Archive of Our Own

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Nothing. An absolute nothing. That was my memory. I couldn't remember anything from before I woke up. Sure, I still knew my name and age, I still knew how to speak and think and write, and I remember expressions and analogies, but nothing from before that. I couldn't remember my family, if I even had one. I couldn't remember if I had siblings or if I was an only child. Was I adopted or an orphan? Did I have a happy family before this? I couldn't be certain about any of it.

What I do know, is that I woke up in a completely white room, a room with no doors or windows, a room that seemed to be perfectly square. There were no decorations or furniture, only a single, small cot. It had a white frame and a white sheet over the mattress. No pillows or blankets, however. The walls and the floor all seemed to be made of the same material, and there were no signs of any seams in the room, it was all a single, smooth, solid mass that made up the cube.

To match the room, I was in a plain white loose t-shirt, with a pair of loose white pants, the bottoms of which dragged across the floor. They felt soft, and like they were made up of the same type of fabric, but I wouldn't tell if it was cotton or silk, it just felt different from any other type of fabric I've felt, that I had the vaguest memory of.

Feeling along the walls, everything felt just too smooth, impossibly flat. Not a single bump or scratch adorned the colorless room. A single flat light fixture was attached in the middle of the ceiling. It was inlaid into the material that made up the room, and no string hung from it, and there were no light switches to turn it off. The light made the white room seem blinding, and soon, it was starting to give me a headache.

I would tap along the walls, trying to find out if anything sounded hollow. I knocked along each of the four walls, all sounding solid until I got to the last one, only a small area of it sounded hollow. But besides that, there was nothing else. I tried to punch the hollow-sounding spot, but nothing happened, minus the pounding in my knuckles and wrist, though I didn't punch hard enough to cause my hand any damage, only some slight pain.

With no sense of time or space, I simply sat down on the cot and waited. Spacing out into my thoughts seemed to help pass the time, but it felt grueling and slow. I wished that there at the very least was a clock, just something that could give me a vague idea of time. I could have sat there for 10 minutes or 10 hours, I couldn't be sure.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when a loud hissing sound echoed through the room, sounding deafening in the utter silence of the cube. I jumped to my feet, whipping my head around until my eyes landed on one of the walls. The material seemed to melt in a line, forming a rectangle-shaped seam, like that of a doorway. There was another hissing sound, followed by a soft clanking, and the rectangle began to move, rising up and melting into the material of the wall above it. Standing in the new doorway was a woman. She was tall with dark skin, her amber eyes piercing into my own eyes, seeming like she was staring into my soul. Her curly hair was pulled back tight into a bun, and a pair of white-framed glasses sat on her nose.

She seemed rather muscular from what I could tell, though most of her body was covered by an entirely white uniform. She wore a simple button-up blouse and what seemed to be a lab coat, with a pair of straight pants that were rolled up at the bottom, just above her pure white sneakers. Her clothes were free from only wrinkles or stitching seams, they seemed to have been molded straight onto her body. She looked so dangerously beautiful, and it made my skin crawl. In one hand, she held a white clipboard, while her other hand was placed on the wall next to the now open doorway, which soon fell to her side, holding what seemed to be a keycard, and around her wrist was a bracelet with keys and other cards dangling from it. Pinned to her coat was a silver name tag, with stark black writing on it, though from the distance between us, I couldn't make out her name.

"Follow me." Her voice sounded empty, void of any emotion, but it held so much authority in it. My body felt rigid, but considering what would be in my best interest, I did as she told me. I took a careful step forward, the cold of the floor soaking into my feet, then another step, slowly approaching her. She turned on her heels, her sneakers squeaking on the floor. Her walk was brisk and fast, her long legs carrying her far. I had to speed walk to catch up to her, and behind me, another hissing sound grabbed my attention. Turning my head, I watched as the wall melted back together, becoming solid once again, but next to the door was a stark black keypad, with a glassy panel above it.

We were walking through an empty hallway, although a few times we would pass by a few of those same black keypads. The hallway was mostly straight, though a few times it would split off into different directions, but rarely did we turn down a new hall. The lady never spoke, and the only sound was the squeak of her shoes and the slapping of my bare feet on the floor as I tried to keep up with her. It wasn't long before we came upon a rather large wall, solid like the walls of everything else, with yet another keypad. She stood in front of it, turning to glance at me with her icy orange eyes before looking back to the pad. She hid it from my view, though I could still partially see what she was doing. She help up a card to the pad, and a beep sounded out. On the top part of the wall, a green light lit up from underneath the white material. She then fiddled with the keys on her bracelet before raising one, and another beep sounded, followed by another green light sparking to life next to the first two. She then placed the palm of her hand flat on the glassy screen above the pad, and another light lit up. She then got closer to the pad, hunching around it to cover it more, small clicks sounding out in a long code, and the final and fourth green light came to light.

All the green lights blinked in unison before fading away and allowing a familiar hissing sound to ring out. A large seam appeared on the wall, that soon melted and began to move up into the wall, forming a rather large doorway. I barely got a peek of the room before a hand gripped my arm roughly and I was thrown in, my body flinging onto the ground and sliding across slightly. I heard a slight clatter followed by a loud thud, and when I looked back to where the doorway was, it was now only a wall, flat and seamless. I pushed myself into a sitting position, looking around, my eyes falling on the clipboard that the lady was once holding, landing only a few feet from my head. I could already tell that this new room was so much larger than the one that I had woken up in.

Turning to look behind me I was quick to see the plain white desk with yet another plain white object scooted into it, a chair. I groaned in slight pain from being tossed on the ground before moving to finally stand back up. I could now see a bit better rather than looking around from the floor. Sat on the desk was a cream-colored manilla file, closed and set perfectly straight. Next to it was another white object that seemed to resemble a remote of some kind. On the corner of the desk was a white mesh cup, filled with an assortment of black pens and pencils, and next to the cup was an electric pencil sharpener, though the cord to it seemed to melt into the floor, hidden away from any source of power. On the other corner of the desk was a stack of papers with black ink printed on them, sitting in a white container so that they didn't fall and scatter about. They seemed to be forms that needed to be filled in.

What was the most shocking thing about the room, however, was the wall that was opposite of the doorway that I had come through, a wall that the chair was facing towards, was made entirely of glass, though it looked thick and impossible to break, free of any dust or smudges on it. Through the glass was a gap that dropped into a black void, and on the other side of that gap was a white cube room, like the room I had been in. The glass wall didn't reach the ceiling though, it had a strip of the normal wall material across it, and in the middle of the strip was a long black rectangle that seemed to be a display for a label or something similar, though currently, it displayed nothing.

I looked back down to the clipboard on the floor and bent down to pick it up. It held a single piece of paper with black ink on it, looking exactly like the stack of papers on the desk. On the top was text that stated 'Subject's Name' followed by a line that seemed to allow someone to write on it. Underneath it were other words that all had lines following them. One said 'Motives', another said 'Cause of Death If Applicable', and another was 'Methods'. I was so confused and was reeling from the words that were written down. My brows were furrowed and my dry lips pursed. What was all this? It was already confusing but now I felt more concerned than anything. A crackling sound echoed through the room, causing me to almost drop the clipboard.

"Take a seat at the desk." I looked around, trying to find a source for the feminine voice.

"Sit at the desk." I was turning in circles now, trying to find anything that could be making the noise. I lurched forward and screamed when a fuzzy, electrical pain shot through my feet and across my whole body, though it was only momentarily.

"Don't make me repeat myself. Sit." I gasped out for air from the momentary pain before deciding to finally listen to the voice. I was quick to pull out the white chair, quickly sitting down before I was shocked again.

"Good, not open the file and read it." I swallowed hard and licked my lips, setting the clipboard still in my hands down on the desk, my hands slightly shaking. I moved to the folder, opening it up and feeling my blood run cold. Inside it was a few papers, but on the top, the first page, it had a picture of me. My hair looked dirty and ragged, deep bags hung heavy under my eyes, I looked so tired, defeated and beaten down by life. Next to the photo was my full name, first, middle, and last. Underneath that was my birthday and current age, followed by descriptions of me. My race, skin color, hair color and type, eye color, gender, height, weight, and even my body type was written down. All of the descriptions were detailed to a horrific degree, with specific colors and using words that an average person wouldn't use to describe someone. Below that was written out 'Parents/Guardians' but the two names and all of their information had black boxes printed over them, redacted.

Under all of that was a wall of text, describing my life, school life and college, my jobs and experiences, what hospital I was born in, absolutely everything. My pets, alive and dead, relatives, friends, past partners and lovers, not one detail was amiss, though I wouldn't know if any of this was true or not, I simply couldn't remember, but it was so detailed that I truly believed it. I moved the paper, looking at the next page. More details about me, all my good and bad deeds, how I did in school, which seemed to be that I was a top student, passing all my classes exceptionally, taking advanced placement classes, going to college for psychology, and to be a therapist. I flipped through the pages until I got to the last one, one that made my stomach flip, a single piece of paper that made me want to vomit.

'On the early morning of June 24th, 2021, the promising college student, (Y/n) (L/n), went missing, seeming to have simply disappeared into thin air from her dorm room. Her roommate has claimed that she couldn't recall hearing or seeing (Y/n) or anyone else entering or leaving the dorm room. The campus cameras were all turned off that night, and all previous footage was deleted, and since then has been unable to be recovered. Police are stating that she may have ran away and that it was a coincidence that the security system failed, though many people, including (Y/n)'s roommate and her parents, have claimed that she would never run away or throw away her promising life of success.

The search is still ongoing, however, no leads have been found, and anyone who was suspected of kidnapping (Y/n) have been cleared by the authorities. There have been no signs of a break-in into the dorm room, however, both the window and door were locked, with the door having a deadbolt locked on the inside of the room, making it nearly impossible for (Y/n) to do so on her own from outside. Many search parties have been organized to find the young woman, but all have failed in finding (Y/n) or any evidence of her ever being anywhere.'

It was a printed screenshot of a news article. An article about me. I was missing, people knew, people were looking for me. Below the article was printed text.

'That was in the year 2021, it is now 2022.' I was missing for a year. A full year of people fruitlessly searching for me and finding no trace of my existence. Where the hell even was I? Who took me? For all I know I did run away, but I simply couldn't remember.

"Pick up the remote." The voice, it was back, echoing around the room. I was still shaking, but not wanting to be electrocuted again, I did as the voice told me, still mentally reeling from what I read. The remote was white and slick, with no seams for a battery compartment of any kind, and it only had a few buttons on it that were thankfully labeled with small black text. On the top of the remote was a small dome for a light, but it was currently turned off. Some of the buttons were labeled 'next' and 'previous', the others said 'detention', 'mute', 'unmute', 'open', 'close', 'favorite', 'shock', 'specific', and on the very bottom was one that simply stated 'done'.

"Now press the button labeled 'next'." I shakily hovered my thumb over the button before pressing it, watching as the cube that was close to the glass began to shake. First, it began to slowly recede, moving back away from the glass, and with the distance between me and it growing, I could see more of the large empty space that the cube occupied. It was being pulled back to a large white cylinder that looked like it stretched infinitely up and down. Across the cylinder, in perfect rows, were other cubes, and I could only assume they were all rooms. I watched as the cube finally stopped moving, having fully been pulled back towards the cylinder, before it began to rotate to the right, and everything started shifting down, all the rooms and cylinder moving down until it cycled all the way back to the very top row of cubes. I watched as it spun slowly until it finally halted at one room, which I could only assume was the very first one amongst the hundreds of others. Soon after it stopped rotating, the cube facing towards the glass began to shake slightly before it was pushed forward, all the way until it was only a couple of inches away from the glass.

I watched carefully as the cube finally stopped moving, and soon, a faint hissing sound echoed out. My eyes widened as the entire wall that was facing towards me started to change, getting clearer and more transparent until the entire wall of the cube was glass. The room looked exactly the same as the one I had woken up in, however, the single cot in this room did have a pillow and blanket, along with a small desk and chair that looked exactly like my own. Standing in the room was a little girl, she couldn't have been any older than 8 years old. She wore a dirty and tattered pink nightgown, and her long, dark chocolate-colored hair was a tangled mess. She was close enough for me to see her sparkling emerald green eyes, but what was startling was the blood that covered her. Her face, her clothes and dirty white socks, and even the stuffed bear she clutched in her arms, it was all covered in dark, dried blood.

"Now, press the button that says 'unmute', pick up the clipboard, and ask the questions." The voice spoke once again, and before I would know, for the last time. I looked down at the remote and clicked the unmute button. There was a small crackling sound that only lasted for a second. I looked at the desk and grabbed the clipboard again, looking down at it, then back up. The black rectangle that was above my side of the glass wall was now lit up, saying the name 'Sally'. My eyes drifted back down to the little girl, but I couldn't find my voice.

"Hello?" She spoke first, her voice sounding quiet and scared. I blinked and tried to shake off my unease, finally finding my voice for the first time.

"Oh, um, hi. Is your name..." I looked back up at the label above the glass before looking back at her.

"Sally?" She nodded and I looked down at the clipboard. I picked up a pen from the mesh cup on the desk and wrote 'Sally' on the 'Subject's Name' line. Then I read 'Cause of Death If Applicable'. I grimaced and looked back up at the girl.

"Um, Sally?"

"Hmm?" I paused, deciding what I even wanted to ask, the question written down or my own.

"Do...do you know where we are?" She seemed a bit shocked, her eyes widening slightly before her face relaxed again.

"Kinda, but we're not really sure."

"We?" Shock again, but this time staying.

"Yeah, didn't you meet the others?" I furrowed my brows now. Others?

"Uh, no, I-I don't think so. Besides the lady that brought me here, you're the first person I've met and talked to." Sally nodded, seeming to think for a moment.

"I can tell you what I do know. I think this is a facility, that's what we call it. People like you talk to us and ask us a lot of questions, and we have to answer. Some are really mean to us, but some are nice. But there's only ever one person until they get replaced, you're the new one." I nodded, listening to her carefully, she, and in turn, the 'others', might just be my only source of information.

"It's always the same questions, but sometimes they ask new questions. We kinda know why we're here, but the others don't tell me much about what they know." I bit my lip. If they don't tell her, would they tell me information? She seemed to have some sort of relationship with these 'others'. Maybe the things they wouldn't tell her would be too gruesome for such a little child? I couldn't be sure, but something about all of this felt more wrong than it normally should have been.

"Oh, alright. I guess I have to ask you these questions then?" She nodded, her hair waving around slightly.

"Okay then, um, hmm...do you know what 'cause of death if applicable' means?" She looked down, and her eyes trailed down to the floor, kicking the floor lightly with her foot.

"Yes..." She paused and I stayed silent, waiting.

"I don't wanna talk about it..." I nodded, not wanting to pry in case I upset her.

"Okay, we can skip that one then. Um, motives?"

"Anyone who was like my uncle." Her voice now had a bitterness to it, one I wasn't expecting to ever hear from a child. It sent a chill down my spine, and I wrote down what she said, word for word, but continuing not to pry.

"Methods?" She paused for a moment before shrugging.

"I don't have anything specific." I wrote it down before looking back at her.

"You don't have to answer, but...are you okay?" Her head whipped up from staring at the floor back to me, looking a bit taken aback by the question.

"What?"

"Oh...no ones ever asked any of us that..." That made something in my heart twist. No one would ask if they were okay? For fucks sake there was this tiny child covered in blood in a room with no toys or coloring books or any kind of mental stimulation, in an unknown location, held captive by unknown people, and no one ever dared to ask if she was okay?! I felt a twist of rage and sympathy, this poor child has been through god knows what, and no one has asked to see how she was doing?! With the condition, she was in I couldn't imagine what the 'others' were like, and no one ever checked on them?! I took a breath, trying to calm myself down.

"I'm sorry, Sally."

"N-no, it's fine. I guess I'm okay, it's nice to talk to someone." God, that fucking hurts to hear. I tried to think of something before an idea popped into my mind.

"Hey, do you know how to play rock, paper, scissors?" Her eyes lit up, and she nodded her head vigorously. I smiled at her.

"Wanna play?" Another happy nod. She moved her teddy bear to sit on the floor in front of her before she held out her hands, one balled into a fist sitting atop of her hand, her hand held flat with her palm up. I repeated the action, my fist resting in my palm.

"Ready?"

"Yeah!" I smiled, seeing the child-like nature blooming to life on her face.

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" I spoke out, both of us lightly hitting our fists to our palms before we picked our 'weapon' of choice. She held her hand out flat in a 'paper' signal, and I kept my fist as 'rock'. She hollered, jumping up and down and grinning widely.

"I win! Paper beats rock!" I grinned, feeling joy from seeing her so happy.

"Wanna play again?"

"Yes please!"

We played again, then again and again and again. She seemed ecstatic to have something to do, to play a game with someone, anyone, to have some sort of stimuli for her developing mind. We each had our fair share of wins and ties, but to her, it didn't matter if she won or not, she was just filled with joy to play.

"Miss?"

"Yes?"

"What's your name?" I smiled at her, feeling happy that her mood had improved.

"My name's (Y/n). It's so good to meet you, Sally." She grinned too, giggling and jumping up and down again.

"Nice to meet you Miss (Y/n)! I think the others will like you like I do! I don't wanna go but you should talk to them too." I nodded to her, looking down at the paper, ignoring the questions that went unanswered. I plucked the remote back up, looking up the buttons and spotting the 'favorite' one, grinning, and pressing it. A small ding sounded out, and now on the black rectangle, next to Sally's name was a white star. Sally seemed to understand what I did and clapped her hands happily, grinning widely.

"Oh wow! No one ever gave me a favorite before! Thank you, Miss (Y/n)!"

"Sally you don't have to call me Miss, just (Y/n) is fine, and of course you're a favorite, you're absolutely precious!" I couldn't believe it but her grin got bigger.

"Yay! Okay, (Y/n)! Bye-bye!"

"Buh-bye, Sally." I didn't want to leave her all alone again, but if she said I should talk to others then I suppose I should. I clicked the 'next' button, and gave Sally one last wave goodbye as the glass of her cube turned opaque and solid once again, before the cube was pulled back and the cylinder began to rotate, bringing forward the next room to the right of hers. I watched as this room's wall too turned to glass, showing a room just like Sally's, but instead of a little girl inside, sitting on the bed was a man, one who looked absolutely done with life. I looked up and read the name, Tim. The man, Tim, continued to just sit there, staring at the wall across from him, not once looking at me.

"Hello, your name's Tim?" He grunted but otherwise stayed quiet. I'll take that as a yes. I moved Sally's paper out of the clipboard and set it to the side, grabbing a blank one from the stack of forms and writing 'Tim' in the name section. I decided for now to skip the form questions.

"Do you know Sally? She said I should talk to the others here." That seemed to grab his attention, his head lazily bobbing to the side to finally look at me, giving me a cold stare. He looked like he may have been in his twenties, with messy brown hair that faded into sideburns, and like Sally, his hair too was an utter mess. He wore an orange jacket and faded blue jeans with a pair of black sneakers. It was a bit hard to tell, but I could assume that he was tall and had broad shoulders. He wasn't covered in blood like Sally, and that made something in me feel sick. What would that poor little girl be subjected to to be covered in blood?

"You talked to Sally?" He finally spoke. His voice was gruff and sounded tired, but it held anger behind it.

"Yeah, she was the first person I talked to. She's so sweet, is she your sister or something?" He raised an eyebrow but shrugged.

"We all consider her our little sister I guess." I nodded, feeling some accomplishment in getting the man to converse.

"Sally kept saying there were others here, do you know how many?" Another shrug.

"Can't tell, there's a lot of us."

"If you were to guess?" He hummed and seemed to sneer a bit.

"I dunno, probably hundreds. You talk too much."

"Oh...I'm sorry." I kept my response short, but his answer felt jarring. Hundreds? Good god, how many people were held in this place? And how did they know so many people? The rooms fell into silence for a few minutes, but this time Tim spoke up.

"Aren't ya going to ask questions?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess I should, sorry, I didn't want to bother you." He raised an eyebrow again, this time looking rather confused.

"You...didn't want to bother me?" I shake my head.

"No. I don't know where we are, I only know what Sally told me. From what I can tell, it's hard for everyone here, so if I have to ask questions, then I want everyone to be comfortable. I skipped one of the questions that Sally didn't want to answer, then we talked and played some games." He looked even more confused now but didn't say anything, just furrowing his brows deeply. I looked down at the new paper form.

"Um, cause of death if applicable?"

"I never died." I nearly fell out of my chair. I sputtered slightly, my eyes growing wide. That's what that meant?!

"W-what?!" My voice raised in pitch slightly, and the man only chuckled darkly.

"You really don't know anything do you?" I could only shake my head, my jaw nearly on the floor. He sighed and stood up from the bed, before walking closer to the glass of his room, his expression looked dark.

"So Sally didn't tell you? Wanna know why we're here? All of us?" He didn't wait for my response.

"We're here because we simply shouldn't exist, but we do. Sally died, but you saw her, she looked alive just like anyone else, right? Well, she's dead. Not like some stupid ghost or zombie bullshit like everyone else in your position thought. She died, but she's still alive, and she shouldn't be. Some of us are like her, they died yet they still breathe and bleed, they were killed. Others of us just shouldn't exist, they don't follow the physics of this world or the laws of nature, they simply just should not

exist

. But we all exist, and that's why we're all here, to be watched, examined, experimented on, tested, and interrogated."

I didn't want to believe what he was saying, it didn't make sense. If they shouldn't exist, then they just wouldn't, right? None of it made sense, I talked to Sally, played a game with her, she was just as alive as me and him and everyone else. He grinned, it was twisted, but his eyes didn't smile, they stayed blank and cold.

"You don't believe me? Fine, most don't, not until they see who I'm talking about. Take one of your papers there and write this down," I snapped out of my shock, grabbing a blank paper, and turning it over, seeing a blank white page, gripping my pen tightly as I listened to him.

"Eyeless Jack, Ben, Smile, The Operator, The Rake, Laughing Jack, Jeff, Seed Eater, Grinny. They should be proof enough for you." I scribbled down the names hastily before looking back at him. His sick grin was gone, and he looked just as tired as before. I swallowed hard under his stare, it felt like he wanted to kill me.

"Why are you here?" I was a bit thrown off by the question, still trying to grip to the information he just told me.

"I-I don't know." Confusion took over his face once again.

"You don't know? Didn't they tell you in your file?" I shook my head, picking up the manilla folder that he was referring to.

"No, it just says that I went missing last year and haven't been found yet. It didn't say why I was here." He hummed, shifting his weight and seeming to think.

"They usually tell you why you're here. Heh, you must've done something downright evil, or your innocent and just happened to catch this place's attention." That cruel grin was back, and it made me feel sick. I tried to push away what he said, but I couldn't shake it. I did something bad? 'Downright evil'? Like what?

"Hey." My eyes refocused from my deep thought and landed back on Tim.

"When the day is over they give you a paper to put requests on. Can you get me a cigarette?" This man must have been absolutely crazy, he went from telling me that 'things that shouldn't exist do exist', to implying I did something horrible, then asking for a cigarette? What in the ever-loving fuck?

"Uh, sure?" I looked back down to the paper that I had scribbled names down on, writing his name followed by cigarettes, then I remembered Sally. I wrote down her name too, followed by toys, a coloring book, and crayons, a brush, a bath, then I added a brush and bath to Tim's requests too.

"What are you writing?"

"Your requests. I wanna get Sally some toys and a bath and brush, and I guess you'd like that too? That poor girl needs something to entertain her. Do you want or need anything else?" I looked back at him. Sure he looked like he wanted to kill me and was being maybe a bit rude, but we were all in the same position of being captive and isolated, the least I could do was try and get these people something to help the boredom and monotony. Like Sally had when I showed her kindness, he looked surprised. It took him a few seconds to speak.

"Oh, uh, yeah sure. Maybe a book?" I nodded, my own surprise setting in when his voice changed to be a bit more gentle. I wrote down 'book' next to his name before setting the paper next to Sally's form, my attention falling back to Tim's paper.

"Can I keep asking the questions?"

"Yeah, you kinda have to." I nodded.

"Motives?"

"Whatever The Operator tells me I need to do." I wrote it down.

"Methods?"

"I usually use a gun, but sometimes I have to use what's around me, rocks, knives, ropes, that stuff." I hesitate before writing it down, swallowing hard.

"Um, wh-what do you mean by that..?"

"To kill. We all kill, part of why we're here." I wanted to vomit, but I knew I couldn't, I was hungry, and there was nothing in my stomach for me to wretch out. I didn't want to keep asking questions about that.

"One last question," I move his paper to the side of the desk, wanting to keep individual piles for everyone.

"Are you doing okay?" He had the exact same reaction as Sally to the question, though his reaction was a lot more toned down compared to the little girls. He paused for a while before speaking.

"Huh, yeah, I guess I'm okay." I nod to him, offering a hesitant yet gentle smile.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Tim. I guess I need to talk to whoever's next." He only nodded, still seeming to reel from my unexpected kindness. Sally wasn't exaggerating when she said that others in my position would usually be mean. I picked up the remote, clicking the favorite button as I had done with Sally, another surprise for the man, before I clicked the next button, waving to Tim as the glass turned to wall, and the cycle repeated. I waited a few seconds as the rooms turned and cycled to the next one, extending forward to the glass of my room. I watched as the cube's wall turned transparent, and a scream nearly ripped itself from my throat.

This room was quite different from the other two, it was larger and taller, and now I knew why. Standing in the room was something that Tim was right about, something that simply should not exist. He wasn't lying. Standing there with immaculate posture was a horrifically thin being that was easily 9 feet tall. It wore a pristine black suit, with a white undershirt and a black tie. The clothes were free of any wrinkle or tears or dirt, absolutely clean to an impossible degree. Its skin was the whitest white I ever could have imagined, it made the white of the facility seem like a dull, dark gray. It had a bald head, clear from any specks of dust or hair, and even facial features. It looked almost like a second layer of skin had stretched over its face. It had contours and shadows of vague features, cheekbones, a ridge where a nose would be, sunken in divets where eyes should be, but it was utterly smooth where a mouth would have been. Its face was free of all and any wrinkles, it just all smoothly blended together into stark white skin, not a single splotch of color that would show that blood even pumped through this thing's body.

I had to slap a hand over my mouth, quieting any noise that tried to claw passed my lips. I could only stare wide-eyed at the thing, not daring to look away from it. I could only assume that if it could see, that it was staring right at me, standing as close to the glass as it could without pressing against it. We both only stared at each other as seconds ticked by into minutes. It wasn't long until a voice called out, but not in the room like the person who was ordering me to do things, and not like how Sally and Tim spoke to me, this voice was talking directly into my brain, and for a moment, I thought that whatever I was looking at had driven me to the brink of insanity.

"Hello there. I suppose you are the new interrogator. What is your name?" It spoke out in many voices, all male, with all sorts of accents, even some voices speaking in languages I didn't know. The voices sounded polite yet held authority to them, and they echoed through my mind even after they finished speaking. I still couldn't speak, all I could do was point to the being, silently asking if that was him that spoke, and it nodded. I had to swallow the lump in my throat, feeling as if barbed wire was wrapped around my neck. I slowly lowered my hand from my mouth, struggling to find my voice for a moment.

"H-hi...I...yeah I guess I am the new person. My name's (Y/n)...uh, what's y-your name?" My voice was meek, but I didn't care, I was terrified.

"I go by many names, The Operater, some call me Boss or Sir, but the name that most call me is Slenderman, though some simply call me Slender for short." I could only nod as the voices echoed in my head, though as he spoke, the many voices died down into a singular voice. He spoke eloquently, which I found a bit shocking. Looking up at the black name bar, it was entirely filled with static, buzzing lowly.

My hands were shaking as I grabbed a fresh paper form, writing down both The Operater and Slenderman on the name line, adding a slash between the two names.

"I see you have already talked to dear Sally and Tim." I could only nod, still finding it a struggle to even speak in his presence.

"You were very kind to them, genuine too. If I recall correctly, none of the others in your position have been so friendly to us. I must thank you for your kindness and politeness." I wasn't sure how he knew I already talked to them, but I didn't question it, after all, he had no face and was speaking directly into my mind.

"Y-yeah, well they seem like good people, everyone need-needs some kindness. It's just basic re-respect." I had to clear my throat, trying hard not to stutter but finding it difficult not to.

"I do agree, it is a basic respect, but I still thank you for showing us that respect, we do not get much here regardless, it's...refreshing." I nodded again, and finding some courage, I straighten my posture and let my eyes move from the blank paper back up to the being, feeling my skin crawl, though this time, I tried to keep looking at him, trying to not let the very fiber of my being take over to try and run away.

"Umm, I'm s-sorry if this seems out of line, I don't want to b-be rude, but uh, can I not be called an i-interrogator? That sounds bad..." He seemed to pause for a moment in thought before nodding his head.

"Of course, (Y/n). I suppose it does sound harsh, I shall let the others know that, though I do apologize if some do still call you that, all of us are quite bitter to be here, and the previous interrogators have been quite cruel. You do appear to be very kind, so I shall give you that respect back."

"Thank you, I-I really appreciate that. If you don't-don't mind me asking, how can you tell the others if you're trapped in there?" I was finally starting to feel calmer, and my stuttering was finally getting less frequent.

"In the same way that I am speaking to you currently, telepathy. I use it to keep us all connected, they can talk with each other and with me, and I speak to them as all. You can compare it to the hivemind of ants or bees, though make no mistake, we are not just some insects." I nod my head, finally feeling free of fear, with curiosity now taking over.

"That's actually pretty cool, and I could never compare any of you to insects."

"I know, but it is still something I wish to be clear about. The last person who made that comparison was taught a valuable lesson." Never mind, I felt some fear again, and I didn't want to know what happened.

"That's understandable I suppose, I wouldn't want to be compared to a bug either. Is it okay if I ask the questions?"

"Of course, it is your job after all."

"Thank you. Umm, cause of death?"

"Not applicable. I have been alive since the first sparks of humanity appeared." I believed him. With Tim, I was skeptical, but now I know that I wasn't just interviewing people, but absolutely anything, whether it should exist or not. I wrote down his answer.

"Motives?" He hummed, a buzzing that rumbled around in my brain.

"For me, it is how I survive. I do not need to eat or drink, but taking someone's life, in turn, gives me the life force to continue living, and by extension, it keeps us all alive, and when they kill, it adds to that life force for all of us. Like a reserve of life force." I scribble down his words, feeling my curiosity pique again, but now it was a morbid curiosity.

"Like a collective source of life?"

"Indeed."

"So Sally, even though she died, is this the life force that brought her back? And keeps her alive?"

"That is correct, however, it is a bit more complicated than that, but to put it simply, yes. You are quick to piece things together."

"Oh, um, thank you. Uh, let's see...methods?"

"Usually my presence, if I wish it to, can knock someone unconscious, then I try to strike quickly, pain isn't my motive, unless, of course, they deserve it." I hum as I listen to him, my curiosity swirling from a small pool into a tsunami.

"You said that the others kill too? Do all of them?"

"Yes, however, some of them do not enjoy taking lives, so they only kill once a month to meet their quota. If they go too long without taking a life, then they start to deteriorate. Those ones will spend their time scouting out those who they believe deserve to be killed." I nodded my head, trying to imagine what I would do in that situation.

"That's fair, at least it's to bad people. Oh, before I forget, is there anything you would like from the request form?"

"Thank you for asking. I think a few books would be nice. I don't always understand you humans, but I do enjoy the literature and creative arts." I nod, grabbing the paper that I was now using to write down requests so I wouldn't forget them, writing down his name and his polite ask.

"If it's not a bother to you, can we talk a bit longer?"

"Of course, I am quite enjoying this conversation."

"Thank you! I tried asking Sally this but she said she didn't really know, but I think you might have a better answer. Do you know where we are?"

"I do have a vague idea, however, this place was so well hidden that even I did not know of it until I was trapped here. It is a facility of sorts, dedicated to trapping those like us. Creatures, beings, cryptids, as Tim had stated, those that should not exist. Some who have died and were brought back by what you humans call supernatural means. The unexplainable and unknown are trapped here in these cells, with little to no interactions or outside stimuli, though we are kept alive so that the facility may continue to observe and experiment on us. The location of this facility, however, I do not know. I do know that many, many of us are here, the unknown and humans."

"Do you know why I'm here?"

"I can guess, but it is only that, a guess. Usually, the interrogators are people who are greatly hated in your society, the truly abhorrent that receive death row in prisons, those who, if the system fails, will be killed on sight by average civilians. I can only assume you must have done something awful, but from this short conversation, and from what Tim and Sally tell me, you seem to be too kind and meek for that. I do not mean to offend you by that, it is just an observation, and I hope you don't mind, but from picking around in your brain, it is easy to tell." I shivered and grimaced slightly.

"Picking at my brain?"

"Yes, I am able to do that. You may not remember, and some of your memories are blank, but nothing in your mind shows that you were a bad person. My best guess is that you were sought out by the facility due to your wits." I furrow my brows, chewing the inside of my cheek slightly. My wits? There are thousands of people so much smarter than me, so why was I taken? Only the facility would know that I suppose.

"Thank you, any information is honestly helpful, even if we don't have all the answers."

"Of course. Sally has taken a likening to you, and I see why. You are very different from the past interrogators. I look forward to our future interactions and conversations. But now you should continue on to the next room."

"I look forward to that too, it was nice meeting you, but one last question?"

"Yes, I am doing alright. I thank you for not only me, but for your concern for the others. Now move along, little one." I couldn't help but smile, I wasn't too sure why, but it felt comforting knowing that this being, Slender, who seemed to be the head honcho, seemed to have me in his good favors. I gave him a wave, before doing as I did before with the remote, clicking favorite, then next. He returned the wave before the glass faded into wall, and the cycle continued. As I waited, I picked up all the papers I had written on so far, moving from my chair and to the side of my desk, laying them out in their own piles, minus the paper full of requests, which stayed situated on my desk. I pushed my own folder under the desk, not caring much for it at this point and wanting to give all of my attention to those I would be talking to. Just as I was about to sit back down, the new cube's wall was turning to glass and had fully become transparent when I sat down, pulling a new blank paper in front of me.

In this new room was another man, one who looked like an average person, like Tim. The only notable feature where that his skin was a lot paler and had a grayish undertone to it, and a large scar across one of his cheeks. He had short brown hair that was fluffy and wild, sticking out in all directions. He had dark bags under his eyes, looking horribly tired, and every now and then, he would twitch, and a bone or joint would pop, or make a sort of ticking sound. He wore a beige hoodie with light and dark brown stripes on the sleeves, with a grayish-blue hood. He, like Tim, wore a pair of jeans, with black sneakers. I looked up at the name box, seeing that the man's name was Toby. I jotted down the name on the paper before looking back at the man and offering him a small smile.

"Hello, your name is Toby, yeah? It's nice to meet you." He stayed silent for a moment, staring at me through the glass, twitching once, then finally speaking.

"H-hi." That was it. Just a simple greeting. Remembering back to what I was told by Tim and the Operator, I could only assume that everyone I would meet would be wary of me, or hesitant at the very least to converse. I would have to try to build some trust with each one of them. It would take some time, as Slender had said, some are bitter and may not be as kind to me as he and Sally were. It would be a repetitive cycle, talking to each one, trying to get on their good sides. I wasn't sure why I wanted to know each one of these people, but something small, almost barely existent that was nestled deep in the back of my mind told me that I needed to, and not because the facility wanted me to.

"If it's okay with you, can I ask you some questions?" I was starting to see a pattern now. Every time I asked if I could ask questions or just try to be polite, they would always look confused or shocked, and every time the expression crossed their faces, it made my heart twist painfully in such a sickening way.

"Uh, ye-yeah." I nodded to him, by now already having the basic questions memorized. There were more questions, but I didn't want to bombard anyone with all of them at once or stress them out, so for now I was just sticking with the first three.

"Cause of death?"

"N-n-none."

"Motives?"

"What the bo-boss tells me to-to do."

"Methods?"

"Using my hatch-hatchets or a rock. Bl-bludgeoning."

"Alrighty, and that's it, all done with questions." I offered him a gentle smile again, and again, he looked confused.

"R-r-really? There's usually m-more." I shrugged.

"Yeah, but I don't really wanna upset or stress anyone out, so it's only the three today. If the facility doesn't like it then they can suck it." My small joke managed to get a chuckle from him, and I felt some victory in that. He was standoffish like Tim was, but he was definitely a lot more quiet, more cautious.

"I don't thi-think they'd like you say-saying that."

"Oh well, they put me here to ask questions, I'll use my own methods, kindness, and respect." He nodded, and his shoulders fell slightly, seeming to relax. I moved Toby's form to the side of the desk and pulled the self-made request paper to now sit in front of me, clicking my pen a few times before writing down his name, writing down 'brush' and 'bath' next to it, seeing as he might want one. From what I could see so far, everyone, minus Slender, was dirty and unkempt, I'm certain some of them would like the chance to have some hygiene.

"Before I forget, is there anything you want or need? I'm writing down requests for everyone." For the third time, he looked utterly bewildered by my offer, and finally, he smiled, only a little, but it was another victory for me.

"Oh, shh-shh-sure. Could I get some waffles and ba-bacon? The food here-here is gross. Maybe a puzzle too, or some kind of game?"

"Of course, anything else?" I jotted down the request before looking back up at him, but he only shook his head.

"N-no, thanks though."

"It's no problem." We fell back into silence for a few moments until he spoke up again.

"N-no ones offered to get us-us stuff before. Only thing-things for themselves."

"Seriously?" I felt dumbfounded. I was told no one before me was nice, but not a single one asked them if they wanted anything? He shook his head again, even looking a bit sad that, after god knows how long, someone was finally treating them decently.

"I'm sorry, I really am."

"N-no it's fine, that ho-how the facility works."

"Still, that's just cruel." He shrugged. I looked around his room, my eyes landing on the pathetic cot, a sad excuse for a bed.

"Hey, are those blankets warm enough?"

"Umm n-no, not really, why?" I pursued my lips, writing down 'warm blankets' for each person's request.

"That's some bullshit. You're all getting better blankets too. More pillows?" He paused again before speaking.

"Y-yes, please." I nodded, writing down pillows as well. Another thought. Everything in this god-forsaken facility was colorless, just pure, disgusting white. Some color in their rooms might be enjoyable, so with each 'pillow' and 'blanket' I wrote down, I wrote colors next to them. Sally would get pink, Slender red, orange for Tim, and beige for Toby. Just something that wasn't this hellish, blinding white.

"Wh-why are you being so nice?" I looked back up at Toby and smiled.

"Because I know that if I was in one of those cells, I would want someone to help me out in any way possible. Besides, you all still deserve respect and kindness. I was told you all have to do what you do to survive, so I can't blame you for that. Survival is the most basic instinct, after all, human, animal, creature, and everything in between. We all want to live, so who am I to play God and make that survival harder or more miserable? If I have any power here, it's to make you all more comfortable and happy, even if I am just one person. If I can do something helpful, then I am going to do it." He once again looked shocked at my response, but soon, a new, and much wider smile appeared across his face.

"S-Sally and Boss were right, you-you are nice."

"I'm glad that I can prove that. I was told some of you might be not so nice to me, but I promise every single one of you that I am going to do my best to help out in any way possible." I did feel proud, it felt like I had a mission to help, whether it made life more comfortable or the seemingly impossible task to escape with them all, it felt like a nice life purpose.

Sure, something in me felt sad for the life I left behind me, sad for the friends and family searching for me or crying for me, but it was hard to feel too sad about it. I couldn't remember any of them, or if I had any at all, it was hard to form that connection with a previous life I had no knowledge of, so why roll around in self-pity about it when I could help out those who needed it more than me?

Toby stayed silent, his eyes trailing off into the distance, seeming lost in thought, but I didn't try to grab his attention back, I let him think. It took a few minutes until he finally looked back at me again.

"Some of the oth-others are excited to meet you, bu-but one of them sa-says he doesn't like you." I raise an eyebrow.

"Someone doesn't like me? Did I meet him yet?"

"N-no, but he's always li-like that, just be me-me-mean back."

"I rather not be rude, is that safe for me?" He chuckled and nodded his head.

"Yeah! If it make-makes you feel better, the bo-boss gave you permission to beat his assss-ass." It was my turn to laugh.

"I don't think I can do that, but I'll hold my own. Who do I need to be on the look for?"

"J-Jeff, big smile, looks like an ass t-too, can't mi-miss him." Another laugh.

"Alrighty, I'll beware the big bad Jeff." He chuckled again, and I was happy to finally get him talking and seemingly relaxed. Before we could continue ragging on Jeff, a loud beep sounded out before a robotic-sounding voice echoed through the room.

"Break time. Lunch is being served."

"G-gross. Oh well, by-bye, see ya later." Toby gave me a wave before the glass of his room once again became a solid wall of white, and his room began to slide back towards the cylinder, not even giving me a chance to wave back or say my own goodbye. To the right of my own room, a familiar hissing sound grabbed my attention. A small slit opened up in the wall, just large enough for a white cafeteria tray to be slid in on the floor. The food looked bland, mashed potato and chicken with some noodles to the side and a single foam cup of water. All the food was white and void of any specks of pepper or seasonings, even the noodles, which were simply boiled and then placed on the plate. I grimaced, and my growling stomach demanded me to eat. I scooted my chair back, standing, and walking over to the wall, picking up the tray and cup. I made my way back over to my desk, setting down the sad excuse of lunch before sitting back down.

My observation was correct, it was all bland and lacked any seasoning. I scrunched up my nose was the slimy texture of the noodles that tasted barely of anything. I sighed and decided my best bet would to be to just scarf down the food as fast as possible before downing the water. The chicken was dry and crumbly, and the potato was so overcooked that the skin was rock hard while the insides were basically pudding. I ate as fast as I could without choking before drinking down the water, not realizing just how thirsty I was until that moment. I licked my dry lips, wetting them with the much-needed hydration before gathering up the now empty tray, tossing the cub and plastic fork onto it, walking back over to the wall where I found the items, seeing the small opening still there, and pushing the tray through it. I watched as the wall melted back together, sealing away the small rectangular hole.

I quickly sat back down at my desk, seeing the black rectangle above the glass blinking with white text, showing a time countdown, showing that there were 25 minutes left. I sighed, tapping my hands on the desk, trying to figure out how to entertain myself. I grabbed another piece of paper, turning it over, and grabbing a pencil from the cup, starting to doodle. I couldn't think of anything specific to draw, so I simply started drawing those who I met so far. Sally, Tim, Slender, and Toby. It was all I could think to draw, but it passed by the time.

Before long, another loud beep sounded, followed by the same robotic voice.

"Break over. Resume." I stretched out my arms, feeling my shoulders pop before sighing, setting the doodles to the side, grabbing a new paper, and clicking next on the remote, forgetting that I never hit the favorite button for Toby and feeling bad. The cylinder rotated and the next room was pushed forward, and like always, the wall turned to glass and the next person was revealed.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Standing inside the new room was a woman. Her long black hair looked like silk, and unlike the others before her, it seemed kempt and brushed out. Her skin was horrifically pale, but her cheeks and joints still had a red flush to them, showing she very much had blood pumping through her veins. She wore a simple back dress, one that fell just below her knees with a pair of matching black flats. What was the most striking about her was her pitch-black, glossy eyes. Not just black irises, but her entire eye was black. Seeming to match with her outfit, her lips were black, and so were her nails.

I looked up at the wall, seeing that her name was Jane. I wrote her name down on the paper, but before I could speak, she said the first words.

"So you're the new intera-questioner. I was told your name is (Y/n)? It's nice to meet you." I smiled up at her, feeling happy that seemed to be one of the nice ones.

"It's lovely to meet you too, Jane! How are you today?" She smiled back at me, she looked so beautiful.

"I'm doing well, thank you for asking. How about yourself?"

"Can't really complain, lunch wasn't very good, but at least I get to meet you all!" Her eyes widened a bit, only for a split second, before relaxing once again, a small expression that I

almost

missed.

"Huh, you are nice. Well then, ask away your questions." I nodded before speaking.

"Cause of death?"

"Bleach and fire." I grimaced but didn't comment on it.

"Motives?" She hummed, tapping a nail to her chin before speaking, a small smirk gracing her lips.

"Getting Jeff's victims before he gets them. And just those who deserve it." I wrote it down, but paused, glancing up at Jane.

"Getting Jeff's victims? Damn, he must be hated, Toby was calling him an ass." Jane laughed aloud, a both happy and evil laugh.

"He is an ass! I'm surprised that some of us even get along with him! But I don't do that because he's a dick, I do it for my own reasons." I nodded, chuckling slightly with her.

"And methods?"

"Stabbing, I try to make it quick, I don't like much of a mess." I nodded, writing down the last answer before moving her paper to the side and grabbing my request form.

"Alrighty, boring facility questions out the way, do you have any requests? Things you would like or need? I'm already making sure everyone gets baths and hairbrushes, also extra blankets and pillows too." Another faint look of surprise that lasted a second, before her confident smile faded into a soft one.

"That's really sweet of you, hun. I'm sure you've gotten a lot of this today, but thank you, really. And when we say thank you, we mean it. I think a book or magazine would be nice, just something to look at or read." I nodded writing down both book and magazine, not just giving her one.

"Of course, like I told Toby, if I can help out in any way then I will. So far most of you asked for books. I guess I'm not surprised though, books are nice, and they can last a while too. Anything else?"

"Could I get a jacket or hoodie? It's freezing in here!"

"Oh of course! Maybe I should get Sally one too? Poor kids only in a nightgown." I quickly write down 'jacket' for both the girls, making sure to specify their colors. Anything besides fucking white. I picked up the remote, quickly hitting the favorite button before I forgot again, a white star blinking to life next to Jane's name on the black rectangle.

"Damn, you really are so sweet. Sally still can't stop talking about you, I don't think any of us have heard her so happy in such a long time." A twinge of sadness started to leak into her voice, and her face finally fell from its cool and confident expression to a somber one.

"Do you know how long you've all been here?" She shrugged.

"It's hard to tell, the only one who can really tell is Slender, and he says we've been here for maybe 5 years."

"5 years?! Sally was only 3 years old?!" She shook her head.

"No, she was 8 then, and she's 8 now, she doesn't age, none of us do."

"Wait, how old are all of you?"

"Well I'm 25 now, I died when I was 13, but I kept aging until I turned 25, and I've been that age ever since. Sally is the only one of us to not continue aging, I think it's because of how she died, just...too traumatic for her..." She paused, but I didn't pry. She sighed, shaking off her thought.

"Pretty much all of us are in our mid-twenties, only a few of us are older than that, like Slender, but Sally is the only one that stayed the same age that she was when she died. Slender offered to help her, but she declined. I don't blame her, she lost her childhood, so she wants to experience it as much as she can. I think I speak for all of us when we say thank you for at least making her happy, she's like a little sister to all of us, even the more...

bizarre

of us. But to Slender, that's his daughter. Anyone who messes with her brings out the rage in him, it's actually pretty scary." It was hard to imagine the being that was so polite and eloquent to be full of rage, though I still believed it.

"I know there's not much I can do, I'm trapped here too, but I promise all of you that at the very least, I will try to make Sally happy every single day until the day I die." I wasn't smiling anymore, I was dead serious. I had only talked to the little girl for maybe 15 minutes, but if anything happened to her, I would kill everyone and then myself. Jane seemed a bit surprised at my now serious tone of voice, the kindness completely erased, and my face showing I was ready to go to the grave with the promise. It was her turn to offer me a small smile.

"Thank you, (Y/n). Slender says thank you too, he appreciates it. There is only so much we can do only being able to talk telepathically. Sally getting some interaction means so much so us." I nod, but I stay serious. I was ready to lay down my life for the poor child.

"I suppose it's time for you to see who's next. Whenever you get to Jeff, tell him Jane said 'fuck you'." I finally grin again, nodding and sharing a small laugh with her. We both shared a wave goodbye before I hit the next button. I moved both Toby's and Jane's papers into the organized line of paper on the floor before grabbing a new paper and waiting for the next room's wall to turn to glass. It soon did, and laying on the bed, seeming to be asleep, was the form of a man, with his back turned to me. I waited, but he didn't stir. I looked up at the name, seeing that his name was E. Jack. I continued to wait, seeing if he would wake up or move, but no, he simply stayed laying down, and I could only assume he was asleep. From what I could see of him, he had messy brown hair and a dark blue hoodie on, with a pair of black jeans.

"H-hello?" My voice was quiet, feeling bad if I disturbed him. To my surprise, he grunted but otherwise stayed how he was. I felt weird watching someone sleep, so I decided to come back to him later, I wrote E. Jack on the paper, set it to the side, and hit next on the remote, watching as the cube was switched out for the next one. Thankfully, this room housed someone who was awake, and who very much looked angry. Standing in this room, currently in the process of trying to throw his bed, was a man with the same white skin that Jane had, with ratty black hair and a white hoodie stained red with what I could only assume was blood. The desk that was in the room had already been thrown, laying on the floor on the opposite side of the room from where I assume it originally sat.

I didn't even have to say anything, his head already whipped around to face me, and now I knew what Toby meant by a 'large smile'. This was Jeff, and the name display confirmed it. From the corners of his mouth were large fleshy scars, dragging almost all the way up to his ears. Piercing, icy blue eyes stared at me from rings of black, and his snarl deepened. He did succeed in his original mission, throwing the cot across the room and hitting the glass. I wasn't surprised that the glass didn't break, I could already assume the facility made sure of that. He was huffing, looking like he was about to blow a blood vessel in his temple. Stupidly, the only thing I could think was what Jane had asked me.

"Jane says fuck you." My god, his fucking scream was nearly ear-shattering, and then I really was surprised that the glass didn't shatter at the sound. Fuck he was angry.

"Jane can fuck off! Fuck her! Fuck you!"

"Ookay then. Just passing along a message." I shrug, trying to steel my nerves. Toby and Jane had both warned me about it, even Slender was vaguely alluding to those who wouldn't like me, and I could only assume he had this man in mind when telling me. I had to hold my own, being nice here wouldn't get me anywhere, and I wasn't going to skip passed another person. I took a deep breath, resting my head in my hand, staring blankly at the enraged man, tapping my other fingers along the desk. Time to flip off the nice switch and turn on bitch mode.

"So you're the legendary Jeff I've been told about. Huh, I excepted more." Whoops. He was back to throwing around the three pieces of furniture in his room, trying to toss them at the glass, but getting the same results each time. But I waited. I waited patiently until he tired himself out, back to huffing and puffing, glaring coldly at me.

"You're a fucking bitch."

"And you're throwing a temper tantrum that I would expect from the actual child that I already met. C'mon dude, you're a full-grown man, grow up." Yup, back to throwing shit. Don't worry you, man-child, I'm patient, and I was the one with the remote here, I wasn't moving on until I at least got to some amicable middle ground. A few more minutes passed until he stopped again.

"You done?" He just snarled at me like a feral animal, but I kept my face blank. It turned into a staring contest, just watching one another, waiting. I just kept tapping my fingers along the desk, making a rhythmic sound that I could tell was slowly irritating him, though he didn't seem to want to break. It was a silent war, trying to see who would give up first, but we were both holding our ground.

"Fuck you want?"

"You're stubborn. Just wanna talk."

"Well, you can fuck off and go talk someone else's ear off."

"Hmm, nah, you seem to be a fun toy. Go ahead, throw shit again, it's entertaining. Like my own TV, go on." I grinned, waving my hand at him. I was sure I could almost see steam coming out of his ears, he was pissed off. But he didn't throw anything this time, he didn't want me to win. My grin only widened.

"Aw, you grew up now of all times? I was having fun watching you stomp around." He was gritting his teeth, and off in the distance, I could hear a couple of people laughing. The laughing was followed by a faint voice yelling out,

"Make him dance!" It was a guy's voice, but one I couldn't recognize. Jeff got angrier, and his whole face was bright red from rage.

"Go on then, little Jeff, dance." My whole face was adorned by my grin, and I actually found myself enjoying the teasing. He screamed again, a string of curses of people's names all jumbled together that I couldn't quite make out before he finally turned his attention back to me.

"Go on then you fuckin' bitch! Shock me! Do it!" My smile fell, and I raised an eyebrow. The silent confusion seemed to make him falter, only slightly though.

"Shock you? Why?" He stumbled over his words, like he was expecting a reaction from me due to his rage, a retaliation.

"B-because that's what you're fucking supposed to do! That's why!"

"How about I don't do that? I rather not hurt you, even if we are currently...what? Having some kind of war? I dunno." I shrugged my shoulders, leaning back in my chair, but never looking away from him. He genuinely seemed confused now, but still angry.

"Nah. No, you're here just to be like all the fuckin' others before ya! You're no different! Don't try to act all special, and high and mighty! Do it!" I roll my eyes, sighing, deciding to keep on bitch mode, finding a new crack to pry at.

"Geez dude, if you got a shock kink, you can just say that, but I'm not here to get your rocks off." There was a lot more distant laughing now, and Jeff was fuming, I swear he would set on fire at any moment.

"You bitch! I don't! That's just what you're supposed to do!"

"Dude, seriously, I'm not a dominatrix or anything like that, I'm trapped here like all of you, just wanna help and talk." A mix of more teasing and the truth. The distant laughing was still going on, and eventually, it made me start to chuckle too.

"What's so fucking funny?!"

"You."

"Am not!"

"You very much are, it's hilarious." I sighed again, done laughing before sitting back up in my chair.

"But seriously, dude, I'm not here to hurt anyone, degrade, yell at, make feel bad, none of that." I looked back up at him, my face having fallen flat in seriousness.

"I get it, you don't have to like me, I don't care to be liked, but as I told the others, if I can help, I fucking will." I glared slightly.

"I'm not telling you to like me or even tolerate me, but what I am asking is that we simply find some middle ground and talk. Hell, I don't even have to talk, you can rant or vent or scream at me, or stay silent too. I'm not forcing you to do anything, not telling or demanding, or ordering. I just want to help out." For the first time into the 15-minute ordeal, he paused and seemed to think about what I was saying, before baring his teeth at me once again.

"If you wanna help so bad then get us out of here!"

"Okay." That threw him for a loop. I stared at him blankly as he took a small step back.

"Huh?"

"I said okay. If I can, I will. I promised that."

"Why?" I shrug slightly.

"Can't really tell ya. I just feel like I need to. I told Toby this, and I'll tell you too. I can't judge any of you for what you do. I'm not here to play god even if I can. You all do what you do to survive, and that's a basic instinct, so I can't judge that, I'm not here to condemn any of you, tell you that you're wrong or that you're bad people. It's the most basic instinct, to survive, and none of you should be here. Hell, if I knew that and one of you killed me, I couldn't argue it. Yeah, I'd fight until my last breath for my own survival, but you'd be killing me for your survival too. I can be mad about it, I can be scared and angry, but I would never say that I have more of a right to survive than any of you." That seemed to get something to click for him, and realization seemed to grow across his face.

"You're...serious?"

"Dead serious." It was his turn to seem unnerved by my unwavering and unexpected loyalty to this group of people who I had just met, the majority of which who I haven't even seen or heard of yet. And finally, he chuckled, then laughed.

"You're a fucking crazy bitch! God damn, you probably belong with us for fucks sake!" He was gripping his stomach, cackling. The faint laughter from the others had faded away, and the only sound was Jeff's laughter. I waited until he finally calmed down, grinning back at me through the glass.

"Fine, I believe ya. You get us out of here and I

might

not kill ya." I could only chuckle.

"Fine, deal. But I still gotta fill out these questions."

"Fine fine."

"Cause of death."

"Had bleach and alcohol poured on me then set on fire."

"Fuck that. Motives?"

"Hah! Fuckin' anyone!"

"Indiscriminate, cool. Methods?"

"Stabbing."

"Alrighty, all done with stupid questions. Now then, anything you want or need? Books, games?"

"I want my fuckin knife back."

"I can ask but I doubt they'll do that. I'll write down some games so you at least get something."

"Fine." He groaned but otherwise seemed to be in a much better mood.

"Okay, that's everything, I'll leave you be now. It was still nice meeting you. Goodbye." I offered him a smile and wave, and surprisingly, he returned the grin, just nodding his head my way. I clicked the favorite button on the remote, then hit next, preparing for the next interesting character that I would meet. To my surprise, the room that opened up did not house a person, but a dog. It looked like an average husky, except that its fur was black and crimson red, with a large grin spread across its face, showing human teeth, with golden eyes that stared at me.

"Oh. Umm..." I felt dumbfounded. I stared at the dog as it wagged its tail, smiling at me and making my skin crawl. On the name label was 'Smile Dog'. I wrote the name on the paper and looked back at the canine.

"H-hi?" I was so unsure of myself. Maybe it could talk?

"Awooooo." Nope. It's just howling at me. Cool. What in the fuck do I do? I had no one here to help me out. It was just a dog! A creepy dog, but a dog nonetheless!

"H-hi boy. It says your name's Smile Dog, can you talk?"

"Woof." Nope. Fuck. I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

"What in the hell do I do if I can't understand you? I can't just skip you!"

"Awooof." I wanted to bang my head on the desk. In fact, I did just that. I groaned, my forehead aching and I looked back up at the dog, its tail still wagging. I wonder...

"If you understand me, can you sit?" It sat down. But maybe it just knew simple commands?

"Stand?" It stood on all fours. Hmm.

"Turn around twice then bark?" Well, I'll be damned he understands me.

"Huh. That's pretty cool. Still wish I understood ya though. Oh well, you seem like a very good boy." Aaaand he was back to howling. Then a new idea popped into my head, and I grinned.

"You know what? I can work with this. Hey, Smile, how'd ya die? If applicable that is?" He stayed silent. I grinned, looking down at the paper writing ' *silence*' and chuckling softly to myself.

"Good boy. Methods?"

"Awoooof."

"Okay, 'awoof'. Motives?"

"Huff."

"How wonderful. Thank you so much for answering my questions! I'll make sure to ask for some treats for you!' He barked, his tail wagging faster. Looking around the room he was in, it was void of anything. No bed, no desk, nothing.

"And I'll ask to get you a nice big dog bed too. And some toys."

"Woof."

"Yes Sir." I was having a full one-sided conversation with a fucking dog. Oh well, he understands me, so I guess I wasn't that crazy. Yet. I scribbled down the necessities on the request paper before looking back up.

"Alrighty then, you have been such a good boy for me today. And might I say you are very handsome! I shall see you again!" He barked a few times before letting out his final, and rather long, howl. I smiled and laughed softly to myself before hitting the next button, setting his form to the side as I had done with all the others. The next room's wall turned to glass, and I slammed my head down on the desk again. Inside this also empty room, was a fucking cat.

"God dammit!" Someone off in the distance began to laugh. I looked up, seeing the name was Grinny Cat. This animal too, like Smile, was colored black and red and had a smile full of human teeth.

"Mrow."

"Hello, there madam Grinny, my name's (Y/n)." She stared at me. I grabbed a new piece of paper and scribbled down the name.

"Cause of death?"

"Mrrph."

"Huh-uh, interesting, 'mrrph'. Your motives?" Instead of making noise, she simply yawned, so I wrote that down.

"And last, your devious methods?"

"Prrrrrrrrr."

"Purr it is then. I must say your coat looks absolutely magnificent."

"Mirph." I really was insane now.

"Alrighty then, it was nice to meet you Miss Grinny. I can't wait for our next conversation. I'll make sure to get you some treats and toys too. Also a bed and cat post. That sound good?" To my surprise, the fucking thing nodded its head.

"Okey dokey then. I shall see you next time?"

"Mroooow."

"Will do ma'am." I couldn't have hit the next button faster, hoping to god I wouldn't get a fucking black and red horse or bird next. To my relief, it wasn't an animal, but to my utter terror, it was a clown. Face pressed against the glass, grinning a sharp-toothed smile at me, piercing white eyes staring at me. His arms were abhorrently long and looked as if they were that of a doll's, no clear joints showing, they bent every which way at any angle they wanted to. His hands too were pressed against the glass, they were large and clawed, and unlike the skin on his face, they were pitch black with white bandage wrappings around the palms.

His entire being, clothes and all, was black and white. His hair was black and feathery and fell just passed his shoulders, and it seemed to be an intentional mess. Adorning his shoulders were flumes of black feathers, almost seeming like they melded with his hair. He was tall, too fucking tall. Not as tall as Slender, but easily the second tallest so far. He was giggling, and I was ready to dip the fuck out by any means necessary. I couldn't stop my mouth before I spoke.

"Yeah, no, I don't think I like you-" I slapped a hand over my mouth, but the thing just started cackling loudly, and I recognized it as one of the voices that was laughing earlier. I waited until he calmed down from his laughing fit, which took a while, but it eventually died down, but he didn't speak.

"Uh, sorry, I didn't mean to say that. But I'll be honest, you're terrifying." I wouldn't think it possible but his grin only grew wider.

"Good." Fucking okay then. I didn't even know what to do. I just gave him a thumbs-up, trying a very awkward and strained smile. He started to laugh again, seeming to enjoy my discomfort.

"You know what? Fuck this." I was tired anyway. I just laid my head down on the desk, curling my arms around my face. I wanted a fucking nap. I could deal with a smiling cat and dog, I could deal with a tall faceless being that shouldn't be able to breathe, I could deal with a little girl that didn't age, and a man with no eyelids and a carved smile in his face. But a clown? Nah, that shit crosses some kind of line that I didn't even realize existed. He only continued to giggle.

For a few minutes, I just laid my head there, exhausted and wanting to mentally rest, but a scream ripped its way from my throat as electricity coursed through my body. All my muscles tensed up, straightening my legs out so harshly I swear I tore a muscle. My eyes bulged and I cried out, my lungs seizing and unable to breathe. I fell over, my head hitting the floor hard. It lasted only a few seconds, but it felt like hours until the electricity stopped. I was gasping for air, my lungs finally working again, my muscles still tensing but not as badly as before. Tears had forced their way out of my eyes and were streaming down my cheeks. I was coughing, wheezing, wanting to vomit up the bland lunch I had eaten. I finally managed to roll over onto my stomach, pushing myself up slightly as I wheezed, trying hard to hold back the bile that wanted to rise. That familiar robotic voice sounded.

"Lack of movement detected. Electric shock administered."

"Fuck." I wanted to scream, but could only mumble and gasp. My body was shaking and a cold sweat beaded on my forehead. I shakily pushed myself up, heaving still for oxygen and using the desk as support as I leaned over it, still reeling and trying to regain my footing and balance. I finally shuffled over to my chair which was now knocked over. I slowly pulled it off the floor, sitting down in it, and leaning my head back, making sure to rock myself back and forth in it so that whatever the fuck that was, wouldn't happen again. I ran a hand through my hair, finally feeling my pulse regulate back to normal and I stopped wheezing for oxygen. I finally turned back towards the desk, scooting my chair forward until I was back to where I once sat.

I was shaken up, it was so painful, unlike the first time I had been shocked. That one wasn't as bad, and it didn't last nearly as long. I felt so much more tired now, just wanting to sleep, but now terrified to do so. I looked back up to the clown, who was now no longer smiling, but frowning deeply. I swallowed hard and tried to smile, but it was weak. My mouth felt dry.

"Heh, sorry, my bad. Um," I looked up, reading that his name was also Jack, but it had an 'L' in front of it. I was thrown off my rhythm, and I scrambled for a paper and pen, jotting down messily his name before looking back to him, opening my mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"Haven't seen a shock like that before. They must like ya."

"What?"

"No one before you was shocked that badly. They keep the ones they like on a tight leash." I grimaced and wiped my face, feeling my wet cheeks and trying to dry them with my hand.

"How lovely, that's the last thing I want, is to be a favorite."

"Nah, you do want that. They don't kill their favorite dogs." I cringed again, feeling my gut churn.

"Oh. Well then, guess I can't stop until I'm told?" He only nodded in response.

"Great. I guess it's time to answer questions."

"I never died, I was created, I have no motives, and my methods are usually disemboweling." What a wonderful thing for a terrifying monochrome clown to say, disembowelment! I quickly jotted it all down, not wanting to forget or get shocked again.

"Are you alright?" I was a bit shocked by the question, considering how he was laughing at my discomfort just moments earlier.

"Oh, yeah yeah, I'm fine. Um on the request form, do you want anything?"

"Hmmm, candy! And markers."

"Okay, candy and markers, got it. Anything else?"

"Nah, I'm fine with just that." I nodded, giving him a much better smile this time.

"Okay, I'll make sure to ask-"

"Day over. Dinner will be served." I was cut off once again, and before anything else could be said or done, the glass turned into a white wall, and the cube with the clown was pulled back towards the cylinder. On the right side of the room, where lunch had been served, was another tray for dinner, and next to it, was a form titled 'Requests'. I didn't want to walk, but I needed to eat to survive. I walked over to the plate and foam cup, and just sat on the floor, eating down the horrifically bland food before washing it down with the water and pushing it back through the open slot, watching as it closed. Behind me, on the left wall of the room, another hissing sounded out, and turning around, I was surprised to find a cot now in the room, the empty hole behind it already closing, giving me no time to try and escape through it. I groaned, pushing myself up off the floor, grabbing the new form, and making my way to my desk, dragging my feet all the way. I sat down, and looking over what I had written down on my own paper, began to rewrite it all down. At the very end, I added a note.

"Everyone gets an extra pillow and blanket in color."

I scribbled a harsh line under "color" to emphasize the point. I groaned again, picking up the paper and bringing it back over to where the tray had been, a slot opening back up for me to slide the paper through before it closed again. I once again pushed myself off the floor, shuffling to the bed and flopping on it, eagerly snuggling under the blankets. The single light that sat embedded in the ceiling flickered off, and I was plunged into darkness that quickly cradled me to sleep.

When I woke up, it was to the bright light turning on in the room, and a loud voice echoing out.

"Day, start. Breakfast served." I groaned, but quickly the memory of yesterday's shock had my flying out of bed and scrambling into the chair at the desk. Sitting on top of the desk was a paper I didn't recognize. It was a copy of the request form I had filled out, with a single word at the end of each line. Request accepted. Not a single one was declined, except for Jeff's knife. Even the final request that stated everyone got an extra pillow and blanket. Despite my own situation, the form had me nearly jumping for joy. I could help! Even if it was only a little bit, I could still help! My grin may just have been as big as Jeff's.

I laughed to myself, before looking to the right, seeing not a tray from the wall, but a bowl full of cereal. I practically dived at it. Milk would have more flavor than the fucking chicken or potatoes of yesterday. I was happy to scarf down the meal, eating every last flake of cereal and drinking every drop of milk.

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, shoving the bowl through the hole before darting back to my chair, plucking up my remote before noticing the countdown timer. There was still 10 minutes left, so I set the remote back down and being tired of sitting, just starting to walk in circles around the room. Any way to get some sort of exercise would be good, plus it passed the time.

But soon enough the voice came back, stating that breakfast was over and I couldn't have been in my seat any faster, practically buzzing from excitement. Once again I picked up my remote, and eagerly clicked next, waiting as the room moved and a new one was pushed forward, the wall fading into glass to show the resident behind it. Not standing in the room, but floating, was another man, one staring down at a green blanket that was folded on his bed. He had both an expression of confusion and shock, but I was in my own shock. He looked like an average person, with pale skin that still had some color to it, though it did have a blue undertone, dirty blonde hair that stuck out from underneath a green cap that flowed around like there was an invisible breeze or like it was underwater. He wore a tunic in the same green as his hat, with dark brown pants and a pair of black boots. However, it was his eyes that had me shocked. They were entirely black, oozing a dark liquid down his cheeks, with red pinpricks floating in the empty voids of his eyes, giving off a soft glow.

It didn't take him very long to notice that his wall was now glass, and that I was sitting on the other side of it. I must've still been smiling like a psycho considering he grimaced a bit.

"Uh, hey?"

"Hi!" I sounded way too fucking happy. I cleared my throat and tried again.

"Sorry, hello. I'm (Y/n), it's nice to meet you." I looked up at the black rectangle. It was glitched out, but I could faintly read the name, Ben.

"You...gave me a blanket and pillow?" He sounded so genuinely concerned.-

"I gave everyone an extra blanket and pillow, and whatever they requested before the day ended." I picked up two new papers, flipping one over to write down any new requests.

"Huh, guess you are cool." I grinned.

"Thanks! Like I told the others, I wanna help out however I can." He still just looked so confused.

"Kay...why?" I did not want to keep explaining this.

"Because I want to and I think it's wrong for you all to be here." Short and simple, and hopefully it got the message across, but he seemed to just take my explanation at that, not asking me to elaborate.

"Don't you guys all talk to each other?"

"Yeah, but I kinda ignore them, it's annoying."

