grew cross and stand defensively in front of the kids. “I think we’re even. I beat the crap out of you, and you get my brother sent to JDC.”

“Oh no, I don’t go for even, I go for winning. You may have kicked our asses that one time, but not today.”

At that moment, Randy came after you with blinding speed.

Children scream and scattered when you both fell to the ground, some of them yelling not to hurt you. Ignoring their pleas, Randy proceeded to punch you in the nose. You grabbed him by his ears and head butted him, sending stars through his vision. You shove Randy off of you to stand to your feet and Randy matched your pace, his movements now tailored to effectively fight you.

By now the children were running for their parents, and a few ran outside to take them inside. Troy and Keith pulled out guns and aimed them at the flock of paralyzed toddlers.

“Nobody interrupts or guts will fly!” they yelled.

You shot them an incredulous look and gaped at them. “What the fuck?! They’re kids you assholes!”

Randy took advantage of your distraction and stabbed you in the shoulder with a knife you didn’t see.

A sharp, impossibly hot pain pulsed through your body and you fell to your knees, holding your injured side. Randy pushed you on your back and kicked you in the face. All you saw was white for a moment when you noticed hazel eyes watching you.

New fire sprung to your arms as you grabbed Randy’s foot and twisted it around, causing him to fall to the ground. You jumped up and walked toward the back door, stopping when you felt hands on your back.

Troy throws you through the patio door, shards of glass piecing your back when you land on the ground. As you strained to sit up, Randy kicked you back down on the ground. You were weak and crippled with pain, giving no resistance whatsoever, but Randy proceeded to kick you anyplace he laid eyes on.

It was when you began to cough up blood that something awoke within you.

“Kill him.”

“Come on Jeff! Fight me!” Randy lifted you up and tossed you in the kitchen like a ragdoll, pushing the shards of glass deeper into your back.

“Kill him.”

Randy smashed a bottle of vodka over your head. You collapsed onto the silver refrigerator door, smearing blood from your scalp. You were teetering dangerously far from your consciousness.

“Kill him.”

Throwing you into the living room, Randy continues to scream “Fight!”

“Kill him.”

“Come on Jeff, look at me!”

You surrendered to the burning once again.

“I was the one who got your brother send to JDC! And now you’re just gonna sit here and let him rot in there for a whole year! You should be ashamed.”

It seeped into your bones and cradled your mind in a bloodied blindfold of rage, standing your body up from the ground.

“Finally. He’s up!” Randy laughed, licking his lips in excitement, and ran at you.

The burning sensation calms into the cool metallic feeling of a sharp blade pressed against bare skin.

You were no longer there.

Shoved from his psyche, you stood a little ways away from what was now Jeff, watching him pile drive Randy to the ground and beat him to death with his bare hands. Blood gushed from his nose and mouth as he bashed his skull in with a joined fist, snapped his breastbone with an elbow, tore his eyes from their sockets, only stopping when the twelve year old stopped moving.

You staggered away from him, falling to the ground once your legs failed you. You shivered uncontrollably and covered your mouth with both shivering hands.

What you saw before you was something purely demonic.

Jeff took heavy breaths, looking down at his hands covered in blood. He crushed Randy’s eyes in his palms and smiled from sheer amusement.

And that horrible, horrible grin tore into his handsome face streaked with blood.

All eyes were on him as he stood, the children sobbing fretfully into their parents’ shoulders. Even Randy’s friends were shocked stiff. When they shook their heads and pointed their guns at him, Jeff’s eyes became wild and he made a mad dash for the nearest staircase. The bullets missed him as they emptied their rounds, and you followed him as he went, looking behind you to see that someone was finally calling the police.

Jeff’s parents could only stare into the wall.

You heard a ripping noise down the hall and saw Jeff taking off a towel rack, holding it in front of him as a weapon. Troy dropped his gun and swung his knife at him, who easily dodged him and rammed the sharp side of the rack into his face. The ground shook as Troy collapsed, blood forming a pool around his head. You pressed your body against the wall as Keith made his way through.

Jeff only chuckled and adjusted his grip.

Keith managed to duck away from the wrack, coming up to grab Jeff by the neck and push him against the wall. The two boys slammed hard underneath a shelf holding a gallon of bleach, causing it to fall on both of them.

The bleach made a hissing sound as it ran into Jeff’s open wounds, but it didn’t seem to faze him. He simply watched Keith stagger around and rub his eyes. His laughter increased and he swung the wrack straight into Keith’s head.

He clattered to the floor, holding his head, and Jeff stared down at him with shaking eyes.

“What’s so funny?” Jeff asked.

Keith pulled himself from the floor and hoisted himself on the bathtub, reaching for his pocket. He grinned and said, “What’s funny is that you’re covered in bleach and alcohol.”

Your eyes widened simultaneously with Jeff’s when he flicked on a lighter and tossed it at him.

The noise Jeff made was more gut-wrenching than the scream of a tortured animal.

The flames climbed up his body in an instant, eating away at his clothes as the bleach destroyed his skin. You watched helplessly as he tried to douse the flames by rolling on the cool tile, but they traveled too fast, licking at his face. In his disoriented state, Jeff hardly noticed how close to the stairs he was when he raced out of the bathroom and ran into the wall.

You ran to catch something, anything that would stop him from falling.

Your hand phased right through his and he fell down the stairs, landing with the loudest crash you’ve ever heard.

You slid to your feet as tears fell from your eyes, shaking while you watched a flurry of paramedics and officers tried to put out the flames, holding on to the top banister with feeble hands.

His mother didn’t move one inch.

The world around you began to warp into visions of distorted faces and voices. You clamped your hands around your ears and shut your eyes, hyperventilating when a weightless hand cupped your shoulder.

You jolt away and stare at a pair of light blue eyes, now ominously dull.

Liu sat beside you and reached up to wipe your tears with his sleeve, a pained look on his face.

“Save your tears Lucille,” he said.

You felt like you were being pulled by some unseen force, tugging you backwards into the suffocating blackness.

“This nightmare has only just begun

Chapter Text

You opened your eyes to a stuffy darkness.

A soft beeping noise echoed nearby. The strong smell of medicine hung in the air, tickling your nose enough to make you reach up to soothe it.

When you tried to move, a sharp pain shot up your arm and lingered in your shoulders. You winced and settled back down into the cushiony sensation on your back. It seemed you were in a hospital bed, a cool breeze ruffling the hair free from gauze bandages. You tried to shift from your position and thought better of it when a tube-like structure wiggled inside of you. Feeling tired just as quickly as you did awake, you close your eyes once more.

Voices floated in and out of your ears whenever drowsiness briefly released you from its grip, some recognizable and others foreign. Your body felt the most unnatural, and you weren’t sure you were really alive. Time became an irrelevant term. You couldn’t tell if it was day or night.

There was nothing but feeling where your bones joined together.

One day, there was a soft, warm pressure on your hand.

“…juvy’s not that scary, believe it or not.”

Your lungs constricted painfully for a few seconds.

“Some of the kids there are real messed up, but they have it so they can’t go near everyone else. I guess they wait till they can be transferred to a mental hospital or something.”

Your fingers twitched.

“There’s this girl who does everyone’s hair for stuff we find around the place. She tried putting frenchbraids in my head once. And there’s this really big guy who’s like the bouncer for uno cards. He’s a little slow but really cool once you talk to him a bit.”

You felt a hand gently squeeze your wrist.

“…I really missed you.”

You couldn’t control the tears that fell freely from your eyes. They were immediately dried by the cloth covering your face.

“Mom said that Randy confessed to starting that fight with us and they let me go earlier than my sentence…we can go home today.”

The sound of a door being opened and multiple pairs of feet meeting polished tile flooring.

“Speak of the devil.”

A rubbery smell lingered where fingers prodded your face. You guessed this was the doctor.

“Alright, let’s get these off of you,” said a masculine voice by your ear. Another one a little further away muttered, “We did the best we could.”

There was a long pause.

It felt more like an eternity than a few seconds for the thicker pieces to peel away.

 But soon, your skin was finally able to breathe.

You tentatively opened your eyes, feeling a little naked without the cloth on them. You blinked a few times and searched the room for your brother, breathing only when his familiar blue irises smiled at you once more.

“You know…you don’t look half bad,” he said, beaming a smile at you.

Then your body moves, speaking with a voice not your own.

“My face…I need to see my face…”

You shot up from the bed and stumbled into the bathroom, slapping the wall for the light switch. Liu was behind you in seconds and caught you before you could hit the ground with unsteady feet. You breathed heavily as you stared into the darkest pair of eyes you’ve ever seen.

This isn’t me.

This isn’t me.

This isn’t me.

Who the hell is that?!

You prodded your face hesitantly. Your skin lost its original smoothness to a leathery feel, dry and discolored in spots closest to your hairline. What was once a copper brown became a dull black, thin strands falling over your face. Your eyebrows were singed clean from their place above your eyes. A light fuzz of growth took their place.

What scared you most was the red grin growing on your face.

Liu didn’t seem fazed by any of it and looked in the mirror. “Jeff, it’s not that bad.”

You turned to face him and giggled. “Are you kidding? I love it! This face suits me perfectly!”

Liu, this isn’t me at all! I-I don’t know who that is!

Your mother could be heard outside the bathroom door asking about your mental health, to which the doctor explained to be perfectly normal for someone on the amount of drugs you were on. Liu was called to help pack your things while a nurse led you away from the sink. You strained to keep looking at your reflection, your heart beating with the growing anxiety in your stomach.

Who are you?

Your reflection smiled at you, eyes alight with some unfamiliar presence.

Who’re you?

The ride home was soothing. Liu stayed quiet for most of the trip and shared an ear bud with you, tapping his fingers to the beat of the song. You were told not to move around too much to avoid opening your stitches and prescribed a number of pills to help with the pain. Liu was excited to be back home and stuck close to you, telling you stories about his time in juvenile. You could only smile with every word, more than happy to hear his voice again. The fact that you were stuck in bedrest for a few more days didn’t bother you at all.

As long as Liu was there, you could tolerate anything at this point.

Even the stranger in your eyes.

When it came close to retiring for the night, Liu fell silent and stared at you, a thin smile on his lips. You looked up from your book and scrunch up your face.

“What?”

Liu bowed his head and lunged at you, wrapping you in his slightly muscular arms. You were taken back by the sudden physical contact and held your arms stiffly underneath him. Liu hugged you close, being careful of the various stitches that riddled your back. You shifted a little and froze, his skin feeling too pleasant against yours.

There were warm, wet droplets falling on your neck.

“Wha…”

Liu began to shiver against you and he propped himself up on an elbow, his face right in front of yours. Tears clung to his long eyelashes, an unreadable expression in his eyes.

“Liu?”

“I’m really sorry little brother.”

“For what? You didn’t do anything.”

Liu smiled sadly and shook his head in mocking. “Exactly.”

When you were about to question him further, he tilted your face towards his and pressed his lips to your cheek.

Something stronger than an electric pulse shot straight through your core.

“Wh-huh?! Liu?!” You floundered lousily underneath him, groaning when the stitches pulled your skin in response. You gapped at him at a total loss for words. Liu looked back at you coolly, something completely different overtaking his usual carefree aura. His eyes grew more intense the more his gaze lingered, and his warm breath hitting your ear became much more noticeable.

You weren’t sure what to say at this point. Was there anything to say?

The frown on your brother’s face deepened as he spoke. “…I should’ve done something.”

“…?”

“It’s because of me you got hurt like this. That kid got what he deserved but…I should’ve done something when we first met them. If I’d taken care of them myself, you wouldn’t…I’m really sorry Jeff. I’m so sorry for all of this.”

“…”

“I get it if you don’t want me to be your brother anymore. I’d get it if you hated me for it.”

“…”

“Hell I hate myself for this too. Here I am sitting in that cell and you nearly get beat to death. That should’ve been me, not you. You’ve suffered enough and I hate that I can’t seem to protect you from it. I can’t do much of anything for you and you still—“

What you were doing, you weren’t sure of.

