Chapter Text
Chrissy stands stock-still, shaking as she hears her mother's voice, as she runs then, past the picture of herself, only one the family photo displayed; sees her father in the chair where he always was, always stayed in when her mom yelled, when she called her a fat little pig -
How Eddie remembered her, she doesn't know. How had he still known who she was? He said that she'd done a cool cheer routine at the talent show ...that was what he had called it, cool. Seemed as though he liked it.
Maybe he even liked her.
Or oh, that was probably wishful thinking; but he nevertheless wanted to help. With the craziness, the nightmares that started bleeding into day. Yet he didn't mind her thinking she was, is going crazy; he smiled at her, and was nice. He's even looking for something to help her now, to let her get away from this.
She can find him, right? He's in this little place somewhere, still - she is running, calling to him "Eddie, did you find anything?" Any of - whatever he said he had...she really, truly, desperately needs it. "Eddie? Ed-" her stomach gurgles, writhes as she hears her mother again, voice shrieky, her dad shakes his head, he's ahead of her with mouth sewn bleeding scabbed -
"Chrissy," Eddie finds the stuff he is looking for. "Here it is, perfect for a couple hours 'a mind-numbing. Peaceful bliss 's now just moments away - whoa. Chrissy, hey. Chrissy?" He sees her standing so still, but her body is shaking. He waves his hands in front of her face and snaps his fingers. Her eyes are open, but rolled up, and her face is contorted as she almost whimpers. "I don't like this," Eddie's voice rises. "I don't like it, Chrissy, wake up. Wake up, Chrissy, wake up!" He gets in front of her face, crouches a little. Snaps his fingers, claps his hands, briskly pats her face several times.
Nothing.
He really doesn't like this, remembers his parents, how he'd find his mom, and then his dad - who'd done things, did drugs way more than Eddie, and several times... before he finally got arrested for all of it -
Wake up! Dad, wake up!
"Chrissy, hey!"
He had fallen to his knees, clutched his guitar. And stupid, maybe, but he started to play. His dad always loved when Eddie played; he'd taught him to play, and sing too, a little. Eddie swipes his nose with his hand and sees Chrissy's head tilting back, feels her body rise -
We all float here, like marionettes; there's surely a master of puppets - but why the fuck does his mind always go to horrors? Is he really that much of a freak?
Eddie whirls, drugs dropped; runs, hair flying as his fingers fumble and click across "come on sweetheart, I need you now," his beloved axe, strap flapping against his chest, fingers trembling as he runs back, skidding in front of Chrissy, turning the sound as loud as it can go - his amplifier isn't plugged in here, it's at the band site. What the hell -
But he bobs his head and swallows the lump of fear in his throat. Looks at Chrissy, thinks of her smile. How she'd been smiling at him, so excited to remember
"Here you go Chrissy," Eddie says, voice cracking. "Hope you - still remember this song." He sniffs, rests fingers and palm flat over strings before grinding out his first chord
Corroded coffin, oh; within which rests a corroded corpse -
In the darkness, Chrissy screams. But an echo of her scream sounds, and expands. And somehow she registers something...that isn't a scream. It's loud, yes, loud and crazy but with a sweetness. It's his voice, and she's still here with him, with Eddie -
Wolves stalk in the night
Always on the prowl
Slipping stealthy between the trees
Making a lusty howl.
Awooooo!
Eddie shakes back his hair. Shakes his head to clear it, laughing almost at the absurd lyrics he'd come up with when he was about twelve.
