Work Text
Chills. That's what Jake felt when he opened his eyes in a new trial. He was standing behind some house in a place he had never been before.
'That's new… where are we?'
He thought as he looked around cautiously. It was indeed a new realm and Jake wasn't particularly happy about that as it most likely meant a new killer. He sighed heavily, he just recently got some good routines, and started to feel more confident in trails just to be thrown into new unknown territory? That's some Entity's bullshit. It was only his poor luck to be one of the first ones to go and try this place out and he felt like this was a death sentence for sure. This trail in no way would go well. Jake crouched and moved slowly following the house wall, he was met with a view of suburban street. Few other houses stood alongside the road that was riddled with some pallets and other debris. Jake felt his chest tighten, no sight of the killer nor his friends yet. He wondered if they are also getting to know their surroundings, geting used to their new torture place. In the distance he could see a police car light flickering rapidly but he snapped out of the distraction and tried to make a mental map of the hooks he could spot so far. That was crucial information, the killers always seem to instinctively know where those meat hooks are and so knowing their placement too was often very helpful. Breaking the hook right in front of the killer's nose brought Jake great satisfaction, definitely his favorite way to mess with them.
'One hook on the right, one in the far left… one more near that house… there is a pallet and a vault over there…'
Jake's brain worked hard trying to remember all that. Of course the placement of this stuff wasn't always the same, but the Entity most often shuffled through a few patterns that could be recognized sometimes. So if the chances of getting out alive in this trail are slim, maybe in the next one he will have better odds. The boy noticed a generator down the street but he felt too anxious to go out in the open like that. He got a hint that there might be a gen inside of some houses here too, so he slowly made his way inside the building next to him. The inside was old fashioned and despite being in a noticeable disarray, still well furnished and seemed somewhat cozy. Or at least Jake felt like it would be cozy if not for all the damaged walls and the eerie atmosphere that was present during all the trails. As Jake walked up the stairs he heard a generator spring to life far in the distance. So his teammates were not idling around, that's good. Now he has to do his part. As the boy arrived at the top floor he looked around the open rooms trying to spot any broken walls to escape through and possible spots to hide in. He finally found a generator in one of them. That was a nice place. The room had a window pointed right at the street, obscured enough to not be seen while repairing but placed so well so he could see all that was going on outside. Not to mention there was an open window to vault just in case. Jake felt more calm now and he began to tinker with the generator. The silence was heavy, something was wrong. The realm did not seem so big, there was no way Jake would not hear the terror radius by now and that made the tiny bit of confidence he just gained vanish completely again. And then there it was, a simple snippet of melody chimed in his ears followed by a scream. And after a short while another one. Someone was down. "Fucking great…" Jake muttered silently as he continued the repairs, he could not stop now. The screaming was far away anyway. Way too far for him to do any other good than finishing this damned generator first. But that short melody. What was that? He wondered as another scream of his friend being hooked echoed through the air. Just a little bit and he will be done with this gen.Another scream. Someone went for an unhook and got hit. "Fuck…" Just a little bit more… And done. The gen ringed loudly and Jake exhaled deeply. He did his part, leaving almost done gens unless completely necessary was the worst move in his opinion. In the meantime, his friends got the other one unhooked. But not without casualties in another one of them being down. Jake moved to the window and peeked through it. And he saw him. A large man carrying Meg on his shoulder to hook her on the street. Jake's eyes widened at the sight and shivers ran down his spine. So that's the new killer? Jake could not move his body, he just observed as the large shape put his friend on a hook. As the man turned his body around the boy noticed that what he thought was just a very pale face, was in fact a mask. Jake felt chills again. Even from afar the man looked intimidating, large body with a big, already bloody knife in his hand and this pale lifeless mask. He looked human, but he definitely did not feel human. Jake observed a bit longer when suddenly the man looked right at him. The boy could feel how their eyes locked, and their stares collided.
'Shit shit shit shit shit…'
Jakes felt frozen to the floor, not being able to turn his eyes away from the man. They stared at one another when suddenly a short melody could be heard again and the killer raised his knife in the air and stormed off in the opposite direction to Jake. The boy fell to the floor under the window, catching his breath he was unaware he was holding this whole stare off.
'What was that?!'
Jake thought but was snapped out of it by another scream. Down by one hit?! No way… "Fuuuuuck!" There was no time. The killer was nowhere in near sight and Meg was still hanging on the street. He could at least unhook her. The boy carefully vaulted through the window to not make too much noise and ran towards his hanging friend. Meg was not struggling, weeping quietly, she was waiting for help. And so Jake took her off the hook. The moment he did so, another scream could be heard. "Damn it, he got the new girl…" Meg said, grouting from pain. New girl? Jake was a bit taken back, but that made kind of sense. New killer so a new survivor to join their miserable band. "You go hide and get yourself healed. I'll go help her." Jake motioned for his friend to go to the other house. Meg had a medkit on her so she could manage at least for now. She nodded and ran away. Another scream. "Oh for fuck sake, Dwight." Jake cursed as he heard a distinctive shriek of his friend. Dwight was never good with the saves. He got downed by one hit from the killer while trying to unhook the newcomer and in seconds he was being carried to another hook. Jake hoped that Meg will be able to rescue him, but if Dwight won't get any stupid ideas of trying to unhook himself, they have some time before the second stage kicks in. But there was no time to lose and Jake ran towards the hooked newcomer. Moving quickly over one of the house's corners he spotted a blond girl hanging there. He wasted no time and swiftly got her off the hook. The girl cried out from the pain. "Thank y…" "There is no time, let's hide while we can." He took the lead to quickly move closer to the walls and hid behind some fence. The new girl followed closely after him, breathing havely. "Come here I will patch you up." Jake was not the best at healing but it was enough. He carefully helped the girl cover her wounds, all while she quietly cried from pain. "Better…?" "Y-yea…" The girl looked visibly distressed and shook. "Um… my name is Jake, what's yours?" "Laurie…" Jake awkwardly looked around. He was never good with small talk especially with strangers but he felt like he should at least know the name of their new team mate. "Ok Laurie… calm down and… " Jake tried to think what to do. Another quick melody could be heard but the boy was focused on different things. Dwight was hanging, and Jake had a suspicion that Meg found a gen to work on. He had to save his friend and Laurie…she was looking at Jake. "What do we do? What even is this place? Why is HE here?!" She asked, forcing herself not to scream. "I… We will explain everything to you later, ok? Please… find a place to hide now, I got to help Dwight." "Don't leave me here..! " The girl pleaded and grabbed Jake's hand. "You will be fine, you can hide in a locker if you have to… I will go help the hanging guy." Laurie stared at Jake helplessly and the boy felt bad that he had to leave her but Dwight was getting close to the second stage. As the girl reluctantly let go of Jake's hand, he gave her a small nod and went running towards the place his friend was hanging. But, it was too late and Dwight got to a second stage right before Jake was about to unhook him. Things did not look good. Two gens done and one person already on the second hook. Dwight only gave a small thankful but shaky nod as he ran down the street and disappeared in one of the houses. A scream. Meg got hit. "Damn it." Jake moved in the direction of the sound. As he got closer, he could finally hear the terror radius of the killer. Another scream, his friend was down. Jake thought back to the hook placement and realized that there is only one near and he beelined for it. Good timing as he sensed the killer getting closer right beside him. The boy worked quickly and soon the hook fell down with a loud bang. Jake made a quick motion to move out of the way as the killer swong his knife at him and missed. The boy felt that great sense of accomplishment again. He ran away and looked as Meg was wiggling furiously, enough to shake the large man around. And in a few seconds she was free and the killer was stunned with a muffled groan. Jake had no intention in sticking around and ran inside a nearby house. He still felt that their chances to get out of this mess were tiny, but he also knew that if they want the next ones to go better, they can't slack off now. Jake found himself in a small building with a garage. He noticed the sound of the generator being already in motion and soon he found the staircase leading down towards the noise. The gen was half way done. The boy couched and continued the work. Everything was silent. Too silent for too long again and then a gen rang far in the distance. He was almost done with this one, and after that there will be one more to go. Maybe there is a chance to live to tell the tale after all? But soon enough Dwight screamed. Was he pulled out of a locker? Jake would not be surprised if so. There was no way of helping him now. The sound of his friend being hooked and the gen springing to life went off in sinc. There were only three of them left now. Jake felt bad, he hasn't been hooked yet even once and one of his team mates was already done for. So as he cautiously walked up the stairs he decided that now is his time to loop the killer around, enough for the other two to finish the last gen. He peeked through the door onto the street and spotted the man chasing Meg. He ran towards them but the killer caught the girl in a corner and a moment later she was down. Jake's eyes scanned the area for the closest hooks. There were at least three in the area. "Fucking hell…" He had to try anyway. He hoped that if the killer saw him he might be tempted to get a hit on him too. That would occupy the monster at least for a bit longer and give Meg some time to wiggle out of his grasp. The man definitely saw Jake, but actively chose to go in the other direction. It seemed that the killer already realized the boy's sabotaging intent. Jake cursed himself, as Meg got hung again. The man turned to face Jake, they were just a few meters apart and the boy felt a sudden wave of panic. There is a chance that Laurie will unhook Meg if he will get the killer further away. At least he hoped that the new girl would be smart enough to do so. The large man started making his way towards Jake and the boy started running. From time to time Jake looked over his shoulder at the killer. He was catching up. But that was not Jake's first time looping and the time he took to look around the street before paid off as he quite swiftly ran around the debris and avoided hits. He even managed to hit the killer with a pallet. Hearing the low pained groan the man made made Jake weirdly excited. But Meg was still hanging, fighting the Entity's claws with their hands.
'Come on Laurie… '
Jake thought and felt a wave of relief as he spotted Laurie sneaking thoards hanging Meg. With a new dose of hope the boy spun around the killer, making him miss another hit. Jake felt confident and ran in the other direction to keep the man away from his friends but… the chase stopped. Jake turned around only to see the killer going after Laurie, just as Meg's body was being taken by the Entity. Jake froze for a second. There is no chance now. He let out a low flustated growl and ran towards the two. He had no idea what his plan was but all he wanted now is for it to end… and for Laurie to not feel like she is alone in this. But it all was futile anyway as the girl poorly attempted to loop the killer, she vaulted too late and got grabbed.
'Too far again fucking hell…'
Jake cursed. He really wanted to believe that the unknown layout is the reason for his poor performance today. Laurie got grabbed pretty much just beside a hook. And soon enough her scream could be heard. The man was staring at the girl as she hung there and slightly tilted his head. Black claws erupted around the hook and attacked Laurie. She struggled to hold them away from herself. "H-hey you! Forgot about someone?!" Jake yelled. What the hell was she supposed to do now? He needed to grab the man's attention. The killer slowly turned around to face Jake, and the boy felt himself shiver. Lifeless black holes of the mask eye sockets drilled holes into the boy as the man just stared for a moment and then… the melody again. The killer raised his armed hand and started walking at a fast pace thoards Jake. The boy started running.
‘That melody, that raised hand… after that he can put me down in one hit?! Is that right? Fuck…'
Panicked thoughts folded Jake's brain as he tried to out maneuver the large man. One false move and he will be done. There is no chance. No chance. Why even try… He heard the killer's knife hit a wall right beside him. A quick vault, pallet drop and another stun. He made a circle around the area enough to get some distance and get back to Laurie. He quickly took her off the hook and just moments after they both started running away but… A hit. Laurie got hit.
'An occasion. Sabotage the hook, right now. There is time. Just enough time.'
Jake got to work on the closest hook but… Laurie was not taken over the shoulder.She was grabbed by the neck. Jake stared in horror as the man plunged his knife into Laurie's chest multiple times and tossed her lifeless body aside like a used toy.
'N-no way…'
The man was looking at the corpse, again tilting his head as if thinking or… marveling at his deed. Jake tried his best to shake off his shock. He got to run, now. And so he did.
'A hatch, there is still a hatch.'
He ran in a random direction, how could he know where this god damned hole appears in this realm? He felt the killer's presence behind him getting closer. Jake ran and ran, looping around fences, vaulting through windows until he could hear the hatch. It is here somewhere, just one loop around… and there it is. As he jumped down he could hear the knife swing just above his head but the only thing It managed to cut was the air. And then… Stilness… Falling… Sense of suffocation… He woke up with a gasp. He was back in the camp, sitting near the fire. "Jake! You got out?!" Meg almost screamed.Jake nodded, still a bit dizzy. "I got to the hatch..." The girl hugged Jake tightly, clearly happy to see him. Dwight was sitting on a log on the other side of the fire and a bit further to the right Claudette and Nea could be seen comforting Laurie. "Jake… Sorry for messing up this trial… it was a new place and I… I got lost and panicked…" "It's ok Dwight… happens." Jake felt bad for Dwight as he knew that he really meant it. He was not a good fighter but a great supporter and that just made him a bit vulnerable on his own. But there was no one to blame, you can't be great in everything. "This was terrible… this man… I could not hear him, Jake! At least at first… and… It felt like he got stronger just by staring at us!" Said Meg, shaking her head. Just by staring? That made sense… "Um Jake… Do you know what happened to her?" Claudette asked, motioning with her head at Laurie who was sitting with her face in her hands. Jake quesed that Laurie was too shocked to speak much after she woke up here. He wasn't surprised at that. "She got mori’d…" His friends' faces went pale as he said that. "I GOT KILLED!" Laurie suddenly screamed. "Why… Why am I still here? What in the hell is going on..?" The girl cried as the other two tried to comfort her… All Jake's friends were looking at one another, concerned. They will have to explain to her that this will not be her last death here. "Why is he here…? And why… Why were we in Haddonfield?" Lauire asked quietly, weeping. So Haddonfield was the name of that new realm. The girl seemingly knew this place but that was to no one's surprise. The Entity has always put many familiar details in the trails from their past lives, constantly teasing and reminding them of their lost freedom. "…. You know the killer?" Asked Nea, and everyone exchanged a glance. "Y-yes… the Boogeyman… the Shape… he killed my friends… he almost killed me.. I thought I finally got away from him. BUT HE IS HERE!?" Laurie again shook her head and hid her face in hands. "S-see Laurie… you will not like what I'm about to tell you…" The girl looked at Dwight, he was nervously fidgeting with his fingers, and then at the rest of them. She looked confused. There was no pretty way to tell her the bad news… but there was also no point of sugarcoating it. They are stuck, and now she is stuck with them. And that was their first of many meetings with the new killer to come. And if Jake could, he would love to wait for eternity for the next one. At least they had a new companion at the camp, but was it really that good to know more poor souls will get tormented in this hell hole?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Some time has passed since Laurie's arrival, none of them were sure how much though as distinguishing days was hard in The Entity's realm. Since her fist and failed trial with the Shape she has proven herself to be quite a fighter and great teammate. After shaking off her initial shock, she quickly grasped the basics and effectively learned how to survive in the fog. Others were quite surprised at that as their first impression of her was more of a scared and shy girl. But Laurie was all but that, her fierce and determined nature shined through rather quickly and everyone appreciated her contribution in the trails. But she was not the last to come. Over time other people also arrived and the campfire was becoming more lively. There were more than a dozen of them now and as much as the additional company was appreciated, Jake and his friends felt bad everytime a new face showed up. None of them really deserved to be here. They weren't sent into the fog as a punishment, but were just caught up in some weird and unlucky twist of fate. The beginnings were often hard. Usually new survivors were thrown right into a trail and very rarely it ended up good. With no experience of how the cruel game works, they were killed off rather quickly, leaving the more experienced survivors with worse odds of getting out alive. With an unfamiliar area and an unknown killer often on top of that, new teammates also meant new challenges to come. And what's worse, the Entity had more and more killers to choose from, making trails even less predictable than before. The devastating news of their new life in an neverending limbo was also not taken well by many new survivors. Initial denial was often accompanied with anger, silent treatment or even lashing out. But in the end, they all had to accept it and just try to survive regardless. Death was not permanent here anyway. Dwight as always was all big talk about the possibility of getting out of the Entity's grasp but even the newcomers believed that only for a short while. Scattered notes and bits of information they managed to gather over the time did give some bits of hope, but its glimmer was dim and very not likely. Jake had no idea how many trials he had been in already. The only thing he knew was that it was too many for his liking and felt himself more and more tired of it all. Recently The Entity seemingly did not want to give him a break, putting him in a couple of trials in a row not letting him rest for longer. The boy felt terrible, sleepy and weak. It was unfair as many others had more frequent breaks than him but really how he could expect fairness from The Deity that trapped them there. Phantom pains were hunting him outside the trails so even when he got a somewhat longer break it was doing nothing to ease his exhaustion. He needed more than that. For others' sake, the boy tried his best to not slack off during their matches. He hated being a burden to his friends, teamwork or at least mutual understanding was crucial for survival and that meant he needed to remain focused and ready at all times. But it was becoming way too draining. Jake did his best to hide his poor state but his friends quickly took notice of that. Meg and Laurie took advantage of the sabotaging skill he taught them and even Dwight tried to loop the killers away from Jake, surprisingly succeeding at times. All that to give Jake time to work on gens in peace but that not always worked out in the end. Many killers quickly noticed that they mostly only saw three out of four survivors and for them that meant that the last one was probably hanging around some gen. And so sometimes they specifically focused on finding Jake, and in his tired state he unfortunately became quite an easy target. Some less experienced newcomers also wanted to help out but that often proved futile and Jake ended up the one who had to save them instead which in turn got him hooked a lot. Overall it was a miserable experience for Jake. He wondered what he did to deserve that? Wasn't he already in hell? Maybe that was just his shitty luck. After a half failed trial in which he died brutally to the Nurse, Claudette made him some tea. Sadly, he had no time to finish it before being pulled for another match. "Again? You just came back from one!" Said Claudette in a concerned tone and worried look on her face. Jake just sighed deeply. It was not uncommon to be pulled two times in a row, many of them had that unpleasant experience. Three times? That was very rare. But four? Jake could only give a weak smile to his worried friend as he felt himself being enveloped by a black fog. "I'll be fine…" "Jake… be careful. I will leave the tea for you when you come back, ok?" "Ok…thank you." The boy was grateful for her support. In her spare time she put much effort in learning about local flora surrounding the campfire. Some of the flowers and plants proved to be useful offerings, others made for a passable beverage. Nothing great, but they did not have much to choose from anyway. A warm drink was something they all enjoyed regardless of weird aftertastes. Jake's clouded vision cleared as he stood in a familiar realm. It was Haddonfield. When he thought about it, he hadn't been here for at least twenty or so trails. Not that he missed this place, it brought back unpleasant memories. The area was relatively small, and some killers were more lethal in that environment than others. Depending on who will be tormenting them this time, they could be more or less screwed. But the boy felt really tired. When moments ago he just felt sleepy, now the exhaustion hit him like a train. He was barely standing straight. There was no way for him to even keep his focus on a generator if he could find one. He will do more bad than good if he tries anyway. After rubbing his eyes, Jake looked at the nearest building. It was the main house and from what Laurie had told him, it was the killer's childhood home. He stood there thinking about it for a second. When they first met, Laurie did not want to speak much about her past nor the killer but over time she opened up. She told her story of just babysitting a kid, of a stalking killer and her fight to survive the encounter. The Boogeyman as she called him before had an actual name, Michael Myers. Jake hated to admit that it rolled nicely off the tongue when said. Also, knowing the monster's name made him a little bit less scary. The boy caught himself staring at the building lost in thoughts and after an uncontrollable yawn he slowly made his way inside. He wanted to hide. Where? Anywhere. He just needed to lay down, at least for a moment. If he does not make much noise he won't be as much of a nuisance to his teammates, three people could still somewhat manage to win. And even if the killer finds him, well… he wouldn't be of big help anyway so what's the difference really. Giving up like that was not his thing but… he was just too out of it at this point. Jake made his way up the squeaking stairs. He spotted a generator but also… a bed. It looked so tempting even if it was a bit dirty and smelly. The boy's legs seemingly on their own went towards it and then he carefully laid down. Pure bliss. He did not remember how long it was since he had a chance to sleep in bed. Makeshift sleeping places from some fabric scraps and pallets around the camp were nothing to compare with a real mattress. Not to mention just taking a nap on the ground was also not uncommon. He felt himself dozing off immediately. As his body relaxed, a voice inside his head was screaming, warning him of the possible dangers. There was a killer on the loose after all. But Jake could not care less now. So what if he wakes up on the hook. He did not dream. His head was finally empty of any thoughts in a peaceful bliss. He needed that rest so badly. In his deep slumber Jake did not hear any screams or gens popping. If it wasn't for his breathing he might have been mistaken for one of the fake corpses that littered some of the realms. He woke up to some crows cawing over his head. As much as he loved those little creatures, the fact that they swarmed over idling survivors made him always a bit sad, even they were under Entity's control and command. Jake rubbed his eyes and waved his hand to shoo away the birds and they flew away quickly through an open window. How long has he slept? He felt like he must have for quite long. The exhaustion was gone, and his body did not ache anymore. That was one hell of a good rest. But...Where was everyone? The realm was not collapsing, everything was quiet and … the gates were still closed.