"Ah, okay. I get that. But some of them probably explained my reasons like, what, three times now I think?" I furrow my brows thinking for a moment. Something about his voice sounded vaguely familiar, and after thinking for a bit, it hit me.

"Wait a sec, yesterday, are you the one who told Jeff to dance?" An evil grin spread across his face followed by a nod, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"That really pissed him off, it was fucking hilarious!"

"Kinda figured, he's fun and easy to mess with." I nodded before looking back down to the paper that sat in front of me.

"If it's okay, can I get these questions out of the way?"

"Sure." He just had an air of carelessness and relaxation to him, like he was simply unbothered by anything, it was very different from everyone else I had met so far.

"Cause of death?"

"Drowning." I cringed. I couldn't imagine what that would have been like. It explained his floaty appearance, maybe even the blue undertone to his skin.

"Motives?" He just looked bored, giving me a shrug.

"Anyone who plays my game, but mostly it's just random." I nodded, writing down the answer.

"And methods?" He hummed, getting a small smile, like he was thinking back on good memories.

"Mental torture I guess. I just mess with little things until they start to notice, then I ramp it up. Drives 'em crazy." Huh, I think he's the first one to not say 'stabbing' or anything relating to physical murder, it was interesting.

"I guess that's why you find it fun to mess with Jeff?"

"Yup. He's easy to read." I nodded, finishing what I was writing before scooting the paper to the side and pulling forward the new request paper.

"And before I forget, any requests?"

"I'd ask for a computer or game, but they don't give those to me."

"Huh, why?"

"Because then I can escape. I can travel through electronics, hide in 'em too." My eyes widened a bit. The concept was cool, useful for anyone even, but considering what I knew about these people, and how widespread technology is, he could be absolutely anywhere, and that was particularly terrifying.

"Oh, wow. Yeah, I doubt they'd give those then. Anything else then? Maybe a board game or cards? I'm also making sure everyone gets some hygiene essentials, like brushes and baths." His eyes widened slightly, his face dropping, and I quickly connected the pieces.

"Oh! No, no, I'll take that off for you, sorry, wasn't thinking." I cleared my throat, using my pen to harshly scribble through the paper so rough that it started to tear.

"Sorry, anything else?" He seemed to relax a bit again, though his shoulders were still raised, tensed.

"Nah, I think I'm good. Uh, thanks, I guess? For helping us."

"It's no problem. Like I told the others, if I was in one of those cells, I'd want the help too. Geez, I just keep repeating myself now, heh." I scratched the back of my neck, feeling like a broken record at this point.

"Oh! Hey, can I ask a favor?" He raised an eyebrow, but let me continue.

"Can you ask Sally how she's doing? And the others? Did they also get what I requested for them? I know the form says they got them, but I just wanna check." I was chewing the inside of my cheek, I was so hopeful that Sally at least got some toys, and that everyone got their books and jackets and baths. Just, something, anything. Thankfully, he nodded his head before looking to the side, and at this point, I realized that when they seemed to fall into thought, it was most likely communication with the others. It took a few minutes of horrid silence waiting for him to finally look back at me, giving me my answer with a grin.

"Yeah, everyone got the stuff. Sally's really happy with the things you got her, and I don't think Toby's been so excited about food before. Hell, even Jeff said thanks, but he still says you're a bitch." I chuckled, but felt relief wash over me, my shoulders losing the tension I didn't realize they held, and I took in a breath that I was holding.

"Good, I'm glad, and I still think he's a dick, the feelings mutual." Ben chuckled.

"I'll let him know that." I nodded, moving the rest of the papers to the side and grabbing a new one.

"Alright, I think I should continue on, thanks for passing along my message."

"No problem, thanks again for helpin' out." I smiled once again, giving him a wave, one he returned, before I clicked favorite, then next. The cube closed, the name flicked away from the label, and onto the next room as it moved forward, turning transparent for me to view into. That's how that day continued. In the next room after Ben's was a thin creature named Rake. Like Smile and Grinny, it didn't speak, it would only screech and make grunting sounds. It looked humanoid, except for its horrifically large hands that were clawed. It also has a small, almost nonexistent tail, with gray skin that seemed to hug its bones and body too tightly, I could see its bones and veins. Its room was clawed all to hell, and at first, it would jump and scratch at the glass when it saw me, but after a while, it seemed to calm down.

It was sexless, so I wasn't sure how to refer to it, so I simply used androgynous terms for it, still trying to make anyone and anything here as comfortable as possible. And same as I had done with the two smiling animals, I wrote down all of their responses as the noises they made. Screeching, groaning, grunting, an odd, low rumbling sound that wasn't quite a growl or a purr, but more of a trill.

That's how a lot of the next rooms were like, creatures and humanoids, most of which couldn't talk, and some that made no noise at all. There were a few that seemed to be characters from media that had come to life, and they could talk, though the further down I got through the rooms, the more hostile they got. It was all so bizarre and jarring. Hell, there even was a fucking horse that I had hoped wouldn't be like Smile or Grinny. But it could talk, it would mumble things about cupcakes, and scream and cackle, and was entirely pink, with the same eyes that Ben had. That one...wasn't very fun.

At some point, something clicked in me. There seemed to be a main group, all the rooms starting from Sally's all the way to Ben's, that was the main group, and everyone or everything after that seemed to be more...elusive, mysterious, not as willing to find a middle ground, more separate from everything and everyone else, not willing to cooperate or communicate.

The way the cylinder and rooms were positioned, there were maybe about 10 rooms on each 'floor', and once I passed the tenth room onto the next, the cylinder would rise, showing the next row of rooms below the previous ones. But at some point, when I hit the next button, a loud beeping sound echoed through the room, and the name label blinked in red writing.

"Access Denied." The cylinder still spun, but now backwards, and the rooms started to move down, and soon, it brought me back to the very first room, Sally's room. The cube pushed forward, and on the other side of the glass, was a little girl who was ecstatic and jumping around, using a cute pink plastic brush to brush her stuffed teddy bear. A large smile forced its way onto my face.

"Good morning, Sally." She whipped around, and her grin was beaming!

"(Y/n)! Look, look! Look at all the stuff I got! Thank you so much!" Pure, warm happiness was spreading through my chest, swelling with fulfillment and joy.

"I see! I'm so happy they gave you what I asked for! Do you like it all?"

"Mm-hmm! I love it! All of it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Seeing the child glowing with happiness was an unexplainable feeling, it was beyond joyous, beyond being thrilled, but it was all the good feelings that it could be.

"Of course, hun! I'm glad you're so happy. I see you got a bath too!" It was true, the dirt and blood was washed off of her, however, fresh blood seemed to be constantly dripping from her scalp. It just seemed to be endless, like it wouldn't go away, and I could only assume it was like Ben's eyes.

"Yeah! I got a bubble bath! It was so much fun! I even got a rubber ducky!" Dear god this child needed to be protected at all costs.

"That's good! So how are you doing today? Any better?"

"Lots! So so so much better! I'm so happy Miss (Y/n)! Look, I made a drawing!" She had crayons and pieces of paper scattered around the room, and she was quick to grab one of the papers, holding it up and pressing it to the glass. It was a bit hard for me to see, due to the distance between the desk and the glass, so pushing my seat back, I stood up, and walked over to the glass wall of my room, crouching down to Sally's height and looking at the drawing she was still holding up.

Warmth spread through my heart again. The drawing was childlike of course, with colorful crayon scribbles forming the vague shapes of people, and each person had a name and arrow scribbled above them. On the paper was Sally, standing next to who very clearly was Slender, holding hands, and on Sally's other side seemed to be me, with my name written above the character, holding her other hand. All the characters had smiles, even Slender, despite the fact that he didn't have a face. On either side of Slender and me, were all the others, minus two people who I didn't recognize.

"Awe, Sally, this is so cute! You're such an amazing artist! But who's Eyeless Jack and Brian?" She lowered the drawing and looked rather confused.

"Huh? You didn't meet them?" I shook my head but thought for a moment. Maybe the Jack person, remembering the sleeping person from the day before. The outfits were the same, and maybe 'E' stood for 'Eyeless'?

"I think I did see Jack, but he was asleep, so I left him alone. But I never met anyone named Brian." Now I was more confused. One mystery person was probably solved, but this Brian? I had no clue who that was. No one ever mentioned his name, and none of the rooms had his name.

"Tim didn't tell you about him? But they're best friends!" I was more perplexed now.

"No, he didn't. Should I ask him?"

"Yeah! Ask!" I nodded and offered her a small smile.

"I'll make sure to do just that. But I wanna spend some more time with you first! Everyone should get some time!" She was back to her bouncy self, beaming and giggling, letting the paper fall to the floor, but a new idea came to mind.

"Hey, Sally?"

"Hmm?"

"Is it ok if I put in a request for that drawing? I wanna hang it on the wall." Dear god she nearly screeched with joy.

"Ohh!!! Yes! Do that! You like my drawing that much?!"

"I really do! I wanna look at it every day!" She was ready to nearly explode from excitement, and I swear she was buzzing around from joy.

"Yay! I'll make more drawings for you! You can have them all over the walls!"

"That sounds wonderful! You're like my own personal decorator!" She was about to say something again before stopping, closing her mouth, and looking around my room.

"Did...you not get anything?" I look around before fully understanding the question.

"Huh? Oh, no, I didn't ask for anything. I wanted to make sure I took care of you all first. I don't need anything, I'll be fine." I waved my hand, trying to brush it off, but she didn't like my answer, pouting out her bottom lip, scrunching up her nose, and trying to look angry, though it didn't seem like she was actually mad, more...disappointed?

"(Y/n)! You can't just give us stuff! You need things too!" It was a bit odd to have someone concerned for me for the first time, it was a strange feeling, but it was a sweet sentiment.

"Okay, I'll ask for some things. Here," I held up my pinky towards her, even though there were two walls of glass between us.

"I pinky promise." She furrowed her brows for a moment before seeming satisfied, grinning, and holding up her own pinky, and we both closed them simultaneously, sealing the promise.

"If you break your promise, I'll be mad! You have to keep it!"

"I will, I will. I promised, and I'll keep it. You have my word." I sat up straight and raised my hand to my heart, making an 'x' motion with my index finger.

"Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a thousand needles in my eye." I ended by pointing to my eye, and giving Sally another smile, and she finally seemed content by my two promises, nodding her head in satisfaction.

"Good! Thank you, (Y/n). You should come closer to the glass more, it's more fun to talk this way!"

"I'll make sure to do that then! I do like it better too, it makes talking easier, plus I can see you better too!" She stayed silent for a moment before beaming once again.

"Miss (Y/n), you're really pretty!" I nearly fell over, I wasn't expecting a compliment!

"Oh! Why thank you, Sally! You look so very pretty too! A precious little angel!" She giggled and bobbed back a forth a bit.

"Thank you! But you really are pretty! Especially your eyes! Didn't the others tell you?"

"Haha, no, they didn't, only you! But I don't need any compliments, hun, I wanna focus my attention on all of you." Sally made another pouting face, though it wasn't trying to look angry this time.

"Huh? But saying someone is pretty is always nice! I always call the others pretty! It's fun!" I laughed lightly.

"I don't think I want to call them pretty, I'm pretty sure some of them wouldn't like that very much! I'll just stick with normal conversation."

"Awe, okay. But you should!" I had to giggle again, why was she so persistent on me complimenting them?

"Maybe after I get to know them more, then I'll call them pretty."

"Yeah!" We both laughed together, and I loved seeing the child light up with happiness, it was such a stark contrast to when I first met her, quiet, reserved, shy, and standoffish. But now she was a bubbling light, and my heart flooded with accomplishment.

Sally ended up showing me a few more of her drawings, some of flowers or animals, some of the other people or creatures I had met, and some I hadn't seen, probably due to the whole 'access denied' issue. With all her new toys and coloring supplies, she seemed so much happier than the previous day, and it gave us more to talk about too. We did end up playing another game of rock, paper, scissors, but it didn't last very long, as Sally wanted to continue to draw or show off her new dolls or plastic animals.

After nearly 25 minutes of talking together and her showing off all her new things, we eventually waved goodbye, her denying any more requests, except wanting a slice of cake, and I was back at the desk, hitting next, and waiting patiently. When the glass faded in, Tim was sitting on his bed once again, this time reading a book though, a smoking cigarette hanging lazily from his lips.

"Morning, Tim!" He looked up from the book, then back to it, folding the top corner of the page before closing the book and setting it to the side.

"Morning. So you really were serious, huh? Getting us what we wanted." I nodded and smiled.

"I told you all I would, and I'm not one to lie."

"Guess I have to believe that now. How was meeting everyone?" I hummed, thinking for a moment.

"Interesting to say the least. I do have a question though, if you don't mind?"

"Go ahead."

"So Sally showed me a picture that she drew, but there was someone on there that I never met. I don't know if he's held in one of the lower rooms that I wasn't given access to or not, but I wanted to ask, who's Brian?" He seemed to freeze up before a sour look took over his expression.

"He's my friend. But none of us know where he's at. He's not here with us."

"Wait, not here? I thought everyone was caught?" He shook his head.

"Not

all

of us. Most of us were. Besides Brian, there are only 4 others who are still free. We don't know how they managed to stay in hiding, but they did, and we don't know where they are. I think you need to ask the Operator more about them, he has more info than any of us." I nodded, listening closely, furrowing my brows.

"So, five aren't here? Then haven't they tried to get you guys out? Tried to help at all?" He only shrugged.

"I wouldn't know, none of us would. If someone tried to get in here, they wouldn't tell us, so who knows if they're trying to help or not. Knowing Brian though, he's probably trying, but he's just an average dude, besides the not aging or dying thing, but still, not much that only he can do alone." I hummed, leaning back in my chair, trying to think.

"Can't Slen-the Operator talk to him? Wouldn't he know where he is or what he's doing?"

"He can, but there's a radius to his influence. The farther away someone is, the less and less it gets. There's only four, the other free ones, who he can communicate with at any point in the world, even if they were on complete opposite sides of the earth." He paused, seeming to think.

"Although, Brian would have an idea of where we are..." He stood up, getting closer to the glass before sitting down, then gesturing for me to come closer. I did the same, sitting in front of my own glass wall. He kept his voice low, whispering in case anyone could hear.

"Me, Brian, and Toby are the closest to the Boss, his personal proxies. We're a bit different than the others. No matter how far away we are from him, we can always feel this pull towards him, so we can always find him. He may not be able to talk to us so far away, but it's like an internal homing device. We just

know

where he is." I nodded, furrowing my brows as he spoke. I understood why he was whispering now. If someone was watching me, listening, they could hear this information and if this Brian was trying to help, then security might be ramped up, they'd be on a high alert searching for him, and that would dwindle down the chances of them escaping at this point.

"That's pretty useful actually. Hmm...could probably use that to help..." I mumbled to myself, though at the close proximity, Tim still heard. I tapped my chin, looking to the side, thinking, trying to get a plan together.

I wanted to help them, but helping them to escape? That would be huge. Yeah, I wanted to escape too, but hundreds of lives far outweighed my own single life. Some kind of plan needed to be figured out, but it was difficult only being able to talk to them one at a time...maybe Slender could help me out with that? I looked back at Tim.

"I told so many of you that I wanted to help, and I mean it. I'm going to help get you guys out, or die trying." He hesitated but nodded, and I continued.

"I think some of you get my way of thinking by now, that all of your lives outweigh mine, yeah I wanna live and escape too, but you all deserve the same chances. I'll only ask once, and it will be the only thing that I ask. You all can deny it, and I'll be okay with that. My one request, is that if you guys get out, you help me escape too?"

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Tim hesitated, seeming ready to deny my request, but he paused, pursing his lips and knitting his brows together. A few moments passed before he spoke again.

"That's something I'll have to talk to the others about, but the only one who can give you a certain answer is the Operator. If we all say no, but he says yes, then the answer is yes. It applies the other way around too. You'd probably have to plead your case to him yourself, but he tries to keep things fair, so it'd be a whole discussion between us all. He'd wanna hear all our thoughts on it." I nodded, but a pit of anxiety began to form in my gut. My question was still up in the air at this point, and at any point, it could free me, or doom me, and I was certain that if the answer was no, and I helped them escape, then the facility would kill me. But to me, it was worth the risk.

"Alright, thank you anyways. I'll do my best to get you all out of here regardless if I can get out or not, I promise." He simply only nodded, before scooting back from the glass and standing back up, and I followed suit. I made my way back to the desk, grabbing the new request paper, and look back at Tim.

"Any more requests?"

"A toothbrush and toothpaste. They don't care much about us taking care of ourselves, but the shower was nice, thanks."

"Of course, I kinda figured that, I should write that down for everyone too. Anything else? Food?" He hummed then smiled a little.

"I think cheesecake would be good, me and Brian would usually get one together. I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but he likes it." I couldn't help but smile. Despite his position, being trapped in an unknown place, he still thought about his friend. It made something in me twist, wanting a sort of friendship like that, having our own little ritual to share together, whether it's sharing a portion of delicious food or some random activity.

"Will do. I think that's pretty sweet, if you don't mind me saying that." He only chuckled, waving his hand.

"Nah, it's fine. We would always go on missions together, so we grew close. It's just weird not seeing or talking to him. Really sucks ass, actually."

"I can't imagine that. Literally. I don't remember if I had any friends or not, so I can't imagine would that would be like, but I know I would probably be upset."

"Yeah. But hey, we're pretty much immortal, so eventually, I might see him again. Probably gonna kick his ass though for not coming any sooner." He shrugged, brushing off the subject, so I let it drop, but we shared a small laugh.

"Oh yeah! I made sure everyone got extra pillows and blankets, are they any comfortable?"

"Oh yeah, best sleep I've had in a while. Thanks for that by the way."

"Of course. I'm just glad the requests were accepted. Sally got mad when she found out I didn't get anything, made me promise to ask for stuff." I laughed but Tim looked a bit surprised.

"Seriously? You didn't get anything?"

"Nope, like I told her, I wanted to take of everyone else first." He crossed his arms and sighed, seeming as disappointed as Sally had been.

"She's right, you gotta get yourself something, take care of yourself too. If you wanna help, you gotta live long enough to do so."

"Okay okay, I already promised her, twice! I don't want everyone scolding me for that." I sighed, but he chuckled again.

"You're gonna get yelled at if you start deteriorating. You said you'd help, and that entails helping yourself too. If it helps to push you, you'll really disappoint us if you die in here."

"Alright, I get it. I'll make sure I don't starve or go crazy, swear on my life...literally." He grinned before nodding his head.

"Good. Now go talk to the Operator, he'll give you more answers than the rest of us."

"Will do, I'll talk to you later. Bye-bye."

"Goodbye." I waved to him and watched as the cylinder spun, and once again, I was face to nonexistent face of the Boss of the group.

"Good morning, (Y/n)."

"Good morning, Sir. How are you doing today?"

"Quite well actually. I must thank you, deeply, for providing me with extra bedding and books. It has helped to pass the time."

"Of course, I'm glad it helps. I have some questions, if I can ask you them?"

"Of course, please, ask."

"So I talked to both Tim and Sally, and realized that there's someone else who is missing from here. Bria-" I loud ringing echoed through my ears, causing me to wince and slam my hands to the sides of my head, trying to cover my ears from the sound, but it didn't stop. It lasted a few seconds before it finally died down.

"Talk with your mind about him, we do not want the facility knowing." I blinked my eyes a few times, recovering my thoughts before nodding. So instead of opening my mouth, I simply thought my words, and he heard them.

"I'm sorry. Tim said that Brian wasn't here, but that he may know where you are, an internal pull he called it. Can you feel that pull too? Knowing where he is?"

"I can, and he is close, very close. The others do not know, however, and I ask you to please not tell them that he is close. He is close enough that I can communicate with him, but he is out of the loop from the others, we do not want them to slip up." My eyes widened, and I leaned forward in my chair, waiting for him to continue.

"I will tell you this. I trust you, even if the others do not. I can see you're mind, and they cannot. You are true, you do mean to help us, and you are so willing to put your life down for us. I can see your reasoning, and while it still baffles me, I accept it. So I am willing to share and work with you. Brian is here, in the facility. He fills me in, feeds me information, and I work with that information.

Brian is trying to help. He knows all the locks and the codes, his handprint is able to open doors and he has hold of the keys and keycards. We both know that on the first of every month, the codes are changed for the keypads, however, the handprints and keys all stay the same. Every time a new code is made, he tells me the code. I remember all 60 codes that were used. He and I have been waiting for an opportunity to make an escape, and you are that opportunity.

I heard your conversation with Tim, and I will discuss it with the others, and with Brian, about their thoughts and feelings and helping you out as well, and while I cannot give you a certain answer for the others, I will tell you that I am in favor of bringing you with us. I will take into consideration everyone's thoughts, but you are more than likely to be taken with us. Be assured, that even if we cannot take you, I personally will try to keep you safe without putting myself or the others at risk.

You are reliable, (Y/n). I trust you, and I do know that some of the others do as well, but not all of them. And again, I thank you, from the bottom of my very being, for trying to help us."

Words escaped me. An overload of information, but all such good information! Brian was essentially a secret spy, and he was helping! I wanted to tell Tim, but I knew I couldn't. He might tell the others, he might slip up and say something that would alert the facility, so as much as I wanted to let him know, I would have to keep it a secret for now. And I had a much higher chance now to escape! They might help me too! And at the very least, I have Slender's trust, and that would be the most important trust to gain, the top dog, the boss, the absolute final say. Having his trust, being in his favor, and knowing just that already made me feel safer.

"Thank you, so much, I really mean that! I am so grateful, even for just an opportunity to escape. Thank you, whether you do end up helping me or not, thank you."

"Of course, it is the least we could do for your help and kindness. Is there anything else you which to ask or discuss?"

"Yes, actually. I was thinking earlier when talking to Tim, that it's difficult to figure things out when I can only talk to you all one at a time. I know that you connect everyone and are all able to talk together, and I don't want to intrude on that, but is it possible for me to join some of those discussions? Being able to talk to more than just one person at a time could be helpful, and all together we could come up with a plan to escape."

"I shall consider it, but that is an excellent idea. You are correct, it would be more useful and convenient."

"Awesome! That would be wonderful! I think it would be useful to discuss with Brian too, if that doesn't cross a confidentiality line. I understand if that request is a bigger ask, considering we want to keep him a secret."

"You are correct, that is a little more finicky to figure out, but I will also consider it."

"Thank you. I was also wondering if we could discuss a possible plan to escape? It doesn't have to be a final plan, more like a base to work off of, to build up into something that could work."

"That would be splendid. Do you have any ideas so far?" I hummed, tapping my fingers along the desk.

"Not quite. But I did see some things when I came to this room. I was in a room kinda like you all are in, but it wasn't attached to a cylinder, just a hallway that had keypads. This place seems to be massive. When I was brought here, there were other hallways that just kept on going, and when I could see the end of them, they were either deadends or continued on into different hallways.

And that cylinder, that your rooms are attached to, it goes so far up and down, so I think we're pretty far underground. But I don't recall seeing any stairs when I was brought to this room. Does Brian know if there are any? Or elevators?"

"Good observations. You're correct, there are no stairs, and we are deep underground. They do use elevators, they work the same ways as the doors do, hidden behind a wall until a passcode is entered for it to appear." I nodded.

"Do the elevators have the same amount of security as the doors?"

"No, they only require a code and keycard." I grinned.

"That was stupid of them to not put a handprint, but that works in our favor. I imagine that if you all break out, the codes would be immediately changed, but even without a code, we can still use the elevators to leave. Tim said you have a proximity influence, how many are there that we need to break out?" It was his turn to hum, though it didn't take long for him to answer.

"There are 357 of us in total. Not all of us will inevitably be able to escape, however, if enough of us do, we can recuperate before coming back to break them out as well." I sputtered, nearly choking on my spit from gasping so harshly. Three fucking hundred and fifty-seven?! What in the ever-loving fuck?! I had to shake off my shock, recollecting my nerves.

"Okay, okay, we can work off of that then. It makes sense there are so many. Let's see... there's 10 rooms on each level, so if I do the math then that means..."

"That there are at least 35 floors, but I do suspect there is quite a lot more." I nodded, agreeing with the statement.

"Has Brian timed how fast the elevators move?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"If the elevators are fast enough, then we can at the very least clear several floors of that cylinder, but if they're slow, we could only get maybe a handful of floors cleared, if we're splitting up into groups, but as one solid group, well that's just stronger, but it would be slower too..."

"Ah, that is a good point. I shall let him know to time them, and I will let you know that. Perhaps, when we escape, we should split into smaller groups, it would be much faster. All of us can hold our own very well, so small groups of us would still be strong enough."

"Okay, that's good to hear. Also, your radius, how far can it reach before it no one can communicate anymore?"

"It is quite large, exactly 30 miles, so a diameter of 60 miles."

"That's really good! So we can all split up a good distance before communication gets cut off, that's useful. We could use that to warn other groups about the facility, and if they need to watch out or be prepared." He nodded, seeming rather interested in the scheming. I hummed again, tapping my foot, crossing my legs, then uncrossing them.

"Okay, good, that's all good information, useful. So Brian is a good source of information and codes, but how are we going to deal with the handprint scanners?" He stayed silent for a moment, seeming to think if he should tell me or not.

"I understand that you may not like this, but the only one of us able to scan their hand is Brian, and if we are splitting into groups, then we each would need a handprint. Each group would either need to take hostage a facility member, or simply take their hand." It took me a moment to understand what 'take a hand' meant, but when it clicked, my stomach tied itself into a knot.

"Like...cut off their hands?"

"Indeed." Yup, alrighty, I don't think I wanna see that, but if I'm escaping too, I would probably see it regardless.

"Alright then...when that day comes I don't think I'm going to eat."

"You'll need to. You'll need as much energy as possible to escape. As Tim had told you, you must take care of yourself as well, request healthy and filling meals, walk around, exercise your legs for when you need to run. Run around to build endurance, but understand this, that if it comes to it, you must be prepared to fight and hold your own until one of us can aid you, if we do agree for you to come along with us." I nodded.

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind, I'll do my best, I promise." Damn, I was making a lot of promises today.

"Good, and remember, as Tim stated, if you start to deteriorate, we will all be quite disappointed, especially Sally." Okay yeah, that made my heart hurt to think about. If not for all of them, if not for myself, then at least I'd be doing this for her.

"I understand. I swear I won't die on you guys."

"I am glad to hear that. Now, is there anything else to discuss?" I hummed, thinking if there was.

"Nothing I can think of, but I'll make sure to let you know if there is."

"Thank you, if you need to talk to me without cycling back through all the rooms then simply call out my name, and I shall respond, aloud or in your mind, either method works."

"Will do, I'll most likely need to do that. I suppose now I should continue on to the next person. Thank you so much for talking with me, and even more for considering my request."

"You are quite welcome, I must admit, I have enjoyed our conversations thus far, and I look forward to future ones. Have a lovely day, (Y/n)."

"You too, Sir. See ya later." We both shared a wave before I hit next. I waited patiently as the rooms cycled, tapping my foot until the wall turned to glass, and I was met with a much happier man than yesterday.

"Go-good morning!" He was beaming.

"Good morning, Toby! How are you today? Did you get your food?" He nodded his head vigorously before it twitched to the side, cracking loudly.

"Yeah! It was re-really good! A lot better than the nor-normal food here-here."

"I'm really happy to hear that! And how'd ya sleep?"

"Pretty good too! I really app-appreciate the extra pill-pillow!" I couldn't help but smile. Even the small and simple things were gladly accepted.

"That's good! I'm pretty relieved the facility accepted all the requests, everyone seems so much happier today! I can't express how happy that makes me!" Both of us were buzzing with joy, but Toby seemed to be so much happier than I was, and it was easy to piece together why. Five years, they've been locked up for five fucking years, and every single day they were questioned, shocked, possibly yelled at and berated, treated less than human, like they weren't even animals or bugs, but just plain trash. Never once had anyone ever given them anything, a chance or offer to ask for even an extra pillow or a shower, even the few before me who were nice to them never offered. For five straight years, they lived in freezing cold, dead silent cells, only ever having themselves to talk to, but never face to face, and when they did get human interaction, it was with someone who once sat in my chair. Someone with the control to skip them, to press a button to mute them or shock them, and the mysterious button that was labeled detention, and god only knows what that would entail. Even more isolation? Torture? In all those five years, just now are they being treated with any semblance of respect or kindness.

And just that small gift, that gift of treating them decently, normally, they all seemed so ecstatic, even Slender's voice seemed much happier. All they could do to pass the time was sleep, and when they couldn't sleep, they only had themselves, with the chance to converse with the others, but there's only so much to discuss when nothing new is happening. In that moment, when I fully and finally grasped their situation, did I finally feel the gravity of it all slam into me like a train at top speed before it flung me into a woodchipper. In that moment of actually thinking about it, did it make my gut churn and my bones feel ice cold. It made my head spin and made me feel sick. Twenty-four hours in a day. Seven days a week. Four weeks in a month. Twelve months a year. For five years straight. No breaks, no time to see the outside world or to leave their cells. They sat in these rooms, isolated, cold, lonely, and uncomfortable, for 43,830 fucking hours. Staring at the blinding, hellish white walls of their prisons. No color, no decorations, no more furniture besides a measly desk and lumpy cot. All the same fucking white color.

"H-hey, you okay?" I snapped out of my thoughts, shaking my head of the horrible realization, looking back to Toby, his brows knit together in either confusion or worry. My head was still spinning, I couldn't quite recognize the expression. Was I going to throw up? I wasn't sure. I felt like I couldn't breathe. Oh god, what was this feeling? This horrible, sickly, bitter feeling? I could feel my heart racing, I could feel the fibers of my clothes as they brushed against my skin. My senses felt on fire while my veins were ice cold. I could feel every twitch of my muscles and I was shaking, badly. My eyes burned, and I wasn't sure if it was because of the bright white everything, or if I was about to cry. My brain felt overloaded, and I wanted nothing more than to crumple to the floor and scream. At the very edge of my hearing, I swear I could hear the buzzing from the light overhead. The only sound.

No. No there was another sound. What was that? Talking? Buzzing? Ringing? I wasn't sure. I felt so lightheaded. I couldn't even react when I tipped over, my skull cracking against the floor once again, I think my eyes rolled back. My cheeks felt wet and cold. Was I crying or sweating? I couldn't tell. Why can't I feel my legs? My arms? Oh dear fucking god what was happening? I couldn't move, couldn't talk or speak, I can't breathe! Something was constricting my lungs, but nothing was touching me. What was that sound? Yelling? Why can't I hear? No, I can, but I can't focus on it, I can't focus my eyes, all I see is white. White. Fucking white, that horrible, colorless white. I wanted to scream, but razors were coating my throat, I couldn't even swallow. My body was twitching, but I couldn't control it, my arms and legs were so, so numb, like they were filled with static, static that got so bad that it was horribly painful. Where was I again? Didn't I have something to do? All I could feel were pins and needles stabbing into my nerves.

My body jolted, and finally, I could scream, and my body convulsed. Whatever little bit that I could breathe was stopped, and it felt as if my lungs had been flattened. I was twitching more, and my throat felt like it was ripping. The ringing was worse, I had such a horrible migraine. Too fucking bright. Why was I in so much pain? The static wasn't in my limbs anymore, it was coursing through my whole body, but it was louder than the numbness I was feeling before. It hurt, so much, it was making me convulse. It finally stopped and I fell limp, then that fucking voice spoke, the one thing I could make out.

"Lack of movement detected. Electric shock administered."

I was coughing and wheezing, but I still couldn't move, no matter how badly I tried to force myself to move. There was another shock, and it was so much longer. More painful. I felt like I was going to die. I didn't want to die. I wanted to live. There was something I was supposed to do, what...what was it? It was important. There was someone, no, more than one, I had to do something, I think I was helping? With what again? The shock finally ended, and the voice repeated again.

Wait, a new sound. Hissing. Footsteps too? I was being moved, someone was moving me. I felt the cold ground leave me, I was being picked up, moved. My head was lolled back, my lungs were still straining for air. I was being sat down, I think in my chair. Something was touching me, patting my cheek, then a bright light entered one of my eyes, and I flinched. It moved to my other eye, and it closed. More patting, there was a voice, but I couldn't make out what they were saying.

My head moved forward, there was something holding the back of my head, and something that wasn't white entered my vision. It was a burry face, brown hair and eyes, a white doctor's mask covering the rest of their face. I think they were speaking? They were patting my cheek, speaking, but my eyes only drifted off into the distance again. Fingers snapping in front of my face brought my eyes back to focus, and slowly, the buzzing in my ears began to fade, feeling crawled painfully back into my body, and my twitching was slowing.

"-ey! Hey! C'mon, come back!" I could hear again. I opened my mouth, but only a wheeze escaped me. I felt so cold.

"You're okay, c'mon, focus!" It was demanding, but something in that voice just sounded

wrong

. Was it worry? Desperation? I didn't know, my brain was too foggy to tell. My head hurt so badly. My head started to fall back again, but whatever was on the back of my skull pulled it back up. There was more patting on my cheek.

"No, no, you gotta wake up, stay awake! You just need to breathe." I tried to do what the voice told me to, I tried to breathe, but it was difficult, I was struggling, it

hurt

to breathe. I was still just wheezing, coughing, and choking every so often on my spit that rolled down my throat. The fingers were snapping in front of my face again, and my eyes began to focus on them again, and this time, they didn't drift off. I was able to focus my eyes, and my brain began to work again, something clicking back into place. I gasped loudly, my lungs finally working, expanding fully at the deep inhale, before shakily and quickly letting the oxygen out again. I could breathe! I was still wheezing partially, but I could breathe. I was panting, trying to take in as much oxygen as I could.

"There you go, just breathe, focus on that." I was able to nod slightly, just focusing on breathing. Eventually, my desperate inhaling slowed back to a normal rate, and my lungs took back over, and I didn't have to force myself to manually breathe.

"Alright, there you are. Can you hear me?" Nod.

"Good, can you see?" Nod.

"Okay, do you think you can talk?" Shake.

"That's fine. You're okay now, you had a panic attack and I think the shocks caused a mini seizure. I'll get someone in here to check you, you may have a concussion. Do you understand?" Nod.

"Good. Do you think you can hold yourself up or do you need to lay down?" I swallowed hard and tried to speak, but only a pathetic squeaking gurgle came out. I tried again and had a little more success.

"F-fine...sitting..."

"Okay, that's good. I'll go get a doctor, don't close your eyes, you need to stay awake, understand? Stay awake, stay sitting, and don't try to move or stand up, can you do that?" Nod. He didn't say anything else, and what I realized was his hand holding the back of my head moved away. My head began to fall back, but I caught myself, bringing my head back up, my eyes still trying to focus. I could hear the man quickly walking away, a hissing sound, then a thud. I lifted a hand, looking down at it.

I was shaking horribly, and my face felt wet. I lifted my hand to wipe at my cheeks, wiping away the tears, and realized that there was drool dripping from the corner of my mouth, wiping it away too. I felt like I was going to fall over again. I placed my hands on the desk in front of me, trying to stabilize myself.

"(Y/n)?" I was just barely able to register the voice, and I slowly held up my heavy head, taking a moment to focus in front of me, peering through strands of my hair. Hands pressed against the glass with a horrified look on his face was a man. What was his name again? Tony? Tom? No, no it was Toby. Yeah, Toby. That's who that was. Why did he look like that? Oh, maybe he was worried? My head started to fall again, and I jerked it back up, nearly falling backwards but catching myself again. Oh god, I was going to throw up. I pushed the chair back a bit, my hands still braced against the desk, and in just enough time to spread my legs, vomit began spilling from my mouth and splattering on the floor, thankfully none landing on my lap or feet. I was hacking and heaving until my stomach was fully empty. I spit, trying to rid the foul taste from my mouth.

I lifted my head again, eyes refocusing on Toby. He stayed silent, his mouth wasn't moving, but he stayed staring at me. The hissing sound came again, followed by multiple footsteps.

"-think she had a seizure and might have a concussion, are we able to turn the shock voltage down?"

"We can see about that, but first I need to check her." It was the man's voice who found me, and a new voice, a woman's. I felt a hand on my back, and my head lolled to the side, looking at the new person. It was a woman with black hair that was cut short into a bob, with a single streak of silver through it. She had deep wrinkles in her face, and at the very least was 50 years old. Unlike the man, she wasn't wearing a mask.

"(Y/n), can you hear me?" Nod.

"How are you feeling?"

"Not...good..." She looked a bit annoyed.

"Okay, I need you to cooperate with me, understand?" I nodded. She proceeded to move me about, making me perform tasks like focusing on her finger as she moved it, while I had to keep my head still, making me hold a pen and write down whatever she said, shining a flashlight into my eyes, and so on. It took a while, but by the end of it, my brain felt like it was functioning better, but was still foggy. She turned to the man.

"Just a minor seizure and concussion. She'll be fine but probably dazed for a while. She can continue to work. Put in an order to get her some juice to help raise her blood sugar though. And bring a towel so she can clean that mess up. I'll go make sure they turn down the voltage too, it shouldn't be too much to cause a seizure, only enough to push them to keep working." The man nodded, and together, the two left, and everything fell back into deafening silence. Considering the pile of vomit in front of my desk, I slowly scooted my chair to the side of the desk, so I could still use it, just without stepping in bile. I rubbed my eyes, still trying to bring back some focus to my brain.

"Are....are yo-you okay?" I lowered my hands and my eyes drifted to look at Toby once more, and I felt ashamed.

"Y-yeah. I'll-I'll be fine...just need a minute." He nodded but didn't step away from the glass, but he did lower his hands from it. I rubbed my eyes again, leaning forward to rest my elbows on my knees, staring at the ground. My head was pounding, but by that point, I was starting to feel better. There was a hissing sound to the right of the room, and glancing over, I saw a small red box with a straw sticking out of it and a folded white towel. I didn't want to move, to stand and walk over to it, but the smell of acidic stomach contents was burning my nose, and the taste of something other than filth in my mouth would be much appreciated.

I placed my hands on the desk, slowly pushing myself to stand up, my knees wobbling momentarily before finding stability, and I slowly shuffled my way over to the objects, picking them both up. I first sipped on the straw, and the taste of sweet apples filled my mouth, and it was pure bliss. I quickly drank the box dry of its contents before simply letting it fall to the floor, not caring to push it back through the still-open slot. I walked back over to the desk, and not feeling very motivated, simply tossed the towel over the vomit before sitting back down in my chair. I was back in my leaned-over position, arms resting on my knees, my head hanging low.

We sat in silence for a while longer before I finally lifted my head up again, looking through the glass at Toby. He was fidgeting with his hands, pulling at his fingers, scratching at his palms, he was stressed.

"I'm sorry."

"Wh-why?"

"I didn't mean to freak out. I just..." I sighed, a feeling of defeat hung over me, I wasn't sure why.

"I finally realized just how

long

you all have been locked up here. How boring and uncomfortable it has been. And all the people before me, how cruel they were to you all...you and Sally, even Tim and Slender, you all sound and look so much happier today, just by getting something, some respect, just from me being kind...it destroyed me. None of you are even treated like

people

, and it fucking

hurts

. I shouldn't be the one to panic here, I have no right to that, I'm not the one trapped like you all are, I'm not the one who's locked away, waiting as hours pass until someone finally talks to me." My voice cracked and my eyes stung.

"Five long, agonizing years, and only

now

are any of you getting things, baths, toys, food, pillows. How has no one in all that time never even

offered

to get any of you something? I just...I don't understand it." I was trying so hard not to cry. I had no right to cry. If anyone should be crying, it should be them. They should cry, scream, break, and destroy shit, they should be the ones panicking, who am I to be the over-dramatic one?

"N-no." His voice was calm, but it still held a harshness to it, a tone I wasn't expecting and that made me flinch back.

"You're trapped to-too. You do have a ri-right to be upset. Shh-sure it sucks, but at least we are-are getting something. Please don't feel-feel bad about it, you're being ni-nice to us now, you got us stuuuu-stuff. Be happy abou-about that. Please?" The harsh tone slowly faded away into a kind one. But I still felt awful, and all I could do was shake my head.

"But I don't have that right. Yeah, I'm stuck too, but I have more freedom than you guys. I have that goddamn remote, I can talk to any of you, fuck, I can even shock you guys, that's just demented! I have no right to sit here and cry and mope. I should be focusing on helping, not freaking out!" I was getting angry, but not at Toby, I was angry at myself. My lips were pulled back in a tight grimace, baring my teeth. I was so fucking enraged at myself. Who the fuck do I think I am to wallow around in self-pity? To cry? I'm not here to cry, I'm here to make them happy and to break them the fuck out of this prison. That's my only right, that's my fucking job! I watched a droplet fell down from my cheek, landing on the floor. Toby was silent for a moment, pausing.

"Slll-Slender wants to talk to you. You should go back to his ro-r-room."

"Okay. I'm sorry, again. I'm sorry if I upset you or stressed you out."

"N-no, it's okay, you didn't me-mean to. Pro-promise." I could only nod slightly before grabbing the remote, giving him a small wave goodbye before, for the first time, clicking the previous button. I watched as Toby disappeared behind a wall of white, and in a few seconds, I was sitting in front of Slender once again.

"H-hey." I sniffed, rubbing a hand across my face.

"Oh, my dear, what happened?" I was a bit taken away by how soft his voice sounded, concern laced thick in his echoey voice. With how much my voice hurt from my screaming, I talked to him with my thoughts.

"They said I had a panic attack, then I was shocked twice which gave me a seizure. And a concussion, I think from hitting my head so hard on the floor."

"I'm terribly sorry to hear that. Are you feeling any better?" I shrugged.

"I guess. My head still hurts a lot, and my voice too. But I just feel...bad, emotionally. I think I stressed out Toby, and I feel awful about it."

"You didn't stress him out, he was simply worried. I think any of us would be if we witnessed you drop to the floor with a seizure. I believe I can help with the migraine if you would like?" I smiled a bit at the offer, but was torn. I didn't want to accept it, I wanted to feel the pain, so I could feel ashamed about my freak out, so I would be reminded to not overreact again. But another part of me wanted to accept, to relieve my skull of the aching pressure. But if I didn't accept, I could lose sleep, or be dazed and lose focus on everyone else. Oh god, what if they knew what happened already? Who would laugh? Who would give me unwanted pity? I didn't want that, I don't want them to worry or care about me, they need to focus on themselves!

"Yes please, I wanna be able to focus better."

"Alright then, give me a moment please, I am a bit out of practice." I only chuckled lightly, nodding my head to him, waiting patiently. A faint ringing started in my ears, it wasn't loud or painful, but it was noticeable. Slowly, as the ringing persisted, the pressure in my head began to lessen and lessen, and eventually, the migraine was gone, and the fog that hung over my brain was cleared. I blinked a few times, feeling all of my senses focusing back to normal finally, and my blurry vision was now clear.

"Oh! Oh wow! Thank you so much! This is so much better!"

"Of course, it's the least I can do for you. You have been such a help to us, and so kind, if I can help you in turn, then I will." I smiled until I realized that he was repeating what I have been telling the others. If I can help, I will. My grin got a bit wider.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"Lots, I can't thank you enough."

"There's no need to thank me, I assure you. Now, in the time you talked with Toby, I was able to discuss with the others, and Toby too when he had the time to input his thoughts." My stomach dropped. They already had an answer? Anxiety began to fill my body.

"Most of us have agreed that if we get out of here, that we will take you with us. And they also have agreed to let you join our conversations. Some said that you made a good point and that it would be useful to discuss as a group, rather than one at a time. You'll also be able to talk to anyone you wish without having to find their room." Relief. The most blissful and gut-wrenching relief washed over me, and I let out the breath I was holding. This was progress! Amazing, wonderful progress! I wanted to jump around with joy, but I still didn't fully trust my body's stability, or embarrass myself further, so I contained my excitement into a grin.

"That's amazing! Thank you so much! I thank everyone else too! Umm...how can I communicate with them?"

"I simply create a link with your mind to ours. At any point, if you are bothered or wish for silence, then you simply won't hear us, and if you want to talk to a single individual, then only they can hear you, and only you can hear them. It's rather straightforward actually. Simply whatever you wish to discuss or not hear, it will happen. And if someone wishes to talk to all of us, and not have you hear, then you will not hear that conversation, and you can do the same. Also, if you do decide to join a conversation, you don't have to say anything, but the others will know you are there and listening." I hummed, listening closely, nodding my head.

"Okay, that sounds pretty simple, but that might just be easier said than done." To my surprise, he chuckled, the first time I've ever heard him laugh.

"That is true, some took to it like naturals, while others struggled at first, but I'm sure you'll find it easy, you are rather clever after all."

"Thanks, but I wouldn't give myself too much credit yet." It was my turn to laugh lightly. While the earlier events still stuck to my brain like tar, I felt a sense of victory, an accomplishment in the progress. Being able to talk to anyone and everyone would be infinitely useful.

"I have already linked you. Try talking to Sally, I'm sure she'll be happy to hear from you." I nodded my head, knitting my brows together in concentration as I tried to focus. Sally, just say hi to Sally.

"Sally? Can you hear me?" There was silence, and I closed my eyes, trying to imagine the little girl in my mind.

"Hello? Sally? It's me, (Y/n)." Still nothing. I hummed, trying harder to focus. I want to talk to Sally.

"(Y/n)?" I jolted at the voice but soon smiled.

"Sally! How are you?"

"(Y/n)! I can hear you! Hi!" My smile widened and I chuckled a bit.

"Hi, Sally! It's so good to hear you!"

"Yeah! This is so cool! Now we can always talk!"

"We sure can! I can talk to the others too! How cool is that?"

"Amazing! I'm so happy! I have a new friend to talk to!" I paused. Friend? Huh, that feels...kinda good to be called. Friend.

"I'm your friend..?"

"Of course! You're so nice and pretty and funny! You're my best friend! Or big sister!" I wanted to cry tears of joy, I was so genuinely happy. A little sister, a friend, someone who saw me as both those things and who I could easily see them as too.

"I would love to be your best friend and sister! You are absolutely precious, Sally!" I could hear her giggling, and it made my heart feel warm.

"Okay Sally, I need to keep talking to Slender, I'll talk to you later?"

"Okey dokey! Have fun!"

"You too." And like that, her voice was gone, and I opened my eyes again.

"It...worked."

"You sound surprised."

"I guess I kinda am. I get that you can talk telepathically, but I never expected to be able to as well."

"Well, I am glad that you are able to. One last thing, if there is an important conversation that you need to be a part of, and you can't hear us, I am able to override that, and you will be able to listen to us, so please do not be startled if you suddenly hear us all discussing."

"I'll probably still jump, but I'll be prepared, thank you so much."

"Of course. Now then, you should continue on as you were."

"Alright, I will. Goodbye."

"Goodbye." With the remote still in my hand, I hit next, continuing on, first wanting to check on Toby before seeing Jane next. And soon enough, he was back. I offered him a smile, but it was a weak smile.

"Hey again. Are you doing okay?" He seemed a bit surprised to see me again but nodded his head.

"Yeah. Are-are you?"

"I'm okay. Slender got rid of my headache, so I am doing a lot better. I wanted to apologize again. I really, truly am so sorry for freaking out like that. I didn't mean to, and I didn't mean to worry you either. I feel awful about it." My smile faded, and I couldn't help but look away, embarrassment seeping back in. I couldn't look him in the eye, I felt too bad about it.

"Li-like I said, it's fine, p-promise. You didn't mean to-to, and that's okay-kay. I'm fine, but you should be more-more worried about yourself." I finally looked back up at him, and his expression was still one of concern, and it made me feel sick, but I simply pushed it down. This isn't about me. I wanted to argue that it wasn't okay, but he didn't seem to be budging on the issue, so I sighed in defeat.

"Fine. If you say it's okay, then I believe you. But I still am sorry." He seemed content that I just accepted what he was saying and offered a kind smile.

"Stop say-saying sorry. Seriously, it's fi-fine." It doesn't feel fine. It feels awful.

"Heh. Okay, okay, I'll stop. Oh, I guess I should tell you, Slender said he linked my mind, so I can talk with any of you without having to find your rooms."

"I-I know, he let us know."

"O-oh, sorry." Embarrassment again. Of course he would let them know, he doesn't seem like the type to leave them in the dark, minus keeping Brian a secret. Toby just laughed, shaking his head.

"You really-really like to apologize. It's fine!"

"Yeah, I guess so, I should probably work on that, heh." I scratched the back of my head.

"Alright, I think I need to move on to Jane now." He nodded.

"Yeah, there's only s-so mu-much time in the day." I almost made the joke that we had all the time in the world, but decided that wouldn't be very funny.

"True. Alrighty then, I'll talk to you later?"

"I ca-can't exactly go anywhere." Damn, I could've made my joke! I had to laugh.

"Neither am I. Bye, Toby."

"Good-goodbye." I hit favorite, considering I had forgotten the day prior, then next, and just before the wall fully solidified, I grinned.

"I'm still sorry!" I yelled out, and just before he could open his mouth, the wall was solid, and the cube was being pulled back, but to my dismay, there was no winning that war.

"Stop it!" Damn, I'd have to get used to the whole telepathy thing. I only chuckled to myself as Jane's room was pushed forward. Looking in, Jane was sat on her cot, legs crossed, and flipping through a magazine that nearly blinded me due to the pop of color it had in comparison to the white everything.

"Hi, Jane." She glanced up and smiled softly.

"Hey! Heard about your little fall, you doing okay?" Oh god, they did know. I grimaced and she seemed to take notice.

"Ah, sorry, you don't have to talk about it."

"Thank you." I sighed, already mentally preparing for the others to bring it up. I already had two specific grinning people in mind who would probably laugh at me.

"How's the magazine?"

"Not really my style, but it's something, so I can't complain." She shrugged and I felt bad.

"Oh? I'm sorry, I didn't specify what kind of magazine. I can ask to get you a new one?"

"Nah, it's fine. So how's your day going so far, hun?"

"Eh, it's been up and down, nothing to really complain about, so I guess fine." She nodded before grinning.

"You know, I didn't expect you to actually pass along my message yesterday, and damn was that hilarious." It took me a moment to remember, but once I did, I wanted to snort, I had to hold back my laughter.

"Honestly, it was pretty funny! I wasn't expecting any of that, but it was entertaining!" It was her turn to laugh, and I soon relaxed again, feeling comfortable talking to her.

"It really was. I was so surprised that you actually went through with it, and then you kept going and I was nearly in tears laughing!"

"Oh I wish you could've seen it, I swear to god steam was almost coming out of his ears like a fucking cartoon!" We were both laughing now, not kneeled over crying laughing, but enough that it filled the silent rooms.

"I'm surprised you weren't laughing your ass off too! If I was you, I wouldn't be able to do any of that with a straight face!"

"It was hard but I managed! I did laugh a bit though, he got so pissed at that!" We both chuckled for a while longer until we calmed down.

"So, you really are serious about helping us out, huh? I'll be honest, I almost didn't believe you, but Slender confirmed that you are serious. I think I speak for all of us, even the grumpy ones, when we say we really appreciate that." The topic changed back to being serious, but a positive type of serious.

"Of course I mean it. I want out of here as much as the next person, but you've all been here so much longer, and I can't imagine that feeling. The least I could do was try and help out." She nodded, her smile never once faltering or leaving her face.

"I think we'll get along just fine. I like you, you're a good person. If there is anything that I can do to help you out, please feel free to ask." I smiled back to her, feeling a slight flush in my cheeks. It felt good to be liked. I didn't need to be liked, but it was nice to hear.

"I'll remember that. And feel free to ask me anything too, you're all able to now after all."

"I'll definitely have to take you up on that offer. How are you doing with the whole mind-talking?"

"It took me a bit to actually get through, talked to Sally for a bit, but I haven't used it besides that, so I'm not really sure."

"That's fair, it took me a while to get used to it. You'll get the hang of it soon enough."

"I hope so, it's pretty useful, and I do wanna be able to communicate with you all." She nodded, then seemed to trail off into thought for a moment before snapping back.

"I couldn't agree more, it's not something you would think much about, but when you can use it, then hell yeah is it neat to have." I hummed, leaning back in my chair. The conversation seemed to be faltering, and I wasn't exactly sure what to talk about, and neither did she.

"The food here is pretty bland, I could put in a request for you to get something that actually tastes good if you'd like?"

"That'd be really nice, please. I think some parmesan chicken would be delicious!" I nodded, pivoting in my chair to reach across the desk to grab the paper and a pen, writing down the food item for her.

"Anything else?"

"Maybe a fruit smoothie? We only get water to drink."

"Anything specific?"

"Hmm, how about strawberry and banana?"

"Oh, that sounds good! I just might have to ask for one too." I laughed lightly, writing down the request.

"Go for it, you gotta treat yourself too, hun."

"I keep getting told that today, ha. Sally made me promise to ask for some things, then Tim scolded me too! I swear that I'll ask for something." She laughed lightly before speaking again.

"What are you gonna ask for? Besides food." I paused. I actually hadn't thought about what I would ask for. I knew I wanted to ask for Sally's drawing and tape so I could put it up on one of the walls, but that was it.

"Oh, hmm. I don't know. I haven't really given it much thought yet."

"Okay, then let's brainstorm. What's something that you really, really want?"

"To get out?" She laughed, and I could only assume she rolled her eyes, but considering they were entirely black, I wasn't sure.

"Don't we all. C'mon, how about some more pillows and blankets too? Like you got all of us. You also got me and Sally jackets, so get yourself one too." I nodded, hesitantly writing my name at the bottom with the items. Jane hummed, crossing her arms and shifting her weight to one foot, closing her eyes in thought.

"Let's see...maybe a book? To read during your breaks? What else is there...what are your hobbies?" I paused again, furrowing my eyebrows.

"I...don't remember."

"Ah, right. Well let's figure that out. Get some drawing stuff, maybe something to play music on? So it's not so quiet. I doubt they'd give you any sewing or knitting supplies, with the needles and all. Okay, let's come back to hobbies later, how about decorations?" I wrote down her suggestions, racking my own brain for ideas.

"A carpet?"

"That's a good idea! Something soft, and get some color in there too! How about a lamp? So when the lights go out you can still have some kind of light! And maybe a shelf!" I started to smile again, scribbling down the ideas.

"I think I'll ask for a change of clothes too. These are comfortable and all, but I can't wear them day after day, I want something else, oh, and a shower too!" It was my turn to start blurting out ideas, and my pen was flying across the paper.

"There ya go! What are some things you think you might like? Like knick-knacks?" I hummed, tapping the pen to my chin.

"I'm not too sure. All I know is that I want some color in here."

"Then ask for rocks or gems, they're pretty, colorful, and shiny!" I was quick to scribble it down, and we were both now smiling widely, then I paused, looking up to her room.

"You all have cots and desks with chairs, but nothing else, would you like anything? Maybe your own shelves too? Or lamps?"

"Hush, we're getting you stuff right now, you already got us things."

"I'm still gonna write it down." She sighed but chuckled, just letting me continue.

"What else, what else..." My mind was running blank now, and I tried to think, but then I got an idea. When I had spoken to Slender, he had told me that I needed to build my endurance, so why not ask for an exercise bike? I would feel stupid running in circles around the room, and it would be good exercise to prepare for our eventual escape. I scribbled down the item, making sure to specify that it be in color, and not fucking white. I did that for every single item.

"Maybe some plants? To liven up the space, make sure to ask for fake ones though. Live ones won't survive down here."

"Ohh I like that! What about a hanging plant?"

"Oh hell yeah!" That back and forth went on for a bit, just trying to figure out ideas for my room, while also secretly writing down other ideas for their rooms, while also keeping in mind that those rooms weren't very big, and I didn't want to overcrowd them. Before I knew it, I was sure nearly half an hour had passed of just coming up with ideas.

"Okay, I think that should be enough. Thank you for helping me out!"

"It's no problem, like I said, you gotta treat yourself."

"That is a valuable lesson I'm sure I will never use again." We shared a laugh before saying a quick goodbye. The next one was the one I had skipped the previous day, the one with the sleeping man. Though now, he was very much awake.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

I now see why on Sally's drawing why this man was labeled 'Eyeless'. Where his eyes

should

be, were just empty sockets. But in my brain, I knew he could still see because he was staring directly at me. Viscous black goop dripped from the empty sockets, and when it would drip to the floor, it would sizzle away into nothingness, leaving behind no trace that the fluid was ever even there. His skin was a dark gray, though, at this point, I wasn't much surprised by the odd appearance, but it was still unnerving. He didn't say anything, just sat there on his bed, staring at me.

"Uh, hi..?" His top lip curled slightly, like a grimace or snarl, but it quickly fell back to a blank expression. I cleared my throat, trying to push down the anxiety I was feeling.

"I-I'm (Y/n), we didn't get to talk yesterday, I think you were a-asleep, and I didn't want to bother you. It's nice to meet you," I had to check his name again on the black rectangle.

"Jack." He only stayed silent, not moving, not showing any expression, just silent. Please for the love of fuck all don't tell me this is a Smile or Grinny situation again. I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't want to say something that would offend or piss him off, but I also wanted to talk, plus I still had to fill out his form that was left blank. I shifted in my seat, looking over to all the forms that were still laid out neatly on the floor, looking over them until I saw the blank one. I got up, picking it up off the floor, checking the name before making my way back to the seat and laying the form on the desk.

"I guess I should fill this out first...umm, if that's okay with you?" Silence. Fuck, this was going to be exactly like the dog and cat duo. I sighed, rubbing my eyes and pinching the bridge of my nose. Maybe I could ask for help? I just had to think, focus really hard. My face contorted into concentration, bringing into focus the image of Slender, focusing on wanting to talk to him.

"Um, excuse me, Sir?"

"Yes, (Y/n)?" Fuck yeah, it worked! First try too!

"Hi, I'm sorry to bother you, but I think I need some help."

"You're not bothering me, what is it you need?"

"Well, I got to Jack's room, uh, Eyeless Jack. I'm trying to talk to him but he's just staring at me and staying quiet. Can he talk or hear me?"

"Yes he can hear you and can fully speak, he is just being stubborn. I cannot force him to speak, but I do recommend just trying to make some small talk, even if he won't respond."

"Alright, I'll try my best. Thank you so much."

"Of course, I wish you luck, and always feel free to ask for help."

"Will do." And with that, the conversation faded, and I blinked my eyes open again. Okay, just being stubborn, he can hear and understand me. I think it's just proving myself again at this point.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk, I understand if you don't want to. It's still nice to meet you, though." Nothing. That's fine, I was patient with Jeff, I can be patient here. I scooted the empty form away from me, deciding to focus on it later.

"I don't think the others ever mentioned you to me, well, except Sally. She drew an adorable picture. I asked her for it, she was happy to give it to me, so I could probably show you it tomorrow." Still nothing.

"I'm not sure if you know, or if you do then I guess I'd just be repeating myself here, but I'm trying to help you all out. Everyone's been pretty nice to me, it's fun getting to talk to you all." ...

"I'm also writing down requests for everyone, so if you want anything, anything at all, I can write it down for you?" ...

"If you don't want anything that's okay too, it's just an offer." ...C'mon dude...

"You're all pretty interesting. It's been good to meet all your friends. Everyone is so different, but all seem to mesh together pretty well, I think that's cool." Still nothing. I tried to offer him a smile, but I was not confident in it.

"I look forward to getting to know you all better. I know it's the only thing I can do here, but talking to you all is the highlight of my day." Okay, maybe I couldn't be very patient. So instead of trying to get a conversation going, I simply crossed my legs, leaned back in my chair, and stayed silent too, just staring back at him through the glass. I made sure to bob my foot around so I wouldn't be shocked again. And so, I waited. There was nothing but silence, and the only thing that would break that silence was me shifting in my chair.

Minutes ticked by, and nothing was happening. I wasn't giving up, I could spend all day and the next day sitting here, waiting. I didn't have to talk, hell, I could just walk around the room, I could do anything, and I wouldn't skip past this room, not again. His room was staying there until I got some kind of response or reaction, even if he simply nods or shakes his head, that would be a win in my book. I started to tap my pen on the desk, just wanting some sound besides silence, but not once did I look away from him. Maybe I could rile a reaction out of him? But what if that backfires? It worked for Jeff, but this guy was just sitting there, doing nothing, not throwing or breaking his furniture, just, nothing. I hummed, uncrossing my legs and leaning forward, my forearms resting on my knees, dropping my pen on the desk. What to do, what to do.

"Any luck?" I nearly jumped out of my skin but quickly regained my composure.

"Nothing yet. He just won't do anything!"

"He is not responding to me either. I have a suggestion, though you may not like it."

"I will literally sacrifice an organ if I have to."

"How ironic."

"...what."

"Ask him if he would like something to eat. If he doesn't react, ask him if he would like a kidney."

"Please tell me this is a joke."

"I am sorry, but it is not." I wanted to hurl again. But if it would get him to talk, then I would be willing to try.

"So Jack, are you hungry at all? Do you want anything to eat?" Slightly, just barely, did he move, it was so slight that I could've imagined it. His head raised just slightly, but otherwise, he still didn't move or talk. Alrighty, here goes nothing.

"The food here sucks, I'm sure you want something better, right? Hmm, maybe something like a kidney?" I had to keep a straight face, I couldn't cringe, I had to steel my nerves. He definitely was listening to me now if he wasn't before. He leaned forward a bit, and now I had his full attention.

"I could ask to get you some. I could get you anything, but I don't know what to get you if you don't talk to me. I've told the others this, and I'll say it again, if I can help out in any way I possibly can, then I will. But I can't help if I don't know how to." I was surprised when the wide sockets of his eyes narrowed, as if he was either glaring at me or interested in what I was saying.

"Let's make a deal, nothing big, I promise. For each of my questions you answer, you get one extra kidney. Answer three questions, and you get four. Or any other organ or type of meat you want, absolutely anything." He was still staring, either thinking or holding his ground, it was hard to tell.

"But you need to talk. Your answers can be short, I'm not asking for a long conversation, but just something, whatever you're comfortable saying." I waited. And waited, and waited some more. And for the first time, he spoke.

"Deal." I grinned, I couldn't help it, it was a breakthrough, it worked, and I was thrilled! He talked! It's just baby steps, but it's better than nothing. I sat back up straight, nearly leaping out of my chair.

"Great! Thank you!" I quickly picked up my pen again, first grabbing the request paper, writing down his name, then a tall mark next to it, using it to count his...prize? Food? Whatever he did with the kidneys, I didn't want to know.

"Alrighty, I'm just gonna ask the first three questions, and then if you wanna keep talking, I'll keep adding more kidneys to the paper!" He didn't respond, that was fine.

"Okay, first question, cause of death if applicable."

"Didn't die, was summoned." Don't wanna know what the fuck that means, but alrighty! I wrote down the answer, then placed another tally mark.

"Motives?"

"Food." Okay, that was an answer I didn't need, but now I can be fairly certain why he wants kidneys, even though Slender had implied it, I still didn't want to believe it. Write, tally mark.

"And last question, methods?"

"Anything. Teeth, claws, dismemberment." Fan-fucking-tastic to know!

"Alright, and that's all the questions I'll ask! Pretty easy! So that's a total of four kidneys, if you want to keep talking with me, then I can add more.

"'Kay." I guess that counts. Tally mark.

"So I made sure everyone got extra pillows and blankets, did you get some?"

"Yeah." Six.

"Would you like anything else? Books, games, decorations?" He paused before speaking.

"A medical book. And a pencil." Seven tally marks.

"Is that all?"

"Yeah." Eight.

"Okay, if you think of anything else please feel free to let me know." Silence. I wasn't sure what to keep asking or talking about, I was scared to figure out more gruesome little facts. I shouldn't be surprised, I was told everyone here kills, but I didn't think that would entail possibly eating their victims.

"I'll be honest, I'm scared to ask this, but is there anything else you want to...eat? Drink?"

"No." Nine.

"Okay, just the kidneys then. Do you want a hairbrush? Or a shower? Some of the others got those." He paused, seeming to think.

"Sure." Ten.

"Okay, I'll write that down. Hmm..." I tried to think of anything else. I felt my stomach tie in knots every time I added a new tally mark, but I needed to build trust with everyone, and if we managed to escape, if I was in a group with him, I would be terrified if he took my life into his own hands, deciding if I would live or not. At this point, it might just be for my survival if I wanted a chance to leave here alive. To my surprise, he spoke without being prompted.

"Why?" Eleven.

"Huh?"

"Why are you trying to help us?" Twelve. I sighed, having to go through the whole explanation again.

"Didn't the others tell you?"

"I was asleep." Thirteen.

"Ah, okay. I want to help because I think it's right. I had it explained to me how you all work, that you need to kill to survive, and everyone and everything, humans, animals, bugs, and plants, all have the basic instinct of survival. It's wrong for you all to be here simply for surviving. You all have just the same right to live like I do, like the people in the facility do, although with what they're doing, I wouldn't mind if they died." He raised a brow.

"I told this to Jeff, I'll tell it to you too. If I knew that and one of you tried to kill me, of course I would fight back because I want to live, and no matter how scared or angry I'll feel, I'll never deny your right to survival, and I can't blame any of you for that. I don't have more of a right to live than the rest of you, so why would I condemn it? I can't, because it's not my place to say any of you are wrong for living. Animals kill each other to eat and survive, and we don't shame them, so why would it be any different for any of you? And don't take it the wrong way, I'm not comparing you to animals or bugs, you're all your own beings, but it's the same concept." He stayed silent again, and I waited for a reply, but he simply nodded his head, then turned around on his bed, and laid down. I looked down at the tally marks on the paper. Thirteen. Thirteen fucking kidneys.

He was clearly done talking, so I mumbled a goodbye before clicking the next button. It could've been my mind, but maybe, just maybe, he said one last thing? It was hard to tell, it was too quiet to be sure. I watched as his room receded towards the cylinder, and soon enough, I was looking into the hot-headed one's room. And surprisingly, his room seemed to be untouched from his tantrum, like everything magically fixed itself. He was pacing around, but quickly spotted me, grinning widely, pointing at me, and quite proudly exclaiming,

"Bitch!" Yeah, I laughed, it was bizarre and hilarious. I mimicked his gesture towards him, making my own statement.

"Asshat!" He too laughed, and it was a stark contrast to the day before.

"Good to see ya too, Jeff. How are ya?"

"Eh, bored. You took your sweet ass time getting here!"

"Yeah well it's not my fault that there were some issues and then Jack didn't want to talk, I can't force anyone to do anything, I had to wait it out."

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Whaddya want today?"

"Uh, to talk I guess? That's pretty much all I've been doing today."

"Besides cracking your skull on the floor?"

"How about you shut up your shit-eating mouth?" He was cackling again, and the back and forth seemed to just be a game. I was correct with my much earlier guess, that he would be one of the people laughing at me.

"Hey, if you wanna experience that too I could shock ya?"

"Thought ya didn't wanna do that."

"I don't, but since you seem to be so obsessed with it then I can certainly provide the favor."

"Oh fuck off!"

"No thanks."

"Nasty."

"You're the one who said it, not me." I shrugged, trying so hard to hold back my laughter. Throwing insults back and forth felt like it was relieving some kind of stress or steam, plus it was just hilarious.

"Oh, sorry by the way, that you didn't get your knife, it was the only request that was denied."

"Nah, kinda figured. Still bullshit though." He huffed. All of my interactions with him have been nothing else but strange.

"Well, I'm still writing down whatever anyone wants, if you have any other ideas besides weapons?" He just shrugged, not seeming to care much.

"Eh, don't really care."

"What about food? That seems to be today's focus so far."

"Get me a steak, that'd be fucking good." I nodded, scribbling it down, once again glancing at the tally marks above his request, cringing once again.

"Alright, that it?"

"Get me some beer or something like that too." I was about to question it but decided not to. Everyone's got vices after all, Tim wanted cigarettes, so who am I to deny alcohol?

"Okay, anything specific or just that?"

"Nah, just want something to drink." I nodded my head, clicking my pen before setting it back down. I wonder if I was old enough to drink alcohol? How old even was I? Oh right, my folder told me that, I was 23.

"All written down-"

"How'd ya get him to talk?"

"Huh?"

"Jack, ya dumbass." Oh. I grimaced again, I didn't try to hide it.

"I had to offer to get him...food." He grinned but didn't laugh, though he looked like he wanted to.

"So he talked for a kidney?"

"For thirteen, actually." He only shook his head.

"That's fuckin' gross. I don't get it, but that's what he eats."

"I don't get it either, but then again I don't eat people." He only shrugged in response. We fell back into banter, slinging insults and curses at each other, both of us laughing all the way through it. It was odd, but damn was it funny and helped to distract me from the fact I was in a blinding white prison that abused and tortured its 'residents'. It wasn't very long until I had to go on to the next person, flipping Jeff off, him returning the action before I pressed next.