But it was the sight of his sky-colored eyes tinged with bitterness towards himself that made you do the first thing that came to mind.

You could ask yourself what it was a million times, call it whatever you wanted a million times more, and still not understand.

You just knew that you loved your brother.

You pulled your brother close and held him firmly, his lips pressed against yours.

“Shut up,” you said gruffly. “You didn’t do anything wrong, so stop beating yourself up over dumb stuff. That’s all it is.”

Liu’s eyes were round with surprise and a cloudiness neither of you knew the name of, but he nodded silently.

“…go to sleep,” you muttered, breaking eye contact.

“…right.”

Your brother stood up and stared at you for a little while longer before turning off your bedroom light and closing the door behind him, locking you away with the darkness and the lingering warmth of your brother’s touch.

It was hardly five minutes after he left when a voice began to croon in your ear.

Was it nice?

What?

Was it a nice first kiss?

What-who are you?

I always thought it would be weird to do it with your own brother. But I guess it’s not incest if you’re not related.

….be quiet. I’m trying to sleep.

Oh Jeff, don’t be like that! It was cute! I’d totally ship you guys if I weren’t you.

…what did you say?

Come on, I want to show you something.

Your body began to move without your consent, and you weren’t able to complain. You walked to the bathroom on the lower level of the house where your parents slept. Turning on the light, you faced the mirror with an intense stare.

The eyes of a stranger looked back you.

Do you see me now?

You couldn’t find the words to speak. You felt strangely disconnected from your own body.

I’ll miss your floppy hair. It was fun being an L’Oreal commercial all the time.

Who are you?

I’m you Jeff.

Your reflection smiled at you.

No…no you’re not. I’m me. There’s only one me and I’m it.

Are you sure about that?

“You” reached a hand up to cup your face, “your” eyes dimmed with affection.

Who was it who protected you when our mom left us in that dumpster behind that office building? Who was it who made you laugh and kept you company when none of the kids at school would play with you?

…what?

Who told you not to cry anymore when mom hit you all the time and called you bad names? Who stayed up all night with you and hugged you until you could sleep?

Your reflection looked at you expectantly.

Who took all the pain for you? Who did you run to when you got scared? Who helped you put those kids back in their place when they threatened to hurt you?

….

You made me what I am. All this time I was here, but you forgot about me when Liu came along. I was always here, growing with you, sharing your pain and your happiness, everything you’ve experienced. I was right there. I am you.

….

…but you’ve forgotten me.

….

…why did you forget me Jeff?

….

Why won’t you answer me?!

“No.”

…huh?

“No. You’re not real. You’re not me.”

J-Jeff?

“You’re not real!”

Yes I am!

“You” grabbed the sides of the mirror, shaking desperately. Dark eyes quivered frantically.

I’m right here! I’m looking at you right now! Why do you keep shutting me out like this?!

“Stop it!”

I love you Jeff! Why do you keep pushing me away?!

“I said stop!”

In a flurry of rage, you punched the mirror. Shattered glass bit into your fist, dark red blood dripping from your fingertips. You panted heavily against the sink as the medicine pumping in your system steadily sedated you.

….you still reject me…that’s fine

But I won’t let you forget me.

You could feel yourself losing your grip on your body. You watched helplessly as you grabbed the nearest pair of scissors and held them up to your face.

Then, your reflection turns the blade to your eyes.

What are you—

Go to sleep. This’ll hurt more if you’re awake.

You leaned in close to the mirror, your eye bouncing from piece to piece of broken glass. The scissor blades inched closer to your skin as you stared down at it, scared for what was to come.

s n i p

“AGH!”

A piece of your eyelid fell down into the white sink bowl below. Beads of blood dotted the fleshly severed skin and you reach to snip another one.

s n i p

You’ll see me forever.

s n i p

I’ll be with you always

s n i p

 You’ll know that I’m real.

s n i p

You won’t ever forget me.

s n i p

You wanted to cry, but you were unable to. You didn’t stop until your eyeballs were completely visible, rolling around on top of your skull. Your pupils widened to maddening proportions.

You couldn’t stand to look at yourself any longer. You could feel yourself about to throw up anything that was in your stomach.

…you don’t like it?

You frowned as you looked over the scissors covered in your blood.

…then I’ll take over from here.

Swept into darkness so lulling and sweet, you let go.

…I want you to smile forever and ever.

You could vaguely hear the cutting of more flesh, but there was no pain. You cut a permanent smile into your cheeks, coating your shirt in your blood. Streams of crimson dribbled down your neck and stained your hair.

…I’ll make you smile.

You were about to clean yourself up when your mother walked in, clad in a robe and pajamas. You gasped and quickly covered her mouth, her nails digging into the wooden door frame.

“Sweetheart what…what are you doing?”

You looked at her with wild eyes. “I was sad and I couldn’t smile, but now I can smile forever. Don’t I look pretty?”

Mrs. Woods backed away from you with a nervous smile, eyes wide in fear.

“Y-yes sweetie…let me go get daddy…so he can see your face…”

You smiled as she left, starting for the kitchen. “Jeff, I’ll make sure you’ll never be sad again. I make you smile forever and ever.”

Liu found it impossible to sleep that night. He frequently reached up to touch his lips, still warm from his brother’s softer ones. His first kiss was his brother, yet it didn’t bother him like he thought it would. They weren’t bound by blood but by bond. Liu thought that was enough for him…but the feeling of Jeff’s warm skin stayed at the forefront of his mind. They were brothers. They were not brothers.

Did that make it okay?

His frustrated musing stopped short when he heard a noise echo from the hallway.

It sounded like a cry.

Liu sat up immediately and looked around, a dreadful feeling gnawing at him. It felt as though someone else was in the room with him, watching him. Confused he started to get out of the bed.

Then the smell of blood hit his nose.

“…what’s going on?”

You grinned and stepped from the shadow of his room.

Liu took one look at you and screamed like a little girl.

“What’s the matter Liu?” you walked closer to him.

“J-Jeff what happened to you? Why is there so much blood?!” Liu grabbed you by the shoulders and searched your face for any answers he could find for himself. You smiled eerily as you looked back at him, waiting for him to realize it for himself. Liu held your face in his and stared at the cuts in your cheeks, the sudden absence of dark eyelashes that framed your sapphire hues.

“Who…who did this to you…who?!”

Liu looked close to tears. You took his hand.

“I did brother.”

“Why? What’s going on with you Jeff?”

“…”

“Talk to me dammit!”

You dipped your head and began to giggle, a frantic Liu gazing at you with such familiar eyes.

“Hey…Liu…”

“W-What?”

“…I killed mom and dad.”

Liu felt himself turn to ice.

“…I killed them. I put them to sleep…it was so much fun…”

You looked up at Liu who now had tears in his eyes.

“Now it’s your turn.”

Don’t!

You lunged for Liu and tackled him to the bed, pinning his body underneath yours. He weakly resisted you, being mindful of the painful stitches that covered your body. You leaned down to face him.

Please don’t hurt him!!

“Sorry brother…but I don’t want you to stay here all alone. Mom and dad are gone…you’ll be sad without them.”

You raised the knife above his head, yet you struggled to land a blow on him. Your arm shook violently as if it were held back by some unseen force.

Sky blue eyes glazed over with tears. “Jeff…”

Don’t hurt him! I swear I won’t forget you! Y-you’re real, okay?!                    

You smiled as tears fell down your face

A gleaming blade of scarlet plunged down into Liu’s chest.

NO!

Liu screamed out in pain, digging his nails into your arm as the cold steel pushed farther in between his ribs.

STOP! PLEASE NO!! FUCK!

You yanked the blade from his body and stab him again and again. The grip on your arm diminished almost instantly.

LIU!! OH MY GOD! STOP IT!

Time seemed to slow as you watched Liu’s once bright, endless eyes darken, his consciousness drifting away to someplace warmer. Blood seeped into the sheets around him, his chest sliced apart and ripped open to reveal the twitching organs inside. Streaks of angry red scars appeared where the knife grazed him on his face and neck, and his body heaved with the process of blood loss.

Slowly, Liu’s eyes rolled back into his head as his jaw gapped open.

The reality of it shattered you to pieces.

You were broken apart.

He was gone.

“…NO!”

You hugged Liu’s body by his shoulders and sobbed hoarsely into his hair. An indescribable feeling of guilt and remorse consumed you as you wept, begging that he come back to you, that you were so incredibly sorry for hurting him, that you loved him and didn’t want this at all.

You couldn’t move for a very long time, still huddled on top of Liu’s dead body.

It wasn’t until his natural warmth began to fade that you suddenly felt numb.

“…I’m so sorry…”

You sat up and pulled the hem of your hoodie up into your mouth. The blade was aimed straight for your stomach, both hands grasping the hilt desperately.

“…we’re both going to hell.”

Something cold and clammy caught hold of your consciousness. It tugged you away from sensations, from emotions and reason, and pulled you down into the lulling darkness once more. The scene before you faded away as a voice echoed in your ears.

“…go to sleep.”

In that moment, Jeffery Woods was no more.

You awake to puddles of blood around you.

You sit up and look about wildly, noting that you are missing much needed clothing. Your hands drip with the thick blood on the ground leading a bright red trail further into the darkness before you.

Naked and trembling, you stand to your feet and begin to walk forward.

The ground is thicker with blood in some areas, swallowing your feet and sticking in between your toes, becoming thickest in front of an old wooden door.

“DON’T FORGET ME”

You read the inscription aloud and turn the handle.

The door swings open to reveal thousands upon thousands of glowing red chains, all linked together by a single form they all wrapped around. You reach out to find your way through and drop down to where the mound of red stood.

Strangely, you weren’t hurt by the fall, landing on your feet.

The blood rises up to your legs here.

It was hot.

You hear the sounds of people crying out, some in pain and others in fear, all distinct, unfamiliar faces congealing in the blood surrounding you. As you walk closer the faces become more disfigured and morph into empty eyes and mouths stretched beyond human possibility.

Finally, you reach the figure bound in chains.

“I should’ve died in his place…It should’ve been me…”

You watch as figures rise from the blood, their sillouetes resembling Liu and his parents.

“I murdered…so many people…so many…”

The blood beneath you starts to rise. When it passes your hips, you begin to worry that you both may drown.

You pull on the chains wrapped around Jeff’s head.

“Hey! It’s me! We need to get out of this place!” you say, tugging on them more.

The chains chime and clink together, but they don’t budge.

“I’ve got so much blood on my hands. I don’t deserve anything like happiness.”

The cries get louder as the three silhouettes grab onto you in different places, trying to drag you under.

“Jeff!”

Someone holds you from behind, wrapping its arms around your waist and pressing its body into you. It feels very familiar.

“Do you see now snowflake? He belongs to me.”

The blood reaches your chest.

Warm lips touch your cheek.

“And now, so do you.”

Jack jumped awake when Smile pounced on his chest.

“Wh-what is it?” he stuttered, rubbing the sleepiness from his eyes.

It’s Lucy! Something’s wrong!              

“What?”

Jack sprinted from his chair and threw the infirmary door open. Slenderman was bent over the albino’s stiff body, his hands tensed around her head. He seemed out of breath and struggling to keep his frame from toppling over.

None of these should be possible for the ethereal.

“What’s happening?” he asked. Jack quickly made his way over to them, Smile at his side.

“I’m losing her. Something’s pulling her from me,” Slenderman huffed, fingers twitching sporadically.

Jack was about to ask more questions when a deafening noise rang through the air.

The monitor flat-lined.

Chapter Text

Everything was a sea of deep red.

There were hints of scarlet and sometimes the richness of freshly pressed wine grapes. A light fuchsia hid within the bubbles floating above you, melting with the endless waves of crimson that surrounded you. To anyone else, the very idea of being submerged within what you could only see as red would terrify them. They’d be appalled, wanting nothing to do with the mental scenery.

But you were warm in the embrace of your lover’s other half.