'They are all dead aren't they? I slept through it all…fuck…'
Just as Jake thought that he spotted something in a corner of his eye. A man was standing in a door frame, taking almost all its space. It was Michael. Jake froze at the sight, so this was the killer? He still could try to run and find the hatch but… What was the point? He wasn't in a mood for a chase. And so that was the end. He got his rest, now the fastest way back to the camp is through death. He could not help but sigh, just accepting his fate. The Shape tilted his head slightly. "I… I was tired… just… get it over with." Jake said quietly but the man did not move. He felt chills run down his spine, even if he did not see Michael's eyes he could feel his piercing stare. He did not understand why the man was just standing there, and how long he was watching him anyway. Was he hesitating or just trying to be creepy? Jake was sure The Shape did not like him one bit. He never gave the man an easy time. Just as in their first encounter Jake menaged to loop and slip away from Michaels hits quite often. Of course he did die a fair bit of times but he was never the first one on the hook and he took quite the pride in evading Michael so effectively. He never let the man hear him scream, even when he got hit badly or hooked, he kept his mouth shut as hard as he could and that seemed to anger Michael even more. Because of that, Jake got tunneled quite often by him at first, but after a while Myers must have realized that chasing Jake around all the time was too wasteful. However even when The Shape focused on other survivors, Jake was always there sabotaging the living hell out of the hooks much to Michael's annoyance. Despite all of that, the boy has never been mori'd by Myers before. God knows why. But Jake had nothing to complain about, from all that he saw and heard, Michael's mori was extremely painful. And now, laying there in bed before the man, he expected it to happen. He expected to be yanked by the neck from the bed, stabbed and tossed aside as usual. At least it will be by his own choice. The man finally started walking slowly towards the boy. Jake tried to not move a muscle even though his body screamed for him to run. They were staring at each other as Michael made his way to the side of the bed. Just now Jake truly realized how massive the man was. Not that he didn't notice that before, but that was his first chance to look at Michael from up close while not in chase or his grasp. What was he planning to do? Jake waited for the man to raise his armed hand and stab him mercilessly. But instead, Michael put down his knife on the night stand and slowly climbed over Jake on the bed. Jake's eyes widened as the mattress squeaked loudly over the heavy weight of Myers' body. What the hell is he doing? Michael was on top of Jake now, kneeling, having the boy's body between his legs. Jake could not help but shiver looking at the towering presence above him. "Wh…what are you…?" Jake asked quietly, but the man suddenly put his hands around Jake's neck and squeezed. The boy let out a surprised gasp but at that moment…all he could notice was how warm Michael's hands were. Myers' grasp was tightening slowly and Jake did not understand why the killer took his time, why he didn't just stab him like all his usual mori's or even now, just simply snap his neck. But to be honest, he was somewhat glad to not be gutted, he much preferred being choked to death in this case. In his still a bit hazy by sleep mind, this outcome seemed a bit more peaceful. The pressure on Jake's neck was getting stronger and no more oxygen could reach his lungs. It was not a comfortable feeling, but one he was familiar with. Escaping through the hatch also involved a similar sensation. With eyes half closed, the boy just laid still, letting the suffocating feeling envelop him completely. Soon he felt himself lose consciousness. The last thing he remembers is the heat on his neck and cold blue eyes illuminated by weak moonlight, staring at him expressionlessly. He woke up back at the camp with a gasp. Feng and Nea were first to quickly approach him. "Jake where have you been! We looked for you everywhere… " Said Feng sitting next to him and Nea followed, taking place on his other side. "Yea, we were worried. And what took you so long? " "I… I'm sorry… I fell asleep…" Jake felt ashamed, but chose not to lie. "Oh damn, really?" David's voice could be heard. He was sitting arms crossed on another log beside the fire. "You took a little nap in the middle of a trail? You really were out of it." He was clearly discontent. Jake wasn't surprised at that. "We all got hooked, you know? Barely three gens in." "But that's not his fault, David! Didn't you notice how many trials he had in a row? You would pass out too for sure in his place." Feng was quick to defend Jake, and that only made him feel worse. They lost because of him. He felt like a burden and he hated that the most. Usually he was good at self preservation and not relying on his teammates. Doing what has to be done in solitude and working on the side lines was his thing after all. "Where have you been then? Did you get out?" Asked Nea. "I was… in the main house on the upper floor… I just layed in bed there." "One lucky bastard. I would love to get some real bedtime too." David was quick to reply. "Wait… the main house?" Feng gave a concerned look to Nea. "Yea…?" "God, Michael was patrolling that area like crazy. Like… I saw him from the windows just walking around and Nea got downed right as she tried to get to the gen there!" "W-what?" "Oy, maybe The Boogeyman wanted for you to get your beauty sleep in peace?" David grinned and laughed mockingly. Jake felt his cheeks get hotter. No way in hell. Was Michael really aware of his whereabouts this whole time? And he let him just sleep like that? Unbelievable. But to think about it…. "Well… He mori'd me… so I guess that's all he really wanted in the end." David's smile vanished and he looked away. The two girls gave Jake a sympathetic look, and Feng patted him on the back. "Hey don't beat yourself over it ok? You got some much needed rest, right? Next trail will be better for sure." "Yea, and don't listen to David. He is just mad he lost his win streak." "No Nea, I'm fucking mad 'cos I was the last left hanging." Said david in an angry, shaken voice. "I-I'm sorry.. I really…" "Whatever man…" David just stood up from the log and walked away. Jake felt even the guilt tightening in his chest. The man was probably left hanging with no one to save him, slowly being sacrificed while he just slept. The girls, a bit shook, still gave him a sympathetic look. "Look, Claudette left you some tea, it's still warm. Maybe The Entity will finally leave you alone for a bit." Feng smiled and gave Jake an old looking mug with some warm beverage in it. Jake gladly took it. It was indeed still warm and the smell was pleasant although a bit bitter. "Really… don't feel bad about it. Next time will be better. Also you saved David's ass a fair amount of times before, he has no right to be that mad." "Thanks… I'll… try to do better." Feng patted him on the back again and Nea smiled reassuringly. The girls started chatting about something but Jake was too lost in thoughts to pay attention anymore. He sipped his tea quietly, thinking of the possible reason for Michael's recent behavior. He might have really just wanted to kill Jake, but that explanation felt somewhat wrong to the boy. Michael was brutal, he was one of the few killers for which getting mori'd was frequent. Most of the survivors were killed by his hands at least once, unsurprisingly Laurie had the biggest death count. The killer was visibly obsessed with her and tried to kill her on any occasion he got. As the time went on it became more difficult for him to do so as Laurie gained more field experience but still, it was rare for Michael to not kill at least one of them during a trial. But the death Jake experienced felt different. It felt personal, intimate, just for him. And the boy did not understand why he missed the warmth of Michael's hands around his neck.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
lt was quiet. As if the realm was frozen in time. Michael was sitting on top of the saboteur's unmoving body. The boy was dead and his halfway open, cloudy eyes were staring into space, empty of life. Myers was no longer holding the boy's neck, his hands rested aimlessly on his thighs. With head tilted, he looked at the visible red marks his grip left on the saboteur's skin. It felt wrong. The sight before him… felt wrong. Why? Why didn't it bring him the usual relief? Why is there no satisfaction? Why… is there regret? The Shape shifted his body slowly and got up from the boy beneath, not taking his eyes away from him. The Entity finally started enveloping the killer in a black fog. Even if he was already in his realm, The Deity had some cleaning to do. That trail seemed like all the others at first. It was Haddonfield and for Michael it was a very familiar setting, he knew the realm in and out. He started out by patrolling the furthest generators, no point in checking out the closest ones. He quickly found three out of four survivors working on a gen together and stalked them from afar for a bit. They noticed him at some point and started running in different directions, startled like some wild animals. He chose to chase one girl and got to hook her quite easily. While he was looking at her hanged body he realized that there was still someone missing and he felt determined to find that last person. No one could hide from him for this long, not on his home turf. The Shape decided to check the area around the gens again. He noticed the others sneaking around corners and bushes probably trying to get closer to the hanged girl but Michael but chose to ignore them for now, he will get them eventually. But Michael found nothing. No trace of the last survivor. It was only when he finally got inside to investigate his former house, he spotted the missing boy. It was the saboteur, lying asleep in bed. Michael stopped at the sight. That was unusual. He stood there staring at the boy. Not many survivors made an impression on him, there were all the same for the man. Running away, screaming, stupid little things. But that Asian boy was a thorn in his side from the beginning. Always fast, quiet and sneaky. So hard to catch, even harder to hold on to, messing with his hooks at every occasion.
Annoying.
That's what the boy really was. But right now he just layed there, sleeping so peacefully unaware of any danger. Michael found that amusing somehow. But his thoughts were stopped when he heard a generator pop in the distance. Since the boy was seemingly not going anywhere for now, he could take care of the others… and come back here later. Then he will have him all for himself. Michael couldn't help but feel a shiver of excitement. He has to be quick, who knows how long the saboteur's nap will last. The Entity's playground was very amusing for the killer at first. He got to let his urges run free. The Deity enchanted his abilities, gave him new skills to play with and a challenge to focus on. But most importantly, Laurie was also here. He was not sure why he cared so much about that girl, why he felt determined to hunt her in particular. Their meeting was just a coincidence after all. Wrong place, wrong time. Maybe it was her will to fight, maybe the fact that she got away from him before… Killing her in their first trail filled him with immense satisfaction. He felt accomplished seeing life vanish from her body. At that point he wasn't very familiar with the rules and how the trails worked, quiet whispers of The Entity told him that he had to use the hooks to "win" but he didn't know that the people he killed would come back to life again. And so he was quite surprised to see Laurie in another trail. He wondered if he would lose interest in her because of that but that wasn't the case. He caught her off guard the first time, it won't be that easy anymore, she is still a challenge worth pursuing. He desperately needed something to focus on, and she was not an easy catch. The saboteur on the other hand… There was just something about him that Michael could not put a finger on. When his focus on Laurie was somewhat accidental, his new interest in the saboteur was more of a fascination. He didn't want to admit that he let the man escape on some occasions, purposely missing hits or pretending not to see him. Anytime he let him slip away he felt more angry at the boy than himself. As if it was the saboteur’s' weird tricks that made Michael want to avoid him, as he was messing with more than just his hooks. And now, with no distractions, Michael could kill him and get his much needed, though fleeting sense of fulfillment. But before that, The Shape had to focus on getting rid of the other survivors. He would much prefer to just kill them quickly by hand but for now he had to play by The Entity's rules. He had only one mori to spare this trail. Michael spotted one girl working on a generator, she didn't notice him and so he grabbed her straight from the gen. She tried to wiggle out from his hands but the hook was right beside them. The familiar sound of screaming filled the air. As much as he liked to observe his prey as they struggled he could not stick around for long. He had to keep moving. A man was not so well hiding behind a fence, probably waiting for a chance to save his friend but another generator sprang to life and Michael chose to investigate that instead. And fair enough the hanged girl was unhooked as soon as Michael disappeared from their view. The Shape spotted the other girl walking cautiously from finished gen, she was the one he already hooked once before. She saw him and started running and so he went after her. She tried to loop him but Michael was too familiar with the map layout and caught her from a window. That was her second hook. If he plays it well… It will be her last. He took a moment to look at the girl. She was struggling to keep The Entity's claws away from her chest. A view that he grew to enjoy quite a lot, even if he wasn't the one doing the stabbing. But the job wasn't done. He turned around and tried to spot anyone who might try to get closer to unhook the girl. And of course, there he was, that man again. Michael started walking towards him, but just slightly off his direction to make the man believe he was not seen. That worked and the survivor did not run away while Michael passed beside him. But that was the plan, The Shape suddenly turned around and hit the man's back. The guy screamed in pain and ran away, leaving the hanged girl to be sacrificed. Michael saw her body being taken into the sky.
Two more to go…
A generator pop could be heard and Michael saw a girl running across the street towards his house. No. She cannot go in there. He picked up his pace and went after her. She could wake the saboteur up and he can't let that happen. He quickly made his way around to try and cut her off. He managed to get into the house right as she was vaulting the window to get inside. She let out a surprised scream noticing the killer. She was looking behind her before, not expecting The Shape to appear right in front of her face. She tried to vault back outside but was grabbed in the middle of it. She was struggling a lot, making Michael hit a door frame but that did not stop him from hooking her again.
Now… the last guy.
Michael had no problem finding him as it seemed he was not so good at hiding. Getting him on the other hand gave Michael a bit of a challenge as the man looped around the corners making the killer miss a few hits. And so he decided to slow down and stalk him enough to get his Evil up. Myers felt his heartbeat fasten as he picked up his pace. One good strike will be enough to put the man down now. The survivor vaulted and hopped through fences but so did Michael and soon his knife met the guy's back. In the distance another body was being taken by The Entity. The Shape could hear the man curse as he picked him up. The hook was close and the survivor screamed as his ribs got pierced all the way through. If the little saboteur did not wake up yet, there is no one to save him. Michel stood there, silently staring at his work satisfied. The man was struggling, trying his chances at unhooking himself but to no avail. Soon The Entity's claw emerged to finish the job. After a minute or so, the third sacrifice was done. Michael made his way back to his house and while walking upstairs he wondered if the boy was still there. Did the commotion wake him up by any chance? That would be such a waste. But to his relief the boy was still where he left him. Just as he saw him before, he was laying relaxed on the bed. So bizarre. The saboteur was not someone Michael would consider… careless. He was always on high alert, especially whenever he realized he went against Michael. And yet… he was sleeping right under his nose completely exposed. Michael's thoughts ran wild as he stared at the boy. Surprisingly he had a lot of them, his head was always noisy and only his obsessions have ever given him some singular focus and peace of mind for a change. The saboteur's body was almost unmoving, only slightly rising up and down with the boy's breath and Michael tried to focus on that small detail to calm down his racing thoughts. Suddenly a bunch of crows flew from the window. They started cawing and flapping their wings above the boy's head. The Entity must have gone impatient. Soon enough the saboteur slowly opened his eyes. He shooed the birds away from himself and rubbed his eyes lazily. He didn't notice Michael at first but hiis eyes widened as he finally saw him standing in the door frame. Will he try to run? Will he plead for his life? Will he put up a fight? Michael stared at the boy with anticipation. "I… I was tired… just… get it over with." The boy said in a bit of a raspy voice. He still looked weak and sleepy. What? That's it? The saboteur just gave up…? The killer was used to people holding onto their lives by any means, the only suicidal ones he met were fellow lunatics from his time in the institution. It did not cross Michael’s mind that someone sane would not care about their own life. Curious… Michael tilted his head thinking. His stare met the boy's eyes, they seemed relatively calm but his own heart started to beat faster. The Shape started slowly walking towards the boy and the smaller man visibly shivered. So he is scared after all? Maybe with a bit of pressure… he will make him break. He probably expects being stabbed, and seems prepared for that… let's do it differently. As Michael made his way up to the bed, he put down his knife. The boy looked surprised at that and his eyes widened even more as the killer moved onto the bed, kneeling above him. "Wh…what are you…?" The boy's voice was quiet and obviously scared now, caught off guard by the killer's unexpected behavior. Michael, surprising himself, hesitated for a moment but then gripped the saboteur's neck. A little gasp escaped the boy's mouth and his eyes looked at him with shock. Michael was finally getting what he wanted, but… instead of resisting and trying to break free, the boy relaxed under his hands. His eyes softened as the man slowly tightened his grip, only his chest still visibly struggled for air. It only took a few moments and Michael's hands trembled slightly as the boy stopped moving completely. Hazy eyes stared back at him as he waited for the usual relief… for the feeling of accomplishment to fill his internal void… but there was nothing else than an unfamiliar, sinking feeling of regret. Why did he wish to see the boy move again?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"What are you thinking about?" Jake almost jumped from his seat when Laurie suddenly asked him a question. He did not hear her coming near the tree he was sitting under. "Oh, did I scare you? Sorry…" Laurie said apologetically. "N-no, It's fine I was just…distracted." The girl gave him a little smile. "Can I… join you for a moment?" She asked and Jake lightly nodded. She sat on her knees beside him. The boy was not particularly happy about having company right now but tried not to show it. He liked Laurie and knew that she didn't mean any harm and that the girl was probably just worried. After the last trial with Michael, The Entity finally gave him a break and so Jake went to hide into the woods as usual. He hoped to have some privacy to think in peace, away from the distracting camp chatter. Of course Jake considered most of the other survivors his friends as they were definitely closer than any of his past acquaintances but he found it hard to hang out with them for longer than necessary. Keeping the conversations going without it getting awkward was not something he was good at and so he spent more than half of his free time outside the reach of the campfire light. He appreciated that others didn't really try to force him to stick around, and even the more nagging ones gave up after a while. The woods did not look much different than what he was used to back in the real world and that brought him some much needed comfort amongst the usual distress. Laurie slowly ran her hand through her hair probably thinking how to start the conversation going. "Um… I know you like to be alone and all but… I heard from the others of your… trial with Michael…" Jake flinched a bit at the mention. Of course she wanted to talk about it. Even if Feng and Nea stayed quiet, David definitely didn't keep his mouth shut. By now probably everyone knew about his little nap in the Myers’ house. "Yeah, It wasn't pleasant… I mean… the sleep was but waking up and seeing a killer staring right back at you was not." Jake laughed a little trying to sound more confident than he actually was. Does he want to tell his friend what really happened? If anyone might know the reason behind Michael's behavior, it would be Laurie. But how would she react…? "God… He is such a creep. He waited just for you to wake up to kill you… ugh… I'm sorry you had to go through that." Laurie shook her head. Jake did not reply and after a moment of silence his friend spoke again. "I think you were the only one that hasn't been mori'd by him for so long." "It had to happen eventually…" "I guess but still… It fucking hurts when he stabs you like that. I hate it more than getting hooked." Laurie put her hand on Jake's shoulder trying to comfort him and Jake looked at her. "I just wanted to check on you. I will go now if you want to stay by yourself some more…" The girl smiled sympathetically and so did Jake in return. He didn't feel like telling her what happened. Not yet. But some questions still nagged his head so maybe there is a way to ease his troubled mind in some roundabout way. "Laurie… Do you mind me asking you something?" "Um, what is it?" "Had he… Had he ever hesitated before killing someone…?" "What? No… Why would he? Do you think just because he was watching you sleep that he was unsure about killing you?" Laurie scoffed and Jake felt kinda embarrassed that this might have been a stupid question. "He just likes to play with your head… he's just sick like that…" "Maybe you're right…" Jake hugged his knees tighter to his chest and turned his gaze into the woods before him. He must have been visibly worried because Laurie shifted from her seat to move closer to face him. "Jake, did something happen? Did he torture you or… " "W-what? No! It's just…" The girl looked at him concerned and frowned. The boy averted his eyes from her intense stare. When it comes to it, Laurie could be really intimidating. Her eyes could shoot daggers right through anyone and Jake thought how similar to The Shape that detail was. The boy let out a shaky breath. "It's just… When I woke up and saw him there… he was just staring at me and… I just kinda gave up. I didn't even try to run… " His friend's gaze softened, she probably expected something worse. That wasn't the main thing that concerned him at the moment but one of them for sure. Jake wasn’t known to be a quitter but to fight till the last minute. He liked to have that reputation and didn't want to lose it. The last thing he wanted was to be considered weak or a coward. That recent incident will already stick to him for a while so he has to prove himself to be reliable in the next matches. Laurie was looking at him with sympathy. "And...you feel bad about it? I would probably do the same…" Jake did not believe that. Laurie's fighting spirit and hatred towards Michael probably wouldn’t let her give up out of pure spite, but he appreciated her attempts at making him feel better. "Um could you…. Not tell anyone about that… please?" "I won't." Laurie reassured him with a soft smile and after a short pause she giggled. Jake frowned questioningly. "Well… I think that you giving up made him more mad than anything. He is the type of guy who doesn't like easy prey." Jake scoffed. "Yeah, he looked kinda dumbfounded when I told him to just get it over with." "You really told him that? You are crazy!" Laurie laughed. Jake also felt his mood lighten a bit. "His tiny little killer brain probably had a circuit break or something." The girl said and they both giggled. Jake was actually glad that she came to talk. He preferred solitude but if it wasn't for her, he probably would be stuck overthinking many unnecessary details until another trial. Their conversation was cut short when a dark fog started forming around Laurie. She sighed somewhat annoyed. "Ah… so it's my turn… I'm glad it's not you though." "Good luck out there." Jake smiled grimly as Laurie stood up and dusted off her pants. "Thanks… I gotta go. I want to offer something before the trail. And you… maybe take a nap or something." Jake scoffed at the suggestion and Laurie gave him one last smile and pat on the shoulder. She ran off towards the camp with the dark fog following her steps. Jake sighed deeply as he lost sight of her. Resting his head on the tree trunk he closed his eyes. Maybe a nap is not such a bad idea. If only it would be possible to stock up on sleep before the next trail… Jake opened his eyes and groaned in disappointment. He was pulled into the match as he slept.