He threw his head back as he played even then, but back then he had that - buzz cut, he called it. She imagines how his hair would swing and fall, how his body bows and fingers fly on notes oscillating, rising, quickening to almost a scream
Corroded corpse, my darling
That is what they smell
A corroded corpse, my baby,
Coffin laying in plain sight,
But still hidden in the dark where the monsters dwell
Awooooo
Dewdrops drop and sink
Maggots twist and curl
Working through blood and guts
Of the old decaying coffin and its old corroded corpse
Corroded corpse, my darling
That's what we all smell
Corroded coffin, oh my baby,
Laying out in plain sight,
Hidden in the dark under which we dwell
Awooooo
And I hold you close this night
As those wolves are on the prowl
The searing stench of rotten meat
It won't touch us, it won't stop us
Corroded corpse, in its coffin, can't hurt us, oh
"Can't hurt us, it can't hurt us" Chrissy hears Eddie's voice crooning now, far quieter even as she also still hears the guitar.
Feels a tearing withdrawal, a furious screech rips throughout her body as tears trace cold down her cheeks. Floor rushes up beneath her feet and legs as she falls, dropping with a gasp. Feels softness next to her cheek and a strong embrace then. Arms catching her around her back, her shoulder. Cold metal ...rings brush her skin. She inhales a deep shuddering breath, head fallen back and then lifting. She shakes, her whole body as much as her head. She curls and whimpers as she feels a shift, the twang of guitar strings and Eddie's voice rough and shaky, soft in her ear.
"It can't hurt us... anymore" it's not notes sung as much as words spoken in a whisper. She feels his arms around her, now, and she twists to look at him. Eddie's eyes are big and -haunted looking, for a moment, and he gasps out, voice croaking and high enough to sound almost shrill, "Excuse me, but what the fUck was that?!"
She sputters a little, something that's just as hysterical as she shakes her head rapidly, whipping back and forth each bouncing corkscrew curl. "I don't know, I don't know, oh my god..." She squeaks whilst breathing out in sharp gasping pants.
"Hey, hey, I mean obviously I don't either," he tries to soothe her with a smile "but you're okay now Chrissy girl." Eyes going wide as she peeks up at him, Eddie shakes his head back and forth with a "woo! I'm so glad you're back. Scared you were a - goner for a second there."
"Eddie," her voice is half a sob as she swallows and nods, fingers curling in his shirt as his arms tighten protectively around her. "I - I thought, I thought I -" Chrissy hiccoughs, swallowing tears and bile before her face crumples and she buries her body against him. His arms instantly wrap tightly around her, even as his fingers are hesitant in stroking her hair. He carefully cups the back of her head and settles to sit on the floor, extending both legs and pushing his guitar around behind his body.
"It's okay," his voice still wobbles a little bit, but isn't quite so rough. He rubs tiny circles on her skin and she thinks she feels his lips close to her hair. And then he leans away and says "... you still gonna want some special K? I actually found some," he still holds on to her with one arm, and with the other now picks up and shakes the little box from his room, eyes widening. "And I can even still give you a discount on it!"
She actually chuckles, a wet sound between sniffs. Wipes her cheeks with jacket sleeves, one and then the other. "I don't know," a hiccup. "I think I might've lost my mind enough for one night."
Eddie cocks his head, shakes back his hair. His eyes track over her, arms having loosed a little. "That is ...very fair," he now expels a chuckle as well.
"Eddie," she sniffles as she speaks again, pushes back her hair, tries to compose herself but still doesn't extricate her body from his arms.
He bows his head down next to hers. "Yeah?"
His cheek is right there - it's nothing for her to lean in and kiss it. Just a brush of her lips, a peck. But she knows she's shining in gratitude as his head moves back, dark eyes again going wide. "Thank you," Chrissy presses her lips together. "I'm - pretty sure you just saved my life."
Eddie shrugs, denim vest moving dramatically with his shoulders. His face stretches into a smile that is adorably wide as it is relieved.
"Well like any good dungeon master, that's what I always hope to do," and then his features grow serious as he puts a hand gently to touch and cup her cheek, asking her "this okay?" And she smiles, looking down but wrapping her hand around his with a nod.
Leaning in and breathing deeply as he rests his forehead to hers, Eddie closes his eyes and sends out his own thanks to the music gurus or whatever put the idea of singing and playing that particular song into his head. For her. "And by the way, you're welcome."