Sleep crept against your eyelids, taunting them to close and release the tension in the tiny muscular structures. The feeling of his arms entrapping your middle gave you comfort and you felt no immediate reason to move away. It was a peaceful feeling, his chest pressed against your back while your head gently lolled back into the crook of his neck. You were fully aware that this wasn’t the boy you knew, but rather, this was the boy who was always there, waiting for a chance to finally reach you.

And now, as you both sunk further away from the arena of lava red chains, he had it.

“I’ve waited so long to make you mine…” he murmured against your ear. A shiver ran down your spine from his words.

“Was it you who saved me from the alley?”

The being nodded behind you, gently pulling you closer. “I thought you forgot all about me too. I was so worried I wouldn’t be able to talk to you after Jeff woke up.”

“But…you’re Jeff too right?”

You felt a deep chuckle as the being released you to spin you around, now directly facing him. His eyes were the same blank, soulless orbs you remembered, yet there was a hint of something else.

“Do I look like it to you?”

Like sadness. A deep, crushing sadness you could feel where his hands rested on your waist.

The same feeling you experienced when you first met him.

Your hands cradled his face on their own.

“You’re him…I’m sure of it. You and Jeff are one in the same.”

Jeff shook his head and pulled you closer.

“Silly…you say that, but you really want me to disappear. You’re afraid of me just like everyone else. Jeff doesn’t accept me.” Jeff’s stare bore into you, but your gaze didn’t falter.

“Why the hell would you?”

His question did things to your heart. You knew why, yet you knew words wouldn’t be enough to satisfy him. Since the moment he existed, an empty promise was all he ever had. You wanted him to know how much you cared for him, how deeply you felt for him, how terrified you were to lose him. You needed him to know that he was precious to you. You needed him to realize that had he not interceded that day, you were sure you wouldn’t be alive right now.

He needed to believe that he became your whole world.

Because your life was precious to him.

You affectionately stroke his cheekbones and bring your faces closer together, warmth pooling in your chest when his eyes relaxed a bit from your touch.

You wanted him to feel your reason why.

Closing your eyes, you gave him a ghost of a kiss, gently tilting your head to deliver firmer, longer pecks.

Ones that made the being’s breath stop short.

His hands traced up your sides, eventually finding themselves tangled in your hair as the kiss deepened. You quickly licked his lips until he opened his mouth, allowing you entry to taste his tongue. Moments where you parted you could hear the tiny pants he made, making you smile against his skin. You pulled away slightly and murmured kisses on his jaw.

“I love you. I don’t care what you are or what you’ve done.”

You held him in your arms in a tender embrace. He returned it with one much stronger than yours.

“I want you as you are…so don’t say things like that.”

You trailed soft kisses down his neck.

“…I never want you to disappear. You’re a part of Jeff, and I’ll accept everything of you. I love everything of you.”

You heard a light sniffle and looked up to find him gazing down at you with the warmest expression in his eyes. He smiled as bright tears threatened to spill from.

“I love you too, y’know,” he laughed.

You laughed a little yourself and grinned silently when he gently pushed your foreheads together. It wasn’t fear this part of him wanted. He wanted to be loved and accepted just as much as the Jeff you knew did. In fact, he craved it, so much so that he wouldn’t allow anyone who wouldn’t to harm him.

It was him you felt watching over you from the beginning.

The being suddenly let you go, and you began to float away from him.

“It’s okay…it’s alright now…” he whispered.

You reached out to him and stopped when a strange image flashed before you.

You standing in the middle of a field of white blossoms

“Jeff? What’s happening?” You stared at your hands as they began to glow with white light.

He grinned and continued to sink further into the black depths.

“You can free him now. It’s okay.”

You shoot him a worried look. “But…what about you?”

“Don’t worry about me snowflake. Go.”

His genuine smile reminded you of the soul trapped within his endless loop of guilt. You nodded and continued on your way upwards. You broke the surface and immediately set to work on loosening the chains that now disintegrated in your hands. Finally breaking apart the last holding his body, you paused at the last chain sprouting from his heart.

You knew whose this was.

A transparent pair of hands led your own to cover the spot, healing it into a gleaming set-in lock.

You smiled.

“Thanks Liu,” you whispered.

Out of the corner of your eye, a pair of sky-colored eyes smiled back before they disappeared.

Sapphire hues finally opened.

The room hung with a tension more oppressive than Slenderman’s natural aura.

News tends to spread quickly in the mansion. Almost everyone who lived there managed to squeeze themselves in the infirmary while keeping clear of their guardian as he worked. Ben and Smile stayed near the albino’s body while Jack busied himself with stabilizing both of the youths lying side by side. Jeff’s pulse remained rhythmic while Lucille’s ran cold, signs of distress evident on her face. He couldn’t understand what could have gone wrong. All of her vitals were normal and she was in good health, so why on earth did she-

“Look!”

Someone pointed towards Jeff. Everyone was momentarily distracted by the still boy, watching for some sign of movement, when he scared the crap out of everyone by suddenly jolting awake. The pulse monitor began to beep wildly as Jeff struggled for air, taking greedy gulps of it as his chest heaved with the strain. Everyone in the room ran to his side and chattered happily amongst themselves, some reaching out to touch and greet him. Jack squirmed around the thick throng of onlookers to support his friends back, placing his stethoscope here and there to listen for anything the monitors may have missed.

His heart thrummed with the strength of two.

Jack quickly dismissed it and peered into his face. The usual darkness in Jeff’s eyes was somehow…brighter.

“Jeff? Can you hear me?”

The teen blinked and rubbed his eyes, focusing them on the empty sockets in front of him.

“Yeah…I can hear you…” he croaked. Someone rushed over to give him some water. The slender, manicured hand told him it was Jane who came.

Again, it sounded like his presence doubled, now clearly evident in his voice.

“Is she okay?”

Jack paused and looked over at the girl still sound asleep. A faint chill seeped into the air.

“…sir?”

Slenderman slowly moved his hands away from her head.

The monitor was dead silent.

“Son, I want you to move Jeffery out of this room. Everyone make a path for them and follow suit.” Nodding his head to Jeff, he said, “I’ll call you soon. Welcome back Jeffery.”

Jack nodded and quickly wheeled him from the larger hospital bed, the other leaning over to keep his eyes locked on the girl. Though his throat was terribly sore, he weakly tried to protest.

“Wait-“

Members of his familiar obstructed his vision.

“Is she alright?”

The doors were shut as soon as he rounded the corner.

It was the loudest noise he could ever remember hearing.

Weeks passed until Jeff could move properly again. It was strange, but his body felt extremely foreign to him as he relearned the pieces that connected him together. Numbness took its time leaving his muscles to the point he could move as quickly as he once did. There were a few things he noticed that were new to him. His energy and his strength were off the charts in his opinion, and he found a lighthearted touch to his eyes. He was no longer heavy and achy from old scars. He felt things clearer now, both physically and emotionally. Whatever fog he lived in for most of his life, it was finally lifted, and he couldn’t be more grateful for it.

The voice in his head now synced with his own whenever he spoke.

Jack had been his personal doctor since he woke up, keeping track of absolutely everything that had to do with him better than a mother would her own child. His family frequently visited him through intervals, the most common being Ben and Red. Even Jane popped up a few times with well wishes and a vase full of black roses she raised herself. Smile stayed by his side at all times, resting at the foot of his bed when he slept.

There was also a faint presence of something warm that brushed his hair back a little right before he drifted off to sleep. Jeff probably would’ve missed it before the whole ordeal, but it was so familiar he couldn’t help but think of the one who made his chest ache.

The pain in his chest only grew more acute every time he stood in front of the same closed doors every day.

When spring arrived, Slenderman made the announcement to gather in the foyer.

It was a bright morning when Ben shook Jeff around frantically.

“Dude! Dude wake up!”

Jeff groaned and rolled away, covering his head with his pillow. “Fuggoff…it’s too early…” Smile yawned and stretched his paws out in front of him, arching his back in the air.

“Slender’s back man! He told everyone to meet up in the foyer!”

Jeff sat up immediately, his hair disheveled and plastered to his face. His heart thundered in his chest.

“Now?”

Ben sighed and rolled his eyes, shoving Jeff off the bed. “Yes now! Hurry up and throw something on!”

Jeff sprinted from corner to corner of his room, not really paying attention to what he was putting on. He nearly stumbled into Dark Link as he came hoping out of the doorway pulling on his other shoe, the elf stumbling away in surprise.

“Careful there Jeff,” he cautioned, helping him catch his balance.

“Thanks Link, but I gotta go.”

Jeff was about to run off when Dark Link caught him by his arm, shaking his head disapprovingly. “Not looking like that you aren’t.”

He was desperately impatient, but he allowed the elf to fix his hair in an appealing ponytail, running down the hall with Smile bounding by his side.

“You’re welcome!” he shouted after him. Jeff didn’t hear him as he trotted down the stairs and into the next hall.

The foyer was the widest room in the mansion, the main hall already flooded with the rest of the residents. Even the nocturnal ones were up and standing alert underneath the balcony, waiting for Slenderman to make his appearance.

Jeff looked through the tangles of people for Jack, bidding a good morning every now and then. The taller male stood motionless at the front of the crowd, turning when he felt the younger one draw near.

“Good morning Jeffery,” he greeted.

“Morning.”

Jeff almost felt sick. The tangle of emotions electrified every nerve in his body, and he felt unusually nervous. Smile leaned against his legs as a means of comfort and licked his hand. Jeff bent down and scratched behind his ears, earning a soft leg tap and a low rumble of approval. Ben joined them shortly thereafter, along with other close friends who stuck close to him.

After what seemed like an eternity, the overwhelming pressure of the manor’s owner exerted itself on each and every member.

Jeff unconsciously held his breath.

“Good morning everyone. I trust you’ve slept alright,” Slenderman began. Though weary, his voice was full of command and respect. The nocturnal members grumbled irritably, making everyone else chuckle.

“A month ago we had a special visitor. A human walked among our midst for the first time with the aim of saving the life of one of our own…Jeffery, will you step forward?”

The boy complied. “Why? What’s going on?”

There was a smile in Slenderman’s voice. “I want you to be the first to see this.”

Jeff’s heart quivered in his chest. He reached up and clenched his fist over as if to still it.

“That visitor is now a member of our family.”

Slenderman turned around and beckoned whoever was behind him to come forward.

The moment he stepped away, a chill akin to fresh fallen snow pressed against one’s skin filled the room. A feminine silhouette bombarded Jeff’s vision as it walked forward, the sun highlighting the ends of her long white hair. She stopped at the very top of the stairs, bathed in a direct ray of sunlight.

Everyone could see her.

“Please welcome our newest sibling, Lucille Isbelle.”

You were blind for a moment.

“Lucille? Can you hear me my child?”

It sounded so warm, so loving like a father’s voice. You reached out to find its source.

An elongated hand gently takes yours, pulling your body into its arms. You curled up like a fragile doll and held onto the cotton-smelling fabric, burying your face into it. You felt lightweight, as if you were dreaming.

“Come now Lucille…wake up.”

You managed to crack open one eye.

Everything came at you at all at once. Light was too bright. Colors you didn’t know existed glittered in tiny flecks in your eyes. You could see the minute details in the very dust particles that hovered in the air.

What exactly was going on?

“Good morning.”

You looked up and stared at the faceless man who looked down at you. You felt such a strange attachment to him, as if he were actually your father. Confused, you tilted your head at him.

“Daddy?”

The man chuckled and stood, holding you close like a drowsy toddler. “Yes, I suppose I am now. Welcome back Lucille.”

“Back? Where’d I go?”

“Daddy” gently let you down and you tentatively stood on your own two feet. The tile was room temperature against your bare arches. You eased your weight back on your heels and took a few steps forward. You still felt light as a feather.

“It may take a while for your memories to come back. Come, take a look at yourself here.”

You were led by a gentle hand to a decorated full body mirror.

You gasped at your reflection and placed delicate hands against the glass.