'Ugh I knew it… Damn it, I didn't bring anything with me…'
The boy looked around and frowned, the Yamaoka Estate was one of his least favorite realms especially when he was empty handed. But that was unimportant, the game was on whether he liked it or not. He was standing in a jungle gym kind of structure. Good thing to take notice of for later use but right now he had to find a generator. "Pssst… Right here!" He heard a man whisper and saw Adam peeking from behind a wall. The man gestured with his hand to follow him. Jake felt relieved knowing that he was one of his teammates as he and Adam found themselves cooperating well on many occasions. Jake followed his companion to the nearby gen and they started working together on it. Maybe this trail won't be that bad… But it was. It was very bad. Although it started off well, as they managed to finish two generators before even anyone caught sight of the killer, it quickly escalated to a desperate mess. There was no terror radius, no heartbeat, no nothing. And that could only mean one thing. "It's Michael!" Claudette whispered to Jake in a panicked voice. She was first to be hooked and as Jake healed her, another person was already being carried away. "I know… who else could it be…stay still will you?" "S-sorry…" Jake wasn't the best at patching others up so he had to focus to not hurt his friend more than she already was. But one question nagged him. What were the chances? His first trial after a break and it's The Shape they are against again…? Is The Entity purposely trying to mess with him? Whatever the case… "There is still a chance if we play it well…" The boy said finishing up his work. Claudette nodded trying to calm herself down. "There is a gen close by so stay here and I will try to occupy him for a bit." "Alright but… Jake, please be careful, I think he is staying low tier for a reason." The boy nodded and went towards the middle part of the map. Adam managed to unhook the unfortunate survivor who turned out to be Nea. But things did not look great as she tried to get off it herself and ended up in a second stage already. Poor move but there is nothing they could do about it now. Jake was cautiously looking around. In low tier Michael could be anywhere. He has to find him before being found himself.
'You won't get me that easy this time… I will loop the hell out of you Mikey.'
Jake smiled to himself trying to spot the killer. He might have given up the last time but right now he felt excited to give The Shape a challenge and prove his skills to himself and others again. Jake crouched behind the rocks and bamboo bushes. He heard a scream and spotted Michael walking in the far distance. The killer was chasing an already wounded Nea. Jake decided that he could take one hit for her and this way get the killer's attention giving his teammates some time. He started running towards them catching up from a different angle. He managed to push Nea to the side just as Michael striked, cutting him across the shoulder. Jake clenched his teeth to stop himself from screaming. "Jake…?!" "Run!" The girl sprinted away in a hurry and Jake glanced at the killer as he examined his bloody blade after the hit. Michael slowly looked at the boy and their eyes met yet again. Jake shivered, but not in fear. "Come on… You think you can catch me?" The boy smirked and The Shape tilted his head. Provoking a killer is a risky game, but that's exactly what Jake wanted. They looked at each other for a few uncomfortable seconds. He waited for Michael to move and soon enough the killer started slowly walking towards him and so Jake started running away. The chase went as usual, maybe even easier as in low tier Michael was much slower and easier to maneuver. Jake's confidence rose with every successful vault and cut corner. The swift sound of air being cut just behind his back made his adrenaline spike up every time. Unfortunately no pallet stuns this time as Michael backed out of each attempt. Jake felt a bit disappointed, he wished to hear the killer make a sound again. Even if it was just a pained groan it still felt special coming from an usually silent killer. Jake hid behind a large rock wall catching his breath. He managed to gain some distance and he hoped that Michael lost track of him. The boy relaxed a bit as he felt the chase tension die down. While he was on the run, his teammates managed to finish two more generators. Jake felt immense pride in his diversion. Just one gen to go and his friends are probably already working on it. Everything around was quiet. Jake moved slowly to peek behind his cover. Michael was still there, looking straight at Jake.
'Fuck, no way he sees me.'
He definitely saw him. But instead of continuing to chase the boy, Michael slowly turned around to face the building he was standing near. He walked towards an open window and positioned himself just right beside it.
'What… Is he waiting for something?'
Jake observed the killer from his hiding spot. Michael glanced towards him one more time and then the boy noticed Adam quietly vaulting the window only to be grabbed by the neck and put over the shoulder by Michael. The man yelled, clearly surprised.
‘Oh shit, how did he know?!’
Adam wasn't carried far as the hook was just a few steps away. There would be no chance to sabotage it in time. As if it wasn't bad enough already, another scream could be heard. Claudette was hiding just beside the hook and The Shape cut her suddenly. She was hidden so well that Jake could not see her until the hit, but Michael must have known that the girl was there the whole time. She panicked and spun around in the wrong direction getting stuck in an awkward corner which resulted in her getting stabbed again. The Shape picked her up and went towards the next closest hook. Jake took that opportunity to save Adam. As Claudette was being hanged, both men hid further from the hook to heal. Adam had a med kit on him and used the supply that it had left on Jake. The boy wanted to patch up his companion too but the man shook his head. "No time...Nea is almost done with the last gen… we can still make it ou-" A sudden explosion cut them off. Nea got grabbed from the gen. "God damn it… Jake go get Claudette, there is no hope for Nea..." "And you?" "I'll finish that gen… can you keep up the chase with The Shape for a while again?" "I'll try…" Adam nodded and went towards the most progressed generator. Jake had a bad feeling about this whole thing. He ran as fast as he could but as he got closer to the hook that Claudette was hanging on, he could hear her failing at keeping The Entity's claws away from her. She missed too many skill checks and her body got pulled up into the sky just before Jake's eyes. "Fuck!" Jake yelled out loud, irritated. If only she could have held on for a bit longer. Luckily, Adam was not wasting time and the last gen rang loudly in the distance. The gates were ready to be opened. There is a chance that at least two of them will get out of here. But that hope didn't last for long as Jake heard Adam being grabbed. The Shape must have caught him off guard again. Jake's mind tried desperately to come up with a plan. If he could unhook his friend and make Michael chase him for long enough, Adam would be able to open the exit in time. Not a great plan but better than none. With no terror radius there was no way of knowing if Michael was still lurking nearby. Jake hoped to spot the killer first but as he wanted to round a corner, he was met with a knife to his chest. Jake felt like he almost had a heart attack. What was he even hoping for, it was obvious that the killer would be waiting for him. The Shape was a master at stalking after all. It was hard to sneak past him as is and in this trial he seemed like he could see through walls. Jake started running away, holding his fresh wound and trying his best not to cry out from the pain. Michael cut off his way to Adam so it would be hard to get him off now… he could try but most likely he will have to play for the hatch.
'Fuck… I don't think I will lose him now…'
As his friend was still struggling on the hook Jake tried his best to gain some distance from Michael. But the killer seemed to be able to predict his moves, and even almost grabbed the boy from a vault he wanted to use. That was too close of a call for Jake, that was not a fun chase anymore. He really struggled to hold his ground. In the background Adam’s body was being taken by The Entity. He was on his own now. Jake dodged Michael’s hit once more and using the given time he ran into the nearby building hoping to gain even more distance. But as he made a sharp turn he was met with a wall. The boy was cornered.
'Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck…'
Jake desperately looked at the wooden planks before him in hopes of some miracle way out. But that was the much dreaded dead end. A way to nowhere that could at best serve only as a hiding spot. But this time there was nowhere to hide, nowhere to go. He anticipated a knife to hit his back at any moment but seconds passed and there was nothing. Despite his heart beating loudly in his ears alerting of the killer's close presence, nothing was happening. Jake stood frozen in placet. Taking a deep breath he braced himself and slowly turned around only to find himself face to face with Michael. They stood just a few steps apart from each other, definitely in the killer's hit range. Jake could hear the man's muffled breath from beneath his pale mask. Michael just stood there looking at the boy. Bloody knife in hand, he towered over Jake looking down at him through his mask's dark eyeholes. The saboteur body trembled. What now? Maybe… maybe he could try talking to the man… It was true that sometimes killers would exchange quick words with the survivors but attempts at pleading or reasoning didn't work like 98% of the time. Some killers would hear out what the survivors had to say, seemingly out of curiosity, just to strike them down moments later. Not to mention, Laurie told everyone that trying to talk to Michael is futile as he is just an empty husk devoid of any emotions and feelings. And so, as far as Jake knew, no one even tried to speak to The Boogeyman. Maybe it's worth giving a chance… "Um… Thanks for the mori… back then…" Said Jake with noticeable uncertainty in his voice and Michael tilted his head seemingly listening. "I mean… more for not stabbing me…" Jake rubbed his arm with his hand awkwardly. He felt like he was wasting words. Was there really a point in trying to speak to The Shape? With no way to run, there was nothing better to do. Michael did not react and just continued staring blankly at the boy. Jake's shaky eyes studied the still figure of a man before him, trying to come up with what to say next. Michael was much larger than him, not the biggest of the all the killers but still intimidating in his height. Jake noticed how the blue, bloody overalls pressed tightly at some parts of the killer's body and he felt his cheeks become hotter when his stare lingered at the man's large hands. He remembered how they felt on his neck, how they radiated pleasant heat despite the murderous intent behind them. And he spoke before even thinking… "Y-you have warm hands…" Jake bit his tongue after realizing what words came out of his mouth. Why the fuck would he tell him that? It was almost a whisper but Michael heard him for sure. The Shape straightened his neck, looked at the boy for a moment and then tilted his head to the other side. Jake could not help but find that gesture somewhat comedic. Did his words confuse the killer or what? Maybe Laurie was right, maybe giving up makes Michael lose interest, maybe it confuses him…It's worth giving it a shot. The worst thing that can happen would happen regardless and so Jake felt a spark of confidence. But just as he opened his mouth to say something the Shape started slowly backing away. 'What… the fuck?' Jake's eyes widened. After a few steps Michael turned away and stormed off into the distance. "Where are you going…?!" Jake screamed at the man, cursing himself why did he even do that. But he was actually really curious where The Shape was heading. He was served to Michael on a silver platter again and the killer just decided to not take any action? Jake didn't feel fear anymore, just annoyance. His friends got killed and being spared like that didn't feel right. Especially given that it was Michael, this made the whole situation even weirder. Even if he hoped for an escape before, right now he just wanted answers. And so he followed Michael who just walked straight ahead. Jake found it hard to catch up to him. The man really could walk faster than anyone could run. He noticed they were heading towards one of the exit gates. Jake slowed down, unsure of what to do and what would happen. Michael walked up to the switch and stood before it. Is he trying to block the way? Let him go? Or what exactly? Jake moved around the killer, closer to the gate doors trying to catch a glimpse of the man's masked face from a different angle. Michael was staring at the switch and his shallow breath could be heard. Jake swallowed anxiously. "Will you… let me go?" He expected no reaction but The Shape slowly turned his head towards him. Jake felt chills run down his spine. There was nothing in the pitch black eye holes but after a few seconds of staring Michael moved, backing away slowly from the switch giving Jake a decent amount of space between them. Should he take it as a yes? That might be a trick… Just a sick mind game. But what the hell… why not. The boy slowly walked closer to the opening mechanism. He glanced at Michael one more time before pulling down the switch. It will take an uncomfortable while to open. Jake could feel Michael stare on his back the whole time. What was the man thinking? Why was he letting him do this… It's probably… "Aaaaagghhhh!!" …Just a trick. The second the gate opened Jake felt a knife pierce his back. It was so sudden he couldn't contain his scream. Of course… Of course It was all just a false hope. He fell to the ground coughing up blood. Michael grabbed him and Jake groaned as he was turned around on his back. Jake's whole body ached unbearably. He looked at the man standing above him. The Shape grabbed his knife in reverse and kneeled over the boy. How familiar yet different this situation was but this time there will be no warm hands around the boy's neck and Jake felt himself actually panic. Michael raised his armed hand, getting ready to strike. Jake could do nothing but stare and brace himself for the imminent end. He squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath as he saw the knife reaching the highest point. It would be useless even trying to shield himself from the impact. He froze as he heard the knife plunge down, cutting the air and hitting… the ground. Jake kept his eyes closed, all he heard was heavy breathing just above him. What just happened? The shock made him tremble but he finally slowly opened his eyes just to see Michael's face a few inches away from his. He was kneeling, slouched over the smaller man with hands on both sides of his head, one of them still holding a knife stuck deep in the ground just right beside the boy's neck. That sight made Jake's heart sink. The man was breathing heavily, staring right into the boy's eyes. And Jake could see the cold blue orbs fixated on him. They were so close he could notice that one of them was more milky that the other. Huh, so Michael was partially blind? What he could also see was the man trembling slightly, and his breathing was not only heavy but also erratic.
'What is going on??'
Jake didn't have much time to ponder on that as the man abruptly stood up, taking the blade from the ground and in the process slightly cutting Jake's cheek. The boy hissed at another dose of pain and Michael took a step past the boy's head. Jake tried to get up and look at the man but a sharp pull on his head prevented him from doing so. Michael grabbed him by the hair. Jake yelped, feeling himself being dragged harshly. His scalp was on fire and the scraping of rough ground on the fresh wound didn't help it either. Jake reached out to try to lessen the man's grip but to no avail. "Aghh…! Let go of me you fucker!" And Michael did let go. Jake's head hit the ground from the sudden lack of support marking him let out another pained groan. As he weakly opened his eyes he noticed he was at the edge of the exit.
'WHAT IS GOING ON??'
Jake gave Michael a pained and confused look. What was the man doing? He was just about to kill him and now…? He changed his mind again? The Shape was towering over the boy, his body visibly moving from his rapid breathing. It didn't take long and as Jake still tried to wrap his head around what happened the man gave him a sudden kick to his stomach, strong enough to make the boy scream and roll on the ground a far bit. His body crossed the exit line but his kicked guts were aching too much for him to notice that at first. He held his hurt stomach, clenched his teeth and only when he felt the black fog forming around him, he looked at Michael again. Confused and in shock the boy stared at the man who was yet again just staring back at him. What happened? Why did he let him go? Was that really just a mind game? No… It wasn't. Just as the mori he received back then, it felt different… Jake smiled weakly through his bloody teeth, he couldn't help it. This whole experience was a rollercoaster of emotions he didn't expect. But it was finally over and he let his pained body relax. The mist continued to envelope him, slowly closing his wounds and easing the pain. That was the reward for surviving, a subtle pleasure of escaping that everybody yearned for and this time it was given to him by the killer himself for reasons yet unknown. Before his vision got completely dark, he saw Michael tilt his head again. Jake no longer felt the tight feeling of uneasiness while looking at him. He felt curious and… He opened his eyes back at the campfire. "God damn it Jake, tell me you got out of there!" Adam and others were waiting for him to come back. It was common that teammates would stay until everybody would return from the trail. "I-I…. Yeah…" Jake rubbed his temple, his mind was still a bit hazy from the confusion. "Took you some time… did you get the hatch?" Nea asked and Jake felt he had to lie. "Yea… That was a close call. " "This whole match was a mess… It was like he could see through walls! Did you see how he caught Claudette?!" "Please… that was terrible… I ran into a corner and panicked… let's not talk about it." Claudette hugged and rubbed her shoulders with shame. "Well whatever happened, happened… We must be ready if he ever wants to play low tier again…" Of course Adam was already trying to come up with some strategy for a similar encounter. They will definitely have to tell other survivors of the experience they’ve been through just to warn them. "Yeah…" Jake replied absent minded. He slowly stood up from the ground he was sitting on and turned towards the woods. "You are going already?" Claudette asked with worry in her voice. Adam and Nea also looked at him questioningly. "Ah sorry… I just… you know… I need to think." "Ok… but Jake, if something happened… you know you can talk to us." The girl gave him a soft smile. The boy felt guilty that he lied to them about his escape but he didn't feel like explaining everything now. They were just worried as any friends would be. "I know… thank you." Jake smiled back at his friends and walked into the dark forest. He had a lot to think through, and it all made his insides turn into a weird feeling he could not specify. What was Michael's intent? Jake pondered as he sat under a large tree. He tried to recall all that happened, all that he saw. How Michael refused to down him as he got cornered. How he backed away from him.. How he stood before the switch as if trying to decide what to do next. And even after finally stabbing Jake and having the best possible occasion to kill him right then and there… refused to do so. The boy closed his eyes. Inside his mind he could see Michael's face just inches away from his. His heart started to beat faster remembering the heavy erratic breathing and slight tremble he could sense from the man. And then it clicked. Michael didn’t try to kill him… he tried NOT to do that. Jake’s cheeks became hot red as he covered his mouth with his hand. There was no way the thing he was thinking about could be true. And even if… Why did it make him excited?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Why?