Ah, right, the dog. He was happily chewing away on a bone on his new dog bed, tail wagging all the while.

"Awe, morning boy! Ya enjoying your new things?"

"Awoo." I laughed, only getting a howl in response. I sat there for a bit just watching him chew on the bone, a few times getting up to grab a squeaky tow, shaking his head around before letting it go, flying through the air before slamming into a wall. It was entertaining to watch, but I couldn't really talk to a dog. So I told him a short goodbye, said hello to Grinny who was happily scratching on a brand new beige cat post, then moved on to the next. This time I was prepared for what I would see.

Same as he had done the previous day, face and hands pressed against the glass, staring right into my soul, was Jack. Laughing Jack as I learned from Sally's drawing.

"Good morning, Jack."

"Morning." I clicked my pen a few times before tapping it on the desk. I hadn't really talked to Jack much, considering that I was shocked yesterday followed by the interruption of the...intercom? It sounded like one, but there were no speakers in the room. No cameras either, but I knew they could see me.

"So how're you today?"

"Fine." Awesome conversation, buddy. My eyes drifted behind him, seeing that he had received the markers requested, considering the walls were entirely scribbled on from top to bottom. Well, at least there's color now. There were also a few shiny candy wrappers littering the ground.

"I see you got the things you wanted. Any good?" He nodded his head, his sharp-toothed grin never leaving his face. It was uncomfortable being stared at but I had to suck it up.

"That's good...uh, is there anything else you want or need?" He hummed, finally pulling himself away from the glass, tapping a clawed finger to his chin in an overly dramatic and animated way.

"Nah, I'm good." I nodded, watching as his arms lowered and he simply went back to staring. Well at least he didn't bring up-

"How hard ya hit yer head? Heard it made a '

CRACK'

sound." Fuck my life. He was chuckling, a stark contrast to the odd worry he showed when he witnessed me being shocked.

"Well if you wanna know, I have a mild concussion now. Had a seizure too if you hadn't heard that yet." Yeah, my response was a bit snarky, my top lip curling slightly. I get it, it's funny or interesting, just please stop talking about it!

"Haha! I did hear, you were frothing at the mouth!" If I could, I might just smack Toby for telling literally

everyone

. I only sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Yeah, yeah, can we

please

stop talking about it?"

"Noooooope!" Nevermind. I just might smack him instead. Multiple times. With my fist. In the face.

"Ugh, whatever." He was still just chuckling. I groaned again, standing up from my chair and just walking around the room, just needing to do something before I punched the wall. My goal was to get to know everyone, but if all he wanted to do was laugh at my...mishap, then I was lost for what to do. I just continued to walk around, trying to keep the electricity from triggering again but also letting out some steam.

"Okay, okay, calm down." I had started talking to myself, needing some other noise that wasn't laughter. I circled back around before sitting down in my chair. Before I could open my mouth to speak, a hissing sound echoes from behind me, making me turn. Standing in the now open doorway was the older woman who had checked me earlier, and behind her were three people, dressed head to toe in all white, looking as if they were wearing some kind of armored clothing with masks that covered their entire heads, only a thin visor showing their eyes.

They quickly moved into the room, grabbing at my arms and pulling me from my chair, knocking it over in the process. Two held my arms while the third one moved behind me, something cold being placed around my throat, hissing and locking in place. The whole time I was blabbering, trying to yank my arms away, struggling to get out of their grasps. The lady walked forward and the guard behind me placed his hands on my head, yanking it up and back slightly, holding me still as I continued to struggle.

She was only about a foot away from me now, leaning down to examine whatever had been placed around my neck, touching it with a few beeps sounding out. She nodded, stepping back as the guards finally released me, moving to stand behind her. She stuffed her hand in her coat pocket before producing a small white circular object, one with a single button on it with a dial below it. She pressed the button. I fell to my knees, hands flying to my throat, trying to claw at the collar that had been secured to it, electricity pulsing through my body. It was so tight around my throat that I could barely stick my fingers between it and my neck, and the electricity ramped up, shocking me harder and ripping a scream from my throat. Something kicked my stomach and made me fall over, sliding slightly on the floor. A guard was standing over me, and all I could see was their eyes, looking down at me with such hatred and disgust. The electricity finally stopped and I gasped out for air.

"Good. It works." The lady stared down at me with the same disgust as the guard. My eyes finally focused back on her fully as I tried to scramble to my feet, lunging at her. Another shock and something made contact with my face, a fist punching into my cheek and knocking me back down to the ground. The shock stopped only a few seconds after. I was kicked in the gut again, making me gag as I tried to keep bile down. The woman crouched down, glaring at me.

"Don't you

ever

do that again. Got it?" I bared my teeth at her, my hand flying out towards her face. This absolute bitch! My hand was pinned to the floor by a boot, making me cry out as the foot ground down onto my wrist. Another long, agonizing shock. The lady only hummed, standing back up before turning.

"If you're going to listen now, finish asking the rest of the questions.

All

of them." The guard finally took his boot off my hand and I was quick to bring it to my chest, cradling the already red and purple skin. Before I could scream at them or say anything, the door had closed, and I was alone again. Fuck...Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!

I was angry. I was fucking pissed. I screamed out from the pure rage that was flaring to life inside me. I should have been angry sooner, but just now was it finally turning into a blaring wildfire that was consuming me. I punched the floor. Then again, and again and again. I lifted my hands to grasp the collar, trying to yank it off, but it only shocked me again, ripping another cry from my throat. I was fucking enraged, and there was not a single damn thing I could do about it.

All I could do was curl into a ball, panting and huffing in pain and anger, tears pricking my eyes from the overwhelming emotions. I was trying so hard not to sob, I didn't want to give them that satisfaction of breaking me. Jack was right, I was just the facilities dog, and the new collar proved that. And they kept their

favorites

on a tight,

tight

fucking leash. My wrist hurt so much. My throat hurt from screaming and swallowing down the bubble of tears. From being shocked, I swear my skin was burned. I slammed my fist on the floor again, just

needing

to get my anger out. I wanted to scream again but couldn't, my throat was already strained. I ran my hands through my hair, gripping and pulling at it, unintelligible, animalistic noises emanating from my lips. I was pulling and ripping at my scalp, still curled in on myself. Why were they doing this to them? To me? To all of us?! Why? Why?

Why

?!

I wasn't sure how much time passed, at least 12 minutes until I was able to calm down. I slowly pushed myself up from the floor, keeping my back to the viewing glass of my tantrum. Breathe in. Breathe out. In. Out. I felt...numb. Like whatever was left of me was beaten and shocked out of me. I tasted blood in my mouth, probably from the punch to my face. I spat on the floor, and sure enough, it was red. I sneered at the splotch. My sides hurt so much from where they had kicked me. My wrist was pulsing with pain and a bruise was already forming on it, swelling up.

I finally turned, unable to even offer a smile at the clown still viewing everything. Guess that was the second time he witnessed me getting beat down by the facility, a little more literally this time. I looked down at my chair, that rage flaring back up. I pulled my foot back, kicking it as hard as I could, ignoring the new pain that shot through my toes and foot. I watched as it tumbled through the air before landing back on the floor. There was another shock coursing through my neck, a strained, guttural scream ripping from my lips as I fell back, back to clawing at the collar. It lasted at the very least for a solid minute before stopping, leaving me gasping for air, staring up at the ceiling.

I just laid there, panting for air, my nails still digging into the skin of my neck. They felt...wet. Fuck. I grimaced, pulling my hands up to hover over my face, my nails stained with slick red. When I get out of here, I would kill her. I didn't care how wrong it felt. Her head would be mine, that was my one and only target, to see her scream and writhe with pain, to see the fear in

her

eyes. I slowly pushed myself up from the floor, grabbing the side of the desk to stabilize myself. My eyes finally drifted back up to the monochrome clown.

"Don't say a

fucking

thing." Not my best choice of words, but he stayed silent. He only stared at me. I slowly walked over to my chair now on the other side of the room, dragging my feet before grabbing the back of it, turning, and tugging it back to the side of the desk, still not having cleaned up the vomit and towel in front of it. I fixed the chair, standing it back up and facing towards the glass. I finally sat back down, feeling defeated and angry. I didn't say anything, I picked up the remote and hit next, watching as Jack disappeared and the next room cycled over to Ben.

He was sitting on the floor, head sat in his hand as he stared down the floor, looking bored. The red pinpricks up his eyes looked up before he fully turned to me, eyes widening a bit. My face only felt blank, I just simply felt...dead.

"Good to see you again." My voice was hoarse from screaming, it was quiet too.

"Uh, what...what happened?" I grimaced, though it probably looked more like a snarl.

"Just ask Jack." He paused again, looking a bit unnerved.

"Uh, 'kay?" Silence. Horrible, deafening, enraging silence. I tried to smile, but my lips failed me. My throat felt dry.

"How're you doing?"

"Bored." Silence. All I wanted to do was sleep, to punch the wall, to just

break

something. I hated that feeling.

"Uh, hey, do any of you know that lady, uh, the one with short black hair and white stripe in it?" He shook his head and I sighed. Damn.

"Why?" I pointed to the collar around my neck.

"Cuz

I'm

gonna kill her." His face was only blank.

"Not gonna doubt you, but you sure you can do that?" I shrugged.

"I don't like the idea, but I wanna see the bitch bleed." He only slowly nodded his head. I was fidgeting with my fingers, my hands felt tense, my side ached, the nauseous feeling having yet to subside. I remembered what the lady had said and felt fear grip my throat. I had to keep asking questions. I forgot to ask Jack, I was too angry to think straight. Shakily, I stood up from the chair, walking over to all the papers on the floor lined up, scanning over them until I saw Ben's name. I picked it up, the paper shaking with my trembling hands, before I walked back to the desk, setting it down.

"I-I forgot...I have to keep asking questions. Is that fine..?" My voice had noticeably shifted from hollow to scared.

"Yeah, go ahead."

"Okay...um, age at time of events?"

"Twelve." I wrote it down, my writing just as shaky as I was.

"Current age?"

"Twenty-four."

"Weapon or weapons?"

"Does tech count?" I shrugged but wrote it down anyway.

"Abilities?"

"I told ya that one already, traveling through electronics, although I can infest and influence dreams too. And cause hallucinations. Oh yeah, I guess floating counts too." That sounds just swell.

"And last question is...location?" I looked up at him, waiting, but he only stayed silent, a long pause before he spoke.

"I can't tell you that." I only nodded, writing down 'N/A' on the paper. Okay, that was it, all the questions. A short list of eight questions. Eight measly questions that I had been shocked and beaten horrifically over.

"O-okay, all done." I had to swallow the lump in my throat, feeling as it pressed against the collar, reminding me just how uncomfortably tight it was around my neck. There was a long pause again.

"Are...are you okay?" I pursed my lips, ready to brush off the question. No, I didn't feel okay, I was angry and scared and in pain. But the focus wasn't to worry about me, it was to get them out of here.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. I'll be fine." I waved my hand, dismissing the concern. He looked ready to speak again when a loud voice spoke over the speakers.

"Break. Lunch served." And he was gone, his room pulling back to the cylinder and disappearing. The facility had a funny way of interrupting things. I sighed, my body slumping over in my chair, hands resting on my face. The wall to my right hissed, but I didn't care to get up to eat, not yet. I just needed to breathe. Just breathe. Just...breathe. My body was shaking more now, and finally, in my solitude, a sob echoed out from my throat. I was

scared

. I was so, so fucking terrified. The facility would happily shock me and beat me, it didn't care if I might have been a 'favorite', to them, I was just a dog to be trained. To listen to every command, to not bite or bark back, just do as you're told, and follow the commands. Sit on the chair, lay down, roll over, fetch our questions. Good girl, your reward is disgusting food and a lumpy cot, with not a drop of color anywhere.

Tears finally fell, and I cried. I let myself freely cry, loud sobs and hitching breaths with hiccups echoed around the empty room. I was gripping at my hair again, feeling absolutely defeated. Overpowered. Beaten. Tears stained my cheeks and dropped to the floor, splattering into tiny pools of sorrow and pain. I wiped my arms over my face, hiccuping and trying to calm myself down, but unable to. I only cried harder, louder. I was failing at every turn, failing to make some of them comfortable, failing to build trust, failing myself, getting shocked, a concussion, a seizure, a collar like a fucking animal, and getting kicked and punched. I was a

failure

. Nothing more, and everything less.

When I had finally started to calm down, the timer had shown that there were only 9 minutes left for me to eat and collect myself. I stumbled over to the food sitting in front of the wall, simply falling to my knees and starting to eat. Hah, I was even eating off the floor like a fucking dog. The food was just as bland as the previous days, with a simple cup of water. I tried to eat quickly, pushing the tray back through the slot and watching as it disappeared. I sighed, sitting there for a few more moments before the voice came back.

"Break over. Resume." I pushed myself off the floor, shuffling over to the desk, and sitting down at it, wiping my eyes one last time before hitting next. Instead of continuing on to the Rake, the cylinder simply cycled all the way back to Sally's room. Shit, fuck! No, no, no, don't let her see me like this! It was too late, the wall turning to glass with a smiling little girl behind it, though when she saw me, her smile faded and turned into worry.

"Oh no! Miss (Y/n)! Are you okay?" She ran to the glass, pressing her tiny hands against it. I felt a bubble form back in my throat as fresh tears pricked my eyes. Why did asking that make me want to cry again? I tried to speak, to say that I was okay. But I wasn't, and my voice let anyone who could hear know that. It cracked and a sob echoed out. No, please, not again. Tears were already falling down my face again and I curled into a ball in my chair, hands gripping at my stomach as I cried. Sally didn't speak, she only stared at me with her sad, green eyes. I was trying so hard to swallow the lump in my throat, I was gasping out for air as I broke down again, all for Sally to watch, and I felt

awful

.

When my crying finally died down and I looked back up to Sally, she simply used one of her hands to beckon me closer to the glass. I was wiping at my face, still hiccuping and crying, though not as badly as before. I slowly got up, stumbling over before falling to my knees in front of the child. I was trying so hard to stop the straining in my chest, to make the lump in my throat disappear, to just stop the tears and to just be fine, but I couldn't stop, wave after wave of pain and sadness, and anger slammed into me, and it hurt so much. I slowly looked up at Sally, knowing full well how horrible I must have looked up close, red eyes, flushed cheeks rubbed raw from wiping my tears, tears covering my whole face, messy hair, hell, my cheek was probably red and purple from where I had been punched. Claw marks at my throat where I tried to pry the collar off, and a swollen and bruised wrist. I must've looked downright disgusting.

"What happened?" Her soft voice was so full of concern, and through my hiccups, I managed to jumble together an explanation, how I was beaten and shocked with a collar forced onto me, how horrible I felt, it all spilled from my lips to her listening ears. I was finally starting to calm down, my crying slowly fading away, though my hiccups stayed for a while, the tears slowly drying up.

"Can I see your hand?" I looked back to the little girl, but lifted up my hand anyways, showing my swollen and bruised wrist to her. To my surprise, she kissed one of her fingers before pressing it to the glass where my wrist was, before smiling back at me.

"There! Kisses make everything feel better!" I would be lying if I wasn't ready to cry again. Even in the horrible situation, she still tried to keep things positive.

"T-thank yo-you, Sally. It-it already fee-feels better." My voice kept cracking and hitching but I managed out the sentence. She giggled, clapping her hands together happily.

"Yay! I helped!"

"You alw-always help, th-thank you-you so much." I just stayed sat there, my side pressed against the glass as Sally tried to console me. She was just a radiant light, so much brighter than the blinding white everything of the facility. It was like a ray of warm sunshine, and even though I hated having to cry and break down in front of her, hated that

she

was the one comforting me, it was nice and warm, and it felt good to be the one cared for.

"He-hey, Sally?"

"Hmm?"

"I promise you, all-all of you, I

will

get you out of h-here." Her smile was soft and kind.

"Thank you, Miss (Y/n). But please take care of yourself too, okay?" I smiled back, laughing gently as I wiped away the last of my tears.

"Okay, I will, I promise that too." She nodded her head happily, confident in my promises to her. I sat there for a while, leaning against the glass, moving every so often so as to not trigger the electric floor or the collar around my neck. We softly chatted, Sally mostly doing the talking as my nerves calmed down. Oh, wait, the collar. It was placed on me because I needed to ask more questions. I grimaced slightly as I turned my head to face Sally more directly.

"Hey?"

"Hmm?" She paused what she was saying, tilting her head slightly to the side, giving me her full attention. I weakly lifted a hand, pointing towards the collar around my neck.

"They put this on me because I need to ask more questions, is that okay with you?" Her eyes looked a little sad at the sight but she soon nodded. I could only nod back, crawling across the floor to the papers lined out, grabbing Sally's before retrieving a pen from the desk, along with the remote, before finding my place back in front of the glass. I stared down at the page, my eyes landing on the unanswered question that I had previously asked her.

"I...I am really sorry to ask this, you seemed really uncomfortable about it, but how did you die?" There was a long pause as Sally stiffened, her eyes adverting to the side for a few seconds before she sighed and sat down on the floor in front of me, grabbing her bear from the side on the ground and cuddling it in her arms. I waited patiently as she seemed to think. I shifted around, not wanting to be electrocuted again.

"My uncle...he was supposed to watch me and take care of me...but he hurt me, really really badly! He said he wanted to play a game with me...he said it was a special game only for us, but it hurt." My brain reeled as the gears slowly clicked into place in my head. With the implications of what a 'special game' meant, it made me feel sick. The most guttural kind of sick. The kind of sick that told me if I ever saw her uncle, I would personally make his life a living hell. I stopped her from continuing, not wanting her to relive the trauma.

"Sally, I...I'm really sorry he did that. You don't have to continue." I paused, noticing the tears welling up at the corners of her eyes.

"I promise you, Sally, that will never,

ever

, happen again to you. I...I will protect you no matter what, even if I die doing so. No one will ever hurt you again if I can help it." She stared at me for a moment before weakly smiling, though a few tears still fell down her cheeks. Her voice was shaky when she spoke again.

"T-thank you, I trust you Miss (Y/n)." I smiled back, trying to comfort her in any way I could.

"Of course, you're like my little sister, I'd do anything for you. Heh, you're like the princess and I'm the knight, here to always help you out." That got a small giggle out of her as she wiped away her tears. She was a lot more strong-willed than I was. I quickly jotted down what Sally had told me on the paper before continuing on to the unasked questions. Age at time of events? I just wrote down 8, considering what I was told about the whole aging thing by the others. There was also current age which I also wrote down 8 for.

"Do you use any weapons?" She shook her head and I wrote down no.

"Do you have any abilities? Uh, like powers?" I tried to keep the questions to a more child-like vocabulary so it would be easier for her to understand.

"No, but I wish I did! It would be so fun to jump really high!" I smiled softly at her and nodded.

"Yeah, it really would be. I think I like the idea of flying."

"Oh! That would be so cool!" I laughed lightly before looking back down at the paper, clicking the pen a few times.

"Annnnd...location?" That's all the 'question' was, simply stating 'location'. I looked up at Sally, watching as her smile quickly dropped into a frown, a serious expression I would never expect a child to have adorned her face.

"I'm not allowed to tell you that." Her voice was strangely stern and calm, and it made my blood run cold. I could only nod, writing down 'unknown' on the line. I looked over the paper once before nodding, looking back up at the child.

"Alrighty, that's all the questions! No more." We shared a smile and her previous sternness quickly melted away as if it never even existed.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

I talked with Sally for a while longer, listening to some stories she would tell me about before she and the others were brought to the facility. She was careful with what she told me, often pausing and thinking before either dropping the story or finding specific words to replace others with. I listened intently to her stories, listening about how at their mysterious house everything was chaotic but fun, never boring or dull. How they were all like one giant family with their own ups and downs, fights, and moments of getting along. It was both warming and heartbreaking to listen to. From what I could tell so far, all of them were in terrible situations until they somehow became these somewhat immortal beings, killing others to add to their own lifespans, but through those horrible situations, they still found some kind of family, some kind of home and friendship with each other, some kind of reliability on one another.

They had all that through everything that they faced, only for it to be ripped away. Sally couldn't play with them anymore, none of them got to hang out and talk face to face, they couldn't even enjoy a single, simple meal together. All they could do was use Slender's ability to telepathically talk, and that was it. And it was gutwrenching. For 5 long, excruciating years, they had all their freedoms stripped away, all their entertainment, their bonds, their family, all ripped away. They weren't treated like people, not like animals or monsters, they were treated like nothing more than livestock to be electrocuted and interrogated for information. They were treated like they were less than the dirt others could walk on. They were treated like they were absolutely nothing. And that made a newfound rage boil up deep inside my chest.

Although I was smiling and nodding along to what Sally told me, I wanted nothing more than to shatter the glass separating us and to hold her, to comfort her, and show her that I would get her out, that I would get them all out. I was smiling, but I was gritting my teeth so harshly they were aching, an ache so deep within my jaw it was starting to give me a headache. It was making the bruise on my cheek pulse with pain, but it was all I could do, I was just as helpless as them, maybe a little less considering I was the one with the remote to isolate them back into their blank white rooms or shock them. I had to hold back my anger that was festering inside my body, it felt like my nerves were on fire, and I wanted every last facility member to burn in my wrath. I only continued to listen to the beaming girl, listening to all her stories of fun until a loud voice echoed out from the hidden speaker system.

"End of day. Dinner served." My stomach sank as the glass of Sally's room quickly turned back into a wall, only letting me barely wave to her before she disappeared from view, her room being pulled back towards the rotating cylinder.

"Shit." I hissed out, my hand falling back to my side. It was already the end of the day, and I had only completed two forms out of the rest. The familiar hissing of the slot in the wall opening perked my ears. I just wanted to sit there, but I knew I needed to eat. I couldn't not. So slowly, I pushed myself up, dragging my feet over to the wall, sitting back down on the floor to eat the bland food, not caring to bring it to the desk, considering there was still a puddle of vomit on the floor with a towel lazily thrown over it. I would clean it tomorrow, I didn't care too much at the moment though. So I quickly shoveled down the food, washing it down with the cup of water, and licking my dry lips after I was done. I shoved the now empty tray back through the slot, but was surprised when it didn't close, and instead a very small sheet of torn paper passed through, light writing in pencil across the front of it, along with the request form. I plucked it up, holding it close to my face to read the light writing.

'I made sure to put supplements in the food, it usually lacks nutrition, so you can have enough strength. Hope your head feels better. Slide this back so they don't find it.' There was no signature on it, but my best guess was that it was the elusive spy, Brian. I slid the note back through the slot and watched as the wall melted back together. I sat there for a moment longer before getting up once again, this time heading over to the desk with the request form, setting it down, and quickly scribbling down everything Jane and I had brainstormed, making sure to put Sally's drawing at the very top of the list, followed by the food that a few of the others had requested, and making sure that Jack got his kidneys, seeing as it was a deal. I made sure all my requests were last, finding importance in everyone else first. It took a few minutes to write down, but once it was done, I clicked the pen and set it down with a satisfied nod. I quickly made my way back over to the wall with the form, watching as the slot opened back up, allowing me to slip the paper through it. I looked around the room, feeling a bit excited that when I woke up, it would be less empty and have some color to it. I felt happy strangely enough. I dragged myself over to the cot against the wall, flopping down on it and quickly snuggling under the blankets, getting comfortable as the light flicked off, plunging me into darkness, and soon sleep overtook my mind.

"Start day. Breakfast served."

When my eyes slowly opened, I was turned to face the wall, and as I blinked away my slumber, excitement soon flooded my system. I could turn around, and my room would finally feel lively! I couldn't help but grin, slowly getting more and more eager. I finally turned around, throwing the thin blanket off of me and whipping my head around.

Nothing.

There was absolutely nothing, no new warmer blankets, no nightstand, not even a single small fake plant for the desk. I felt my heart sink into the pit of my stomach as I swallowed hard, my mouth and throat dry. If I didn't get anything, then what about the others? Did they not get their requests either? I practically jumped off the bed, quickly stumbling to the desk and looking down at it. There sat the copy of my request form, and next to it were only three things. A small roll of clear tape, a small handheld mirror, and Sally's drawing. And despite the sinking feeling in my gut, I still smiled. At least I had the drawing. I gently picked it up, examing the smallest of details on the paper, running my fingers softly over the texture of crayons and pencils. I picked up the tape and then looked around the room. I could hang it over the bed, so it could be the first thing I saw when I woke up and the last thing when I fell asleep. But I always wanted to see it, so should I leave it on the desk? Hang it on the wall? Maybe on the glass so everyone could see it? Yeah, I like that idea.

I walked over to the glass wall, finding the perfect spot where everyone could see the drawing before I grabbed some tape, ripping it off the roll, and softly hanging up the drawing, facing towards the class. Enough light already shone through the glass, lighting up the paper so I could see the drawing from the back of it. I walked back over to the desk, setting the tape back down before noticing that the towel on the floor was gone, and so was the mess, and my chair had been scooted back in towards the desk.

I quickly made my way over to the wall where my breakfast was already waiting, picking up the tray, and walking back over to the desk, sitting down, and eating while I looked over the request paper.

Sally's drawing, accepted. Tape, accepted. Every single food item that was asked of the others, accepted. A mirror, accepted. And that was it. Any plants, bedding, furniture, everything that was requested for me, even food and hygiene, it was all denied. Well, at least some mysterious person was adding nutritional supplements to my food...hopefully. I took another bite of the lukewarm, bland oatmeal that was my breakfast, setting down the paper and glancing at the mirror. The frame of it, of course, was white, and it looked brand new.

Hesitantly, I reached out and picked it up, holding it up and looking at my reflection. I looked like fucking shit. My left cheek and eye were bruised purple and green and yellow, swollen up and bright red where there wasn't yet bruising, there was even a small cut over the bridge of my nose and across my bottom lip, it too was slightly swollen. My face hurt, I knew it was busted up, but still, looking at it made the pain feel so much worse. I could only stare at myself in the mirror, my hair was a ratty mess that screamed I needed a shower and hairbrush, dark bags hung under my eyes, and when I tilted the mirror down to my neck, I saw the collar. A white thick band that snuggly sat around my neck, with no visible seams or buttons, and the skin around it was red, most likely from the electric shocks. Scratches danced across the skin of my neck around the collar, where I had tried to claw it off, only to injure myself.

I sighed, setting the mirror down before leaning back in the chair, lifting the bottom of my shirt up to just under my breasts, and looking down at my purple and blue bruised ribs. It looked as if my entire torso, stomach and chest, was bruised, like my skin color was actually meant to be a dark, desaturated purple. I was surprised I was even able to move properly from the amount of bruising, and even more so at the lack of pain. Maybe painkillers were slipped into my food? I couldn't be sure, but I was thankful it didn't hurt nearly as bad as it looked. I groaned again, letting my shirt fall back over me as I lifted a hand to press to my temple. My head was pounding, and I felt slightly nauseous. I didn't want to finish the food I was given, but did so anyway, knowing I would need as much strength as I could get from rest and sustenance.

I quickly went about the usual routine, sliding the tray back into the slot, watching as it melted shut once again, then sat back at the desk, waiting for the timer on the label above the glass to count down for me to start. As I waited, my hands absentmindedly ran across my bruised cheek, feeling the lump of it and the small cut in the middle of the bruise from how hard I had been punched. My eyes then glanced down at my wrist, seeing how swollen and puffy it was, how red and bruised the skin had become. Something deep inside me felt defeated. Only three of the requests for me had been fulfilled, and all I could think about was what Laughing Jack had told me. How the facility kept their favorite dogs on tight leashes. This was my leash. Little to no freedoms for me, a collar to shock me at every disobedience, an empty white room that gave me no enrichment, nothing interesting to look at. I was shocked if I stopped moving, if I rested, if I was quiet for too long, if I didn't ask enough questions. I had to follow every command or I would be hurt. If they told me to sit, I had to sit. Eat, then I eat. Lie down, then I lay down. I really was just a dog to them. And I was acting like one too.

"Breakfast over. Start." The voice pulled me from my thoughts and I looked back up at the glass, I didn't want to skip over Sally, I wanted to show her I got the picture, so I glanced down at the remote, looking over the buttons until my eyes landed on the one labeled 'open'. So I clicked it, and watched as her room began to shift and move forward, the wall turning to glass, and there she was.

"Miss (Y/n)! Good morning!" She was waving happily to me, and it immediately put a grin on my face. I stood up from the desk, picking up a pen, and walked over to the glass, not needing to grab her form considering she had answered all the questions on it. I sat down in front of the glass wall, giving her a small wave.

"Good morning Sally! How are you today? Sleep well?" She sat down too, her familiar teddy bear clutched tightly in her arms.

"Uh-huh! I'm doing good! Oh! You got my drawing!" She pointed up to the glass where the picture hung, and I happily nodded.

"Yeah! I did get it! It's so, so pretty! You're such a good artist!" Her smile got bigger as she giggled, giving a quick thank you before she seemed to glance over me.

"Are you okay? Your face looks like it really hurts!" My smile faltered slightly, but I brushed it off.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine, it doesn't hurt that bad." I shifted how I was sitting, pulling up the collar of my shirt slightly to cover my cheek and some of my left eye, wanting to hide my injuries. It felt...embarrassing.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure, please don't worry about me, okay?" She pouted slightly, seeming hesitant to believe me, but soon nodded anyways.

"Okay, fine, but promise you won't get hurt anymore?" I grimaced.

"I...I don't think I can promise that, Sally. I can't control if the facility hurts me or not, I'm sorry." She paused again before slowly nodding.

"Oh, okay. I guess that's fair." She still seemed down about me not being able to make the promise, but I knew I couldn't promise it, and I didn't want to break it. We fell into silence, and I didn't know what to say. I wanted to make her feel better, but I had no words of reassurance, I didn't even have any for myself. I felt defeated, broken down, like I could never escape, that I was watched so carefully that they would never let me get the chance to flee. My will and pride had been overpowered in two quick days, and this was the start of the third. They had all been here for five years, I couldn't imagine the feelings they have. But I made a promise, and I was determined to get them out. They are alive just as much as I am.

"(Y/n)?" I snapped out of my thoughts, looking back at Sally through the glass.

"You should talk to the others now, okay?" It was less of a suggestion and more like I was being told what to do. But I couldn't argue.

"Alright, it was nice talking to you again, even if just for a bit. I'll see ya later, okay?" She nodded and offered me a small wave. I returned the gesture before clicking next on the remote that sat in my lap, watching as the rooms began to slowly switch over. As I waited, I grabbed Tim's form, setting it in front of the glass, not caring to walk back to the desk. I made sure to use the collar of my shirt to hide the side of my face again, resting my left cheek in the palm of my hand as my elbow rested on my knee. I clicked the pen as I waited for the rooms to finish moving, watching as white wall faded to crystal-clear glass.

And just as I had grown accustomed to, there was Tim, sitting on his bed, reading one of the books he had gotten, a cigarette being held between two fingers. After the room had finished moving, he looked up from the book, giving me a short nod before looking back down. I waited as he finished what he was reading, folding the top corner of the page before shutting the book and tossing it to the side of his cot.

"Morning."

"Good morning." He glanced at me again, raising an eyebrow.

"Why are you sitting on the floor?" I shrugged.

"Sally likes it when I sit closer to the glass, I just didn't want to get up and move." It wasn't a lie, but I was omitting the fact that it did hurt my stomach and ribs to move back and forth. He still looked confused but slowly nodded, taking a drag off his cigarette before letting it drop to the floor, and snuffing it out with his shoe.

"Jack was right, they really did beat you to hell and back." I grimaced. Of course the fucking clown told, he was probably laughing about it too. I only sighed and shrugged again in response.

"Yeah, they did, but nothing I can do about it. Just gotta keep asking questions." I pulled the top of my shirt further over my face to hide the beating. He stayed silent for a moment before seeming to hesitate, then slowly lowered himself to sit on the floor, though he stayed in front of the cot, not scooting closer.

"Okay, then ask away." I nodded, looking down at the form in front of me.

"Age at time of events?"

"Hmm, I forget, early twenties though."

"Current age?"

"Twenty-five."

"Weapons?"

"I usually use a gun, sometimes a rock if I run out of bullets."

"Abilities?"

"None." I paused, looking at the last question. Both Ben and Sally said that they couldn't answer the location question.

"And I'm guessing you're not allowed to tell me the location too?" He chuckled slightly.

"Yeah, none of us can tell you that." I could only nod, writing down 'unknown' on the line before scooting the paper to the side.

"Alright then, all done. Uh, do you know why they have me asking questions?" He paused for a few seconds.

"They just want to figure us out, like some kind of lab experiment. Why we kill, how we can do certain things, how we live for so long and don't age. That's all we could figure out, but some of us think there's more to it."

"Like what?" He didn't open his mouth to speak again, but his voice echoed in my head, making me jump momentarily. I had forgotten Slender had linked me to everyone.

"We think they want to create their own soldiers that are like us. They want to be able to control people who are strong and nearly unkillable, they could do a lot with just a handful of people like us. But with how big this place is, they could easily have hundreds of guards and soldiers, all ready to change into whatever they think we are."

"Are they able to do that?"

"No. The Operator made all of us the way that we are, only he and four others can do that. No one else can, naturally or artificially." I hummed, tapping a finger on the floor, pressing my cheek further into my palm.

"Wouldn't they have figured that out by now?" He shrugged again.

"They should have, but I think they're stubborn. Like a spoiled brat, throwing a tantrum until they get the results they want."

"Huh, well I guess that makes sense then from how they have been." I lifted my right hand, vaguely gesturing to the collar around my neck. He only grimaced slightly in response.

"I'll be honest, no one before you ever got one of those. I don't know what it means though." My stomach twisted at the little bit of information. In all the five years they've been locked up here, no one ever has had a collar.

A tight fucking leash

. Just knowing that made me feel...weaker.

"Oh...well I guess that's good to know...thanks." He only nodded slightly before we fell into silence. It lasted a few seconds before he spoke again, still using the mental connection.

"How do you plan to get us outta here?" I had to think for a moment before responding, trying to pull some kind of plan together.

"I'm...not too sure yet. We have a vague plan, but I was told that I have to keep some things secret, by Slender. I think right now what's most important is that we all need to make sure we have enough strength and energy to fight when we do get out. Oh, and splitting into groups, it'll be harder for them to catch us if we're all not in one spot, and it makes it easier to find different exits."

"But that's

if

we get out. I'm asking

how

?" I sighed, tapping my fingers along the floor. I was told not to tell anyone about Brian. Anyone could slip up and he would be found out. But I felt terrible, even more so after learning that Tim and Brian were close friends, I

wanted

to tell him that Brian was here, that he was helping us, but I

couldn't

.

"Slender and I have an idea, but he said I can't tell anyone. I'm sorry." He only stared at me, knitting his brows together, looking somewhat angry but also confused.

"Why can't you tell us?"

"Because I was told not to. He is the boss after all, so I need to listen when he says I can't tell anyone. But...he did say anyone can slip up if they knew, and then that lifeline would be cut. That's all I can say." There was another pause.

"So you don't trust us?" I tensed up at the accusation. What..? No, I did trust them, I was literally putting my life on the line to get them out of here. I was shocked and beaten for them, I

was

going to get them out. I had my full trust in them that they would help me out in turn, and not kill me in doing so. I couldn't help but glare at him just slightly.

"I never said I didn't trust any of you...well, I don't fully trust either of the Jacks yet, but I trust the rest of you. I'm putting my life at stake to get you all out of here, I think that shows my trust in you all."

"Then why keep a secret?"

"

Your

boss told me to!" There was silence again.

"Okay then, what if I promise to keep the secret?" I groaned, hanging my head down as I rubbed my eyes.

"Dude! I can't! Once we get out then you'll know but I just

can't

tell you!" Another pause.

"Specifically me or everyone?" Fuck. It was my turn to pause as I tried to think of an excuse, but nothing came to mind.

"I can't tell any of you."

"You hesitated."

"Can we drop it? I'm not allowed to tell anyone!" He didn't retort, but instead, as I looked back up, his head was leaned back, looking up at the glass where Sally's drawing hung. Wait, shit! I shouldn't have hung it there! They would know that I know about Brian now, and they might question it. I wanted to scramble to my feet, to grab the drawing and move it away from the glass, but it was already too late, he saw it.

"It's Brian, isn't it?" My face showed the answer. I was tense and my face had dropped. I was a bit more surprised when Tim smiled at the drawing.

"Yeah, it's not really like him to abandon us. Have you talked to him yet?"

"I...I think so. I got a note but had to give it back. Please don't tell anyone, please, I don't want Slender to be mad at me...he can't...I..." I was terrified. If he found out that Tim knew, would he kill me? Would he be angry? He could relieve my headaches momentarily, what if he could make them worse? I felt frozen.

"I won't, promise. Now that I know, mind telling me the plan?" I sighed, slowly nodding my head. Might as well, it would be useful for everyone to know, but I still had to listen to the warning about not telling everyone about Brian. But Tim knew now, so why not?

"Brian is working in here, as one of the facility members. He talks to Slender and gives him information. I was in a different room than this one when I woke up, a lady walked me down the hallways to here. There's a lot of passwords and keys. There is a number password that gets changed every month, Slender has memorized every single code. Brian should already have the other keys needed for access to doors. But we don't know how that cylinder your rooms are connected to works. It could be a staircase, or maybe an elevator system, and that could change how fast we get you all out of here.

I was told that he might not have enough time to get

everyone

out, but we can get a majority. And like I said, we'd be splitting into groups, though I don't know who's gonna be with who. I don't know if it'll be random or if he's figuring out an order to group us together in. Oh yeah, the security system also scans hand prints, so uh....yeah he said facility members either get held hostage for their handprints or to cut their hands off..." I grimaced slightly at the mental image.

"But we should have a clearer path out of here thanks to Brian, by now he would know the layout of this place. But I was told that the facility is pretty big and that we're underground, so I don't know how long it'll actually take to get out of here, which is why some of you might get left behind, because there just wouldn't be enough time. They could call in reinforcements or start to corner us. And that's all we know so far."

Tim listened closely, occasionally nodding his head, even leaning forward a bit and looking deep in thought before he finally replied.

"That's a pretty solid start. It makes sense too, the security for this place I mean. Do you remember how many keys there were?" I hummed, thinking back to when I was being led down the hallways.

"Well there's the number code, and the handprint, but there was also a keycard and a normal key, like one to open a door. So there's four in total. However, this place uses elevators instead of stairs, we're not too sure about what the cylinder uses though, but the elevators only need the handprint and keycard to use them." He grinned, the same expression I had when I found out about the elevators too.

"That's fucking dumb." I couldn't help but chuckle.

"That's what I said, but it's lucky for us. All we gotta do is find the elevators and get the hell outta here." He paused for a moment before giving an idea of his own.

"How about a computer?"

"Huh?" I furrowed my eyebrows, how would a computer help us?

"If we can find a computer or even a phone, Ben could get us all out of here in seconds." I remembered back to Ben telling me how he could travel through electronics, but could he transport people...everyone?

"Can he do that?" Tim only nodded in response and the chance of escaping felt more real.

"Then I'll have to ask your boss if there's any computers in here then-"

"There are." I nearly screamed, flinching at the sudden addition of a voice inside my skull, but soon my stomach dropped.

"Please do not worry, (Y/n), I knew Tim would figure out that Brian was here eventually. And I hope you do not mind me entering the conversation?" It took me a moment to respond, still recovering from the scare.

"Oh, no, it's okay! It makes things easier to discuss all at once, it's why you linked me to everyone anyways." Despite Tim not saying a thing, I knew he could still hear the both of us, it was an odd feeling, like both he and Slender's presences were in my mind.

"That is true. But yes, Brian has confirmed that there are computers within the facility. Mainly, there is a central control room, where they use computers to view and watch us all, and how they communicate through the intercoms."

"Do we know how far away it is?" He hummed slightly before speaking.

"Not very far from your room actually. Brian has said that this center area, and your room too, are very close to the control room. It was built that way in case of emergencies, like with your incidents, they need to be able to get there quickly." I nodded again, grimacing slightly at the memories of my panic attack and...the collar. It was Tim's turn to speak.

"So if he can just lead us there, then we're free? Would we need to split up still?"

"Most likely. There are many hallways here that we could easily get lost in, however, if we split into groups, it will be easier to find the control room. And from there I will be able to locate everyone and guide them to that group." I thought for a moment before speaking up.

"So then if we can get out through the computers, would I be correct in saying that it's the most important to get Ben to the control room first? If at the very least he can get out, he could always come back with others?" There was a pause, and Tim looked at me before slowly nodding. It was Slender that responded though.

"That would be correct. Many underestimate him, but he is a lot more clever than most give him credit for. If I were to choose a select few to make it out of the facility, it would be him, with Tim and Brian, and Toby. However, our goal is to get everyone out, or as many of us as possible."

"Okay, so the plan is what now?" It was Tim that spoke, but there was no answer, he was asking me.

"I think first we need to make sure that Brian gets as many of us as he can out of our cells, all of you first of course. From there we split into groups, I think Slender should divide us up into groups, since he knows everyone's strengths the best, but I think Brian and Ben should be in the same group. From there, he leads Ben to the control room where Ben will stay until the rest of you can show up. He should start getting everyone transported through as soon as they get there so no one gets caught. Brian can go back out to gather the remaining groups and lead them back from there. Oh! When I met Ben, the name label above the wall was glitched out, is he able to affect other electronics?"

"Yes, he can. Why?"

"He should shut down the security systems if he can, and just maybe, if he's able to of course, could he open

all

the doors? We won't need the codes or keys, they'll just be open. It won't slow any of you down having to input four different codes." There was a long pause as Slender thought, but Tim was nodding, going over the new plan in his head.

"That might just work, well done, (Y/n). Now, if you do not mind, I would like to link everyone together for this, and I think it is safe now for them to know about Brian."

"With all due respect, that is your call to make, Sir. I'm just here to help."

"Very well, just one moment." A few seconds passed before my brain was flooded with the presences of the others. It was such a looming feeling, like they were all standing behind me, watching me with their piercing eyes, breathing down my neck, judging me, cornering me inside my own mind. It made my skin crawl and my gut churn.

"Now then, good morning to you all. I have some news that I believe all of you will be delighted to hear. After some discussion with our new friend, (Y/n), we have come up with a plan. First, I would like to apologize for keeping this secret from you all, but I assure you all it was for the best and for the assurance of our escape. Brian is here in the facility with us, and he will be a key component of getting us out." Before he could continue, a mass of voices spoke up, some excited that he was here, some angry that they didn't know, and a few just hooting and hollering with joy.

"Please, calm down everyone, I am not finished." It was utter silence, not a single other noise echoing in my mind.

"Thank you. Now, if you are curious, Brian is here listening as well, it is important for him to be a part of this conversation, but please, refrain from speaking until I am done. As I was saying, we have a plan. The first thing that will happen is understanding who you all will be grouped with. Brian will be with Ben and Sally, Tim and Toby will work together, the third group will be Jeff and both Eyeless Jack and Laughing Jack, the next group is Jane with Smile and Grinny, and I will be by myself as I can hold my own." There were a few hums from the others, but no complaints about the grouping.

"Also, I do not want to hear any complaints from those of you who disagree with this decision, but (Y/n) will be coming with us, and she will be in Brian's group. It is the least we could do for the help that she has provided to us, along with being a big part in helping formulate the plan." There were a few groans, but a few others made small, happy remarks about me joining, mostly Sally was the happiest, and it warmed my heart.

"Once we are out and in our groups, Brian will lead Ben to the main control room. From there, Ben will disable all security and open all the doors. Brian will go back out to locate the other groups to lead them back to the control room, but there will be no waiting around, Ben's job here is to get everyone transported back home as soon as they get to the control room. I will keep the link between us all open at all times during this so we can all communicate, but also warn others about the facility. Both Brian and I will be able to lead everyone back to the control room. And last, you all have my full permission to take out anyone who gets in your way. Any questions?" There was silence for a while before someone spoke up, I instantly recognized the voice as Jeff.

"Yeah, are we gonna get any weapons or something?" The person that responded was another male, but I didn't know his voice, but something about it was familiar.

"Yeah, I've got everyone's things, your knife, Jack's scalpel, guns, everything." I figured it was Brian, it was the only person who made sense that could have all of those things. Jeff didn't respond, instead Slender spoke again.

"Very good. Now, (Y/n), is there anything you would like to add or discuss?" Even though I wasn't face-to-face with anyone, I felt put on the spot. I swallowed hard, anxiety filling my body. Tim from the other side of the glass looked at me, waiting. They were all waiting. My mouth felt dry as I tried to think of anything to say or add.

"I...uh, I hope you all get out safely. And, um, thanks, for taking me too." No one responded for a while and I felt the anxiety building, before my savior, Sally, spoke.

"Of course, miss (Y/n)! You're so nice to us! When I see you I'm gonna give you

a big

hug!" I couldn't help but laugh softly, the anxiety pushing down and a small smile adorning my face.

"Thank you, Sally, I would love a hug from you." She giggled in response, and I could almost see her smiling in my head. There was another pause before Jeff spoke again.

"Okay, so when are we getting out? Today? Tomorrow?" Ah, right, we still don't know

when

. No one responded, and I knew the question was directed at me.

"Oh, right, um, I guess it depends? I don't know if the facility has a schedule for anything." I got a quick response, from the mystery Brian.

"There are schedules, but they're loose and easy to work around. Plus, it's still early, so we could get out today. I'm not even locked up and I want out of here." Yeah, that was fair I guess. It was Slender's turn to speak.

"Well then, anyone else agree that today is the day?" It sent a shiver down my spine, his voice has lost its soft politeness that I had grown used to. It sounded dark and evil. Everyone spoke, I could even hear the elusive Eyeless Jack speaking. They all agreed. Today was the day that we all were escaping.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

As the agreement died down, Slender spoke again, still in that dark tone.

"Good. It should be lunch soon, so everyone, eat well, and once that is over, it is all up to Brian to get us out." There was another agreeance, with a few groans of dissatisfaction at the mention of a bland lunch, but otherwise, that was it.

"(Y/n), continue asking questions so the facility does not suspect anything, everyone else, answer as you should. Understood?" The third round of agreements echoed out before I felt their presences fade away, and suddenly I was alone in my head again.

"Damn, never thought I'd actually see the day we get out. I don't think I've said this yet, but thanks, really." I looked back at Tim, seeing a genuine smile on his face. I could only imagine the others were grinning too, all happy to finally get out.

"Well, I'm just glad that I could help as much as I could. It's no problem at all." He nodded in response before he finally spoke normally again.

"You should move on now, before the facility decides to beat you again." I had to laugh to push away the thought of being punched again.

"Alright, I will. See ya later."

"See ya." I waved to him before pushing the next button on the remote, grabbing Slender's form and pulling it in front of me, still sitting on the floor. I waited patiently until the wall of his room turned transparent. I offered him a smile, giving a short wave, using the mind link to speak with him.

"Good morning, Sir!" He didn't respond, instead, his head tilted to the side before he crouched down, leaning a little closer to the glass.

"I was told what happened, but I wasn't excepting it to be this bad." It took a few moments before I realized what he was talking about, my hand lifting to touch at my bruised cheek.

"Oh, yeah...Eh, I'll be fine, it doesn't hurt that bad." He stayed silent for a few seconds, staring at me, before speaking again.

"Are you sure? If you need time to heal then we can always reschedule our escape."

"Oh no! No, I'm fine! I don't want anyone waiting any longer to get out of here just because I'm in some pain, you're all getting out today." Another pause.

"And what about your head? You do have a concussion after all."

"Ah, yeah my head hurts a bit today, but it isn't as bad as yesterday, it was minor after all." There was a faint ringing in my ears, and just as he had done for me the previous day, the headache cleared, and the pressure in my head disappeared.

"I hope you don't mind, but I rather you not faint while trying to escape. I'll make sure that Jack checks your wounds once we get out." I grimaced slightly.

"I hope you're not talking about the clown...but still, I don't think Eyeless Jack trusts me very much, and if I'm honest, I don't really fully trust him yet either." He nodded, humming slightly.

"That is fair, but he has the most medical knowledge out of all of us. If it makes your feel comfortable I will be there so you feel safe." I hesitated but slowly nodded. If he could help me feel better, or at the very least provide painkillers and antibiotics, then I would take it.

"Good. Now, let's proceed with the questions." I nodded again, picking up my pen and looking down at the questions.

"Age at time of events?"

"Not applicable."

"Current age?" He hummed.

"I am embarrassed to say, but I have lost count after such a long time."

"That's fair, I think I would too. Weapons?"

"I don't use weapons, though I do have extensions of my body that I use." I scribbled my pen across the paper, humming in response. I wasn't going to question what that meant.

"And last question, since no one can answer what the location is, abilities?"

"I have quite a few. I have telepathy, along with being able to link multiple minds, though you shouldn't write that part down. I am able to influence minds, ah yes, I can also teleport." My writing paused as I furrowed my brows and slowly looked up at him.

"You...can teleport?"

"Yes."

"I don't mean to sound rude, but if you can teleport, how come you're still in here?"

"You're not rude at all, it is a fair question. Whatever this facility is made of, the material of the walls and floors and ceilings, it has stopped my ability to teleport. I have tried many times, but I am simply unable to being surrounded by this material. Laughing Jack is also able to teleport, but it also stops him." That made the clown even more terrifying than he already was, how

fantastic

.

"Oh, okay that makes sense I guess. Well, not really, I don't understand any of this, but that's why it does make sense." He chuckled in response.

"That's probably the best way to look at it. If it exists, then in some way it does make sense." I smiled, nodding at him. It was a backwards way of thinking, but if he existed, if both of the Jacks and Ben existed, if Smile and Grinny and that freaky, pink, cupcake-obsessed horse existed, then a material that would limit their abilities made sense.

"Alrighty, that's all the questions, oh, and thank you for clearing my headache...again."

"Of course, as I said before, it is the least I can do for all your help." My smile just wasn't going away, I just felt happy. Happy for them to get out, happy that I found some friends, happy that I too could escape. Before any other word could be spoken, the intercom rang out.

"Break. Lunch served." I waved a quick goodbye to the tall being, earning one in return, but one last thought entered my mind as the glass turned back into a wall. As I had learned to do, I used my mind to call back out to him.

"Ah, one last thing, Sir?"

"Yes?"

"If you see an older woman with short black hair and a white stripe through it, can you bring her to me?"

"I will look out for her, may I ask why?" I sneered at the memory of her glaring face.

"Because she's the one who put the collar on me...I want to hurt her back."

"Ah, understandable. I shall inform the others to keep a look out for her as well. She is all yours, dear."

"Thank you." And that was it, the wall to my right hissing out as my lunch was pushed through the slot. I quickly made my way over to it, not bothering to move it to my desk, eating it right there on the floor. It tasted just as bad as all the other meals, but I didn't care, I was too excited to get out that I ate it like it was the most delicious food to ever exist. I washed it down with the cup of water before shoving it back through the slot. And now all there was to do was wait. I turned my head, looking up at the countdown timer on the label. I ate so fast that I had 23 minutes to wait out. I licked my dry lips, looking around for a moment. There was nothing for me to take with me...except...

I got up, walking over to the glass wall, gently taking Sally's drawing off of it, and gently peeling the tape off the paper, gingerly folding the artwork until it fit snuggly in my palm, then I walked over to the desk, moving the chair out of the way and grabbing the discarded manilla folder from underneath it. It was the only two things that I could claim as my own, and my file was the only thing that told me about my life from before I woke up. I placed Sally's drawing in the folder before folding all the edges of the file, not wanting a single piece of paper to fall out. There was still plenty of time to wait after checking the time.

So I simply walked around my room, mentally preparing myself for what would happen. I was excited, yeah, but I was also terrified. Anxiety was building back up in the pit of my stomach. I didn't know what was happening outside of my room, if Brian was already making his way through the facility, or if he was waiting for the timer to countdown. I knew I couldn't press any button on the remote, I didn't know for sure if a room moving forward to the glass would cut the person off from the cylinder or not, but just to be safe, I couldn't touch it. I wouldn't press another button, I wouldn't ask another question from the forms.

I wouldn't be the facilities dog anymore.

I kept walking around the room, holding the folder in my hands tightly, just waiting for the minutes to tick down on the timer. A measly 30 minutes felt like an eternity, but soon, the timer was at five seconds.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

"Break over. Start." I kept walking, I didn't reach for the remote, I didn't sit down, I just kept walking. As long as I moved, I wouldn't be shocked. But if someone was watching me, then I would be. But no shock ever came. I kept waiting, and waiting, and waiting. I no longer had a timer to tell me how long had passed, maybe anywhere from five to ten minutes, but I knew when it started.

Loud sirens began to blare, and not just in my room, I could hear it echoing throughout the whole facility. And hidden lights within the ceiling began to flash red, though the normal white light stayed the same. The color was refreshing, even if it did make my stomach twist. No voice came over the intercom, nothing to announce what was happening, but I already knew what was happening.

We were getting out.

I continued to walk around, but it was more pacing now, my nerves buzzing with anxiety. I still didn't know if I would be shocked or not, so I just kept moving. Nothing was happening but adrenaline was already flooding my system, my heart was already pounding in my bruised chest. I had to swallow to get rid of the lump forming in my throat. I could hear a distant commotion, yelling and screaming, and even a few loud bangs that I could only assume were gunshots, or maybe bodies dropping to the floor. As much as I hated the thought of it, I was already resigned to knowing that the facility members deserved it. And that wretched woman would join them at my hands.

Another long while passed as the sirens continued to wail, but the hissing sound of the room's door caught my attention, my head whipping around to stare as it opened up. I didn't even get to look at who was standing there before a small girl in a familiar pink nightgown was zooming at me. I couldn't help the grin on my face, dropping down to my knees just in time for her to slam into me, her tiny arms wrapping around me as tightly as she could manage.

"(Y/n)! We did it!" She was happily laughing as she clung to me, her teddy bear gripped tightly in one of her hands.

"Sally! You're out! Oh, I'm so glad it worked!" My own arms wrapped around her, hugging her back before shifting, picking her up, and cradling her in the crook of my left arm, moving my folder to hold out to her.

"I have a small favor, think you can hold onto this for me?"

"Yeah!" She happily grabbed it, hugging it to her chest before moving her stuffed bear to sit in front of it, keeping it secure.

"Sorry to break this up, but we really need to get going! We're not out just yet!" I turned towards the door, quickly spotting the two men staring into the room, but not stepping inside. I jogged over to them, my right arm wrapping around Sally to keep her secure.

"Yeah, sorry!" I smiled at the two, recognizing Ben, but also recognizing the man wearing a white doctor's mask. It clicked in my head that this was Brian, the same man who found me having a seizure, the man with the desperation in his voice to not let a possible chance of escape die. It was only after looking at them that I realized how they, and the hallways behind them were covered in a deep red liquid, and soon the metallic smell hit my nose. The second I stepped out of the room and into the hallway, the door behind me hissed shut, and I could feel the slick blood under my bare feet, nearly making me slip.

Brian quickly turned and started running down the hallway, leaving me and Ben to run after him, Sally still clutched tightly in my arms. He ran by many bodies on the ground, once wearing white uniforms now soaked in deep crimson, leaving me to dodge and weave past them, not wanting to trip or fall behind. The hallways were long, and occasionally Brian would make a sharp turn down a new one, leaving me stumbling and slipping to follow close behind. Ben didn't seem to have that issue considering he was just floating along, lucky him. It took a few minutes of running through blood-soaked hallways until we got to a dead end, though the keypad on the wall told me it was another hidden door.

The sirens were still blaring and red lights were blinking, and the distant screams were only getting louder. Brian was quick to open the door, and we waited eagerly as it hissed open, the four of us quickly filing in. It was entirely empty, and there was no blood in it, except for the trail of blood from my footprints and Brian's shoes.

"Okay, Ben, do your thing." Brian splayed his hand out to the large array of computer screens, and the blond was quick to follow instructions, his feet setting on the floor as he quickly walked over to the setup. I watched curiously as the screens of the computers all began to wave around like water and he placed his hand on one of them, a small spark of green electricity running up his arm, and in that instant, the red blaring lights stopped, the sirens stopped, and the loud hissing of many doors opening echoed through the hallways, and the door to the control room stayed open.

"Okay, everything's open now, time to get you guys through." He turned to look at me and Sally, and I set the little girl down, watching as she walked over to Ben, him picking her up, and I watched in awe as he helped her crawl through the screen of the computer, the screen rippling and turning to static. He looked at me, waiting for me to join the girl but I only shook my head, earning a confused look.

"Don't you wanna get out?"

"Yeah, but first I wanna find that fucking lady that did this to me." I gestured to the collar around my neck. He hesitated before nodding, and Brian walked forward, looking down at the white band that was clamped around my neck.

"I don't know how to get this off, did she have anything with her that could unlock it?"

"She had a small remote, but I only remember seeing a button and a dial." He nodded before backing up again.

"Alright, so now we need to find her. I'll go find the other groups, you two stay here, and you know what to do if anyone else shows up." I nodded, watching as he pulled out two guns from his back pockets, handing one to Ben before running out the door and down the hallway. The distant screams were still ever-present, but besides them, it was silent. Silent for a few moments before Ben spoke.

"I could try to get it off? It is technology-based after all." I turned to look at him before nodding, just wanting the damn thing off of me. Hell, if I could get it off I could put it on that damned lady, making her the dog. He walked forward, leaning down just as Brian did to look at the collar, furrowing his brows as he looked it over. He lifted a hand, poking at the collar with his index finger, and I could feel a small tingle of electricity from it, though it didn't hurt. But nothing happened. He hummed, trying again, and there was another small ark of electricity, but still nothing.

"Third times the charm." He was more talking to himself, and he tried again. Though this time, the collar beeped, and a look of relief washed over my face before scorching electricity began to course through my neck and body, ripping a scream out from me and knocking me on my back, my hands flying up to grab at the collar.

"Oh shit!" I could barely register his words as the shocks only persisted, and I could feel the collar around my skin slowly heating up, getting hotter and hotter. My eyes were squeezed shut as I screamed out in pain, my hands clawing at the now scolding collar that was burning my skin and fingertips, electricity still coursing through my body. My voice was quickly turning hoarse and tears of pain were streaming down my face. I barely had time to even breathe, my survival instinct had kicked in just to get the god-forsaken collar off of me. I was clawing at my skin, pulling and tugging at the damned thing, but nothing was happening. A hand was placed on my shoulder, pushing me down as a small spark of electricity that was different from the collar's shocked at my neck, but the collar only got worse, the electricity amping up as I screamed louder.

"Fuck! Guys, we need help here!" The voice wasn't in the room, it was in my mind, it was so clear, but the electricity that was burning my body made my mind so hazy that I just barely even knew that someone was yelling.

"Goddammit, I just left, what happened?"

"I tried to get the collar off of her but now it's shocking her! It won't stop!"

"I'm gonna fucking punch you, I'm on my way. Slender's sending the others over too." I was still shrieking and wailing, still clawing at my throat, my body twitching and twisting every which way, just trying to find some way to get away from the electrocuting pain. I wasn't sure how long had passed when the sound of running footsteps started to approach before the sounds finally stopped around me, and I could hear people talking, multiple voices, more than two, but that was all I could process. Through all my screaming and blinding pain, I could make out small bits of the conversation.

"-don't have time to find the bitch, this is gonna kill her!"

"-I could try again?"

"No!"

"-if I cut it off?"

"-not enough room-"

"-idea. But she needs to stay still!" There was a moment of pause, muffled instructions before someone was grabbing my head, tilting it back and holding me still, with another pair of hands grabbed my wrists, me yelping at the pressure on my bruised right hand, pulling my hands from my throat while hands pushed on my shoulders, keeping me still as my legs continued to kick out from the pain. I was still screaming, and a loud bang echoed out, a quick pressure hitting my neck, but the shock didn't stop. There was another bang, another quick pressure, and the faint sound of something cracking entered my ears.

"-working! Do it again!" Another bang, followed by another crack, then one last loud pop. And the electricity stopped, and I finally gasped out for oxygen. My muscles finally fell limp, and my whole body ached. The pressure of the tight collar around my neck had disappeared, and the hands holding me down finally let go, the sound of shifting people backing away from me. I was still gasping out for air, and my body was shaking and twitching from pain. My hands instinctively flew back to cradle my neck, but I flinched away at the burning pain from just brushing my throat. I finally opened my eyes, blinking hard as my eyes readjusted to the bright white of the room.

My hands slowly lifted back up to my neck, brushing across my burnt and swollen skin, hissing out in pain. But the collar was gone, and despite the pain, relief washed over me. No more pain, no more being a dog. Suddenly someone was pulling at my arm, yanking me into a sitting position. I was staring down at my lap, at my hands, my eyes quickly spotting my burnt and bloodied fingers.

"Hey, you okay?" I slowly lifted my head, blinking a few times before spotting Brian crouched down in front of me. I could only nod, still heaving and my voice feeling torn and raw from screaming. I watched as he stood back up, before quickly smacking the back of Ben's head.

"Don't do that shit again." Someone behind me laughed as Ben rubbed his head, glaring at Brian.

"Hey! I tried to help! Didn't know it'd do that!" Brian only sighed in response before turning again, and walking past me to the open doorway behind me.

"I'm gonna find the others, just don't try to kill her again." I turned, watching him leave, spotting three new people in the room, Jeff, and both of the Jacks. I felt uneasy but didn't have the strength yet to try to move away from them. At that moment, I just tried to catch my breath, waiting for the pain to subside, which it of course, didn't. I just sat there, blinking away the tears that had forced their way out of my eyes and still catching my breath, swallowing hard. Every last inch of my body felt in pain, but I was thankful it was over.

Once my heart rate had calmed down and I was breathing normally again, rage quickly bubbled up inside of me, slamming into me like a train. That fucking bitch did this to me, that horrid woman had caused so much pain, and now I wanted nothing more than to make her scream. I clenched my hands, gritting my teeth and bearing through the pain that shot through my fingers. I knew what I wanted to do to her. I was going to

kill

her.

I shifted, pressing my hands to the cold floor, and pushed myself up, wobbling slightly, my other hand flying out to grab at the desk to my side, stabilizing myself. I was still just staring at the floor, the wrath I was feeling outweighing the pain.

"Uh, hey, sorry about that, I didn't know that would happen." I turned my head, looking up at Ben before shaking my head. I still couldn't talk, it hurt to even breathe. Someone behind me chuckled, and I turned my head, quickly spotting the monochrome clown holding a hand over his mouth. All I could do was glare at him, but my anger was only targeted at one person. That fucking woman. Everything was horribly silent, deafeningly so. It was horrible waiting, but soon, footsteps began to echo down the hallway again, along with the sound of someone screaming. A woman screaming, and it was only getting closer. We all turned to look out the doorway, watching as a group rounded the corner, the rest of them all, and being dragged by her short hair by Jane, was the woman. I couldn't help but grin. Slender was behind the group, having to duck down in the hallways that were too short for his height, but even so, it almost seemed like he glided across the hallways, walking almost like a ghost.