Everything about you seemed otherworldly. You were still small and fragile looking, yet your face held a new sharpness to it. Your skin was no longer human like; you were as clear and soft as porcelain. Your snow white hair grew itself out to once again frame the delicate jaw line and fall well past your shoulders, resting at the small of your back in a wavy texture. Your eyes were the most perplexing color of pink and lavender, the whites of your eyes now turned black as ink. As you looked yourself over, you noticed a thin scar underneath your jaw.

That was your trigger.

Your memories came flooding back to you at once, full of the emotions and sensations they all carried.

Slenderman waited patiently for you to return to him.

“What…what am I?” you asked, looking at him with excited eyes.

“You died Lucille. Something kept your spirit here, and I was able to bring you back. But I had to alter your body a bit before I could do so…you’re now a part of me.”

You blinked at gapped at the ethereal. “Wh…why would you do that? I thought I was…I was supposed to die right?”

Slenderman chuckled and ruffled your hair. “You succeeded in restoring our Jeffery. I thought this was a fitting reward.”

You began to walk with him when you noticed someone standing in the far off corner of the room. At first, you thought your new eyes were playing tricks on you, making things sharper and more focused than before. But as you stared, you clearly saw the faded figure hovering near the bed where Jeff once was.

You recognized him instantly.

“…Liu?”

Blue eyes flicked away and disappeared as soon as you called his name. Slenderman placed a hand on your shoulder and nodded.

“You’re able to see him now. He’s been here for a long time, the poor child. No matter what I try to bring him home, he runs off like this. I see him around Jeffery the most however, but his brother never does seem to notice him.”

You pursed your lips and looked up at him.

“Is there something I could do?”

Slenderman tilted his head to the side for a moment. “Perhaps. You’ve already contacted him once before. Who knows what you’re capable of?”

The smile in his voice made you grin in turn and you faced the small corner Liu was in.

“I’ll figure out a way to bring you back too…thank you for all you’ve done Liu.”

Slenderman led you away to get changed.

“Thank you Lucille.”

“Are you ready?”

You nodded decisively and took your first step forward. The foyer was alive with buzzed chatter and excitement, each of their presences circling around you. You adjusted the dark violet sweater Jane left for you around your bare shoulders and thighs. It was a little short, but you appreciated her thinking of you like this. She even left a cute apology note next to it, tied to a black rose. You were so touched by the gesture you managed to clip the flower in your hair, wearing it as a bold acceptance.

The heads of your new family slowly came into view.

You wanted to run out to the crowd in search of the one who occupied your thoughts, but you kept your composure, waiting until Slenderman decided it was fine for you to greet them personally.

You neared the stretch of sunlight in the center of the balcony.

You could feel their energy as you passed the ethereal, stepping into the blinding light that irritated you before everything changed.

But now, as you looked out into the crowd, you felt nothing short of euphoria.

There were gasps of awe and shock.

Some had to double-take you.

Red’s eyes narrowed at you. You could only guess it was out of pproval.

You saw Ben’s slack-jawed appearance. It made you grin.

Jack ever emotionless face betrayed the obvious happiness you could feel from him.

Smile immediately jumped up with his slap-happy grin. It furthered the lump building in your throat.

“Please welcome our newest sibling, Lucille Isbelle.”

“..Lucy…”

Sapphire eyes.

He stood in front of everyone else, his face unreadable.

Your face contorted in pain.

You couldn’t take it anymore.

Before you knew it, you were flying towards him, arms outstretched.

Jeff caught you and pulled your bodies close. You both fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs and, in your case, five newly sprouted tentacles from your back, but none of it mattered now. You were sure you were crying, probably he was too, but it didn’t matter. His hold was tight and painful, and your fingers dug into his back a little too hard.

But neither of you could care less.

He was warm…so very warm.

You let out a chocked sob in his shirt to which Jeff responded with a firm “It’s okay. I’m right here.”

“I’m not going anywhere…I promise,” he practically cried in your ear.

You sat up a little bit, tears streaking your doll-like face despite the biggest smile you’ve ever had lighting up his eyes.

“I know.”

Chapter Text

A large steel gate was your only friend in this dank, slightly damp concrete room.

You stared through the criss-cross pattern of tested metal and quietly leaned back on the extremity hanging from your lower back, grateful your feet didn’t have to touch the stone floor. Your legs hung comfortably crossed by your ankles, swinging lamely as you concentrated on your knitting once more. Your hobby always managed to ease your nerves even in your afterlife. Using the dim lighting that reached you inside, you finished the tiny patchwork of soft rose and showed it to your companion sitting on your shoulder.

“All done. What do you think bud?”

Two ghostly red eyes peeked through your hair, followed by the sleek, small body of a white mouse. You grinned as it wiggled its head through, its petite nose twitching its whiskers about. It made a tiny confused squeak and you giggled softly, careful picking it up to help its arms fit through its sweater.

You held it up in front of you and squealed. “Gahh you’re so cute! I’m going to make you tons more sweaters!”

The mouse puffed its cheeks as if protesting, but it accepted the gentle squishing against your face, leaving small nips of affection on your nose.

It wasn’t long before the sounds of countless voices started to echo from the outside.

You take a deep, slow breath and place your pet mouse on top of your head. “Okay Rose. Time for you to go.”

When you beam a smile at the critter, Rose squeaked and leapt from your head, disappearing into the small black portal it opened.

You lowered yourself to the ground and draw the tentacle back inside your back. It still felt strange, with it being slippery and warm. You weren’t sure you could ever get used to it.

Slenderman appeared far away from the gate, seeming to be making sure everyone was seated and accounted for. Though he had quite the distance on you, you could hear every word. Having this sharpened new sense of hearing was awesome.

“Everyone behind the bars please. I don’t want anybody needlessly sent off to the infirmary today. Snacks and refreshments are in the rear—Sally don’t hang from there! Son, could you grab her please?”

You had to stifle a laugh when the ethereal instinctively flinched with his arms outstretched. No matter how terrifying a being he was, Slendy still came off as a worrywart mother hen. It never failed to amuse you when his voice would transcend octaves when the kids tripped or fell.

After a while, he finally managed to quiet everyone down and drew the unwavering respect from those he cared for, including you.

“Welcome everyone! I’m pleased to see you’ve all come to support Lucille in her trial today. It certainly has been a while since we’ve commenced for such an occasion, hm? Allow me to remind everyone of the rules. No one is to interfere with this battle, otherwise the results will be inconclusive and the trial will have to be repeated. The safety zone is behind the bars as they will be raised once we begin, and they will be lowered when the trial is complete. And as always, you may excuse yourself when you must. There is no rule demanding you stay for the entirety of this trial. Understood?”

There was a slight elevation in the presences that surrounded you. A collective agreement, you guessed.

“Then, without any further announcements, please welcome the would-be victor, miss Lucille!”

Slenderman motioned his hand upward and the gate began to rattle into the ceiling. Sharp spikes cast shadows across your face as you walked forward into a blinding light.

An enormous cheer erupted from all sides.

You felt tiny compared to the impossibly huge coliseum before you. On top of the walls sat possibly everyone who lived with you, even those you haven’t met before, lined from wall to wall behind a similar black gate behind you, an identical one on the other side underneath a balcony.

How the hell did he get this down here?

Slenderman beckoned you forward, a pleasant feeling hanging in his pressure.

“Are you ready my child?” he asked.

“Definetely,” you murmur, still awed by the numbers in your audience. You looked around for one in particular for a moment before the ethereal’s voice pulled you back.

“Your opponent is behind the other gate. Once I leave the arena, it will be open.” He placed a comforting hand on your hand and ruffled your hair, and you faintly imagined him grinning at you. “Good luck. Remember your training, and you will be victorious.”

You smiled. “Thank you…for everything, Slenderman.”

After he raised his hand to silence the crowd, the lights automatically brightened and centered on the arena, bathing those behind the bars in darkness.

“The trial shall now begin!”

Slenderman disappeared from your side and the gate opened its mouth wide.

You cracked your knuckles and bent your body into a fighting stance, focusing on the pitch black opening in front of you.

“Alright.”

However…nothing happened. Nothing you could see anyway.

You crouched and touched a hand to the ground, listening intently. There was something in there, but you couldn’t figure out what it was from the vibrations pulsating in your fingers. Was this a bear? Or maybe something elephant-like? A bull? Lion even?

There was a slight shifting sound and more complete silence.

Then something huge shot out from the darkness with a mouth full of jagged teeth with blinding speed.

Lucky you were faster.

You shot up from the ground and four to five feet into the air, drawing all five of your tentacles out to their full length to balance you in the air in a symmetrical extend. You wobbled a little and soon found your balance, looking around for the thing that attacked you. Good thing you were wearing an off-shoulder, airy shirt for this. You needed the room to move.

“Where’s that little creep?”

It wasn’t on the ground anymore.

A shrill roar from behind sounded its arrival.

You had zero time to react.

You were smacked from the air like a fly and headed for a head-first landing when you twisted your body to catch yourself by your hands and feet, pulling up stone and you skidded backwards. You looked up through the mess of your hair at a writhing mass of black scabs and red, twitching organs, skinless flesh hanging from its neck. The thing wobbled toward you on unsteady feet, countless pairs of onyx eyes wiggling on whatever mound of skin it could spawn from.

“…gross,” you muttered. Couldn’t Slendy have picked a less disturbing monster?

Though it looked like it was dipped in acid, it was surprisingly fast. There were virtually no blind spots you could detect right away, and its reaction time was even quicker. Looks like you had some prodding to do to find a weakness.

Throwing your ponytail back, you hooked the ends of your tentacles into the ground and launched yourself into the air again, clenching your fists to spawn ice in your palms. The monster’s eyes rolled to follow you and its body tenses to jump after you again.

You opened your hands and raised your arms above your head and spires of ice ruptured from beneath it, piecing its body and rooting it to the spot. You felt the creature struggle against your power, yet you maintained your hold on it, curling your fingers to finish it off.

A loud cheer erupted when it stopped its struggling and fell limp against the ice. You gracefully lowered yourself back down, feeling a sense of foreboding as you walked closer to examine it. That…was too easy. There had to be something more to this.

Peering into the largest eye-shaped mound, you sensed something wiggling around inside.

Then a red iris shifted to glare at you.

You jumped back as the eye ripped in two, along with the rest of its body, spraying a foul brown liquid all over you. Sloppy, wet sounds made you cringe even more as it crudely tore itself in half, hobbling on one leg and one arm a piece while its innards stretched and tore until separated. You covered your nose. It smelled horrible.

“Why does it have to be so gross?” you whimpered, steeling yourself for another attack.

The two halves sprinted awkwardly in separate directions, curving in to rush you with sets of toothy appendages that lunged at you separately. You dodged as nimbly as you could with only a few scratches on your bare arms and legs, but it soon became too overwhelming on the ground. Deciding to take to the air, you prepared to crouch when something slimly wrapped itself around your foot.

In one fluid motion, you were lifted from the ground and swung in a full arc into the bars protecting the audience. The spikes bit into your back painfully as you struggled to pull yourself free, using your tentacles as an anchor. Getting annoyed with the slippery appendage that now latched onto you like a leech, you concentrated ice on your leg, freezing it to solid ice and breaking it apart from its body. You began to wall run from the halved monster, sprinting from bar to bar like a cat pouncing on its prey.

On one landing you missed your footing and barely dodged the sharpened spike aimed for your face, dropping forward and catching the bars with your hands.

When you heard Jeff give a stifled gasp behind you, your face burned a fiery red.

Your rear was probably right in his face.

Bad idea to wear shorts today.

Ben snickered jokingly beside him and whispered, “Dat ass though.”

“Gh—d-don’t look!!” you hollered, watching one half size you up from across the room.

Flinging yourself from the bars, you conjure a blade of ice on your right arm, aiming for the creature headed for you at the same time.