Why why why why why why why…
Michael's head was stuck in overdrive, filled with questions he could not answer. He just reappeared in his room back in Haddonfield. The events of the previous trial still weighed heavily on his mind making his usually stoic body tremble now-and-then.
Why?
He grabbed a nearby nightstand and threw it into the wall making it burst into pieces.
Why?
He punched through a closet door then snatched it off the hinges and tossed it across the room. Why did he let him go? Michael was breathing heavily amongst the disarray he had caused. He had to get it together. He had to think. The man sat on his bed, head down, looking blankly at the wooden floor beneath him. Clear thoughts mixed with incoherent mutter filled his head. Usually, he was used to the constant white noise that accompanied him when he wasn't on the hunt, over time he got used to it. Right now it felt like a million different voices were telling him things, like he wasn't the one in full control of his brain. As if he could hear his own subconsciousness whisper at all times, obscuring his main train of thought. But right now he had to…Focus. Focus . Many details flew across his mind, he tried to filter out the unimportant ones. Michael was too observant for his own good. He noticed too much, he remembered too much, and that only fed his intrusive thoughts with more nonsense fuel. Jake . That word rang out loudly in his head, silencing the distracting whispers for a moment. That's what that one girl yelled out at some point. She yelled out the boy's name. The saboteur's name was Jake. Michael's body twitched. A bit of information he didn't realize he missed. Names of the survivors were unimportant after all… they're all the same, just different looks. It's not like he will ever call out the boy's name… Nonetheless the information felt crucial somehow. But that wasn't the main thing that nagged him right now. It didn't bother him as much that the boy got away… It happened sometimes, people getting lucky and escaping his clutch. But that was not the case… The saboteur wasn't lucky. It's Michael who couldn't finish his job… Despite the perfect opportunity, he didn't want to finish his job.
I don't want to.
But what did he really want? Michael managed to calm his breath completely. His body became stiff as a statue as he lingered at that question. He thought he wanted to see that boy dead. But when he did, it didn't bring him any satisfaction. He thought he wanted to hear that boy scream. But when the boy cried out, he felt repulsed. He thought he wanted the boy to go away. But the moment he left… he wanted to see him again.
I want to see him.
Michael slowly layed down on his back. He stared at the ceiling for a minute, letting his tired body relax. And as he closed his eyes, letting the white noise embrace his mind again, that last sentence still echoed amongst the static.
I want to see Jake.
Jake yawned, stretching his arms upward. He decided to go on a walk in the forest after another successful trial. It was his third escape in a row and the boy hasn't felt better in a long time.
'Ah, this can't last forever…'
He thought and for sure, it couldn't but there was no point in worrying about the future now. You win some, you lose some and he should be glad while he can. Despite "the napping incident" that he felt quite ashamed of, he managed to redeem himself and prove his skills again. Nothing beats the feeling of a successful match and the relief of escape with your teammates afterwards. He hoped that other survivors would forget about his moment of weakness and that he still could be considered a reliable companion. But even if he didn't show it, he still couldn't help but think back to his weird encounters with The Shape. Some time has passed since his last trial with Michael. Everytime he was pulled for another match he felt his guts tighten in weird anticipation only to let go in disappointment when a different killer terror radius could be sensed. Partially because he felt more confident in looping him especially but mostly because he was just waiting to meet The Shape again. He had to confirm some things regardless if it would mean his death. To be honest, Jake didn't really care about it anymore. Getting killed by Michael no longer scared him as much as before. Anyway… after what he experienced, he was almost sure the killer wouldn't end him or at least not until he pushed his luck too far. Michael seemed interested in him in a different way than in Laurie. She was killed mercilessly at any opportunity, he got spared even given a perfect occasion. Jake shook his head and slapped his cheeks lightly as he felt his mind wander towards the image of Michael above him.
'No… don't think about it…'
He tried to avert his thoughts to something else but the boy couldn't help but notice how often he reminisced about that experience recently. The man's intimidating presence, his heavy breathing, the cold blue eyes fixed onto his own and that tight, warm grip on his neck… It all felt so surreal as if he might have just imagined it but the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to live through it all again.
'God, I'm so fucked up for real…'
The boy rubbed his face as he still slowly walked amongst the trees. He was starting to feel something he wasn't sure he wanted to feel. Back in the real world, before he got caught in The Entity's fog, he hadn't had much luck in romance. He had his fair share of experience and obviously he met people that showed interest in him but it never got anywhere near long term dating. His parents kept a close eye on who he was meeting with, so despite his dominating interest in the same gender, he only brought girls home, just to not disappoint them. Not that he didn't like women, he just couldn't help but feel more attracted to other guys. He remembers how he couldn't keep his eyes away from the shirtless boys in the school locker room. How he felt his cheeks get hotter anytime a guy he found attractive interacted with him. How he wished to get away from his parents' lofty expectations of a big family with kids and run away with a forbidden lover. It was all just silly fantasies that crossed his mind from time to time but now they found their way to his head again…only this time they involved a man he didn't expect to feel any form of sympathy for. But when he thought about it, Michael was kind of his type. At least body wise since he had no idea what the man's face looked like behind his mask.
'Am I really that desperate? To think about HIM that way? He is probably hella ugly… why would he wear that mask otherwise?'
Jake sighed feeling helpless about his new found attraction but his thoughts were stopped by a sudden chill that ran down his spine. He felt that he was no longer alone. The boy stopped in his tracks and looked around. The woods were dark and quiet as always, illuminated only by weak moonlight that found its way through the leaves. He was sure he didn't wander that far from the campfire. That barely noticeable foggy wall that shielded their realm from the other killers reach should be close but he knew he hadn't crossed it yet. He felt uneasiness creep in, someone was watching him for sure. The area around the campfire stretched out a far bit. Lush forest and quite diverse flora surrounded it from all sides. There were no animals except the usual crows observing the survivors from afar and the day circle was barely noticeable. The night sky only slightly changed from colder hued nights to warmer toned days. Some could say that the night never actually passed, others that it always remained late dusk or early dawn. Either way the time here was confusing. Scavenging was a common activity in the survivors' free time. There wasn't much to find around but a bit of the real world seemingly slipped through the cracks of reality into their current realm. Old pieces of clothing and fabrics, mechanical scraps and broken tools of all kinds, random debris like planks and pallets, all could be found around the camp on rare occasions. Everyone managed with what they could find. But particularly handy pieces of junk always appeared just outside their realm border and that was not a safe area to roam around. Pretty much all survivors by now were aware that the killers lurked around their realm. Sometimes, just before a trial was about to begin, they could spot someone or something watching them from afar between the trees. A barely noticeable hum of The Hunters, a lingering rotten smell of The Plague, a low buzz of Hillbilly's chainsaw… It all gave them some hints of what is to come and reminded them that their little campfire was the only safe place they got. Some survivors did cross the foggy line and went to retrieve more useful trinkets from time to time. But it was still considered risky and unwise to go out there at all. The ones that did venture out confirmed the existence of other realms. Areas similar to their trial grounds that served as the killers' personal space between the matches. Their occupants could seemingly freely roam from one realm to another making even the in-between areas unsafe to explore. Jake was standing still amongst the trees cautiously looking around. The feeling of being watched persisted making him feel growingly uneasy. Who is out there? Could it be…? He felt tightness in his chest.
'They can't get me as long as I don't cross the fog…right?'
He thought as he tried to calm himself and decided to ease his curiosity by slowly walking further away from the camp, and closer to the realm border. Whoever it is that watches him right now won't be able to hurt him as long as he didn't cross it. Jake moved a few steps further and stopped as he noticed a slight movement between the trees. The deeper area of the woods was much darker and more dense in tree placement, making it harder to see anything beyond some point. Jake was getting impatient and as much as he felt nervous he also felt growing anticipation. "I know you are there… W-what do you want?" The boy tried to sound confident but his voice cracked slightly at the last sentence. He definitely didn't want to show how anxious he felt right now. Chills ran down his spine again as he saw something shift between the trees, and then a large shape slowly emerged. Jake didn't move a muscle, staring as a familiar figure got illuminated by the dim moonlight as it moved closer. "Michael…" The boy said in a quiet whisper as he now could clearly see the dark blue overalls and pale mask that could be recognised anywhere. He had a gut feeling or… maybe a bit of hope that it would be The Shape stalking him but now when it came to it, he had no idea what to do or what to say to the man. So they just stared at each other as they usually did. Neither he nor Michael moved for an uncomfortably long moment. They stood quite a distance from each other with a foggy line of the survivors' realm border between them. The boy's body was tense and ready to run at any sign of danger. Maybe there's something he is not aware of that doesn't make him so safe even behind the barrier. Jake's eyes examined the figure before him and lingered at the shiny knife in Michael's hand. What was he doing here? Is he going to be the killer in the next trial and just came to spy on his upcoming prey? Does he do that more often and just nobody noticed before? Or maybe… "Did you miss me..?" Jake bit his tongue at the words he just said. He really needed to learn to keep his mouth shut... If he gets too cocky with the killer, it might end up really bad… But… To his surprise after a moment… Michael slightly nodded his head.
'N-no way…'
Jake's cheeks momentarily grew hot. He couldn't help to cover his mouth with his hand and avert his gaze away from the man. His heart was ready to jump out from his chest as the mixture of disbelief and embarrassment filled his body. There is no way. No way that The Shape came all the way here just to see him. Despite their recent encounters the boy was still pretty sure that the man hated him, or at least that all that had happened was just some temporary occurrence… His previous silly little fantasies were just that, fantasies. Just 'what if's' that he couldn't help but wonder about probably due to his loneliness and isolation in The Entity's world. He suspected… No, he hoped that Michael's intrest in him was something more than just a new obsession to torment. But in no way he actually believed that it's really the case. He still couldn't. But despite it all… "I missed you too…" He said quietly as if not wanting to be heard, but the silence of the forest made it feel too loud anyway. He still wasn't looking at the man out of simple embarrassment. But what he said was true. He had to admit that he really missed Michael and he anticipated what the next trial with the killer may entail. Even if that meant being brutally stabbed, choked or kicked again, the twisted mix of fear and excitement became strangely alluring. And now it all felt even more bizarre… Jake finally looked at the man again. Michael was still standing without moving a muscle, just now with his head tilted slightly to the side.
'Typical…'
The boy couldn't help but slightly smile seeing that familiar gesture, but quickly tried to put on a serious face again. His nerves were calming down and his confidence grew as he found this whole situation more ridiculous than scary. Liking someone who has done nothing more than harm to you and your friends and then learning that that person may actually like you back…? Something twisted like that couldn't possibly work out in the real world. But they were not in the real world. With cheeks still red, and his heart beating loudly in his chest, he slowly approached the foggy border. Michael was standing still in place and staring at the boy as he moved closer. Their eyes were locked together and Jake really wanted to see them up close again. The boy still couldn't be hundred percent sure if this isn't a trap, but he also couldn't help but hope it's not. Now that he got a sign of understanding from the man he had to make sure… Jake looked down under his feet just to see if he was still on his side of the fog line and not past it. It would be unwise to approach the killer any more than that. Michael was just standing, observing the smaller man.
'What is he thinking? Doesn't he want to come closer too…?'
The boy felt a bit disappointed in the lack of reaction from The Shape. But to think about it, he wasn't sure what he was really expecting either. Michael's behavior was weird, unheard of from all he knew. If Laurie was right, if all she told him was true, there wasn't much to expect from a cold hearted murderer like him anyway. At least nothing else than pain and death. After an uncomfortable minute of staring and waiting for any reaction from the man, Jake broke their eye contact and looked at the ground with a deep sigh. Maybe that little head nod was just something his delusional mind made up. He was ready to back away again when he heard a light movement ahead. Michael finally decided to approach him, slowly walking closer to the fog wall. Jake's eyes widened and now he actually had to contain his urge to run away that still existed deep within him. He swallowed hard and trembled, feeling his confidence level dropping to the floor again. Michael was intimidating, especially up close. And right now… he was really close. He stopped just before Jake, as far as the foggy border could let him. Myers was not only considerably taller but also almost twice as wide as Jake and even by just standing in his usual slightly slouched way he towered over the smaller man. Michael was looking down at the boy and Jake had to look up to meet his gaze. He felt disappointed as it was too dark to see the killer's eyes again. But he could see other things as he had another occasion to let his eyes wander around Michael's body that, even clothed, was visibly well built. Jake felt his heart pick up the pace again. He felt an immense need to touch the man's large chest and feel it with his own bare hands. The sight of Michael's slow breaths that made his torso rhythmically move up and down felt mesmerizing and unbearably alluring. He always liked muscular guys. The ones that could sweep him off his feet with ease and were obviously stronger than him. He was no softy himself as he could stand his ground in a fight if he had to and was obviously fit enough to survive in the wild on his own but that might have been the whole reason why he found tougher man so attractive. And Michael was more than tough, he was a killing machine of clearly above human strength that could crush Jake if he only wanted to.
'Fuck… He is actually quite hot…'
Jake frowned, ashamed of his thoughts still unable to avert his eyes from the killer's chest. Michael tilted his head to the side again as he probably noticed Jake staring intensely at his body. But other than that, he didn't move a muscle. At the same time Jake was fighting with himself and losing miserably. He slowly extended his shaky arm to touch the man's chest. As his hand finally met with the dark blue fabric of Michael's overalls, Jake couldn't help but shiver, feeling as if his heart could jump from chest at any moment. Michael's breathing came to a halt momentarily at the touch.
'Warm… he is so fucking warm, what the hell…'
That was true. Even through the clothes he could feel the man's unusually high body heat. Michael's breathing was becoming faster but the boy was too mesmerized by what was under his hand to notice it in time. As he lightly squeezed the man's pec he noticed how it's not only hot but also quite soft. All this felt surreal as he never actually had a chance to touch another man's body like that. He wanted to move his palm further down Michael's torso to feel more of the killer's muscular body but his hand suddenly got grabbed. The boy almost yelped in surprise and he looked up at the man wide eyed. Michael was breathing heavily at this point, squeezing the boy's hand at a growingly uncomfortable angle. "Ouch ouch ouch! I'm s-sorry! I'M SORRY!" Jake's arm was being forcefully twisted almost enough to dislocate his shoulder. The boy was forced to a kneeling position on the ground trying to move his body around enough to prevent the man from doing further damage. But on top of the painful twisting, Michael's grip itself felt almost bone crushing. "M-Michael..!" Jake almost cried out. This whole situation didn't go as planned, not that he had any plan. He played with fire and got burned and all he would get from that is a dislocated arm. Jake squeezed his eyes shut in pain, with another hand trying to ease the man's unbearably tight clutch. And just as he felt his ligaments reach their limit the tension disappeared. Michael abruptly let go of Jake making him fall onto the ground with a thud. The boy opened his eyes and tried to massage his abused hand. A dark bruise already started forming in the place that the man gripped him. Jake, still quite shaken, looked back at Michael. But the man was walking back into the woods where he came from, not even facing the smaller man left on the ground.
'What the hell…'
The boy observed as the tall figure quickly despaired between the trees. And just like that he was left alone. His hand still ached but his mind was more occupied with trying to comprehend what just happened.
‘Did I cross the line? Was it too much..?’