The group soon entered the room, all giving me a strange look as they walked passed, probably from my much more beaten and disheveled appearance. They all walked past me, except Jane, who stood in front of me, swinging her arm and tossing the lady at my feet. She both looked angry and terrified, her icy blue eyes quickly darting to me before baring her teeth at me.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"You-" I didn't let her speak, I lifted my foot and smashed it into her face, feeling a sickening crunch under my heel as her head flew back and cracked on the floor. Her nose was bent horribly, and blood was already gushing out of it. I sneered down at her, wanting to speak but only a guttural, raspy growl echoed out from my lips. I lifted my foot again, slamming it down hard into her stomach, watching as she curled in on herself. I slowly moved to stand at her side, no longer having a desk to help hold my body up, but adrenaline was already rushing through me. I still wobbled, but I kept my balance. I lifted my foot again, bringing it down onto her shoulder as hard as I could, a sickening pop echoing out. She yelped out, her hand flying to her shoulder, but I only stomped on it too, watching as her fingers bent awkwardly. I kicked her arm away before slamming my heel down into her other shoulder, it too dislocating with ease. She was easily an older woman, and she looked frail too, it was easy to assume her bones would easily break and dislocate. I bent down, grabbing her wrist that was closest to me, lifting it up as her shoulder crunched from the movement. I shifted again, angling my foot just right before bringing it down on her forearm, a loud snap echoing around the room, her forearm now breaking into two. She screamed out again, the only noise that filled the facility. I let it drop to the floor with a dull thud before moving to her other side, repeating the action with her other arm, needing to kick it a few times before it snapped. With this arm, the break was so bad that her bones stabbed through her skin, dragging out yellow fat and blood with it. I grinned, placing one foot on her shoulder, still holding her wrist, before grabbing it with both hands, and I began to twist her arm as hard as I could. I watched as the middle of her broken forearm began to twist more and more, crunching and snapping until the fractured bone finally broke, her arm twisting horribly around, the bones piercing further out of her skin as she shrieked out again. But I wasn't done. This wasn't even a fracture of the pain she put everyone else and me through. I wanted to make hell seem like child's play to this.I finally let her broken arm drop to the floor, earning a yelp from her. I moved again, this time crouching down and straddling her chest, pushing the air out of her lungs, listening to her wheeze like it was a song. I moved my legs, my feet planted on either side of her head, keeping it still from moving. She looked up at me, and the anger from her eyes had extinguished, turning into pure fear."W-why?" Her bottom lip was quivering as tears streamed down her sullen cheeks. It only made me feel angrier, and I finally found my voice, even though it was painful and hoarse."Because you are the purest evil to exist." I leaned down, sneering in her face as her eyes widened. Hmm, eyes. There we go. I lifted my hands, grabbing her face, digging my nails into her wrinkled skin. I shifted slightly, making sure my legs held her head tightly still. I moved one hand to grab at her hair, gripping tightly and using my thumb to reach down to pull her eyelid up, my nail digging into it. I lifted my other hand, using my index finger and thumb to grab the sides of her eyeball, watching as she started to thrash around, already screaming out, begging for mercy. But she never showed any of us mercy. She was trying desperately to close her eye, but she was failing miserably. I grabbed tighter, feeling her eyeball squishing under my burned fingers, and then my fingers slipped under it, pressing against the bone structure of her skull. I kept squeezing and wriggling my fingers, finally getting enough grip, digging my nails in before I began to pull.She was screeching louder than before, but she was no longer begging, she was cursing at me, a string of curses falling from her lips as I kept pulling. I watched with delight as her eye began to move forward, pulling up and bulging until it finally popped out of the socket, and as I pulled it away, my eyes were drawn to the thick red fleshy optical nerve that still connected to her eye. I yanked hard, my hand ripping back as the nerve tore, and her screaming was piercing through my ears. I brought my hand back in front of me, staring down at the eyeball in my palm, glaring at it before I started to squeeze, harder and harder until it popped in my hand, a mix of white goo and blood dripping from my palm. I wiped it off on my shirt before reaching up to repeat the action with her other eye before something was being held in front of my face. I looked up at Jane who was still standing there, holding a knife out to me, the blade held carefully between her fingers. I only nodded to her, grabbing the handle of it, finding the grip comfortable before looking back down at the woman, bringing the point of the knife to her eye, watching as she closed it, but I didn't care. I slowly and carefully pushed it down, piercing through her eyelid and into her remaining eye, before I began to twist it, tearing apart her eyelid and watching as goop and blood began to leak out from it. I yanked the knife out before slowly plunging it back into her eye, continuing to twist and twirl it around as her thrashing only got worse. Her screaming was starting to hurt my ears. I kept stabbing her eye slowly until I was sure it was nothing but mush. I repositioned myself again, moving my feet back and using my knees to press into the sides of her cheeks, harder and harder until her mouth was forced open. I moved the knife in my hand, flipping it around so the butt end of the handle was facing down, and I slammed it down into her mouth, earing a loud cry from her as her front teeth bent back, the blunt force cutting her upper lip. I repeated the action, slamming it down again and again onto her teeth, watching as they bent and loosened until they finally began breaking away, falling away from her gums and down into her throat, causing her to choke on the chunks of bone and gurgle on the blood gushing out of the divets where teeth once where. She tried to close her mouth, to spit out the blood and teeth, but my knees prevented her from doing so, and I just kept banging the knife handle into her teeth until I was satisfied. Some of her teeth chipped, others loosened, and the rest were knocked right out. I flipped the knife back around, sticking the blade in her mouth before twisting it around, cutting up her gums and cheeks, and tongue. I moved the knife slowly, poking it at her tongue until I jabbed it through, skewering her tongue on the blade before I began to pull her tongue out, then I jerked the knife out, ripping her tongue in half, a gurgling groan emanating from her now. I slowly brought the knife to trace down her chin, finding the soft spot on the underside of it, quickly jabbing it up, watching as the blade pierced through her flesh and drove through into her mouth, before yanking it back out, a rush of blood both filling her mouth and leaking from the underside of her chin, rushing down and coating her neck.I leaned over, grabbing one of her limp hands, pulling it forward roughly to elicit more pain from her before I got a good hold on her wrist, using my fingers to hold her index finger still. I raised the knife, slipping the tip of it under her nail before pushing forward into her nailbed, slowly prying the nail up, watching as it tore away from the raw, fleshy underside, blood quickly leaking out. I pried it up as much as I could until I could grab it with my fingers, tearing it off before flinging it to the side. It was a painfully slow and repetitive process, but I savored every last moment as I tore off every single fingernail. When I was done, all her fingers were bloody and should have been in just as much pain as my own hands. I looked back up at her face, watching as it contorted in the many emotions of pain and sorrow, and fear. Good. I once again flipped the knife around in my hand, swinging it down at her cheek, colliding with a dull thud and a hollow pop. Of course, she cried out again, still gurgling on teeth and blood. I brought it down again, then again, and again, watching as her cheek was quickly becoming swollen red and purple, the skin even cutting open and bleeding down her face.I looked down at my work, thinking for a moment before standing up off of her, moving to crouch down by her legs, grabbing one of her calves and lifting it up, before swiftly jabbing the knife into the back of her knee, twisting it around and sawing at the muscles and tendons until I could feel the blade grinding against the bones of her kneecap. Before setting her leg down, I yanked the knife out, moving it to her Achilles tendon and doing to same, piercing through the back of her ankle and slicing it clean through. I only just realized how the violent tearing and stabbing of her body was flinging blood around, most splattering on me, dying my white clothes a strawberry red. I dropped her leg, quickly repeating the process to her other one, first the knee, then the heel, savoring all of her screams. It's what she deserved, after all the pain and torture she caused, this was her karma. I finally stood up, wobbling slightly before grabbing the blade of the knife and handing it back to Jane, the handle facing her."Aren't you going to kill her?" She has a look of slight shock on her face, either from my decision to let the woman live or due to the spur of brutality from someone who seemed so kind beforehand. I only shook my head, finding my raspy voice once again."No. I want her to lay here for hours in pain until she either bleeds out or dies of dehydration or starvation. I want her to suffer like she made everyone else suffer." She only slowly nodded, grabbing the knife back from me. I looked down at the woman again, watching as she wheezed for air, and I brought my foot down hard into her ribs a few times, earning screams and a few cracks. I wiped my hands on my shirt, before rubbing the back of my fist across my cheek, wiping off some of the sticky blood that had splattered on my face. "I'm done. Leave her here to die, alone and scared." I was glaring down at the woman, finally satisfied with my work. A part of me hated it, but another part savored it, and I felt conflicted. A hand on my shoulder had me jumping, looking behind me and up at the group's boss."It's time to leave now." I could only nod, turning to watch as the others were already climbing through the rippling computer screen. It looked so odd, how they simply disappeared into it, but it wasn't something I could question at this point. I watched as one by one, they all disappeared into the screen, and soon enough, almost everyone had left through it, leaving only Slender, Ben, Brian, and me in the room. I took a wobbly step forward, finally wanting to leave the damned blinding white hell hole, but it wasn't that easy. It never was here.A loud bang echoed through the hallway, and pain tore through my calf, my leg quickly giving out and making me fall to my knees. I couldn't scream anymore, it was only a muffled groan as I whipped my head around, staring down the hallway. Laying on the ground, covered in blood, was one last surviving guard, shakily holding a gun in one of his hands. He didn't get a chance to shoot again before a bullet shot right through his skull, pieces of brain matter and skull exploding down from behind his head, his body falling limp to the wet floor with a dull thud. I turned, seeing Brian with his own gun pulled out, glaring down the hall at the last remaining survivor, who was now dead. I hissed out in pain as I grabbed at the desk, hoisting myself back up from the ground, wobbling on my one good leg, my now injured one bent and hovering off the floor. "Are you alright?" It was Slender again, and all I could do was nod. I watched as Brian walked passed me, crawling in through the computer screen that was still rippling and filled with static. Three left to go, and it was now my turn. I used the desk as a crutch to hobble over to the computer, Ben backing up slightly but holding one hand out slightly, looking ready to catch me if I fell, I could only offer a weak smile."So I just crawl in?" My voice was so destroyed from my screaming that it was barely above a whisper, and he only nodded in response. I took in a deep breath, scared of what would be on the other side of the screen. With my injured leg, it was a bit hard to crawl onto the desk, having to turn and hoist myself up first, before turning to face it, taking one last breath before I pushed my hand through the screen, it simply falling through as if nothing was even there, though it did feel fuzzy, like pins and needles in my hand, but thankfully it wasn't painful. I slowly crawled through, wanting to instinctively close my eyes as I passed through, but I forced them to stay open. I quickly fell through, landing on my stomach on the other side, the brightness of the facility fading away into a much more comfortable dull light. I was laying on the floor, but instead of it being a strange white material, it was wood. I wheezed out from the air getting knocked out of me before crawling forward away from whatever I fell out of, now resting on my arms with my head hanging low, the adrenaline finally washing away as the reality of everything hit me.I was free. We were all free. No more white, no more bland food, no more questions, no more collar or electrical shocks. It was all over finally. "(Y/n)!" Weight was slammed into me, knocking the air back out of my lungs that I had just regained, and I groaned in pain, falling on my side as the little girl hovered over me."You're here-" There was a pause as I slowly opened my eyes and looked up at Sally, trying to smile, but failing due to the overwhelming pain flooding through my system."Oh no! What happened?" Her little hands were holding one of mine, squeezing slightly, earning another groan from me. Her eyes moved to look away from me to somewhere behind me, out of my field of view."I said to protect her! What happened?!" Her tiny voice was full of worry and anger, but it still made me want to chuckle. The idea of the child telling someone to protect me was just funny to me. She didn't wait for whoever she was talking to, to answer, she was already tugging at my arm, trying to pull me up, but her tiny self couldn't lift my weight up, and the pain had me recoiling. I hadn't realized just how much the collar had shocked me. It was running nonstop until Brian had shot it off, it had burnt a ring around my neck, and the electricity that was coursing through my body had at the very least mildly burned me. Footsteps caught my attention, craning my head as much as I could, seeing Jane approaching my other side, crouching down and looking over me, grimacing slightly."C'mon, let's get you cleaned up." I could only nod slightly, watching as she grabbed my unbruised wrist, her other hand slipping under my back, gently pulling me into a sitting position before slowly helping me stand up. I nearly fell over as I instinctively put my weight on my leg that had been shot, yelping and my knees folding slightly under me. Her arm quickly wrapped fully around my back and under my arm, using her other hand to pull my arm closest to her over her shoulders, helping to stabilize me."What happened to your leg?!" I didn't have time to answer when someone behind me spoke."One of the guards was still alive, he shot her." Jane's frown only deepened, turning to look behind us to nod before slowly pivoting, waiting for me to hop on my one leg to follow her movements. Sally was quick to follow at my other side, staring up at me worriedly. She guided me down a hallway that was right next to a large staircase, helping me hobble along, passing by many wooden doors, some painted bright colors, others left plain, but all had names painted on the doors, but the pain was too overwhelming for me to read any of them. She finally stopped at one door, it was plain but when I finally could focus, I realized her name was painted in elegant black writing across the front of it."Sally, can you-""Yup!" The little girl didn't wait for the woman to finish, she was quick to open the door, pushing the door open and running in, turning and waiting for us to follow inside. We slowly walked inside, Sally was quick to shut the door behind us. Jane kept guiding me across the room to another door, Sally once again opening it for us to reveal a clean and pristine bathroom, Jane helping me in, and slowly shifting us to help me sit down on the edge of the bathtub. "Wait right here, okay? I'll be right back." I could only nod, my hands grabbing the edge of the tub to keep me stable. My whole body felt so weak, my mind was fuzzy and it was so hard to focus. Sally peaked her head into the bathroom before walking over to me, moving her teddy bear to sit under one of her arms before she was holding out the manilla folder that I had given to her."I kept it safe!" I managed a smile, forcing my voice to work."Th-thank you." Her eyes lit up and she grinned widely, turning to set the folder on the counter next to the sink. Jane wasn't gone for very long, entering back into the bathroom with her arms full of random things, before she too set them all down on the counter."Okay so I have some bandages and peroxide, but there's nothing I can do about your neck and leg, Jack will have to check those. I also found I nightgown that should fit you. Uh, do you think you can bathe yourself?" Even through the haze of my brain I still blushed at the question. I felt weak, but I wasn't going to let anyone bathe me, I was an adult for fucks sake."Y-yeah, I think so." She nodded."Okay, if you need help or anything at all, just call out, I'll be out here. Here's some towels too, and feel free to use anything in here, okay?" It was my turn to nod, offering her too a smile. She ushered Sally out of the bathroom before shutting the door behind her, leaving me entirely alone. I stayed sitting on the edge of the tub for a moment before shakily standing up, my hands flying out to grab at the counter so I couldn't fall over. I hopped forward slightly so I could look in the mirror, nearly gasping at my new appearance. I was covered in blood, and I was correct about my throat, a thick band of burnt, red skin stretched across my neck. And the skin across the rest of my body was redder than it normally should have been, all from the constant shock of the collar. I could only sigh, finding balance on my leg as I grabbed my shirt, carefully pulling it over my head and letting it drop to the floor, staring at my bruises torso in the mirror. I could only assume that Brian had put painkillers in my food, considering how it was painful to even twist around, much less breathe. Thankfully, I wasn't wearing a bra, so there was no need to bend my arms around my body to try and unhook it. I stripped off my pants and underwear, moving my way back to the bathtub, turning on the faucet, and plugging the tub, slowly stepping in and sitting down, watching as the water slowly rose to cover across my aching body. Despite being burned, the hot water felt amazing for my muscles and bruises, and I happily sank into the warmth, finally feeling at ease. Steam quickly filled up the bathroom, fogging out the mirror and creating condensation on the walls. I slowly leaned forward, groaning in pain to turn off the faucet when the water had filled up enough, and I laid back fully, just enjoying the comfort that the bath brought to me. I wasn't in a rush to wash my hair or to scrub my body, I just needed a moment to breathe, to relax. I sat there in the hot water with my eyes closed for a good long while, melting into the warmth of the water before I finally pushed myself back up to a sitting position, craning my neck to look at some of the bottles on the shelves inside the tub, quickly finding the shampoo and grabbing it.It was painful to wash, having to move and twist my body, but I was just grateful to finally get clean. Scrubbing at my scalp, running conditioner through the ends of my hair, and lathering soap on my hands before washing away the dried blood on the skin. By the time I was done, the water was murky and red, and I grimaced in disgust. I unplugged the tub, watching as the water drained out before turning the water back on, then turning it on the showerhead, slowly standing back up as water cascaded down on me, washing away the rest of the filth off of me and out of the tub, the water soon running clear off of me, minus the stream of blood from my leg.I turned the water back off, watching as the last streams of water washed down the drain, and all that was left were droplets of water falling off my body. I carefully stepped out of the tub, resting my knee on the edge of the tub so I wouldn't fall over, placing a hand on the wall to stabilize myself, reaching over to grab the towel off of the counter first drying my hair off with it before slowly rubbing it across my body to absorb the rest of the water. It was difficult, slow, and painful, but I eventually managed to dry myself off...mostly. I ran the towel once more through my hair before hanging it up on the towel rack, next reaching over to grab the nightgown that Jane had given me, easily slipping it on. Thankfully, folded with the gown, was a fresh pair of underwear that fit perfectly. Both garments were black, and I was thankful to escape from the stark white clothing. The nightgown was oversized and flowed around me rather nicely, falling to just above my knees with a v-neck. The sleeves were short, but due to the size of the gown, they fell to just above my elbows. I looked over myself in the mirror, happy that I looked at least decent now, although the many injuries littering my body still made me cringe. I slowly bent over, picking up the bloodied facility clothes and folding them over my arm before grabbing the file on the counter and holding it closely to my chest. I slowly stumbled forward, twisting the doorknob and opening the door, using the frame of it to help keep me from falling over. Both Jane and Sally were in the room still, both chatting quietly as they sat on what I could only assume was Jane's bed. The door opening caught their attention, the two girls turning to look at me, both offering a smile."Feeling any better?" I nodded slightly, lifting the clothes in my arm, silently asking what to do with them. Jane slid off the bed, walking over to me, first helping me to hobble over to the set, sitting me down on it before grabbing the clothes."Don't think we need these anymore, we can toss them. I'll be right back." I could only nod again and she turned and quickly left the room, shutting the door behind her."Wow! You look so pretty, (Y/n)!" I looked down at Sally, smiling softly before shaking my head no."Wha-? No! You are!" I tried to laugh, but it was only a raspy chuckle. Sally moved on the bed, sitting on her knees and reaching up, touching my still-damp hair."Oh! Your hair is so soft! And so pretty too!" I could only smile as the child played with my hair, either brushing her fingers through it or trying to messily braid certain portions of it. It was a comforting gesture, and it momentarily made me forget about my pain. The room was silent but peaceful, and I simply just relaxed, waiting for Jane to return, which she soon did, reentering into the room now with empty hands, leaving the door open, and quickly walking over to me."Alrighty, time to get you patched up," She hesitated slightly, giving me a sympathetic look."None of us are the best at medical aid stuff, except Jack, so I'm gonna take you to him." I flinched slightly out of reaction. I still didn't know him as much as the others, I was still scared to talk to him, much less be in the same room as him. But I remembered what Slender had told me, that he would be there too, and I found comfort in that. I cleared my throat, swallowing hard, managing to speak."Ca-can you be th-there too?" "Of course, hun. You helped us out, so I'll make sure you're comfy, now let's go, can't leave a bullet in your leg." She laughed slightly, trying to lighten the situation, moving to my side, wrapping one arm around me, and grabbing my other one to wrap over her shoulders. She carefully helped me off the bed, waiting for me to find my balance before we slowly started our trek out of the room and back down the hallway, Sally happily trailing behind us, having already grabbed my file once again. We slowly made our way back down the hallway, pain wracking through my body with every movement. Eventually, we were back out in the room where I had fallen into, and I finally got a chance to glance around, seeing that it was a living room and that we had all crawled through a TV. There was no one in sight, and I could only assume they were either getting some decent food to eat or just readjusting going back to their normal lives after being locked up for five years. Jane slowly walked through the living room, past the staircase, and to the other side of it, where there was a single door, Sally jumping in front of us to open it up. I glanced inside, seeing what looked like a replica of a doctor's office, cabinets lining the walls, there was a chair in the middle that I was certain could lean back, and small metal carts that had assortments of medical supplies stacked on them, all organized. And sat in a rolling chair that didn't have a back, was the blue-hoodied man, looking over a cart that was sitting next to him.He looked up at the sound of the door opening, nodding to Jane as she started to walk in, but I didn't walk forward, giving her pause, leaning down slightly to look at me."Hey, it'll be okay." She whispered, offering a small smile. I could only hesitantly nod back, finally taking a hobbling step forward into the room. Jane slowly walked me over to the chair in the middle of the room, helping me to turn and sit down on it before she took a step back, but she didn't leave. Sally was at her side too in an instant, staring up at me with a beaming smile. Jack stayed in his chair, looking around the metal cart a bit more before a knock at the door caught all of our attention, looking up to see Slender ducking underneath the doorway, he too entering into the room. I smiled at him, feeling thankful that he was true to his word. He gave me a small nod, moving to stand behind the two girls. I nervously fidgeted with my hands, just waiting. Sally was already talking to Slender, though it was too quiet for me to hear, besides that, the only other noise was the clanking of the metal cart. I kept Jack in my peripheral vision as best I could, still feeling uneasy around him. Eventually, he wheeled his chair closer to me, dragging the cart next to him, latex gloves now adorning his hands."I'm gonna take the bullet out first, then I can check your neck." I only nodded, watching as he picked up a syringe from the cart, moving to look at my still-bleeding calf."This is just gonna numb you, nothing else." Nod again. I watched him carefully as he lifted my leg slightly, finding the bullet hole, then injecting the fluid from the syringe into my leg. The pinch wasn't bad, but it did feel like fire until it died down, and I could no longer feel any pain, or him even touching my leg. He set the now empty syringe back on the cart, moving a few more tools around before looking at me."I'm gonna lean the chair back but I need you to lay on your stomach so I can work better." I swallowed the lump in my throat, nodding to him and quickly glancing at Jane, getting a soft smile from her. Jack moved again, this time standing up and moving to the back of the chair, messing with it a bit until the back of it laid down flat. Jane was quick to help me scoot up and then flip over, even adjusting the nightgown to continue covering me properly which I gave her a thankful glance for. I propped my chin on my forearms, staring at the back wall, unable to look at Jack anymore. I could feel pressure on my calf, but no pain. Occasionally there would be the sound of metal clinking, but that was it, and at a few points the pressure dug deeper into my calf, but there was still no pain whatsoever. A few minutes passed before Jack spoke up."You're lucky the bullet didn't fragment, you'll only need a handful of stitches." I nodded but wasn't sure if he was even looking at me or not. Some more time passed before the wheels of his chair moving caught my attention, craning my head back as much as I could to see him reorganizing his cart."Alright, you can sit back up. Try not to tear your stitches walking, I don't have any crutches to give you." I slowly propped myself up, Jane once again helping me to turn back around and sit normally. While Jack was talking bluntly, it didn't have the bitterness it did back at the facility, and I felt grateful for it. Once I was sitting normally again, he readjusted the chair, bringing the back of it up again, gesturing to me to lean back so he could check the burn around my throat. I did as instructed, leaning my head back slightly as he scooted forward once again. My eyes shot to the side when Sally reached to grab my hand, smiling up at me."It's gonna be okay! I don't like going to the doctor's either!" Not quite it, but it was a sweet sentiment. I squeezed her hand back softly as Jack looked over my neck, a few times poking at certain spots, gaining a wince from me. "Damn, these are second-degree burns. Well, at least it's not third." He sighed, scooting back and standing up from his chair, walking over to the counter that lined the wall behind him, turning on the water in the sink, opening a cabinet above him, and grabbing out a washcloth. He placed the cloth under the running water before squeezing out the excess water. He walked back over to me, sitting back down in his chair before folding the cloth in half, placing it around my neck, across the burn. It was cool, but not freezing cold.Once he had fixed the washcloth around the burn, he leaned back away from me, looking down at the metal cart. I watched from the corner of my eye as he grabbed a small tube of ointment, squeezing a small dollop of it on his index finger before he turned back to me."I need to patch up your cheek and wrist, this is just to prevent infection." I wanted to nod but barely could, not wanting to mess up the position of the damp cloth on my neck. He stood up, leaning over me slightly, gently dapping the ointment on my bruised cheek, making me grimace slightly at how tender my skin was. Once the ointment was on, he grabbed a roll of gauze from the cart, using a pair of scissors to cut a length of it before folding it into a square, hovering it over my cheek to check the size. He then grabbed some medical tape, cutting two long strips of it. First, he placed the gauze on my cheek, the ointment holding it in place, then used one of the strips of tape to keep it on my cheek, pressing one end to my skin just above the gauze, and then over it to the skin below it. He repeated the action with the other piece of tape, instead of placing it horizontally instead of vertically like the first piece. He sat back down in his chair, then pointed to my bruised wrist."Let me check your hand too." I lifted my arm, having to cross it over my body for him to examine. He grabbed my forearm, looking down at my wrist before flipping my arm over, checking the underside. After looking my hand over, he grabbed the roll of gauze again, and instead of cutting a length of it, he simply started to wrap it around my wrist, covering the bruising entirely, and wrapping the gauze until it was thick enough to keep my wrist stable. He picked up the scissors again, cutting the gauze before grabbing the medical tape, and taped the loose end of the bandages down."Any other injuries?" I tilted my head slightly, grimacing. I had to clear my throat to speak, it was quiet and scratchy."M-my ribs are bruised, but nothing else." He nodded, letting my arm go, and I moved it to rest at my side again. He reached up, taking the washcloth off my neck, wheeling his chair back, and tossing the cloth into the sink before scooting back over to me. He picked up a new roll of gauze, the previous one not having enough of it left. Jane put a hand on my back, sitting me up a little more so I wasn't leaning back. She helped to keep my hair out of the way as Jack started to wrap the bandages around the burn of my neck. The bandages weren't too tight, but not loose enough to easily fall off my neck. He cut the length, and Jane held the end of it as he once again grabbed a piece of tape, finally securing the gauze to my neck."Alright, all done. Let me find some painkillers and antibiotics." I nodded, watching as he stood up, walking over to a trashcan by the door, throwing his gloves away before walking back over to the sink and washing his hands. I turned and looked to Jane, giving her a thankful smile before giving one to Slender as well, earning a nod from him. Footsteps on the other side of me drew my attention back to Jack, him holding out two orange bottles to me with labels on them."Take two of the painkillers and one antibiotic every six hours." "Thank you." I managed to rasp out, lifting my hand to take the bottles from him and looking down at them. Jane moved from my side to in front of me, helping me scoot off the chair, waiting for me to stabilize myself. I slowly lowered my injured leg, only using my toes to help keep my balance, but I kept all my weight on my other leg. Jane was at my side again, wrapping her arm around me once again. She opened her mouth, ready to speak, but a familiar echoing voice interrupted her."Jane, would you please bring her to my office?" She turned her head to look at Slender."Yeah, of course." I turned to Jack, offering him a smile."Thanks, it means a lot." He nodded in response, but otherwise, didn't say anything else. Jane started to guide me again, Sally opening the door for us and soon catching back up to us, walking to my other side and grabbing my hand. We slowly walked back through the living room which was still desolate, to the right wall of the room, where a rather large door was. Once we were close enough, as her dutiful self, Sally opened it for us, Jane quickly thanking her before bringing me in. There was a large, dark wood desk in the middle of the room, with one large chair behind it, and two normal-sized chairs in front. Behind the large chair, up against the wall, was a bookshelf filled to the brim, along with a few filing cabinets. Jane guided me to one of the two normal chairs, helping me sit down in them. She backed up, leaning against the wall behind me as Sally pranced in front of the chair, still smiling at me."Do you want this back?" She held out my folder and I grinned, gently taking it from her. I unfolded the edges of the file, opening it up and smiling even more. Her drawing was still there. I picked it up, unfolding it, and showing it to her."I brought it with me." She squealed happily, grabbing the drawing from me and staring down at it before running behind me, gleefully showing the picture off to Jane. I looked back down to the folder in my lap, staring at the picture of myself in it. I grimaced slightly at it. Twenty-three years of my life, forgotten, left behind when either I ran away or was kidnapped. Twenty-three years of bonds and lessons, all lost. Twenty-three years wasted. I was still holding the pill bottles in my hand, setting them down in my lap as I lifted the folder and read over all my information again. The names of my family had all been blacked out, I had no way to track them down. Would I even want to at this point? If I found them, what would I say? That I woke up in an all-white building in an unknown location? That I met a bunch of people and beings that killed to survive, that there were ones with bleeding eyes and no faces? That could teleport and float? That could talk telepathically? That I hurt someone horribly and left them to die? I would end up in another white building, one with a padded cell and a straight jacket. I closed the file, sighing softly. What did I even want to do? I knew I couldn't stay here, this was their house, not mine to come in and infest like some pest. I knew that at the very least, some of them didn't want me here, they didn't even want to break me out either. I would have to leave eventually, I would have to find a new home somewhere and slowly integrate back into society. But how would I even do that? I have no ID, no driver's license, no money, no job resume, and no prior history of jobs. Would I end up homeless? Surely that would be the case. I frowned to myself. What would I even do now? At least...at least in the facility, I had some importance, even if I was just a dog. The door opening behind me brought my attention back to reality.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

I turned my head, looking behind me to the door, watching as Slender entered into the room, looking at the two girls behind me.

"You two are free to leave, I just need to talk with (Y/n)." The two nodded, Sally quickly running back over to me to hug me, hoping up in my lap slightly to do so before handing her drawing back to me, giving me a quick wave before leaving with Jane. I watched as the door shut behind them before my attention turned back to the towering being, watching as he walked behind the desk, sitting in his chair with immaculate posture, folding his hands on the top of the desk. There was a moment of silence before he spoke.

"So now that you are free, what do you plan to do?" I pondered for a moment, first opening my mouth, then realizing I could still speak to him with my thoughts.

"I'm not really sure..."

"Do you have somewhere to go?" I shook my head.

"No, not that I remember. Remember when you said you picked around my head, and that most of my memories were blank? I still remember nothing." He hummed in thought.

"Do you have a plan of some sort? You seem to be good at those." I had the chuckle a bit.

"Sadly no. I don't have an ID, no money, nothing. I only have Sally's drawing and this file the facility gave me, but most of it is blacked out." I lifted the file, passing it over the desk for him to take. He grabbed it, opening it and spreading the papers out across the desk, seeming to read through them faster than any human ever could.

"Hmm, you're correct, there is not much information here. You did seem to have a promising life, do you not want to go back to that?" I hesitated not sure how to word my feelings towards it.

"Honestly, no. Yeah, I lost family and friends, I lost a decent career, I lost everything that my life was until a year ago. But my only memories are after I woke up in the facility, so I don't even know what happened for an entire year of my life. But...I don't remember any of them, any of my relationships and bonds, I just...don't feel anything

for

them, because I don't know them anymore. And like I said, I have no ID, nothing, how would I even go back to my old life?

Surely I would be questioned relentlessly, and no one would believe me about the facility, about all of you, and even if I didn't mention any of you, how would I spin a story of just me escaping by myself in a high-security building? What would I say when they eventually ask why I was there? What I did there? I doubt I would be believed. They'd probably try to medicate me for something I don't have, they'd lock me up in a psych ward. Even if I do go back, my life would only revolve around being stuck in a hospital. I would be called a liar or delusional. But what if I don't go back? Then I'd be homeless, with no money, no previous job experience, no one would hire me, I'll be left on the streets to rot." I paused, my brain reeling as a sick feeling settled in my gut.

"I'd probably have to live on my own somewhere secluded, I'd have to learn to survive on my own. Learn how to survive as a street rat if I tried to go back. I'd have to probably pickpocket to survive and rummage through garbage to find food. And even if I tried to go back, who would I look for? I don't know the names of my family, I only have my last name to go off of, but then what if I was adopted? That would take me nowhere." I had to swallow the rising lump in my throat. I felt...alone. There was another long moment of silence before Slender spoke up.

"Why not consider living here? You would have a home, a roof over your head, you would never need to worry about food. Sally sees you as a sister, you do have family here already." My eyes widened as I looked up at him, mouth slightly agape.

"Oh no, I can't stay here! I don't want to bother anyone, I would just be a burden! I don't know my skills, if I have any, I would just get in the way here. Thank you, but I can't."

"See, but you can. I offered it to you, and I don't make offers that would be troublesome to me or the residents of this house. And we have plenty of empty rooms to be filled, you wouldn't be taking up any room, you wouldn't be in the way of anyone, in fact, I am confident in saying that you would be welcomed here. You are a very kind and respectful woman, it's refreshing for everyone to have that empathy here. Not to mention that you helped us escape, quite frankly, I owe you my life." I could only shake my head again, ready to deny the offer, but I was interrupted.

"If you wish to not stay, then you first need a plan, but you currently don't have one. Do you know how to forage for food? Do you know what is edible and what is poisonous? How about purifying water to make it drinkable? Do you know how to build a shelter? To create a fire? How will you keep your wounds clean from infection?" I pursed my lips. I didn't know how to do a single one of those things.

"I will not force you to stay here, but the offer will stay open. Again, you helped us immensely, and I wish to repay that kindness. Ah, and one last tidbit," I waited patiently for him to continue, watching as he gathered back up the papers and placed them back into the file neatly before closing it.

"The residents who stay here need to kill to survive, however, I can make an exception for you. You will not need to kill, and you can continue to live here with us. If you do wish to contribute, you may, after all, the...display you put on at the facility would have been too much for anyone, you show resilience for that. You have a very clever mind, (Y/n), I would be proud to have you as one of our residents, killer or not." It was finally my turn to talk.

"Thank you, really, it means a lot to me. I'll think it over, but I do have a question. How come you didn't escape even though Brian was at the facility? It seemed like I didn't even need to be there for you all to escape." He hummed, thinking for a few seconds before responding.

"It was difficult without another source outside the cells. Brian was always busy trying to keep up appearances as a member of the facility while simultaneously working with me. He first had to earn the trust of the facility, for the first three years he was always tailed by another member, he was never left alone, so it was difficult for him to even communicate properly. So for those three years, he simply fed me information, and I tried to build off of it. None of the others were coming up with viable strategies, so it was solely left up to me and Brian. The facility had its full attention on any new staff and on all of us who were locked up.

However, when you came along, and showed us immense kindness and respect, even after finding out what we were and what we did, you still showed up sympathy, you showed that even though you couldn't place yourself in our shoes, you still understood the need for survival and living. And when you showed up, Brian had noticed that the facility paid acute attention to you, none of the other interrogators had that sort of attention. The facility found you special, and Brian found more time to scheme and convey more information to me. And you added a fresh outlook to the mix, a new mind that had barely even entered the facility. You had yet to be broken down, you still had the optimism that most of us had lost, and from there, you were able to quickly think up a new plan, and a plan that would work. You worked well with the information you were given, and you adapted to each new obstacle. You were a new key that we didn't realize that we needed, and most wouldn't admit that we needed someone else." My eyes widened at the new information. The facility had been paying special attention to me? What did I even do to grab their attention in the first place? They had been locked up for so long and had been shocked god knows how many times, they had been beaten down and broken to the point that they couldn't even figure out a proper plan. It made me feel sick.

"I...I'm sorry." It was the only thing I could think to say.

"There's no need to apologize, none of it was your fault, I assure you. Now, let's get back to the topic at hand, will you consider my offer to stay here?"

"I'll think about it, I think I just need to decompress first. So much has happened in such a short time...what would happen if I chose to stay?"

"A good question. If you do choose to stay, then you will be a resident here, and with that, you essentially become one of us. You will live the same way we do, off of the lives of others, though if you do not wish to kill, you do not need to. Many of the residents here go over the minimum requirements to continue living, in a sense, we have a large preserve pool of life force, and you would be living off of that. Do not worry though, with one more person living off of it won't drain it considering that everyone else adds to it at an exceptional rate, so it will never run dry. You will have your own room as well, just like the rest of us. A bit about the rooms, and this house by extension, it works in the same way that I do, and like a few of the others.

To a normal mind, it doesn't make sense, this house is almost alive in a sense, and it adapts to those who live inside it. If you become a resident, a room will be selected for you, and once you enter that room, you will find it fully furnished and decorated to your personal taste, along with clothing and a bathroom. It is quite splendid actually, it even surprises me sometimes. And when you become a resident, you are...reborn, in a sense. Don't worry about that, it isn't painful to most, and it is a rather simple process. I will warn you, however, that some change very little, while some change a lot, appearance-wise I mean, your personality will stay the same." I nodded, listening closely to everything he said.

"In the meantime, while you make your decision, you will be placed in one of the empty rooms, privacy is of course respected here, I will not make you sleep on the couch." That earned a chuckle from me.

"Thank you again, I really mean that."

"Of course, it is no problem. Now then, that is all I wanted to discuss. I will have Jane bring you to one of the unoccupied rooms. Please get plenty of rest."

"I will, rest well too, Sir. I think we could all use it."

"Very true." And with that, I slowly pushed myself to stand up, awkwardly standing on one foot and using my toes just for some balance on my other leg. I held the pill bottles in my hand, along with Sally's drawing, watching as Slender held my file back out to me. I stared at it for a moment before shaking my head.

"If it's alright, I rather throw it away. It's not useful to me anymore."

"Are you sure?" I nodded, watching as he hummed before setting it back down.

"Alright, I will take care of it."

"Thank you." I pivoted on my foot, stumbling over to the door, turning to give him one last wave before I opened the door and walked out, Jane waiting by the door, but Sally wasn't anywhere in sight. She smiled at me, quickly already helping to support my weight, already knowing the orders from her boss, leading me back down the hallway that lead to her room, and many others, though we didn't need to walk as far down it before she stopped at a door with no name painted on it. She reached forward, twisting the knob and pushing it open, helping me inside. It was plain, with the same wooden floors and walls as the rest of the house that I had seen so far. The only furniture was a simple bed with a nightstand next to it, along with a single open door, showing a bathroom inside. Jane helped me over to the bed, sitting me down on it.

"This'll be your room for now, I'm just down the hall if you need me, okay? Oh! And I'll go get you some water to you can take those meds now." I nodded happily to her, watching as she darted out of the room, leaving the door open behind her, but it didn't really bother me. I looked at the nightstand, setting down the pill bottles and the drawing, looking it over once more, smiling at it. I sat there on the bed as silence enveloped the room, just waiting. There wasn't much for me to do, I was lightly tapping my hands on my knees, ignoring the pain that ached through my burnt fingers and sore wrist. Only a few minutes passed before Jane walked back through the open door, holding a mug in one hand, steam rolling off of it, and a glass of water in the other.

"I got you some tea too, with honey in it, hopefully, it'll help soothe your throat." I nodded as she set the mug down on the nightstand, handing the water to me before she picked up the pill bottles, looking them over before opening them for me and pouring out the proper amount of pills before handing them to me. I happily popped them in my mouth, drinking down every last drop of water from the cup before setting it next to the tea. The cold water already felt great on my throat, and I was eager to drink the tea. I gently picked up the mug, basking the warmth against my fingers, lifting it to my lips, and taking a small sip. It was hot but didn't burn me, and the mixture of heat and honey coated my throat, making the straining feel better.

"Thank you, this is really good!" I smiled up at Jane, earning one in return.

"Of course. You should get some rest now, I'll bring you dinner when it's ready so you don't have to walk around." I nodded, taking another sip of the tea, and savoring the flavor. Silence settled back into the room, but it was comfortable. I gratefully sipped at my tea, Jane only staying around for a few more seconds before turning on her heels, giving me a short goodbye, along with telling me to rest, before leaving, closing the door gently behind her. I stared at the door for a while longer before finishing the tea, setting the empty cup on the nightstand, my hands lingering over it for a moment before picking back up the drawing that Sally had made.

I simply could not get over it, it was precious, and it made my heart pang that she had drawn something so happy while being locked up. But she wasn't locked up anymore, none of us were. We were out and free. I smiled down at the paper before setting it back down, slowly shifting on the bed until I was able to lay down with as little pain as possible.

The painkillers had yet to kick in, but it didn't matter much considering I was ready to just fall asleep. I cuddled under the blanket, already being so much more comfortable than the cot and thin sheet that the facility provided. Exhaustion slammed into me in waves, eagerly heaving my eyes shut as I was lulled finally into a peaceful slumber. Dreams of swirling shapes and colors danced around my mind, merging and morphing into beautiful fantasies of grassy fields and trees taller than mountains. Where birds were massive and people would fly around on them, where waterfalls were a beautiful teal and the spray of them painted rainbows in the air. Dreams of running through forests and climbing cliffsides, dreams where I was entirely free of any and all worries, of pain and despair, where not a single negative thought or action plagued the earth.

The soft click of the door shutting stirred me from my sleep. There were previous noises before it, ones that slowly dragged me from my fanciful dreams, but even though I tried to fall back asleep, the smell of delicious food and seasonings hit my nose. I slowly peeled my eyes open, blinking a few times at the wall before I slowly pushed myself up, yawning and rubbing my eyes before looking around. No one was in the room, but to my side, on the nightstand, was a plate piled high with food. The mug was missing, but there was a new glass of water next to the plate. I fixed how I was sitting, crossing my legs to be more comfortable, and careful of the stitches in my calf. I grabbed the plate, careful not to drop it as I moved to set it on my lap, the heat from the bottom of it soaking through the blanket and into my thighs, but it was a welcoming warmth.

I picked up the fork from the plate, looking across the meal. My brain was still too foggy from sleep to fully process what the food even was, but when I placed a forkful in my mouth, I couldn't help the delighted squeak I made. It was the most amazing thing I have ever tasted! It was so full of flavor and warmth, but not burning hot or overpowering. I could taste salt and pepper, onion, and garlic, but I could still taste the original flavor of the dish, and it was perfect. It all blended together so well. I took another bite, then another, and another. I was barely even chewing at that point, I was starving, and the meal was absolutely astonishing. Maybe it was because I had only eaten facility food for a couple of days, or because I couldn't remember food from my life before the white hell, but damn it was like it was made straight from heaven. I was quickly devouring the dinner, continuing to eat even when I got full until the plate was clean, minus the smudges of sauce and juices. I licked my lips, sighing deeply in contentment, placing the fork back down on the plate. I slowly twisted ready to set the plate back down on the nightstand when I finally noticed the small white paper sitting on top of a thin black, glossy rectangle. I moved the plate to one hand while I used my other to pick up both the note and object, placing them in my lap and finally setting the plate back down. I picked up the note first, reading the neat handwriting in black pen.

"Hope you enjoy dinner! It was my night to cook, I put some hard work into it! Anyways, this is a phone, dunno if you remember what that is or not, but Ben got it all set up for you. It makes it easier for everyone to communicate, and hey, you can play games on it too! So it's also some entertainment!

- Jane"

I smiled down at the note before setting it back on the nightstand, staring down at the phone. From what I could tell, it looked brand new, not a single smudge or crack on the screen, and it already has a case on it too. I turned it around, examining it in my hands, not having any recollection of what a phone even was. Oh well, just a new learning curve. I pressed a few of the buttons on it until the large button on the right side made the screen light up. At the top in a bold white font were numbers, telling me that the time was 6 PM, and just under that, the date. After tapping and sliding my finger around the screen for a bit, it finally opened up. It was strange, I knew that technology existed and that I could remember computers, but not phones. Just the downside of not remembering I suppose.

There were already a few square icons on the home screen of the phone, each with small text under it, labeling what each icon was. There was a green square with a white blob on it, labeled messages, which seemed like the most important one. Next to it was another green icon with another white blob, this time the vague image of a phone, and under it, of course, was labeled phone. There were a few other icons, one labeled mail, another was named chrome, one named settings, and some others that looked like games or other forms of entertainment. I wasn't exactly sure what to do or click on. I simply just stared down at the phone, my thumb hovering over one app, then over a different one before moving back to the previous icon. But I still didn't click anything, not sure what to do. Maybe I could ask Jane for help? But I didn't want to bother her, she had already done so much for me.

I sighed to myself, finally just clicking on one of the apps, the one with a red icon with a white triangle on its side on it. I didn't even read the name, I just clicked it. I watched as it opened, and I was met with a new screen, one with a dark gray background with large pictures on it, each one with a title under it. I didn't move my thumb across the screen, I just watched as one of the pictures started to move, and I realized it was a video playing, though I couldn't hear any sound. I watched the preview for a few moments before placing my thumb on the screen, moving my thumb up, and watching as the app scrolled down, showing more videos. Some were of people or animals, mostly cats or dogs, and others seemed to be stories or games. I finally just clicked one of the videos with a cat as the picture, the title claiming something about funny animals.

I watched as the video quickly loaded, immediately playing a collage of videos all mashed together into one. Under the video was the title and more videos under it that seemed related to the one I clicked. After tapping around a bit more, I figured out how to pause the video and how to make it bigger, taking up the whole screen and making me turn the phone to its side so I could watch comfortably. I laid back down, now on my side, holding the phone in one hand so I could watch the video. The title was correct in its statement, the videos were all cute and funny. Sometimes a cat would try to jump to something but would slip or limply fly through the air before gravity took over, another was of two dogs barking through a gate, but once it opened, they just stopped and stared at each other. It was lighthearted and got a few chuckles out of me, though they were painful considering my bruised torso.

It wasn't long before the video ended, and I eagerly clicked another one, ready to be happy and laugh some more. Jane was right, this was entertaining! I wasn't sure how long I had been watching the videos for before my eyes started to feel heavy again, closing on their own as the video ended, waiting for me to click a new one, but never receiving the input. Through the light shining through my eyelids, I could tell the screen darkened before it turned off. Sleep quickly overtook my mind once again, with a full belly and some laughs, I was content to fall into my slumber once more.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

When I woke up again, the light in my room was turned off, but natural sunlight was beaming through the curtains on the windows of the room. They weren't entirely opaque, so a fair amount of light managed to crawl through into the room, but it wasn't overpowering or a rude awakening. It was rather nice compared to the absence of natural light in the facility. I blinked away the sleep from my eyes, adjusting to the waking world once again. The plate was missing from the nightstand, and the phone was placed on it instead, a white cord connected to the bottom of it and falling off the side of the stand, disappearing past the edge of the bed where I couldn't see. I yawned before slowly pushing myself up, wincing slightly in pain. I carefully draped my legs over the edge of the bed, stretching as much as I could, careful of the pain aching through my body and not wanting to tear the stitches in my leg.

I reached over to the nightstand, picking up the two medications, opening them, and dropping three pills into my palm before grabbing the glass of water still waiting on the stand. I quickly took the pills before downing the rest of the water. Already my sore throat was feeling better, though the aching of the burns around my neck still stung plenty. I set the glass down again before just sitting there on the bed. I stared off into space, letting my mind wander. I was really out, I was really

free

. And I was here, living in a house in who knows where with the others that I escaped with. Even though I was shocked, beaten, and treated like a test animal, I still got out, and I was here. In the moment, then and there, breathing, feelings, seeing, hearing. I was here. I was free.

It was a grounding moment. A moment when it all finally hit me. That it wasn't a dream or wishful thinking, not a daydream or nightmare. I was really, actually free. It had all happened. I was sitting on a comfortable bed, I had a wonderful dinner, I had Sally's drawing, I was provided medical aid and even a phone, something I could actually call mine. It was all true, all real. I could feel the cold, cool air of the room, the soft, plush bed underneath me, the bandages that wrapped around my neck and wrist, and even the slight tugging on my skin from the stitches in my calf. I was free.

I

am

free.

I breathed in a steady breath, ignoring the pain and just focusing on the air filling my lungs, feeling as my chest expanded, before letting it all out slowly, feeling the air leaving between my lips as my chest relaxed again. I curled my fingers into the blanket before unclenching them, then grabbing again. I wiggled my toes, curled and uncurled my feet, and swung my legs ever so slightly. I rolled my shoulders, feeling every ache and creak of my bones, every single tightening muscle as they contracted and released. And I couldn't help but let out a small giggle. I was alive. I could feel and smell and hear. I was in here, just in that moment. The pain proved it enough that I was alive, and I was even grateful to feel it. It meant I was here, I was awake, I was alive. If I could feel the pain, then it was all real. As much as I hated the pain and aching, I was still thankful for it.

I finally stopped moving my body unnecessarily, not wanting to feel the aching anymore. Saying I was happy would be an understatement, I was purely ecstatic, joyous, cheerful, delighted, elated, pleased, satisfied. My heart swelled with all that positivity, and I couldn't help the smile crawling along my face. I truly was just thrilled. I pushed myself off the bed, wobbling slightly before finding my balance, careful not to put too much weight on my stitched-up leg, quickly hobbling over to one of the windows, grabbing the curtains, and yanking them open. Sunlight beamed down on me and filled the room, and my smile only grew wider. The sun was stunning. The soft white fluffy clouds, the towering deep-green trees, the bright blue sky, it was all just breathtaking. Light filled the room, and with it beaming down on my skin, I could feel just how warm it was.

I stared out the window, my arms falling back to my sides, just admiring the view outside of the window, happily bathing in the warmth of the sun and the cool air of the room. It was all just...perfect. After standing there for a few minutes, I slowly made my way back over to the bed, sitting down, and closing my eyes, just enjoying the peace. A light 'ding' sound made me jump, wheezing slightly in pain. I looked over to the source of the noise, the phone's screen lit up with a white box underneath the time and date, a green icon on the side, showing it was the messages app. I reached over, picking up the phone. The cord wasn't long enough for me to pull the phone closer, so I gently tugged at it and watched as it unplugged from the phone. A small icon in the top right corner of the phone turned from green to white, showing a full battery symbol, with a small percentage flashing across it before fading away, reading 100%.

I tapped on the notification, watching as the phone opened up to the messenger app, showing a text from Jane, a small icon on the top of the screen with a picture of her in it, her name under the picture.

"Morning! Hope you slept well! Let me know when you're awake, don't want'cha being lonely all day!" I smiled down at the text, quickly figuring out how to type back, learning slowly along the way.

"Good morning! Yeah, I'm awake! And thank you for the dinner last night, it was really good!" I hit the small green arrow next to the message, watching as it moved from the text box to the messages, saying that it was sent. I set the phone down on the bed next to me, happily looking through the window from the bed. It wasn't long before my door opened up, a little too hard, considering it slammed against the wall slightly.

"Oops! Sorry bout that!" Jane grinned at me from the doorway before walking over, sitting down next to me on the bed, the door only half-closed behind her.

"Soo...how're you feeling today? Any better?" It took me a few seconds to find my voice. It wasn't as sore as the previous day, but it still was strained slightly.

"Yeah, a lot better, thanks. That food you made was super good by the way! It was the best meal ever! Oh! And thanks for the phone, it's pretty fun! I am still learning how to use it though." Jane happily nodded, giving a quick 'thanks' to my second compliment on her cooking before she held out her hand.

"Here, lemme see your phone?" I nodded, quickly locating the device at my side and handing it over to her. She held the phone between the two of us, giving me a quick, simple, yet effective rundown on how to use it, what certain apps were and what they did, how to use them, and what not. I was happy for the help, learning how to use each and every individual app, and what their uses were. It took a few minutes, but it was enjoyable to learn, and once the small lesson was over, I was quick to thank her.

"Thank you so much! It actually means a lot, even if it's just a small thing."

"It's no problem, hun! Alright, c'mon, me and Sally are gonna dress you up now."

"Huh?" She only grinned at me, grabbing my forearm and gently tugging me up, pulling me out of the room and down the hall, my phone still in her other hand as she pulled me to her room, the door already open with the beaming child inside who was digging through a pile of clothes on Jane's bed.

"(Y/n)!" I barely had time to brace myself before Sally catapulted herself into my legs, hugging her arms tightly around me. I could only smile through the deep aching pain in my torso, reaching down to pat her hair.

"Morning, Sally! How are you?"

"I'm good! C'mon!" She was quick to tug at my free hand, Jane letting go of my arm as the little girl dragged me over to the pile of clothes, jumping up on the bed and digging through them again. I only looked over the clothes before glancing back up at Jane as she shut the door behind her. My raised eyebrow was enough of a question in itself for her.

"Well you can't just wear a nightgown all the time, you need more clothes than just that!" She walked over, joining Sally in rummaging through the garments.

"Are these all yours?"

"Nope! Got them just for you, though I kinda guessed your size, so some things might be a bit big, but I didn't get anything that might be small or too tight-fitting."

"Where'd you get them from?" She glanced back up at me with a sly grin, raising a finger to her lips.

"I have my ways. Now let's see, what should you wear first?" It was more of a question to herself as she pulled out a couple of the clothes, laying them out next to each other and moving a few around. All of the clothes were black, which didn't really bother me. I couldn't even remember what my favorite color was, and as long as they weren't white, I was fine with anything. I watched patiently as Sally would pull out a random shirt or pair of pants, practically throwing them at Jane for her to add to the wardrobe she was slowly piecing together.

"Here, try this one first." She held out some folded clothes to me before gesturing to the bathroom behind me. I could only nod, walking to the bathroom and closing the door behind me. I looked at myself in the mirror quickly, noting that the swelling of my eye and cheek had gone down and that the bruising was slowly fading, though it was more green and yellow than the day before, and the cuts across my bottom lip and nose looked gross being scabbed over and red. I quickly slipped off the nightgown, unfolding the new clothes and looking them over. It was an oversized v-neck t-shirt with a pair of leggings. It was simple, but once on me, I actually liked the look. The combination of loose and fitting worked well, and I opened the door, showing off the outfit. It wasn't much to awe about, but Jane seemed happy with it.

"Ah, awesome! Okay, let's see...this one next!" She quickly walked over to me, shoving the new outfit into my arms. I could only smile and playfully roll my eyes, knowing this would be the routine for at

least

30 minutes. I closed the door once more and changed into the new outfit. This one was now a more form-fitting shirt with a skirt that fell to my mid-thighs, with a pair of thigh-high socks that had small black silk bows on the top front of them. It was defiantly a cute outfit, though I wasn't sure how comfortable I was in it. When I opened the door, I was a bit more hesitant, though Jane was elated.

"Ooh! Now that's cute! Good pick, Sally!" The little girl happily clapped her hands before it was her turn to run over with an outfit, this bundle was a little bulkier than the previous two. So once again I changed. It was a single shirt, though it had a sewn-in layer to it. It was a plain loose t-shirt with long sleeves sewn into it that were tight-fitting to my arms. It went with another skirt but this time the accessory was a studded belt with a chain connected to it, looping around from the front to the back, falling over my hip. It wasn't a chunky chain, but it wasn't delicate enough to break either. I hummed looking in the mirror, liking the outfit a bit more. I would probably replace the skirt with the leggings for my own comfort, but I was loving the belt and chain combo. Sally and Jane had another excited reaction to the outfit. And so that's how the morning went by, the two girls throwing me into different clothes, some plain, some with accessories. Belts, socks, bracelets, and a few necklaces, but the theme of them all seemed to be spikes or chains, with an occasional small bow.

I was enjoying my time with the girls, and time flew by, and soon enough I had tried on plenty of outfits. I finally settled on the third outfit with the chain belt, replacing the skirt with a pair of leggings and ankle-height socks, and adding one of the necklaces to the look. Jane had called it a chocker, it was a tight-fitting necklace that sat comfortably around my neck, just over the bandages, with small silver studs across it. Both had loved the outfit so much that Jane insisted on taking pictures of me. I didn't know what to do, so I awkwardly stood there with a small smile as she pointed her own phone towards me, a few small clicks sounding out from it. Sally was quick to cling to my legs again, staring up at me with her starry green eyes.

"You look so so so pretty!! I told you, you were pretty! Jane! Isn't she pretty?!" Jane could only laugh at the little girl's quick rambling, nodding her head.

"Yeah, she looks very pretty!" Sally was happy to have someone agree with her, bounding around the room and clapping her hands in delight.

"I told you, I told you!" I couldn't help but chuckle too, smiling at the child.

"Okay fine, I'll believe you, Sally."

"Yay!" She threw her arms out in an animated gesture, happy to win the 'argument'. I looked back to Jane, offering her a kind smile too.

"Thanks, for the clothes. It's really nice of you to get me all these." She waved her hand dismissively, smiling back.

"Don't thank me, hun, you gotta have clothes! It's a basic need! Now let's get them to your room."

"Oh, I don't have a closet or a dresser though?" She had that sly grin again.

"You

didn't

. But I'm sure Slender already told you, this house works in funny ways." I could only raise an eyebrow at her as he started gathering clothes in her arms, Sally quickly joining in. I limped over, helping to carry the garments, shoving as many into my arms as I could before we left the room, and walking down the hallway to my still-open door. Jane shouldered the door open wider, and I was surprised to see a new door next to the bathroom, open with a light on. Inside was a closet, big enough for all the new clothes, a rack with hangers on it, and a hanging fabric cubby to fold pants and place them into. I quickly got to folding and hanging clothes up as Jane and Sally retrieved the last bit of clothes before joining in with the organization of the outfits. It was quick work with three people and was done in only a few minutes. I wasn't going to question where the door even came from, I was just happy to have some clothes.

"Oh! One last thing," Jane clasped her hands together, making me jump slightly but catching my attention.

"Any dirty clothes you throw in the hamper in the bathroom just kinda get cleaned by themselves, and they hang back up, so don't worry about laundry, okay?" A part of me wasn't surprised by the information, but my eyes still widened in shock slightly, earning a hearty laugh from the woman.

"Yeah, you stop getting surprised by this stuff soon enough. Took me a while to get used to it all!"

"Huh, I didn't realize the house would do chores for us." We both laughed before we exited the closet. I reached over to flick the light switch off before shutting the door behind me.

"Alrighty, now that that's all done and out the way, who wants breakfast? I can make some waffles!" Sally was already cheering and bolting out of the room, and my happy nod to Jane was enough for her to lead the way. We walked back down the hallway, this time the opposite way of her room, and back out to the living room that was still void of life. How ironic. She lead me past the staircase and the door where we had entered the day before for me to get patched up in. Past that room was the kitchen, large and open and pristine. To the right of the kitchen was a connected dining room with the largest table I had ever seen, dozens of chairs lined the sides with two at each end of the table, all four of them in total being large and tall. Sally was already sitting in one of the normal chairs, tapping her hands on the table and humming happily. Jane only laughed lightly before turning back towards the kitchen area, quickly buzzing around and working her magic cooking skills.

I shuffled over to Sally, pulling out the chair next to her and sitting down. There was no conversation, but it was peaceful. The only sounds were her tapping and humming and the clanking of Jane in the kitchen. I placed on elbow on the table, leaning my head in my hand, closing my eyes, and just enjoying the bliss I felt. Seconds slowly ticked by but soon enough soft footsteps echoed from the floorboards, drawing my attention to the entrance of the kitchen. I watched as two people entered the room, Toby and a man next to him, one that took me a few seconds to recognize considering he was no longer wearing the doctor's mask from the facility. Brian was quick to head into the kitchen, starting to fiddle with the coffee maker at the edge of the counter while Toby headed over to the table, sitting across from me and Sally.

"Morning." I smiled at him, getting one in turn, he looked like he just woke up.

"Mor-morning." Before another thing could be said Sally was quick to stand up in her chair, dramatically splaying her arms out, gesturing towards me, and loudly announcing her thoughts.

"Good morning! Look! We dressed (Y/n) up, isn't she pretty?! I think she's pretty! Jane too! I helped dress her!" She seemed very proud of herself, with a large confident smile on her face, eyes lit up and beaming with satisfaction and joy. I could only lightly laugh, setting a hand on her shoulder to try and calm down her early morning hyperactivity.

"Okay, Sally, you keep calling me that, I get it, but you should sit back down, don't want'cha falling." She huffed but seemed happy that I didn't argue back, sitting back down in her chair, but instead of going back to tapping and humming, her hands flew up, grabbing at pieces of my hair to play with. I just let her, not really bothered by the action. Toby only laughed at the small display Sally had put on. Brian had started to walk back over, three coffee mugs balanced carefully in his hands before setting them down on the table, scooting one over to Toby, then one to me before taking his seat.

"Not really sure how you like your coffee, or if you like it at all, but I put some sugar in it."

"Ah, thanks! I don't actually remember much about it." I shrugged, picking up the mug and taking a testing sip. It was hot and burned my tongue, but otherwise was good, though it tasted like it needed something more than just sugar. But I wouldn't complain, it was good all the same.

"Hmm, this is pretty good! Thank you!" Brian only nodded in response, taking a sip of his own coffee. Looking down at the liquid in the mugs, both mine and Brian's were dark, but Toby's was a light cream color. Brian leaned back in his chair, pulling a phone out of his pocket before tapping away on it, staring down at the darkened screen. I took another sip of my drink, closing my eyes as Sally continued to play with my hair, still feeling somewhat tired. I was startled back to reality when the sound of glass setting down on the table rang through my ears.

Opening my eyes, Jane had set down a large plate of stacked waffles in the middle of the table, along with setting empty plates in front of everyone else, her own plate sat in front of the empty chair to my other side. She had already gathered toppings for the waffles too, butter, maple syrup, chocolate chips, blueberries, and strawberries. She sat down next to me, using her fork to stab at some pancakes, moving them to flop down on her plate. Everyone did so, and I waited patiently until everyone got their fills before I grabbed the last two, setting them on my plate. I wasn't sure what to put on them, or if I would just eat them plain, but Jane made the decision for me. She scooted my plate closer to her, smearing butter and syrup on them before scooting them back to me. She only grinned at me before she began to dig into her breakfast.

I picked up my fork and cut away a bit of the fluffy food before taking a bite. They were

really

good! I smiled to myself as I happily ate, taking a sip of coffee every so often. Looking to my side, I noticed Sally had piled high her plate with all the toppings available, mostly strawberries though. I could only hold back a chuckle as she happily scarfed down the food. It was a peaceful and serene moment, just enjoying a meal, and not by myself, but with others. It was nice. It wasn't long before all our plates were empty, Sally happily sighing at my side from the satisfying meal. I watched as she picked up her plate and hopped down from her chair, carrying it over to the sink in the kitchen. I followed with my own dishes, along with the now empty mug, setting them in the sink along with her plate. Before I could turn back around, a voice that was way too loud for the early morning shouted from the kitchen entrance.

"Well damn, I don't get anything to eat?" I turned, seeing the hot-headed Jeff at the entrance, arms crossed as he stared across the room at Jane. In response, she held up her middle finger to him, smugly grinning.

"Nah, you don't get shit. Go make your own food." I held back my laugh, Sally grabbing my hand and leading me back to the table to sit down again. Jeff only huffed in response to Jane, stomping over to the kitchen, and rummaging around. It only took a few more seconds before Jeff spoke up again, rather loudly.

"You're all dressed up, leaving today?" It took me a second to realize he was speaking to me, but thankfully Sally came to my recuse.

"No! (Y/n) is

not

leaving! Jane and me dressed her up!" She huffed, glaring at Jeff's back. He only shrugged his shoulders, turning before walking over to the table with a bowl in his hands. He sat down a bit further away from everyone else, quickly digging into his own breakfast. The silence wasn't peaceful anymore, it felt weirdly awkward, and Jane was quick to pick up on it, grabbing my arm gently and lifting me out of the chair, Sally gripping at my other hand as I was led out of the room. I happily followed the woman as she led us back to the living room, but this time turning to her right, facing a large door on the wall, reaching out and opening it. A gentle breeze blew in my face as sunlight streamed into the room. I closed my eyes momentarily to adjust to the new brightness before I was being led outside. From my window view, it was beautiful, but actually being outside? It was breathtaking. It was warm from the golden sun but cool from the soft breeze, and I could feel how soft the grass was through my socks. Sally let go of my hand, darting forward and running around through the tall grass, laughing and cheering that she was outside for the first time in 5 long years. Jane helped me sit down on the wooden porch steps that led up to the house, not wanting me to strain my leg too much.

"Time to get some fresh air, I think we could all use it." I could only smile and nod to her, looking back out to the outside world. It was like I was seeing nature for the first time. The grass and trees were such a beautiful green, the sun was a bright golden yellow, and the sky was the purest aqua blue I had seen, with white clouds that painted the skies, reflecting different colors across them from the surroundings, yellow on their tops from the sun, a deep blue underneath from the shadows. I could hear birds and frogs in the distance singing their songs, and the sound of leaves rustling from the wind. It was all so refreshing and wonderful. I felt safe in it all. Jane had moved from my side to join Sally, the two chasing each other around in a game of tag, both happily laughing and yelling out occasionally. It was a precious moment, something I knew I would never forget. I watched the two girls running around for a while before my attention was drawn back to the forest surrounding us.

A particular patch seemed interesting, but I couldn't place why. It almost seemed like it was whispering to me, beckoning me to explore the woods. It was an odd calling, but it didn't feel dangerous, it felt alluring. I pushed myself off the steps, Jane and Sally having run off out of my sight, though I could still hear them, they were distant. I slowly limped through the grass, making my way towards the trees, finally reaching the edge of the forest before finally taking a step in. I walked forward, weaving through the thick trees, placing my hands on them every so often to stabilize my balance once again. I couldn't have walked more than 20 feet before I reached an opening, the edge of the woods. With one hand on a tree, I peered around it.

I was looking down at rows of houses, all painted similar shades of cream and beige, all with bright green lawns. There were fences painted white, bushes of flowers, and even a few gardens. I stared down at the neighborhood, feeling my breath catch. Some people were out and about, a woman playing fetch with her dog in a backyard, a child riding a cherry red bike, a man watering his lawn with a hose, two women jogging down the sidewalk together, and even one of the backyards had a pool with a bustling party, people screaming and diving into the water, music blaring loudly. They all looked happy. They all looked at peace. It all looked perfect. Too perfect.

It all looked fake.

The grass was too bright, a sickly green, the fences were an unnatural pristine white, and smiles were far too big and stretched. Hair was brushed and combed through and styled, and clothes of shorts and tank tops looked too clean and free of all wrinkles. It was too bright. Too perfect. Too

fake

.

"You gonna leave?" I jumped at the voice, whipping my head around to face whoever was speaking. My heart stopped at the clown that stood only a couple of feet away from me, his smile still ever-present. I grimaced slightly.

"You can leave, go back to all that, ya know? Go back to your life." His smile finally dropped, but nothing about his body language seemed dangerous. I glanced back to the neighborhood, looking over every little detail of it.

"You can just leave everything behind, go back to being normal. Go back to your friends and family. They're still looking for you, aren't they?" He was egging me to go, but he wasn't demanding me to leave. I slowly looked back at him, shaking my head.

"No, I don't want to go back to that. It doesn't even look real or genuine. Just...

unnatural

." I looked back once more to the houses. There was a moment of delay.

"So you don't want to go back?"

"No. I don't even know what I would do, where I would go. No money, no ID of any kind. And what would I even say? That I disappeared for a year and suddenly I was home again? That I was locked up and tortured?" I paused, eyes scanning over all the people.

"I don't even know who I would be looking for. I don't remember any names or faces, so why would I go back if I feel nothing for people I don't even know?" Jack only hummed in response.

"I guess that's fair... let's get you back home then." I nodded, finally turning away from the view of the neighborhood, watching as Jack turned and started to walk away, leaving me to follow closely at his heels. Unlike how long it took me to get to the forest's edge, it only took mere seconds for the large house to come back into view.

"Huh, I thought I walked out farther? Do you guys really live that close to people?"

"Nah, we're in the middle of nowhere, kinda hidden away in a pocket if that makes any sense." He chuckled, his smile reappearing.

"The forest works like the house, it changes and moves ya around, takes ya where you need to go."

"Did it think I needed to leave?" He hummed before shaking his head.

"No...no I think it knew you needed to see those people. It helped ya make a choice." I slowly nodded, making an 'oh' face. Nothing more could be said when I noticed Jane in the distance, quickly running towards me.

"Thank fuck! I thought I lost you! I swear I wanna gonna be in deep shit!" I could only nervously grin at her.

"Ah, sorry! Didn't mean to wander off." She only sighed, a smile of relief crossing her face.

"It's fine, I'm just glad Jack found you! Oh, thanks by the way!" The clown only nodded before turning, walking back into the house, and leaving me and Jane outside. It was strange, the few times I interacted with him he seemed delighted by my pain or discomfort, but he was the one who found me and even helped me make some kind of decision. Hell, it wasn't only him, everyone here seemed to be an enigma that I couldn't pin down.