You cleanly slice through the remains and land on the other side, the monster giving a piercing cry of pain as it toppled to the ground in quivering pieces. You dropped to the ground to ensure it was dead when the other half came running from behind scooping you up in its mass of tentacles. They wrapped shamelessly around your body, squeezing you in the very places you wished they wouldn’t and forcing you to blush.

You were dead sure someone was getting a boner from how accentuated your curves were now.

The creature lifted you in the air in an attempt to slam you on the ground when you covered your arms in ice again, slicing through the stretchy flesh without an inch of resistance. Its last ditch effort to contain you left you dangling upside-down—and your shirt exposing the finely sculpted muscle of your stomach.

God when will the embarrassment stop?

Somewhere off in the crowd, you heard a distinct whoop and a loud whistle.

Flustered, you reach to tug your shirt back over your skin and glare at the monster. “I-I said don’t look!”

Cutting away at the tentacles before they could latch onto you, you dived forward with sharpened ice at the ready and slice through this half similar with how you did away with the other, hovering in mid air as you observed its writhing. You frantically shook off whatever organ juices splashed on you, wiping it from your eyes and flicking your arms. You were so ready for a bath now.

Were you finally done?

One, two, three twitches later and now four halves of the same creature rose up against you.

You frowned momentarily before swerving your body gracefully toward the opening of the gate.

It was just as you suspected from the beginning.

The creature seemed to notice what your aim was now and screeched, twitching its body across to catch you before you could reach your destination.

One tentacle too late, it missed your ankle when you bombarded the gate with ice spikes, centering on the strange fleshy mound pulsating against the wall. Black blood pooled to the ground in a steady stream, causing the creature to falter in its steps and collapse to the ground in a writhing piles of tangled organs and bones.

You knelt on the tip of the tallest spike and tried to take steady breaths. “Is it done?”

The deafening roar of cheers answered your question sooner than you could finish.

Slenderman fazed back into the center of the arena, the bars protecting the audience drawing into the ceiling. When you hovered back into the center of the ground, a sea of horrors flooded your space in no time, chanting your nickname and they passed you to each other. You were embarrassed at first, but it took you no time at all to let go and fall into the cascade of excitement, giggling while letting them carry you back to ethereal’s side.

You were winded and exhausted, but thrilled. You wouldn’t have it any other way.

Slender seemed to be equally pleased and held up his hand to silence the ongoing cheers. “I’m sure you know the verdict now,” he chuckled. “You’ve passed your test with flying colors Lucille…I’m quite impressed with how quickly you were able to take down this one.”

“Ha…it’s only because I had a great mentor to teach me how to fight,” you chimed, leaning on Jane for support. She smiled at you through her dark eyes and lightly shook you encouragingly.

Slender guided you forward with a tentacle and traced a circular symbol in mid air over your chest. “Due to your excellent performance and use of your unique talents, I hereby christen you as one of the Guard. I have full confidence that you will carry out your duty to the utmost tier. I’m expecting great things from you, my child.”

At his words, a cheer erupted from behind you in a language you’ve never heard before, and subtle warmth began to pool in your chest. A huge grin painted your face.

It was a nullifying, surreal feeling.

You felt like you were dreaming.

A pair of arms, ever strong and familiar, captured your waist and spun you around from behind. When your eyes swept over the throng of the living impossible, you thought that I was for a moment. None of this should be possible. None of these people should exist. None of them should be here right now, cheering you on in their own ways, covering you in their warmth and kindness.

You gripped onto his wrist unconsciously the moment a terrible spark of fear struck you cold.

Maybe this wasn’t real.

He must have felt it himself. He hastily set you down and clutched your smaller body to his chest, his sharp chin resting on the crown of your head as his hold tightened.

He didn’t have to say anything for you to know what he meant.

“You know I’m here,” he murmured quietly. Underneath the loud chatter surrounding you and quips of congratulations, his voice was both the loudest and the warmest.

You pressed your body closer to him. When you first woke up from your month long stasis, you were seized by terrible anxiety attacks that evolved into panic attacks you had zero experience with, and plagued by nightmares of never waking up again. It scared you beyond belief, so much so you were afraid to go to sleep at all. You were obviously unwell and Jeff would frequently ask if you were alright before he retired for the night, but each time you flashed him a smile and said you were fine. Not once did you mention how you were feeling, and it wasn’t until Jeff practically tore down your bedroom door after hearing you screaming on the ground where you nodded off that you babbled incoherently just how distressed you were.

It was the only time you’ve ever seen Jeff pissed. He decided that you were done keeping things to yourself and bearing your troubled on your shoulders alone. He growled into your ear that just as you belonged to him, so do your problems and he refused to let you go through hell all by yourself.

Feeling how he trembled even more than you did that night, you didn’t have the heart to argue.

It was from then on that you two slept together, either he in your room or vice versa, even on days where you wanted him to get actual rest in his own room, fearing your tossing and turning was beginning to tax his health. But Jeff was adamant and waved off your worries.

Each time he reminded you that he was here, just as he would always be.

Each time it stirred that unreadable tumble of emotions sitting in your chest.

Just as it did now.

“Okay okay, clear out will you? The pledge goes on tomorrow, let the lady get some rest.” Though you didn’t see him, you could easily pick up Ben’s light-hearted, clear voice. It wasn’t long before you could see the slightly short ghost picking his way through the crowd, a tall and even mannered Eyeless Jack behind him.

“How’re you feeling?” he asked, his mask left in his room most likely.

You managed a tired grin before answering with a wobbly nod, your body suddenly feeling heavy. “I need a nap so bad,” you giggled.

Jeff wordlessly hoisted you in his arms and started to walk off. “Alright, a nap it is. But no complaining once we get up there.”

“Why in the world would I complain about sleep?” You quirked an eyebrow cutely at him, and he chuckled, pulling you closer in his arms.

“You’ll see.”

Perhaps it was because you were so tired that you failed to pick up on the hint of lust in his voice.

Jeff most definitely had plans for you.

The sweet smell of strawberries wafted to your nose and closed your eyes for a moment. “Mm that’s good. Strawberry cheesecake is the best bath soap ever invented.”

Jeff grunted in agreement and walked into the bathroom, a stack of towels and a change of clothes in his hands. After setting them down on the sink counter, he turned to face you, currently gauging the heat of the running bathwater.

Once he mustered enough courage, he quietly shut the door.

You looked over your shoulder in curiosity. “Jeff?”

Well…this was different.

You froze at the edge of the porcelain tub when your boyfriend started to strip right in front of you.

Your protest caught in your throat once he shrugged off his shirt, exposing scarred pale skin and a sinfully ripped torso covered in toned muscle. Your eyes wandered helplessly over his body as the heat steadily rising in your face started to migrate elsewhere. Jeff shook his head a little and pushed back the loose hair that fell from his ponytail, facing you almost innocently with half-lidded eyes.

“What?”

You wanted nothing more than to touch him and slam his face into the wall at the same time and the immediate distress going on between your legs wasn’t making it any easier.

Seeing you were lost for words and quite obviously gawking at him, Jeff sighed to hide his own embarrassment and tossed his clothes to the floor, coming towards you. You tensed up and leaned away slightly, but eased only a little bit when he touched your shoulder.

His easy smile did things to you.

“Calm down, I’m not going to do anything weird. I’m just gonna help you with the bath this time.”

His words didn’t register right away. “E-eh?”

Jeff hooked his fingers underneath the hem of your shirt, his nails gently scraping your skin. It took all you had to stop yourself from freaking out from just that. “You’re tired and sore from all the fighting, right?”

His eyes had a profound effect on you, as gentle as they were. You found yourself nodding in response, not noticing how effortlessly you turned to putty when his palm rested against the small of your back. He watched you for a moment and dipped his head toward you, checking once more that you were okay with this.

You followed his hands and let him slip your tattered shirt from your shoulders, shivering slightly when his cool fingertips found their way to the metal clasps of your bra. An airy sigh escaped you unintentionally as the lacy material released you from its binds, and you stretched your arms above your head as your habit demanded.

You didn’t see the beginnings of arousal at the edges of his now intense eyes.

Neither of you spoke until you were completely undressed, leaving the full ponytail of white wavy hair falling past your shoulder blades. Stepping towards the tub, you let your hair down to its fullness and run your hands through it as you would normally, momentarily forgetting the heated stare coming from behind. Once immersed in the warm water, you close your eyes and tried to focus on the bubbles surrounding you and not the rapid thumping of your heart.

You heard Jeff swallow thickly and listened for the soft patter of his footsteps. Your nerves fired all over your body when his body heat drew near.

When Jeff leaned over you to turn off the water, your eyes instantly flew open and locked on the blue irises inches away from your face.

What you saw in those eyes was something almost…animalistic.

Woah.

Jeff grinned stiffly and set to work on washing off your body with a sponge, being careful to not irritate your wounds from earlier. He was quiet and focused, speaking softly when he needed you to turn a certain way. His touch was gentle, as if he were handling a piece of fragile glass that could shatter if he exerted too much pressure. Once he finished your back and shoulders, he spent his time kneading shampoo into your hair in steady, even strokes. His hands in your hair felt incredibly good.

It felt so nice, but it only worsened the growing need hidden beneath the water.

Jeff took slow, deliberate breaths and took care not to linger on any certain spot, not wanting to make you uncomfortable. Massaging the sponge over your breasts, his face became stern and unreadable.

…you began to wonder how much more he would change if you invited even more of his touch.

“Jeff.”

He physically froze from the sound of your voice.

There was something new added to it.

“Y-yes? Did I hurt you somewhere?” he asked, doing his best to keep his eyes on your flushed face and not the inviting pair of sensitive buds peeking above the bubbles.

Your gaze softened from how flustered he seemed, and you leaned forward just enough to get a good look at him. His laid-back grin from earlier was nowhere to be seen, making you all the more curious about how much more he could change. Jeff looked back at you, unsure of what you were doing, when you reached out and gently cupped his cheek.

It was simple, nothing that you haven’t done before, but Jeff’s sudden inhale through his nose told you there was something else going through his mind.

How much power did you hold over him?

Both of you stared at one another in a sort of paralysis, afraid to move and break the trance. Jeff’s eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of you biting your lower lip, his sapphire hues darting back and forth between them as if he were debating on his next actions.

You solved that problem for him, leaning in further until your lips met his.

His response was immediate.

Jeff kissed back, harder than you. His hands held your shoulders tight, shifting to a hug around them to hold you closer. Somehow your arms wound their way around his neck as the kiss deepened to something hungry and lustful, and it wasn’t long before you were pressed against his bare chest, lost in the feverish heat of his tongue and exciting sparks from gentle nips you both exchanged.

He pulled away first for a moment to breathe, panting at the side of your neck he favored. The heat gathering in your nether regions was borderline unbearable now just from his kiss. Jeff held you tight against him despite getting wet himself, breathing hoarsely through a slightly agape mouth.

“Are you okay?” you asked quietly, tracing down his spine with a finger.

He didn’t respond right away, lifting his face and staring down at you. His eyes were sensual and hazy, yet it seemed like he was desperately holding something back.

You don’t know why, but you wanted to tempt whatever it was he has pushing back.

Jeff was guarded with the way he touched you, stiffly moving his hands to hold your face. A tiny scowl formed between his eyebrows when your lips parted by instinct.

“Lucy…if we keep this up, I don’t know how well I’ll be able to keep myself in check,” he murmured, grazing the pad of his thumb along your lower lip. “I don’t want to do something you won’t like.”

You could feel a haze coat your eyes from his words. Jeff must have seen it too, his stoic expression shifting into one both nervous and excited. You smiled and turned your head a little to bite his finger. “Who said I wouldn’t like it if you lost control for a while?”

His eyes narrowed.

“…you don’t know what you’re asking. It’s not just me who wants you right now.”

You kept your gaze steady, looking straight through his eyes, fully aware of who he was talking about.

“Then…you can have me. I already belong to you, right?”

You told me as much.