Jake sat more comfortably on the ground, still rubbing his hurt arm and looking where he just lost sight of Michael. Intentionally or not, the killer made him cross the foggy border but that didn't matter to him right now. He felt disappointed in himself feeling that he pushed his luck too far, that maybe if he kept himself from anything else but simple touch, Michael would stay with him for little longer. But God… was it worth it anyway. Jake covered his yet again red face with hands and let out a muffled scream. Even if he ended up bruised, he still got to touch Michael and come out of it alive. The killer didn't immediately push him back, he didn't stab him or used the occasion to pull the boy behind the border to stab him to death. The fact that he got to squeeze the man's literal tit made Jake internally scream even more. What he did was ridiculous and almost made him cringe at himself. But the more Jake thought about it the more it seemed like he was the one that spooked Michael and made him run away. Michael let him touch his body, but I guess moving his hand any further was too much. Jake laughed to himself nervously, slowly rubbing his face trying to calm down. He felt helpless at the fact that despite just being hurt by the man he was already willing to try his luck at making physical contact again. This whole situation only made him fall harder for Michael and as that realization hit him a creeping feeling of panic found its way into his mind. Isn't this fucked up? Isn't it just incredibly stupid and dangerous? To actually engage with a killer in such a close manner is nothing else than a death wish. Michael was not a good person. He was brutal and cruel and as Laurie made sure to let them all know, an emotionless husk. And not only was the situation fucked up, but he himself was too. To even find any of this appealing or exciting in any way was a clear sign that there was something wrong with him. Jake's gut twisted in conflicted emotions battling inside him. And as he started to feel the rising feeling of panic he noticed the dark fog appearing around him. He was being called for a trial and the boy has never been more glad to be chosen for the next match. Anything to keep his mind from overthinking right now sounded great. Jake exhaled deeply and stood up from the ground, dusting off his clothes. Maybe if he will be fast enough he will manage to make an offering at the campfire. As he made his way back to the camp, he crossed his fingers in hope of not having to face The Shape this time. If he had to see him now he would probably die of shame before even being hooked once. He needed some time to stomach all that had just occurred. And whatever will happen next...They will cross that bridge when they get there.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Guuuysss~ Look what I found!" Jake and a few other survivors were sitting around the fire chatting, when suddenly Feng ran up to them holding something behind her back. Most of the other people were in the trials. From some time now there was more than one going on at once keeping the camp much less crowded. "What is it?" Dwight was first to ask but everyone had the same questioning look on their faces. "Look!" The girl proudly showed her new finding. It was a bag of candies she presumably got a hold of while searching somewhere around the realm. "N-no way! Are they real?" Kate's eyes sparkled and everyone else's also grew wide. "Of course they are real! A real sweet treasure!" Feng shook the bag in her hand. It was full of fruit flavored sweets, each individually wrapped inside a package. "Where did you find it?!" Laurie asked but Feng just shook her head. "None. Of. Your. Business.~" The blond girl crossed her arms at the lack of a satisfying answer but didn't press it any further. Feng looked excited, still shaking the bag and almost shaking herself. "Ok ok now… one for each!" "Just one? The bag is quite big…" David glanced at the colorful package. The text on it said 'family size'. "Yes, just one! I want to leave some for others when they come back. And… I'm not sure if it will be enough anyways…" She looked at the bag with a bit of worry. It was an understandable concern. "Yeah, you are right. That would be quite unfair." Dwight agreed. "First come first served is not unfair" "David..!" Kate poked the man with her elbow. "What? I'm joking obviously." "Stop bickering or I'll eat them all myself!" Said Feng pouting her cheeks and opening the bag. David just sighed and extended his hand. The girl put one small candy on it and the man just quietly said 'thanks', instantly unwrapping it and putting it in his mouth. Feng then went around the campfire distributing the rest of the sweets to each survivor. Everyone was visibly anticipating their turn. "Aaand one for you!" "Thank you, Feng." Jake took the candy from a brightly smiling girl and inspected it in his hand. It was a hard, juice filled type of candy. He wasn't very fond of sweets so his first thought was to save it for later in case there won't be enough for everyone. Food was scarce in the Fog but if they were blessed with anything in this hellhole it was not feeling hungry. That didn't mean that survivors weren't yearning for something to eat almost all the time. Their conversation topics often included reminiscing about foods that they miss or wish to consume again. So even if their hunger was not physical, it still existed in their troubled heads. "Hym… the bag expiry date says.. December 1978…" Said Feng after taking her seat near the fire and inspecting the bag more closely. She was already munching on her piece but Kate stopped just before putting hers in mouth with a disgusted look on her face. "Ew that's so gross.. it already went bad then." Laurie gave her a weird look. "What do you mean went bad? It wasn't that long ago." "Ah right… You're from the 70's..." "Um yea right… and all of you 'kids' are from the 2000's. Anyway, they don't look bad at all so they must have gotten here still in date." The girl smiled cheeky, tossing the candy and catching it in her mouth playfully. Most of the survivors were quite similar in age so the fact that some of them came from completely different time periods often escaped their mind. That didn't really matter during the trials anyway, their shared predicament brought them closer together. "Sorry… forgot the weird time thing." Said Kate a bit apologetically, still inspecting the candy in her hands unsure of its quality. "Hey, no worries. Just enjoy it." "Laurie's right. It tastes great… God… I wish we got more…" Dwight was seemingly almost melting from the taste. Everyone was just sitting quietly enjoying the rare sweetness, trying to savor every moment of it. Even Kate finally decided to eat her piece and was visibly quite enjoying it. Being picky about snacks wasn't really something they could afford. "Jake, you're not eating?" Asked Feng, mouth still full as everyone took their time and tried to not bite or swallow the candy too fast. "Um… I wanna keep it for later…" "Well if you wish so…" "If you don't plan on eating it, you can give it to me instead. What about that?" David was quick to ask with a sly smile. Jake hid the candy in his pocket, giving the guy a suspicious look. "Uh, no way." "Fine fine… just trying my luck. Don't get all grumpy now." Jake just rolled his eyes and David leaned back against a log and continued on enjoying his treat. The night went on and as the rest of the survivors came back from their trials Feng was happy to greet them with a sweet surprise. It was hard to believe that there was just enough candies in that bag for each to get one but no one dared to question it and just enjoyed the gift. Truth be told, not everyone was so keen on sharing their food findings. It was hard to admit but 'finders keepers' rule stood strong in the camp. No one wanted to show off their discovery knowing there is not enough for everyone to get some of it. In the end, it would just make others feel bad or unlucky. Hiding things from the rest was frowned upon but it was also generally understood behavior. Even in their miserable situation they had the right for some privacy after all. No one was saint and so no one was pressing others to share either. If anyone got lucky they would most likely hide their findings for later or share it with only the closest of friends. David was seen munching on some granola bars inside and outside the trials. Nea was apparently hiding quite a big stash of canned soda that she was sharing sometimes but only with other girls. Dwight seemingly always had a pack of gum on him and everyone knew that Ace and Bill had some luck in finding alcohol around the realm. Evidently there were certain spots in the Fog where food items would appear more often and anyone that found one, would most likely keep that information for themselves. But everyone got lucky at some point and even Jake found an old bag of pretzels once that he shared with Dwight, Meg and Claudette. But it was a long time ago, when there weren't that many of them and sharing was much easier. Right now all he had was that piece of candy and eating it now somehow felt like it would be a waste. After everyone was able to get their fair share he decided to keep it for the very likely scenario of any of his friends getting particularly unlucky during the trials. The thought of cheering someone up with a surprise treat was nice. And who knows, maybe he will be the one needing some sweetness later on. Everything happened so fast. Two gens in, three hooks one after another. All Jake could do is go around unhooking his friends just for them to be caught again not long after. This trial they faced the Shape. And saying that they struggled would be an understatement. Most often Michael worked slowly but this time he didn't give them a moment to breathe. Everyone seemed to panic as this wasn't his usual playstyle during the trials. Jake wasn't sure what to feel. When he first took a glimpse of Michael walking nearby his guts twisted in a mixture of excitement but right now, seeing how his friends were basically massacred, only left him with a feeling of fear. Michael seemed angry. He seemed like he wanted to do his job fast and be over with it as soon as possible. Another scream could be heard as Claudette was being hooked a second time. Michael was already gone, probably going after Feng or Meg that were hiding somewhere and Jake ran towards his friend to get them off the hook. "F-fuck… there is no way…" Claudette was clenching her teeth. Their chances of escape were truly near zero. "Hey we gotta try. I haven't been hooked yet, you gotta hide… I'll try to occupy him for a bit, ok?" "Y-yeah.. sure…" His friend nodded weakly and ran away to hide and heal herself. Jake stayed in place. The sound of unhooking should lure Michael back and give him a chance to divert the killer's attention. Myers seemingly didn't catch a glimpse of him before but now, feeling a chill running down his spine, Jake knew he was being watched. He looked around and spotted the man looking at him from between the trees. Michael noticed him now for sure. They both stood still, looking at each other, waiting for a slightest move. Jake's muscles tensed, ready to run at any second but the distant explosion made the killer's head turn towards that direction instead. "Michael, wait! no!" Jake yelled but the killer was already gone. The boy groaned in annoyance and ran after the killer. There is no way he will let the man tunnel his friends like that. But he was too slow. He lost sight of Michael between all the trees and only when another scream could be heard, he was able to spot him again. He was carrying Meg and right beside him Claudette was trying her best to blind him with a flashlight. Michael not only evaded her light but also managed to swing his knife successfully downing Claudette in the process. The sight was awful to witness. There was no way for Jake to save Meg, the moment she landed on the hook she was taken by the Entity but there was a chance to get Claudette up and running again. As Michael took a bit of time watching Meg's body being pulled up, Jake made his way towards his friend on the ground. Trying to patch her up as fast as he could he accidentally slipped and made the girl yelp from pain. Jake looked towards Michael. He was observing them. The boy swallowed hard but continued to help his friend. When he was done he looked up again but Michael was gone. "Thank you… What do we do no-" They were cut off by the sound of a scream not so far away. Feng got caught. "H-how does he do that..??" Claudette sounded tired. "I-I don't know… new perks? I'll… I'll go get Feng." Claudette just nodded. None of them had high hopes of escape, but giving up completely was not something that was a good idea either. Jake ran towards the screams of his hanging friend and as he made his way through the trees he was met face to face with Michael again. The killer was walking away from the hooked girl, probably already looking for another victim. Jake froze in place but the man just continued walking towards him. The boy was trying to decide what to do. Should he run the other way? But Feng was barely hanging on… He could take a hit if necessary. With his body trembling slightly from the emotions he decided to stand still. No matter what the killer will do, he will be able to get some distance and take his friend off the hook in time. The closer Micheal got, the more nervous Jake became, but the boy stood his ground regardless. The pale mask was getting more visible and the man's large build became more and more intimidating with each step. Jake anticipated the killer to attack at any moment but Michael…. Just walked past him. Jake let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and looked behind at the killer who just decided to completely ignore him. Nothing? He didn't attack… He didn't stop… He wasn't even really looking at him.. Jake didn't know what to think of it and why getting ignored like that somehow hurt him more than a stab wound would. But he hadn't had much time to ponder when he remembered about his friend still hanging onto her dear life. He ran towards the hook but Feng already gave up on trying to keep the Entity's claws away from herself and her body was being dragged up to the sky. Jake cursed quietly, he felt angry but… he also couldn't blame her. Their situation already looked like shit anyway and he foolishly decided to just stand still in one place instead of running to help her. What even was that? Why did he even do that? Was he expecting something? It's not like Micheal would do anything other than maybe stab him or shove him aside. After what he did to the Shape, no wonder the man didn't want to have anything to do with him… but that didn't make the killer's behavior any less weird. In the distance Claudette's scream cut through the air. There was no hope for her. Jake was too far away, and not to mention he hadn't had any flashlight to prevent her from being hooked anyway. He sighed, annoyed and flustered at this whole situation. Another weird match with Michael. Another trial when he's the last one standing for some reason. From afar, Jake could see Claudettes body being taken and the realm fell silent. What is there to do now? He made his way towards the place where his last friend was sacrificed. Maybe Michael was still there. Maybe he can figure out what the hell is the killer's problem. Judging by his past experience he will probably let him escape anyway… even with a few bruises and cuts. As he walked, he heard the hatch hum somewhere near but decided to ignore it for now. He had other things in mind and one of them was finding the killer. And soon enough he caught a glimpse of that familiar pale face. Michael was just standing, staring at the broken hook and Jake cautiously approached him. "You avoided me… why?" He asked, but Michael didn't even look at him and after a moment the man started slowly walking away. Jake felt dumbfounded. What the hell was that again? He clenched his fist. "Michael! Why?!" Jake almost yelled, following after the killer. He felt a mixture of anger and frustration. Before he was killed by the man's bare hands, then he got beat up but spared in the end and now? Now the man seemingly didn't even want to look at him. As he was trying to keep up with the man's pace to his surprise Michael stopped abruptly, making Jake almost bump into him. The killer slowly turned to face him and the boy shivered, taking a few steps back. Looking at the pale, lifeless mask again, Jake wondered if he was stupid for not taking the occasion to escape. Michael was giving him more than enough time to do so and yet the boy decided to annoy him instead. But the possible consequences of angering the killer were nothing compared to the growing frustration Jake felt. His friends were dead, if he really wanted to he could just run back to that hatch or even just open the gate but… But he really wanted to know… And also, he really wanted to make some things clear even if it would cost his life. "You… don't want to kill me, do you?" Jake asked quietly but to no reaction other than a cold stare. He looked at the man questioningly but after a few seconds of waiting for any answer he sighed and reached into his pocket. "Give… give me your hand." Jake felt stupid for giving orders to the killer like that as it just might earn him a knife to the back. To his surprise Michael slightly tilted his head at the sudden request. After another few seconds of staring at each other, the man slowly extended his arm. Jake's heart skipped a beat but he took out the piece of candy he still had with him. He wasn't sure why he decided to give it away to the man but maybe… maybe it could work as a more tangible peace offering. Squeezing someone's pec for sure isn't the best one. Jake's arm was a bit shaky as he put the candy in the killer's large hand. The boy cursed himself for wearing gloves this trial and missing the occasion of touching Michael’s bare skin even if for a moment. His brain suddenly flashed him with the vision of holding hands with the killer, making the boy feel even more flustered as he quickly withdrew his hand back. Michael was standing still, looking at the sweet gift left on his palm. "That's for letting me go… and also… sorry for getting too far back then… I-I shouldn't have…" With his face now red from embarrassment, Jake averted his eyes from the man. Since their last meeting he wondered if touching Michael made the killer mad or annoyed with him. Jake felt like he needed to apologize for his boldness but that also made him feel stupid. Why would he even want to apologize for such a minor thing to someone who brutally hurts him and his friend's on almost a daily basis? No matter what, he at least hoped to make things go back to the way they were before. He looked at the killer again who was still staring at the candy in his hand as if thinking. But… was he really thinking? Laurie always told them that the Shape is a mindless killing machine, empty of any emotions or feelings and yet Jake's recent experiences proved him otherwise. Michael for sure could understand him and could communicate if he only wanted to. Even the slightest response from the Shape made Jake only more sure of it. But if he was thinking… What was he thinking about? Jake's own thoughts were stopped as Michael slowly closed his hand and put the candy in the front pocket of his overalls. Of course he won't eat it then and there. The boy wondered if the killer also wasn't very fond of sweets or just simply didn't want to remove his mask in his presence… both reasons were possible. Michael began to stare at Jake again and the boy couldn't bear it anymore. The killer accepted his gift and now what? The uncertainty of the situation was weighing heavy and he wasn't planning to stand here and stare at each other all day. Feeling impatient he decided to try to resolve the stalemate they were trapped in. On the one hand he somehow wanted to stay with Michael some more but on the other he knew that his friends were probably waiting for him to come back and didn't want to make them worry. "If I go now… Can we mee-" Jake started talking but Michael moved before he could finish. The killer extended his hand towards the boy who instinctively closed his eyes and wanted to shield himself with his arms. But Michael was faster and grabbed Jake by the neck, pinning him to the wall not far behind him. The boy gasped at the impact and held on to the killer's hand feeling sudden panic rise inside him. Was the gift not enough? Did he anger him even more? But… Michael's grasp wasn't tight. He was just barely, even if still rather harshly, holding the boy in place. As the killer moved closer to the boy the familiar heat hit Jake again making his head spin and eyes flutter. He relaxed a bit but his heart was still racing hundreds miles an hour. Everything that Michael was doing was making him confused but also only more and more fascinated by the man. What is he doing this time? Will he choke him again? Jake's face turned red realizing he wouldn't mind that actually. Michael was staring down at the boy and Jake's heart beat fast while the sound of Myers's muffled breath echoed in his ears. He looked up at the man, still holding onto the killer's wrist with both hands. Cold blue eyes were staring back at him. He didn't try to pull the arm away from his neck, just as Michael wasn't trying to choke him. The danger, the looming presence above him and the heat spreading from the neck through the rest of his body… Jake wanted to disappear, to dig a hole and crawl into it as the feeling of growing tightness made itself known in his pants. 'Fuck… are you serious…' He closed his eyes in embarrassment not being able to look at the Shape anymore. His body reacted in ways he couldn't control. He flinched in surprise as a knife was stuck into the wall with a loud thud just inches above his head. Jake didn't have much time to think about what just happened as Michael used his now free hand to grip the boy's waist and squeeze it quite harshly. "Aa-aah... w-what aa..?!" The killer's hand began to move up the boy's torso, quite awkwardly rubbing and squeezing along the way. Jake grabbed onto Michael's wandering arm trying to understand what the hell was going on. The boy let out little gasps and quiet yelps as the man pressed his body in various points. Michael's moves felt rough and unsure making the whole thing feel a bit painful. The killer was squeezing the boy's pec, digging fingers in his waist and roughly rubbing other parts of his body. Even through clothes, Jake could feel it all. "M-michael… no… w-wait…nnn…" That was it. He got to fondle Michael's tit once and now he received the same thing back but tenfold. And he would lie if he said he didn't feel conflicted about it. The growing tent in his crotch for sure was happy about the situation but his rational brain told him that it was a highly bad idea to let this escalate any further. Not to mention it still hurt quite a bit. "N-not here, please… FOR FUCK SAKE!" Jake almost yelled as he harshly pushed Michael's face away. That made the man stop with a last tight squeeze on the boy's body making Jake gasp at the sudden pressure. They both froze, breathing quite heavily, although the boy wasn't sure if for the same reasons. With hands still plastered on Michael's pale mask, the killer was glaring at him from between his fingers. That stare carried with it a hint of frustration the boy had never seen before. After a moment Michael let out a quiet low groan as if to press the boy to explain himself before he loses his patience. Jake shivered at the sound that bore resemblance to a warning growl of a wild animal. He retracted his hands slowly and gently held on to Michael's arms that were still holding him tightly. Calming his breath he tried to think of what to say. Michael tightened his squeeze hurrying the boy to answer, making Jake let out a quiet whine. "I-I… want to continue but… not… not now…" Michael tilted his head at the words, his stare seemingly softening. Jake's cheeks were already hot but now it felt like his face would melt off from the overwhelming embarrassment. Did he really just admit to the killer that he wished to continue this… well…whatever that was? Yes… In fact he really wanted that… The excitement of the situation outweighed the fear and anxiousness. Maybe the sense of danger only fueled his newly found desires or maybe he was just desperate for some physical closeness despite how painful it was… He wasn't sure about the real reasons but he was quite certain that this whole experience weirdly turned him on and he didn't want it to stop. But that wasn't the best moment nor place for that. They were still in trial and his friends were probably worried sick of his prolonged absence. The longer he stays here the more convoluted lie he will have to tell them and that wasn't something he wanted to do. There has to be another way for him and Michael to meet and… well, explore each other. And since just now Michael quite strongly assured Jake that he's also interested in him, the boy was more than hopeful it could work out somehow. "We can… we can meet after the trial… " Michael slowly loosened his grip. "...If you want, of course." Jake wasn't looking at the Shape. He felt ashamed of how his body reacted and how his thoughts wondered about all the possibilities of what could happen if he let the situation go on for longer. He hasn't been intimate with anyone for a long time so he wanted to believe that his built up frustration was to blame. He cursed himself for falling for a literal murderer, but the thought of being at Michael's mercy filled him with excitement he never have felt before. It was dangerous but also getting any kind of response from the man other than a stab in the back, felt rewarding. The killer didn't give Jake any response and so the boy grew impatient again. He sighed and looked at Michael pleadingly, not knowing what to do or say anymore. But the killer stood unmoving just holding Jake in place, one hand on the boy's waist, the other still on his neck. And then he felt it. A far more gentle touch that was so unexpected it actually made Jake flinch. Michael's hand that was holding onto his neck before, slowly moved upwards, cradling the boy's face. Jake shivered as the killer's thumb lightly slided across his lips. Michael's hands were rough in touch, a bit calloused and dry. The man's breathing and radiating heat was almost hypnotizing before but right now the boy wasn't sure if he was dreaming it all or not. He looked into the killer's eyes again. Is there anything to read from them? He desperately wanted to believe that there is. They were seemingly empty, cold and absent. But there was something… a barely noticeable flinch of the eyelid, a subtle tenseness of brows… Michael was contemplating something, Jake was sure of that. The boy relaxed a bit, leaning into the killer's palm, soaking in the warmth and still trying to decipher what was going on inside the man's head. Their weird embrace might have lasted only a few seconds but to Jake it felt like forever. When Michael suddenly stepped back, taking his hands away from him, the boy instantly felt like something was missing. The coldness of the realm hit him fast making him yearn for the Shape's warmth again. But the killer slowly backed away, not taking his eyes away from a still quite shaken up Jake. Given the space he quickly tried to collect himself and fix his clothes, trying to somehow cover his still raging boner with his jacket. He awkwardly looked at Michael and cleaned his throat. "Uhm… I-I'll be going then…" Michael did not react but Jake took that silence as a permission for him to leave. He remembered hearing the hatch somewhere on his way here so he decided to look for it instead of going for the gate. He looked around, nervously glancing at the killer one more time before finally starting walking towards the place he thought the sound of escape was coming from before. He didn't get far as he felt that Michael was following him. He didn't turn around to check but he didn't have to, he could feel the stare plastered on his neck giving him shivers. As he was making his way through the realm he was wondering. How will he meet Michael again exactly? Where were they supposed to meet? At the border in the forest again? Or… The low hum could be heard and Jake finally spotted the hatch. As he approached it he finally turned around just to see the killer looking at him not so far away. The man retrieved the knife from the wall he stuck it in before and now he was holding it firmly in hand. They locked eyes and Jake felt his guts twist. He didn't want to leave. "See you soon." Jake gave the killer a small smile before jumping into the dark foggy pit. He woke up with a gasp back at the camp. The suffocating feeling while falling through the hatch always left him breathless. He looked around. His friends were waiting for him. With eyes wide, they seemed speechless seeing him at first. "Where have you been?!" Feng almost yelled. "Jake, what the hell took you so long?!" Meg asked loudly with clear concern in her voice and after her Claudette was next to speak. "We were worried sick… what happened there?" All the girls looked quite distressed but all Jake could think of right now is how to sit to hide his still apparent excitement. He shifted in his seat trying to not make it look awkward as he fixed his jacked to hide his lower parts. "Uh… I…" "Is he back? Jake, you alright?" Laurie was quick to show up before the boy could answer. She had a habit of joining other survivors after they had a trial with the Shape. Other than that she must have also been worried about Jake's prolonged absence. "I… uh… yea I'm fine." "Dude, seriously… What happened? You were gone… for like … I don't know… hella long" There was no real way to tell the time in the realm and while Meg tried to somewhat guess the duration of his absence Jake was thinking of what to say to them to explain his whereabouts. "What did Michael do this time? I mean… Girls told me what happened to them but what happened to you? Did you get out?" Laurie asked, sitting on a log beside him, as always curious how the match with her tormenter went. "I… No… I got mori'd…" "Oh, Jake… I'm sorry…" Said Claudette in a concerned soft tone and Laurie frowned and slowly shook her head. "Was there no chance to get the hatch…?" Meg asked and Feng nodded eagerly, also clearly curious at the answer. Usually after there was one survivor left standing, there was nothing else to do but play for the hatch. Both the survivor and killer would race to find it first and either one would escape through it or the other could shut it for good. "I was close… but… He chased me for a while…and I hid… but… um.. he cornered me and well…" Jake was scrambling to think of a plausible story. The girls were looking at him and each other and the boy hoped they didn't find any of this suspicious enough to question him more about it. "You managed to hold your own for quite a while there then." Said Meg seemingly impressed. "Y-yeah… too bad he cut me off…" "Damn it… It looks like if Laurie is absent he goes for you instead. He saved you for last… Kinda looks like he has a new obsession." Feng pointed out and Jake froze at that sentence. New obsession? Laurie was well known to be Michael's obsession but she wasn't getting anything else than brutally killed… That couldn't just be the case, right? He wasn't just some fleeting interest that will be thrown away for a new one after some time… right? Even if… does that even matter…? "Jake, are you… " Laurie's words made him snap away from his thoughts. Other girls were also looking at him concerned. "I-I'm ok… He's just… He is just a fucking killer after all. Who knows what the hell is going on in his head and you told us yourself that he likes to obsess so that's nothing unexpected…" Jake tried not to sound so nervous. "And like… I was just unlucky… the hatch must have spawned somewhere far away and… well… happens." He crossed his arms wanting to seem like this situation didn't faze him much. His friends were looking at him with sympathy, nodding their heads with understanding. Hatch spawns could be either very unlucky or straight up like a miracle, showing up almost under your feet. Laurie patted him on the back but Jake couldn't really look at her. He felt guilty lying to his friends, especially to her. He cleaned his throat and gave his companion a reassuring even if a bit nervous smile. "I… I think I'm gonna go…" "Sure Jake. If you need some time… get some rest." Said Claudette. "Yea… too bad you don't wanna stay." Feng was looking a bit disappointed but no one was surprised. Jake was thankful that all of them already accepted his solitary nature and weren't trying to stop him. The woods were cold and dark, but they were also quiet and somewhat private. And right now, he really needed some privacy. As he was standing up Laurie grabbed him by the hand. "Hey Jake… If you ever wanna talk, you know…" "I know Laurie… thank you." He gave her one last smile and the girl let go of his hand. As he was getting further from the camp he could hear the girls chatting again. He really hoped he didn't sound too weird to make them suspect anything… After all, some trials were more harsh than others and it wasn't usual for him to leave the fireplace shortly after they ended. The only unusual thing about it all was just how long it took him to get out of the match but even that wasn't that much out of the ordinary. He walked slowly between the trees, his eyes adjusting to the growing darkness. Back at the camp he was holding himself from thinking back about all that happend. But now, with no one around, his head was flooded with thoughts that made his cheeks grow hot again. Jake rubbed his face trying to think straight but… how could he after that. Michael didn't hurt him during this trial. He didn't chase him, didn't stab him… didn't even kick him or choke him like before. And even if the way that the killer was squeezing and rubbing his body felt a bit painful… it clearly wasn't intentional to bring him any discomfort. He saved the boy for last or… just saved him in general as it seemed that if Jake didn't approach him himself, the killer would just wait for him to leave. 'God… that was… that was so hot, fuck… why…' Jake had to find a place. A place to hide and take care of a growingly pressing matter in his pants.He somewhat promised Michael to meet him again, but there is no way he will do that in his current state. As much as he felt aroused by the man, he was still quite scared and didn't want to make any hasty decisions just because he felt lustful. Michael was still a killer, and trusting him because of the heat of a moment would be the dumbest decision he could think of.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Michael was sitting on his bed looking at his hands, opening and closing them slowly. He could still feel it. The soft body of the saboteur he got to squeeze and the unusual sounds he made while being touched by the man echoed in his brain. The memory on its own felt bizarre as he still wasn't sure what came over him when he decided to do that to the boy. Ever since Jake touched his chest in the forest, deep down he felt the urge to do the same and at that moment he just went for it.