It was odd, but at least it wasn't boring.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

After a light scolding from Jane about wandering off into the forest, especially with my current injuries, we made our way back inside the house. So far, wherever I went, I seemed to just follow Jane around like a lost puppy, but I couldn't really complain, I had no clue where most of anything was, and I wasn't exactly close to anyone else besides her and Sally, so following her was my only option, that or be left alone in who knows where in the house. She took the lead, making her way to the living room with me following close behind her, as fast as I could due to my aching body. Thankfully the painkillers worked well, dulling the pain a great deal, but I was still in some degree of discomfort. She flopped down on the couch, picking up a black remote from the coffee table before clicking some buttons on it, and turning on the TV across from the couch. I sat down next to her, curling my legs up under me so the stretching of the stitches in my calf would have some time to breathe. Even though I tried to focus on the TV, my mind quickly began to wander again, drowning out any noise from entering my ears. Today would be my fourth day since waking up at the facility, the fourth day since I met everyone. Today was the first day that we were all really free. I almost still couldn't believe that we actually got out. Everything was moving so quickly, so  fast . It was a relief, but it was also dreadful. I no longer had to worry about the facility, but now I had to worry about making a choice. Do I stay, or do I go my own way, living all on my own, away from them and away from society? If I left, I would have to learn how to survive on my own, but it also guaranteed that someday, I would die alone. I would die with an unfulfilling life. A life of pain and isolation, a life of amnesia and never knowing who I truly was. But, if I stayed, I wouldn't be alone. I would have friends and a family, or at the very least other people around me. I would have food and shelter, I would never need to worry about foraging for food or throwing together branches and rocks to make some kind of hut. It was a silly thought, but it was all my mind could think of if I did leave. But then again, if I stayed, would I be a bother? Would I even fit in properly? Would they slowly grow to hate me? Surely a few of them would. But I never really would know, I couldn't just go around and ask every single one of them if I annoyed them or if they hated me, that was just weird and felt so self-centered. This was entirely my decision that could possibly affect the others. I could be helpful, or I could be useless, I could get in the way or be entirely invisible, I could be welcomed with open arms, or completely turned away. Hated or received, friends or foes, a home or a new prison...a home, or being lost. Fresh, warm food, or foraging possibly poisonous food, a stable shelter, or twigs and leaves. My decision could change my whole life, it would either be fun and comforting or a living hell. And I was so unsure of what I would even do in either situation. My eyes finally refocused in front of me as I came back to reality from my swirling thoughts. All I could do was partially watch whatever was on the TV that Jane had put on. I wasn't paying much attention to it, but it seemed interesting at the least. It was still only me and Jane in the living room, though it wasn't long until a familiar little girl came bolting into the room, quickly spotting me before charging at me. I didn't have much time to react before she hopped up on the couch, turning before cuddling into my lap, resting her head on my shoulder, and watching the TV with us. I smiled down at her, shifting slightly to make myself a bit more comfortable with a new weight now sitting on me. I leaned back against the couch, finally able to focus on the TV, watching the show.A few episodes of it passed before I could feel something messing with the back of my head, in my hair. I knew it wasn't Sally, both her arms were wrapped around her teddy bear that she seemed to never leave behind, and Jane was sitting too far from us to be messing with my hair. I slowly turned my head around, feeling a chill crawl up my spine. I jumped as I came face to a furry face. It took me a moment to recognize the smiling feline's face, but slowly, I smiled back at the black and red cat, having to twist my arm up to hold my hand how to the animal. I watched as Grinny butted her head against my hand, rubbing her cheek along my knuckles before she went back to licking at my hair. It was precious, and I turned back forward, still very aware of the grooming happening to my hair before I could feel the cat moving, placing her two front paws on the top of my head before resting her chin down, half laying on top of my hair now, the purring from her throat gently rumbling through my head. I smiled, leaning my head back ever so slightly so the cat would be more comfortable. At some point Jane had looked over at me, laughing lightly causing me to raise an eyebrow in response."I guess everyone wants to sleep on you." I could only shrug, moving my eyes down to look at Sally who had fallen asleep against my shoulder. Jane paused for a second before pointing to my side, and as I slowly turned my head to disturb Grinny as little as possible, I quickly spotted the other animal, Smile. I didn't have time to react before he flopped down, head resting on the portion of my lap that Sally didn't occupy, yawning quickly before closing his eyes. I tried hard to hold back my laugh, turning my attention back to Jane, keeping my voice low."Guess so." She only chuckled before turning back to the TV. Being surrounded by the warmth of the child and two animals, and with the calm and peace of everything, I too started to drift back to sleep, just comfortable and happy. Jane turned to look to her side again, over at you, taking quick note that you too had fallen asleep. It was kinda cute, with a cat laid out across your head, a dog partially in your lap, and Sally taking up your other side, all asleep. It made her happy seeing the three all comfortable around you, how content they were, but it also made her happy to see you so relaxed with them, enough to fall asleep with them all on top of you. She couldn't help herself, pulling out her phone and snapping a quick picture of the calm scene. She would defiantly show it to you when you woke up, but it was too precious of a moment to possibly ever forget, so a photo would keep that memory.She usually wasn't one to open up to people or any of the other residents of the house, but she was happy just to have another girl around, someone she could relate to and who could relate back. But you were so easy to get along with, you were easy-going and accepting, and you understood reasons that an average person wouldn't. You were kind and caring, and it was refreshing to be around you. She, and in turn, everyone, were all so used to not having that kindness. Yeah, they were like one big family that had found each other, but they all had their moments of fighting or disagreements, who didn't? But you? You never seemed to be negative, she always took note of how you tried so hard to keep things positive. In all honesty, she was shocked at the facility that someone so kind could flip on a dime, brutally mangling someone, and then go right back to being a shining light of thankfulness and positivity. If she was being brutally honest, it was the most shocked she had ever been. She was sure the others were just as shocked too. You had been nothing but considerate and doting to them, but with a simple flip of a switch, with no hesitation, you wounded someone so horrifically, you  killed  someone. It was so strange that you, seemingly a normal person, could do that. And Jane found it strangely alluring. She wanted to know more about you, how your mind worked, what you were thinking, and how your thought process even worked. She got a glimpse of it at the facility, explaining why you were trying to get them out. But it still puzzled her. You were so confident in getting them out, you were so confident despite the fact that there was no possible way that you would know whether or not one of them would have killed you. So confident even though they could have easily left you behind in that cell. You had to have known that, thought about it, but you still wanted to get them all out. Jane hummed to herself, thinking over the last couple of days. You truly were so strange, and whenever she was around, she would always catch you spacing out for a few minutes. She wanted so badly to know what you were thinking, but she'd never ask. She knew that you had your reasons for keeping things to yourself, and if you wanted someone to know, she had an inkling of a gut feeling that you would tell. She looked back down at her phone, looking over the photo. It was the definition of peace and comfort, and it made her heart warm to see those gentle moments in the house. Hell, if there was a fight she would bet money on it that you would be there to try to break it up and calm the situation down. You just seemed like the type to do that. She clicked the small share button on the photo, ready to send it to their group chat before she looked at the previous messages. Nothing had been sent in it since they had gotten out, the last message from five years ago, sent by Brian.'Has anyone seen Sally?'That was the very last message before they were all caught. No one was still sure how it even happened. They were all lured out of the house, out of the protective forest, and they were all caught, overwhelmed by large groups of guards, several dozen sedative darts shot into their bodies, tackled and tased and beaten, handcuffed and tied up by ropes and chains. It had all happened so fast that it was hard for Jane to process what had happened those five years ago, and now, the memory was slightly fuzzy. She shook off the recollection, coming back to the present moment, finally hitting the green send button, watching as the picture loaded before it was fully sent through. She sent a quick text with the picture.'Glad she's comfy here. They seem to like her.' She stared at the screen for a few moments before setting her phone back down on the couch, turning her attention back to the television. Only a few moments passed before a head peeked around the corner into the room, drawing her sight to it. It was Tim, looking around the corner, looking a bit confused before he looked at Jane. She kept her voice low not wanting to wake you, but her voice held warning."You wake her up, I'll kick your fucking ass." Tim only raised a brow at her threat."Didn't plan on it, jeez.""Okay, then why are you peeking around the corner like a weirdo?" He only shrugged in response."I dunno, guess I wanted to see? I've only seen her stressed out." "Guess that's fair. Just stay quiet." He rolled his eyes but nodded, finally walking fully into the room, sitting at the far end of the couch, watching the TV too now. Jane's phone buzzed, as did Tim's in unison. She picked up the device, looking at the message sent by their boss.'I am glad she is adjusting well, the poor girl must be very tired.' She dropped the phone back down to the sofa. It wasn't long before a few others entered the room, each sitting on the couch or on the floor in front of the large furniture piece to all watch the TV too. All in all, nearly everyone was in the room, Jane, Tim, Brian, Toby, and Ben. It was strangely quiet, but it was comfortable. That was until a smiling, black-haired man entered the room, a very obvious air horn clutched in one of his hands. The closest person to Jeff was Toby, who quickly darted up from the couch, hands flying out to grab at the horn.Jane was quick to get up too, rushing over and hissing out,"Don't you fucking dare!" Jeff's grin only got wider, ready to start some shit. Brian was up too now, grabbing Jeff's arm that held the air horn, trying to keep him still as Toby tried to claw the loud object from his hand. It was a silent scuffle that only lasted a few seconds before the loud blaring of the horn echoed out around the room, followed by your form jumping up from your sleeping position, a yelp following quickly after. It was a rather rude awakening, my eyes shooting open as a loud sound rang out into my ears. I shot up from where I had fallen asleep, letting out a small scream of surprise. The cat that was on my head had catapulted off of me, scurrying out of the room as fast as she could go, the dog at my side quickly standing up on the couch and barking out, and the little girl at my other side also jumping awake, a loud gasp coming from her. As the small bit of panic quickly faded away, my eyes quickly scanned the room, landing on the four figures standing in front of the TV. Jane jabbing a finger at Jeff, who currently had Brian grabbing at his arm that was raised above his head, Toby at his other side trying desperately to pry his fingers off of a cylindrical object with a bright red horn connected to it. Whatever had been happening had all stopped, the four frozen as the last echoes of the sound finally faded away. It only took a few seconds for me to realize what had even happened. At first, I was upset considering I was ripped out of my peaceful sleep, but slowly, the situation just seemed...funny. The scene in front of me was funny, the desperate attempt on both parts to either stop Jeff or for Jeff to complete his 'mission', it was just too funny. And I had to laugh, not stomach clenching or curling in on myself, but it was lighthearted."Dude, you're a fucking asshole!" It was all I could manage to say before I kept laughing, more just bubbling up from my stomach. The group finally separated from each other, Brian smacking the back of Jeff's head as Toby finally ripped the horn from his hand. I just couldn't be mad, it just seemed so lighthearted and fun. We weren't locked up anymore, it was a simple prank that seemed to just fit the situation, just everyone wanting to go back to their normal lives. And it felt normal. In any other situation, I would be angry to be woken up by an air horn, but this wasn't an average situation. I couldn't be mad. They were free, and they were having fun. I could only assume it was a normal thing for Jeff to do before they all got captured, for him to pull pranks, and it just made me feel happy to know they could bounce back so quickly after a five-year-long ordeal. I had only been laughing for a few seconds before someone joined in with me."Hah! See? She ain't mad, it's funny!" Jeff had started laughing too, but Jane only sighed, making her way back over to me, and placing a gentle hand on my shoulder."Hey, you okay?" I had to catch my breath from my laughter to respond."Yeah, I'm fine. Gotta admit it was funny." My grin was large and genuine, and despite her expression of doubt, she soon smiled at me."Alright, just making sure." My laughter soon died down, my cheeks hurting from how much I was smiling, and my torso aching slightly. I shifted how I was sitting, getting comfortable again. Sally was still sitting at my side, pouting at the rude awakening but soon leaning back into my side, quickly falling back asleep. Jane found her seat next to me again, and Jeff too soon joined the group, finding an empty spot on the couch as Brian and Toby went back to their own respective seats. Whatever had been playing on the TV before I fell asleep had been changed, but it was still an interesting show. I didn't fall back asleep, I was wide awake now, but both Sally and Smile were both back laying on me, softly snoozing away, though Grinny was nowhere to be seen. I spaced out once again, my mind wandering from one thought to another, my hand softly patting Smile's head. It felt like all the stress of everything had melted away, and it was comfortable. It wasn't long before a light tapping on my arm had me looking over at Jane."Hey, wanna go back to your room? You look tired still." Her voice was a whisper, only loud enough for me to hear. I pursed my lips, thinking for a moment before nodding. I didn't want to fall asleep on the couch again and take up room or bother anyone, even if I didn't feel very tired. Jane stood up, with me following slowly behind, gently moving the two sleeping beings off of me before following her. I tried to walk a little faster than I could, not wanting to stand in the way of the television that everyone else was watching. It was only a short walk to my room, finally reaching it and entering inside. It was still as empty as ever, but at least it was cozy. I sat down on my bed, taking note of my phone on the nightstand, once again plugged into what I could only assume was the charger for it. "I'll leave you be, make sure to just get some rest, okay?" I nodded to Jane, waving to her as she closed the door behind her, her light footsteps fading out of earshot as she walked back down the hallway. I was once again alone, only accompanied by my thoughts. I didn't lay down, I just stayed sitting there, and being isolated again, my mind quickly took back over to the situation I was still in.Would I stay?I went over the same thoughts over and over and over again, all swirling into a storm in my mind. What would I even do? Who would be upset by which choice I made? What would be their best interest? My best interest? What do I do..?I was just staring at the wall as I thought, but when I finally snapped out of it, all I could do was sigh, lifting a hand to rub at my temple. I had a headache now, and I was starting to feel tired again. I slowly lowered myself to lay down on the bed, not bothering to crawl under the blanket. It didn't take long for me to fall asleep. I opened my eyes, only to find myself standing in a blinding white void. No shadows, no discernable light source, nothing, it was all only white. So white it made my eyes burn, but I couldn't close them again. I felt freezing cold despite my considerably warm clothes, it felt like my blood was turning to ice. I turned around and looked all around me, but there was simply nothing but that horrid white. A perfect colorless nothing. A blinding, pristine white, with no noise, nothing in sight, nothing to even be seen. I was nearly convinced I was blind from the absolute nothing. I could tell that I was standing on something solid, but looking down proved fruitless as it simply looked like nothing was there like I was simply floating, but my bare feet could feel the freezing cold invisible floor. So, tentatively, I took a step forward. Then another, and another. I was slowly walking, but something about it didn't feel right. It felt like there was supposed to be something happening, for me to feel, but there was nothing. I breathed just fine, I walked perfectly on both feet, and I felt fine, but my gut was telling me something was wrong, something was missing. I kept walking, my white pants swishing around my ankles as I moved forward, or what I hoped was forward. I didn't know how long I was walking for, it could've been seconds or years, time just didn't feel real here. But something soon started to come into view. At first, it was just a small dot in the distance, but as I got closer, more details became clearer. It was a woman, wearing all-white clothing, staring down at me with icy blue eyes, her short black hair was a stark contrast to the rest of everything, though it still had a silver streak running through it. She had her arms crossed over her chest, and she was tapping a foot, she looked angry. "Now where did you run off to this time, huh?" I opened my mouth to try and respond, but nothing came out. She only sighed, shaking her head."I swear you're more trouble than you're worth. You can't even run away right, you always just come right back. You're so pathetic and unreliable. Always crawling right back to me, you'll always be dependent." The words stung even though I had no clue what she was talking about. Her eyes refocused back on me, looking straight through me and into my very soul."You were never good at anything though. You always struggled in school, it was a miracle you even got into college. You could never keep friends, you always stayed holed up in your room. Hell, you didn't even make your teen years fun, you never snuck out to party or drink. Your whole life has just been boring, uneventful, just lifeless." There was a long pause as her eyes narrowed."Who knew  my  child would be so useless?" My heart twisted and my eyes burned. She only continued, leaving me unable to speak."I only had you so you could be my next successor, but you failed at everything. You were always so good at following instructions, but never at leading. Useless. No ambition. But I found a use for you after I almost gave up. No one would care if you were gone, you left no mark on this world, so who would it hurt if you ended up dying anyway? Certainly not me." I could only step back from her, but she only followed me, walking towards me."But even still, after all I did for you, to make you useful, to give you some kind of purpose, how could you hurt me?" She still glared, and her voice held a false sadness and hurt to it."I gave up so much of my time for you, and all I get in return is for you to stab me? Betray me? Rip my eyes out and break my arms? Even after all that, you couldn't even grant me the mercy of death? You wanted me to suffer gradually and die just as slowly? You could do that to your own mother?" I couldn't react when her hand pulled back and whipped across my face, stinging my cheek, and I knew it was red. Her eyes only glared harder, but now a sickly sweet smile stretched across her face."You know I didn't mean to do that, you just make it so hard to love you. But I do love you, you know that, right? You need me, (Y/n), and I need you. You know I don't want to hurt you, but sometimes you just make it so difficult. You've always been that way, you just need some guidance, some corrections, like a  dog needing to be trained. Yeah, that's it, just some training. Be a good girl and listen, okay?" Her hand was resting on my cheek now, but it wasn't gentle or loving, her nails were digging into my skin, her thumb pressing into the skin under my eye. I could only whimper, scared beyond belief."You're very special you know, when I first held you in my arms, just how tiny and fragile you were, I just knew what I could turn you into. I would build and mold you to be a perfect woman who could take my place...but you only wanted to indulge in your own selfish dreams. When will you forget that fantasy and just come back to me? When will you stop being selfish and just do what you're supposed to do?" I finally felt something in my chest tighten, flaring up, and I jerked my head out of her grasp, stepping back and finally glaring right back at her."If your love was to hit me and scream at me, I never want any of it again. If you wanted to be a mom, you would've acted differently, even after every time you said you'd change, you never did. You never got better, you never treated me better. I wasn't your child, I was a  pet ." Her smile fell and was replaced with a snarl, baring her teeth at me."See what I mean? Why must you always fight me on this?!" Her hands reached out, grabbing my arms, and despite the look of her age, she threw me to the ground easily. The second my head hit the ground, all the white of the world turned into a dark crimson red, the nothingness, the clothes, and even the streak in her hair turned red. I tried to get up, but I was being held down by something, and looking at my wrists, I noticed silver shackles holding me down to the floor, the same for my ankles too."You did this to yourself, dear. If you would have just listened to me, this never would have happened. This is all your fault, but I still love you." She was standing over me, a syringe held in one of her hands, the other roughly pushing my head back down."This might hurt, but remember, I  love  you, this is for your own good." She leaned down, with that bittersweet smile again, before jabbing the needle into my neck. It burned horribly. It was painful and set my body on fire, and no matter how hard I thrashed around, I couldn't move, I simply just couldn't. "Oh, I know, I know, it hurts so much, but I'm doing this for you." I was grinding my teeth so hard I could hear them squeaking, searing pain was coursing through my entire body, through every nerve and vein, through every part of my brain, and seeping deep into my bones. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. I just wanted it to stop, but it wouldn't. I jumped awake in my bed, my eyes shooting open and a gasp for air escaping my lips. My eyes stung and I had to blink away the tears. I slowly pushed myself up, taking slow, deep breaths despite the protesting of my bruised ribs. I could still almost feel the pain of the dream, the pain that threatened to break my body down into ashes from the burning. I sat there, breathing deeply, waiting for the panic to slowly subside, but anxiety still filled my body, along with a new feeling. Nausea. I was going to be sick. As fast as I could, I flew out of the bed and into the bathroom, slamming the toilet seat up just in time for my stomach contents to spill out of my mouth, my throat and nose burning as my stomach clenched and heaved. Tears forced themselves out of my eyes at the burning stomach acid as I only continued to vomit. My stomach was soon empty but I could only continue to dry heave for a few more seconds, coughing and spitting until I finally calmed down. My body felt hot.I slowly pushed myself up off the floor, flushing the toilet and closing the seat, moving to the sink and turning on the water, cupping my hands under it to drink from, rinsing out my mouth, and spitting several times. Searching around the bathroom cabinet, I quickly found a toothbrush and some toothpaste, brushing my teeth and tongue to rid my mouth of the rancid taste. I rinsed my mouth several more times, panting slightly as I continued to catch my breath. My head hung heavy over the sink, but I slowly lifted it, staring into my reflection, at my tired and defeated eyes. I looked worse than I did early that day, tired and just...sad.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

I continued to stare at my reflection for a while, not quite knowing what to do. My face felt hot, my cheeks were flushed, and my body was burning up. I felt light-headed and my body was shaking. I turned the water back on, cupping my hands under it before lowering my head, and splashing the cold water over my face, trying to cool down. But it wasn't working, it only made my skin feel cool, but the burning refused to subside. I turned the faucet back off and, while struggling, crouched down, finding a towel under the sink to dry my face off with. I felt too weak to hang it up, I just let it fall to the ground as I stumbled out of the bathroom, trying to make my way back to the bed. My chest was on fire, every movement hurt like hell, and my legs only got shakier. One step forward, and my ankle twisted to the side, my body collapsing to the ground with a loud thud. I couldn't pick myself up, no matter how hard I tried to move or crawl. I was too weak. I felt...useless. Just like how the woman told me in my dream. Useless. I wheezed from the pain in my ribs from hitting the ground. I just laid there on the floor, my body burning as my dizziness got worse, my head was pounding and my breathing was heavy and labored. I could hear footsteps walking down the hallway outside my room before stopping in front of the door, a soft knock echoing out. I couldn't even find my voice to call out. Useless. There was another knock followed by a pause, then the footsteps started to walk away.  Useless. Useless, useless, useless. Useless . I couldn't fucking move, couldn't talk, or even make a measly noise. I just laid there like a doll thrown away by a bored child. Time slowly ticked by as I breathed heavily, and soon, my phone on the nightstand began to ring out a cute little jingle. It only lasted for maybe 30 seconds before it stopped, then after 5 seconds, it started again. That repeated two more times before there were footsteps again, and more knocking on my door. After the pause, they didn't knock again, and I heard the doorknob click as the door was pushed open. "Oh fuck!" I instantly recognized Jane's voice, as her rushing footsteps quickly approached me as she rolled me over onto my back, moving my head to finally face her. Her hands were on my cheeks, and through my blurry vision, I could make out her worried expression."Fucking Christ, you're burning up!" Finally, I could make a noise, but it was only a low groan. My ribs were searing with pain. She quickly sprang up, rushing out of the room, yelling something that I couldn't quite make out. The door across from my room opened at Jane's yelling, and a head peeked out, though I couldn't tell who it was, my vision was dotted with stars. They only looked out for a second before the door flew open and they were running at me. I could only make out empty black eyes before my vision faded away entirely. When I finally woke up, I was wheezing for air. I immediately tried to sit up, but the horrid pain in my chest prevented me from doing so, leaving me laying there. Looking around, I noticed the room was the same infirmary that I was in when Jack removed the bullet from my leg and wrapped my burned neck. I was laying on the chair and it was leaned all the way back, flat. It was hard and painful to move, even breathing was a difficult chore. I was left to only stare up at the ceiling, my mind reeling about what happened, the memories slowly coming back to me before I passed out. It wasn't long until I heard the door opening. I tried to lift my head to look but couldn't do so, only falling back onto the pillowless headrest.  The footsteps paused before quickly walking over again, a face leaning into my vision, making me jump before hissing out in pain. It was Jack. "Damn, you're awake already? Figured you'd be out for longer. How are you feeling?" I had to manually breathe still, taking my time to answer him. "H-hurt...a lot...what happened?"  "You had a pretty bad fever from an infection. Turns out you have a fractured rib too. There wasn't much I could do except stabilize your torso. You're also on some stronger antibiotics so that  should  help." I could only nod, swallowing hard. My mouth was dry. "I'm actually surprised you've been able to move how you have been with your rib, you were probably making it worse. But it didn't break so that's good I guess." "Can I sit up, please?" "Yeah, just let me know if anything hurts." I nodded again, watching as he disappeared from my view, and slowly the back of the chair started to raise, helping me to sit up. It was painful, but it wasn't unbearable. It took a little while for the chair to be set up fully, but soon I was finally sitting up. Looking down, I took quick note of how my shirt had been swapped for a loose t-shirt, and I could feel bandages wrapped tightly around my chest. I grimaced slightly but Jack was quick to speak up. "Don't worry, Jane changed your shirt and kept you covered, I didn't see a thing." That felt a bit more reassuring, but I was still embarrassed by the idea of  anyone  seeing me nude. At least my pants were the same, unchanged.  "I need to stop ending up in here." I laughed slightly, trying to make a joke, but it did get a chuckle from him. "Yeah, gotta agree with that. Do you think you can move?" I hummed, moving slowly to the edge of the chair, trying to stand up. My knees quickly gave out under me, falling forward. Thankfully an arm wrapped around me and pulled me back into the chair. "Guess not." I tried to laugh again, but the pain was stinging my ribs, and Jack didn't find it very funny. He stepped back, thinking for a moment before turning and leaving the room. "Be right back, don't move." I waited patiently, listening to the fact I shouldn't move. I tapped my fingers along the edge of the chair, finally noticing the wrappings around my burnt fingers. I hummed, lifting my hands to examine them. When the collar had malfunctioned, I was gripping it with my hands, not only burning my neck but my fingers too. I let my hands fall back down to my sides, and soon after, the door opened back up. In stepped not one, but both of the Jacks.  "Okay, Jack is going to help you stand, he's pretty strong so if you fall again he can catch you." I could only nod, watching as the two moved to either side of me. "Try to stand again." I slowly moved my feet to the floor, my hands resting on the chair for support. Just as the first time, my knees buckled, and two hands were quick to grab my upper arms, keeping me from hitting the floor, picking me up ever so slightly so my feet could find purchase on the floor again. "Thanks." It was all I could manage out as I wheezed. I waited until I found balance before I tried to take a step forward, my legs only continued to give out. Eyeless Jack hummed from behind me, and I turned my head to look back at him. "Okay, just pick her up, you can't walk yet. Just get plenty of rest, okay? And if you need to walk just call someone." I couldn't respond before I was picked up like I weighed nothing, Laughing Jack's hands moving under my arms, holding me like a doll, my legs dangling below me. I expected pain, but the weightlessness and stretching of my spine actually relieved most of the pain. Jack walked out of the still-open door, holding me out in front of him. It must have been a funny sight considering that when he walked through the living room, there was immediate laughter from the couch. Jack paused, and we both turned to look over, seeing both Ben and Jeff on the couch, laughing their asses off, clutching their stomachs. "Dude, why the fuck are you holding her like that?" It was Jeff, speaking through fits of wheezing and hysterical laughter, Ben couldn't even formulate a sentence. Jack only joined in with the laughter, and I could only manage out a chuckle without hurting my torso. He turned again, heading down the hallway, leaving the laughing duo behind us as he walked to my room, thankfully the door was already open. To my surprise, Sally was in my room, laying on the floor and using a crayon on a coloring book. She looked up as Jack entered with me still dangling from his hands, her eyes lighting up. "(Y/n)! Are you okay?!" She sat up, staring up at me as Jack moved around the child, setting me down on the bed before stepping back, and looking down at the coloring book. "Thanks, Jack. And yeah, I'm okay, Sally. Just a bit sick and hurting." Sally hopped off the floor, running over to me but thankfully not tackling me in a hug. Jack crouched down, picking up the discarded crayon, and beginning to doodle in the book. "Are you sure? Jane said you had a hurt rib!" "Yeah, I do, but it'll be fine soon enough, just overworked myself is all." She looked upset but still smiled up at me, crawling onto the bed next to me, and swinging her legs. "Okay, but you gotta get better soon! Okay? Promise?" I smiled back, holding up my pinky to her, and she happily wrapped her own pinky finger around mine. "Pinky promise." We both looked down at Jack, who was coloring away in the book, looking enamored by the activity. I chuckled softly, followed by a pained hiss. Sally was quick to jump back off the bed, running over to Jack and grabbing his arm. "C'mon! I wanna play tea party!" The clown groaned and the thought of him holding a teacup and sitting in a tiny chair was hilarious. But he didn't argue, he only stood up, grabbing the book and crayons, following Sally as she tried to drag him out of the room, Jack closing the door behind them. I continued to smile for a bit before sighing, slowly laying on my back, and staring up at the ceiling. All I could do now was rest. But that was boring, so reaching my arm out to grab my phone off the nightstand, I quickly unplugged it and hovered it over my face. Remembering the rundown Jane gave me, I quickly found the app that I had loved the most and opened it myself for the first time using the device, YouTube.  I scrolled around for a bit on it, even searching up some things until I found an interesting video. Scary Stories. I clicked it and set the phone on my stomach, closing my eyes as I listened to the calming voice of the narrator. It was soothing despite it supposedly being scary, but I soon fell asleep to it. I only slept for 2 hours before waking up. Sleeping already so much made it hard to stay asleep. I had passed out sideways on my bed, my legs hanging off of the edge and my arms sprawled out to my sides. I yawned, blinked a few times, then began the slow and painful process of sitting up. It took a few seconds but I managed. I glanced down at the phone still in my hand, the screen now turned off. I pressed the power button on the side, the screen lighting up, the time reading 3 PM. I could only sigh in disappointment in myself, I was sleeping way too much. I sat there, thinking over everything once again. It felt like my brain was a broken record, continuing to loop and replay everything, over and over and over again. All the abuse, the beatings and being electrocuted, being trapped, and the feelings of realization of what the others could have gone through. I felt like it was all I could think about, was them, I could never think about myself for too long, it would start to give me a headache. But my mind would always loop back to one new thing. That dream I had. I shivered thinking about it, thinking about her cold, dead, icy blue eyes staring down at me. It felt more like a memory than just a dream or nightmare. It felt so  real .  She called herself my mother, that I was hers. She owned me. That I was just a useless thing, never independent, relying on everyone and everything else. That I was always a disappointment, that I just got in the way. I was never good enough. Just a burden. Those words burned into my mind, seething away at my sense of self. I wasn't me, I was never supposed to be my own person. I was just supposed to be a successor, an experiment, a good little dog to follow every last order to a T. I didn't own my own life, she did. My life was nothing to her, just another plaything, like all the others, the ones that she kidnapped and tortured and interrogated for information. I wasn't me. I was a pawn, a dog, nothing more.  I blinked back to reality, my ears ringing in the dead silence of my room. My hands were shaking in my lap, and I was slightly slouched over. I examined the bandages on my hands; all my fingers were wrapped up and my right wrist was still tightly bandaged to stabilize it. I could still see splotches of purple and red peaking out from beneath the white wrappings. I continued staring down at my hands, eyes tracing every detail of my skin, every wrinkle and crease of bent skin, every freckle and mole, scars, and small spots of discoloration. I felt it grounding, examining my hands, but in doing so, I finally noticed something that, in reality, I had been ignoring until now. Raised, discolored lines, now faint with time and age, but still visible enough to notice if you were looking for them. Many lines, thin and thick, long and short, all horizontal, minus a few vertical long ones, decorating my wrists, and all the way down my inner forearms, stopping just before the dip of my elbow.  It was hard to fully acknowledge them, already knowing what they were, but not knowing how to address them or why I would even have them. I couldn't remember, but looking at them made me feel sick, and left anxiety and dread to flood my system. I swallowed hard, lifting my left hand to trace some of the scars on my right arm. My heart skipped a beat and my blood ran cold as one thought flashed through my mind. Who noticed them? My hands shook more, and I flinched. Did Sally notice? Jane? Slender? Oh god, what would they think of me? Disappointed? Disgusted? God, what was wrong with me? Why would I ever do this to myself? Because of her. Thats why. I grimaced, then sneered down at my arms. Fucking disgusting. I let my arms fall to the bed, helping to slowly push myself to stand, stumbling at first, knees buckling and nearly falling down, but I managed to catch and stabilize myself. I moved carefully, making my way to the closet. I opened the door, flipping the light on, and entering it, closing the door behind me, maybe a bit too harshly. I looked across all the clothes on the left side of the closet before glancing to the right, spotting the large mirror I hadn't noticed before. I moved to stand in front of it, staring at myself, taking in my appearance. My hair was a mess that desperately needed to be brushed, with a few braids in the tangle that Sally had done. Dark bags hung heavy under my sunken eyes. My cheeks looked sunken too, hollowed like my soul had been sucked from my body. I just looked…dead. My skin looked paler than it should've, my cheeks and nose were flushed far too much, it almost looked like makeup. My left cheek was still patched up, but looked swollen compared to the other side of my face, and my eye was still heavily bruised. My eye was less swollen, and I could see splotches of red in the white of my eyes, popped blood vessels. The cuts across my nose and bottom lip were starting to look better, but still didn't look very pretty. Irritated red and scabbed over.  I grabbed the bottom of my shirt, lifting it slightly, seeing the bottom of my stomach, then a little higher, seeing white bandages wrapped around my torso. It was a struggle, but I managed to remove the shirt, letting it fall to the ground. I stared at my body in the mirror, the wrapping stopping a few inches below my breast. I should really get a bra on. I cringed, seeing more scars littering more of my body. I turned slightly, looking at myself from different angles, lifting my hands to trace the wrappings around my neck, and seeing burnt, red skin underneath between gaps. I fully turned now, craning my head to look at my back, only for my eyes to widen in horror.Nasty scars from gashes, large and jagged, littering my back, all across my shoulders and down my spine, covering my sides and going down further, my leggings hiding the rest. A large vertical scar traced my spine, from the base of my neck to my tailbone, making me shiver, looking as if at some point it would have been removed. Between my shoulder blades, large and bold and proud, was a symbol, burned into my skin, branding me like cattle. A symbol that looked vaguely familiar, but couldn't fully recognize. I quickly removed the rest of my clothing, back to examining my skin. The front of my thighs were covered in the same red scars that littered the inside of my wrists, but the backs of my legs looked like my back. Distinct differences. The scars on my arms and thighs were faded and looked like they could've been shallow, but the ones covering my back and legs were raised, they looked deep and dark. Someone did this to me. There was no way I could've done this to myself, especially the brand between my shoulders.  I was violently shaking now, struggling to hold back the tears at the realization of my body. How could I have not noticed any of this before? How could I not remember this? A sob racked through my body, and I fell to my knees, breathing heavily, hyperventilating. My arms were wrapped around myself, nails digging into my upper arms. I was curled in on myself despite the pain in my torso protesting my position. I wanted to scream, and so I did just that. I screamed and yelled and cursed, a guttural sound from so deep within me, one full of pain and loss. Was I so terrible of a person that this had to be done to me? I pressed my face into the floor, wailing and screaming. I only felt despair and pain. I felt so isolated within my own head, I felt like a stranger in my own body. I couldn't do this. I couldn't continue. I felt so far gone, that there was nothing left for me to find or figure out, because the more I kept finding or learning, the more pain it brought me.The scars on my back showed just how far gone my body was, what was even left of my mind? Clearly not much seeing how I had no memory of who or what I was before waking up. I was no longer me. I was a stranger to myself. Whenever I looked in the mirror only a stranger stared back, unfamiliar, cold, empty eyes staring back. The eyes of a dead person would only stare back, eyes that lacked empathy and sympathy, eyes that didn't know what happiness was, they were the eyes of loneliness, eyes of isolation and pools deeper than the sea, dark and distant. Even the color was dull with the lack of identity. I didn't even know myself.I didn't know my own life.My own eyes. There was a knock on the closet door, and as I watched the door knob start to slowly turn, I screamed, throwing my body against the door, slamming it back shut from the small sliver that it had opened. “(Y/n)?” It was Sally. No, no no no! Not her! She can't see me, not like this, not the state I was in. She couldn't! I was breathing heavily, still sobbing and heaving. “N-no! You-you can't come in!” I was barely able to speak through the sobs. “But-”  “Leave! Just leave-leave me alone!” I was wailing. It was so much harsher and louder than I intended to, and it only made me cry harder. I didn't want to yell at her, but I couldn't let her see me like this. She didn't respond, and I didn't hear anything on the other side of the door, that was until there was another knock. “(Y/n), hun, are you ok?” It was Jane this time, she sounded worried. I still leaned heavily against the door, keeping it shut. “Go away! Please! I-I can’t…-” My voice broke, and another violent sob echoed from my throat. My throat felt like it was swelling shut, filled with razor blades and barbed wire. I felt the door move, trying to open but being pushed shut again by my body weight.  “(Y/n), open the door.” She had a harshness to her voice, she wasn't asking, she was telling me. I shook my head even though they couldn't see me. The door was tried again but I still held it closed.  “If you don't open this door, we’re breaking it down. Open the door, (Y/n).”  “N-no.” My voice was meek and shaky, I was still gasping for air and crying. There was a long pause before another voice spoke up, though I could hear multiple whispers in the background, a group had formed in my room, making everything feel so much worse, dread was filling my body.  “P-please, just go-go away! Please…” I was desperate, begging them, sobs and hiccups interrupting my words. The whispers continued before there was a silence, I could hear footsteps slowly leaving the room, and behind the door was silence. No knock interrupted this time, but instead, a soft voice in my head, gentle as ever. “Dear (Y/n), what's the matter?” I kept sniffling, unable to find my voice, so I did what I had grown accustomed to, using my mind to reply. “I…I don't…I can't…” “Calm yourself, breathe, take your time to think. What happened? What caused all of this?” I knew he was on the other side of the door, I could feel his looming presence. He waited patiently as I collected myself.“I had a dream, a really bad one. It felt so real, like it was a memory…that woman, back at the facility, I…I think she was my mother.” There was a long pause before he spoke again.“If you allow me, may I view this dream of yours?” I didn't hesitate.“Yes.” There was a long moment of silence, I could see the memory of the dream replaying in my brain, every hurtful word spoken, every bit of searing pain in my body, all of it playing in my mind again. But it didn't stop at the dream, it continued to me examining my arms, then making my way to the closet, examining more and more of my body. All the scars, the burns, the injuries, the realizations. Feeling all the emotions again, just as powerful as ever. “W-wait, no, don't-!” It was too late, he already saw it all. I wasn't fast enough to stop the viewing at just the dream. He saw every single scar and injury, he heard every single thought, felt all my emotions, he knew it all. He saw everything. I felt helpless, like an impending doom was washing over me. “(Y/n),” I flinched at the voice, my body shaking again.“I-I’m sorry, please don’t…don’t think wors-worse of me…” I sounded so weak and small, I felt so helpless. “Open the door.” I had to listen to him, I didn't have a choice. I had to listen, this was his house after all. I backed up, quickly grabbing my discarded shirt and pulling it back over myself, not having time to put pants back on before the door was being pushed open. Slender stood on the other side of it, my room was void of anyone else, and the door to the room was shut. I stayed sat on the floor, using the bottom of the baggy shirt to try and cover my legs. He held a hand out to me, waiting silently. I hesitated but soon took it, his long fingers wrapping entirely around my hand. He gently yet with such ease pulled me to my feet, placing another hand on my shoulder to keep me from falling over. He was silent for a few seconds before speaking again, leaving me waiting in silent terror.“(Y/n), why would any of us think any worse of you?” His hand moved from my shoulder to my wrist, looking down at the scars littering the insides of my arms. I couldn't find an answer, I could only hang my head in embarrassment.“Dear, no one here is perfect, we all have our faults and vices. Why would a single resident here judge you? Some smoke or drink, and others have harmed themselves before. Please, do not think any of us would be so bigoted as to judge another's struggles.” He looked over the scars carefully, almost like he was reading a story that was carved into my skin. I swallowed hard but stayed silent. “May I see your back?” I hesitated this time with the question, but thinking of what was best, I slowly nodded. My movements were slow, scared, hesitant, like an animal about to be killed by a predator. I struggled with the pain in my ribs, but managed to lift only the back of my shirt up, keeping my chest covered. There was only silence before a warm hand began to trace the brand between my shoulders. Goosebumps raised along my skin and a shiver ran up my spine, the hairs on the back of my neck raising. “Oh my…” It was a quiet statement, but his shock was clear. “My dear, what on Earth happened to you?” It sounded more like a question to himself, wondering how anyone could look like this and not remember the pain and suffering of it all. His fingers lingered on the brand for a few seconds more before pulling back, and I let my shirt fall back in place, but I didn't dare turn back to face him. I couldn't. I only felt shame. But his hand on my shoulder made me look back up at him. Despite not having a face, I could only imagine the look of sympathy he was giving me. Nothing was said for such an excruciatingly long time.“What do you wish to do?” I furrowed my brows, confused by the question. “You can’t recall why you have these scars, you have no memories of them, I can see nothing in your mind, but yet, they cause this reaction. Primal fear, it is something that can be burned into the very soul of a being, that sort of misery and dread, that trauma, it never leaves a soul, human, animal, or creature. You may not remember, but your body does. Your skin and muscles, every last fiber of your very being, down to the blood cells and rush through your veins, they all know this fear. This abuse. Terror, revulsion, unease, distress, whatever you may call it, every last bit of you knows this fear well, it has been burned into your skin. Such vitriol to cause these scars," A finger tapped at my wrist."Such contempt and venom spoken to you, whipped and lashed into your very being. That is something that no amnesia can wipe away. That truly, guttural, primal fear. So, what do you wish to do now? How do you wish to continue?” He spoke carefully, but he didn't try to sugarcoat anything, he spoke to me in a gentle manner that didn't fit the tone of my mental state. He spoke just as eloquently as ever, but he knew things I didn't, he spoke from experience, from centuries of studying animals and humans, what terror could truly do to a person.“I… don't know.” He nodded slowly, thinking. “Here, sit.” His hand on my shoulder turned me around before guiding me to my bed, helping me sit down, but he stayed standing.“Take your time, just think. You are good with plans, start with what you know, go from there.” I first tried to get my breathing under control, taking deep breaths and letting them out slowly. I wiped the cold tear stains from my cheeks before running my hands through my hair, brushing it out with my fingers. I searched my brain for any kind of answer I needed. I sat there, thinking, combing through my thoughts, through what little I did know, trying to see what pieces fit together. It was like a puzzle. Take a step back and take a look at the bigger picture. But what was the picture even supposed to be? I was still missing so much information, I had so little to work off of. If only I had more pieces…I opened my eyes before looking back up at Slender.“I need to go back.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

He stayed silent, mulling over what it would entail if I went back to the facility. He hummed lowly, crossing his arms and tapping his foot slowly, thinking carefully. He stood there, pondering and planning for a while before finally speaking, seeming to choose his words carefully.

"If you do wish to go back, then I am not one to stop you. However, I will not allow you to go back to that place alone. You would need some of us to go with you, however, I cannot force anyone to go back there, so it comes down to who would be willing to go with you. I believe Sally would want to go, but I would never permit that.

"Your only hope to get back there, to begin with, is if Ben takes you, but again, I am unsure how willing he, or anyone else for that matter, would be of going back. Yes, Brian managed to get there before, but we have no clue as to the security of that place now, and it could take a while to travel there by foot. Are you even sure you want to go back? You are aware that if anything happens there, it falls on your shoulders, and if you get trapped again, we may not be able to help you."

I listened carefully, thinking it over. If I went back, and someone got hurt, it would be my responsibility. And if I went back, would I find what I was looking for? Did I even know what I was looking for? I didn't. I suppose I would just need to rummage around for information, but what if there was nothing about me? Or what if there was too much other information, files not mine, and it would take too long to find what I was looking for?

But the first issue was figuring out who would be willing to go with me. And the very first hurdle was Ben. No one but Brian knew where the facility was even located, we only got out because of Ben and the use of electronics, but did he know how to get back? And would he even be willing to make that trip? The only way to find out would be to ask him.

But still, how would I explain any of this? That I was looking for something but that I didn't know what it was. That just sounded ridiculous, and it was an argument that couldn't hold up against the trauma of not wanting to go back. A hand on my shoulder brought me back to reality.

"(Y/n), the only way to know is to just ask, try to explain yourself. We will understand, we've all been through our own struggles, and yours is no different. And despite what most might think of us, as ruthless killers, cold monsters, we still have plenty of sympathy and empathy to share." I nodded, sighing shakily. He was right, I could only know their thoughts and answers by asking them outright.

"For now, just breathe, collect, and ground yourself. I suggest having your back checked by Jack. I understand you aren't quite comfortable around him yet, but I assure you that you can trust him, and the only way to earn his trust back is to show that you trust him in the first place. You should focus more on building your bonds first. Yes, some of us already fully trust you and are fond of you, but others haven't quite had that chance yet. Build those bonds, my dear, you'll find it quite helpful here."

I could only nod again, swallowing down the anxiety. Right back to the doc's office, I guess. I started to stand up from the bed before being stopped once more.

"I would recommend getting properly dressed first though."

Shit.

I grimaced and shuffled back to the closet, closing the door as I rummage through the clothes. A small dresser that contained undergarments, all that thankfully fit. It was a struggle with the pain and the wrappings on my torso, but I managed to get a bra on, feeling some decency again. I pulled on another loose t-shirt, not too sure how long I had been wearing the old one for. And finally a pair of sweatpants, not tight like leggings, but just as comfortable as them. I didn't care about fashion or how I looked at that moment, the point was to just cover myself, hiding as much as I could. I glanced back down at my arms, cringing before looking around once again, quickly finding a flowy black cardigan that I quickly put on, my arms now covered. I made sure I was properly covered before realizing that I didn't know where Jack even was.

"Oh, um, where do I find-" I peeked my head out the closet, but cut myself off, seeing that my room was once again desolate. I stepped out of the closet, shutting off the light before closing the door. I made my way to the bathroom, quickly finding a hairbrush and fixing my rat's nest of hair, trying to look at least decent. Once fixed I pursed my lips, thinking how the hell I'd find anyone in a house this big.

I left the bathroom, hobbling over to the nightstand, and picked up my phone, staring at it for a moment. I wasn't sure if Slender still had me linked to everyone, but regardless if I was, it felt awkward using it, invasive. I sat back on my bed, fiddling with the phone, opening up my messages. I struggled to use the screen with the wrappings on my fingers, but pressing hard enough allowed to phone to receive the input. There were a few unread ones from Jane, but glancing them over I saw that they were from when I had collapsed to the ground with a fever earlier that morning, or maybe noon? Time was a blur now with how much I slept, but the time on the top of the phone showed me that it mostly seemed to be that morning. The messages were asking where I was and if I was ok.

I clicked around, finding Jack's contact and attempting to type out a message, though it was a struggle, both the bandages and still getting used to the phone in the first place. I didn't want to bother him, I didn't want to bother anyone, but Slender had said he should check my back and scars, for what reason I wasn't sure, he didn't give one. I didn't know how to start a conversation with anyone, much less someone I barely had any contact with. I didn't know how to

not

be awkward, or how to even start the exchange. Eventually, I just accepted my awkwardness, typed out a clumsy message, and hit send before I could second-guess myself.

"Hi Jack, it's (Y/n). Slender said I should have you look at something on my back. He didn't say why you should check but I guess I should listen to him."

I fidgetted with the phone some more, feeling uneasy and anxious. I really didn't wanna disturb-

Knocking at my door made me jump, hissing in pain before I could speak.

"C-come in." A few seconds passed before the door opened, and a familiar gray face leaned into the room. He didn't say anything, just gestured with his hand for me to follow. I slowly stood up from the bed, careful not to fall before I began to follow him, him patiently waiting for me to catch up. I awkwardly smiled, feeling bad at how slow I was, but I was still scared to hurt my ribs or leg any further. He only nodded in turn, but otherwise, his face stayed expressionless. I followed him back to a familiar room, the makeshift infirmary.

He was already leaning the chair back until it was flat, adjusting it as needed before he was off to the sink, washing his hands and putting on gloves.

"Lay face down. Do you need Jane here?" I swallowed hard, wanting to say yes, but quickly remembering what I had been told.

Build trust by showing trust.

I took a deep breath.

"No, I'm fine." There was a slight pause in his movements, but it was so subtle I barely noticed. Barley. I moved to the chair, laying face down on it as I had done when he stitched up my leg, resting my chin on my arms.

"I need you to remove your sweater, up to you if you keep your shirt on, but it does need to be lifted to I can even see your back." Oh. Right. Flustered at my momentary lapse of stupidity, I sat up, sliding the cardigan off and bundling it up where my head was resting. Then I hesitated. My back looked horrific, Slender had seen it, and even he was in awe of the marks on my body.

No one will judge you.

I tried breathing, it was shaky, but I took his advice again. Breath. Ground yourself. You're safe. It's ok. I pulled at the back of my shirt, lifting it over my head but still holding it in front of my chest. The cold air rushed to prick at my skin, making me shiver. There was only silence in the room. I shifted before laying back down on the chair, shirt below me and head resting on my cardigan. Still only silence. I turned my head, looking over at Jack, who only stared wide-nonexistent-eyed at my back. I cringed and looked away again. Was it really so bad that it shocked people who literally killed for a living? Wouldnt they have seen it all at this point? He cleared his throat before finding words.

"Well, I can say I wasn't expecting that. Fuck, what happened to you?" I could only shrug in response.

"I guess that's what I'm trying to figure out." I heard the familiar sound of the wheels of the stool being slid across the floor, being pulled up to my side before he sat down, getting a closer look at my back. The room was mostly silent except for the slight comments about 'what the hell happened' to me. He would examine the scars, pulling and stretching the skin around them, looking at how they had healed, seeing how deep they must've gone, how truly bad they really would have been before they were just scars. His main focus was the branding on my upper back and the long scar that stretched the whole length of my spine, from the nape of my neck to the tailbone.

"I'm gonna take some pictures. I need to figure out what this brand is, and this spinal scar just... isn't

right

." I nodded, humming lowly as he did want he needed to, a few flashes of light followed by a soft

click

sound echoing through the room. And he was back to examining my back.

"How far down do these go?" I hesitated.

"Down the back of my legs, they stop right above the backs of my knees." It was his turn to hum.

"You really remember none of this?" I shook my head. He finally began to divulge what he could tell about the injuries.

"Well, some of these scars are really,

really

old, like, you would have been an infant with these." I felt sick.

"And some are so recent, within the past year at least. All of them are cut very deep too, down to the muscle at the least. And this one," He tapped my spine.

"Has been cut through again and again,

repeatedly

. The scar tissue is so thick, it's a repeated injury-" He was interrupted when someone opened the door, catching both of our attention.

"Hey, EJ, do you have any more-" He stopped mid-sentence, and I could only imagine his face. Well, guess that's one more person who knows. I just wanted to cry again.

"Holy shit dude..." Yeah, I didn't feel any better. It took me a moment to place the voice as it was the person I had the least amount of interaction with. Brian. I didn't even turn to look at him, I didn't want to face anyone else right now.

"Do any of you know how to knock?" Jack sounded irritated, but I had to agree. So far, a few of them had a habit of just walking into my room, and that seemed to apply to the infirmary. Though, neither of us were expecting Brian's response.

"I didn't realize they did

this

to you." ]

What?

I finally turned and looked at him, staring wide-eyed. He looked just as Jack had, wide-eyed and unsure. Startled. Uneasy.

"What...what do you mean?" He cringed, shutting the door behind him, he looked hesitant.

"What do you mean?" I sounded harsher, now demanding an answer from him.

"Right, you don't remember."

"Brian." It was Jack's turn to speak, his voice held a warning to it, and one of his hands still lingered on my spinal scar. Brian only signed in response.

"You wanna go back, don't you?"

"Answer the question."

Silence.

No one spoke, no one moved. It was tense and awkward, the hair on the back of my neck was raised. Brian finally began to speak, hesitating, and choosing his words carefully.

"You...had been there much longer than a year...I wasn't allowed to access your files, or what they did with or to you. I-" He paused, clearing his throat, but I could only continue to stare at him, waiting.

"I knew they were doing experiments, I didn't know what kind...everyone kept their mouths shut about you. You were missing for a year, but you had been there much longer than that...I found one of your files, a lot was missing, redacted. I...I'm not sure what they were doing, but you were held to the same security standard as us, maybe even more. They had others kidnapped-normal people, but no one was ever treated like you. They held you so close, a secret, you had so much security around you. I saw it once...one of the experiments...I-" He stopped again, finding his words, eyes staring at the ground, darting around, everywhere but at me or Jack.

"It...I had to leave when I saw it. Just...Jesus Christ." He stopped, grimacing once again. He didn't continue. Seconds ticked by slowly, it felt agonizing in the silence, but Jack finally spoke.

"What did you see?" Another long pause, and Jack repeated himself.

"Brian, what did you

see

?" He shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"She was laid out on a table, face down, she had all these tubes hooked up to her, all these monitors and wires everywhere, her...her back was sliced open, she was awake...they were doing something to her back, she was screaming, but I think...I think they paralyzed her, she wasn't moving...but she felt everything. They were jabbing needles into her back, deep, I could see her spine and ribs, they were pushing needles and wires

into

it." He stopped there, thinking, remembering.

"I left before I saw more." The room was silent once again.

"Jesus..." Jack shook his head before looking back down at me.

"I know we're sadistic fucks and all, but that's just...too much, even for some of us." His top lip curled. Brian turned, ready to leave the room, but I quickly found my voice.

"Wait-" He stopped, turning to look at me.

"You're coming with me when I go back." He was a part of the facility for 3 years, he saw things, had access to files, he knew the facility the best. He'd be the guide and show me where all the information was. He furrowed his brows before shrugging.

"Fine, guess that's fair." He then took his leave, never retrieving what he originally came to get.

"You're gonna go back?" I nodded, laying my head back down, but not speaking. It was silent as he finished examining my back.

"Alright, I think that's all. I should change your bandages though." I nodded, slowly sitting up and turning around in the chair. He fixed it, pulling it back into a sitting position.

"I'm gonna start with your ribs first, that ok?" I nodded, looking down at my shirt still covering my front. Oh well, at least I had some more modesty this time. I slide the shirt off my arms and let it sit on my lap. Jack had his metal cart by his side once again, rolls of bandages on top with various metal tools. He looked over the items once more, double-checking he had what he needed before turning to me. He lifted his hands but stopped, looking at me one last time, first confused, for just a second, then blank once again. I just nodded, slightly lifting my arms up. He got to work unwrapping the tight bandages around my torso. I hadn't realized how much he had used to help stabilize my torso. It was thick, layers and layers of wrappings, and as they fell away, I felt less and less stable, finding it difficult to keep myself held up.

"You're shaking." It was a simple statement.

"It's just a bit hard to stay sitting up, didn't realize how much they were helping me." He hummed, pausing.

"If you need to lay back I can cut the rest off." I didn't hesitate to take the offer, not trusting my body to stay stable enough to not fall over, and I didn't feel like cracking my head on the floor once again. I laid back on the chair, feeling my struggling muscles relax. He grabbed a pair of metal scissors off the cart, the blades were angled oddly. He grabbed the top of the wrapping, pulling them away from my skin before he began to cut away at them, the cold metal of the scissors pressed against my skin, making me flinch slightly. He paused at that, waiting before continuing. It was a bit faster cutting away the dressings, but the frigid metal was uncomfortable against my skin.

As he cut, he pulled away the wraps, showing more and more of my bruised skin underneath. Shades of purples and blues, splotches of green and yellow, and red irritation decorating my whole ribcage. It looked horrible.

"If I had known how bad this actually was I would've taken care of it when I fixed your leg." He sounded a bit irritated, but he chuckled after saying it, a rarity for him. I could only nervously smile.

"If I had known I had cracked ribs I would've said something." He shook his head but laughed again.

"Dunno how you managed everything like that, but then again you apparently went through having your bones fucked with while awake, so I think you've got a good tolerance for pain." I nodded, it did make sense.

"Guess so, still hurts though."

"Yeah no shit, your

bones

have

cracks

in them, it's gonna hurt." He was smiling now, something I hadn't see him do at all yet. I couldn't help but smile too.

"Yeah, yeah, tell me something I don't know, doc." He hummed, thinking.

"Fine then, did you know that your immune system doesn't know your eyes exist?"

"Huh?"

"If it did, it would relentlessly attack your eyes until you went blind. Your eyes have a completely separate immune system from your body's immune system."

"Oh...well I guess I didn't know that."

"And now you do." He pulled away the last of the bandages, tossing them into a nearby trashcan, before looking over my torso.

"The swelling isn't going down a whole lot, but the bruising is getting better. I wonder-" He sat back on his stool, humming and staring at my bruised and battered ribs.

"What?"

"The damage could be worse than I thought, I don't exactly have the proper equipment to check, so I can only really guess. There could very well be fluid in your chest cavity, are you struggling to breathe at all?" I thought for a moment.

"I haven't really noticed, I dunno?" I wasn't sure of my answer at all, but he still nodded.

"Could give it a few more days of rest and see, or I could see now if there's anything to drain, could be infection, could be blood, but the swelling should've gone down by now." I looked down at my torso, looking at my skin, how red and swollen it was, something I hadn't noticed with the bandages.

"What if there is stuff there but I wait?"

"Could make it worse, more painful, lets the infection spread, a lot could happen." I paused, thinking it over before shrugging.

"Ah fuck it, better safe than sorry, right?"

"Agreed." He stood up from his chair, walking over to the cabinets, and rummaging through them all. He was setting up a whole lot more stuff now, removing his old gloves, rewashing his hands, and putting on a new clean pair.

"Alrighty, this is going to numb you," He held up a syringe.

"And this is gonna get stuck in your chest cavity." He pointed to a long, hollow tube of clear plastic. I nodded, feeling anxiety spike, starting to fidget with my hands. He seemed to notice.

"It'll look and feel weird, but it won't hurt, it's really easy, you'll be fine." I could only nod, leaning my head back and just trying to breathe.

"Pinch." He warned me of the needle, but it still made me flinch, piercing through my skin, and deeper than I was comfortable with, feeling a fire erupting under my skin before dying out quickly, going entirely numb. He tapped the spot where he had injected the numbing fluid, but I only felt the pressure, no sensation.

"Alright, gonna make a small incision." I nodded, feeling pressure again, but not pain at all. Knowing what was happening and being walked through the steps was oddly comforting.

"And now the tube." More pressure, a pause, then a sigh of relief.

"Good, no fluid." I looked down, seeing the tube sticking out of my side, there was some blood, but no gushing liquid spilling from inside my chest cavity. I leaned my head back as he took the tube out and began to stitch me up.

"So it's just normal swelling. You should put some ice packs on it or take a cold shower, though that might be difficult if you find it hard to stand or sit without the bandages, and you can't let them get wet." I nodded, feeling the tugging and pressure on my skin as he stitched the incision shut.

"So stick with icepacks for now until you're more stable." He finished the last stitch before grabbing something I hadn't noticed before. It was a thick pad of cloth.

"Managed to find this laying around, it's a medical brace, it'll help keep you stable and it's reusable, so no more wasted gauze. But I do need you to sit up for it, can you do that?"

"I can try." I tried pushing myself up, but my core was still shaky, not having much strength.

"Uh, I don't think I can." I gritted my teeth, trying harder to sit up but failing.

"Ok, don't strain yourself. Hmm..." He thought for a moment, looking around the room, trying to find anything that could help, but nothing seemed to be the answer. He finally sighed.

"If you're uncomfortable I can go get someone to help-"

"N-no, no I'm fine." I wasn't sure what his idea was, but dammit I was gonna build trust!

"You sure?" I nodded confidently. He waited for any other answer, but when none came, he sighed.

"Fine." He unraveled the brace before setting it on the metal cart next to him.

"Since you seem stubborn about this, you're gonna have to hold onto me to stay sitting up." Oh. Huh.

"Alright." He waited again before finally moving, he grabbed my forearms, helping pull me up into a sitting position, giving me a few moments to adjust and to hold onto his shoulders, keeping me up. I just stayed staring down as he grabbed the brace and placed it behind me, lining it up before wrapping it around my torso, rather tightly, but the tightness felt comfortable and brought back that stability to my core.

"Alright, see how that works." I was hesitant but I let go of him, my hands ready to grab onto the chair if I started tipping over, but thankfully I didn't. He took a step back before speaking again.

"Alright, hardest part out the way, not let's see those burns."

He sat back down, and I leaned my head back slightly, feeling him unraveling the wraps around my neck that had become loose.

"Looking better, but it's still gonna take a long time to heal." I swallowed as I felt a finger press to my throat, examining the burns. It stung. There were some shuffling sounds before something freezing was being smeared across my neck, making me jump.

"It's just the ointment."

"Ah, sorry, it's just cold." He hummed but continued to work, evenly spreading the cream to cover the wound entirely before once again wrapping it.

The process repeated for my fingers and checking my calf, making sure it was healing well. The rest of the check-up breezed by uneventfully. He finally sat back, taking off his gloves and throwing them away.

"Alright, everything's looking good. Just don't go breaking anything or hurting yourself anymore, ok?" I finally pulled my shirt back on, smoothing out the wrinkles before pulling on my cardigan.

"I won't, don't plan on hurting any more than I already do."

"Good...but feel free to ask for help when you need it, don't need you getting an infection and dropping dead." He laughed a little, it was lighthearted, but an open invitation that I really had nothing to be scared of and that I wasn't bothering him. My smile was a lot softer now.

"Thanks, Jack, I appreciate it a ton."

"Nah, just my job. Now get out, gotta clean up in here."

"Fine fine, I'm leaving." Another shared, small laugh before I got up, leaving the room and closing the door behind me. God, progress felt good!

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

I felt energized, feeling like I had leaped a hurdle I previously thought impossible. But I did it! It was probably the hardest part of the day. Probably. I still needed to figure out who I wanted to go with me to the facility, who I needed, and who would be the most useful. Brian didn't even put up a fight, so he was checked off the list. But the most important for this trip was the one who could actually get us back, Ben.

Alrighty, time to find him. I looked around where I still stood in front of the infirmary door, not seeing a single soul in sight. I could text him like I did Jack, but I left my phone back in my room. I pivoted on my heels, turning towards the living room, and walking towards it, seeing the TV on but no one on the couch, or in the vicinity at all. I glanced around before looking at the TV, seeing what was even playing, but it was just fuzzy black-and-white static. I wasn't even sure how to use the TV, so I didn't even bother to grab the remote to try and fix it, I just wanted to walk away from it before someone thought I broke it.

"Boo." I yelped, whipping around and nearly tripping over my feet, seeing just who I was looking for, his upper body hanging out of the TV screen. He was grinning, succeeding in scaring me.

"You're jumpy."

"You're an asshole." He just chuckled.

"Eh, it's fun, I can't help it." I sighed, crossing my arms, but a smile still forcing its way on my face.

"Well I was looking for you anyways, so I guess I can't be

too

mad."

"Oh? What's up?" He raised an eyebrow, waiting for whatever it was I had to say. I thought for a moment about how to ask if he'd be willing to travel back to the facility.

"I get it if you don't want to, I'm not expecting you to agree, but, well, I need to go back to the facility, and you're the only one who knows where it is." He stared at me, eyes growing wide.

"Wha-! Why would you wanna go back?!" It was a fair reaction.

"Because they have information, and if they have anything about me, well, I wanna know. I...I don't know who I am, but I wanna know what happened-what they did to me." I shifted my weight, my voice trailing off, remembering how my scars looked in the mirror. His expression changed from slight anger and fear to confusion.

"What they did to you? Whaddya mean?" I wrinkled my nose, not knowing what to say. I was silent for a few ticking moments before figuring out what to say.

"Brian said he saw me at the facility, that I was there for a lot longer than just the year I was missing. He said he saw me once but left pretty quickly. I wanna know what they were doing to me, why they were doing it." I folded my arms, tapping my fingers on my upper arms, needing to fidget.

"They...really messed me up. I can't remember it, but I

know

they did. I just-I want-I

need

to know what I was used for." Ben slowly nodded, thinking for a few moments.

"I won't pry, but can I get any more info?" I hesitated before saying fuck it. Slender knew, Jack knew, Brian knew, everyone's gonna know eventually.

"I...my back is covered in scars. Bad ones. Jack-Eyeless Jack just looked at them, he said the oldest ones are from when I was an infant, and the newest ones are from no more than a year ago... they're deep, and Brian saw them cutting me open one time. I-I wanna know

why

." Another pause.

"Can I see?" I sighed.

"I dunno..."

"Awe, c'mon, scars are always badass, they're probably not

that

bad."

"Jack said he took pictures of them, ask him for them."

"Alright, alright. So you just want me to help you get back there, right? I don't need to actually go

in

there?"

"Not if you don't want to, but Slender won't let me go alone, but I managed to get Brian to join. I think I need a few more people to come with, but you're kinda the most important part since, ya know, you're the only one who can even get anyone there in the first place." He nodded again before grinning slyly.

"Awe, I'm the

most

important? How sweet." It was a tease, him resting his head in a hand and continuing to grin, eyes squinting slightly. I had to chuckle at it, rolling my eyes.

"Don't get all cocky, you know what I meant."

"No, no, I know what you meant, I'm the

moooooost important

~" His grin was still ever persistent, he was starting to look like a Chesire cat.

"Alrighty buddy, you think that, but if you think you're the '

moooooost important

', then are you willing to help?" He hummed, closing his eyes in thought before shrugging, finally fully crawling out of the TV and floating, resting his chin on his forearms, slightly leaning forward, as if he was laying down, just in the air.

"Eh, why not, might be interesting. You don't seem

that

boring, so it might be fun~" He was still teasing but at least I got an answer from him. I couldn't help but sigh in relief, he was the final decision on whether I could go back or not.

"Thanks, really. Oh! Since you know the others better than I do, who do you think would be good to come with?" He hummed, looking up and thinking.

"You said Brian's already coming, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Then get Tim and Toby too, they work pretty good together, and they're trackers, so if you're trying to find something they'll be the best for it. And I'd bring Smile too, hell of a nose on that dog." I nodded, still tapping my fingers along my arms. He shrugged.

"Honestly that's your best bet, don't wanna draw attention by bringing everyone, but can't have too small of a group either, in case anyone's still there," He snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Buuuuut, I doubt that. Anyways, when do ya plan on going?" His attention was drawn back to me, waiting for my answer.

"I'm not too sure...Jack said I still need to heal, but I'd really like to go back soon." He nodded, thinking momentarily again.

"Could just give it a few days. We all just got back, I think we should all rest first before going on any adventures, ya know?"

"Yeah, I get that. Well, thanks anyways. Guess I gotta track down Toby and Tim, then?"

"Yup, but that's easier said than done. They left a while ago, back to doing their jobs."

"Wait, seriously? They're not gonna rest anymore?"

"Nah, those three are always working, plus we all had 5 years to rest, so I think they're just antsy to get back outside." I made an 'oh' face, understanding what he meant. After being holed up inside for years, I would wanna be outside too, not just staying inside a different building.

"What about you?"

"Hmm?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

"What about you? Don't you wanna go outside too?" He looked away, just shrugging again, slowly twisting in the air until he was hanging upside down, arms crossed.

"Eh, not really. Yeah, it's nice outside, but I've got my own worlds I can go to, and they're

much

cooler than just being outside." Now it was my turn to be confused, but I didn't have to say anything for him to continue.

"I can travel through electronics, remember?" I just slowly nodded, waiting. He only blinked.

"Uh, video games?" I continued to stare. His eyes widened slightly.

"Dude, do you not remember video games? Like, at all?" I bit the inside of my cheek, thinking. He had mentioned video games back at the facility, but I wasn't fully sure what they even were, I just couldn't remember.

"I...no I don't know, I can't remember." He looked surprised now.

"Seriously? Nothing at all about games?" I only shook my head.\

"Ok, that's what you're doing now, I'm gonna show you the wonderful world of games!" It wasn't even a suggestion, I was already being dragged by my arm up the stairs that, until now, I had only ever looked at. Though, with the state of my leg and torso, I almost immediately tripped walking up them, groaning as my knees hit the edge of the steps.

"Oh shit, sorry, kinda forgot how fucked up you got." I waved it off, catching my breath first, bracing myself against the stairs, and figuring out how I would stand back up with the least amount of pain. I wasn't given much time though when I was already being picked back up, being helped up by my upper arms and leading me back down the few steps I had managed to climb.

"Guess we're going through the TV then-" He cut himself off, eyes lighting up with a new idea.

"

Or

! I can just bring you

inside

the games!"

"Wha-!" I didn't get to finish before I was being dragged, once again, this time through the television screen, watching as the image once again turned to black and white static, and the screen would pulsate and wave as if it was made of water. When I first traveled through the screens, I was in far too much pain to notice what it was actually like. My hands passed through the screen with ease, not a single bit of resistance to it. It felt like static, pins and needles surrounding my skin, but it didn't hurt, it was a light sensation, just on my skin, not inside my nerves or muscles. It felt cool to the touch, not freezing, and it felt nice, especially when the sensation touched my swollen cheek, feeling nice against the bruises and cuts on my face.

I wasn't being pulled through to another side of a screen, instead, I was being pulled into a new world, one where there were no walls or solid floor, an infinite expanse of black, with squares of flashing images and moving videos everywhere, moving around, rushing from one place to another, change, flipping, squishing and contorting, splashes of colors everywhere in the distance, fading and swirling and exploding all anew. It was strange but breathtaking. It was something I had never seen before, and I'm sure something no other normal person would have had the pleasure of seeing. It was amazing, to see numbers and letters rushing around in circles, scrolling up and down, writing new lines of ones and zeros, usernames typing out comments, deleting them then retyping and posting, I could see it all, all around me.

My mind quickly refocused back on the sensation of floating in this space, the coolness against my skin, and how it soothed the aching of my ribs, how it felt wonderful against the scars on my back, it was soothing, and I swear I could have fallen asleep then and there. The pulsing ache of my injuries began to lessen at the coolness of the void. I hadn't realized I had closed my eyes until someone chuckling and had me opening them again, looking over at him.

"What?"

"It's always interesting seeing everyone's reaction. Never seen someone so calm though."

"It just feels good, the cold." He nodded.

"Guess that makes sense, it's like one giant, infinite fridge in here. Anyways, welcome to the inside of the internet. Can see and do whatever you want in here basically." I watched as he reached out and grabbed one of the floating flat boxes, pulling it closer and holding it between us. It was a comment under a picture, saying how much they liked it. Ben simply tapped it and the letters began to scramble themselves, turning into a mess of letters and numbers that made no sense. He just chuckled before flinging the comment off into the void.

"It's stupid but entertaining, makes people feel like they're going crazy." I smiled, laughing slightly myself.

"Fair enough." He hummed, floating forward a bit, looking across some of the boxes, ones that looked like news articles. He furrowed his brows, waving a hand, boxes flying around, moving and shifting until all pictures and videos dispersed and until only several news articles were in front of him.

"Hey, uh, look at this." He floated back towards me, the articles following him. In front of me, across all the articles, had a single picture, the same picture, of an older woman, with short black hair cut in a bob, and a silver streak through it, her icy blue eyes staring back at me through the picture, glaring into my soul. Above the photo, they all had basically the same title.

"Famous Scientist, Charlotte M. Miller, Reported Missing." I cringed, staring back at the face that I could see so clearly in my mind, sneering down at me, raising her hand once again to strike me. I could only stare, feeling a cold shiver wash over me. A shiver of her ice-cold eyes staring at my back, scrutinizing me, making me feel so small all over again.

"They'll be looking for her?"

"Yeah, so we don't have much time to waste if you wanna go back." I could only nod, swallowing hard. There was a silence before Ben spoke again.

"But let's ignore that for now, remember, we're all tryna' rest and have fun again, 'kay?" I wavered before slowly nodding, glancing at him before my eyes were back to staring at the news articles, at her damned picture. Those damn, icy blue eyes, staring at me, mocking me. The pictures were flung away from me, Ben having waved his hand at them, dispersing the images. Everything around us quickly began moving, shifting, swiping, and changing until rows of pictures were laid out in front of me.

"Pick one." I tried to shake off the crawling feeling in my spine, turning my focus from the distance to the photos in front of me. There were quite a few, but none were photos of anything real. Sure some looked lifelike, but I could still tell they weren't actually real. They all had different styles to them, some cartoonish, some realistic, some so full of life and colors, others dull and serious. I lifted my hand, struggling to pick one, they all looked interesting. I looked over my shoulder at Ben, but he only gestured back to the photos, urging me to choose.

My eyes darted around, all the colors and faces, I wasn't sure. Finally, I just inhaled and jabbed one of the photos, one that was taken up entirely by a colorful mask, wide yellow eyes staring back at me.

"Hmm?" Out of my peripheral, he leaned passed my shoulder, looking down at what I chose. There was silence before he grinned.

"Ya know, I think we'll get along

just

fine." I couldn't respond nor give any sort of reaction before darkness engulfed me. I was whipping my head around, reaching out to find anything, but what little was already around me was gone, and Ben had completely vanished from sight. Seconds ticked by before I felt myself standing on something soft. I looked down, seeing soft green grass below me, appearing with pixels and squares, spreading out radially from where I was standing.

The world quickly built itself, soon leaving me standing in a clearing of grass with a large wooden door in front of me. A faint light shone somewhere above me, but I couldn't tell if it was the sun or not. Walls of wood encapsulated the small clearing, leaving the only entrance or exit to be the intricate door. It was circular with carved symmetrical patterns in it, and around it were faded paintings of red and orange triangles, it almost made the door look like the sun. And on either side were torches, fire flickering and radiating warmth in the cool air. Pivoting on my heels, I spotted a large pool of blue water behind me, a single, large flower in the middle of it, pink petals starting from the middle fading away to white at the tips, with large dark green leaves helping it to starkly stand out.

Within the second of my head being turned, I could hear the door creaking, snapping back to look at it, watching as a small gap was pulled back shut. I hesitantly began to walk towards it, still unsure of where I even was or where Ben had disappeared to, but I figured the only way forward was, well, forward. I approached the large door cautiously, running my fingers across the wood, feeling the engravings on it before using all my strength to push, feeling it catch before pushing open, creaking loudly. It was a heavy door, but when I finally got it open enough for me to look through, a harsh gust of wind blew passed me, whipping around my hair and making me close my eyes quickly. It felt as if the wind pulled me through the doorway before slamming the door behind me, leaving me once again in darkness.

Blinking my eyes back open, I quickly spotted the faint light down a hall, and just as in the previous room, I started to walk towards it. The light seemed to move, not leading me through a straight hallway, but up a staircase.