Jeff gulped and he suddenly released you, standing up and away from the tub. Confused, you began to ask where he was going when he started to unbuckle his pants, tossing the belt to the floor. You stared at him with wide eyes and a racing heart as he slipped his dark jeans down his hips and off of the toned ass and legs.

You had to quickly wipe off the drool forming at the corner of your mouth before he turned back around.

His face was positively red, but his eyes held no shame.

He was starving.

Before your eyes could lock their gaze south, a loud crash shook the house.

The bathroom lights flickered before shutting off completely, bathing you and Jeff in the dark barely split by moonlight.

“…what was that?” you asked.

Jeff huffed and shook his head, crossing over to you. “Those idiots probably got into another fight. Why do they always jam up the electricity?”

You laughed a little bit and opened your mouth to respond, but, once again, Jeff silenced you without saying a word.

He always had a magnetic relationship with moonlight. Whenever you caught it shining on him, it seemed to amplify his beauty by the hundreds, making his features sharper and his eyes more intense.

It was especially so when he’s naked.

You had to avert your awestruck eyes for a moment, covering your mouth with trembling fingertips. Jeff looked at you, seemingly amused with your reaction, and bent down by your side to gesture to scoot up. You meekly obeyed, your heartbeat skyrocketing once he put one foot into the water behind you.

“Lean back.”

God his voice.

You felt your way backwards and followed his warm hands itching their way over your belly, hugging you close until you could lean your head back into the crook of his neck. The water started to feel more room temperature with Jeff’s body heat melted with your own, your back sticking to his firm chest. Jeff was quiet behind you, lightly nipping the top of your ear.

You’d relax if it weren’t for the strong prodding feeling on your lower back.

Jesus Christ.

“You’re certain of this…?” he hummed, nuzzling your neck with his tongue. You gave a heated sigh an expose more of your neck, barely registering if you were nodding or not.

“Please,” you breathed. Jeff glanced at you through the corners of his eyes, you meeting his gaze with a suggestive gleam. “I want you to touch me.”

That was all he needed.

Grasping your chin, he led your face back to his and kissed you in a way he’s never done before. His tongue encircled and rubbed against yours, drowning whatever pants you gave in response. Your hands followed his as they moved to cup your breasts, and you jolt from the feeling of your nipples being pinched for the first time. It sent shockwaves of pleasure straight down between your legs, and you began to squirm with need. It was torturous and pleasing all at once, the way his touches livened every nerve in your body, no matter where they were.

Jeff purred into your neck and started to suck on the skin, biting just enough to cause a tiny amount of pain and make your breath hitch in your throat. His hands wandered lower, dragging his nails down the inner part of your thighs, slowly closing in on the one spot you most desired him to be.

Jeff lifted his mouth from the growing red spot beneath your ear and eased the tip of his middle finger onto your clit in gentle circles, focusing on his rhythmas you clutched the rim of the bathtub. Light, airy moans escaped your lips and you panted harshly into his shoulder, your face flushed a deep crimson color. Your eyes turned glossy as you allowed yourself to be pulled under the pleasure, a clenching and unclenching of muscles in the lower part of your abdomen barely catching your attention.

You hadn’t noticed that you were whimpering Jeff’s name until he growled in your ear, increasing the delicious friction and slowly pushing a finger inside of you. Your eyes rolled to the back of your head the moment he started pumping in and out, your back arching from such a foreign, pleasurable feeling.

Jeff smiled.

He was enjoying watching you squirm by his hands.

“Does that feel good babe?” he crooned, intentionally dragging out his motions and making you groan in frustration.

“A-ah…y-yeah! It feels…s-so good,” you moaned, reaching up and pulling his hair. Jeff hissed a laugh, diving back down to bite your ear again. Your cries spiked from the intense sensation.

Suddenly, you felt something building beneath your stomach. You reached down and take his hand from your entrance, panting loudly.

You had an idea.

You turned your body and face him momentarily. Jeff had the eyes of a predator, his face flushed and heated.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, tilting his head toward you.

You took his face in your hands and immediately kissed him, pushing him against the back of the porcelain as you climbed on top of him. Jeff wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you close, his hands winding into your hair as you pulled on his hair from the root, eliciting a groan of approval. You gently let yourself sit over his member, watching his mouth gape open from the pressure, and smirk to yourself.

You knew for a fact now that you wanted him. Badly.

You leaned over and wrapped your arms around his neck, taking the liberty of biting his ear and grinding on his throbbing erection in slow deliberate strokes. You could feel his heat even with the numbing effects of the water, every buck and roll of his hips. It was Jeff’s turn to moan, the boy grabbing your ass in his excitement. You gave a quiet whimper and move faster, and Jeff follows your speed, giving off primal groans from his throat. The sound of it made you shiver.

“You like that? Hm? You like how that feels?” you purred, mimicking his tactic to rile you up earlier.

The only response you got were a series of animalistic growls and a hungry glance as he lolled his head back to look at you, biting on his lower lip.

Holy shit.

He was too sexy.

Jeff bent his head low and captured a nipple in his mouth, making you jump and moan a little too loud when sucked a little too hard. It was the opposite of painful.

“Lucy…Lucy I want to…” Jeff couldn’t finish his sentence, cut off by a choked gasp.

You knew what he wanted. Your clit throbbed with need.

You wanted it more than he did.

Without another word, you position yourself to pull him in when he stopped you suddenly. You looked at his concerned expression and your heart wobbled helplessly.

“Are you sure you want to do this now? We can wait, there’s no rush here.”

You smiled and kissed his cheek, warmth pooling in your chest.

“I’m sure.”

Jeff gazed back at you silently before nodding, holding himself for easy access.

Then, you slowly lowered yourself on top of him.

Since your body was permanently changed, your pain threshold was automatically high.

But the first time was always somewhat painful.

Jeff was very careful, checking your face even now to make sure this was alright. You winced at some points, but you steadily descended, growing accustomed to the tearing sensation inside of you. You let out a sigh once you reached his hilt and rest for a moment, the feeling of him inside of you gradually become less and less foreign. Jeff held his breath until you were still, definitely feeling pleasure just by being inside of you. He cupped your face and smiled at you with something you could only call unexplainable happiness, the same emotion you were feeling right now.

To anyone else who has never been in love before, this wasn’t anything special. It holds no meaning to them. It’s simply an act of lust and desire, a fulfillment of one’s selfish need.

But for you, it was more than you thought you ever deserved.

The fact that you truly belonged to him now, from this moment forward, almost made you cry right then and there.

You belonged to someone.

Jeff simply stared at you with the most sincere smile on his face and kissed your forehead.

“I love you.”

You sniffled and hugged his neck. “More than you’ll ever know.”

Jeff held your waist and squeezed gently. “Are you ready?”

You nodded and kissed his neck, your breathing suddenly spiking. “Ready.”

He sighed once and began to move.

Your cries were loud even in the beginning, and you clamped a hand over your mouth to hush yourself in embarrassment. Jeff chuckled and licked your ear, finding a steady, careful rhythm with his thrusts.

“It’s only me listening. Let me hear you,” he whispered.

You moaned into his neck and glare at him from the corner of your eyes. “I-it’s embarrassing!”

Jeff sunk forward in the water and moved faster, his voice now becoming louder to accommodate yours. “No it isn’t…its sexy…turns me on…” he groaned, squeezing one cheek of your rear. You threw your head back and dug your nails into his skin, drawing more approving noises from him.

“Let me hear you babe.”

One particular thrust hit a very sensitive spot.

You couldn’t stop yourself this time.

You’re body went rigid against his and your vision blacked out for a few seconds. What on earth did he just do?

A smile slowly crept up his face in realization.

“Right there huh?”

Soon enough, you were riding him as he rolled his hips into that spot, over and over, bringing you closer to the edge. You ran your hands down his chest and bit into his skin near his Adam’s apple, and he gave low hisses and pants in response. Both of you began to cling to each other in desperation as his thrusts grew frantic, a feeling of something about to spill over clouding your mind.

It was then your breathing synced with his as he literally rammed into you.

Jeff would growl occasionally and claw at your back while you called his name repeatedly, ignoring all in your surroundings. You felt something like a tidal wave crash over you and your nerves sang with pleasure.

You were sure this is what people called orgasms.

You suddenly clutched onto his shoulders and arched your back, feeling impossibly hot were you were joined with him. Jeff buried his face into your bosom the moment his hold became rigid, and the last few thrusts were sharp and rough.

Both of you sounded a loud cry when he came.

Jeff jerked sporadically and held you firmly to his chest as he came in spurts, drawing long gasps and deep grunts from his body. You shivered and remained still as you rode over your orgasm, gently grinding against him whenever your hips decided to move. Tears pooled at the ends of your eyes as you settled down on his body, your breathing finally slowing down in the afterglow.

Neither of you moved for a while, wrapped up in each other’s warm embrace sprinkled with featherweight kisses here and there.

You weren’t sure what time it was when Jeff finally sat up with you cradled in his arms. He tilted your face up once more to give you a long, sensual kiss to the lips and slowly pulled out of you, careful not to hurt you.

“You doin’ okay snowflake?”

“Mmm.”

Jeff grinned and began to stand. “Come on, we should get to bed. Your ceremony is tomorrow.”

You yawned and stretched your hands above your head, feeling very relaxed now. You washed off the remainder of Jeff’s semen on your legs and followed him from the tub, stumbling as soon as your feet met the tile. Jeff swiveled on a dime and caught you, smiling apologetically.

“Sorry…was I too rough?”

You shook your head no and leaned against him. “Nope…you were perfect.”

Nothing could top the shade of red Jeff blushed from your words. You giggled and ruffled his hair playfully.

“Can I wear one of your shirts?” you asked, taking a towel and drying his hair. Jeff sniffed and covered your chest with a towel, lightly squeezing you there with a smirk.

“Sure you can.”

Jeff took her into his arms for the night. He hasn’t stopped smiling since the event in the bathroom, nor did he think he ever would from now on. It was so surreal to him to have Lucille here with him. It all felt dream-like.

But the sound of her voice always reminded him that this was real. This was his reality now.

He wouldn’t have it any other way.

Lucille told him one more time she loved him before passing out on his shoulder, snoring in the cutest way he ever saw. He knew that she did, but hearing her say it made it all the more real for him. Jeff squeezed her around her waist, gentle enough not to disturb her, and prepared to fall asleep himself when someone began speaking in his head.

“…don’t ever let go of her.”

Hmph. You don’t need to worry about that.

“Seriously, you’d better not hurt her. I’ll fuck you up if you do.”

Since when did you start caring about her so much?

“…since I first saw her.”

…

“Took forever for you to notice her, but I fell in love the moment we saved her in the alley.”

I call bullshit. That whole love at first sight thing isn’t real.

“Say’s the guy who couldn’t stop thinking about how hot she looked fighting that demon earlier.”

S-shut up!

Inner Jeff smiled beside himself.

“You love her right?”

Of course I do.

“Then…you know what’s coming. You’ll tell her about it.”

…only after the christening is done.

“Good man. Kiss her gnite for me.”

Jeff frowned for a moment, but he obliged and pecked the girl’s temple. He heard a faint chuckle and a soft thank you before the voice fell silent again.

A sense of calm flooded his senses again, and his body finally eased him into a deep sleep.

When Jeff woke the next morning, Lucille was already up and about. He feigned sleep and watched her pull on one of his sweaters, smiling inwardly at how cute is was to see her in his clothes. She hopped around the room excitedly, wrapping her hair in a loose ponytail. Jeff noticed that her hair indicated what she’d be doing that day, and ponytails meant something work related.

After she pat her cheeks in the mirror, Lucy skipped lightly to Jeff’s side and kissed his cheek in goodbye.

“I’ll see you later love,” she whispered.

When the door gently clicked shut, Jeff rolled over to the side she slept in and breathed in her scent of strawberries and flowers. Lucille often went up to Slenderman’s office early in the morning and didn’t come back until late evening, often looking exhausted and happy at the same time. He assumed it was some sort of training designed for her newfound abilities, and whenever he asked about it she would give him a soft smile and wink at him, saying “it’s a secret.”

