Chapter Text
Finney screamed as he watched the Grabber put an axe through his brother's skull, blood spatttering everywhere, including Finney's face. He was already full of adrenaline and fear before, but as he watched that happen, the rest became a hazy blur. He remembered running, he remembered jumping over the hole he'd dug and attempted to hide. He remembered the Grabber gripping onto his forearm and yanking him back over the hole, Finney nearly falling back into it and breaking his ankle on the trap meant for his captor.
Finney remembered being thrown and slammed on the concrete, his struggling a worthless attempt as the Grabber put his foot on Finney's chest and held him down like a bug. He remembered screaming for his life, hoping and praying that something, anything, would make it past the soundproofing and someone would hear his cries for help, his cries for his life.
Unfortunately for Finney, no luck was to be found, and his prayers and his cries would go unheard.
Finney remembered the Grabber staring down at him and telling him “You've been such a Naughty Boy, Finney. It's such a shame, you were my favorite too.” with a growl to his voice, and then raising the axe gripped in his hands, and then bringing it down on Finney.
After that, Finney remembered everything going dark.
He remembered no pain, no sensation, no feeling the life be suddenly cut away from him. Just, one moment he was pinned on the ground underneath the Grabber, and the next, it was all darkness. All black void, nothing and nowhere. Finney both existed and didn't exist— a paradox, yes, but one that persisted nonetheless. Finney was part of the void, part of the nothing, just another speck of darkness in the universe. He was the negative found around the positive, the shadows found next to the light, the void underneath all the colors.
Finney was nothing, and so he was everything.
Eventually, a sensation came to Finney's awareness. He went from being nothing (everything), to being himself again, a boy with senses. He became someone who could hear, could see, could feel, could smell, could taste. He became one with his body again. The first thing that came to him was his sense of hearing, a soft and gentle humming slowly making its way to Finney's ears, clear but not loud. It sounded familiar to him, it reminded Finney of comfort, of safety, but he couldn't remember why.
The next sensation that came was touch, something even softer than the humming. Finney felt himself relax at the feeling of fingers carding through his hair, carefully undoing any knots they came across, treating him like he was something fragile, like something that needed extra care. Finney didn't even realize he was tense, didn't even realize he'd regained feeling in his whole body, but was grateful that he'd begun to relax. The next thing Finney realized he felt was that his head was resting on someone's lap, their muscles relaxed and supporting the weight of him, while another hand was holding him steady, curled against his face while a thumb ever so gently brushed against his cheek, sweeping back and forth like the feeling of him was something special, something to be revered.
Finney leaned into the hand on his cheek like a cat in the sun, wanting to stay in the warmth and comfort that it offered. Eventually he regained full awareness in his body, realizing that he was laying down on a mattress, with his head cushioned on someone's lap. Before he opened his eyes, he nuzzled his head further into the person's lap, not yet wanting to leave the comfort of sleep that blanketed him, the fear of the nightmare he had draining away from him. He didn't remember much, but Finney remembered it was scary, terrifying even. Something about being kidnapped, and then being killed by the guy who did it. He was glad it was over and he could wake up now.
Finney woke slowly, wiggling his fingers and toes to awareness, before he finally opened his eyes. What he saw above him shattered the idea that the horrors he last remembered were just a dream entirely.
Or, rather, who he saw.
It was Robin.
So it had to have been a dream. Because Robin was dead, and the last time Finney spoke to him was through a broken phone that connected to nothing, and Robin told him he needed to fight, to survive, to get out, and that it was the last call. And the last time Finney physically saw him with his own two eyes, was even Before the basement. Before everything was ruined, was ripped to shreds and made into a nightmare with no escape. Back when things were easier, simpler.
Robin was already looking down at him, a pained and wistful smile on his face, tear tracks cutting clear lines down his face. And yet there was still a softness to him, a gentleness that refused to leave no matter how Robin currently felt. Robin had always reserved a special sort of kindness just for Finney, he'd noticed, but was always too scared to call attention to it— afraid that acknowledging it would make it real, that it would disappear once Finney said something about it.
Once Robin saw Finney was awake, his smile somehow both grew bigger and became more pained, like his emotions were at war with each other, and Finney figured they probably were, given whatever situation that allowed them to be together like this. Not only that, but a new flood of tears silently ran down Robin's face, endless rivers cascading down and carving fresh tracks. Finney soon realized it was Robin's hands in his fair and on his face, once they stopped moving— the one in his hair stuttering before slowing down, and the one cradling his face stopping entirely.
Robin sniffled wetly, before speaking, his voice ragged and thick with tears.
“Hola cariño, how- how are you feeling? Are you okay? What do you- what do you remember?” Robin asked, stuttering over his words, scared but curious, gentle but wondering. He was scared of what Finney's answer would be, but he wanted to know, he needed to know. He needed to be there for Finney.
Finney groaned as he reached up to rub his eyes before fully looking up at Robin, and realzing what he saw, finally fully awake.
“Robin? How are you here? The… the last thing I remember from you was the phone call, you said it was the last one.” Finney trailed off, confused, as he sat up to look at him.
Robin sniffled again, before smiling weakly.
“Yeah, yeah it was supposed to be, Finn. You- you were supposed to get out. You were supposed to be different. But- but things didn't go how they were supposed to, and well…I'm sorry you're here now too.” Robin said, his voice warbling at the end, trying to stop himself from breaking off into full sobs.
Finney frowned in confusion, not yet understanding what had happened to him. He tilted his head to the side like a dog would, completely genuine in his behavior.
“I don't- I don't understand, Robin. How are you here? How am I talking to you? You're…you're dead, aren't you?” Finney questioned innocently.
Robin's face spasmed like he was in pain, before softly whispering just one word.
“Finney…”
Finney just stared at Robin for a moment, before it finally set in for him.
Finney's face dropped, tears immediately flooded his eyes, running down his face in rivulets.
“No- no it can't be, I did everything right! I heard all the phone calls, I did everything you guys told me, so- so why? I was supposed to get out…I was supposed to see Gwen again!” Finney cried out, his words broken up by sobs and heaving breaths, just barely choking out the sentence.
Robin immediately reached forward and hugged him, his grip tight and protective, like he never wanted to let Finney go ever again. Finney tucked his head into the crook of Robin's neck, circling his arms around Robin's back as he gripped onto his tank top. Together they were both sobbing, both of them mourning their lives, and everything they lost, everyone they left behind.
The Grabber had won.
None of the boys had held any chance against him, Finney being their last hope. But he lost too, even as he did what the other boys instructed him to do perfectly. Finney was never a true match against him. And now he was dead, just like the other boys who had been taken. Now he was a ghost, just like them too.
But at least he still had Robin.