"Oh come on, I can't do stairs!" I shouted aloud, hoping Ben, or anyone at this point, could hear me, but the only response was a breeze flowing down the stairs. I groaned, bracing my hands on the walls, and began the painfully slow journey of hobbling up the stairs. The stairs were agonizingly long, but I was able to make it to the top of them, still following that distant light that stayed just out of reach. At the top was yet another door, not nearly as big this time, but still large. Huffing and puffing from the long haul upstairs, I braced my hands against the door and shoved it open, watching as sunlight poured into the dark, blinding me.

I was finally outside, standing in a town square, a bell ringing loudly behind me. It was a bright and warm sunny day, the sky crystal blue with soft fluffy clouds painted about. People bustled about, either going about their own business or carrying lumber to a building in front of me being built, but it was mostly just scaffolding and hanging cloth.

I looked around, unsure of where to even began. I took a step forward, then another and another, slowly just letting myself wander around. The cobbled pathways were warm under the sun, a welcome warmth that contrasted the cold of the stairwell.

I simply just walked around, looking through store windows, watching as people mulled about their days, all sorts of characters, tall and short, old and young, just going about their days, running through the streets, dancing and laughing, chasing one another. A few children ran passed me, bumping into my leg, nearly knocking me over, giggling the whole way, barely even acknowledging me. I smiled, watching them for a few seconds as they ran down the street, regaining my balance before continuing my slow walk.

The path I was walking down eventually led me to a large, hollow, stone arch in the walls surrounding the town. A man standing guard at the gate didn't even glance at me, just letting me walk by and out of the town, out into the open world, tall lush grass covering fields and fields of rolling hills and flower patches. Bright yellows and reds standing in stark contrast to the beautifully rich green, all swaying to the soft breeze blowing through. The sound of it all, the wind, the swishing grass, leaves of trees and bushes rustling, the sound of distant birdsong harmonizing with frogs and cicadas, singing their morning song. There were a few paths in the grass, matted down with heavy travel. For the most part, the hills were bare, with no animals or fences, no distant houses or buildings of any kind, and no trees, except for one, off in the far distance.

It would be a long walk, but with the beauty around me, I didn't mind. I made up my mind, setting my sights on a new goal, and began my trek. The grass below my feet was soft, and the pain in my body felt nearly nonexistent, though I was still wobbly. It was slow, it took me at the very least 10 minutes to get there, but I eventually managed to reach the tree, looking up and seeing how it towered over me. I noticed something carved in the trunk of it, and getting closer, I saw it was a crude carving of a person, with two little orbs around it, both with what looked like fairy wings, though the detail was minimal, so I was just assuming. I turned and looked around again, eyes scanning the horizon, trying to find anything that resembled more life, but it was only concentrated to the town that I had started in.

"So, whaddya think?" I jumped, whipping my head around, eyes darting about to find the voice.

"Look up, dumbass." I do so, glancing up into the tree, and seeing Ben sitting on one of the branches, swinging his feet and grinning down at me.

"It's really pretty, but I thought you said this was a game?"

"It is, though I guess it can be a bit slow and difficult at times, plus you don't have any idea what you're supposed to be doing, do you?" I just shook my head. He jumped down from the branch, but instead of hitting the ground, he just gently floated down.

"Probably not the best game to just throw ya into, but have you looked at the sky yet?" I raised an eyebrow before furrowing them, confused what the sky had to do with anything. I walk out from under the tree a bit and look up at the sky, glancing around, trying to find anything. It was clear of any clouds, and the sun was bright and glaring, causing me to squint. I continued to search before looking back to Ben, silently questioning what I was looking for. The response I got was an overdramatic sigh and eye roll before he stepped closer, looking off in a direction and pointing into the sky. I stared at where he was pointing, trying to spot what it was before my eyes widened. It was small, far into the distant sky, but it was close enough that I felt dumb not noticing it. A large, gray moon, with a face. Its eyes were dark, black craters, with wide yellow and red eyes, with small black pupils. Its mouth was pulled back in a large grimace, as if baring its teeth to the world, disgusted by what it saw. Its lips were so curled back that I could see its gums.

"What...the fuck?" He only chuckled, letting his hand fall back to his side after I managed to spot the only other object in the sky.

"That would be the moon, and in three days, it'll fall down and wipe out everything here." I slowly glanced at him, gawking. I didn't really know what to say or ask, so instead of continuing to stare stupidly, I just closed my mouth and looked back to the moon.

"That's part of the story of this game, you have to stop it from crashing, but that's easier said than actually done."

"I'd imagine, how the hell do you stop the moon from falling down and killing everyone? Not like you can catch it!" His grin never wavered, and he just shrugged.

"Eh, I'm not one to spoil stuff, so you'll have to figure that out yourself, though if actually being

in

the game is too much, could always just play it normally." I was stuck just glancing between Ben and the moon, its creepy face feeling as if it was staring directly at me. It sent a shiver up my spine.

"Yeah, I think this is a bit too much for me right now, maybe something easier, less scary?" He just laughed, but it wasn't mocking or sinister, it was light-hearted.

"Yeah sure, I wouldn't recommend someone whos never played a game before to start with this. I'm tempted to put you in Tetris but then you might just get crushed with how much you just stare at stuff." Another laugh and I lightly smacked his shoulder.

"If something was gonna kill me I wouldn't just stare!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure, I'll bet on it." His genuine smile turned into that sly grin once again, eyes narrowing ever so slightly. I just crossed my arms and tilted my head.

"And what makes you think that?" He hummed, grin widening, and he tapped his temple.

"Let's just call it intuition, for now, ~" I huffed but soon smiled, just shaking my head.

"Whatever dude, can I just try something easier first?"

"Alright, I'll get ya outta here." He didn't even have to motion with his hands, the world just began to fall away around us, disappearing in smudges of color and distorted pixels. We were back to floating in that void, the floating and rushing flat boxes slowly becoming a familiar sight. I was being pulled forward again by my uninjured, left wrist, a new box approaching us, this time full of static, and this time it wasn't moving or scrolling, it was just still, the fuzzy static being the only motion.

Ben easily pulled us through it, and I found myself in a new room, crawling off the floor where the small TV sat. I looked around, it was dark and full of knick-knacks, a desk on the other side of the room, full of computer monitors, a keyboard and mouse on the desk, lights emitting from a large, glass rectangle, with 2 of the walls of it being made of black plastic, a few buttons on the top of it, wires plugged into the back of it, splaying out, going in every which direction. A bed was pushed into the corner of the room, messy and not even made. The room was simple, but the desk and its setup looked complicated. Turning to my side, I noticed a larger TV, mounted on the wall, it too with many wires connecting it to other devices, all sitting on a short table below it. A mishmash of objects, a long, thin, white box, a black one, taller, with a green 'x' button, a small blue cube, all different types of devices, with a slew of controllers and remotes set up in front of them, lined up neatly. In front of the TV, on the ground, was a black beanbag, sitting next to a dark green one. They looked worn and old, but cozy.

"Sit there, lemme find the game." He was looking at a bookcase that sat next to his desk, but instead of being filled with books, it was filled with thin plastic cases, all with various covers on the spines, different fonts, and names and colors distinguishing them all. He had a finger pointed at them, scanning over the names, finally finding what he wanted before grabbing it, glancing it over before walking over to the short table.

I hadn't sat yet but finally decided to sit down in the black beanbag, sinking into it and just waiting, tapping my fingers on my knees. He opened the case, taking out a disc, and placing it into one of the devices, clicking a button as a light on it lit up, and the TV turned on, loading. He grabbed a controller, a wire connecting it to the same device that he had turned on, before sitting in the green beanbag next to me, holding the controller between us, showing it to me.

"This seem familiar at all?"

"No."

"Alright, here," He point to each button, telling me what it was called or what it did, how to use it as the game loaded, but once it did, a fun little tune began to play. The TV screen was now a color puzzle piece of blocks stacked on top of each other, all in different shapes, with a large title above it all, 'Tetris'. Ben handed the controller to me, telling me what to press and patiently waiting for me to slowly figure it out and get used to the controls of it.

It was a slow learning curve, having to mentally assign certain buttons and triggers to certain fingers, but with Tetris, it was simple and didn't take too much brain power to figure out. We sat in a comfortable silence, listening to the music playing from the TV speakers and the small clicks of the on-screen blocks clicking into place. It was nice, it felt like after the whirlwind of everything, there was finally a calm moment in the storm, where the wind and rain cleared and I could just sit and play. I could forget about everything, my memories, my life before, my scars, my injuries, I could forget it all and just finally relax, letting my mind melt away, enamored by the simplicity of the game.

I wasn't sure what time it was, how much time had passed, if hours or just minutes, reality melded together around me, and the only thing in focus was the game. A moment of peace and quiet, letting the world around me cease to exist. Though I quickly came plummeting back to the earth when a loud, aggressive knock at the door to the left of the room made me jump, losing my concentration.

"Come in." Ben spoke loudly, and I turned to look at the door as it, rather forcefully, slammed open. Standing on the other side, was the ever-grumpy Jeff. He quickly spotted him, gesturing at me with a tilt of his head.

"Move outta my seat." I was still jarred from being ripped away from the immersion of the game that I didn't hesitate, immediately starting to stand, but a hand on my shoulder pushing me back down halted me.

"No, she was there first, find somewhere else to sit, asshat." The black-haired man sneered at the blonde, eyes narrowing as much as they could without eyelids. There was a pause, seconds ticking by as he seemed to think before grumbling, stomping into the room before slamming the door behind him. He grabbed the back of the chair at the desk, dragging it over to where we sat, setting it between the two beanbags, slightly behind them. He was still grumbling under his breath before ripping one of his hands out of his hoodie pocket, holding out a phone of his own to Ben. Upon seeing the device, Ben just glanced at Jeff, looking annoyed, then concerned, then annoyed again.

"Dude, again? Seriously?" Jeff just shrugged, not looking at either of us.

"For fucks sake, stop clicking random links! I keep saying this, but does anyone listen to me? Nooooooo." His elf-like ears twitched downwards in annoyance, mouth pulled back in distaste that his warnings always spoke to deaf ears. He snatched the phone from Jeff's hand, staring down at it as the screen turned bright screen, then began to flash with bright, saturated colors, squares, and pixels, all distorting, stretching and scrolling, and flashing all around.

Too busy watching the screen, I hadn't noticed Jeff leaning forward until he yanked the controller out of my hands, restarting the game and playing a level on his own. I didn't care to protest, I had already lost the level

I was playing due to the distractions. I just leaned back in the seat, staring up at the TV screen. Everything fell back to the previous silence. I just watched as the colorful cubes on the screen flipped and moved side to side before locking into place. It was hypnotic to watch in the otherwise pitch-black room, but not doing anything myself left my mind to wander again.

"You did this to yourself, dear. If you would have just listened to me, this never would have happened."

Her words were once again playing on repeat in my head, but something didn't sit right with me. It didn't

feel

right. There was something wrong with what she said, it didn't make sense, something was missing. Something I hadn't noticed before was making itself more known now, turning from a small scratching in the back of my skull to a pounding, screaming

thing

, snarling and gnashing its teeth, yowling and begging to go back. It was an odd feeling, a mix of longing and curiosity, of fear and hesitation, something lurking just below the surface, reaching out, beckoning me back to its cold, clawed embrace.

What did I do? What was it she was talking about? I couldn't understand, I just didn't have enough puzzle pieces yet, and I needed more. The yearning, longing, to just go back was eating away at me. I didn't have time to waste or I'd be driven insane by my own selfish curiosity.

I abruptly stood up from the beanbag chair, grimacing in pain before looking down at Ben. My sudden movement had grabbed the duo's attention.

"I should go, I'm wasting time, though this was a lot of fun! I'd really like to play some more games when I get back." I offered him a smile, but he just looked confused once more.

"I thought you were gonna wait? Ya know, to heal and whatever?" I just shook my head, trying to think of what to say without explaining my weird feelings about my dream, how would I even explain that?

"I was, but I just feel restless. I just wanna get it over with." Another pause.

"Alright, if you say so. Still need to talk to Mas-Tim and Toby, yeah?" I nodded, curiosity piquing at what he almost called Tim, but I let it be.

"Yeah, but I can probably just text them, I think I just gotta figure out how to get back downstairs."

"I could take you through the TV-"

"C'mon, brat." Ben was cut off by Jeff standing from the chair, throwing the controller at the blonde who managed to catch it pretty quickly. I couldn't even speak before I was being dragged out by my upper arm. I managed to wave bye to Ben before the door was shut behind me.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

I was being dragged through the dark, twisting hallways of one of the upper floors of the house, wooden floors creaking under our every step.

"Didn't think you were the helping type?" I broke the silence with a question, only getting a grunt in return.

"Nah, I'm just tired of you whimpering like some puppy."

"Yeah, suuuure." I couldn't help but grin. Every interaction we had was friendly bullying, and it was always fun. He growled at my mock disbelief.

"Keep that up 'n I'll just push you down the stairs." I laughed, but took the threat a bit seriously, stopping for a moment before speaking seriously.\

"Really, though, I'm struggling with stairs. I dunno what you plan to do." He paused, seeming to actually think about what the hell his plan even was.

"Huh." That was it. He looked up at the ceiling, thinking for a minute before shrugging, chuckling darkly.

"Guess I am tossing ya down the stairs." I could still still that he was grinning despite the large carvings in his cheeks.

"You do that, I'm holding on and taking you with me, Chuckles."

"Ha! You can try, I won't budge!"

"Wanna fucking bet?" Another pause before his grin faltered slightly.

"Ah fine, I'll help you

normally

, but I'm not carrying ya."

"Don't worry, if you did, I would kick you." He then continued leading me through the hallway, taking a few seconds longer before we found the staircase. I slowly shuffled to it, hand instinctively grabbing the railing with a death grip. Jeff just continued to hold my upper arm before taking the first step on the stairs.

"If you fall on me, I'm killing you."

"If I fell on you, I'd kill myself." He just chuckled again but waited for me to finally step on the stairs. It was a slow journey, having to take one step at a time with my injured leg, and by now my ribs were beginning to ache and pound again, whatever numbing substance Jack had used now wearing off, and a new pain began setting into where my recent stitches were. Nearly halfway down, he suddenly stopped, seeming lost in thought for a moment before looking at me, a more serious look on his face.

"Oh yeah, why were ya locked in your closet and screamin' for? No one's said anything 'bout it." I froze midstep and pulled my foot back to the previous step, letting the cold from the wood settle into my skin. I hesitated, once again feeling that sinking pit in my stomach. I felt the same for each person I told, and I didn't want anyone else to know.

But they'd find out eventually.

They all would.

But did I have to tell them now? Couldn't I do so in my own time?

"I-" I paused, swallowing the lump in my throat, staring down at the steps.

"I'd rather not talk about that right now, please." Silence. Thumming silence. It was probably the first time I had given any sort of 'no' to anyone here. Something crawled up my spine, that once again primal fear leeching off of me, sinking into my back, chilling my bones. I often forgot just

who

these people were. Cold, brutal, merciless, killers. I doubt they were ever told no. They hadn't done anything to harm me or make me feel in danger, mostly, but just denying answering a question had my mind racing about what would happen to me.

Would he get angry? He was hotheaded. Would he threaten me? I had no reason to be afraid, but something in the air finally sank in, or maybe it was the fact that I just now realized the smell of blood that stuck to everything.

The smell of copper was heaviest around him. Just like the hallways of the facility. Filled with viscera and gore, floors slick with blood, the stench of death hung heavy in the air then, but now, being so close to Jeff, it clung to him too. The smell of rot and blood, the smell of death itself, as if the Reaper himself were holding my arm with such a death grip. My eyes refocused and I dared to glance up at him.

All I saw staring back were the icy cold, blue eyes of that woman. Not his eyes. Hers. Staring at me with such disgust and disdain. Staring at me ready to strike me again, to hurl volatile words at me once more, to break me down little by little until all that was left of me was bones and organs, all to be manipulated by her calloused, boney hands. Those cold blue eyes that nearly shone red with bloodlust and anger, with such a hatred for me that they burned my skin with just a glance, a raging wildfire hidden within them, ready to burst out and consume all they see. I wasn't looking at Jeff, I was looking at the woman who had called me her daughter, the woman whose very eyes I stared into as I ripped them out and mutilated them into bloody, goopy messes.

I felt lightheaded and wobbly. I jumped, staring into those eyes, and fell backward onto the stares, gasping out as the edge of the stairs jabbed into my spine, a deep ache rumbling through my ribs, making me gasp and hiss in pain.

"Whoa! Hey-!" His grip on my arm tightened, trying to catch me from hitting the stairs, but he was a second too late before the pain was coursing through my body.

"Dude, what the hell? Why're you freaking out now?" His voice was harsh, and all I could imagine was her again, yelling at me, calling me useless and dependent, fearful and cowardly. The grip on my arm felt like her skeletal hands digging into my skin, and instinctively I yelped. His hand shot away, holding his hands up.

"Hey! What's up with you?" My own hand shot up to grab at my shirt at my chest, nails digging into my skin through the shirt, feeling as I lost control of my breathing, heaving from pain and panic. Why did she haunt me? What was I afraid of them now? Why was I acting like this now? Didn't I already freak out enough? So why isn't it out of my system yet? Why am I still so scared? She's gone, I killed her with my own hands, so why am I still so, so afraid?

"Shit, c'mon, don't do this! You're just gonna hurt yourself more!" His words fell on deaf ears as I just tried to breathe, but no matter what, the panic only set in worse, it wouldn't clear out of my system, it stayed like a heavy fog in my mind. He only huffed, staring at me for a few more seconds before rolling his eyes and sitting on the step next to me, keeping his distance.

I wheezed, taking a long, long while to calm my breathing, trying to wipe the memory of her eyes from my mind, but they were seared into my brain, staring at me with such seething abhorrence and contempt. With such malice, such animosity. My hands were shaking, my right hand holding onto the edge of one of the steps, nails digging into the wood, knuckles white with how tense my grip was, my wrist aching with the strain. My left hand was still gripping my shirt in a tight fist. I sucked in a sharp breath, trying to slowly let it out, though my breathing was still shaking.

"Ya doing okay?" I had to swallow and take in another deep breath before answering.

"Y-yeah. Sorry." He only shrugged.

"Nah, it's fine. Makes sense you're scared."

"It...does?" He nodded before grinning, cold eyes once again boring into me.

"Everyones scared of us, surprised it took this long for you to freak though. Or were you just pretending this whole time?"

"Wha-"

"Nah, don't act stupid. We see it all the time. It aint my first rodeo, either. Anyone who sees us, sees

me

, freaks the fuck out. Usually, there's more screamin', but fear is still fear." He was sneering now, and his cold eyes made more sense.

"Wait, what? No, no, no-" I had to shake my head, taking another deep breath, but he cut me off again before I could continue.

"Oh just shut it, I fuckin' hate liars, so don't even try that shit-"

"Listen to me!" I yelled, something that took him off guard, but I didn't get a chance to defend myself. He did

not

like me shouting at him. He made a guttural growling sound before abruptly standing up, already stomping down the steps.

"Wait-!"

"Fuck off, bitch! I'm not hearin' it!" He turned his head slightly to glare back at me, and I felt my face grow hot with my own anger.

"Do you want a fucking answer or not?!" I screamed louder than I meant, but his curiosity seemed to best him, and he paused, turning his head again, ever so slightly to stare back at me, untrusting yet interested. I stared down at him from where I still sat on the stairs, and all the while struggling, I managed to pull myself up, both hands gripping the railing for stability. I stared down at him with my own anger, something I rarely felt, but the need to defend myself was overwhelming, to prove that I was scared of him, of

any

of them, that I was just afraid of

her

.

"You wanna know why I freaked out? Why I was screaming and crying earlier? Why I was hiding in my closet? Because I fucking remembered something, then I had the

brilliant

idea of looking in a fucking mirror. You wanna know what I saw?" He only continued to stare, but slowly turned to face me, but not moving from his spot lower on the stairs.

"Dude, I'm fucking

covered

in scars, I look like some fucking model kit that was taken apart over and over again!" I turned my back to him, twisting my arm around to pull the back of my shirt up, struggling and only managing to pull it about halfway. He only snorted.

"So? That doesn't even look bad! Who cares about some scars-" I was fuming now. I let go of the railing and nearly ripped my shirt off entirely to show my back. The brand between my shoulders, the horrific spinal scar, all the lashes and jagged cuts and deep incisions.

"Look! Does this look fucking normal?! Not that bad?! They go down my fucking legs! Look at them! What would even make these? How could I forget them?!" I was seething, nearly screaming at him, jaw clenched and teeth gritting together. I whipped my head back to stare down at him, and despite having no eyelids, his eyes were wide, and his mouth hung slightly open.

"Oh." That was it. Just 'oh', and I wanted to screech.

"Oh? Oh?! That's fucking it?! Look at me! This is why I'm fucking scared! Cause I'm pretty sure that fucking

bitch

did this to me! She did this!" There was a pause.

"So..?"

"She said she was my own fucking mother!" It was so, so much louder than I had intended, and it was something I hadn't shared with anyone, only Slender knew my dream, but he didn't make a comment about it. The stairwell fell into deafening silence. He only stared at me, and I could see the inner turmoil, whether to be sympathetic or say that it was something that most of them went through, that I was no different, that I wasn't special.

I knew I wasn't special, I didn't want to be special. I didn't want to be any different or to have this attention. I didn't want this, I never asked for any of this. I just wanted a normal life, with a normal family, a normal mother, and normal friends, but life had other plans, and it was making me its punching bag.

He stayed silent still, he would open his mouth to say something, close it, then open it again. He just didn't know what to say. What to do. I yanked my shirt back down, covering my back once again. I turned back around, gripping the railing and using my other hand to brace against the wall as I began to try and make my own way down the stairs without help. My goal wasn't to get to him, no, I just wanted back to my room, I just wanted to hide away and fall asleep again. I just felt so drained. I moved off to the side of the stairs, letting me wobbly pass by. Before I reached the last step, he finally spoke.

"I'm...sorry." It was my turn to pause and look back at him. He looked uncomfortable, like he wasn't used to apologizing.

"I guess I shouldn't have assumed, uh, my bad. It does look pretty bad too..." He was grimacing and looked everywhere but at me. I sighed, letting my shoulders fall. He was trying, the least I could do was meet him halfway.

"No, it's fine, I get it. I'd be pissed too if I were you, but honestly, next time just let me talk, 'kay? Would've saved the screaming match." He just looked more uncomfortable, so I left it, just turning to finally reach the bottom floor.

Though, looking around, I wasn't at the bottom floor of where I've seen the staircase, in fact, this looked like a whole nother floor.

"Uhh-"

"Yeah, we were on the third floor."

"Oh come on!" I could hear the steps creaking as he came down to the same level, scooting passed me.

"C'mon, the stairs are a bit over this way." I stayed silent as I followed him, slowly hobbling after the man. I was slow, though this time he didn't seem to wait for me, just wanting to leave, and the air felt tense.

"Um, hey?"

"What?" He didn't stop, just kept walking as I tried desperately to catch up.

"I'm sorry too. I really shouldn't have yelled-" He waved a hand, cutting me off.

"Nah, forget it, it's fine." It wasn't fine though.

"But it's not-"

"I said it's fine! Just drop it." I pursed my lips, silently pouting. He was so odd compared to everyone else. He seemed much more shut off to others, not much one for interactions of any kind. The way he handed his phone to Ben, no words exchanged, and didn't really look at him, more just held it out to him and hoped Ben knew what Jeff wanted.

And when it came to confrontation, he was quick to anger, jumping to assumptions and not giving me a moment to explain or defend myself. He was so distant it seemed, emotionally and socially. I stayed silent a bit longer, but it was eating me up inside, I felt bad that I let my own temper get to me, but I hated that he was putting his own words and thoughts on me as if they were my own when in reality it was only his assumptions.

"You know, I only freaked out 'cause your eyes look like hers." I spoke without thinking, but instantly regretted it. I should've thought, worded it better, god that was probably such a bad thing to say. Now I wouldn't blame him if he took offense to that.

"Huh? Oh, the bitch at that prison? That why you flipped?" It was a much calmer reaction than I expected, but I supposed I was thankful he wasn't yelling or getting angry again.

"Yeah, sorry, just...I dunno. I just saw her, not you, if that makes sense?" There was a pause of silence as he kept leading me down hallways.

"Yeah, I guess. You did seem pretty pissed at her when you tore her up, I'd be freaked out too if someone I killed was standing in front of me." I slowly nodded. I let the conversation die, just quietly following until we came upon another stairway.

"Alright, last one, c'mon." He gestured to the stairs, grabbing my upper arm once again, waiting for me to grab the railing. Once I found my grip on the banister, he started to help me down the stairs, step by step, grip on my arm keeping me held upright. This time he helped me down the whole staircase, finally reaching the bottom, the familiar first floor now in sight, a clear view into the empty living room. I offered him a smile as he finally let my arm go.

"Thank you, really-" He cut me off as he seemed to so often do.

"Nah, quit that shit, don't get all gross and sappy, I'll just throw up." I just rolled my eyes but chuckled, waving my hand, dismissing the idea of being 'sappy' to him.

"Gross, what makes you think I'd ever be like that? Especially to you?" I held a hand to my chest in a dramatic manner, faining disgust, but my smile never faltered.

"Well, why not? I'm fucking beautiful, everyone just falls for me!" I couldn't help but snort.

"Yeah, sure dude, go get the clown to 'swoon' about you then, I'm too busy for that nasty shit." We both laughed, the tension from earlier now finally gone and swept under the rug.

"Oh yeah? Busy trying to get yourself killed again?"

"Dude I don't think I

can

die, everyone keeps failing to kill me!"

"I mean it makes sense, you are a cockroach." I lightly punched his shoulder, trying to glare at him but smiling.

"Dickhead." Another round of laughs before deciding I needed to get back to my original mission.

"Still, thanks for helping me. But I should go find the others now." He nodded, grinning one last time and flipping me off.

"Yeah yeah, I get it, now fucking scram, ya bitch." I returned the gesture, raising my middle finger to him before turning and hobbling back to my room. Ben had said that Toby, Tim, and Brian had gone out, so I guess going outside was next.

I closed the door behind me, limping to the closet, and looking inside, quickly spotting the shoe rack on the opposite wall to the mirror, full of different shoes; sneakers, boots, sandals, heeled boots, flats, pumps and heels, a good mix of everything for any occasion. I quickly skimmed them before grabbing a pair of sneakers, they looked good and comfortable to walk in. Rummaging around a bit more I found some socks.

I walked back to the bed to sit on it, struggling to bend over to put on the socks and shoes, but finding it a bit easier to do while sitting.

After the small hurdle, I found my discarded phone on the bed, making sure to actually grab it and bring it with me this time. It seemed like a useful tool to have, and I needed to make a habit of keeping it on me. I shoved it into the pocket on the side of my leggings before standing again, taking a second to find my balance before leaving my room again and heading to the front door. Walking was slowly becoming easier as I got used to my limp, finding a pattern to walk more efficiently without falling over.

I pushed the front door open, a soft breeze creating resistance against it, needing to push it open a bit harder than normal. Sunlight flooded my eyes, momentarily blinding me before my eyes finally adjusted. It was a bright day, the sky bright blue and clear of any clouds. It was warm but the wind was welcoming and cool.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Stepping outside was a breath of fresh air. Literally. It was refreshing to be outside again. I had only momentarily been out before, but it wasn't very long. This time I could stay outside, after being held up inside for what felt like eons, it was nice, it was welcoming. The sun felt so warm on my skin like a cozy blanket wrapping me up and trying to lull me to sleep. If I could I would just lay in the grass and doze off. But now wasn't the time for that. I had my own personal goals to accomplish before I indulged in selfish dreams.

I walked down the wooden porch steps into the grass, looking around, wondering which direction I should even walk in. I hummed to myself, closing my eyes and spinning on my good leg for a few seconds before stopping, having picked a random direction and choosing to start walking that way. It was to the left of the house, angled a bit past the back of it.

As much as I felt like I was in a hurry, I enjoyed my leisurely pace, limping through the tall grass and enjoying the wind blowing through my hair and the sounds of birds singing and frogs croaking. It was peaceful and brought me to ease.

When I reached the treeline, I paused, staring past the trees into the dark distance. It was eerie, but I didn't have much of a choice. It was vaguely explained to me that the forest would take me where I needed to. So if I needed to find the trio, then it should take me to them, right? I rolled my shoulders, feeling the dull ache in my ribs before trudging forward, resting my hands against the trees to help me from tripping and falling over among the chaos of roots and shrubs.

I walked through the forest, watching as it got darker, how the trees grew taller, branches tangling together into knots and ties, wildflowers blooming in full, bushes full of berries and thorns bundled up with them. Moss growing on the trees and ground was slick with dew, and it made it more difficult to keep my footing in the already slippery mud. A light rain had started, but the leaves above me acted as an umbrella to shield me from the rainfall. Mostly.

My pace began to slow significantly, being more careful trying to tread through the mud and moss, puddles of water forming all around me, small pools for me to accidentally splash around in and nearly causing me to slip. Thankfully, the dense amount of trees constantly gave me something to hold onto. Only a few minutes into walking did I start to second guess myself.

I was completely lost.

I wasn't sure if I was still headed straight, considering how often I would slip and have to maneuver around trees, I was all turned around, I didn't even know which direction the house was in. I tried keeping myself calm, taking deep breaths in through my nose, then slowly breathing out my mouth. It worked for the most part, until it didn't.

Panic was really starting to set in now. The rain was getting heavier, soaking into my hair and clothes, my shoes were coated in a thick layer of mud and the water was beginning to soak into them as well. I was shivering in the cold, and in what little light there was I could see clouds of my breath. Why did I even decide to come outside? Did I really think that all of this just worked like magic? That I would walk through the woods for a few feet then just be standing in front of them? Of course not. Nothing was ever

that

easy.

Why didn't I just text them? I did for Jack. I cursed myself under my breath, teeth chattering. I stopped walking, quickly grabbing my phone from my pocket and clicking the button on the side. Nothing happened, the screen stayed dark. I tried again, but still nothing. Fuck.

Shoving it back in my pocket, I glanced around, trying to find my bearings, but being as lost as I was, nothing seemed familiar, and I have no clue which direction to even go now.

Frustration began to leak in now, mixing with the panic in some sort of twisted gut feeling. I gritted my teeth, jaw tense, trying in vain to calm my nerves still, feeling helpless. I slammed the side of my fist into a nearby tree, knowing damn well that if I tried to kick the ground I'd just slip and fall on my ass. I wasn't

that

stupid.

Finally taking another deep breath, I began to walk again, clumsily weaving through the forest floor, deciding that the only way was forward. It felt like the more I walked, the more the forest around me changed. The dirt turned to mud, and the mud began to get deeper, I was walking through ankle-deep mud. Tall trees densely packed together before slowly becoming more sparse, the leaf canopy above thinning, the rain now soaking me down to the bones, leaving me cold and wet and shivering.

It was getting harder to move, with fewer trees to hold onto, deep mud that made it hard to walk, getting colder, the deep ache in my chest pulsing with pain, my feet hurting from how long I had been walking for. I felt so far away from my goal now, and I was missing the warm sun from the clearing in front of the house.

Wherever I was, it wasn't anywhere near the house. It was dark, the sky full of massive, dark gray clouds, rain pouring down, lighting and thunder in the distance, slowly rumbling closer with each passing second. I was starting to trip and slip more, the mud creating a suction on my shoes, and with little to no trees around me anymore to grab onto for any type of support, I was a sitting duck.

A loud crack of lighting above my head made me jump, yelping loudly and losing my footing, falling forward on my knees, hands splayed out to catch myself. My legs were by now entirely covered in mud as well as my hands and forearms. It was a struggle to stand back up, but I somehow managed. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I was starting to tear up. I was frustrated and freezing, I was lost and alone, scared and panicking.

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to stay warm in any way I could, and I continued on. It was only a few more seconds of trudging until I saw something. A small, decrepit shed, run down and abandoned, door slightly ajar. My heart jumped a bit at the sight, some kind of shelter from the cold and rain.

I quicked my pace, eyes trained on the shed. It took a bit, the mud feeling as if it were hundreds of hands grabbing at my feet and legs, holding me back, trying to trip me again. But I made it, grabbing the doorframe and pulling myself inside, slamming the door shut behind me. It was dark, but by now my eyes had adjusted. Boxes and random objects were strewn about in a mess, a small pile of broken glass was pushed into a corner, and cobwebs filled the ceiling. But I could care less. It protected me from the biting cold of the wind and the sting of raindrops hitting my skin.

I dragged my feet as I walked, mud and water leaving a trail behind me. I was still shivering, rubbing my hands on my upper arms, desperately trying to keep myself warm, creating any heat. I made it to the far wall from the door, leaning against it and slowly sliding down to the floor, legs pulled up, sitting in the fetal position, trying to keep any warmth to myself.

It was deafening silent in the shed, the only sound the creaking of the old wood from the wind and rain pattering against the roof and windows.

I sat there on the rotting wooden floor, waves of chills racking through my body. I just focused on my breathing and the sound of the storm outside, trying to distract myself from further panic.

Not waiting for the storm to pass didn't seem to be much of an option. It was only picking up as time passed, getting louder and more aggressive, the thunder getting louder and more frequent than before, and I had little hope that the shed would even stay in contact through it. I patted my pocket, finding my phone and grabbing it out once again. Another try at the buttons proved fruitless, the screen just staying black, showing my faint reflection in the darkness, teary-eyed and flushed cheeks from the cold. I just set it down on the floor, ignoring it and setting my chin on my knees, staring at the door in front of me.

My ears began to ring from sitting in the silence for so long, the storm outside blending into the background, becoming just white noise to me, the only true sound being the rumbling thunder and loud cracks from the sky above. I was slowly getting warmer, but my clothes were sopping wet, and it left a deep chill deep in my bones. Sitting in the silent dark left my mind to wander, despite trying my best not to, knowing it would only cause more anxiety. But I couldn't help it.

My phone wasn't working for whatever reason, so I couldn't text or call anyone. I was lost, I had no clue where I was. I was told the forest would take me where I was needed, so why did I need to be here? I could try to use the mental link, but was I even still connected? Would anyone hear me? I knew there was a radius, but I had no clue if anyone was close enough to hear me. I could try, but I could just be speaking to the void, and I rarely used it, so how would I know it worked? If anyone heard me? It was still worth a shot.

I closed my eyes, thinking hard, imagining everyone's face in my mind, their names. I wanted to talk to them. I

needed

to talk to them. I tried focusing as best I could.

"Hello? Can anyone hear me?" Silence.

"Please. I'm lost. I don't know where I am or how to get back. Someone please, help me. Um, it's raining here, there's not many trees around and I'm hiding in a shed." No response.

"Hello? Anyone? Jane, Sally? Slender?" Nothing. I sighed, furrowing my brows together, trying harder to focus on them. I kept trying, kept reaching out, but there was nothing. No response, no sense of anyone there. Maybe I was disconnected from them?

I could only sigh in frustration, my groan dragging out into a frustrated yell.

"Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck!" My voice echoed around in the shed but fell on deaf ears. I curled in tighter on myself, arms set across my knees, burying my face in the space between my arms and chest, eyes burning with tears of frustration. Why did I have to go and fuck off into the woods and get lost? Why was I so stupid? Jane was right, I would get lost, and I did. Just another useless thing about me. That lady, my mom, was right. Useless and dependent. Lesser, clingy, vulnerable, reliant, inferior. Useless.

I bit my lip, doing my best to hold back my tears. I really needed to stop crying. I was trying too hard to keep my breathing under control, but it was getting harder with each passing moment. My attempts were futile. My vision was blurry with tears, and when I finally blinked, they began to fall, and my breathing got ragged. Forcing myself to control it only made it worse, and it left me hiccuping and silently sobbing to myself.

I had no clue how long had passed, crying and weeping, breathing ragged and uneven, everything felt like it was slowed down.

A creaking sound. It was different from the creaking from the wind and rain, it was slow, deliberate, louder. I looked up from my huddled position, staring at the now open doorway, a dark silhouette standing there.

"(Y/n)?" He didn't wait for a response, looking over his shoulder and calling out to others.

"Hey, Mmm-Masky, she's over here!" When he turned his head to the side, the faint light outside reflected off his orange goggles, pulled over his eyes, seeming like bright lights in the dark and drab shed. It took my eyes a moment to adjust again, but I could see the mask covering the bottom part of his face, it looked as if it was smiling with bars or a muzzle over it. It was interesting but made the usually friendly Toby look eerie. He walked into the shed, not long after being followed by another man, wearing a familiar brownish-orange jacket, though I couldn't see his face. He was wearing a black and white mask, it reminded me of a mime, with painted black lips and rings around the eyes. And following right behind Tim was another masked figure, wearing a yellow hoody and black ski mask with a red frowny face stitched into it. Something instinctively made me reel back, curling more into myself. The stranger wearing the ski mask stayed standing at the door, shutting it to keep the wind out, he stayed back while Toby and Tim approached me.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" Tim lifted his mask up until it sat on top of his head, he looked confused and annoyed. Toby just crouched down, staring back at me through the orange goggles. He was really starting to look creepier by the second. I just look back down at the floor, shrugging my shoulders. Embarrassment took over my fear of being lost, I was just ashamed to be found like this, helpless and crying once again, shivering cold and soaked in rain. Tim just sighed, maybe more exaggerated than he meant.

"Well, how long have you been out here for then?" I thought for a few seconds, trying to find my voice.

"I dunno...a-a while." My teeth were still chattering, forming a stutter when I spoke. The figure wearing the ski mask began to walk around the shed, looking through the boxes strewn about. Tim looked back at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Whatcha doing?"

"Trying to find a blanket. She'll get sick at this rate." The man's voice was extremely deep and full of static like he had a voice modifier on. He was completely unrecognizable. Tim nodded before joining in the search through boxes. Toby just stayed in front of me.

"Wh-what happened?" His voice was quiet, barely above a whisper, but it was a direct question to me, not a question to himself.

"I dunno. I think..." I stopped, not knowing what to even say. What

did

happen? I got lost, duh, but why was I taken here? I mean, they're here now, so I found them, or more like they found me, but were they here in the first place or did they travel here to track me down? Why did I even think I could do this? Was I just acting on whatever instinct I had to be independent? I wasn't even sure, and my own introspective was showing no results of why I even came out here in the first place. I could've just tried texting them first, then I would've seen that my phone wasn't working then I could've asked why it wasn't working. I wouldn't have gotten lost, I wouldn't be sitting here cold and wet, and I would still be home comfortable and warm.

Home..?

Huh. I guess I did consider it to be home. A home. My home. A comfortable, welcoming place, full of people, bustling with life and laughter. A home that I was welcomed into. A home filled with open arms that I seemed to just be running away from.

"(Y/n)?" I blinked and looked back to Toby who was still waiting for me to answer the question. I kept scratching my brain for an answer, but all I managed was another shrug, looking away once more and resting my chin on my knees. He seemed to wait a few more seconds for an actual answer but just sighed, not continuing. Instead, he shifted his position, moving to sit against the wall next to me, watching the two others continue their search.

"I-I dunno what happened, bu-but you can talk to us." It was a simple statement, but it made me feel guilty.

I

didn't even know what I was feeling or thinking, so how could I even talk about what I didn't know? I was reacting irrationally, making moves without thinking first, getting myself stuck in these situations, lost and afraid, cold and alone.

"...I know." My own voice was so much quieter than I meant it to be, but Toby nodding his head let me know he heard me. I tilted my head back down, hiding my face in my arms once again. I was sure my face was still tear-stained and my eyes red. The shed fell back into silence, with the additional sound of shuffling around from Tim and the ski mask. After a handful of minutes, someone tapped on my shoulder, drawing my attention to look back up.

Tim was standing in front of me, Toby being the one who tapped my shoulder, and he was holding out bundles of cloth. I just stared at it, my mind feeling fuzzy.

"It's men's clothes, but it's better than what you're wearing, these are at least dry. And a blanket." I lifted my hands and grabbed the messy bundle, looking down at it.

"Uh..." I just stared at the clothes, then back up at Tim.

"What?"

"Thanks, but uh, can you all leave? So I can change." Toby was quick to scramble to his feet, making a beeline for the door, with the ski mask man already out the door, holding it open, waiting for Tim to follow the two. Tim only rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, whatever. You all get way too embarrassed-" He was cut off by the ski mask man grabbing the back collar of his jacket and dragging him out of the shed.

"I was coming! Don't gotta drag me like a dog!"

A dog...

Huh.

I watched as the door slammed shut, and I could hear muffled talking on the other side. I should hurry, I don't want them standing in the rain too long, that'd just be rude. I slowly stood up, leaning against the wall for stability. My clothes were sopping wet and clung to my skin. I peeled off my shirt, letting it fall to the floor with a wet thump. I left the bra on though, still wanting the modesty of the garment. I unbundled the mass of cloth, finding a tan-colored t-shirt that was way too big, the sleeves reaching my elbows. I quickly pulled it over my head and started shimming out of my leggings, the task plenty more difficult. Skin-tight clothing that was wet was a pain to get off, and with all my injuries and aches and pains running through my body, it made the task even harder than it should've been. When I finally managed them off I grabbed the pants, and they too were just way too baggy, so much so that they didn't even cling to my hips, and fell right off.

Grabbing the discarded decorative belt I had been wearing, I looped it through the pants before pulling it tight and fastening it, the pants finally staying up. I then leaned down, rolling the bottom of the pants up and cuffing them so that I wasn't stepping on them or dragging them on the ground. My socks and shoes were still wet, but without anything to replace them, I just put them back on. I looked down at myself, most of my body was covered, minus my arms, and my eyes quickly focused on the scars littering my skin. I cringed to myself, finally grabbing the blanket and wrapping it around myself. The change of clothes was already so much better, feeling a lot warmer already, and the blanket helped a ton too. I walked over to the door, opening it, and peeking out.

"I'm done." The three men were silently talking amongst themselves, leaning against the wall of the shed under the awning, avoiding the rain as best they could. I stepped back and held the door open for them, watching as they each reentered the shed one by one. I noticed that the man wearing the ski mask and yellow hoody had lifted his mask, and I was surprised to see that it was Brian, though I should've connected the dots sooner, Ben had said the trio worked together. They each found their own place in the shed, Toby back to sitting where he was previously, Tim once more looking through the boxes, and Brian finding his place against one of the side walls. I walked back over to wear my original spot was, now sitting next to Toby, once again curling in on myself.

Like Brian, he had also removed his mask, hanging over his neck and his goggles lifted to sit on top of his head. He glanced at me, looking like he was about to say something, but stopping himself. I rested my chin on my knees, closing my eyes and just trying to distract myself. I was sure that we were gonna leave back home, but that didn't seem to be the case, but I wasn't going to ask about it. I just stayed silent, thinking to myself. Maybe they were waiting out the rain?

"So, why'd you come out here?" It was Tim again. I opened my eyes and looked over at him.

"I don't know-"

"Yes, you do. Stop that bullshit, what's up?" I pursed my lips. I came out here to find them and ask if they'd join me going back to the facility. But why did I walk out here? I could've texted, then I would've seen what was wrong with my phone and not got lost out here.

"I just wasn't thinking."

"Clearly. But that's not what I'm asking,

why

did you wander off out here?" He was starting to sound less annoyed and now just more confused and curious.

"Trying to run away?-"

"No!" He paused, seeming a bit surprised by my loud reaction. I cleared my throat.

"Sorry. No. I..." I paused again, staring at the wooden floor, eyes darting around and tracing each grain of wood, thinking of what to even say without embarrassing myself further, I was acting so stupidly. Why not just say it like it is? Be blunt.

"Well I was looking for you and Toby, I already talked to Brian. But I needed to ask if you two would be willing...to go back to the facility." Tim looked angry and Toby seemed to freeze next to me. I panicked and held my hands up, the blanket falling off of me.

"Wait! I need to go back, and Slender won't let me go alone. We just need a small group, Ben's gonna take us there, so it's quick and if we need to we have a quick escape. I need to go back though-" My blubbering was cut off.

"Why?" It was Toby speaking, and I turned to look at him. He looked confused, scared, hesitant, a bit angry, but more just cautious than anything.

"I..." I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. I wanted to stop talking about the scars, about my abused body, and whatever hell I went through at the facility. At the hands of that woman. I glanced at Brian, he looked guilty and looked away from me, staring out a window. In my silent search for what to say, Tim had reached out and grabbed my wrist, pointing to it.

"Is it 'cause of these?"

"No! I mean, yes, maybe, but no, not those ones-"

"Then why the hell do ya wanna go back?!" His voice was harsh, angry, frustrated, he really didn't want to go back there.

"Masky, let her go." Brian had finally entered the conversation, resting a hand on Tim's shoulder, getting his attention momentarily. He only shrugged Brian's hand away, sneering at him.

"No, why the hell aren't you saying anything? You wanna go back? Why?"

"That's not my place-"

"Oh get that stick out your ass and stop following what people say! We're

not

going back!"

"Tim-"

"Fuck off! C'mon, what the fuck is happening that you've lost your mind to wanna go back?!" It was a question directed at both me and Brian. He didn't respond, instead looking down at me.

"I...I need to go back."

"You keep saying that! Why do you

need

to?" He was practically spitting venom in his words, he was

pissed

. Brian put a hand on his shoulder again, this time yanking him back a bit.

"Fucking quit that! You aren't entitled to her fucking reasons!"

"Yes, the fuck I am! If she has the fucking

audacity

to ask us to go back, we deserve to know why!"

"Tim!" Tim pulled back again, letting my wrist go and turning to face Brian, getting in his face, screaming.

"Fuck off! You aren't my boss! I get to fucking ask questions, I don't care what you fucking do, but I'm not going!"

"Um-" Toby tried talking but was ignored by the two, it was Brian's turn to spit back at Tim.

"You don't know everything! You can ask questions but you aren't fucking entitled to answers! If she doesn't wanna say shit, then she doesn't fucking have to listen to your ass!" The two kept arguing and yelling, and guilt kept festering inside me. I cause the fight, if I could just give a reason then they wouldn't be fighting. I felt awful. It was all my fault, I just caused problems. God, even that thought process was selfish and self-centered. I was just being some self-important bitch.

"Tim?" He didn't look at me, I was far too quiet.

"Tim!" I raised my voice, finally grabbing the man's attention. He glared down at me, sneering.

"

What

?" He sounded so cruel and cold, it made my blood freeze. I couldn't find my voice for a moment, but I had to speak. My voice crackled, but I finally began to say something, anything to stop the fighting.

"I-I have to go back because-because they have information about me...that woman...I-I think she...I think she was my mom, a-and-"

"(Y/n), stop, you don't have-" Brain started to speak but Tim held up a hand to stop him, he wanted my answer.

"Brain said I was locked up there for a r-really long time...I...I'm

covered

in scars, Jack examined me...said I've had them since I was a

baby

. The newest ones are only a year old...but I don't remember-I can't remember anything. I

need

to know what was happening-"

"Let me see." I froze. The shed became eerily silent, too quiet.

"Tim, I don't think-" Brian was cut off again.

"No, if it's so bad that she needs to go back to that hell hole then I'll be the judge of how bad it is. Now let me fucking see." I curled into a tighter ball, not wanting any more eyes on me. Toby finally stood up from beside me and took a step in front of me, putting himself between Tim and me.

"F-fucking stop it! S-s-she doesn't have to do fucking an-anything!"

"This ain't your fucking conversation, fuck off!"

"No! You need to q-q-quit that shit!" Tim tried to step forward but Brian held him back.

"Dude, seriously, stop, trust me, it

is

bad."

"Oh, so you've seen it then! Kay, then let me see! I ain't going back there for a fucking cat scratch!" Tim tried shaking Brian off him again, but Brian held on this time, trying to hold him back, and Toby stepped forward, trying to help hold him back. They were all yelling now, and it was all mixing together into a loud scuffle, and the majority of the words I could make out were curses. I just wanted the fighting to stop, all the yelling, it was too loud, too much, they were supposed to be friends, family, why was I making them fight? No, not everything was about me, but I could stop it. But I felt frozen, watching, unable to move, my arms wrapped tightly around myself, nailings digging into my upper arms.

Please. Please just stop. I'll show you. Just please stop fighting. Please. I can't handle this, stop fighting, I didn't mean to start this. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

"Fine! I'll show you! Just please stop fighting!" I screamed as loud as I could to be heard over all the yelling, but it managed to cut through to their ears. Everything froze and all eyes turned to me. Brian spoke first.

"No, you don't have to-"

"Shut it! Go on then!"

"N-no-"

"Shut up!" Nothing was stopping Tim, and no one was getting in his way. I slowly stood up, pivoting on my foot, turning my back to the trio.

"(Y/n)-"

"I said quiet!" Tim cut off Brian's last attempt to try to stop me. He was the only one who had any inkling of what I actually went through, having seen me cut open and screaming. He was the only one who truly

saw

what they were doing to me. I grabbed the bottom of the bagging shirt, lifting it up and gathering it in a bunch to expose my entire back. It was dead silent once more. I could hear someone suck in a sharp breath, though I wasn't sure who. I just stood there, the cold air pricking at my back like a thousand tiny needles. Seconds ticked by, painfully slowly, letting them take into account the sheer amount of scars, the long one tracing down the entire length of my back along my spine, the brand in between my shoulder blades, each scar small and big, raised, dark, jagged or smooth, stretched skin trying to heal but being ripped open time and time again.

After a long pause, I finally let the shirt fall back down to cover me, and I slowly turned my head to look at the men. Brian was looking away, guilt covering his face again. Tim and Toby both looked shocked, Toby looking more mortified and Tim more disgusted.

"That's why I need to go back. I need to know

why.

What did I

do

?" No one said anything, Tim didn't respond, and Toby still just stared with wide eyes, Brian didn't dare look back, but he finally let Tim go and took a step back. To add to my point, he too finally spoke.

"I saw it happening once. She was awake, screaming, the had her back completely open." Both Tim and Toby turned to stare at Brian, trying to see if it was some sick joke on his end, but his guilt-ridden face showed that it was the truth. Brian hesitated but looked at the two, there was a pause, and Toby flinched, whipping his head around to stare at me and Tim just shook his head. Tim placed a hand up to his mouth, closing his eyes and sighing heavily.

"Fucking hell." Brian had shown them, through his memories, he showed them what happened to me, to prove the point.

"Oh, g-god..." It was Toby who spoke now, he sounded as horrified as he looked.

"I know we kill and all, but Jesus fucking Christ, we don't

torture

." Tim sounded in disbelief, though he looked a lot calmer than he sounded. Brian just nodded. Silence again, tense and thick in the air, no one knew what to say or do next. A horrifying realization that I had lived through that and that it could've happened countless times before, ever since I was an infant. How many times had I been opened up, awake and conscious, feeling every slice and poke and prod, every cut and stitch, just how many times?

"Fine, I'll go, but I'm not staying long." Tim conceded, finally turning to look at me again. Toby only nodded, glancing at me and then away again, now just looking sad and sympathetic towards me.

"Thank you. I promise it's just a quick search, in then out as fast as we can." Tim nodded, now not even looking at me or in my general direction. A loud crack of thunder outside made me jump, gasping from trying to hold back the yelp.

"I don't think the storms gonna die down anytime soon. We wanna risk trying to get back?" Brian broke the silence, looking at Tim and Toby. Toby only shrugged, not seeming to want to be out in the rain.

"I think it's best we wait it out, don't need anyone getting sick." Brain nodded before going back to his wall.

"Then we'll wait and rest." I sat back down, grabbing the discarded blanket and wrapping it around me once more. Despite the warmth of dry clothes and the blanket, I was still shivering, my bones felt cold and creaky. Tim joined Brian, sitting on the floor and pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lighting one, and taking a puff. Toby was the last one standing in his spot, so he once again sat back by me.

"I-I'm sorry." He spoke silently. I only shook my head.

"Don't be, you didn't do anything." He grimaced and just shrugged.

"Still s-sucks. It's not fair."

"Nothing is."

"Still." It was my turn to shrug. Sure it wasn't fair, but there was nothing to be done now. It happened, there's no turning back time.

"It's fine. Please don't be sorry, 'kay?" I tilted my head to look at him, waiting for a response. He stared back, thinking.

"Hmm, nah. You-you-you did the same thing, r-r-r-remeber?" He offered a small smile and a memory flashed through my mind. It wasn't mine, though I was present. It was from Toby's perspective, him standing inside that blinding hellish white room, looking through two glass walls, staring at me sitting in that chair, the wall beginning to fade before a sly grin spread across my face.

"I'm still sorry!" The wall faded to white, and I could feel Toby's own smile before he too shouted back.

"Stop it!" With that the memory was gone again, and I could only shake my head, laughing lightly.

"I guess that's fair, but still, no reason to be sorry."

"I know." He nodded, his head twitching to the left, then looking back forward. He was silent for a few moments, thinking, before speaking again.

"Are you shh-sure you wanna go back?" I pursed my lips, shrugging.

"I don't want to, but I feel like I need to. I know none of you wanna go back, but I was told I can't go alone. Ben said you guys were the best to come along with too, so I feel safer having you all there with me. But honestly...I am scared to go back." He nodded, shifting his position to face more towards me, but still angled away slightly.

"M-makes sense. A-a-after seeing...

that

, I mean, no-no-no one would go back," He lifted a hand and lightly hit my shoulder, smiling slightly.

"Guess being around-around us all the time ha-ha-has ya losing your mind." I smiled back and shrugged again.

"Eh, maybe, but I least it means nothing gets boring." He paused again.

"But what made y-y-y-you think about going b-back?" My smile quickly wiped away as flashes of my dream echoed through my mind once more. Seeing myself in that mirror, bruised, battered, abused, scared, degraded. How beat down and broken I truly was, how pitiful and futile of a person-no,

thing

, that I was. I shifted, wrapping the blanket tighter around me, grimacing slightly.

"I had a dream, but it felt like a memory. It felt so

real

. I-" My voice cracked and I stopped, clearing my throat. My mouth felt dry. I tried again but this time no words came out. I sighed to myself, resting my chin on my knees, closing my eyes, and focusing. Toby waited patiently. I imagined him in my mind, his face, his name. My eyes were closed, but I could sense him, tilting his head to the right, staring at me, it felt like a looming presence behind me, staring down at me, boring holes into my back with such an intense gaze. The connection formed and with another deep breath, I began to remember my dream, reliving every detail, every harsh word and cruel gesture, each little hint of who I was before I forgot. Even then, it all just seemed like I was as much of an obedient dog as I was before.
 
The blinding white void, a void without any color or shadow, not a splotch of hue anywhere. How cold I felt, the freezing needles pricking into the bare skin of my feet, how the silence made my ears ring.

"Now where did you run off to this time, huh? I swear you're more trouble than you're worth."

The harsh slew of words, her icy cold eyes glaring down at me. How small I felt. How vulnerable and tiny I was.

"Your whole life has just been boring, uneventful, just lifeless."

"Who knew my child would be so useless?"

"You were always so good at following instructions, but never at leading. Useless. No ambition. But I found a use for you after I almost gave up. No one would care if you were gone, you left no mark on this world, so who would it hurt if you ended up dying anyway? Certainly not me."

Her hand flying to my face in a hard, sharp smack. Her smile was so sickly sweet, bitterly kind.

"You know I didn't mean to do that, you just make it so hard to love you. But I do love you, you know that, right? You need me, (Y/n), and I need you."

Her hand cradled my cheek, feeling only cold and stinging, no warmth or love in the touch.

"When will you stop being selfish and just do what you're supposed to do?"

Screaming at her, yelling, getting angry, letting myself feel those emotions without feeling guilty or selfish. Being thrown down, the world flashed to a deep, crimson red all around.

"You did this to yourself, dear. If you would have just listened to me, this never would have happened. This is all your fault, but I still love you."

Being shackled to the floor, her kneeling down with the syringe in hand. The sting of it jabbing into me, the burning of the fluid, the searing pain throughout my whole body, the paralysis. Then waking up from it all. The panic and fear that coursed through my body, the residual tendrils of pain disappearing with the nightmare. 
 
I opened my eyes again, feeling the presence behind me fading away. I glanced over at Toby, his eyes were downturned and sad, but his brows were knit together, hiding his anger.

"S-s-s-some people just shouldn't b-b-b-be parents." There was venom laced through his words, something he knew deeply all too well, something that has hurt him just as I had been hurt. I could only nod in response.

We fell back into silence, and as time passed by, the storm eventually began to wane, the rain falling lighter, the thunder getting further away, and the howling winds dying down. The storm outside got calmer and quieter, and before long, soft sunbeams shone through the dusty windows of the shed. Brian took a step forward from the wall, breaking the silence.

"C'mon, let's get back." Tim was the first to stand and leave the shed, soon followed by Toby. I got up, making my way to the door, but a hand on my shoulder stopped me. I looked up at Brian, waiting.

"Are you actually sure you want to go back? You don't have to, you know?"

"I know, but I want to. I feel like I need to. If I don't then I'll just go crazy dwelling on it. I think it'll just be better to go check it out, even if there's nothing there, at least I tried." He frowned deeply but finally nodded, moving his hand to pull his mask back over his face. We finally left the shed, seeing Tim and Toby waiting for us, their own respective masks covering their faces once more.

We all began walking, Brian leading us at the front, with Tim and Toby on either side of me. They spoke not one word but worked all in unison with one another, keeping a steady pace between all of them but not too fast, allowing me to keep up with them. Any sound that would happen in the distance, a snapping twig, or birds and frogs falling silent, it would give them pause, all freezing quickly, looking around, scanning, seeing if anything was wrong or if someone was nearby. But even still, with how in sync they were with one another, they still displayed their own mannerisms.

Brian was swift and calm, he would slowly look around, taking in each detail of the environment, when a twig would snap his hand would fly to his pocket, waiting, looking, seeing if he needed to pull his weapon, whereas Tim would instantly retrieve his, gun pointed in whichever direction the sound had come from. He would be rigid and still, not looking around at all, just staring in the direction of the sound. Toby meanwhile was constantly holding his two hatchets, and when there was a sound, he would pause, crouching down slightly, almost like he was readying himself to react at a moment's notice, and instead of looking around, he would listen carefully, waiting for another noise before the group would continue.

All their footsteps were quiet, trained in knowing where to step and where to avoid, being silent hunters whether it was the dead of night or the middle of blinding day. They were patient too, waiting when there was a sound or snap, pausing whenever need be and examining the surroundings, waiting for the ticking seconds until they were certain the coast was clear. It was creepy just how silent they were, even in the mud, with puddles of water all around, falling leaves and sticks littering the ground, they barely made any noise, even with how close to them I was I could barely hear them. It was terrifying.

I often forgot just who these people were, all of them. Deadly killers, each and every one of them. Willing to kill and take another's life. But I suppose I couldn't judge, I did the same thing not long ago. But knowing they've been operating like this for years at the least, it was scary, and just how silent they could be, no one would know they were even there. Anyone could be their target, and they would never know until the last seconds and their life.

The group stopping pulled me from my thoughts, and I was once more standing in that familiar clearing, staring up at the house I had called home. Standing at the front door, almost blending into the background, almost going unnoticed, was Slender, waiting for us patiently.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

As we approached the front porch of the house, Slender took a step forward from the door, staring down at us all.

"Welcome back. How was your little adventure?" He wasn't asking them, it was directed at me. I sheepishly smiled.

"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to get lost." He hummed.

"You three are free to go, but I must speak with (Y/n)." I had a feeling I was going to be scolded again, though much harsher than Jane had. The three men said nothing, they simply filed into the house, though Toby gave one glance back and waved before closing the door.

"Come now, we'll talk and take a stroll. Are you able to?"

"Yes, Sir." I nodded and followed closely at his heels as he stepped down from the porch steps and into the grass. He began to walk towards the woods, but as we got closer, I watched in awe as the trees and bushes bent and swayed, morphing into new shapes, moving away, a wide strip of grass twisting and curling in on itself, turning into a cobbled pathway through the forest, stretching on into the distance.

"This should be easier to walk on, though you should still watch your step." I nodded. The path was certainly a lot easier to walk on, it was smooth and flat and didn't pose a challenge to my limp. I followed behind him, watching as the path behind us closed and turned into thick shrubbery once more, hiding the house from view and obscuring us from prying eyes. He was silent for a long while, continuing to walk until it felt like we were far enough away from everyone before he finally spoke, looking up at a gap through the tree leaves, a beam of warm sunlight shining through.

"What has you so eager to explore? You seem to be quite restless." It wasn't a question I was expecting. I thought for a moment, looking around at the beauty of nature surrounding us.

"I'm not sure. I think I'm tired of being couped up?" I wasn't sure, but it was my best guess. He turned his head to look down at me.

"While I understand that, you must be more careful. If you get injured further, we may not be able to help or find you. And if your actions put us at risk, then you are a sacrifice we must make to protect ourselves. We will not always be there to save you from harm or danger, and if your tendency to wander off continues, then there may be a day no one comes to find you again." I looked down at my muddy shoes, nodding my head. I really was just trouble, wasn't I?

"No, not at all, but I do say this from a place of concern. You are still injured, (Y/n), you cannot harm yourself further, nor risk our safety to help you. I understand it may not be a savory idea, but once you are healed and feeling better, you will start training.

"You need to learn to defend yourself if the time comes for it, and how to find your way back here. How to survive in the wild if you're lost, how to keep yourself alive, how to bandage up any injuries, and to know when you've sprained or broken something. You need to know these things, and I am not giving you a choice on this matter.

"Everyone will be training you, on a wide range of subjects. They all have their own weaknesses and strengths, each with their own specialty, and they will teach you these ideas so that you have a much better chance of living here." I looked anywhere but at him. I felt embarrassed and useless. He fully turned around to face towards me now.

"I must ask, why do you do that, my dear? You are always thinking so negatively about yourself, why is that?" Another pause, silence drumming in my ears. Why did I?

Useless.

She told me so.

Pathetic.

It was always told to me.

Hopeless. Incompetent. Inept. Pointless, no good, worthless.

Useless.

It was drilled into me. So it had to be true. Right?

I fucked up so often that I had to be told time and time again just what I was. It was for my own good, to better me, so I could fix myself.

Fix.

That meant I was broken, I had to be. I mean, I was told I was cut open over and over again, all throughout my life, so they had to be fixing something. They had to be.

I was broken inside, messed up, useless. Busted up. Damaged. I was being fixed. Because I was useless. And being told that I was let me know that I needed to better myself, it was all for my own good.

Right?

It had to be. Why else would she..?

"(Y/n)." I blinked and finally looked up at Slender, my eyes burning, and my mouth felt dry. I was surprised to see him leaning down, being more at eye level with me, resting a knee on the pristine pathway, and even though he was much lower now, he still towered over me.

"Dear, just because someone, even your own kin, says something about you, it does not mean that it is true. Only you truly know yourself, who you are inside, they cannot tell you who you are or the type of person that you are from the outside.

"They do not have a window to see inside your soul, they cannot see nor ever know who you truly are. So words used against you shouldn't mean anything. Do you feel useless?" I didn't hesitate.

"Yes."

"Why?" Something in his echoing voice sounded sad. I furrowed my brows.

"Because I do this. I make you guys worry, a lot, all the time. I'm always getting in some kind of trouble; getting hurt or lost, and someone has to come to my rescue. I can barely move around without holding onto something. Fuck, Jeff had to hold onto me so I wouldn't fall down the stairs, I've been here only a few days and yet I've been in Jack's infirmary so many times already. Jane gave me a whole bunch of clothes and made me food, she brought me tea and water too! Clown Jack had to fucking carry me to my room, and now Toby, Tim, and Brian had to find me, get me a change of clothes, and wait out a storm.

"What have I done in return? Nothing! I haven't cooked or clean, I haven't been helpful with anything, chores or not. I haven't given any gifts, I haven't been practical or useful for anything or anyone. It's true. I am just useless-" He rested a hand on my shoulder, cutting me off from my ramblings.

"(Y/n), you are not useless. You are injured, we do not expect you to break your body and bend over backward trying to help with anything. We do not help expecting favors in turn, we help you because we've come to care for you. You are sweet and kind to all of us, despite how some of us may look. Even with me, the first time we met, you were still so kind and respectful to me. Every other interrogator before you had never been as kind as you.

"So many had been so cruel to me, electrocuting me, screaming and cursing at me, throwing objects at the wall, crying, skipping my room altogether, never once speaking to me or interacting beyond threats and physical harm to me. You were the very first person to not react too violently towards me.

"Even just that is enough kindness. You granted me mercy no others had, you didn't try to harm me once, and the thought never even once crossed your mind. You never once thought about using that wretched button on any of us to shock us. You were so gracious to us all, every step of the way. You were, and still are, oh so compassionate towards everyone.

"You are happily welcomed here, no matter the state of your mind or body, injured or not. Whether you are able to perform an action or not means nothing to us. As long as you are healthy, and you are genuine to yourself, we are happy to have you here." I stared up at him, slightly wide-eyed at the reassuring words he spoke to me. But it didn't stop the festering feeling inside, like thousands of maggots wriggling around in my chest, eating away at me.

"Thank you, Sir, really, but honestly, I don't feel any better. I dunno...I just feel...

gross

?" I couldn't find the word I was looking for, I could only compare it to something nasty or dirty.

Gross

. He nodded his head, taking his time in thinking. It was something I took notice of.

Every interaction with him was patient, slow, mulling over words and what to say, whether to be blunt and harsh or soft and kind. He was always careful to reply, and when he would speak, it was often long and dragged out, specifying specifically what he was thinking and what he meant by his words. It might've been boring or long-winded to some people, but it didn't bother me, I actually quite enjoyed it.

"I can understand that, having those types of feelings and emotions, those thoughts about yourself, they never feel good, and I can understand that the only word you can find for it to be 'gross'. But I reiterate, you are not alone, and you never will be. You are always free and welcome to talk to us, any of us, whoever you feel most comfortable talking to.

"As long as you are living here, I will ensure that you are cared for and that you receive the help that you need. I understand if one of my earlier statements may have seemed harsh to you, or perhaps cold, when we were discussing you traveling back to the facility.

"When I told you that if anything happens, that my priority falls to those who traveled with you, and that if anything happens, it falls on your shoulders. I did not intend to sound so harsh, but it is still a true statement. I simply want to warn you of the dangers and consequences of going back there, and that whatever may happen, falls onto you, as it is only your wish to go back. And that is why I brought you out here. I wanted to discuss something with you." I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.

"I know you said you needed time to think, but have you at all thought about staying here, or what you intend to do if you leave?" I slowly nodded. It was one thing I kept coming back to, if I would stay or leave. On one hand, I didn't want to bother anyone or be in the way of them, I already felt useless, but what skills did I have that I could bring to the table after I healed enough? I didn't even know what I was useful at, so what could I do to help around?

But then again, whether out of instinct or emotion, I called this place my home. It felt like home, despite the look of the house, abandoned, cold, boarded up, and creaky, it felt so warm and welcoming, it was home. I had my own room, my own place that I felt like I fit into. It felt like

my

home.

I chewed at the inside of my cheek, eyes darting around the stone path below us, looking at each stone, tracing each crevice and speckled dot of color. Did I really want to leave? No, I would miss everyone, even the creepy clown, they were all so kind to me, arms open, ears always listening. But did I want to stay?

Yes. I did.

But that nagging feeling was still there. That I would just get in the way, be useless, just another obstacle in everyone's way.

But I did want to stay. Oh so desperately did I want to stay. I didn't have to speak. He could hear my thoughts so much louder than even I could.

"In that case, welcome home, my dear. And if I may, one more thing?" I nodded, unable to find my words still.

"I wish to form a connection, or more like a type of contract, with you. I have one in place with each of my proxies; Brian, Tim, and Toby. It always me to know where they are at any time and in any place, regardless of how far away they are, and they will always know where I am in turn. It is quite a useful tool. I wish to form this contract with you, even if temporary, so that when you return to the facility, I will know where you are. A precaution, if anything were to happen, then someone here, me, would know where you were, and if you were in any danger. Would that be alright with you?" I thought for a moment, remembering something similar that was told to me while we were all still locked up. It sounded familiar, then I remembered exactly what it was.

"We're a bit different than the others. No matter how far away we are from him, we can always feel this pull towards him, so we can always find him. He may not be able to talk to us so far away, but it's like an internal homing device. We just know where he is."

It was what Tim had told me. An internal homing device. Like a compass, but instead of pointing north, it pointed towards Slender, and to Slender, it pointed to those three.

He did have a point, it would be useful, temporary or not. I looked back up at him and nodded.

"Yeah...yeah I think that'd be a good idea." He too nodded before standing back up once more, dusting off his pants before holding out a hand to me. I hesitated but soon placed my right hand in his, though really it only seemed like I was holding the palm of his hand, considering the sheer difference in our sizes.