Jeff wasn’t worried in the least, especially after he’d claimed her as his own the night before. He reflected on how badly he trembled when she moaned out his name, how tightly she clung to him and panted near his ear, how utterly breathless she was…

…and how beautiful he found her.

Jeff blushed a little and settled back to go to sleep when he heard a soft knocking at the door.

“Hey bud, you in here?” It sounded like Ben.

“Yeah.”

Ben strode inside with Smile at his heels. Jeff sat up to greet his faithful companion with Rose riding on his head, wearing the hand-knit sweater Lucille made for her. This one was a pastel pink color.

“Morning you guys,” he greeted, scratching both of them on their heads. Rose ran up his arm and settled on Jeff’s shoulder, giving his earlobe a gentle nip.

Ben yawned and rubbed his eyes, leaning against the wall. “Have you seen Lucy?”

“She just left. Why?”

“She and Slenderman were walking outside to this weird little gravesite. I think he mentioned for everyone to meet up in the foyer again today, but I dunno why.” Ben shrugged his shoulders at Jeff’s confused look, edging himself from the wall the growing commotion outside the door.

“What’s going on?” Jeff leaned out of the doorway, trying to figure out what was going on when a seeping chill hit everyone in the room simultaneously.

This was Lucille’s doing.

The two boys shot each other a look and Jeff went to get himself dressed, moving around with enthusiasm from his rising curiosity.

Much to his expectations, he found many of the other residents already gathering in the foyer, others trickling in from the various entrances. Smile and Rose walked ahead towards Eyeless Jack, and he was about to follow them when something strange happened.

How’re you feeling? Are you hurting anywhere?

No just…sleepy…really sleepy…

Ah, a normal side effect.

Here, take my hand. Can you stand?

Aha…is it weird if I say that I can’t remember how to do that? It feels like it’s been forever since I used my legs…uh…these are my legs, right?

Hehe, it’s alright. It’ll take some time for you to get used to your body.

Wow…I can’t believe I have one of these again…how’d you do it?

Questions later! Well, the complicated ones anyway. What do you remember?

Um…my name is Liu…and I think I have a brother…

Time slowed down abruptly.

Jeff suddenly took off through the closest door and into the fields.

Do you remember his name?

His legs propelled him faster the more adrenaline surged through his system.

Uh…huh…it’s fuzzy…

He could see Lucille and Slenderman a little farther away underneath blooming cherry blossom tree.

It’s okay, don’t force yourself to remember.

Their backs were turned to him, but Jeff kept running.

Ah but it’s right there on the tip of my tongue. What is it…Jiff? Wait, no, that’s peanut butter. Funny how I can remember peanut butter and not my little brother’s name, haha!

Jeff slowed down once he arrived right behind them, breathing heavily with wide eyes. Lucille turned to face him and smiled, stepping out of the way for him to see who was standing in front of her.

Sky blue eyes locked with quivering sapphire hues.

And then they smiled at him.

“…Jeff…that’s his name.”

The Jeff from before wasn’t nearly this emotional.

But nothing could stop him from tackling his brother in a bear hug.

Liu stumbled backwards a bit and Jeff hugged him close, nearly squeezing the new life from him. He chuckled and tried to hug him back, but couldn’t really get his new arms to do what he wanted. Lucille shook her head and guided his hands around her lover’s body, a swell of emotions lumping in her throat. Liu sighed happily and closed his eyes, gently patting his younger brother’s head.

“You got taller…and buffer. I’ll have to bust my butt to catch up,” he laughed.

Jeff did nothing but sob into his white hair, hoarsely crying in an endless mantra of “I’m sorry”. Liu shook his head and did his best to comfort him.

“...I forgive you. Both of you.”

Jeff went quiet and looked at him with tearful eyes. Liu couldn’t help but smile at his dumbfounded expression.

“I don’t remember much. It feels like I’ve been asleep for a really long time and I didn’t know how to wake up.  But I remember wanting to tell you that forever. I just wanted you to know that I forgive you.”

Liu smiled his familiar easy grin.

Jeff looked behind him and stared at his glossy-eyed girlfriend for a long time with an unreadable expression, his chest tightening beyond his control. There was so much he felt towards her, so much he knew he could never verbalize. Wordlessly, Jeff tugged her into his other arm and hugged both Lucille and Liu around their shoulders, doing his best to control his shaking voice.

“I…love you both…so much,” he murmured quietly.

Then he let himself fall toward the ground, taking a surprised Lucille and jubilant Liu down with him into the flowers below.

He didn’t care if he looked ridiculous or whatever else he could be called.

After so many years of being lost.

Jeff found his home.

Their home.

Naturally everyone was quite curious about the newcomer who had risen from his grave.

Liu was the center of attention for a good while, being asked endless questions and trying to remember the names of all the new faces. He looked very different from Jeff’s memory. His gold hair was a stark icy white, and stitching covered the entirety of his body, one trail cutting his face diagonally, but his endlessly bright eyes stayed the same.

Slenderman gave him a pair of black slacks and a frilly white shirt to wear, but he didn’t seem to mind it. Jeff thought it suited him well with how overdramatic and animated he could be despite teasing him about it. You stood close to him and shooed off anyone who got too close to your delicate handiwork, saying that his body was still raw and needs time to heal.

How you brought him back remains a mystery to this day.

Slenderman then held his hand up high, and everyone fell silent.

“It’s time.”

The room began file out the front door and towards a shrine-like monument farther off in the felid, adorned with angel-like statues holding a staff of some kind in their hands. If their purpose was to be intimidating, they certainly did their job.

Slenderman waited for all other members to go downstairs before you were allowed through, he phasing right from his spot beside you.  Once you were cleared to go, you made your way through a stone winding staircase, the walls covered in rune-like symbols you didn’t recognize. Your footsteps echoes off of the cold floor and you walked down a narrow hallway opening into a large room full of tall columns and gargoyle statues hanging from their edges. Looking from side to side, you could see everyone waiting in their dug-in benches, excitement radiating from each of them.

Slenderman stood t the very front, seven other members standing in front of him side by side.

You saw Jeff and Smile first, Eyeless Jack and Ben at his side. Jane stood a little ways away with who you’ve come to know as Masky and Hoodie, and Toby stood at the farthest corner, looking equally energized.

The gap in between them was left for you.

These were members of the Guard.

“Lucille Isbelle. Step forward.”

At his command, you obey the thundering voice echoing from the walls.

“You have shown tremendous ability and great talent. You have demonstrated your bravery and fierce will before my sight. It is by my power as Overseer that I christen you as one of the Guard, protector of all who live here. Does anyone have any objection to this decision?”

The room was deathly silent. Slenderman then proceeded to write something in the air, a glowing red light hanging where his finger traced one of the strange symbols.

When he pressed his palm in its center, the light broke into fragments and began to surround you, picking up speed as he and the other members of the guard murmured a silent prayer.

In a bright flash of light, the symbol was now engraved between your eyes, its glossy red color forming into a set in crystalline formation before disappearing into your skin

“Welcome Lucille of the Guard!”

A loud cheer bombarded your ears as you were swept up in a huge hug from Jeff, Smile barking at the top of his lungs much to Rose’ s annoyance. Liu smiled at you and clapped to the best of his ability, laughing when someone fell right in front of his feet in a flurry of excitement.

Once again, the feeling of a dream overtook you.

And once again, Jeff held you close enough for you to remember he was really there with you.

You were really alive.        

“I’m here…I’m actually here right now,” you said, too quiet for others to hear.

Jeff smiled and gave you a long kiss to your cheek. You looked up at his shining eyes, knowing that the same feeling of disbelief was mutual.

In the spur of the moment, you held his face in your hands. “I love you.”

“…we know,” he murmured, hugging you close and touching his forehead to yours.

Chapter Text

Did you think it was over?

…

It will be.

Everything was a deep sea of red.

The red of a fresh, angry bruise. The red of pooling blood at the ends of severed bones. The red of old blood stowed away, congealed into one mass. The red of reopened wounds. The red of dried blood. The red of exposed, raw flesh.

The red of wrath.

Arms were wrapped securely around you, but you didn’t recognize their owner.

“Are you awake now?”

You jumped in response and tried to get away, but the arms held onto you. Something nuzzled into your neck and what you guessed were lips pressed against your skin. You shivered.

“I see…so now do you understand?”

Your throat felt dry and it was hard to speak. You did your best to calm down and tried to speak, but your voice failed you.

“Mm…you’re afraid of me…just as you should be.”

 That’s not right. No, you weren’t afraid of him. You loved Jeff.

You shook your head no.

“Oh?”

A deep chuckle echoed in your ears as you were spun around to face the one who held you only moments before.  You were quickly overtaken by a rush of gut-wrenching fear.

It wasn’t your first time seeing this Jeff, but what came with him terrified you.

Blank eyes looked up at you, highly amused, as black hair swirled about his face eerily. Beneath him was nothing but a red so dark it was nearly black, and you could hear the screaming of dozens of people farther below.  Some of them were distinctly the voices of children.

That alone threw off your sense of control.

“I-I thought you didn’t hurt children!” you said frantically.

“And what gave you that idea, Lucy?” Jeff asked, breaking into a red smile.

“It’s just…what you showed me back there…you liked kids, right? You liked them because they’re honest!” you said frantically.

Jeff grinned, his eyes narrowing. “Yes, that Jeff liked children, but I don’t care what age they are. They’re all the same worthless lives to me. But once in a while I’ll be nice enough to spare them being caught by that lunatic clown. He just looooves kids, ykno?”

His grip on your arm tightened as he pulled you closer. You resisted pulling away from him and let him cradle your face in his hands.

“But you know something Lulu? I liked you right the get-go. If I had it my way, I wouldn’t have just let you go like that without some way to track you. I’d keep you all to myself in that cozy little dungeon and drag out your death for as long as you could stand it. Oh, the torture would be so much fun…watching your skin bleed red and those pretty eyes all red from crying all the time. But Jeffy took control too fast for me to do anything. We argued about it for weeks, but then you came back that day…like an angel through the fog.”

Jeff broke his reverie long enough to gaze into your eyes, his thumb gently rubbing back and forth along the scar on your jaw. “You thought you were protecting him from me, yet in reality, he was protecting you from me. But now I’m in love with you. Maddeningly.”

He leaned in to kiss you and his voice dropped threateningly.

“He can’t keep me away from you anymore.”

A sick, debilitating fear took hold of you immediately.

It dawned on you then how different the two really were. As much as you wanted to believe they were the same boy you knew, there was no denying that this Jeff was a stranger. A merciless, lethal stranger you wanted nothing to do with, no matter how accepting you were.

You had to save the boy you knew.

You felt him smile against your lips, and you pushed him off of you.

“S-stop it!” you whispered.

Jeff looked genuinely confused. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re not him! I don’t know who you are, but you’re not him!” you cried out. There were tears in your eyes.

Jeff’s eyes widened in shock. “But Lucy, I’ve been with you this whole time. We’ve been together for this long…you know me!”

“No, I don’t! The Jeff I know is kind and selfless, and he doesn’t just murder people because he feels like it! He values the lives of other people! He’d never do what you do!”

You’re voice dropped from frantic to cold, tapping into an original chill long forgotten. “You…I never knew you.”

A flash of hurt crossed his face, his eyes widening even more, and he turned away from you, gritting his teeth. His grip on your arm loosened and you shook out of his grip. “I…don’t understand…why do you reject me? Why do you both reject me? I…but I love you…I love him too…so why?”

You could feel his sadness thick within the waters surrounding you, and you empathized with him so much it hurt to watch him. You wanted to hold him in your arms and tell him everything would be alright. It wasn’t that you didn’t accept him. He was a part of Jeff that protected his already fragile mind and even protected you, and in a sense you loved him as well. For that you were immensely grateful.

But to tell him so would only further his pain.

“I’m sorry,” you murmured softly.

As you turned away to ascend, you felt his hand grab your wrist painfully, his nails digging into you.