The saboteur's bold action at the survivors' realm border took Michael off guard, it made his heart skip a bit but most importantly… Just as he wanted to see the boy again, the saboteur seemingly missed him as well. Or at least that's what he said. The killer had a hard time believing those words and even harder time denying the fact that he felt happy hearing them.
Michael tightened his hands into fists and took a deep breath. He somewhat regretted that he stopped the boy back then, that he took away his hand, but he didn't know how else to react at that moment. He somewhat hoped to scare Jake enough to make the boy stop this…well whatever that was. It made the man feel things that only put his already troubled mind into an even bigger confusion. He retreated into his realm not being able to handle the whole interaction anymore. He couldn't get his head off their meeting until his next match, wondering why such a simple touch made his heart race so fast.
As they unavoidably had a trial together, he still wasn't sure how to feel about the prior situation, and so he avoided the smaller man. He did his best to ignore Jake, to focus on getting rid of the others but the saboteur was annoying as always. He was ready to just let the boy go and be done with it but the saboteur followed him around much to his frustration. And in the end… There were just two of them left and the boy was more interested in nagging the killer instead of escaping the trial.
"You avoided me… why?"
He didn't answer.
"Michael! Why?!"
He had nothing to reply to that question.
"You… don't want to kill me, do you?"
He did… but also didn't. To be honest, he wasn't sure what he wanted to do with the boy anymore. He hadn't felt anything similar around any person before and at that point he would much prefer to not have to deal with it at all. But Jake…
"Give… give me your hand."
Huh? A hand? For what? Michael stared at the visibly nervous boy before him as he was reaching for something in his pocket. That pesky saboteur was truly bold to request something from him. Most of the people begged Michael for life or say something but here the boy just wanted a hand… so he extended it in anticipation.
Jake took something out of his pocket and placed it carefully on the killer's palm. A tiny round object revealed itself as the saboteur took back his hand.
Candy…?
"That's for letting me go… and also… sorry for getting too far back then… I-I shouldn't have…"
Michael's eyes kept slowly wandering from now red faced Jake back to the candy. A gift? When was the last time he got a gift? Must have been far back when he was still in the institution. Back when his parents still visited him as a kid… A very long time ago… That small object made his head flood with memories he didn't want to think about.
It was confusing. All of this was confusing. The boy's behavior was annoying and he wished it could stop. That it could go back to when he just chased him around and the saboteur ran away from him like everyone else instead of towards him. When it all was simpler.
As he slowly put the sweet gift into his pocket, Michael felt his gut fill with frustration he didn't know how to get rid of anymore. And then he snapped, grabbing the boy that was just about to say something. But it didn't matter. He pinned the saboteur to the wall and stuck his knife above his head. Now with a free hand he began to touch the boy's body, somewhat desperate to search for some kind of relief to his confusion. After all, he tried to kill the boy and that did nothing but made him feel worse. He tried letting him go and ended up missing his annoying presence. What else is there to do?
Bit by bit, seeing the reaction of the smaller man to being touched, Michael got more curious. The boy was letting out quiet sounds so different from the moans of pain he usually got to hear, so he pressed harder. Jake's face was red, his breath quick and uneven and his eyes were visibly avoiding Michael's stare. The different gasps and yelps that escaped the boy's mouth as various parts of his body were being squeezed, only fascinated Michael more and more. He couldn't take away his eyes nor hands from the saboteur. It actually was nice to see…
But Jake abruptly pushed him away, snapping the man from his focused fascination. With the saboteur's hands plastered on his face Michael felt his guts fill with anger, he was denied something he began to enjoy but… looking back at the scared man in his grip made him keep his composure. He felt the frustrated urge to squeeze the smaller man's neck until his eyes would pop out but he knew that would only make him feel worse. Killing the boy would only make things worse… With a low groan he nagged the scared man to speak instead and Jake schiverd at the sound but took his hands from Michael's masked face.
"I-I… want to continue but… not… not now…"
He… did? That information was not something the killer anticipated. Jake didn't sound like he was in pain but he wouldn't think he enjoyed that interaction either. And so he loosened his grip on the boy's neck. As always Jake's behavior was hard to decipher.
"We can… we can meet after the trial...If you want, of course."
Gears were turning inside Michael's head. If he continues now, the boy will probably be struggling, trying to push him away again and just be an unnecessary nuisance but if what the boy said was true… They will meet somewhere where there will be no distractions… And then what..? Continue? Continue what exactly…? What was the thing he was doing to the boy anyway…? And why did he somewhat enjoy it?
He must have stood unmoving for a while because the boy that just moments before was avoiding his gaze was now looking into his eyes pleadingly. Usually similar stares from his victims looked pathetic but Jake's looked just…
Pretty…
Michael's hand, almost on its own, slowly let go of the boy's neck and wandered upward to touch Jake's face. The saboteur's brown eyes were wide open and he shivered at the gesture that Michael seemingly had no control over. He just did it. At that moment he just wanted to feel the boy's face with his own hand and Jake, much to his surprise, leaned into this touch.
Holding Jake's face like that felt… nice… but as if forcing himself to break from some kind of spell, he let go of the boy completely. Jake looked a bit shaken and after awkwardly fixing his clothes it was time for him to go. Michael silently followed him until the boy found the hatch.
"See you soon."
Jake said with a faint smile before jumping into the foggy pit hole.
Soon…
Michael was still sitting in his room. Recounting everything that happened left him wondering. When and where exactly will they meet? Or maybe he got fooled into just letting the boy go… He preferred not to believe the latter. When he finally decided to go to the survivors' border in hopes that Jake would also be there this time, he felt that he was being called for a trial. There is little to no chance that the saboteur will be a part of this match so the visit will have to wait…
And he waited.
He waited for far too long. It has been probably ten or so trials now and he didn't see Jake during that time at all. He had no trials with him, he couldn't find him wandering near the border nor he hadn't had a chance to catch the slightest glimpse of him around the campfire… there was nothing. As if the boy just vanished all of the sudden.
Michael was disgruntled. With each new trial he looked for the saboteur and each time he was absent he grew more and more aggravated. And so with no better way to deal with his frustration he unleashed it at the poor survivors that were unlucky enough to face him in the trials. He had no mercy, all he could think of was that they were not the one he was looking for so they must be gone as fast as possible.
It wasn't always an easy thing to do. Some of those people had enough experience to put up a good fight but that didn't matter. Nothing really mattered more than the one person he was waiting for and had no luck in finding much to his disappointment. He just wanted to finish the trials fast and go check the campfire again. If Jake was not in the match he had to be there… right? He had to be somewhere.
He reappeared in front of his house after another uneventful, flustrating match. Which one was it already? He didn't bother to count anymore. A stomach turning anger was rising inside him as he made his way into his home. He slowly walked up the stairs and into the dim lit bathroom. Turning on the faucet, his eyes avoided the mirror above it.
He took off his mask, putting it aside on the sink. With the cold water he splashed his face trying to tame the anger still brewing inside him. He stared blankly at the bottom of the sink as the intrusive thoughts were buzzing in his head mixing with the sound of running water.
Was it all a trick after all? The saboteur had no real plans to meet him, did he? He just said those things to make the killer let go of him when it became too much to handle… The boy had to know. He had to know how confused he was making Michael feel and really just wanted to mess with him on a completely new level… He was a fool to even have the slightest hope of… something different.
With a sudden punch, a mirror that hung above the sink was shattered into pieces. Michael's hand was bleeding from the sharp glass that stuck into his skin but his breath was heavy not because of the pain. At least… not a physical one.
A bigger piece of the glass fell into the sink and Michael caught a glimpse of his bare faced reflection. Not much could be seen as most of his face was still obscured by untamed dark blond hair. With a hint of disgust, he stared into his own eyes.
Fool…
He was looking at one.
He stood there, stuck in self-loathing thoughts for a while but finally decided to move. After cleaning his cut hand he put his mask back on and went out of his house. He was heading towards the survivors camp. The last sliver of hope made him want to check it just one more time.
He slowly walked around the realm border, observing through the trees the people gathered around the fire. Even if at that point he didn't expect Jake to be there he was still disappointed in his absence non the less. He was calmer now, his anger died down and has been replaced by cold emptiness. A light buzz of incoherent thoughts filled his head once again, enveloping his mind in a static void. There was no point in lingering around anymore so after one more look, he made his way back home.
As he approached his realm, something struck him as odd in an instant. Something was different. When he got closer he noticed his house's front door slightly ajar. Unusual as he always closes them behind. Not to mention a dim light could be seen in one of the windows. It was rare for him to light up any lamps as well as to keep them on. But the most deeming evidence of an intrusion was a faint silhouette that Michael caught a glimpse of in another window.
With no doubt… Someone was at his house.
His fog filled mind was cleared by rising anger him once more. He wasn't in the mood for a company right now especially as he had a suspicion of who that might be.
Not so long ago his house got raided by the Legion who thought it would be funny to snoop around his property and break some things. It happened once, with a lot of his stuff being broken and sprayed on with some kind of paint. Of course the Entity has put everything back to normal after a while but the blatant invasion of his personal space was something that irritated him deeply. The second time they had tried to do the same, he was at the house, so he managed to scare them away before they even got close. Michael didn't feel like going after them at that time, mostly because that all of them were basically sprinters and he wasn't planning on running after them through the whole forest. But now… They must be trying their luck again… They got away scot-free before but if they think of making it a usual occurrence they have to be prepared to face the consequences.
Michael rarely put aside his weapon so when he entered his house he had his knife ready in hand. He was silent, carefully placing steps, making sure to avoid all the squeaky floor boards he knew of. At the same time he listened for any movement from the intruder. It seemed like there was only one of them. Fine. The less morons to deal with the better.
A slight creek could be heard from above. They had to be on the upper floor so Michael slowly went up the stairs. The corridor was empty but the bathroom door was slightly open. Michael went into the open room next to it instead. Slowing down his breath he waited.
After a minute or so, someone could be heard opening the bathroom door and stepping out of it. Michael patiently listened to the steps approaching in his direction. As they were getting closer, the killer tightened his grip on the sharp knife, getting ready to strike.
Just around the corner…
He rushed from around the door frame, grabbing the intruder, pinning them down to the corridor wall and without hesitation, sliding his knife deep through their stomach. He twisted the blade inside the flesh making his prey scream at the agonizing sensation. They will think twice before entering his home again. They will have to learn their lesson once and for all…
…???
Michael froze in place hearing the scream and finally taking a moment to look at the person he just stabbed. He blinked a few times not believing his eyes. Recognizing who it actually was that invaded his house made his stomach sink.
Jake…?
Wide open, brown eyes were staring at him with shock and fear. With whole body trembling, the saboteur coughed, spilling blood from his mouth onto Michael's hand that was holding the boy in place. What… What is he doing here?
No…
The man slowly took the blade out of Jake's body, making the boy quietly whine and hiss at the pain. He let go of Jake and took a few slow steps back. He didn't know what to do. Michael could only watch as the smaller man held onto his fresh wound and fell onto his knees. He was bleeding immensely… Michael knew where to cut to make it count and he would curse his accuracy right now if it wasn't for the panic that filled his head instead.
He acted on instinct. He did what he would always do. He would've never guessed that the saboteur would actually come all the way here. That he would risk going so deep into the fog. So far away from the safety of the camp… That was the last thing he would think was possible and the last thing he would hope for. He was ready to believe that the boy was avoiding him and yet… he came.
Jake was coughing at the floor, a growing pool of blood surrounded him and his whole body was trembling. With teary eyes, the boy raised his head slowly to look at Michael.
"I-I'm… sorry… I'm s-sorry…"
Jake's voice was weak and filled with remorse. But Michael couldn't move. He tightened his fists, gripping the bloody knife harder and watched as the saboteur slid slowly to the ground still trying to mutter apologies between his last breaths. The boy was looking at Michael as his eyes gradually grew empty and the body motionless.
And just like that, Jake was dead.
Michael couldn't move a muscle. He killed Jake again, and again it felt wrong. The twisting feeling of regret was growing inside him, making him feel nauseous to an even bigger extent than before.
He didn't mean to. He really wanted to meet that boy again. He waited for so long. He wanted to see him and to once again have a chance to figure out what it was that made him feel the way he felt around him.
I'm… sorry…
He didn't remember the last time he truly was.
He wasn't sure how long he stared at the body before finally bringing himself up to come closer. His moves were slow and dragged out, disturbed only by sporadic shivers he couldn't control. He was the cause of death so many times and yet this one shook him like none before. Maybe because it was the first that he actually didn't intend to happen.
He knelt down over Jake that laid face down on the blood stained floor. With slightly shaky hands Michael slowly grabbed the boy's shoulder and turned him around on the back, taking a closer look at the deceased body caused by his own doing. The place where he stabbed him was still slowly oozing blood and the lifeless eyes were looking into nothingness.
At that moment Michael wished they would instead look at him once again.
They were not in the trial. There was no way to end the match and reset things to how they were. Jake's body was deemed to stay here until The Entity would call the boy in for another match. That's at least what he hoped would happen. It worked like that with the killers. It wasn't uncommon that some disputes amongst them ended up in blood spill and sometimes even death but they all came back eventually. Even if that was one of the Legion he stabbed instead of Jake, their death wouldn't be permanent. No one could truly die without The Entity's permission.
An unpleasant shiver ran down Michael's spine. He couldn't look at Jake's face anymore, not in this state. Something in his blank stare made him uncomfortable so as gently as he could he closed the boy's eyes with his hand.
Sleeping…
Indeed, now the boy looked like he was. Michael observed Jake for a bit longer before cautiously picking the boy up. The floor was no place to sleep after all.
Despite how many times he already carried the saboteur before, this time his body seemed heavier than usual. It was also different to hold the boy in his arms instead of on his shoulder. Jake's body was getting cold and his limp head rested on Michael's chest. If the boy was still alive... would he let Michael hold him so close like that too?
He carried Jake into his room and laid his body carefully on his own bed. It didn't matter that the sheets would soak up with blood, he stained them himself countless times before.