"I promise this won't hurt at all, it may feel odd, but there should be no pain." I swallowed hard before nodding, starting to feel a bit nervous. I watched in shock and awe as a black tendril slid over his shoulder from his back, reaching down to the top of my hand, beginning to trace a shape on my hand, leaving behind a black substance that looked like ink. A circle with an 'X' through it. It didn't hurt or sting, it felt warm but fuzzy, like static against my skin. I watched as the ink bubbled up and then fell flat, merging into my skin like a tattoo, then as it disappeared, looking as if nothing was ever there in the first place.

"And done. Quite an easy process actually, and it also connects you to my proxies, so we all know where each of us is. It may feel odd at first, but I assure you will grow used to it, oh, and do not worry about privacy, it does not interfere with it at all. If you ever wish to see the mark, it will appear, and when you want it hidden, it will disappear." I looked down at my hand, slowly pulling it up to examine it closer. Not a single hint of anything even being there. And he was right, I could feel a sort of pull on my hand. And I could tell exactly which pull belonged to who.

I could feel the strongest pull towards Slender, whether that was because he was closer or the main source of the mark, I wasn't sure, but I could feel that it was his presence, like when he or others spoke telepathically, I could feel their existence in my mind and behind me, and I knew who it was. I could feel a pull towards the other three, I didn't know what any of them were doing, what they were saying or thinking, but I knew just where they were, I could feel Tim and Brian in the living room and Toby in the kitchen. It was odd, beyond strange, but it was most definitely useful.

"Thank you, Sir. Wow, this is actually pretty cool." I moved my hand around, and I could feel the pull shifting and changing, like invisible strings connecting me to them all.

"Of course, dear. And please, no need to call me 'Sir'." Despite the lack of facial features, he sounded as if he were smiling, and in turn, it made me grin up at him.

"Alright, it's a bit of a habit, but I'll try not to."

"It's quite alright. Habits are hard to break after all. Now then, shall we head back? It should be dinner time soon."

"Yeah, that'd be nice. I'm pretty hungry, haven't really eaten much."

"Well you should, you need that energy to heal if you wish to go back to the facility."

"I know." He took a step forward, but instead of continuing on with me trailing behind, he paused, holding out an elbow to me.

"Also, there's no need to walk behind anyone, you're one of us and stand on equal ground. Walk beside me, dear." I paused once more but soon smiled again, taking a step forward, wrapping a hand around his elbow, and instead of following close at his heels, for once, I finally walked next to him, feeling oddly at ease as we walked the path back to the large house. I could smell something delicious as we entered the clearing, I couldn't tell what it was, but it made my mouth water and I suddenly became sharply aware of the empty hunger in my abdomen.

Damn, I was hungry!

I thanked Slender once more as he helped me up the porch steps, patient as ever, and so kind, holding the front door open and allowing me to enter first, the smell of food so much stronger than before. I stepped into the house, looking around. Finally, for once, it didn't seem nearly as empty as usual, it was bustling, people milling about, walking up or down the stairs, sitting on the couch and watching the TV, moving into the kitchen where the most noise was coming from. I barely took another step before someone had slung an arm around my shoulders, shaking me slightly and cackling.

"Hey, hey! Where've ya been!? Go explorin' again, have you?"

God fucking dammit.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

I turned my head, staring up at the monochrome clown. He was way too close to me, his swirl cone nose nearly touching mine, piercing white eyes staring into mine with a crazed look. His smile was just as wide and sharp as ever, black lips stretching wider than Jeff's own smile. He was leaning over to be at eye level with me, head tilted entirely to the side. His mannerisms were always over dramatic and cartoonish, and his body acted like a stuffed doll, with no joints, just bending wherever it wanted to. That or he was just stupidly flexible. It could've been either or maybe even both, but I didn't want to figure it out."Why'ya keep wandering off? C'mon, everyone gets to spend time with you, now it's my turn!""Jack." Slender was now standing in front of us, and his voice held a warning to it. Jack rolled his eyes but kept smiling."I know, I know, I ain't gonna do nothin' bad. Just have some fun!" "We're eating first, then you can do...whatever is it you have planned. Just don't hurt or break her, the poor girls had enough for a lifetime.""Pssh, alright, I get it. Dinner first, then party!" Party? I glanced between the two black-and-white beings but got no answer or explanation from either of them. Slender didn't seem to have much control of Jack either. Slender turned and made his way to the kitchen, and as much as I wanted to follow, the clown decided to do just that for me, picking me up under my arms as he had done once before and carrying me off to the kitchen. I couldn't really fight it, not if I wanted to get hurt, but it also did relieve pressure in my chest, so I didn't complain...much."I can walk myself.""You're too slow though!""Why do you care?""Hmm...just cause!" I felt a tug at the baggy pants that I was still wearing, looking down and seeing a pair of bright shining green eyes staring up at me."(Y/n)?""Yes, Sally?""Why is Jack carrying you?""Not too sure, but he said I'm too slow." She laughed, continuing to hold onto my pant leg, walking alongside Jack. We entered through the kitchen and made our way to the dining table, where quite a few figures were already sat, all talking to each other. No one looked up at us, except for one, who immediately burst out laughing and wheezing, pointing in my direction and nearly falling out of their chair."Dude! What the actual fuck! Why do ya keep doing that?" Jeff could barely speak through his fit of laughter, and Jack joined in the laughter, though he didn't answer him. I looked across the table until I spotted Jane, who was staring back at me. She was holding back her laugh, and I mouthed 'help me' to her, but she only shook her head, a giggle escaping her. Jack had started humming a toon, though with all the noise I couldn't make out what it was he was exactly humming. He placed me down in an empty chair, patting the top of my head before plopping down in the empty seat to my right, Sally climbing into the one on my left side. Looking around, I took in the sight of everyone, all talking with one another, laughing and sharing stories, 'remember this' or 'that one time' being tossed around. Slender was sitting in one of the large chairs at the head of the table, posture as perfect as ever, he too was looking around, taking in the view of happy residents and joy filling the air. He looked proud, shoulders raised and chest puffed slightly. The sight of him, of everyone, happy and proud, it made my chest feel warm and fuzzy, and no matter how hard I tried to not smile, it still crawled its way on my face. It was such a stark difference from the facility, the first time since we escaped that I saw everyone together, really interacting with one another. Everything was full of color and brightness, no pristine white anything. Everyone was smiling, eyes shining bright and alive, full of a new vigor for life, enjoying the moment, full of warmth and delight, not a care in the world. The room was buzzing with life and laughter, plates and cups clinking around, utensils pointing around, or stabbing into pieces of food. It was vibrant with energy, buzzing and electrified, swirling in the air, mixing with the smell of food. The pure positivity of it all made me feel drunk and high off the humming energy. It made me feel  alive . "Awe, is someone getting sentimental?" I glanced back at Jack, but I was still smiling, he was leaning down and grinning."Nah, just happy. Haven't seen this before, and it's so different from how everyone was at the facility. It's...nice." He looked a bit shocked, though barely, eyes widening ever so slightly and grin faltering just a bit, but it soon softened into a gentle smile."Fair 'nough. Guess it is nice, huh?" He too looked around and seemed to enjoy the moment. It was unusual to see him tranquil or calm, but it was a nice change of pace from him trying to constantly make jabs at me. He looked look to his side, grabbing a plate from whoever was on the other side of him, setting it in front of Sally, then grabbing another one and setting it in front of me."Oh, thank you!" I smiled at him before looking down at the dish, examining the plate piled high with food. Roast beef cut into thin slices, a glob of mashed potatoes with dark gravy poured over them, some buttered corn on the cob, and a small ramekin full of mixed veggies; peas and chopped-up cauliflower, asparagus, and Brussel sprouts, all lightly salted and buttered too. My mouth was watering again, staring down at the delicious meal, but I watched as no one ate yet. Some were stabbing at the food, but not actually picking it up to eat it. So I waited. I watched as plates were still passed out and others filed into the room, finding their own seats and getting handed their meals. I recognized some faces, but most I didn't, I hadn't met them yet. Some with short hair, others long, blondes, brunettes, redheads, some with normal eyes, some with none, or the same black voids with red dots, and a few mismatched. It was such a wide range of characters, all with such different characteristics, but growing to know who I did, I felt comfortable around the strangers. Of course, quite a lot of seats were still empty, those that had to be left behind, and that sparked a small twinge of sadness deep in my heart."Do not fret, you did wonderful helping who you could, we can't always help everyone, but we did get quite a lot of us out." Slender's voice echoed in my head, and I glanced over at him, he nodded to me and I smiled at him, if still a little sad. I looked back down at the plate of food, waiting patiently. I looked back up in time to have a cup being shoved in my face. I stared down at the glass, looking at the red liquid inside. I looked back at Jack, silently questioning what it was. That evil grin was back."What? It's not a party without booze~ Just fruit punch and gin, everyones drinking, eh, minus the kid." I looked to Sally, seeing her sipping on a glass of orange juice. I hesitated but took the glass, smelling it and wrinkling my nose a bit. It did smell really fruity, but I could smell the burn of the alcohol. I couldn't remember my past, but something in me knew that I didn't particularly like alcohol. I couldn't pinpoint it, but something about the smell made my heart sink to my stomach.Jack tapped a finger on the bottom of my glass, slightly pushing it up, but not in a pressuring or eager type of way, just more of a suggestion."C'mon, what's the worst that could happen? Everyones having fun, you should let loose too~" I hesitated, staring down at the rippling drink in my hand. There was a pause."Hey, don't feel like ya gotta. We're jus' tryna have fun, but you do what ya wanna do." He was an odd thing, having Jack being kind or quiet, reassuring, but it was nice. "No, it's fine. Just thinking.""'Bout what?" I could only shrug, but he didn't pry. I lifted the glass to my lips and took a sip. It burned, but tasted delicious, apples and berries mixed together, a hint of honey with sugar coating my throat. It was sweet, but I didn't mind it, it wasn't terrible at least. "See? Not too bad, my best recipe!""You made this?""Mm-hmm! Good, isn't it?" "Yeah, is there honey it in?""Yup! Ya like it?" I hummed, taking another sip."It's a bit too sweet for me, but I like it." He clasped his hands together, nearly buzzing around in his seat."Oh, goody! Well, I'm glad ya like it! There's plenty to go around!" I took a third sip before placing the glass down on the table, resting my hands on my lap. I watched as a few more people entered into the conjoined rooms, finding some empty seats and receiving their own plates of food. Once everyone was sat, Slender stood up, and the entire room fell silent, so quiet it even seemed like everyone was holding their breath. "Good evening everyone. I hope you all have been settling back in and adjusting well. I know it has been quite a rough few days, relearning our old routines and assignments, and once more getting used to being free and breathing in the fresh air, but it fills me with such joy and pride to see as many of you here as there are, I did not think this many of us would escape, and yet here we are. "For five long, grueling years, we have been locked up. Beaten, abused, electrocuted, shot, lobotomized, set ablaze, dismembered, and mangled. We've been through quite a literal hell together, and yet here we sit, alive and healthy, sturdy and resilient as ever. Some of you were torn down to your very bones and nerves, yet never once broke. You continued on with such strength. You all are so very strong, and I have never been more proud of each of you."And now that we are free, I am sure we are all eager to get back to our old lives, and so we will, but for tonight, none of you have any responsibilities, not a single worry in the world. You all may relax and have fun to your heart's content, feel alive and exhilarated, scream and dance, have your fun with no regrets, celebrate yourselves, your resilience and vigor, celebrate your freedom and your lives!"As he spoke, his usual calm and collected demeanor loosed, he spoke with passion and pride, his voice filling the entire room, loud and booming, riling up the residents, some cheering, some standing and hollering, others pounding on the table and shouting from the bottom of their lungs, large smiles and every single face I saw, eyes lighting up with a newfound fire, everyone was growing restless and excited, energy vibrating through the room, buzzing in the air like static. Even I was smiling. Sally was standing in her chair, arms raised up, cheering. And Jack was banging on the table, cackling, and hooting and hollering like others. Everything was just so full of  life .Slender was holding a glass of his own alcohol and raised it up, the whole table bursting into loud screams and shouts, glasses raising high into the air, some drinks spilling, but not a single care was given. The room fell momentarily silent, though not for long, when everyone took a long swig from their respective cups, all before cheering and chattering again. And with that, Slender sat back down in his chair, and everyone began to dig into their plates, eating and talking, washing it down with the drinks, refilling cups from pitchers that lined up and down the middle of the table. The room was so loud with excited talking and clinking dishes, many were eating quickly, shoveling the food down, picking up their empty plates and bringing them to the large sink, setting them in it before making their way to the living room. The food was as heavenly as it smelled, the roast was juicy and perfectly seasoned, a little salt and pepper with garlic and onion was perfectly enough for it, the potatoes were filled with gravy and cheese, and the veggies were so wonderfully soft and hearty. As I ate I began to realize I couldn't finish the meal, it was far too much for me to eat, but I noticed that with almost everyone's plates, it was way too much food for a single person. It didn't take long for many of the residents to finish their food and leave the dining room. It was getting quieter in the kitchen with each passing second, the noise moving over to the living room and main foyer. Sally ate the least, given a portion easily for an adult man, she just couldn't eat it all, and she looked sleepy, nearly passing out in her chair. At some point, she had fully passed out, leaning her head against my arm. I smiled down at her, not daring to move or wake her up."You done with that?" I turned my head to the side, looking to see someone standing behind me. It was someone I hadn't met yet nor recognized, a man with short dark brown hair and wearing a white mask, a dripping red smile painted on it with pitch black eyes, wearing a dark blue jacket and black gloves. A small little yellow smiley face was stitched onto the left breast of the jacket. He was balancing a couple of plates on one of his hands, seemingly collecting dishes from around the table."Oh, um, yeah." He reached past me and picked up my plate, fork and knife already laid on it. "Thank you." He only nodded to me before grabbing Sally's plate and making his way to the kitchen with the pile of dishes. "(Y/n), would you be a dear and take Sally to her room? It's here on the first floor, down the same hallway as your room. If you are able to that is, if you might injure yourself further than you shouldn't." I looked at Slender and nodded, giving him a soft smile."I'll be fine, she's tiny, it shouldn't be too hard to carry her." He paused but nodded back."Alright, if you say so. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it.""Yes, Sir-Slender." He chuckled as I slightly pushed my chair back, turned, and carefully lifting Sally into my arms, her head resting on my shoulder. She was so tiny in my arms, and she felt like she weighed almost nothing. I carefully walked out of the dining room and through the kitchen, taking care not to disturb the girl while dodging and weaving through moving bodies, dancing, and jumping around. It was a bit of a maze, moving around everyone as I tried to squeeze through the living room that was packed full of people. Though when someone noticed me holding Sally, they usually moved out of the way, grabbing someone nearby and moving them too, which was kind and helpful of them to do. Eventually, I managed to breathe again after breaking through the crowd, hobbling down the hallway, and examining each door carefully. "Jane, Eyeless Jack, blank...Sally!" I read the names on the doors to myself, finding Sally's room with ease, considering there were only five doors in the small hallway, two on each wall and mine at the very end. Each door had a simple black placard with a name written on it in white ink. Jane's was written in swirling cursive while Jack's was just normal print writing. Sally's name was written in big bubble letters, which seemed rather fitting for her. I cradled her carefully in my left arm as I grabbed the doorknob and pushed the door open, stepping in and looking around. It was a bright and colorful room, with pink being the main color all throughout. Her ceiling was painted baby blue with white clouds painted on it and glow-in-the-dark star stickers littering it. A single light fixture sat in the ceiling with yellow triangles painted around it, mimicking the sun. A large window took up most of the wall opposite of the door, with curtains layered over each other, different shades of pink and different materials, opaque thick blackout curtains with sheer lighter pinks layered on top of them, tied back with silk ribbons tied into perfect bow shapes. Her bed was quite large for a child and had a canopy over the top of it, more layers upon layers of fabric and curtains draped around, different shades and textures, and variety and plain and patterns mixed together. The wooden floor was deep, walnut brown, with fluffy rugs strewn about. Toys and furniture filled the room; a desk full of crayons and markers, a dresser left open with dresses falling out of it, small figurines covered a smaller table in the middle of the room, small chairs pushed into it and a fake plastic tea set having spilled over onto the floor. The room was colorful and any child's dream room, she was living like a princess. I gently shut the door with my foot, and the noise outside died instantly, though I could still just barely hear it. The rooms were surprisingly soundproof. I set Sally on her bed, tucking her in and finding her stuffed bear, placing it in her arms, watching as she instinctively grabbed onto it tighter. I brushed her hair aside and took a step back, drawing the curtains of her bed first then of her window, blocking out any light shining through. I looked up, smiling at the green glowing stars on the ceiling, and taking notice of the various nightlights plugged into the walls, all decorated to be glowing flowers and mushrooms. Her room was just whimsical. I left her room quietly, gently shutting the door to not wake her by accident. "There you are~ C'mon, it's time to fucking party!" A singsong voice spoke behind me, startling me and making me whip around, the clown already grabbing my shoulders and pushing me down the hallway, chuckling to himself.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Jack was shoving me down the hallway, opposite of all the noise and commotion, and towards my room instead."Uh, what're you doing?""Well, you can't exactly show up to a party like...this." He gestured to my clothes, or rather a stranger's clothes that I was wearing. The extremely bagging shirt and pants that were barely held up by my belt. Crap. I had left my clothes behind in that shed! Fuck."Oh... that's fair I guess, but why are you guys having a party?"" We're  throwing a party because they're fun! And to celebrate!~" I just nodded, finally reaching my room. Jack reached past my shoulder and opened the door, rather harshly, it hitting the wall violently. He shoved me in and then once more slammed the door shut."Go sit, it's my turn to play dress up with the new doll!" His sharp-toothed grin was sly, eyes narrowed like a fox."I can dress myself-""Oh shush, it'll be fun! Just let me work my magic, 'kay?~" I wrinkled my nose and rolled my eyes, but gave in regardless, taking a seat on my bed and crossing my arms, watching as he threw open the closet door and started rummaging through all the clothes inside. It was odd, the closet looked a lot more full than I remembered. Jack was humming what sounded like a lullaby toon, and although it sounded familiar, I couldn't place it. He was shuffling through the clothes, taking some off the hangers, looking them over before either throwing them to the side or placing the garment back. The pile of clothes, which I could only assume were the ones he liked, was slowly growing, though there wasn't a whole lot, he seemed rather picky about them. It took him a few minutes before he was satisfied."Alrighty then! Now let's see..." He was more talking to himself than me. I watched as he knelt down, rummaging through the clothes he picked out, making new piles from them now. I hadn't expected him to be as organized as he was. It was simultaneously a slow and quick process. I was bored waiting, but watching Jack's process of organizing, examining, and filtering through the clothes was partially entertaining. Finally, he seemed to have picked out an outfit for me. He picked up the bundles of clothes before taking a single long stride over to where I sat, laying the clothes out on the bed to show me, making small adjustments to accessories here and there, smoothing out any wrinkles."Not too bad if I say so myself~" His grin was still ever present, dramatically holding a large hand to his chest, the other planting on his hip. I looked over the clothes on the bed, all of them black.A tank top with an oversized cropped sweater over top with a white skull stitched into it, a mesh corset to put over the tank top, a rather short flowy skirt, the bottom of it ragged and ripped apart, with fishnets that had shiny stones sewn onto them, a pair of heeled ankle boots and short fingerless gloves. Somehow he had found some jewelry too, a thick band choker with spikes on it, paired with a long necklace ending in a tiny, polished, silver dagger, with a handful of rings and bracelets to match, all silver. Looking closer some of the rings had colors to them, a slew of rainbow gems; some black, some white or clear, reds and oranges, yellows to greens and blues, purples and pinks, all different shades, covering the entire spectrum, shining brilliantly in the light."Not too bad, I like it." I nodded, smiling to myself as I examined each part of the outfit."Why thank you! Now! Go get dressed! Then I'll do your makeup~" He shoved the clothes in my arms, a few of the rings spilling out of my hands and falling to the ground. I was shoved into the bathroom alone, the door slamming shut behind me. It was a bit jarring, but I shook my head and set the clothes on the counter, glancing up into the mirror, something I hadn't done since looking at my back. My eye and cheek were healing much better, less swollen though still discolored and bruised. The wrappings around my neck were loose again, showing the red burns underneath, looking a little worse for wear. I took a breath and tried to clear my mind. It was ok. I was safe here. Here and now. That's what mattered. No use stewing on the past. Now. Right now. And right now I was supposed to be getting dressed for a party. I rolled my shoulders and stretched my neck as much as I could without hurting my wounds. I easily stripped off the baggy clothes, letting them fall to the floor. I traced a hand over the brace on my torso. Could I enjoy the party without hurting myself? Would the corset hurt? I tapped my fingers along my sides, rubbing up and down, testing the waters, but feeling little to no pain, just soreness. Oh well.I pulled on the tank top and fishnets, taking a moment to admire the fake gems on the tights, then pulling the skirt up my legs before noticing the slits on either side of it. It was rather short, but I didn't mind, besides, I had seen much more scantily clad people out in the living room, though I didn't really care, it wasn't my place to judge, and they looked good anyways. I pulled on the boots, zipping the inner sides up and taking a few steps, finding them comfortable and stable. I then looked at the corset. It was cute, mesh fabric with solid strips of fabric where the bones were. It was simple, the front being the part to lace up, though under the lacing was a zipper. I wrapped it around my torso, over the tank top, and first zipped it up. It seemed to help the brace, making my core feel more stable and less sore, even relieving some more pain. I began to lace it, taking my time and being careful not to tighten it too much, ending at the top of the corset with a little bow. I didn't look half bad.I pulled the cropped sweater on next, letting it fall off one shoulder, adding an asymmetrical look to the outfit. It was nice, and not very hot. It was airy and cool and didn't itch one bit, thankfully. The sleeves were long and puffy, with a tight band on ending on my wrists, giving more form and shape to the top. The bottom of it was loose and flowy and ended just an inch below my breast.I fastened the choker around my neck, layering the long necklace on top of it before grabbing the rest of the jewelry. Bracelets with small charms on them, rings with various colors, even the ones I had dropped that Jack had so kindly shoved underneath the door. When I had finally finished dressing up, I stared into the mirror once more, barely able to recognize myself. It was a mix of loose and form-fitting, accentuating my curves that I didn't even know I had. I looked...honestly, I looked amazing! I smiled to myself, turning around and posing, admiring myself. It was the first time I actually felt confident. I kept twisting and turning around, looking at myself at every angle I could. I suddenly jumped at the loud banging on the door."Ya done yet? C'mooooon!~ Hurry, hurry, hurry!~" I rolled my eyes, reaching over and twisting the door knob, pushing the door open to see the clown standing on the other side, hands clasped together and bouncing up and down on his heels."Oh my! I've really outdone myself this time! Now! Maaaaaakeup time!~" In the same singsong voice he had been using, he hunched over to get through the doorway, pushing past me and rummaging through the drawers and cabinets. I stood off to the side, allowing him to go through his process again as he had done with the clothes. Managing to find all sorts of makeup and products in the drawers, taking them out and either setting them on the counter or placing them back. Lotions and perfumes, powders and creams, lipsticks, mascaras, blushes of all shades, a whole slew of products that would put any store to shame. Once he was done, he gestured for me to come closer."When I'm done, even I'll be jealous~" His grin widened and his eyes narrowed more, but I brushed it off. He seemed to constantly be odd like this. Though it was odder to be picked up and placed on top of the bathroom counter, putting me at a more convenient eye level with Jack."Um, why'd you put me up here?""Just makes it easier to work, plus bending down too long hurts." He made a cartoonish pouty face, but it quickly faded away back to his permanent grin."Now stay still, I don't wanna mess up!" "Alright, alright." I rested my hands on my lap and stayed still, allowing him to get to work. Smearing and swiping different tubes and creams across my face, taking brushes and sponges, blending and blurring everything together, and even a few times taking a finger to wipe something away or to get a sharper blend. He wasn't using a whole lot of makeup, it felt like and not heavy, though I knew that it wasn't going to smear or budge an inch, it was gonna stay in place. Adding eyeshadow, blending it out, adding more, and layering it on top of each other."Look up, don't blink." I did so, eyes watering slightly as he swiped a mascara wand across my lashes then added both black and white eyeliner. His hands were steady and still, leaving behind perfectly straight lines. Adding lipstick, blurring it out, then smearing a gloss over them. He was quick but thorough, not missing a single detail, he clearly had a vision in mind, not hesitating once in the process. It took a bit longer than I expected, but once he took a step back and nodded his head, I knew he was done."Perfect! Now take a look yourself~" He helped me off the counter but didn't let go of my hand, instead, with a dramatic flare, he spun me around a few times before facing me towards the mirror. My eyes widened in awe at the work done.My lips were a beautiful pink-blush color, blended out softly with a clear gloss on top, but it wasn't sticky. They looked so plump and soft. A delicate blush was blended across my cheeks and nose, maybe a bit heavier on the nose, and an extremely light, barely there, the contour was added to my nose and jaw. Golden highlighter and glitter-dusted my cheekbones and nose, even down my neck, and dusted across my collarbones and shoulders. White eyeliner was added under my eyes, making them look a bit bigger and doll-like, slightly droopy and sleepy, almost like a puppy. The black eyeliner was soft and rounded, adding more to the doll-like look of the makeup, rounded and soft, but even I could admit I looked adorable. The eyeshadow was a neutral brown, blended out softly with glitter painted over it. He accentuated the bags under my eyes, but it matched the look, and it didn't bother me as much. He had removed the bandage from my cheek too, and instead of hiding the bruising and discolorating on my eye, cheek, and nose, he left it be, and it seemed to add to the look. Cute, but tough. And underneath my right eye, in black eyeliner, he drew a little heart, tying the whole look together. I was taken aback, my jaw hung open slightly in awe, turning my head side to side, admiring the work. He had even fixed my hair, simple but neat, fluffy, and framing my face."Wow...just...oh my god, Jack, this is amazing! Holy shit, I think you need to do my makeup, like, every day now! Fuck man, this is so cute!" He waved a hand, chuckling."Why thank you! But the makeup just helps show what's already there~ Keep that confidence~" He winked at me through the mirror and I felt my face heat up a bit. Besides Sally, he was the only other one to imply that I was pretty. I looked back at myself in the mirror, pursing my lips and admiring the effect of them."Then you'll just have to teach me, especially this lipstick, it's so cute!" "Will do, pretty simple once ya get it down." I nodded, leaning away from the mirror and taking in myself as a whole. The outfit and makeup complimented each other perfectly, and I found myself admiring every little detail, barely noticing Jack standing with his hands on his hips, chest puffed out in pride at his work. It was unexpected from the clown, but I couldn't complain.He clapped his hands together, startling me back to reality."Alrighty! Now it's time to party! My masterpiece is all ready!" He grabbed my shoulders and pushed me back out of the bathroom and to the door of my room. Standing in front of that door, knowing just how many people were on the other side, it left a pit of anxiety festering in my stomach. Maybe my skirt was too short? And the makeup too much? But it was too late. Jack had already opened the door and was pushing me out and down the hallway.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Jack was shoving me back into the living room, loud chattering mixing in the air with the rhythmic pounding of music, the deep bass pulsing through the floorboards. It seemed like everyone who could live in the house was squeezed between the living room and the main foyer, though the rooms were both big enough to comfortably fit everyone. People were either dancing, talking, or both, laughter filling the air with shouts and hollers. The air was buzzing all around as I was shoved into the sea of bodies, all moving around me, seemingly like one giant mass, swirling and morphing, squeezing together and pulling apart, pulsing and waving around all around me.

I could still feel the clawed hands on my shoulders, pushing me every which way in the maze of people, bee-lining a specific path he had in mind. It only took a few seconds to reach our destination, though it felt much longer than that, taking in the view of all the entities around me, human and creature, tall and short, monstrous and unassuming, a mishmash of all sorts.

"(Y/n)! Holy shit! Who knew you were hiding that body, you look good!" Jane was in my face, smiling big and beaming down at me. Her hair was just as lustrous and silky as ever, curled and put up into a messy bun, a few strands of hair caressing her face. Her lips were glossy black and her eyes had a black smoky eyeshadow, with long sharp eyeliner. A faint silver highlighter dusted across her already sharp cheekbones, she looked glowing.

She wore a short black dress with thin straps and a slit up the side of her thigh, wearing torn fishnets, and rather tall heels, standing much taller over me than she already did without them. Her cheeks had a faint flush to them, and it didn't look like makeup. When she spoke, I could smell the alcohol, though she didn't seem drunk, just buzzed.

"You should dress up more, you look really good!" She had to yell over all the noise, but the multiple compliments had me blushing and grinning.

"Oh, uh, thank you! But Jack did all the work." Jack's hands fell from my shoulders and he moved around us, still grinning that sly, sharp grin.

"Like I said, I just helped show what was already there~" Jane nodded in agreement with him and moved to my side, slithering an arm around my waist and resting a hand on my hip, pulling me close to her side. I sputtered out in embarrassment, but she just shushed me.

"Oh c'mon, (Y/n)~ Don't get all shy now, everyone's having fun, we're allowed to get all wild, no one cares." She too had that sly grin that Jack had, and she gripped my hip harder, starting to walk and guide me along another path, Jack sticking to my other side, both were like prowling animals, stalking their prey, cornering it to devour it whole.

The crowd separated to let us through, moving all around us, most not bothering to even glance at us. But soon the path opened to a small circle of people, all chattering together, drinks in hand, a few holding cigarettes or blunts, exhaling the smoke to swirl in the air in an invisible dance to its own music. Jane pulled me into the center of the circle, spinning me around and dipping me down, her hands gripping my waist and hips.

"Hey, look~ Our little bird's been all dressed up~" Jane called out in a sing-song voice, pulling me back up and displaying me to everyone. All the eyes and attention had me a flustered mess full of anxiety. It was everyone I had grown to consider as my friends, all of them dressed in some sort of party clothes instead of their usual outfits. Someone whistled, though I couldn't tell who, or if it was even one of them or someone else from far off in the party, the mess of all the noise left me slightly disoriented.

"Isn't she still hurt? Shhhhh-should she even be o-o-out here?"

"She'll be fiiiiine~"

"What about her ribs?"

"I mean she's got that brace, not to mention she's walking better too."

"The corset helps too, surprisingly."

"Why not? She deserves to have some fun too!"

"C'mon, let her staaaaay!"

Everyone was talking at once, I could only make out a few comments, but I couldn't tell who was saying what. Jane twirled me around again before pulling me close to her, a mischievous glint in her void eyes.

"Well if none of you want her I guess I get to keep her allll to myself~" It was both a tease and a dare. A few argued back, either saying to collect herself or to not be so rude, or that it wasn't fair to keep me to herself, a few others just stayed quiet, and a ballsy handful decided that they couldn't just stand around and let Jane win.

A hand grabbed my arm and pulled me away from Jane, though she was still smirking, and an arm wrapped around my shoulder.

"Nah, I ain't gonna let ya win, fucking bitch. She's new, we all get to spend some time with 'er." I glanced up, seeing Jeff glaring back at Jane. His outfit seemed to have the least change to it. He still wore black jeans, though with an added belt with a chain and small studs on it, and he wore a sleeveless white hoody, one without any blood stains, the edges of the sleeves ripped and torn.

Another hand was grabbing my other arm, trying to tug me away from Jeff. Jack's sharp tooth grin never seemed to waver, the clown was always smiling.

"Now, now~ Why don't we all get to spend some time with her~ Besides, she's been able to hang out with all of you, when's

my

turn?" He sounded like he was both trying to egg them on more with a teasing tone while putting on the illusion of a truce or compromise. Jane giggled and Jeff turned his glare to Jack, a tug-of-war now taking place between the two, my arms being pulled in either direction. The two guys were now shouting at each other, Jack seemingly trying to piss Jeff off, all the while Jane just stood in front of me laughing, hands on her knees, looking up occasionally to take in the scene before laughing again, not even trying to help me.

A hand on my shoulder interrupted the two pulling me either way towards them, instead now being slightly pulled back, rather gently, a stark contrast to the two black and white beings. I turned to see the other Jack, looking unamused and annoyed.

"Let her go you two, if she gets hurt anymore then you'll

both

be paying for it. Let's try to keep her out of the infirmary for at

least

a week, 'kay?" It didn't deter the two, sadly. It only seemed to fuel the fire, Laughing Jack yanking hard on my arm and pulling me away from both Jeff's and Eyeless Jack's grasps, and in the process, leaving me stumbling and falling on the floor, my tailbone aching as I winced.

"Oops~" Jack shrugged but reached down, picking me up and setting me back on my feet.

"My bad, doll~ Ya okay?" I slightly nodded, my backside aching now.

"What did I

just

say?!" Jack threw his hands up in defeat, knowing that no one would listen to him at this point, they were only listening to instinct and alcohol, and maybe weed, though that part I couldn't tell.

"Alright, alright, calm down everyone~" Jane finally came to my defense, once more pulling me away from Jack and back to basically cuddling me, wrapping her arms around my waist and resting her head on my shoulder, looking past me to the others.

"She's still a new toy, let's not break her just yet~" I could feel a cold sweat on my forehead and a chill prickle at the back of my neck, that pit in my stomach twisting and churning. When they were sober, they were much more calm and reasonable, kind and gentle, but now? High or drunk, regardless of what it was, they were more wild, animalistic, dangerous, rough, selfish, and greedy, and right now, I was just their toy, a mouse in the den of lions. Jane squeezed my sides, making me squeak and jump, the only response being her giggles.

"Awe, don't worry~ No need to be scared now~" I swallowed hard, looking everywhere but at any of them. Floor, ceiling, wall, TV, chairs, and the couch, anything but at any of them. I felt surrounded, I was, but in my mind too. Looming figures, full of bloodlust and murderous intent, I felt such a deep, primal fear, one that felt so,

so

familiar. I felt

scared

.

"Alright, quit that, you're all scaring the poor thing." Jane pouted and let me go, and I took the chance to stumble forward away from her. I normally felt safe with her, but the stench of booze told me she was erratic now. Brian stood between me and her now, giving me a sympathetic look.

"If you're not feeling good you should just go to your room."

"N-no, it's fine, I'm fine, just...overwhelming." He stared at me for a minute before nodding.

"Alright, just stay around us though, this group knows you, everyone else doesn't, and they're unpredictable." It was my turn to nod. He turned back to Jane, pointing a finger at her like an owner would at a dog.

"Now fucking quit that shit. All of you." He gestured to Jeff and Jack too. A gentle hand on my shoulder pulled my attention behind me to Toby.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He nodded and then gestured for me to stand with him and Tim, which I happily did. The three of them seemed to be the most sober of the group, or at least the most sane right now. Tim held out a red plastic cup to me, which I took. It was the same fruit booze from dinner, to which I happily took a gulp of. Maybe it'd help my nerves? It burned going down but the taste was still just as sweet and delicious.

I watched from a distance as Brian scolded the three troublemakers, along with Jack joining him, reminding them of my injuries and that if I injured myself further how he'd personally mount their heads on the wall until they learned their lessons, whatever that meant. Tim and Toby were chatting beside me, and glancing around, everyone else seemed to have calmed down and were talking amongst themselves, back to laughing and chatting. I tapped my fingers along the cup, feeling awkward now, not knowing what to do or say. So I just sipped at my drink, tapping my foot along to the music beating in the background.

"Psst, hey!" I jumped, whipping my head to my side, eyes meeting the black voids and red pinpricks of Ben.

"Ya look bored, wanna play a game?" He gestured to the TV, it was turned on, with a console and remotes connected up to it, but no one was using it. In front of it were the beanbags from his room, brought down here and scooted up close to the TV.

"Oh! Yeah, sure!" I smiled and nodded, following him over and taking a seat on one of the beanbags, picking up a remote, and looking at the TV. He scrolled through a few different games before picking one. A cartoonish racing game full of colors.

"Don't worry, it's not too difficult, but I ain't going easy, no one can beat me!" His grin was confident and cocky. I grinned back.

"Well, maybe I'll be the first!" He laughed and shrugged.

"Maybe, but I doubt it~" He gave me a quick rundown of the game and the character screen, a whole slew of characters to choose from, and on top of that a customization screen for the karts themselves. He gave me tips and pointers but otherwise left me to make my own decisions.

"Ready?"

"Yeah!" His smile turned to a sly grin, and he started the match, a timer counting down from 3...2...1. Both characters took off, Ben having a boost and getting far ahead down the race track, my own character burning out and getting delayed.

"Wha-!"

"Ya can't hold it down that long or you'll get stuck behind~" He taunted in a singsong voice. I huffed, my character was finally done spinning and I took off, leaving me in last place. I was struggling to catch up, but a few boxes I sped through gave me power-ups, letting me catch up slowly but surely.

"Not bad for a newbie~" I rolled my eyes but I couldn't help laughing, I was having fun, even if I wasn't doing well. It took me a few minutes to get a hang on the controls, my character starting out jittery and swerving all over, but soon I managed to smooth out the driving, taking sharper and sharper turns, managing to slowly speed up to the top 10, then top 5 places. I was so immersed in the game that I hadn't noticed the group migrating over to surround us, a few sitting on the ground around us, the others standing, each of them cheering one of us on.

"C'mon, (Y/n), kick his ass!"

"You've never lost before dude, dont let her win!"

"You've got this!"

I was leaning forward, staring intently at the screen, swerving and hitting a cube, the items rolling through before landing on a winged blue turtle shell. Everyone began shouting, either cheering me on or warning Ben. I trigged the item, watching as it rushed forward, and instead of hitting those in front of me, it raced past them all the way up to Ben's character, hitting down on him and causing his character to spin in place and fall behind, the AI characters and mine racing past him. He shouted out and I was grinning. I got past him!

"Hell no! I don't think so!" His ears twitched and his eyes narrowed.

"How'd the hell you get that kinda luck?" His character finally stopped spinning and now he too could start racing again, but it was too late. It was the last lap and he was far behind, and I had somehow managed to reach first place, racing past the finish line and winning. Everyone was shouting and hollering, a few pats on my back and others shaking Ben, saying 'How could you lose?' and 'Oh wow, you

didn't

cheat?!'.

I was smiling wide, Jane at my side patting my shoulder and Toby giving me a thumbs up, all the while Jeff and Laughing Jack were poking fun at Ben.

"It was just beginners luck! I want a rematch!" And so he got his rematch, and that time he did win. Rematch after rematch, he kept winning, but it didn't bother me. I was just happy to be having fun, winning didn't matter much to me. Yeah, it felt good to win, but I didn't

need

to win to have fun.

We played for a while before the game slowly started to become repetitive and I got bored, though thankfully Ben was understanding, and Jeff took my remote, taking his turn to play the game. I stood back and watched them play for a few minutes before a hand on my shoulder brought my attention to the person. It was Jack again, his usual grin turned into a soft smile.

"Mind if I steal a moment of your time?" I blinked and turned to face him, trying to hear him over all the noise.

"Oh, uh, sure? Everything ok?" The response to my question was being engulfed in a cloud of black and white swirling smoke. In an instant all the noise vanished, leaving my ears ringing in the silence. Sound slowly faded back in, distant crickets and singing toads, a soft breeze rustling leaves and grass. I blinked my eyes open, looking around. We were outside in the dark night, the only light being the shining full moon smiling down at me, stars dotted around like millions of tiny fish swimming in the void of the sky.

It was beautiful, but looking down, I found myself on the roof of the house, and panic set in, my knees buckling and falling down to sit on the roof, gripping the tiles to prevent myself from sliding down. Jack was already sitting down, chuckling at my reaction.

"You 'fraid of heights?"

"I-I dunno...startled me I guess?" He chuckled again and looked out into the forest.

"So, um, what was it you needed?" He shrugged, his usual crazed expression now calm, almost somber. He didn't respond for a few moments, just stared into the distance, breathing slow and steady. A cool breeze blew fast, and the plumes of feathers on his shoulders fluttery around him, it oddly reminded me of the wings of a bird, or maybe even just an angel, one fallen far from his home, longing to return to a time long past.

"I heard talk that you wanna go back to that hellhole. It true?" He never once looked at me, just stared into the sky, eyes flickering around from star to star.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go back, but just to look around. I don't remember anything, I don't know who I am, so if there's any information there, I want to know." He nodded, pulling his knees to his chest and wrapping his doll-like arms around his legs.

"What if you find your home? Do ya wanna go back there?" I hummed, shifting and finding a much more comfortable position to sit on the roof.

"No, I don't think so. I don't think I have a place at my old home, if I have one. Besides, I like it here." He turned his head to look down at me.

"You're gonna stay?" I shrugged.

"I...I think so? I'm not too sure honestly-"

"Wanna talk 'bout it?" I raised an eyebrow at him. Didn't quite see him being one to talk or vent to, but here he was offering. I hesitated but decided 'why not', it might help get my thoughts out there. I turned to face more towards him, and he did the same.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

I rest my head on my palm, sighing and thinking about how to word my thoughts. I tapped a finger to my cheek before finally opening my mouth and speaking, trying to pick my words carefully and meticulously.

"When I got lost today, I found a shed and hid in it. I was cold and scared, and I was thinking about how I wanted to go home. I wanted to come back here. I called this place my home.

"I want to stay here, I really, really do, but I also don't want to stay. I don't want to get in anyone's way or burden anyone. Jack's already patched me up a few times, you carried me out of the infirmary and to my room, Jane's given me her clothes, both Ben and Jeff helped me up and down the stairs, Brian, Tim, and Toby all had to go out and find me after I got lost. Since I've been here I've done nothing but get in the way and annoy everyone.

"But I don't want pity, and I don't want to be useless. I want to help out, I want to give back what everyones given me. But all I've done so far is just cause trouble. Getting in everyone's way, asking for help going back to the facility, being carried around and fed, being found after being lost, I just...I feel so incompetent...just useless."

I paused, taking a shaky breath, trying to calm my buzzing nerves. Was it the booze or just anxiety? I couldn't tell.

"I love it here, I love everyone here. You're all so kind and caring towards me, I don't know why. I've done nothing but get in the way and take up room. I don't know why none of you haven't kicked me out or gotten rid of me yet. I'm just a stupid hunk of flesh taking up another room and just another stomach to feed. Just fucking useless."

I just stared down at the roof, trying to figure out my own thoughts and feelings. I was just confused and conflicted, I just couldn't understand or put together my emotions. I didn't know what I wanted, I didn't know what I

needed

. Jack hummed and I looked up at him, waiting for his response, eyes still staring into the sparkling sky.

"I think I understand. It took me a really, really long time to feel at home here. I had a home before, and a home before that. Up there." He lifted a clawed hand to point into the inky sky.

"You lived in the sky?" He nodded, then shrugged.

"Yes, but not quite. I was made up there, to be sent down here for a little boy. My hair used to be bright red like a fire, and my eyes were as blue as the sky. That's how the boy said I looked. That I was rainbow all over, so bright.

"He was so tiny, abused, and neglected by his family. I was made to bring him joy, to make him laugh and smile. I was his bestest friend in the whole wide world! His only friend. He talked about me to his mom, and she didn't like it.

"I would play games with him, but there would always be an accident, something would end up broken, but no one could see me but him, so he would be the one in trouble. In the end, it only made the abuse worse, and eventually, he was sent away...

"I was stuck in my box for so, so long. It was years, but it felt like eons, being all alone and forgotten about. My box started to fade away and decay, and so did I. I dulled and lost all my colors. I lost my best friend. But he came back one day! I knew it was him, even though he was so much older! He looked tired and sad, and I wanted to make him happy again! But...he never opened my box again. He looked at it, but just tossed it to the side with me in it. He didn't care."

His eyes looked glossy, but there was no sign of tears, he looked sad, distant, and broken, but a flash of rage engulfed his eyes, firey anger ready to burn the world down.

"He remembered me, I

know

he remembered me! But he ignored me. He would bring people home, girls, and I watched as he ripped them apart. He was sad and angry, and he killed people. I watched, closely, and I learned from him. If he wanted to play a new game, then I wanted to play too.

"One day, he opened my box, and let me out. He saw me, he remembered me! But he wasn't happy. He was scared and angry. He tried to hurt me, kill me, but he couldn't. So I killed him. And I was free in the world again. I was made up there, by angels, to be an angel, a protector, and a friend for an innocent little boy, but he wasn't innocent, he turned into a monster, then tried to call me one. But I didn't have a home anymore, and I couldn't return to the sky. They wouldn't let me back in because of what I did. I broke a rule."

He ran a clawed hand through the feathers on his shoulder, heading turning to the side and momentarily closing his eyes, thinking. There was a long pause, and all I could do was just stare at him. Back at the facility I had been given a quick rundown of what had happened to a few of them, but this was the first time any of them had fully opened up to me about their past, fully told me what happened to them, their own pains and traumas and struggles.

"I was lost for a long time. I forget how old I am, but I'm one of the oldest ones living here. I wandered around for a real long time too. I killed people, drove some insane. I could choose who saw me and who didn't. So they'd think they were losing their minds, in the older days they'd get locked up, then I could finish them off, and no one would know what even happened to them. It was fun, only a big ole' puddle of blood left, nobody, and nowhere for it to be hidden or for them to escape from. Made them feel crazy too.

"Then I decided one day, that it was a nice and warm sunny day, so why not take a nice stroll through the woods, ya know? You do that too. You know what I mean. I just wanted to walk for a while, but then good ole' Slendy down there found me. He talked to me for a while, first time I talked to someone in years, centuries I think. Then he invited me to live here, gave me a whole run down and such. I didn't benefit from the whole 'life pool' bullshit, I already live forever, but it meant I wasn't lonely.

"I could talk and have fun with others, and I could kill more. I wouldn't be tied down, I'd still be free to come and go, but it gave me a place to come back to. Didn't like it at first, reminded me of being stuck in my box, but I warmed up to it here. Then those

fuckers

caught us. Dunno how they even got me. Can barely remember, no one can, it's all so fuzzy." He squinted his eyes and scrunched up his cone nose, baring his teeth at the memories. He scratched at his head and shrugged once more.

"Eh, whatever. 'Am talking too much anyways. My point was that you don't gotta make a decision right away, I was the one who took the longest before making a decision. Aint no pressure on you to decide." He rested an elbow on his knee, chin in his palm, staring down at me. His smile was still gone, but now he just looked curious.

"Yer the first human who's seen me that I haven't killed, don't plan to either. But I just don't understand ya. Haven't tried to yell at me or hurt me, yeah, ya got scared of me, but ya got over that pretty fast. Almost like..." He narrowed his eyes at me, examining me, almost suspicious, but the expression dropped and was replaced with curiosity again.

"What's your box?" I raised an eyebrow.

"My...box?"

"Yeah, yer box. Ya know, like mine? That one thing that broke ya. That made you

snap

! What's your

fear

?" My box, huh? Fear and pain, what broke me, what caused me to snap.

I snapped at that woman, my mother, and killed her, tore her apart, mangled her frail and old body, let her bleed out, smashed out her teeth, and shredded her eyes. What broke me? Being electrocuted, and being left in the dark of all the pain inflicted on them all, isolation, abuse, torture, being shocked and beaten. My fear? I was afraid to never find my place in this world. I was scared that I would always be alone and useless, terrified of never knowing who I was or my past, just to end up being a pest, a nuisance to everyone here.

My box. What was my box?

Useless.

Me.

I was my own box. I held myself back. I was the one torturing myself day in and day out, endlessly running through my mind, mulling over and scanning through every single word. How I could do everything wrong, that I was just...

useless

.

"Me." My voice was barely above a whisper, but Jack still heard me. He looked surprised, eyes widening and lifting his head from his hand.

"You? You are your own box?" I nodded slowly, back to staring down at the roof shingles. He hummed.

"Interesting. Never thought anyone, much less a human, would say that. The air filled with silence, and it stayed like that for a long while. Just sitting, listening to the distant crickets and frogs, an occasional owl calling out in a deep, soothing hoot. Finally, Jack moved, pushing himself up and standing, stretching a hand out to me. His familiar sly grin was back, sharp teeth gleaming in the moonlight.

"Well then, I suppose it would be polite of me now to ask for a dance?" I sputtered, feeling my face growing hot.

"W-what?! A dance? I dunno, I don't know how to dance, and there's no music-besides! It's dangerous, we're on the roof!" His grin only stretched wider.

"You said you were your own box, so let's break ya out of it, 'kay?~ Just listen, there's plenty of music out here, and what's life without a little danger? Don't worry, I'll catch ya if you fall~" His eyes were narrowed and sharp, fox-like and sly, his grin was impish and knowing, dangerous, but an open hand to freedom. Freedom from myself.

"B-but...I'll look stupid?" I was trying to find any excuse I could. He only chuckled, not taking no for an answer, leaning down and picking me up, setting me on my feet, and taking my hand in his.

"We're all a little stupid and crazy here, nothing new~" He looked proud of himself, taking my other hand and setting it on his shoulder, his free clawed hand resting on my waist as Jane had done earlier that night. I couldn't say anything else before he began moving, dragging me around and across the roof, humming and smiling happily, eyes shut and swaying around, almost like an old-timey waltz.

It took me a few moments to find a rhythm to follow along with, stumbling over my feet and the soreness in my leg. But I soon got the hang of it, still feeling embarrassed and scared of falling off the roof. I danced with Jack, swaying back and forth, dancing across the roof, spinning and twirling, and soon, I began to lose myself in the dance.

It was a hypnotic rhythm, a steady pace without any pattern, and I too closed my eyes, finding the cool breeze blowing past us soothing, the distant crickets and frogs forming a band, singing for us to dance to. My fear almost entirely vanished, just following his lead and my feet below me, one foot stepping forward and the other crossing over it, twirling and landing back in place, stepping back, then forward again, moving all around the roof.

His humming was quiet and soft, but it was the same tune I had grown used to him humming. He continued, time felt slowed yet fast, stretching on infinitely forever, but also feeling so short and limited. He spun me around before dipping me down, holding me there by just my one hand, one foot planted on the roof and the other sticking out. I leaned my head back, staring up into the sky, feeling a breeze rush past me, upwards.

I turned my head, looking down below me, seeing the dark grassy patch far, far below. I was leaning over the edge of the roof, the one thing keeping me from falling was Jack's grip.

Whereas I would usually feel terrified and nervous, I felt a wave of calm and peace rush through me. Dancing on the edge, danger at one slip of my foot, extreme injury, maybe even death if I were to fall. But something in me felt safe and calm, I knew that whatever happened, it would be okay. I was okay. I looked back up to Jack, eyes wild and grin crazed.

"Afraid?"

"No." He cackled out, looking more insane than ever, ripping me back away from the ledge and spinning around once more.

"See! Just feel free! No need to ever be scared again! Just live! You're alive, here and now! We're

all

alive!" He was laughing loudly, nearly wheezing as he now manically danced around with me, sped up, spinning and dipping, swaying and jumping around. Just free from all fear and worry.

Free.

This was freedom. To them, and to me. We were all

free

. No more pain or torture, no more being rats to experiment on, no more isolation or being locked up.

Free.

I have no clue how long we danced for, listening to the ancient song of nature since the dawn of time, a long-forgotten song and dance, one to be remembered and celebrated again. Dancing under the stars, two lost beings far from their old homes, now finding a new sense of peace here and now. Just living in the moment, breathing in the cold air that felt like painful needles, dancing in the cold night air under the inky black void of the sky, under the watchful eyes of Mother Moon. Just being free.

We were sitting on the edge of the roof, legs hanging down, kicking and swaying our feet, looking down at the ground below. Jack was still chuckling to himself and I was breathing heavily from all the moving around, it felt like a workout, but I couldn't stop smiling. We sat there for a short while, just enjoying the new calm and silence. Not another word was spoken. Jack held his hand out to me once more, and I took it, finding myself being engulfed in that swirling black and white smoke again, loud noise fading back to my ears, and I was once more back inside the house, loud talking and music feeling jarring compared to the silence outside. Jack was at my side, hand on my shoulder, guiding me back to our group.

"(Y/n)! Where'd you goooooooo?" It was Jane, and by now I was sure she was heavily intoxicated, her face flushed a deep red and her eyes were lidded. I just smiled at her, giving a small wave.

"Oh, sorry, didn't mean to be gone so long. Just needed to step outside for some air." She didn't push, just accepting the answer at face value, grabbing my hand and pulling me forward.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, c'mon, I wanna dance!" I laughed, letting her pull me along with her, looking back to Jack once more, sharing another smile before Jane pulled me into the sea of people.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Jane dragged me through the crowd, stumbling about and smiling, occasionally looking back at me with that sly grin I had grown accustomed to most of them wearing. She had finally stopped, and in a surprisingly quick and smooth motion, turned around, spinning me and pulling me closer, planting her hands on my hips and resting her chin on my shoulder, pressing her body close into my back. A shiver crawled up my spine.

"You're sooooo cute ya know?~" Her breath was hot against my neck, and despite her eyes being entirely black pools, I knew she was staring up at me, the lights looking like reflecting sparkles in her eyes. She began to sway, guiding me by my hips, nails digging in ever so slightly.

"Just so, so adorable~ I'm sure everyone is just soooo jealous~ Got ya allll to myself~" She giggled, her grip tightening and pulling me closer, pressing harder against my back. I could feel eyes boring into me like hellfire raging all around. I swallowed hard, cheeks flushing hot red and body tensing up. Then a flash. Dancing on the roof with Jack, dancing with danger itself, on the very edge of the roof, ready to fall if he had let me go. But he didn't. And Jane most of all wouldn't hurt me.

I was my own box, I was holding myself back. Where did the girl go who was laughing on the roof? Who felt so

free

to dance like no one was watching, dancing for the whole world to witness. It was a night of celebration, to honor our freedom, praising the resilience we showed, to just have fun and party.

To be

free

.

I swallowed again, pushing down the squirming and writhing pit of anxiety clawing at my throat, ignoring the eyes staring at me and Jane, trying to get back into that feeling of pure bliss and freedom, like a bird able to fly wherever my heart so desired. It was my turn to grin, not a shy smile, a sly, vexing grin, corners of my mouth stretching wide. I grabbed her hands, wriggling my fingers under hers, first sliding her hands up my sides, only reaching midway to my rips before letting one of her hands go, twisting around and in turn grabbing her own waist, pulling her close again, smiling up at her. She looked surprised, unsure of my new confidence, but it didn't last long, quickly gaining back her own vixen-like expression.

"Oh my, my, my~ Someone's confident~ Pretty little bird, alll mine~" She leaned in close to my face, only an inch or two away before pulling back, flinging me backwards, grip held tight on my hand before yanking me close again and spinning around, and arm wrapping tightly around my waist, pressing me close into her body. In the spin, she lifted me up, holding me in the air for a few seconds while spinning before setting me back down, dancing with me in her arms, not a care in the world.

We danced away, spinning and twirling, twisting around and coiling around one another, bending every which way, contorting, holding and gripping each other, grinning all the while. Close to one another, teasing smiles, testing the limits, but never once going beyond dancing. A few times we would separate, dancing on our own, running hands up our sides before flinging them out, whirling around, stepping away then back together, walking around the other, reaching to grip our hands together before spinning the other.

The music was pounding in my ears, vibrating through the floor, guiding my feet around me, feeling a building of energy buzzing around through my veins, blood pumping, heart racing, breathing heavily, beads of cold sweat on my forehead in the crowd of hot bodies. Jane's expression never faded nor changed, she looked cunning, suspicious like she was planning something, whether more teasing or her own new scheme, I couldn't tell. She pulled me close again, hands on my shoulders, whispering in my ear.

"I wish I could keep you all to myself little birdy~ Buuuuut I think it's his turn again~" Her lips brushed past my cheek before pushing me back, my back hitting someone's torso, and a familiar giggle filled my ears. His clawed hand gripped my forearms, keeping me from falling over.

"Ah, I get another dance? Lucky lucky me~" I didn't get a chance to catch my breath, he was just as swift, if not more so, than Jane, swooping me around and flying me around the floor. He had a tendency to pick me up a lot, either by my underarms as he had grown so accustomed to doing, or by my waist, lifting me up high into the air, letting me see a few feet over the large crowd, a good view to see a few particular pairs of eyes staring up at me, unfamiliar expressions and emotions that I couldn't quite place. A few times he'd dip me low to the ground, my head a few inches from the floor before ripping me back up, spinning me around quickly, all the while laughing as he always does.

He would glance around, eyes narrowed and grin widening, it was always just a flash of a new expression, barely there for a second before it was back to his crazed look. Still as hyper and energetic as always. He wasn't nearly as handsy as Jane was, or stayed as close to me as her, he more liked to keep his distance, instead just holding my small hand in his much larger one and spinning me around, his dance was constantly moving while Jane's was close and personal, at times slow, almost considered grinding. Almost.

"Well, doll, as much as I'd

love

to keep ya all to ma'self, everyone needs a turn~" He, like Jane, spoke low and whispered close to my ear. It was a low, rumbling purr, and it sounded dangerous and sharp. Once again, I wasn't given any time to react before he spun me one last time and flung me forward, stumbling but this time managing not to crash into someone again. I looked up to who Jack had handed me off to, this time looking up and staring at Tim. He looked a bit taken aback, smoking cigarette hanging from his lips.

"Oh! Uh.." He just blinked, and it gave me a moment to catch my breath.

"Heh, hi." I huffed, straightening up and offering him a smile.

"Hey." I could still feel adrenaline rushing through me. I held out my hand a bit to him, still smiling.

"Wanna dance?" He seemed more surprised that I asked, and after a moment of hesitation, he slowly nodded. His expression relaxed, and even smiled a bit, taking one last puff of his cigarette before letting it fall to the ground and snuffing it out with his shoe.

"Sure, uh, why not?" The surprise was entirely gone now, snuffed out just like his cigarette, but he still looked unsure. Neither of us really moved at first, his uncertainty spreading to me, now hesitant in dancing. I let my hand fall back down to my side, and just staring at each other was quickly becoming awkward.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, you two! C'mon Tim, you're always so headstrong and hot-headed, but anything you're not used to and you just stand there! And you! Keep your confidence, share some of it~" The voice spoke from behind me, resting a hand on my shoulder, his other hand reaching past me, holding out the mask I had seen Tim wearing back at the shed, entirely white with wide eyes, surrounded in deep black paint, delicate feminine lips, and thin raised eyebrows.

"We both know you feel more comfy in your mask, go on, put it on~" I turned to look over my shoulder, seeing Brian, his own ski mask pulled over only his eyes, leaving the bottom half of his face exposed, grinning at Tim. Looking back to Tim, I watched as he took the mask from Brian, securing it over his face, watching as his shoulders rose then fell from a deep breath, then an odd, miniscule change in posture, in aura. His head tilted ever so slightly to the side, shoulder relaxed and back, posture straightened up, leaned forward just a bit. He seemed completely different, his mannerisms looked dangerous.

"There ya go~" Brian slurred, sounding drunk and sounding much different from the few interactions we've had. Confident, assured in his actions. His hand on my shoulder moved down my arm to my elbow, pushing my arm out, holding it back out to Tim while his now other empty hand moved to my other arm, grabbing my hand and holding it lightly, his touch barely there. Tim took my outstretched hand that Brian was holding out to him.

The music was loud as ever, shifting from song to song, new beats and rhythms, bass drumming loud and rumbling through my ears, high notes and low, all starting up once more to puppet my body. The two masked men pushed and pulled me between the two of them, they didn't move as much as Jane or Jack had, they seemed more lurking and observant in their movements, watchful eyes staring down at me, and not nearly as touchy either. Spinning me around once, holding me out to the other, hands switching to the other, pulling close, circling around me, handing me back, and so forth.

They moved slowly and methodically, smooth and silent, even with the loud music, their footsteps were light and careful, circling around me like animals stalking their prey, cornering it and ready to go in for the kill. They moved like ghosts, gliding across the floor, with no hesitation in their movements, only really swaying about, trading me between the both of them, each taking a short turn to dance with me, spinning and twisting about.

Being unable to see their faces, their eyes, it made me feel so small compared to them, weak and vulnerable, I couldn't see their gaze, but I could feel it, boring into me, burning holes right through me, invisible glances across my skin, nonexistent scars left in their trails. I tried to shake it away, tried to get back into the mindset of freedom and carefree dancing, but I just quite couldn't. We danced together, all three of us, song by song, swaying about, sweeping me off my feet, bending back and leaning forward, lurching side to side, wavering, leaning, bobbing. Planting one foot forward, spinning before pivoting back around on my heel.

It was obvious that no one, including me, knew how to dance, nothing made sense, the moves didn't always match the music, and it didn't matter, it didn't need to look good or fit. Everyone was having fun, just dancing however which way they wanted to, and I was having fun too. Embarrassment was wiped away from my conscious, and I just let my body move however I wanted, moving between Tim and Brian, letting them guide my dance with the music, a beautiful symphony, a collaboration between me and them, and the music.

Time felt like it was in slow motion, feeling like I was in a trance between the two men, trapped yet mesmerized. It felt like within a finger snap, everything fast forwarded quickly, hours passing by within seconds, and before I even knew it, the two men gave me one last spin around before letting me go, hands lingering in the air for a few moments, handing me off to the next person, though, unlike Jack, they more harshly spun me away, causing me to trip over my feet and stumble, bumping into Toby. Brian waved to us, cocky grin still visible, mask still covering his eyes while Tim lifted the bottom of his mask, lighting up another cigarette and taking a long drag from it.

"H-hey!" Toby sounded surprised, considering I was more or less thrown at him. He whipped his head around towards me, first looking annoyed, but upon actually seeing me, the expression vanished, and he instead smiled.

"Oh! S-sorry, you o-o-okay?" He turned, his hands held up slightly, making sure I was fine and wasn't going to fall over. I smiled back, balancing myself first before responding.

"Yeah, I'm fine! Just lost my footing there." I wiped my hands across my skirt, smoothing it out, finally having a down moment to catch my breath from the constant dancing. He, in a similar fashion to Tim, fell silent, looking unsure of what to do or say, but not for long.

"I-I-I-I guess it-it my turn? If you d-d-d-dont mind?" He had a small, nervous smile and he seemed to be stuttering a bit more, I could only assume it was the alcohol.

"Of course!" I smiled up at him, holding out my hand. He stared at my open palm for a few seconds before taking my hand, gently. He seemed more hesitant than anyone else, up until now mostly just standing around, either slightly swaying or tapping his foot, he didn't seem to want to interact too much. And dancing with him was the same, it wasn't upbeat or fast like the others, it was calm and slow, and it gave me time to rest from all the energy and talk to him a bit, having to lean in close to even hear each other over the loud music.

"Do you not like partys much?" He shook his head, stepping to the side and then back.

"N-no, not really, t-t-t-too loud." I nodded, swaying along with him.

"I get that, it is starting to give me a headache," I laughed lightly before continuing.

"But even so, it's nice. I like seeing everyone happy!" He glanced around, taking in the view of smiling faces and the sound of laughter and chatter weaving through the music. His smile grew a bit.

"Yeah, i-it is nice. I-it's been a while s-s-s-since everyone's been so happy."

"I don't blame them!" It was my turn to scan around before turning my attention back to Toby, my throat suddenly feeling dry.

"I'm gonna head to the kitchen and get a drink, I'll be right back."

"I-I-I can come with." I just grinned, grabbing his wrist and pulling him along behind me through the crowd. It would give me a chance to breathe and give my ears a rest from the loud music, plus I was really thirsty. Most people moved out of the way, though a few would simply glance at me with a sneer and turn away, not moving an inch from their spot, and some even following me and blocking my path, though one glance up at Toby made them move, rather quickly, out the way.

"What's up with that? Kinda bullshit." I laughed to myself once we broke through the crowd, entering into the empty and much quieter kitchen.

"I'm close t-t-t-to the Boss, so t-t-they'll move for me. And Tim and Brain, too." I nodded grabbing a plastic red cup from a stack on the counter, flipping it right side up and filling it up with ice-cold water, sipping it, and leaning against the counter.

"Makes sense. Guess I wouldn't wanna fuck with you guys either. Even if you weren't Slender's right-hand men, I'd be crazy to even be rude." He chuckled at my comment, he too leaning against the counter.

"Eh, no one here really c-c-cares about who's dangerous, it more kinda falls t-t-t-to rank. The Boss is at the top, w-with Brian, Tim, and me right below h-h-him," He gestured with his hands, holding one up to represent Slender, then holding the other below that hand, showing the trio. Then he looked confused.

"Well, wait, no, I g-guess you'd be right there with us too n-n-n-now? Yeah, cause you g-g-got the mark." He turned his head, looking at me with furrowed brows, gesturing down to my hand. It was my turn to be confused for a moment before remembering the mark that Slender had branded my hand with. I lifted it up, staring at it until a fuzzy black image began to appear before sharpening and becoming clear, that circle with an 'x' through it.

"This? What do you mean I'd be 'right with you'?" My eyes glanced between my hand and him.

"That m-m-means you're a proxy, per-p-permanent or not, and t-t-t-that you're protected by Slender and us, a-and technically at a higher r-rank. W-w-we all protect each other, t-t-that what that m-mark means." He held up his hand next to mine, palm side down, and on the back of his hand, the exact same mark appeared.

With the sensory overload of the party now faded to the background, I could focus on the magnetic-like pull I felt towards his hand, towards that mark. Slender had explained it to me, and I had noticed it in the forest, but since then I hadn't given it much thought. The closer his hand was to mine, the stronger the pull felt, though it wasn't actually magnetized in any way. And I could feel the faint pulls towards Brian and Tim just in the next room over.

"Huh, fair enough I guess. Makes sense if it gives me a higher 'rank' and protection. But I technically still don't live here and I'm not connected like the rest of you. So I guess they don't really consider me a part of the actual rank." I shrugged to myself, watching as the mark disappeared and I let my arm fall back down to my side. Toby looked a little sad at my remark but didn't respond to it, simply brushing it aside.

"S-s-s-still counts. If someone is b-b-being hostile, juu-ju-j-just show them the mark, shhhh-should make 'em fuck off." I nodded, he too lowering his hand, mark disappearing.

"And i-i-if they don't, we'll k-know if you're in d-d-d-danger. It's this really w-weird sense, we can kinda f-ffff-feel each other's p-pain and f-f-fear."

"Huh, really?" He nodded, and to demonstrate his claim, he pinched his arm, and in the same place on my own arm, was on odd sensation. A dull, numb sort of pain, and it felt fuzzy, like pins and needles or TV static. It was strange, and even though I already knew it was Toby pinching his arm, I could

sense

it was specifically him too.

"That's weird, but useful I guess? But what if one of you guys gets really hurt? How bad does that feel to the others?" He only shrugged.

"We still feel it. O-o-o-obviously it's dulled, kinda, but-but we still feel it, we-we-we learned that back at the f-facility..." He trailed off, grimacing to himself before shaking his head slightly, wiping the memory from his mind.

"A-anyways, you should be s-s-safe with that. D-d-doesn't make you invincible, b-b-but it helps." I glanced down at my hand once more before taking another sip of my water. The cool liquid felt good, the constant dancing having me hot and sweaty and in need of the break. It was nice, getting away for the time being to relax and have some downtime, and being able to talk with Toby. It was just simply nice.

The kitchen fell back into silence, but it was comfortable, not awkward, just taking the moment to breathe and relax. Sipping at my drink, Toby too grabbing a cup of water.

"Heyyyy you two~" The sudden voice made both of us jump, craning our necks around to the doorway, spotting Ben, wobbling slightly, eyes droopy and half-lidded, face and ears heavily flushed red with a drunken smile smeared across his face. To put it simply, he was fucking

gone

.

"J-Jesus-fucking-C-C-Christ, dude." Toby sounded annoyed, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. Ben stumbled into the kitchen, still grinning.

"Whaaaat?"

"Everyone knows y-y-you can't hold your al-al-alcohol." I leaned over, grabbing a new cup, and filling it with water, handing it over to Ben. He just stared at it before wrinkling his nose. I raised an eyebrow and he, childishly, stuck out his tongue with a muffled 'ew' sound. Toby leaned down, whispering to me,

"Make it a-a-a competition." I hummed, refilling my own cup with water before holding the one for Ben out to him again.

"I bet I can chug this faster than you." It was plain and simple, but I grinned, trying to egg him on. It was instant, him grabbing the cup and not responding, instead just throwing his head back and chugging it. Playing along, I too started drinking my water, though not per se chugging it, not wanting to get sick. Ben slammed the empty plastic cup on the counter, breaking it with a crackling sound and loudly exclaiming himself the winner, slurring all his words together. I couldn't help but laugh. As long as he has

something

in his system that wasn't booze.