“No.”

You tried to free yourself, but you froze at the sight of Jeff glaring back up at you. His dark hair covered his face to the point where only one eye was visible.

“I won’t let you go.”

He held on tighter as a crazed smile spread across his face.

“I’ll show you who I am my dear little snowflake.”

Then, you began to fall deep into the darkness below as Jeff giggled.

“You wanna know who loves you the most? I’ll show you!”

Without so much as a cry for help, you plummeted fasted into the dark, the mad boy’s laughter echoing in your ears.

“And then, you’ll never forget.”

“Sweetheart what…what are you doing?”

You looked at her with wild eyes. “I was sad and I couldn’t smile, but now I can smile forever. Don’t I look pretty?”

Mrs. Woods backed away from you with a nervous smile, eyes wide in fear.

“Y-yes sweetie…let me go get daddy…so he can see your face…”

You smiled as she left, starting for the kitchen. “Jeff, I’ll make sure you’ll never be sad again. I make you smile forever and ever.”

You slowly padded your way down the hall, the dizziness you felt earlier now beginning to clear up and be replaced by newfound glee. You ran into the countertop as your hand felt for the small block of wood that housed the assortment of butcher knives. Grabbing the hilt of one of them, you pulled out a long, gleaming blade your mother used mostly for cutting meat. Its silvery light reflected on your face.

You smiled painfully.

“Heh heh…wait till mom sees this!” you giggled, walking towards their bedroom. As you got closer, you could hear your mother whispering hurriedly to your father.

“Honey, get the gun, have to—“

Her words caught in her throat the moment she laid eyes on you.

You were no longer smiling.

Your eyes fell over to your father, still groggy from sleep and not really processing what was happening. “Jeff? Son? What’s going on?” he called. He sounded so concerned for you, so genuine. The very opposite of your mother.

No doubt you loved your father to no end, but tonight it didn’t matter.

You walked into the bedroom and closed the door behind you.

You’re father bolted upright from the bed and went straight to you, holding your face in his hands. “S-son what happened?” He continued to shake you, looking back and forth between you and your mother, who now stood uselessly behind him with a steely expression. They began to bicker, back and forth, back and forth, over and over whilst your aggravation grew. His panicked green eyes. Her icy blue. Masculine voices dropping and cracking. Piercing feminine sweeping over biting octaves. Chewing at the edges of your eardrums. Gnawing at your skull. An itch in your brain too deep to reach.

Your hands twitch.

Then, without any hesitation, you slashed the blade across his vulnerable throat. A thin line of red appeared before warm blood pulsed over your hands. Your father doesn’t register what happened right away, looking at you quizzically.

It was your mother’s sudden cry that alerted him of the crimson heat coating his striped silk pajamas.

He glanced down once and let out a choked cry, pitifully grabbing for your shoulders, but he quickly succumbed to the pain and toppled to the floor, bleeding profusely. You stood over him and watched him struggle for air, his eyes shaking as he realized how futile it was now. He weakly reached out to you only to manage a few inches from the carpet before fear became permanently etched in his face.

You bent down and gently guided his eyelids closed.

“Sleep well…”

A part of you was saddened and yet glad at the same time. After all his years of trying his best and never given the recognition he overwhelmingly deserved, he could finally have peace. Your father was a kind, selfless man who couldn’t overlook someone in need. It was his good heart that blessed him with such a quick death. You didn’t want him to suffer. Perhaps it was his strong sense of justice that rubbed off on you. The good won’t suffer by your hands. There were no sins to their names.

It was the evil that would.

You stood tall and locked eyes with your mother, the proud, steely woman who plagued you since your arrival. Deep down, you were very aware of her true intentions of bringing you home that night. It wasn’t that she adopted you from the goodness of heart because there was no goodness to speak of. It was about her image, her reputation. What sort of noble, upstanding businesswoman would she be if she didn’t bring home a defenseless infant from the dumpster? Most likely nobody would be there to witness her carrying the child, but surely they’d hear it crying in her arms, cooing as she shushed it calm. And in this bustling metropolis, who wouldn’t see her?

There’s always somebody watching you.

It was your first vivid memory, the sound of Liu’s happy boyish giggling and your father almost topping his enthusiasm by snatching you away from her as soon as he saw you.

But your new mother’s eyes were those of a predator looking through its prey.

“…you’ve always hated me,” you said softly.

She doesn’t respond.

“…you really did always hate me, and I never knew why.”

She seemed to rustle something behind her back. You chose to ignore it.

“Did I do something wrong? Was it wrong of me to be here?”

Your lower lip trembled as you spoke, tears burning at the edges of your eyes. The ‘other’ Jeff grew quiet and let you tap into a dam of emotions you’ve buried deep within yourself. Everything you could associate with her was painful and cold, reminding you of the day you forgot your gloves at home and you had to walk to school with sore red hands. The bite of the winter air made them numb to everything until Liu found you after his morning choir practice, clutching your hands in his under his shirt. He shrieked from the sensation and laughed, and you turned red from feeling the distinct shape of his nipple crushed beneath your palm. You complained and called him a pervert, but he never stopped smiling, red nose and all. Liu made the pain go away. Liu always made the pain go away.

Pain that she caused.

 “If you didn’t want me, why’d you save me? Y-you could’ve just left me there and nobody would blame you. My own mother didn’t want me. That’s why she left me there. I was unwanted from the start.”

Up until now you had control over your voice, and you hadn’t shed a single tear. But when you saw that you got nothing but a cold gaze from your mother, even though you were pouring your heart out to her, you felt something in you being torn apart. Tears fell from your face in streams.

“So why give me false hope that somebody wanted me?! Why bring me here and make me feel safe and all that just to torment me?!” You hiccupped here and there, snot clogging your nose. “Just—why? What am I to you? Did I ever mean something to you? Was I that much of an embarrassment to you that you couldn’t even hug me in public?!”

You let your head hang, your shoulders shaking between sobs. “I tried so hard to make you love me. I wanted you to be proud of me like you’re always proud of Liu. I thought that maybe if I excelled at everything, you’d approve of me. School plays, soccer team, debate team, science fairs, term papers, everything! I was the top student in my grade since grammar school and not once…not once did you say I did a good job…”

Finally, your watery sapphire eyes wavered up to her gaze. “You never even hung my stupid kid drawings on the fridge.”

You couldn’t see well from the tears blurring your vision, but you clearly saw the gleam of some kind of blunt object in your mother’s hand. The lamp was partially covered by her flimsy night robe. The last of your tears began to dry on your cheeks, and you raised an arm to wipe them. The blood on your hands was cold.

Without warning, you suddenly saw stars.

You opened your eyes to see your mother crouched above you, pinning you beneath her with the lamp stand raised high above your head. She must’ve hit you with it.

Oddly enough, you didn’t have the heart to fight back.

She swung the blunt edge over your forehead wildly, your head throbbing with each dull hit. The cuts in your cheeks began to pulse with heat as the wounds reopened. Lacking your eyelids, all you could do was stare up at the woman with blank eyes and disheveled hair. You let her hit you repeatedly, snapping your head from side to side.

But only for so long.

You grabbed her wrist, stopping her from landing her next hit. She froze.

“That’s enough.”

You could feel her shuddering between your fingers.

“You’re a terrible mother.”

You slowly turned your head to face her and watched her skin grow pale. Her shuddering got so bad that she dropped the lamp to the ground. You could feel your eyes shaking unstably.

At that moment, you smiled.

“…I’m going to put you to sleep now.”

You took the knife point from the stained carpet to her stomach and covered her mouth. She didn’t move one muscle.

Then, you eased it into her flesh. Gradually.

She offered no resistance whatsoever; as if she didn’t feel the blade slicing her open. You watched her eyes widen, the blood beginning to dribble from her mouth, but there wasn’t one scream. For some reason, this irritated you greatly and you shoved her off of you.

Your mother landed flat on her back, her limbs twitching. She looked like she was going into shock. You pulled the knife from her stomach and tossed it to the side. Taking a deep breath, you dug your hands deep within the slit and yanked out her mutilated intestines, the heat coating your entire body. Funny how the only warmth this woman had came from her organs, twitching and spewing bodily fluids. A grotesque source of heat kept within a body made of ice.

You grinned internally. It was perfect for her.

You continued to dig, scarping your nails along the inner walls, grazing your knuckles against her ribcage, slippery arteries gliding in-between your fingers. You threw whatever organ you touched across the room, coating the walls in dark red.

She died a long time ago, but you still kept digging until she was completely hallowed out.

Completely empty was all you knew her to be.

But you still weren’t satisfied.

You gingerly picked up the butcher knife and flicked a piece of flesh off your hands.

You dreaded who was next, but ‘you’ were too excited to care.

“There’s no reason to cry. I’m here, just as I always will be.”

…

“All of them got what they deserved for hurting Jeff. There’s no reason to continue mourning them.”

She shakes her head no and continues to shake. Still seem’s there is no consoling her after what she saw. I guess it was a bit much for her first time. Lucy is a nice girl. A little edgy and prickly, but tender underneath. I just assumed she could handle it.

She won’t let me touch her or come near her. She still won’t speak to me. She just stays in that tiny corner over there and bawls her eyes out.

Oh well.

If that’s how she wants to spend the rest of her eternity here, so be it. I’ve got all day.

…

Her eyes are blank. Opaque. She won’t stop shaking.

Guess it really was too much.

Sorry, snowflake.

But this is what I am. What we are. And you’re a part of us all now.

“Hey, Jeff? Can I come in?”

“Sure.”

Ben walks in, clutching a 3DS in his hand. He seems nervous to be here.

“What’s up with that look?”

He jumps and shuffles his feet. Definitely nervous.“Huh? Oh, uh, sorry. I was just thinking about some stuff…”

“About what?”

“W-well…I gotta be straight with you dude. You’re kinda scaring me.”

“Am I? Heh, I must be pretty damn good to strike fear into a ghost.”

“Yeah, well, I mean, it’s not just me. Everyone is pretty nervous to be around you because you’re so…different now. But that’s not what’s getting to me.”

“So what is it then?”

He deflates a little this time. Sagging shoulders, frowning like it’s something he’d rather not talk about. It’s his fault for bringing it up.

“…Lucy’s dead.”

“No, she isn’t. Lucy’s right here. ‘Course she hasn’t the most agreeable lately but that’s mainly my fault.”

“Jeff…bro, she’s gone. You keep talking like she’s still here. I mean, I’d get it if this was your way of coping with what happened, but I can tell it isn’t. We all can.”

“So you’re saying I’m delusional?”

“N-no! That’s not…what I mean is…” He breaks for a sigh. “I’m just really worried about you. I wanna help.”

A wry smile.

“Ben, there’s nothing you can to do help me because I don’t need any helping. So stop worrying about nonsense, alright? Besides. You’re probably just copying the others. Ghosts can’t  f e e l  anything anyway.”

Narrowed, smiling eyes.

“That’s awfully dishonest of you.”

It’s a low blow for sure. Ben obviously takes it hard. His expression gets steely. His body straightens. Such a simple ghost to be offended so easily.

“Right. Pardon my concern,” he says, making for the door.

“Don’t let it hit you on the way out.”

Ben wanders through endless hallways and high-arched ceilings, shaking his head. What an idiot he must be, thinking that this Jeff would take him seriously. Everyone else thinks he’s the same with extra bite, but he knows that this was someone totally different. Someone he never knew.

The songs of nearby wrens outside draw him to the grand cathedral-like window. He can see the entire meadow from here, all the way up to the makeshift graveyard farther away. His eyes wander along the perky rosy blossoms dotting the grass until they stop at the patch of glistening white ones underneath a blooming cherry blossom tree. A glass wind chime hangs on one of its branches.

 “Lucy…” he murmurs. “I wish you were still here…then maybe things wouldn’t have turned out like this.” Ben shakes his head sadly and continues to walk down the hall, burying his hands in his pockets.

Too quiet for him to hear, the wind blows softly against the bell.