Michael tried to recall the image of when he found the survivor sleeping in his house. It was the same room, the same bed and as best as he could he tried to position the boy the way he lied here before.
Jake's limbs gave no resistance, letting the man move them the way he wanted and in no time it really looked like he was just taking a nap. Michael tightened his fist again looking at the boy, now seemingly in peaceful slumber. He could only wait now. And so with nothing better to do, he laid in bed beside him.
Staring at the ceiling he tried to calm his head. His mind was hazy with feelings and thoughts he wished not to feel and for a long time he wasn't sure he still was capable of feeling some of them. He was sad, he was angry, he was sorry… And he didn't like it one bit.
Michael turned his head to face the familiar survivor. What was it about him? What was so special about the boy, really? He still wasn't able to put a finger on it and it was still hard to believe that Jake came all the way here…That he found his way here all alone. Micheal already knew that the saboteur was bold but not to that extent. He couldn't help the thought that it would have been such a great occasion and he messed it all up horrendously. Even if he usually wasn't very fond of guests… he wouldn't mind having Jake at his home.
He brushed a few locks off of Jake's cold face. He looked so dull now, like all the color was sucked off along with his life. Usually, the boy's skin was so different from his own as Jake's warm tone contrasted with the killer's pale complexion. But now, with all the blood loss the boy has suffered, the difference was less noticeable.
Michael wasn't one that cared much about looks but he had to admit to himself that he did consider Jake as appealing. He wondered if that might be one of the reasons why he was interested in the boy. Most of his life he thought of himself as above all the nonsense that comes with attraction. He didn't understand why people would want to get closer together more than necessary. Some people he encountered were more easy on the eyes than others but no one's company was more than tolerable for him… until now.
He let out a deep breath.
Wake up… soon…
Michael laid there, beside the corpse for quite a while. He could have fallen asleep but he didn't dare to close his eyes even if the sight of Jake's dead body brought him certain discomfort. He knew there was no chance for the boy to just magically come back to life but for some reason he still didn't want to look away just in case.
After some time that felt like eternity, a thick fog started to form around the saboteur. Is he being called for a trial? Or is he being taken into the void of death for good? The possibility of the last option made Michael's gut turn and so he instinctively grabbed the boy's cold hand. He held onto it until the body disappeared completely, leaving him laying alone in the bed.
He had to wait again.
The growing emptiness that he already got used to so long ago, now felt more lonely than ever. He might have wished to scare away Jake before but now he really hoped that didn't happen. The saboteur proved himself to be so quite determined but wasn't this incident just too much? Even if he killed Jake before, this time Michael felt like he might have crossed a line…
Michael closed his eyes and turned around in his bed. It soon might be his time to be taken into a trial too but for now he felt tired. He was drained emotionally and physically from all the time he was waiting on Jake's side. He closed his eyes and let himself fall asleep and with uncertain thoughts still buzzing in his head there was one thing he was sure of…
He is still gonna gut the next Legion member he sees, just for good measure.
With a sudden gasp, Jake woke up in the middle of a car wreck maze. He was breathing fast, sitting on a cold ground and holding onto his stomach where just mere moments ago was a gaping, bloody hole. He nervously inspected his body but… there was nothing. And most importantly… he wasn't at Myers's house anymore.
"What… what the fuck..?"
He asked himself while looking around. It hit him after a moment and instead of holding onto his now absent wound he grabbed his head. He aggressively ruffled his hair letting out a low frustrated growl.
"God Why? Why did I do that…?! He looked so angry… fuck, fuck, FUCK! I fucked it all up… I shouldn't have come there, fucking hell!"
He hid his face in his hands.
"I… I could have been dead for real…"
An image of Michael towering before him and holding a knife stained with his own blood flashed before his eyes. He shivered at the memory.
"Uuuyyghh… too bad I'm not…"
Jake knew that venturing beyond their camp safety was a great risk, but to be honest he mostly thought that if anything bad would happen it would be during his way into Michael realm and not in it. His quite high confidence in Michael's lack of desire to hurt him proved to be wrong. The killer did what a killer does, ended his life with no hesitation.
There was a good reason for Jake deciding to try and find Michael's home realm and it was that he grew impatient.
He clearly remembered their last trial. He remembered what Michael did to him and that he somewhat promised the killer to meet once again. But most importantly he remembered how the whole situation made him feel.
Jake hoped to not meet Michael too fast as he was still processing their last encounter but annoyingly enough when he did finlay felt ready to face the man again, they could not find each other at all. Jake had no trials with Michael nor was he able to meet him in the woods. At first he wondered if Michael didn't come to see him on purpose but soon enough he realized that when he had some free time, his friends were getting matches against Michael all the time. So they simply could just be passing each other. One was busy when the other had a break. It had to be either some bad luck or The Entity was fucking with them on porpuse.
Jake's patience was running low. The more time passed the more he wanted to see the killer again. He was tense all the time and had a hard time concentrating on his tasks inside the trials. He tried to keep it cool but he couldn't help but notice suspicious glances from others while he committed rookie level mistakes. His head was just too distracted and on edge and he couldn't help it.
It was exactly their eleventh match. They all managed to escape from the Legion and even if they technically won, the trial was miserable and they were pretty beat up after it. Jake as always didn't stick around for long and after a few uplifting post-game comments he left the camp and went to visit his usual spot. His friends stares followed him until he vanished into the forest. He was aware that they had to notice him acting even weirder than usual.
As he ventured deeper, he stopped near the foggy line. The woods behind it didn't look much different than the ones he was standing in right now, just maybe a bit darker.
"How long…? This has to be a fucking joke, really…"
In the past few days he made a habit of just sitting before the realm border, waiting for Michael to come to the same place they met before. But as he knew now, his friends were probably facing him right now. All of this was really unfortunate and Jake felt flustered at the fact that in the rare instance when he was ready to meet the man, he was nowhere to be found.
Jake kicked a pebble behind the border.
"Bullshit…"
He thought about just sitting and waiting here again but… what good came out of just waiting really? He glanced at the dark woods before him. They had to be stretching out much further than he could imagine… and somewhere there… must be Michael's home realm.
'Should I…? No… That's a stupidly dangerous idea.'
He could… He could try and find Michael's realm. Maybe he would meet him there… or maybe he could just leave a message, a note, anything? Just to give the killer some sort of sign. After all he was sure the man was also getting impatient, he knew that after all the stories his friends told him from their trials. Michael was getting more aggressive after every match, or at least that is what it seemed to be happening.
'Still… What if… What if some other killer will find me?'
Jake was still contemplating the possibility of venturing beyond their safe realm. It wasn't impossible. He wouldn't be the first to do it and come back alive. If all would go right, it might be worth it, even if highly risky.
'Fuck it… This place is a hell hole anyway.'
He took a deep breath and he stepped behind the foggy line. He didn't feel different in any way but he still felt his body tense up. For other people all the trees looked the same but Jake remembered the exact spot where Michael retreated after their meeting here and he headed in that direction. He hoped that the way Michael got here was in a straight line and not through any others killer's realm.
Jake felt pretty confident at first as nothing around him seemed unusual. But the deeper he got the thicker fog started rising from the ground. Like if he was stepping into deeper waters, slowly getting higher up to his waist and beyond. The visibility was also getting worse and the atmosphere was beginning to feel uncomfortable.
A sudden snap of branches almost made him jump. He stopped in his tracks looking around but didn't see anything.
'Must have been a… a rabbit or something.'
That was the only safe possibility he tried his best to believe. He was already too far in to just give up, even if the reality of possible danger finally sinked in. No backing up now. He is no quitter after all.
His pace now was slower and more cautious but still he persevered. He wasn't sure how long he was walking and how many micro jumpscares he experienced before noticing that the fog around him was slowly getting lower. He guessed that it must be a sign of him getting closer to another realm and sure enough he was right. First he noticed some lights in the distance and soon the fog disappeared almost completely, revealing the place he was looking for.
He was there. He was in Haddonfield.
The familiar street and buildings stood silently. But the whole scenery looked a bit different than he remembered it from the trials. There were no hooks, no pallets… the houses looked less run down and the wall that usually keept all the survivors in was gone too. There was no trash littering the road and if he didn't know any better he would think he was back in the real world.
Jake shivered as he both felt immense relief and excitement. He managed to make his way here on his first try and of course the fact that he was still alive was also uplifting. He looked around, even if he reached his destination he can't let his guard down like that. But there was no sign of life, only silence.
'Ok so, his house… is right there.'
Jake made his way towards the building he knew belonged to Michael. Still observing his surroundings he wondered… Are all killers realms so… clean? It kind of made sense that in their down time the hooks were gone but the change was really more noticeable than just that. Even if the absence of people felt eerie, it was also almost peaceful.
He approached the door. They were closed but as Jake reached for the handle they weren't locked and he opened them slowly. He stopped mid way realizing that maybe he should have knocked first and not just go in without invitation. And so he did.
"Hello? Is anyone... home?"
Jake asked quite loudly as he knocked. But there was no reply.
"Michael…?"
Still nothing. With a chill running down his spine he stepped into the house. As he looked around he noticed that the interior also looked much different and just overall better. No holes in the walls, no weird stains and ripped wallpaper and there was much more furniture than he remembered it being here before.
Jake's curiosity got the better of him and he decided to look around the rooms on the ground floor. After all Michael isn't home anyway and he should hae a bit of time to do so.
ON the left there was a basic living room with a familiar sofa and cabinets that weren't there before. On the right, a TV room with a television seemingly not broken like the one he remembered during the trials. He tried to turn it on, but to his disappointment it still only played static. At the back end of the house there was a room with potted flowers and plants that were surprisingly in good and healthy condition.Jake wondered if they are just like that or are they being taken care of. Just beside it was the kitchen which looked recently used as a bunch of dirty dishes were still sitting at the bottom of the sink.
"No way they got to eat… lucky bastards."
Jake felt jealous at the possibility of killers getting regular meals while the survivors basically lived off of scraps. He checked the fridge. It wasn't full by any means but… but still it contained some basic stuff like a half empty bottle of milk, butter, few eggs and a bit of cheese.
"God damned it… I can't just take any of that…"
Jake just swallowed hard and closed the fridge stopping himself from chugging down the remaining milk. The sight of it just gave him an appetite he had to contain for now. He didn't even dare to check the cabinets and only quickly exited the kitchen, walking through the dining room, back to the hallway. With the downstairs explored, he made his way upstairs.
The house itself wasn't really dark as a fair amount of light came through the windows, illuminating the rooms enough to see quite clearly. But the hallway was definitely the worst lit part of the house and so Jake looked for a light switch and soon enough the upper corridor became much brighter.
Now being able to see a bit better, Jake looked around. What room should he go into first? A door at the far back looked promising and so he slowly opened it. He was met with a simple bed and a vanity desk. It was a familiar room, one he had to run past on many occasions. It looked much cleaner and most definitely must have belonged to a girl.
'When to think about it… isn't it..?'
Michael's sister's room. His first victim that Michael killed and the exact place where he did it. Jake never thought about it much nor did he realize that before but now standing there he couldn't help but imagine the gruesome deed that has taken place here. He touched the vanity, collecting a bit of dust with his fingers. That room was a painful reminder of Michael nature so he exited it not wanting to linger in too much.
The next door…
'It has to be Michael's room…'
Not only that but it was also the room he remembered falling asleep that one time and the reality of that experience hit him.
He was actually sleeping in Michael's bed. It was his room… and back then he just laid in the killer's bed. Jake's face turned red as he took back his hand from the door knob.
'N-not yet…'
He will save that room for last.
He turned around instead and noticed the door that usually was blocked off by various things. It was inaccessible during the trials but now it seemed like he could enter it no problem. And so he did and it turned out to be a bathroom. It had a simple toilet and a bathtub but what caught his attention was the sink. It was covered in blood and the mirror above it was barely hanging on, shattered into pieces that laid scattered around the floor.
The sight was alarming. It clearly looked like the glass was broken by someone and it most definitely had to be Michael.
'God... what happened here…'
Jake thought as he got closer to the sink. While inspecting the site he wondered what made Michael do this… and how painful it must have been to have all that glass stuck into the skin. The killer must have been angry at something… or someone.
Jake let out a deep breath. The man clearly had anger issues despite his usually quite stoic demeanor. Even as he pursued the survivors he looked a bit stiff and wasn't really one to display any unnecessary movements. After all, a lot of times he wasn't even moving at all and just stared, still and unmoving instead. Even if the thought of it was scary, Jake couldn't help but somewhat want to see the killer in a state like that. To witness a moment of those build up emotions bursting out of a seemingly emotionless being. But in a safe distance of course… far from possible punch trajectory. It wouldn't be worth it to end up like that mirror.
The boy caught himself staring at his own reflection in a large glass shard that laid at the bottom of the sink. He can't waste his time like that, after all he isn't sure how much of it he has left. If he wants to ease his curiosity and still at the same time leave a message for Michael he has to keep up the pace. There are two more rooms to explore after all.
He exited the bathroom and slowly made his way to the next door. As he was about to enter it… All air escaped his lungs as he suddenly felt himself get grabbed and pushed against the wall. Jake couldn't contain his scream. He didn't have a moment to think about what was going on as a piercing pain of cut flesh radiated from his torso. And just a second later an even worse sensation spread through him as he felt the sharp objects inside him twist harshly.
With all body shaking from shock he looked up, meeting his stare with a black eye holes of a familiar mask.
'Michael…?'
He tried to say something but coughed instead, spilling blood from his mouth. The man was holding the boy tightly by his neck against the wall. Jake could hear the killer's quick, muffled breath and soon felt the knife untwist painfully before being retrieved from his body.
He could barely stand, his legs felt weak and as he held onto his wound the amount of blood flowing out was more than worrisome. He slid down to the ground and looked up at Michael who stood just a few steps away from him. The man's presence felt terrifying. He just stood there, unmoving, just glaring silently at Jake that tried his best to stop the blood flow. But the damage was too severe to do anything about it now.
"I-I'm… sorry… I'm s-sorry…"
He mustered out those words but to no reaction from the man. He couldn't think anymore. His head was hazy with all the blood loss and all he could do was just repeat those words over and over again, desperately looking at the towering killer above him. But he got nothing back but a cold empty stare. And as his consciousness slowly began to fade into darkness…
He woke up in a trial as if nothing had happened.
"Jake? You fine?" Meg's voice snapped him out of his flashbacks.
"I… Y-yeah." He said, trying to sound believable. He hoped he didn't look too shaken. Meg squinted her eyes in suspicion but then just crouched beside him, cautiously looking around.
"Ok… well… I caught a glimpse of Wraith sneaking around so we gotta be careful. We got Kate and Yui on our team and we are prepared for some looping action."
The girl said the last sentence with a smile. The three of them probably went in with a plan this time and Jake was ready to comply.
"Alright, so… I do the gens then, right?"
Meg nodded.
"Yea, just do the work and the rest leave to us. For now we can find a gen together and we will see how it'll go from there. "
Jake also nodded and they headed in the direction of a nearby generator to start things off.
The trial went pretty well. The girls managed to occupy the killer for quite a while, looping and basically bullying the poor Wraith that was visibly struggling to keep up with them. Jake managed to calm down and focus on the gens, sometimes only sabotaging or healing his friends to help them keep going.
Everyone got hooked at least once and Kate unfortunately got sacrificed at the last moment but the rest of them managed to escape. The match could be considered a success. The killer's job was to torment them but in rare cases like this they were the one that made the monsters struggle and fail miserably. Not to mention, The Entity, even if she demanded sacrifices, also didn't mind feeding off the killer's frustration and rewarded the survivors generously for messing with them and doing their part of the job as well.
When they all reappeared at the camp their mood was quite good. Even Kate despite being sacrificed was laughing as they recounted all the pallet stuns and flashlight saves they managed to hit the Wraith with.
"Oh Jake, you should have seen it! Dude was so disoriented at some point, he tried to get me but then he saw Kate and I think he couldn't decide who to attack so hit the wall instead!" Yui was gesturing enthusiastically.
"Damn and how do you rate my flashlight save? He tried so hard to get us away from Yui and still at the end he got double blinded!" Meg giggled.
"Ah too bad I got hooked. But it was still kinda fun. You did pretty well too, Jake! Good thing you found that medkit, we would be screwed if you didn't become our field medic!" Kate grinned and patted Jake on the back, the other girls nodded their heads as well.
"Yeah, but you all still did most of the work. I literally just heard the screams and stuns. You got him so mad! I bet he'll have nightmares about you three."
They all were laughing. Trials like that made the whole thing just a bit less grim. It gave them a little bit of motivation to keep going and try their best regardless of the miserable situation. Teamwork makes the dream work as they say.
As the girls were still chatting, Jake's smile slowly vanished as he remembered what happened just before that trial. Suddenly the pain of the stab wound he suffered came back and even if the boy was aware it was just a phantom sensation he still held onto that part of his body. On top of that a twisting gut feeling was growing inside him making Jake anxious and he felt like he was about to cry.
He excused himself shortly and quickly walked into the woods. His friends didn't even have time to say anything, Jake only heard Meg yell after him something he didn't quite catch as his mind was too occupied trying to not burst into tears right then and there. That must have looked super weird but that was the last thing he cared about.
He walked until he couldn't see the campfire light. And as he finally sat under a tree he let it all out, tears falling down his cheeks uncontrollably. He wasn't really crying from sadness but more from nervousness. His body was releasing build up emotions and Jake didn't try to stop it, he had to get it out of his system. He didn't think, he just let it happen.
After a while his violent sobs turned into quiet weeping and eventually with slow deep breaths he managed to calm himself down. He leaned on the tree looking up to the dark sky.
'What do I do now…?'
He wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
'I invaded his privacy… Of course he was mad… Did I screw everything up? Will it all go back… to how it was? God damnit…'
He smiled to himself, feeling really stupid. He really caught some feelings for someone who might not have any whatsoever and it all seemed so absurd. And to even cry over it? Ridiculous. In the end, the predicament he was caught in right now was of his own doing and he had only himself to blame for it.
He rubbed his face, exhaling deeply. He felt much better after letting himself cry. He didn't do that often but he knew that keeping it in for too long only makes things worse. With no one around to judge him there was no reason to try and look tough. He had no strength at that moment to do that anyway.
He hugged his knees tighter to his chest and shivered. Away from the campfire it was so… cold. Jake's mind wandered back to the warmth he felt from Michael's touch. A touch that he now knew was able to be gentle asmuch as hurtful. The campfire was nothing compared to the weird pleasure of a warm embrace but Jake shook his head snapping away from the thoughts.
'Enough…'
Whatever it is that he still feels towards The Shape, can't blind him like that anymore. It made him fail his friends in trials, it made him distracted and less reliable and now it got him killed outside the survivors realm. He was lucky that he was still alive, that it didn't end up worse. That he didn't wake up in a dark void, a trash site for the used survivors with no purpose and reason to go on. Whatever it is that he hoped for… It can't keep pushing him to make such dumb decisions.
Maybe he should have had more patience. They would have a trial together sooner or later after all and everything could have been resolved much better…
If they were to meet with Michael in a match again, he has to be ready to just work as usual. His friends and the outcome of the trial has to be a priority. He can stand his ground if Michael decides to play for real just as before and if he gives him a free pass… he is going to take it no questions asked.
It was stupidof him to throw himself into the killer like that, to follow him around and nag him for his clearly selfish reasons. And as Jake closed his eyes, still hugging his knees, he tried to think of something else than the image of Michael standing above with a bloody knife. But his phantom wound still numbly hurt him, reminding him of those dark, empty eye sockets that observed him until he died. Maybe there was something more to Micheal than others would think… but it still didn't mean he isn't also who they say he is… a stone cold killer.
But either way… there was nothing else to do now but wait, for whatever their next meeting may entail.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Jake opened his eyes in a familiar setting of Mount Ormond. One of his most preferred realms due to its size and better visibility. Despite the snow and freezing cold it was still brighter than some of the other places which was a nice exception. He was standing in the killer shack near a generator and right beside him was also the entrance to the basement. He rubbed his hands together to warm them up. He didn't bring gloves with him this time but still was lucky enough to wear his usual jacket and long pants, not like some of the other survivors… "Brrr… god I hate it here." Jake heard a girl's voice behind him. He turned around and saw Kate rubbing her shoulders and visibly shivering. "No wonder… you're dressed so skimpy. Totally not for the occasion." He said somewhat teasingly, noticing that she was wearing her usual shorts and sleeveless top. "Oh shut up Jake! At least I'm not wearing only three different jackets all the time…" Jake just rolled his eyes but smiled either way and so did Kate. They were just bickering and it was true that he wasn't one that was going for style when it came to clothes. He much preferred to be dressed conveniently more than anything but there was also nothing bad with others wearing things just for the looks. Well… nothing until they just so happen to be sent to a snowy realm like this one. "You know who else is with us?" Jake asked. "Hymm… I know Claudette was pulled but I don't know who is the fourth." "Alright… did you bring anything with you?" "Yea I got a medkit. And you?" "Aagh… Nothing… but since it's already here… I'm gonna check out the basement." Kate gave Jake a look that clearly said 'really?' which made Jake feel kind of embarrassed. For quite some time he wasn't performing that well in trials, forgetting or not even bothering to bring items or offerings with him. Also this time with the recent incident still weighing on the back of his head, he forgot to prepare anything. He promised himself to not think about Michael anymore at least for now, to focus on the trial and survival, wanting to go back to his old habits. He wasn't a newbie after all and he knew he could do better. Kate crouched near the generator and began her work while Jake made his way down the stairs to the basement. He quickly found the chest and found a good quality toolkit.
'Jackpot.'
A gen got finished somewhere further away.
'Good…I wonder who it is this time…?'
It wasn’t his first match after his unfortunate death caused by Michael and he was somewhat glad to be given a longer break before being dragged into another trial. He was able to calm down and get somewhat ready mentally for what's to come but he didn't actually expect Michael to be their killer this time… And so when he was reaching the end of the stairs and saw the white masked man grabbing Kate of the gen just before him… he was stunned. The girl yelled as the killer yanked her over his shoulder. Luckily Michael must have not noticed him peeking from the staircase so despite the shock, Jake braced himself and sneaked out of the building to wait for the killer to hook his friend and go away. He could go for sabotage but… he really didn't want to face Michael at that moment. Was the Entity's roulette really so ironically cruel to put them both in a trial so shortly after what happened. And all that just after he lost his patience and went to look for Michael himself? That had to be on purpose to mess with him. The thought that if he waited just one or just even two more trials, he would meet Michael again and things could possibly go different… made his stomach twist.
'This gotta be a fucking joke…'
Kate got hooked right beside the shack and Jake went around it to get closer to her. Michael didn't waste time and went back in to destroy the gen progress. Jake's heart slowed down and he no longer felt the killer's presence so he quickly approached the hook to get his friend off of it. As he did that, he saw Michael peeking through the shack window.
'Fuck…'
Michael saw him too… The killer menaged to tier up right after hooking Kate, probably getting a glimpse of his other teammates but what now? Did he learn how to tier down to go undetected again? Jake asked himself those questions as he was trying his best to move but he was stuck to the ground as if Michael was holding him down with his stare. It was Kate that tucked him harshly by the sleeve that snapped him away back to reality. "Don't fucking feed him!" The girl whispered nervously before running away. Jake knew quite well what she meant so he turned around and also ran as fast as possible. He is not gonna risk the possibility of Michael deciding that one time killing the boy won't be enough of a punishment for his trespassing. So no playing around… Not this time. Jake didn't look back if the killer was following him or not but he seemingly preferred to go after Kate again. Whatever… It's not like he wanted to have the killer's attention on him right now anyway. He felt uneasy but forced himself to focus on the usual tasks that were more important than whatever Michael was up to this time. He stuck with gen work, managing to finish two while his friends ran Michael around. They did a good job at avoiding him and rescuing one another and even finishing one gen in the meantime. It all gave Jake the precious time he needed. He had to hide sometimes to not get spotted but Michael was seemingly too occupied with chasing his friends to notice him. He was on his way to a third and last gen that was left to do, when he felt the killer's nearing presence. He hid behind some rocks and looked around in hopes of finding the killer before being found himself. Soon enough he saw Michael but the man was chasing Ace that was already injured. His friend did his best to avoid the Shape but it didn't take much for the killer to finally strike the man down. Jake couldn't do much as the guy was on his second hook but he realized that there was still some juice in his toolbox that he could make some use of. The boy watched as the killer picked up his teammate with ease and turned to the nearest hook. Jake beelined for it and managed to break it in time but as he looked up he saw Michael standing much further than he expected with Ace still struggling in his grasp. Their eyes met and Jake couldn't help the thought that the killer looked somewhat… disappointed? Who knows... He wasn't planning to stick around to find out. As mere moments later Ace finally wiggled out of the killer's arms making the large man groan angrily, Jake was already running away. But this time… Michael followed. 'Good…. Let's see If I still can loop you as before.' Jake thought looking behind him at the Shape getting closer to him. He wasn't going to give up and was ready to try his best. It's been some time since he had a legitimate chase with Michael but he was sure he is still able to outrun him again. The boy ran into the nearest rock formation with a pallet to spin the killer around for a bit. Michael was not someone to underestimate, he might be one of the slowest killers but he wasn't a dumb one and if Jake wouldn't be careful enough he could end up out mindgamed quite quickly. The boy already got a close call as Michael managed to catch up to him while he ran to the next nearest jungle gym structure. He heard a whoosh of cut air as Michael striked… And missed by just a few inches. A familiar surge of adrenaline made Jake's heart beat faster realizing that… he might have somewhat missed their chases. He avoided the killer, swiftly jumping through the windows and vaults making the man miss even more hits. Anytime it happened it was immensely satisfying. Unfortunately Michael backed away from all the pallets but at some point he grew more desperate trying to finally get the smaller man and ultimately got hit hard by one of them. A familiar pained groan echoed in Jake's ears as he seized the occasion and quickly crouched to get out of the killer's sight. He closely followed the wall to a nearest locker and waited for Michael to break the pallet before getting in. The boy hoped that the loud sound would deafen the rusty locker door and help him lose the killer for some time. While standing inside, Jake tried his best to control his own breath. He needed a break from the chase and if his timing was good, the man shouldn't have heard him getting in. He stood quietly, trying to calm down from the adrenaline rush he just experienced. No killer made him feel so excited during a chase like Michael did. Jake smiled to himself a bit proud of his diversion. He bought his teammates quite some time so in any moment they should be able to finally get out of here. While observing through the crack, the Shape walked into his view. It was at this point that Jake noticed how out of breath Michael seemed. His chest moved up and down much quicker than usual and he was noticeably shaky. He seemed angry, very angry and the tightly gripped knife meant only that he was not in a mood for fooling around anymore. The man looked around for any signs of the boy but after a moment his body relaxed and he froze in place. Michael stood unmoving for a few seconds before slowly facing the locker Jake chose to hide in. 'F-fuck…' The boy shivered, feeling Michael's stare now on him as if the locker wasn't even there. Maybe deciding to hide in a first and closest place wasn't that great of an idea... The locker doors were opened with a loud bang and Jake was met with a knife stuck near his face and a hand on his neck. He hadn't had much time to think before he got grabbed and harshly put over the man's broad shoulder. He wasn't gonna go without a fight so he struggled as hard as he could, kicking and hitting the man's back making him fail at walking in a straight line but it wasn't enough to get away in time. The hook was too close, his friends too far away, Michael's grip too tight. Jake gritted his teeth, stopping himself from screaming at the very familiar piercing pain. No matter how many times he already experienced it, it never felt any less terrible to get hooked. The situation on its own really wasn't that bad as it was his first hook and there was only one gen to go. His teammates were probably already finishing it so there was still a chance to get out of this alive. But Michael…. was not going anywhere. He was just standing before him, looking up at the hanged man that tried his best not to cry out… Just as he thought, the sound of the last generator springing to life could be heard in a far distance but Michael didn't go to investigate. He didn't even turn around, just stayed in place, still quite out of breath, staring at Jake. ' What is your fucking deal man…? ' The boy thought holding onto the hook. The killer was standing still, breathing steadily, visibly more calm than moments before. He was just looking as if… waiting? Jake thought about what Michael wanted this time. Was he expecting an apology? That could be the case… even if Jake explicitly remembers saying sorry multiple times after being stabbed. The killer could just want to see him beg for forgiveness or something… and that thought made Jake feel angry. Angry at himself, at Michael, at this whole predicament that he put himself into. He wanted to play this dumb game for real this time but he failed, ending up at Michael's mercy once again. He could have done better and he could have kept up the chase for longer if he didn't choose to hide right away in that damned locker. And did it have to be Michael this time, really? Out of all the killers…? But despite his infuriation, he had to admit that deep down he felt happy to see the Shape again. Despite the terror, despite the struggle and pain the man inflicted on him so many times already, he still wanted to meet Michael again. That realization only made his frustration stronger. It mixed with rising hopelessness and he cursed himself for his stupidity. But what the hell… he might as well give Micheal what he seemingly wants. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry, ok!? I shouldn't have come to your house…" He said despite the pain in his chest. He could just say he's sorry and leave it at that… But no matter how pointless it seemed, he felt the need to explain himself. "I wanted to see you… I-I really did. I couldn't find you a-anywhere… we had no trials together-r and I j-just… went looking f-for you…" Jake was holding back tears. Speaking with a hook in his chest was already hard enough and the overflow of emotions was not making it any easier. "I'm sorry…" The pain felt numb at this point and all the anger had left him replaced only by an overwhelming wave of sadness. He looked back at Michael, not really expecting anything but to his surprise the killer lightly shook his head. "W-what…? I… shouldn't be?" The man nodded slowly and Jake felt confused at the answer. He shouldn't be sorry? Why? He clearly thought that he got the killer mad by entering without permission, that he stepped out of line and broke some thin thread of trust they shared… if there even was one. Not to mention, he hit him hard with that pallet just now… Micheal should be furious as far as he knew but the way he acted now… "That… was an accident?" Another nod. 'Fuck…' Jake exhaled deeply despite the pain, feeling as if a tight knot that was tying his guts for a while now was cut loose. He was so sure of Micheal being mad at him, so ready to just accept that he may never be actually able to get close to the man again that he didn't expect the relief he felt when he turned out to be wrong. So it really was just a stupid misunderstanding? God damnit. Jake let out another pained, shaky breath. It was hard to speak with a bunch of metal sticking out of his chest but he still made the effort to do so. Since there is no way to tll when he might have another chance, he has to make some things clear now. "Michael… Y-you have to know… I want to meet with you at-t your house… A-and I will come at the first op-portunity I'll get. Okay? I'm telling you this because I d-don't want to end up dead on the floor a-again…" Jake looked at Michael with a more serious face and the killer answered him with a nod. 'Good…' He wanted to sigh again but the hook prevented him with a sudden sharp pain, so he quietly hissed halfway off letting out his breath. His visit didn't work out the first time but it was clearly because of their lack of communication. Micheal didn't expect to have a guest so he just defended his territory… In his state of shock and panic as he got stabbed, the sight of Michael was terrifying for Jake and made that whole situation feel like a betrayal. But the killer must have been shocked as well and just simply not know what else to do other than watch him bleed out. And now, they both knew the truth behind each other's actions. As they were having their moment, the gate in the far back was opened. None of his friends came near, probably already seeing from the distance that Michael was still lingering around. The killer looked at the direction of the exit and back at Jake as if asking why nobody came for the rescue. "They won't come here… they see you camping…" Michael tilted his head as if not understanding what he meant. Jake scoffed. Did he never hear of such an expression as camping? And from the others perspective he was literally face camping him. The killer stood still for a second as if thinking and then started walking away from the hook, probably in hopes that the other survivors could still unhook Jake in time. "N-no… Don't leave!" Jake tried to grab onto Michael but he was too far away already so the boy only catched some air. That must have looked pathetic but it worked as the killer stopped and moved closer to the boy again. "I won't make it to the gate anyway…so just… please… stay." He said it quietly, somewhat ashamed of this request. The fact that the killer was ready to make some space to let him be rescued was already surprisingly… sweet. Jake's face for sure would be bright red now if it wasn't for the blood loss from hanging for so long. The clock was ticking and the ground pulsated more and more angrily. Since his friends opened the furthest gate, even if Michael would step away now, they would have to be very fast to even have a chance to get him off the hook and run back to the gate in time. He knew that it was too much of a risk since all of them got hooked at least once. But he was fine with that outcome. The killer decided to stay by his side after all so he at least won't be alone in the end. Michael looked up at Jake and then down for a moment before slowly reaching out to grab Jake's hand. The boy was stunned as he felt his bare skin touch Michael's. The large hand embraced his own almost entirely. Ever since he gave Michael the candy and missed the opportunity to touch the killer's hand, he somewhat unconsciously avoided wearing gloves… and he couldn't be more thankful to himself for that now.The killer's hand felt rough in touch and just as he remembered… it was pleasantly warm, so strikingly different from the usual coldness of this world they were trapped in. The killer looked up at Jake again, holding his hand in a way that could be considered gentle and despite his embarrassment, Jake lightly squeezed it back. ' Fucking hell… What did I get myself into… ' He thought to himself but he would be lying if he said he wasn't glad everything turned out the way it did. A literal serial killer was holding his hand and keeping him company as he was about to die… it was bizarre to say the least but filled Jake with a certain excitement. It felt special. He was proven again that Michael was capable of gentleness… and the boy hoped that he could experience more of it. A part of Michael that for all he knew, only he could see. "You know…dying like that isn't half bad…" He said with a weak smile which only made the killer tilt his head again. It was a bit embarrassing to die on a first hook but at least Michael's camping trip will be to blame for that. It didn't take long for his friends to finally start leaving one by one and at any moment now he would be pulled up by the Entity's black claws. Someone was still lingering at the gate so Jake just squeezed Michael hand harder waiting for the inevitable moment of death. And when it finally came, painful as it obviously was, he still left the trial with less regrets and much more hope for what's to come.
He woke up back at the camp, his chest still hurting despite his wounds already gone. His teammates were waiting for him as always. "I'm so sorry Jake! He was just…" "Camping? Yea I noticed." Claudette clearly felt bad for leaving Jake behind. And not only her but the rest of the team also looked quite beat up over that fact. They were sitting around the fire and the girl was as always first to approach and sit right beside him. "Sorry… " She apologized again. "Hey… no problem really. At least you guys got away… all though you could have made up your mind quicker and not leave me hanging there for so long." Jake scoffed but he really meant only half of what he said. Them leaving without him wasn't something he would be mad about anyway but he was actually thankful they stayed for as long as they did. Without it, he wouldn't have had that much time to speak to Michael. "Agh man, it always sucks… I would go to get you off but I was already on my second… and you know…" Ace was gesturing as if there was nothing he could do right then and really Jake couldn't care less about it. "I already told you it's fine. So don't stress over it." "Uh yeah and thanks for the rescue, man." Jake just nodded. Meanwhile Kate looked deep in thought. "Did he ever do that before?" She asked. "Camp? Not as far as I remember... He always tried to get the rest and didn't linger much... Weird shit." Ace was right. That wasn't something Michael did. Sometimes killers liked an easy kill and just guarded the hooked survivors. Some did that more than others but Michael wasn't one of them. Getting people rescued from camping was always tricky and without a good plan it often ended up in tragedy… Sometimes it was better to just let one person die so the rest could get away otherwise they risked all of them dying off rather quickly. One dead was better than four afterall. "What did you do to make Myers camp you, man?" Ace asked, scoffing and Jake just shrugged. He knew the reason quite well but they didn't have to. "I'm just too good." Jake stretched out his arms as if he didn't even break a sweat during his chase with Michael. "Too good and he knew that I would be trouble if any of you got me off." He chuckled and his friends also looked a bit amused by his words. He did loop him quite well and bought them enough time to do the remaining work. Just like the good old times, before he got closer to the man… before even the sight of the Shape was enough to distract him completely. "You haven't had him in a trial for a while now right? He must have missed you or something, man." Ace was obviously joking but that made Jake chuckle nervously. It really turned out that the killer must have missed him at least to some degree. "Well… I'm glad you are alright Jake." Claudette put a hand on his back, she still had a bit of guilt in her eyes. "Yea… to be honest you seemed a bit off recently. And you didn't even want to talk with us much anymore… I mean… even less than usual." Said Kate and everyone else nodded in agreement. Jake swallowed hard. There it was… The topic he much dredded would come up soon again. He somewhat managed to go without talking about it for a while and really hoped that he could avoid it entirely but what could he do now… escaping to the woods as usual will only make things worse and make him look more suspicious. "I… yeah. Sorry…" "I don't know if the whole self isolation is doing you any good, pal. I get it, I really do… A man needs his alone time and all…" "But we were worried!" Ace was speaking but Claudette jumped in before he finished. "You're probably sick of people telling you that you can talk to us but we really mean it." Kate was sitting crossed armed with a bit more serious look on her face. "Guys… I know." Jake rolled his eyes but his friends' stares were nagging him silently to explain himself. He was getting short on good excuses for his behavior. It sucked to avoid others like that and keep them in the dark, especially as they all were so supportive of him regardless of his recent slip ups and bad performance. But in a way they were right. He was definitely acting noticeably strange and if he keeps this up it will only get more suspicious and put not only him but also them in more trouble. He may tell them one day… but right now he has to figure things out by himself and he just needs more time to do that. "I think you're right Ace… l'll try to spend more time at the camp… I just was just… kinda overthinking stuff too much. Maybe some distraction from that would be…a nice change I guess." He said deciding that it would be the best option. He can at least make some effort to make them less worried. "That's great to hear man! Shit's not looking bright but at least we're in it together." "Yes! It's always nice when you stay, Jake." Claudette said, smiling sweetly, making Jake's chest tight. Oh how could he have disappointed his friends like that. How could he make them worry over a stupid crush? She and all the others only suffered because of him being distracted, causing many trials to go worse than they could. He was so infatuated with Michael, wondering and anticipating their next meeting, that he grew distant with them. And they were the only ones that he could truly trust in this nightmare world. They had time and Micheal could wait just a bit longer. So today he decided to spend the rest of the night with his fellow survivors and tomorrow… He'll finally pay Michael a much awaited visit. Hopefully, this time… he will come out of it alive. Jake's friends for sure were happy to see him finally in a better mood, even if they didn't know the true reason for a smile he couldn't contain. Things for the first time in a while were looking better and having something to look forward to was a nice change over dreading another day of unavoidable suffering.