The calm didn't last any longer, water was going to immediately affect him, he was still very much drunk, and with how far gone he was, he had no cares in the world. He grabbed my arm, dragging me out of the kitchen and back out to the living room and foyer.

"It's myyyyyy turn!~" He could barely walk without stumbling, how the hell was he expecting to do anything else? That was answered quickly when he lifted his feet off the ground, floating in the air, still dragging me through the crowd. He was bobbing his head to the music, stilling drunkenly smiling all the while. When he was finally satisfied with where he dragged me to, before he leaned down, grabbing my other hand while floating above my head, then, in an odd puppeteer-like fashion, he started to wave and pull my arms around. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Hmm? Wassa'matter?" He leaned down, entirely upside down, face in mine, eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"Nothing, this probably just looks a little silly is all." He huffed, staying floating upside down, hat hanging down but still connected to his head and waving around in the invisible currents of nonexistent water. I grinned.

His grip on my wrists was loose, and I easily slipped out, grabbing his hat from his head before turning and quickly weaving through the crowd.

"Hey!" He called out from behind me, but I didn't stop. I was laughing to myself, holding the hat in a tight grip, it oddly enough still waving around. I was trying to hide in the crowd of people, using their lack of moving out of my way to my advantage. With how close and tight-knit everyone was, it was easy to be crushed and hidden in the sea of people.

I watched carefully as Ben floated above the crowd of people, looking around with squinted eyes, trying to find me but instead just looking right past me, messy blonde hair floating around wildly. I was still grinning to myself, waiting for his eyes to pass over me before moving and trying to get away again. I managed to evade him for quite a while. Until I didn't.

"There ya'are!" I didn't get to react, his arms wrapping under mine and lifting me up into the air with him, floating off the ground and somewhat above the crowd, though we were mostly ignored.

"Give it back!" He tried to reach for the hat in my hand but I just held my arm out and away from him.

"Nah, I don't think I will!" I chuckled to myself and he huffed, trying again to reach the hat, but the way he was holding me didn't allow it.

"Gimmie!"

"Nnnnnope!" I made a 'pop' sound to finish off the word, still widely smiling. Ben was struggling to reach the hat, and soon enough, he seemed done with my 'game'. He managed to spin me around in the air, catching me before I fell to the ground, wrapping one around my waist to hold me up and his free hand now grabbing my wrist with the hand, keeping me from pulling it away from him again or throwing it as a last-ditch effort.

"Yer a fuckin' brat." He grumbled, glaring at me but a hint of a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. I just shrugged, trying to pull my hand from his grip, but it was much stronger this time.

"Nu-uh, that's mine, and yer gonna givit back~" His voice had an edge to it now, dangerous and warning, but I wanted to push my limits.

"Hmm, I don't think I wanna." I just grinned, still struggling to get my hand free. If I could throw it-

"(Y/n)!" I jumped at the voice screaming my name. I looked down, Ben's gaze following, we both looked confused. Below us was Eyeless Jack, and he looked

mortified

.

"Your skirt!" I raised an eyebrow. Then it hit. I was wearing a rather short skirt, and currently, anyone below me could see right up it.

"Oh fuck! Ben! Put me down! Now!"

"Gimmie my hat!" The voice of reason in my mind was drowned out by the buzz of booze and the pounding music in my ears, and instead of giving the hat back, my version of the 'right' decision was to manage to rip my hand away before reeling back and tossing the hat far off into the crowd. Ben was unamused, to say the least.

"Fuckin! Brat! You owe me!" He quickly put me down before darting off to find his hat. I sighed, fixing out my skirt, making sure I was covered properly again.

"Thanks, Jack, eh, sorry." My face felt hot with embarrassment. He just shook his head.

"Nah,

I

didn't see anything, but uh, you should be careful. Ya know, your injuries and skirt." I nodded and gave him a smile.

"I'm actually not hurting all that much, the brace you gave me defiantly helps a lot! Thanks again!"

"Yeah, no problem, besides, gauze is kinda hard to get on the regular."

"How do you get all your supplies?" It was some kind of conversation, he hadn't really talked all that much anyways.

"Either someone will steal them and bring them back, or someone who looks more...'normal' will go buy me supplies. Brian, Toby, or Tim mostly get the supplies for me, sometimes Ben."

"I wouldn't expect Ben to be an errand boy." He chuckled and shrugged.

"Not really, but his traveling methods are good for breaking into places quickly and make it easier to transfer large amounts of whatever. Medical supplies, books, people, anything. Plus he can disable any cameras so no one sees him or any of us." I nodded, swaying to the music while listening to him.

"Makes sense, it is pretty useful what he can do."

"Yeah." He took a drink from his cup, an odd expression on his face.

"But you're all useful." He raised an eyebrow.

"Ya know, he can travel, and you're like the resident doctor, you helped me a lot. Let's see...Slenders the Boss, so he leads and organizes everything, Tim, Brian, and Toby all work together and seem to help keep things tidy and up to speed. Jane helped me out with clothes and is really nice, she's always a listening ear, Sally is just so happy always, it's like she makes my stress vanish. Everyone's got something useful 'bout them." I smiled at him, and after hesitating, seeming to think, he nodded, agreeing.

"Yeah, huh, I guess so. Guess we're all just a unit that needs each other." I couldn't help but laugh, earning another confused look from him.

"Did'ja just now realize that?" His gray cheeks darkened.

"No! It was just an observation!"

"I'm just teasin'!~" I playfully winked and he just looked more flustered. Before anything more could be said, my vision went black, and the music became slightly muffled, something being shoved over the top of my head.

"H-hey!"

"Careful!" The familiar cackle of Ben rang out, and whatever was pulled over my face was fixed, still sitting on top of my head. I looked over my shoulder at the man, still floating and grinning.

"If ya wanted to wear my hat ya coulda just asked~" I raised an eyebrow, lifting my hand up to my head, feeling the soft fabric of his hat that I had stolen only minutes earlier. Jack placed a hand on my shoulder, pulling me away from Ben slightly and moving to my side.

"Dude, you

need

to be careful! What if you hurt her neck more? She's got second-degree burns!" He seemed flustered, and I patted his hand on my shoulder, gaining his attention.

"Hey, it's fine, it wasn't rough, I'm okay." I offered him a soft smile but he still seemed doubtful.

"Chill out, man. I didn't hurt her, see?" Ben just gestured to the whole of me. Jack just shook his head.

"If you bent her neck wrong you coulda really hurt her though! She's still healing! I don't need her to keep ending up in the infirmary."

"But I thought you like the smell of bloo-"

"That's not the point! My job is to keep you

all

out of there!" Ben huffed, crossing his arms and spinning around in the air, upside down once more, looking as if he was laying down in the hair, head tilted back to look down at us.

"Don't get yer panties ina twist, I didn't hurt 'er."

"My point is that you

could have

if you're not careful!" Jack was irritated, getting closer and closer to anger, baring his sharp teeth at Ben, who only did the same in response. Both men had sharp teeth, and at times, acted animalistic, and currently, both were baring their teeth at one another, nearly growling. Ben's ears were flicking and lowered, looking like a dog with its ears back in warning. Trying to ease the tension, I took Ben's hat off my head, shoving it in his face, and put a hand on Jack's chest, pushing him away from Ben. Silence.

"You two gotta stop. Jack, I'm fine, promise. Ben, just listen to him and be careful, we don't gotta argue about it. C'mon, it's a party, we're supposed to be having fun." Ben lifted a hand, removing his hat from his face, eyes still narrowed but mouth shut, Jack following suit.

"See? All better!" I grinned nervously, not sure if I crossed a line or not, unable to tell their expressions. I turned my attention back to Jack.

"If it makes you feel better you can check my neck later and see if there's any damage?" He narrowed his hollow sockets at me, but sighed, pushing my hand off his chest.

"Fine, but seriously, just be

careful

. I already need someone to make a supply run for me a lot sooner than normal."

"I will, I promise." I then looked at Ben again.

"Go drink some water and eat something, 'kay? I think you're more drunk than you realize." He huffed, rolling his eyes, but didn't argue, just flipping back upright and floating off to the kitchen. Jack chuckled behind me.

"Surprised he even listened to you, normal he's just mouthy."

"Yeah well, you seem to give back that same energy." He looked surprised, sockets widening and mouth hung open slightly. I just grinned.

"What? I can't talk back either?" He shook his head but smiled.

"You're the last person I'd expect to talk back, but guess you're full of surprises."

"Well surprises are fun, aren't they?"

"Guess so, just don't go being mouthy to just anyone though, or you'll defiantly end back up in the infirmary."

"Then it just gives me a chance to say 'hi' to my favorite doc!" I smiled and he just laughed.

"Whatever. Again, please be careful, doctor's orders." Another laugh and I lightly punched his shoulder.

"Fine, fine, whatever ya say!~"

We chatted for a few more minutes before he decided that he was done with the party and was just gonna head to bed. I waved goodbye to him and wished him a goodnight before wandering around, trying to find anyone I knew, though, in the big crowd, it was hard.

"Lost?" I turned, staring into the icy blue eyes of Jeff.

"Oh hey! Heh, yeah, a bit? Was just trying to find literally anyone I know."

"Well, ya found me!" He smiled, the slices in his cheeks stretching wider. He flipped his hair rather dramatically, gesturing to himself.

"Ah yes, the all mighty, absolutely drop-dead gorgeous Jeff!" I snorted, giving a fake and dramatic bow to him, pretending to curtsy. He in turn laughed, slapping a hand on my back.

"If you're lying 'bout that I'll kill ya! We

all

know I'm fucking beautiful!" Another round of laughter.

"Aight, c'mon, time to fucking dance and party our asses off!" He was practically yelling, bumping me with his shoulder before practically flinging me over his shoulder, earning a wheeze from me.

"Dude! I can walk!"

"Do I look like I care! It's my turn and I'm gonna fuckin' dazzle the crowd!" I rolled my eyes, but I'm sure my grin looked just like his. He spun around with me over his shoulder before setting me back down and starting to spin around with me. His energy was only second to Jack's, spinning and whirling around, twisting back, bending forward, he moved so fast I was nearly tripping over my feet, but it wasn't slowing him down any. He was either laughing or yelling the whole time, encouraging me to move faster, spin more, to put more energy into my dancing. Swaying and swinging around, leaping around, jumping and being spun around before I was on my feet again and throwing me out before quickly spinning me back. It was erratic and manic, but it was so much fun!

There was no rhythm or pattern, just moving as fast and as much as possible, almost like he was testing the limit of my body, seeing how much I could spin and bend and twist before I broke. Pushing me to the very limits, on the brink of fracturing into a million tiny pieces.

"There ya go! Now ya've got it! Keep going! Go, go, go!" He was cackling like a maniac, spinning me out before pulling me close again. I was smiling and laughing all the while, just enjoying my time, and having an absolute blast.

Out of everyone, we danced to the longest, not really conversing except for his words of encouragement, egging me on, but it was just so much fun. I hadn't realized how long we had actually danced for, how much time had passed into the night, and how late it was. When we were finally done, I was huffing and puffing, breathless and trying to control my breathing again.

"Heh, not bad! I like yer energy!" He patted my back again, he too trying to catch his breath.

"Thanks... you're not too bad either!" I wheezed, leaning against the nearby wall, hands on my knees. I was defiantly dizzy too. I looked around, seeing how most of the crowd has dissipated, leaving a few stragglers, the rooms were now much quieter, the music turned down a lot, with light chatter coming from the few groups left.

"What...what time is it?" I was still struggling to breathe, but I was slowly getting better. Jeff hummed, pulling his phone from his back pocket and looking down at it.

"2:23 AM. Damn, it's later than I thought. Oh well, I don't regret fuck all!" He snorted and shrugged, shoving his phone back in his pocket before leaning on the wall and sliding down to sit on the floor. I joined him sitting down, making sure my skirt still properly covered me.

"So you're really,

really

thinking of going back?" The question shocked me, though I should have been used to it by now.

"Yeah. I gotta."

"Welp, if ya don't come back, it was nice knowin' ya!" Despite his words, his grin was wide and friendly, an unusual kindness from the man.

"Ya don't count on me dying, I'm coming back!"

"Good! You better promise that too, I hate liars." I held up my pinky finger.

"I promise I'll come back." His smile only grew bigger and he wrapped his own pinky around mine, interlocking and closing our fingers in the universal language of a Pinky Promise.

"And ya better keep that promise!"

"I know, I know, or you'll 'kill me', I get it." I could only chuckle as he nodded, proud that I had already learned his threat.

"Aight, I think it's 'bout time to pass the fuck out, night ya dumb bitch." He ruffled my already messy hair as he stood up, before flipping me off and walking away, his own way of waving goodbye. I flipped him off in turn even though he couldn't see me, it was the thought that counted. Being alone now, I just sighed, leaning my head back against the wall and closing my eyes. The only sound was soft music turned down to barely audible, and the light chatter of whoever was still around, but it served as a comfortable background noise, one that started to lull me to sleep with its sweet symphonies and subtle lullabies. My eyes felt heavy and my body was sore and tired, having no energy left to even try to stand up.

"(Y/n), dear?" It was such a soft voice, I almost didn't even notice it. I managed to open my eyes, looking up at the looming figure above me. He was crouched down in front of me, looking down at me, head tilted ever so slightly to the side.

"I know you're tired, but if I may have a moment?" I yawned, sitting up a bit straighter and nodding my head, offering a smile to him.

"Yeah, of course." Once my answer left my lips, everything all around me blurred and began to distort, twisting and bending, colors swirling and melding together, shapes deforming and morphing anew, all within only a few seconds before I realized I was outside.

The night air was cool, it felt good against my warm skin. I was sitting on a bend, old and worn, shown love through the years with carvings of initials in the grain. I was in the middle of a small clearing, only about a 10-foot diameter, with tall, dense trees surrounding all around me. My head was still leaned back, and I stared once more into the beautifully crystal clear sky. Stars made of diamonds twinkling in the sky with the full moon, beautiful in its eerie, looming glow, soft as ever, a puppeteer to push and pull vast oceans, yet so kind to greet me in the dead of night. It really was breathtaking.

"You have quite an eye for beauty." I tiredly lolled my head to the side, Slender sat next to me, his own head tilted back to gaze into the infinite void so far above. An owl in the distance called out, echoing through the trees all around. I waited, turning my eyes back up to the sky, connecting star to star, making up my own constellations to admire and find.

"Did you have fun tonight?"

"Yeah, it was really nice. I got to talk and dance a lot, and I didn't worry about anything. I felt free." I could feel him smiling.

"That's good, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. I was hoping to ask you for a dance as well, however, if you are too exhausted, then I do not want you straining yourself." I shook my head, smiling and pushing myself up and off the bench, turning to face him.

"I would love to dance, I pretty much got to dance with everyone tonight, so it's only fair." He chuckled in response, standing up and brushing off his suit.

"You're always so kind, but again, if you are too tired my dear, then you should rest." Shaking my head in response, I took a step away from the bench, holding out a hand to him.

"I stand by what I said, it's only fair."

"As kind as ever I see." He took my hand, then held out his other, my turn to place my other palm in his. One of our arms stayed close to our bodies, held up slightly, while the other was outstretched. It was like a slow waltz, simple and uncomplicated, calming, and not much thought needed to move, dancing in the moonlight, the stars buzzing with eons old excitement.

"How have you found yourself adjusting? Is there anything wrong or that I may help ease?" I shook my head as we turned and slowly spun around.

"No, everything's been pretty good! Everyone's really nice, I like it a lot here. Anything thing I can think of is just my weird dreams."

"That is good to hear, and understandable. You've been through quite a lot, even if you don't remember. I can offer my assistance with your dreams if you would so like?"

"You dont have to, I dont wanna bother you-"

"It's not bothersome at all, (Y/n). It is just as simple as how I cleared your headache and is of no issue to me. Anything to help my residents, and to repay your kindness." I pursed my lips in thought for a moment, him gently spinning me around by one hand before back to the slow dance.

"If you insist, then you can, but again, I really don't wanna bug you."

"I do insist, and one more, as you say, you do not and will not disturb me. I must ask, please do not keep thinking that you do or will bother me or any of the others. You seem quite persistent in saying that you do."

"I guess I just feel like I already do, or that if I keep it up, I'm just gonna push you all away." He hummed, dipping me down before back up again.

"Well then, I can assure you that you certainly will not push any of us away, and most of all, not me."

"Thank you, but are you sure?"

"I am as sure as the moon is old." I smiled, deciding it best to just accept the answer and not argue. Another spin before we stopped, each taking a step back and bowing.

"I believe I've mentioned this before, that I greatly hate humans, but I do appreciate the arts. And I am quite infatuated with how affable and pleasing you are to be around. You are strange for a human, my dear, but you have quite a few of us mesmerized with your kindness." I couldn't help but smile at his words while, at the same time, blushing at them.

"It's just the right thing to do, every deserves kindness."

"While I agree, that sympathy is quite a strong bond needed, you humans have proved through the centuries that the majority of you do not think nor act that way. But you...well, I must be honest, at times I find myself wordless as to how to describe you.

"You are human, flesh and blood, through and through, born from the womb into this world, and yet here you stand before me, something that even I, a creature of unfathomable origins, as ancient as the first dawn of humans, could have never imagined to come from humanity.

"You, so fragile and delicate, as easy to break as a glass flower, stand resilient and compassionate to what you humans could only ever consider as monsters.

"You, who is so broken and cracked yourself, shattered and mangled, ripped apart and forced back together, standing here with not a sliver of hate within your heart or mind, only love and tender care for us.

"You, my dear, a child of humanity's creation and cruelty, stand here with me, arguably the most monstrous thing that humans could ever think of, something that destroys the minds of all who see, yet you perceive me with ease, and instead of terror or animosity, you only look at me with those eyes as soft as ever. You hold the stars in your eyes, an infinite galaxy in your mind, and yet, you choose to be here, with all of us, turning your back to the human thought of primal fear, to the unknown and the uncanny.

"You stand here, choosing us over all that you have been taught all your life, all that you have learned through thousands and thousands of years of evolution, learning that fear so deeply that it is written into your very blood and genetics, with every fiber of your being, and yet, you are here, in the present, and still wishing to come back."

His voice held so much emotion; anger, love, kindness, admiration, wonder, amazement, curiosity. All mixing together into a culmination of his words that stole away my breath. I felt dizzy from the words and the exhaustion seeping into my bones. I hadn't even noticed I started to tip over until I was being held in his arms, catching me with ease, in such a smooth and impossibly fast motion. He held me in his arms as everything around us once again began to shift and morph until we were in my room. Although I couldn't speak, he could read my mind, my thoughts and emotions, he didn't need my response, he already knew it was everything under the sun and moon that was positive and good.

"Rest now, you're worn down. You need plenty of rest for your little trip tomorrow." He gently set me down in my bed, pulling the blanket over me and softly brushing some of my hair from my face before I drifted off into a deep, lovely sleep.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Dreams of swirling shapes, morphing all together, stretching and squishing, pulling and twisting, shifting from one color to the next, strings and tendrils splaying out from them, grabbing and wrapping around anything in reach. Clawing at the ground, caressing the sky above, hanging onto stars, and pulling itself forward, an amorphous blob of magnificence and grotesque horror, full of disgust and love. It kept shifting from one form to another, in a constant state of change. It wasn't a bad dream, but I wasn't in heaven either. Whatever kind of void I stood in, it moved all around me, unbearable slow, and simultaneously quick, only a blur as it moved.

The tendrils would move all around me, circling my form, getting close, but never quite touching me, almost like that if it did touch me, I would burn it. I reached a hand out to it, and it recoiled at first, finally staying still in front of me, the form still morphing and hues shifting. I held my palm up, fingers splayed out to it. All was still for a long, long while, before it finally moved. A tentative tendril reached out, wrapping around my thumb. Then another followed, wrapping around my pinky, then my index, then all my fingers. More tendrils began to reach out, wrapping around my fingers, gentle at first, and it almost felt sticky, like slime or sludge, then more and more began to wrap around and engulf my fingers. There was so much of it, it began to take over my hand, slowly climbing up my arm, past my elbow, and all the way up to my shoulder. Wherever it touched felt like icy hot static, fuzzy and numb, removing all feeling and only leaving behind the sensation of pins and needles, my skin feeling hot and bone freezing.

It climbed and consumed my body, slowly covering every last inch of bare skin, attaching itself to my form, grappling wherever it could reach, until only just my face was exposed, staring up into the sky of the void. It was empty except for a large, full moon hanging low. It was so close, I could reach out and touch its dusty surface. It felt like a cold breath blew across my face. My stomach was tying itself in knots, and I felt nauseous.

"A shining shattered star, fallen far from the great heavens above, I ask you this once my child, do you know who you really, truly are? Is this where you belong?"

I groggily opened my eyes, blinking hard a few times, trying my damnest to keep my eyes open, sunlight streaming into the room through my open window, dust floating in the beam. I yawned, rolling over, stretching, then rolling back over, slowly pushing myself up, rubbing my eyes, and staring down at the floor. What was that dream? It was so quickly fading away, I couldn't quite remember.

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, finding I was still in my outfit from last night, shoes and all. I wasn't quite sure how I even comfortably slept in shoes, I must have just been

that

exhausted. I yawned again, kicking off my boots and standing up, stretching my arms high above my head, standing on my tiptoes, calves aching and pulling, but it felt good. I finally relaxed my body, walking across the room to the bathroom, desperately needing a shower.

I undressed sluggishly, letting all the clothes fall to a pile on the floor. I looked in the mirror, I looked tired, but also just better in general. My bruises lightening, my cheeks less hollow, I was starting to just look more

alive

, even without a smile I looked happier. I stared at my body, at the brace still wrapped around my torso, the only thing left on me. I needed to bathe, and this was giving me much-needed support, what would happen if I took it off? Would I be able to get it back on by myself? Guess it was time to find out.

I took a deep breath, grabbing the brace, peeling the velcro apart, and feeling the support it was giving me disappear. My core felt weak, but I was still standing and holding myself upright. I'd be fine. I fully removed it, setting it on the counter and looking at my ribs. Still very much discolored and sore, but they too looked better, even less swollen. I ran a gentle finger across my torso, cringing at how sensitive my skin felt. I rolled my shoulders, stretching my neck one last time before pivoting on my heels and getting in the shower.

I took my time, the hot water felt amazing on my wounds and aching body, soothing my bruises and sore feet. I made sure to scrub well, wanting all the dirt and sweat to wash down the drain with my pain, but taking care to gently wash my stitched calf and the hole in my side. In my hazy state, still trying to wake up, I would close my eyes, imaging those swirling colors and shifting forms again, trying to remember just

what

it was. And when I would open my eyes again, it would all vanish once more, and instead, the only swirling thing I would see was the bubbles pouring down the shower drain. I washed my makeup-smeared face and scrubbed my scalp, making sure I would be squeaky clean. Washing, scrubbing nearly raw everywhere I could reach and think of, taking care not to hurt myself by stretching too much or scrubbing at wounds too harshly.

I ran my raw fingers over my neck, feeling the burned ring across my skin. It was tight and raw, sore and tingling with pain with the hot water and soap, but I had to clean it regardless. My right wrist was still swollen and bruised from being stomped on, but I was able to move it more than the days before. I was healing day by day, slowly, but surely. I was safe, and in a place where I could heal at my own pace, recovering with each passing moment. I was healing, physically and mentally.

I turned off the faucet, watching the last pools of water drain before stepping out, wrapping a towel around my hair and another around my body, drying off and trying not to strain myself. I grabbed the brace off the counter, leaving the dirty party clothes on the floor, switching off the light, and closing the bathroom door behind me after leaving, the steamed-up bathroom being too uncomfortable to stay in or to try to put on clothes inside.

Stepping into the closet, I once more shut the door before letting the towel fall off my body, the cold air pricking at my form, sending a chill up my spine, and goosebumps raising along my skin. I managed to get the brace back on after a small struggle, trying to get it tight enough to provide the support I needed. It took a few minutes and some frustration, but once it was secured I felt relief once more. Next, a bra and a pair of underwear; simple, black, breathable, and comfy as ever. I filed through the clothing hanging up, pulling a form-fitting long-sleeved black shirt with a deep v-neck collar, pairing it with another pair of leggings, and pulling on a pair of socks. I didn't really care for any accessories at the moment. I smoothed out any wrinkles before removing the towel from my head, rubbing it through my hair, trying to dry it more before letting it too pool to the floor, deciding to just let my hair air dry the rest of the way.

I left my room, shuffling down the hallway and through the living room to the kitchen, a pounding headache rampaging against my skull. Upon entering the kitchen, I didn't even have time to process who was in there before a small ball of energy launched itself at me, knocking the air out of me with an 'oof'.

"(Y/n)! Good morning!"

"Morning, Sally." I smiled, patting her head as she beamed up at me, emerald eyes sparkling. A hand on my shoulder dragged my attention back up.

"Ah, morning, Jack." He was holding a hand out to me, a few pills in his gray palm.

"Here, I'm sure you've got a nasty hangover."

"Thanks." I smiled, grabbing the two tablets and throwing them in my mouth, dryly swallowing them, not really caring to get something to drink. Looking around, nearly everyone was at the table, minus Jane, Jeff, and Laughing Jack. Those who looked up at me nodded in their good mornings, no one really talking at all, or those who were only whispered, leaving the room nice and quiet. Everyone seemed to be hungover, except for Slender, who sat at the large chair at the end of the table, reading a book.

Toby was sat not far from where I stood, and he waved me over, gesturing to a plate sat on the table in front of an empty chair. Sally refused to let me go, so I had to waddle over with the child holding onto me, her feet on top of mine. I sat in the chair, Sally climbing on my lap, immediately playing with my hair, making small braids in it.

"Thanks." I nodded to Toby and he smiled in response before going back to resting his head on the table in his folded arms. The plate was filled with eggs and toast, bacon and sausage, with a cup of coffee, a light cream color and still steaming. I dug in, rather slowly, but still hungrily shoveling the food down. I was starving. The room was still quiet, the only sound was of my fork hitting the plate or Slender flipping a page in his book, and Sally lightly humming.

The morning was peaceful and silent, calm. When I finished eating, I didn't feel like moving, so instead I rested an elbow on the table and my chin in my palm, closing my eyes and resting. All was still and calm, feeling as if everything was frozen in time, peaceful bliss, not a care or trouble in the world. I felt Sally moving around in my other arm, squirming and leaning over across me. I opened my eyes, watching as she leaned over and patted Toby's shoulder, making him look up at her with tired eyes. He hummed in question and she leaned over, whispering to him. He shook his head before trying to lay back down, but she wasn't happy with his answer. She smacked the back of his head, and when he didn't respond, she continued to smack him until he looked up again, annoyed and irritated. I chuckled to myself, closing my eyes and resting again. The small commotion continued on until Sally stopped moving, and began playing with my hair again, but then I felt a different tug on my hair, on the other side of my head. Upon opening my eyes again, Toby too was braiding my hair, looking tired and uninterested, and Sally looked satisfied with herself. She wanted him to join her in braiding my hair, and she was rather insistent and wouldn't let him rest unless she got her way. I smiled, she really was just like any other child. Sally was humming again, and Toby looked ready to pass out, like he would just fall over any second now. They both braided tiny portions of my hair for a few minutes before Slender cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention.

"Sally, dear, would you mind heading to your room? I have something important I need to discuss with the others here." Slender placed his book down, closing the cover and folding his hands together.

"Awwwwwe, I can't stay?"

"No, this is something very important, it's a conversation for the adults."

"Awe, ok." She sounded sad but did what was asked of her, climbing down off my lap, giving me one last hug, then skipping out of the room. Toby let his hands fall to his lap and laid his head back on the table, but he kept his eyes open, looking at his boss.

"Now then, everyone of importance to this matter is here. First, good morning everyone, I am glad to see that you all had fun last night. And I am more thrilled that this time around nothing was broken and no one was hurt. Now, for the matter at hand. You all, except for Jack, will be traveling back to that

wretched

facility today, accompanying (Y/n). You all know your jobs; Ben, you are simply transporting them to and from the facility. Brian, Tim, and Toby, you three are going to be protecting (Y/n) and helping her search for what it may be she is looking for, and of course, if anyone is still alive,

kill them

.

"Jack, you will be performing a check-up once more to determine if (Y/n) will be able to make this trip or not. If she cannot, then it will be postponed until she is able-bodied enough to do so.

"This trip should be quick and simple and should take no more than 3 hours at most. I understand the facility is large, but I know the talents of my proxies, and how skilled you three are in finding anything. And with Brian having years to learn the facility, he should know where most of everything is located. Understood?" A resounding "Yes, Sir" echoed out from everyone, and I nodded my head. He waited a few seconds before speaking once more.

"Good. Now then, with that, go prepare. And Jack, please escort (Y/n) to the infirmary. Take as much time as you need, be thorough, if she cannot go, do not hesitate to put it bluntly to her, and tell inform me."

"Yes, Sir." Jack nodded, then gestured for me to follow him, leaving the kitchen and once more ending up in the doctor's room. As I had grown used to doing, I sat in the chair in the middle of the room, watching Jack mill around the room, washing his hands, putting on gloves, and gathering tools and supplies on his metal cart.

"Now then, let's start, and be honest. Any pain or soreness at all?" His voice was unusually harsh and cold, he was taking Slender's words to heart.

"My ribs are sore, but I can stand without the brace, and my leg feels a lot better too." He turned to look at me, walking over and dragging the cart with him, taking a seat on the stool already next to the chair.

"You can stand without the brace?" I nodded.

"I took a shower and had to take it off, I didn't fall or stumble at all." He hummed, picking up a clipboard off the cart and writing on it.

"And how's your neck feeling?"

"I haven't really noticed it much. It feels tight if I stretch or twist it too far, really sore."

"Fingers and wrist?"

"Sore but they're the least noticeable."

"Your eye and cheek?"

"I forget I even got punched." He hummed again, scribbling down on the paper before setting it down and picking up a tiny metal hammer. He tapped my knee, watching it jolt then doing the same to the other knee. He went through a whole slew of tests. Testing my reflexes, tapping joints and pressing into tendons, listening to my heartbeat and my lungs through my back, balancing on one foot, then the other, pupil dilation, blood pressure, anything and everything under the sun, jotting each test result down on the clipboard. He was curt and blunt, cold and uncaring in his tone.

It must've taken an hour at least for the whole checkup, on top of slathering more ointment onto my wounds and rebandaging my neck and fingers. But once it was all done, he leaned back on his stool, picking up the clipboard, and looking it over before sighing heavily, eyelids closing before turning back to look at me.

"I'd prefer it if you didn't go, but you are able enough to go back. Everything is fine and you're healing pretty fast, a lot faster than I expected." He stood up and I did the same, once more trailing behind him as we reentered the kitchen, Jack handing the clipboard to Slender, who still sat in the same chair. He took the board, looking it over, flipping through the pages before he too sighed like Jack had.

"I agree, Jack, but she is healthy enough to travel back there. (Y/n), dear," He turned his head to look back at me, handing the board back to Jack.

"You may go, but please, do be careful."

"I will, I promise." He nodded and looked back down at his closed book. Tim and Brian were no longer in the room, but Ben and Toby were still there, now properly dressed then when I saw them before, Ben staring down at his phone in hand and Toby with his goggles and mask pulled over his face.

"You should go finish getting ready then. We will be waiting in the living room for you." I nodded, turning to leave the kitchen again, making my way back to my room, noticing my door open just a sliver. I raised an eyebrow, pushing it open the rest of the way. On my bed sat Sally, instead of her usual happy demeanor, she was staring at the floor, looking sad and sullen.

"Sally, hun, what's wrong?" She looked up, her bottom lip trembling and her eyes glosses over. I frowned, speeding over to her side, and kneeling in front of her on the ground.

"Oh no, hey, you okay? What happened?" She sniffled, tears bubbling up in her eyes.

"You're... y-you're leaving!" The second the last word left her she began wailing, tears streaming down her cheeks, her nose turning red, and lifting her hands to rub at her eyes. My heart panged at the sight, lifting my hands and cradling her cheeks, rubbing away her tears with my thumbs.

"Sally, sweetie, no. I'm not leaving, I promise-"

"B-b-but you said!- He said!- You're g-g-g-going back!" I pulled myself up and sat on the bed next to her, wrapping an arm around her and patting her back, trying to comfort her.

"No, no, Sally, I'm just going back for a quick trip, I'm not leaving permanently. I'll be coming right back!" My heartstrings were being tugged every which way, and she only cried harder, leaning into my side.

"Y-y-you promise?" She was hiccuping from how hard she was crying. I pulled her closer, leaning down slightly to look her in the eye.

"I promise hun, I'll only be gone most 3 hours, no more. Just a quick trip to look around, okay?"

"C-c-can I come w-w-with you?"

"Sorry hun, but you can't, it's too dangerous, you need to stay here, okay?" She sniffled more, taking a few moments to think and try to calm her breathing.

"Y-you promise? Really p-promise?" I nodded, gently patting her back.

"I really promise, pinky promise." I held my pinky out to her and she, near desperately, wrapped her own pinky around mine.

"Please c-come back!"

"I will, I will. Here, wanna help me get ready? We can spend some time together before we head out?" She sniffed again but nodded, rubbing her eyes and looking up at me.

"Can I-I brush your hair?" She was still hiccuping and stuttering, but she was starting to calm down.

"Of course. You go get the hairbrush and I'll go put on my shoes, okay?" She nodded, pushing herself down off the bed and walking to the bathroom. I was quick to head to the closet, finding a pair of sneakers and pulling them on, tying the laces tight. I sat back down on my bed, finding Sally already waiting there with a brush held tightly in her hands. She shifted around, sitting on her knees to be tall enough to comfortably brush my hair. She was gentle and slow, wanting as much time together as possible.

"W-why're you leaving?" She spoke so quietly.

"Just to look around, just trying to find anything about me." She hummed, hitting a knot in my hair, slowly working it out before continuing to brush. She didn't say anything else, and neither did I. I didn't know how well to comfort anyone, or what to say anymore. She knew I was coming back, I promised her, and now she was calming down and brushing my hair. A couple minutes passed before she stopped, setting the brush down on the nightstand before scooting closer and leaning into my side. I wrapped an arm around her in a half hug, squeezing slightly.

"Feeling better?" She nodded, turning and wrapping her tiny arms around me and squeezing back hard.

"You better ke-keep your promise."

"I will, don't worry." She kept hugging me for a few seconds before hesitantly letting go. I patted her head, offering her a smile to help reassure her.

"Alright, I should get going. We won't be gone long, but stay out of trouble, okay?" She nodded and hummed.

"Okay." One last smile was shared before I stood up, holding my hand out to her, her small hand grabbing my pinky finger. We left my room together, walking out to the living room. There stood everyone from before; Slender, Ben, Brian, Tim, and Toby.

"All ready?" Brian asked, mask pulled over his face, voice modifier making him sound unrecognizable. I nodded and Sally squeezed my finger. Nothing else was said. Ben was standing next to the TV, screen full of warping static. He placed a hand flat on the screen, turning the glass into a rippling liquid. Brian stepped through first, followed by Tim. All heads turned towards me, it was my turn. I leaned down, giving Sally one last hug.

"See ya soon, 'kay?"

"Okay." I stood back up and walked towards the TV, Ben holding out a hand to help me through. I took it, placing my other hand on the edge of the TV before climbing through. The world around me melted away and disappeared, static engulfing all around me, shifting and swirling, the same cool sensation like water washing over me in waves. Then it all faded away, and I was torso first sticking out of one of the computers in the control room. Tim and Brian were standing there, Tim staring down the corridor and Brian helping me out of the computer and off the desk. I looked around the blood-stained room, dark with dim, flickering lights above us. I turned watching as Toby too soon joined us, the computer screen behind him filled with static. Ben stuck his head through, but no more.

"Be quick you guys, I'll stay here."

"Alright. Pretty sure we got everyone, but stay alert." Brain spoke to Ben, and he nodded, disappearing back into the screen before the static blipped out of existence, and the screen was black and solid once more.

We were back in the facility.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The facility walls echoed any sound, amplifying them back into my ears, so much louder and leaving my nerves on edge. The facility was eerily silent, though it would be one of the few times I was thankful for silence, it meant no one was left. The blood-spattered floors and walls were the same, the only difference was the blood being tried and a dark reddish-brown, no longer fresh and slick or bright red. Though the stench of metal still permeated the air. I wrinkled my nose, the scent strong and pungent, along with the smell of rot.

Looking around, we all noticed two major things. For one, all the electronics in the room, cameras, and computers, electronic parts shattered and thrown all across the room, they were all smashed to bits, except for the one we traveled through. Second, there was a startling lack of bodies. There was blood, even rotting chunks of flesh and organs, bone fragments scattered around here and there, covered with squirming maggots, but no bodies. We all shared a look, conveying the same thought.

Where did they go?

"M-m-maybe just a body retrieval? Everything s-s-ssss-seems abandoned." Toby looked around, Tim nodding.

"Knowing them, if anyone was still here, this place would be sparkling clean. For sure it's empty." Brain spoke, pulling from his knowledge of working in the facility for years.

"We should still be careful. Better safe than sorry." Tim added, and we all agreed. The three men all walked in front of me, creating a barrier, blocking me from anything or anyone that could have been left in the hallways. But they were all completely empty of anyone living or dead. The only life that existed was the maggots, feasting on chunks of rotting meat.

We all walked slowly, silently, our footsteps careful and stalking. They would peak around corners, just slightly, waiting, holding our breath until we knew it was clear. And soon a pattern emerged. It was always clear.

"This place really is abandoned." It was an obvious statement, though we were still hesitant to believe it on account of there being no bodies. We slowly treaded through the hallways, taking twists and turns, following Brian closely at the heel, tight-knit and careful. In the open hallways, they had moved to circle me in protection. Brian in front, Tim behind us, and Toby at my side. They all had their weapons drawn too, both Tim and Brian brandishing pistols, and Toby holding both his hatchets in a tight grip.

Every hallway we walked through was full of open doorways, nothing closed or shut, wide open showing the contents inside. Empty rooms with only cots in them, sometimes with large pools of dried blood on the floor, or trails of bodies having once been dragged out. Walking past one doorway, I looked over to examine it. It was a large doorway, with a glass wall on the opposite side of the doorway, with a simple white chair and table in the middle of the room, the one room with not a single speck of blood in it. The room that was once mine. I cringed, looking away and continuing on. The men looked over at it too, but said nothing.

Brian knew exactly where he was going, having memorized where everything important was, and it didn't take long to reach our destination. Another open doorway, letting us look into a large room, lined with dingy silver filing cabinets, untouched, closed, and free of blood or rust. We slowly stepped in, looking around the large room, careful in case someone was hiding inside.

"This is the archives. Anything and everything should be right here." Brian was quick to walk to the first cabinet, a small label on the top reading 'A1-A1000'. Tim and Toby followed, each going to a different cabinet and immediately searching, flicking through files labeled with names and numbers. I took a deep breath and followed suit.

The first five cabinets were all labeled 'A' followed by a number. A1-A1000, A1001-A2000, and it continued on into the five thousands, before continuing on to the letter 'B', and so forth. The only sound now was the sound of paper shuffling and being flipped through, with the occasional squeal of metal drawers being shut and opened to the next one. No one spoke or made any noise, only an occasional cough from Tim, or tic from Toby.

"Anyone find anything?" It was Brian, but he didn't speak aloud, he was using the mental link, telepathy.

"Nope." Tim.

"Nothing yet." Toby.

"No..." And lastly me. Silence once more.

Flipping, searching, reading, eyes darting and scanning every letter, every name and number, but nothing. As the minutes ticked by, we very slowly made our way through the cabinets. The sheer amount of files made me feel sick, just how many people and creatures did they have files on? Were they all held here? Kidnapped and tortured. A chill ran down my spine. I swallowed hard, feeling like razor blades coated my throat. My mouth felt dry.

Searching and searching. At first, it felt fine, there were so many files that of course, it would take a while to find anything belonging to me. But as the minutes turned into half an hour, then a full hour, I felt disheartened, hope starting to quickly fade and drain from me, but the three men kept searching, determined to find something, anything, to just help me get some kind of closure. With their masks on, I couldn't tell their expressions, but I could vaguely feel what they felt, through the mark on my hand. A mixture of persistence and resolve, dedication and valor to help me, hope, but also sadness, something nauseating and twisting in the pit of all our stomachs.

"Two hours left." I felt sick. An hour in and still nothing. I thought 3 hours would have been plenty of time, maybe too much time, but seeing how many cabinets there were, and how many files that were in the cabinets, it felt like we would need an eternity to find something, anything. Two hours wasn't nearly enough time left. I felt desperate, hopeless, just trying to find whatever it was I was looking for. I felt a presence in my mind once more, but not the trio, just a singular one. Tim.

"You doing okay?"

"I...I don't know. There's so much to look through but not enough time. I don't think we'll find anything." I could sense him frowning.

"It doesn't have to be 3 hours on the dot, we can go a few minutes over. And I'm sure we'll find something, don't give up just yet. If you can handle the shit you've been through you can handle a couple hours of reading." It was my turn to grimace, feeling only gloom.

"I'm just not sure. There's so much-"

"You wanted to come here. This is what you're looking for. If you've got any ideas in that brain of yours then do something. Don't get all down and depressed now." He spoke harshly but in a caring type of way, like tough love. 'Suck it up, this was your idea, so figure it out instead of pouting'. And he was right. They were more determined than me right now, and that just wasn't plain fair. I furrowed my brows and nodded, biting the inside of my cheek.

"Right, sorry. I shouldn't be acting like a kid right now." There was a twinge of a smile from him.

"Good, now keep looking, you're wasting time." I looked around the cabinets, now searching my own mind for anything that could be useful. That article, the newspaper clipping I saw when Ben pulled me into the TV, it was talking about that woman, my mother. What did it say again? Her name? Just what was it? Sharron? Charlene? Charlotte. Charlotte M. Just

what

was her last name? 'M', Mason, Moore, Martin? No, Miller. I quickly walked down the aisle, searching for the cabinet with an 'M' on it, until I found it. I nearly ripped open the cabinet and began filing through, fingers flipping through manilla folders and pristine white papers.

Marshall, McDonald, Meyer...Miller! I grinned, filling through the myriad of first names. I scanned through and through all the names, but my stomach sank when I couldn't find a single file with either my name or that vile woman's name. There was just simply...nothing. I was getting desperate now, pulling out files of names I didn't know or care for, letting them fall to the ground, trying to narrow it down one at a time, hoping I just wasn't overlooking it. But there really, truly was nothing. No Charlotte, no me.

"(Y/n)?" I slowly looked up, staring back at Brian. My voice said it all, and in case they couldn't tell, he too could feel just how crestfallen I was. Nothing. Absolute, complete nothing. Nothing just like the rest of this wretched, god-forsaken facility. I wanted to punch something. I wanted to scream and cry out. I wanted to shrivel up and die, I felt useless, just so fucking hopeless. He moved to my side, seeming unsure of what to do or say, so instead, he just patted my shoulder, trying to comfort me, if awkwardly doing so.

"It's okay, we've still got some time, let's keep looking." I nodded, sighing heavily and turning back to the cabinet, looking through it carefully once more. Folder after folder, page by page, reaching each name and description, ages and personalities, trying to find anything that would match either to me or to her, but still, nothing.

"We've got an hour left." I grimaced and felt anxiety spike through me. Only a single hour left. I was rushing now, flicking through only the folders now, name after name, not even trying to find a description to match me, just going by the name. The others started to do the same, quickly scanning through only names. Time was ticking by too fast, it was wasting away, losing time, and still, we were empty-handed.

"Is there anything else? Any way we can search faster? Computer files?" Tim directed the question to Brian, but he only shook his head in response.

"They never put any sensitive information on the computers. Too easy to corrupt or lose, too easy to search through and find. That was the first thing they taught me. Even if it's inefficient, it worked out in their favor."

"Fucking hell." We were all throwing unneeded files to the floor now, weeding out whatever we didn't need. We were moving much faster now, but it still took time, and that was the last thing we had. Rushing through the search also meant we could've been missing so, so much information, anything that the facility had on them, on the others, every single last one of them.

"Brian, is there

anywhere

else we could look?" Tim sounded frustrated, and Brian was silent, thinking, trying to remember anything important.

"The only other place anything this important would be is in the Director's office, but I dunno where

that

even is, no one does except the Director."

"And they're dead?"

"Bingo."

"Alright then, any other offices or filing rooms?" Tim turned his head to look over his shoulder at Brian, waiting.

"There's the printing room, but everything there gets brought here, this is all there is."

"Couldn't hurt to check then? If anything got left there."

"It's not likely, but we can stop by it and look around before we leave." I listened closely to the conversation, trying to find any sliver of hope, but it still left me feeling uncertain. I had to steel my nerves and calm down, it'd be fine, it'd all be fine.

Not finding anything didn't mean the end of the world, it didn't mean death or pain or loneliness. It just meant I didn't know my past. I meant I knew nothing of myself. The only thing I knew was the manilla folder they gave me-

Wait.

Could...could

that

have been my folder? Just a few papers inside, mostly all redacted. But there had to be a copy, right? There had to be a version with all the information still intact. Right?

I leaned back, staring down into the open metal drawer, empty with its contents strewn all across the floor. My folder wasn't here. I couldn't find it anywhere. And neither could they. Was I really so stupid to not realize that it was the one I handed over to Slender?

Did I just waste everyone's time? Causing Sally distress, putting these three in harm's way, worrying Slender and Jack, and making Ben wait in a computer held within this facility like a prisoner once more. Did I cause all of this simply because I couldn't put two and two together? Was I really this dull-minded? I felt a cold air wash over my body, freezing me in place. Would they be angry if I told me? Would they shun and ignore me in ire and hatred?

No, they would, I was told they'd understand me. They'd understand this, right?

Wait no, the file I gave to him, he would remember, he would've mentioned it, wouldn't he? He was so smart and opened minded to everything, wise beyond comprehension, he would've remembered the file I gave him, and he would've mentioned it.

My heart was pounding and my ears were ringing. I was breathing heavily, trying to grapple with what to do now, trying to figure out if that truly was

my

file, if all that was in it was blacked-out walls of text. I felt eyes turning to stare at me. They could feel it, my panic and anxiety, they could feel my heart racing.

"(Y/n)?"

"Hey, what's happening?"

"D-d-do you need to s-s-sit down?" I did just that, collapsing to my knees and trying to breathe. Something was wrong. This wasn't like when I was in that room panicking. No, this was so, so much different. There was a fuzzy feeling spreading throughout my body, my blood felt cold, and a sensation like spindly fingers were running up and down my spine. I couldn't breathe, something was pushing the air out of my lungs. Someone wheezed, and another started to cough.

"Shit! What the hell is happening?"

"F-f-f-f-fffff-fuck!" I felt frozen, clawing a hand at my chest.

I can't breathe!

Someone! Anyone! Fucking help me!

My lungs were burning, squeezing shut, never once expanding, my throat felt closed, my mouth gapped open in a silent scream, trying to breathe, but I couldn't. Then it all stopped.

I sucked in a sharp breath, gasping loudly, falling to the side as my body finally relaxed. I was heaving and coughing, and my heart finally slowly down back to normal.

"What the fuck was that?!" Tim yelled, he sounded so angry.

"I...I don't know-" Brian cut me off.

"We should go now. Times about up and that doesn't bode well." He helped Tim up off the floor from where he had fallen into his coughing fit. I pushed myself help, wobbling slightly, shuffling to join the group. Toby was holding onto a cabinet, still heaving.

"You okay?" He nodded, swallowing hard, pulling down his mask to breathe easier, leaving his goggled over his eyes.

"I'm sorry." I cringed, looking to stare down at the floor. I knew it was me, it had to be. The connection through the mark was useful, but a double-edged sword, they could feel and experience whatever the hell had just happened to me, not nearly as bad, but enough to affect them. They could still breathe, but to them, they felt just as much suffocation as I had.

"W-why?"

"Because if I didn't have this mark none of you would go through that." He shook his head, finally standing back up straight.

"Q-q-q-quit that. We're used t-to this, not the wo-worst we've been-been through." I could only frown, staring back up at him for a few seconds before looking back to the floor, kicking at a loose file.

"C'mon." He pulled his mask back up over his mouth before gesturing with his head for me to follow. Tim and Brian were waiting at the doorway for us, turning and walking back down the hallway, this time I was trailing a few feet behind all of them. No one said anything. They were still careful and cautious, looking around corners, pausing and waiting, listening closely, before continuing on.

At first, we seemed to be making out way back to the control room, but we took a few turns in different directions before ending up at a new room, not as big as the file room, but still rather large. The floors and walls were covered in dried blood, paper strewn about all over the floor, with old blood having soaked in. There were large white machines lined up on tables, some intact, some fallen to the floor and broken, others just straight up smashed to pieces. I stood in the doorway and watched and they quickly zoomed around the room, looking on top of tables and under them, picking up any paper they could find and looking it over, front and back. But none of them seemed to find anything, each paper they picked up they ripped up to shreds and moved on to the next, examining then shredding it.

"Nothing." Tim groaned, huffing and looking around the room.

"Told ya, everything immediately gets brought to the file room, itd be so unlikely anything was left in here, besides blanks." The group made their way back to the doorway, and I stepped aside to let them walk out. I just stayed quiet. I just felt like I couldn't speak, not at all. I once more followed a couple steps behind them as they walked, dead silent. Everything just felt dead. I had no hope of finding whatever it was I even wanted. I was confused even by my own intentions.

I had given Slender that file. My file. I said I didn't want to know. Yet here I was, endangering my friends all for my selfish desire to know who I was, where I came from, what my life was like before everything, going back on what I said. Did I really drag them here just because of some stupid nightmare? I put them in harm's way just for nothing. I really was just a terrible person. Selfish and greedy.

We were all walking slowly, something hung in the air, a sense of failure, a feeling of disappointment. It felt like we had lost, even though we knew there very much was a possibility of finding absolutely nothing.

"Thank you, guys, for helping me, even if we didn't find anything." They nodded but didn't speak, but I knew they weren't angry or sad, it was just silence. There wasn't a pause or any other acknowledgment, we just kept walking. They walked much faster than me, and I kept falling behind, occasionally jogging to catch back up. We finally made one final turn, looking down the hallway to the very end, looking through the distant doorway to the control room.

I started to fall behind again, losing myself in my thoughts. Anxiety, fear, hopelessness, anger at myself. I just felt foolish, I was so stupid for thinking I would find anything left here of my past. For all I knew, I was so useless and uncared for that they didn't keep anything about me. I was just a toy, a plaything to be ripped apart and stitched back together, a doll to be thrown about and beaten down.

Halfway there. Halfway down the hallway, then we'll be back home. Back home, with our hands empty and no knowledge gained. Back home with this journey having failed. I failed.

I stopped walking for a moment, staring at the backs of the three men. Once more there to help me, but I have even helped them once? Of course not. I was useless. I had no talents, no powers like some of them, no drive or ambition. I was just a greedy, selfish human, broken and ruined. My eyes refocused.

Toby was waiting in the doorway, looking back at me. Brian was gone, and Tim was already climbing through the computer, following his friend. I sighed to myself. I didn't want to go just yet, but the chill in my spine made me want to run, to hide and seek shelter from these haunted hallways. The ghosts of victims of the facility, clawing and haunting every lost corridor, silently screaming for freedom, leaving the air cold and a chill in my bones. The abandoned halls made it all the more eerie.

I started walking again, dragging my feet behind me. Something deep inside me felt wrong, lost and confused, dazed and yearning. I

needed

to know, but now I knew I would never get the satisfaction of learning who I was. I now stood in the doorway, time felt slow. Tim disappeared into the computer, then a pale hand reached out, waiting for whoever was next. I gestured, letting Toby go ahead of me. He seemed hesitant, but only paused for a second before turning and approaching the computer, grabbing Ben's wrist, climbing up onto the table, and starting to crawl through the computer, legs first. I watched, and he looked back up at me. He jolted, his torso flung forward, a hand reaching out towards me.

Searing pain.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Burning hot pain rushing through my body, exploding in waves washing through me, freezing cold then burning hot, electricity buzzing through my veins. Agony.My lungs seized and my knees buckled, falling to the cold, blood-stained floor, gasping out, my body tensing up and clenching, muscles retracting and spasming. My muscles were stretching so far I swear at any moment they would tear apart and snap. I couldn't even scream, I couldn't breathe, and the pain was forcing hot tears to stream down my cheeks. I was staring in front of me, I could barely hear the scream resounding from Toby, I could only see his head thrown body, body shaking, before a hand reached out of the computer, grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him through the rest of the way. He was gone. They were all gone. Left behind on the ground.I was screaming now, fully, the pain only ramping up, taking over my body within misery and torment. Something in my back, along my spine-no, it  was  my spine! All the pain was emanating from my spine, deep in my bones, setting each of my nerves ablaze. Sheer, utter suffering. Then darkness. Brian stood on the other side of the TV, helping Tim to his feet after crawling through. Slender was sitting on the couch, one leg crossed over the other, hands folded together on the top of his knee. He watched his two proxies, all of them staring at the TV. They waited a few seconds before Toby's legs passed through, setting on the floor, then pausing. He didn't move for a moment, then his legs jolted, leaning to the side before Brian and Tim both collapsed in unison, falling to the floor and wailing out in pain. Slender could feel it too, the torment that all four of them were feeling, his proxies, and you. It was so sudden and shocking, but he didn't move, didn't let the pain afflict him, or at least he wouldn't show the anguish he was in. He watched on as both Ben and Toby flung out of the TV. Toby was screaming out, hands clawing at his back, and Ben looked terrified, an expression any of them rarely ever wore."Someone's alive!" Slender stood up, the pain was worsening, growing, and spreading."Where is (Y/n)?" Ben whipped around, reaching his arm once more through the TV, but he quickly retracted it, shouting out. His arm was cut up and shredded, shards of glass embedded in his skin, fingers flayed and blood rushing out and dripping to the floor."Fuck! T-they broke it! They broke the screen! I-I can't-!" He tried reaching through again, but his hand only pressed against the screen, it didn't pass through, only smearing blood all across it. There was no longer a screen on the other side for him to pass through to. Toby was still shrieking out, Tim and Brian on the floor next to him writhing around in pain, gasping out and groaning, crying out and cursing. The pain was unbearable, but their boss only stood still, unwavering and static. Even he wanted to rip out his own spine, feeling the pain concentrating there, emanating from within the bone itself. He watched as the glass shards fell out of Ben's arm and the wounds closed, sealing shut and stopping the blood from leaking out, but his arm was still slick with blood. He watched as the blonde punched the TV screen, a spiderweb of cracks etching out, before they all reverberated and seemed to rewind through time, the cracks all crawling back to the focal point, then gone, not a single scratch left behind, only thick, smeared streaks of blood. Tim was clawing at the wooden floorboards all the while Toby still screamed out, Brian seemed to be seizing, hands clutching at his chest, trying to breathe.Even if he wanted to, Slender would not be able to ease their pain. You were the source of the pain, and if he couldn't lessen your agony, then there was nothing he could do for the trio, nor for himself. He could only watch, helpless to those he cared about. They were all at the mercy of your own pain. The commotion was loud and gaining the attention of the other residents, the living room quickly swarming with questions and concerned beings."What's happening?""What's wrong with 'em?""Does anyone know what's happening?""Wait, where's (Y/n)?"Everyone was murmuring to themselves, trying to figure out just what in the world was happening. They were milling around, some trying to help the proxies writhing around on the floor, but all attempts were futile. And all Slender could do was stand and stare. He felt helpless. Like he was once more locked up in that wretched facility, only ever able to stare through the glass into the outside world, but even then, the 'outside world' was still those who were trapped in the facility, just with a bit more freedom than they all had. He couldn't help his family.He tried thinking, but he had never been in a situation like this. He was lost at what to do. He had been alive for a millennium, he had learned and grown, from animalistic to civilized to the present day. With each passing year, each second and century, he had grown in strength and power, and yet, in this situation, there was nothing he could do. He could sense the mark on your hand, but it couldn't pin your location. It felt like it was being pulled in every single direction at once, spinning around, pointing up and down, left to right, it was a broken compass. You were lost and stuck in that facility, in horrible pain, helpless, and weak. He always tried to have confidence in his residents, but you weren't like them, you weren't one of them. You weren't immortal, you had no power or strength, no weapons either. You were at the complete mercy of whoever or whatever was there. A scream ripped itself from Brian again, the pain deepening and spreading throughout Slender's nervous system. It was burning and electrified, it made every fiber of his being feel as if he was going to die from the agony itself. He still stood steady as ever. He felt a tug on his pant leg, drawing his attention down, looking at the tiny child with emerald green eyes."Where's (Y/n)? Why are they yelling?" Sally was pointing to the men rolling on the ground in pain. He felt his heart twist. Then spark of burning rage. Whoever was doing this would  pay . He will rip them limb from limb and make their end as miserable as possible. He leaned down, resting a large, boney hand on Sally's head, the small child shaking, worried and scared."It will all be alright, something happened that I wasn't quite expecting. Please, head to your room and wait there." She looked apprehensive and frightened. But she didn't argue, watery-eyed, she turned and ran off back down the hallway to her room. He stood back up straight and turned to the group that had formed and gathered around his proxies. Eyeless Jack was kneeling down, along with a few other beings who were also fascinated with medicine and homeopathic practices, all trying to help them in any way they could, but the painkillers that Jack had injected into Tim had done nothing. There was nothing he, nor anyone else, could do. Everyone was helpless.Slender was helpless. He was supposed to know what to do. They would all turn to him for answers, but here he stood, not having a clue in the entirety of existence of what to do."Help them to their rooms, there is nothing else we can do except make sure they are comfortable until this passes. I will be in my office, do not bother me unless it is urgent." It was curt but demanding, and everyone was quick to obey, grouping up to carry each one of them to their rooms. Slender couldn't even walk with the pain, so he simply transported himself to his office, sitting in his chair, finally alone. He leaned over in his seat, huffing in pain, breathing hard, and clutching at his head. What would he do? What  could  he do? My hearing returned first. Ringing in my ears before it faded away and all other sounds came back. Low buzzing and humming of lights and machines at work. I could smell rubbing alcohol, sterile and clean, a flash of a memory, smelling the alcohol in a red cup, reminding me of this clean scent, something like a hospital or laboratory. I felt cold and exposed, freezing. My body was sore and aching. My arms and legs were splayed out, and something on my wrists and ankles was holding me down on a flat metal surface. An equally foreign and familiar feeling. A feeling that filled me with dread. I finally opened my eyes. For a moment I thought I was blind, only seeing bright white, not a single speck of color or shadow anywhere. I turned my head, looking side to side, confirming I could still see, seeing silver beeping machines all around me. Some with screens, some without, but they all had lights, indicating they were turned on and working. I lifted my head as much as I could, looking down. Small sticky pads were stuck to various parts of my naked body, wires connecting them all to a single machine, although three on my chest were connected to a separate machine, one with a black screen and green heartbeat line. Further inspection of my being showed tubes sticking out of my arms, in the crook of my elbows, where my veins were. One was a short tube with nothing else connected to it, and the other was on an I.V. drip, the clear liquid in the bad next to the table on a slow drip.My wrists, and I could assume my ankles too, were strapped down with metal bands to the cold metal table that I lay on. I was shivering, my mouth was dry and my stomach felt empty. I tried looking around more, but there was only so far I could turn my head before the burns on my neck began to strain. I tried to struggle, even if I already knew there'd be no use, and I was right. Soft flesh could never beat hard steel. I knew where I was. I was in the facility still, the white walls and floors told me enough. But I knew I was in some sort of surgery room, or at least some kinda room meant for experiments. Besides the machines all around me, there was nothing else in the room, no decorations of any kind, no tables or counters or chairs, and from where I lay, I couldn't see any doors or windows. I laid my head back once more, squinting up at the ceiling. The lights in here were so bright, but I couldn't even tell where they were coming from, it's almost as if the ceiling and walls themselves were the light sources.There was a loud beep, echoing off the walls of the room."Brain activity detected. Subject awake." Another loud beep and the feminine robotic voice disappeared, the one I had grown used to when I was trapped here, the one that would signal the start and end of my days. I felt sick and scared, I was trapped in this hellhole all again, alone and exposed, cold and hungry. I was terrified, a cold sweat starting to bead across my forehead. Everything fell silent again, except for the light beeping of machines. I didn't even notice I was holding my breath until my lungs burned enough until I had to inhale sharply. There was a tickle in my lungs and throat, I felt like I had to cough, but simultaneously I knew it wasn't  my  cough, I could feel it as a sensation, and something within my mind told me who felt it, who the sensation belonged to. Tim. He was coughing. I wasn't sure how I knew, but I did. If we were still connected through the mark, feeling each other's pain and discomfort, maybe the mark allowed the mental link to persist? I closed my eyes again, focusing in on that sensation, the coughing and itching, imagining Tim in my mind."Tim? Hello? Can you hear me?" Nothing. I tried harder, brows furrowed."Hello? C'mon, please! You gotta hear me!" Still nothing. I felt no presence, no listening ears or watchful eyes. I couldn't connect to them, they couldn't hear me at all. I truly was all alone. I reopened my eyes. There was a faint ticking sound in the room, one that didn't belong to the machines, it sounded like a clock, but I couldn't see it or where the sound was coming from. Tick. Tick. Tick.Tick.Anxiety was piling up in my empty stomach, I was scared and alone, freezing. Goosebumps covered my skin. The silence was broken by a sharp hissing sound, one that had also grown as familiar as the white walls of this facility. Footsteps, along with the sound of wheels. I shut my eyes tight, terror taking grip of my heart. The footsteps and wheeling sound continued from behind me until they stopped at my side. There was a pause before the footsteps began to move again, walking around the room, pausing every so often before continuing."I know you're awake. Open your eyes. Now." That voice-A hard slap hit my cheek, the sound resounding throughout the room before it fell back into silence. Fear. It was all I could feel now, my heart racing, the heart rate monitor, screaming my fear out to the world. I slowly opened my eyes, turning my head to the side.What stared back at me was not the icy blue eyes of the woman, but grey metal orbs, not unlike that of a camera's shutters, swirling metal plates overlapping and meeting at a point to form a new pair of pupils, black and glossy. But all the same, they sent a chill down my spine. Her new pair of prosthetic eyes were cold and uncaring, her right eye accompanied by healing wounds and slices poking out from underneath the eye, and dragged across her cheek and eyebrow from where I could see. She wore an evil, perfectly white grin. Her teeth that I had once bashed in now looked perfectly untouched. There was a large white bandage taped to the underside of her chin, along with a thick bandage across her nose, in fact, most of her face was bandaged up. I looked her over the best I could. She sat in a wheelchair, a blanket laid across her lap and hiding her legs from my view. Her right arm was in a cast and sling, white cloth holding it close to her chest and wrapped over and around her neck. Her left arm was free, resting on the armrest of her chair, it was amputated at the elbow, and replaced with a clean white prosthetic arm, smooth and without any visible seams or flaws. It only made sense, I had snapped her arm and mangled it to the point that bones were sticking out through the skin. Her eyes narrowed down at me."Little  brat , you see what you've done to me?" Venom was laced through her words. What I could see of her face was nothing but absolute, complete rage. She then took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment, collecting herself."It's alright, I understand. They made you do those things, I know  you  would never do that of your own free volition. But I am rather...cross with you. I'm so disappointed in you,  dear , you should know by now right from wrong, and not to do what anyone tells you to do, except me of course." She chuckled and grinned again, raising her arm and looking it over before her metallic eyes refocused on me."Trust me, I know what they made you do this, I know just how manipulative they can be, but it doesn't mean you'll go unpunished, sweet (Y/n). A mother knows best after all." She looked like the embodiment of pure evil. Footsteps reapproached, someone, wearing a medical mask over their nose and mouth, and a pair of round glasses sat on the bridge of their nose. Their hair was long and silky, full and wavy, dirty blonde. She never once looked at me, she seemed like a robot. She grabbed the wheelchair, pushing the horrid woman to one of the machines, one full of buttons and switches, knobs and dials of all kinds, with a whole assortment of lights scattered around the console. Her prosthetic hand was slow and shaky, pushing certain buttons, flipping a few switches. She pressed a button and began turning a dial, and with the turn of the knob so did the table I laid on. It began to lift and tilt until it rested at less than a 90-degree angle, not fully upright, still leaned back slightly. The assistant stepped out of my view, doing something behind the table, I could hear her shuffling around and moving. "Now then, where did we last leave off? Oh! That's right, I was getting your tracker fixed! Silly things been finicky for a while now~" She tilted her eyes.The most malicious, depraved expression I had ever seen adorned her face. She knew exactly my first thoughts, what was racing through my mind.Tracker? Did that mean?-"Oh, don't make that face, it just tears my heart up! And no, your little 'friends' are still hiding, sadly." She turned her chair with her one arm to face back towards me."I designed this place to function like their little hideout. Hidden out of sight, bending reality, constantly shifting through time and existence with no exact coordinates," She sighed heavily."But a human can only do so much to replicate the supernatural. But I did create a new material altogether! Ah, getting that wonderful award and title was the highlight of my life! Though, of course, I had to patent it, and no  way  was I letting  anyone  get their grubby, filthy hands on my new toy!" She was beginning to ramble."Sealing and Penatrive Arcane Reactive Killer! I'm sure you don't remember, SPARK for short, love. Something that you can make conductive if you wish but can act just like rubber, preventing any electrical current to run through it, tough yet moldable, can turn transparent with just the right electrical current and sound frequency, molecules, and atoms aligned perfectly, almost like the structure for carbon or Damascus steel, stable and perfect in every way! "SPARK has been my greatest achievement to this day. And it held properties I had no idea about until I found those fucking monsters. Prevents teleportation and dulls telepathy, mostly nulls effects on electronics, but not entirely. Not to mention it's fun little addition to prevent tracking or tracing of any kind, it sends their internal compasses haywire! But I wish I had known that titbit about their traveling methods sooner, then none of you would have escaped in the first place! It took years to even find them to begin with, then capturing them was a whole nother decade just to catch them! Without a doubt, they've made it harder to find them again, but I do have the data and research I need from the time I did have my little playthings!" Even if her eyes weren't real, they were crazed, a manic smile adorning her thin lips. She blinked then shook her head, turning her attention back to me."Nevermind that, time to be in the present now, though I do have one regret." She tossed the blanket off her legs, letting it fall to the ground. She was wearing a loose white pencil skirt, and both of her legs looked just like her arm, amputated and a prosthetic already molded onto the limbs. Smooth and pristine white as ever. She gripped the armrest of her chair, struggling and wobbling, managing to stand up, looking unstable. She stumbled forward until she stood in front of me, lifting her hand to caress my cheek, something far from a mother's touch."I just wish I had implanted SPARK in you before you left~ It would've been much easier than that prototype collar."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Her cold robotic hand traced across my bruised cheek, not soft or gentle in any way, it was hard, dragging the tips of her fingers across my skin, leaving behind a trail of red scratches. Looking into her dead, fake eyes, I felt nothing but a mix of fear and anger. I had been around and interacted with what society and others would deem monsters and creatures, psychotic killers with cold hearts and no feelings, no moral compass to guide them. And yet, here I was, in front of a true monster, one wearing human flesh. One who looked just as human as me or anyone else, and yet, she was truly the cold-hearted one, just a living creature guided by her own success and greed, selfish desires replaced her blood and all she knew was how to take and consume all around her. She was the embodiment of death and apathy, even to her own child.The dirty blonde woman came back into view, holding a large binder, white and laminated, shining and reflecting all the light in the room, it almost looked glowing compared to everything else."Ah, thank you." The woman, Charlotte as I had read her name in that article, pulled her hand back from my face and grabbed the binder, the blonde guiding her chair back to her for Charlotte to sit back down in her, prosthetic knees wobbling. She set the binder in her lap, flipping it open to the first page, still grinning something evil and cruel."You think you'd find your file in that room? God no, I see you're still just as naive as ever. No, sweetie, there's just so  much  about you that I had to put it all in something bigger, a nice and sturdy binder." She tapped the thick plastic casing."And information that's just too precious to leave around, no, this stays with me at  all  times." She flipped through the pages, a few times caressing some of the illustrations and diagrams. She opened the metal rings in the middle, pulling out a piece of paper and holding it up to my face. My blood ran cold.Pictures, not black and white drawings, full color and resolution pictures. Blood and flesh exposed, layers of yellow fat and stringy muscle revealed underneath the pulled-back flaps of skin. White bone covered in blood, with wires weaved all throughout, sheets and metal layered and intertwined within my body, screws, and bolts, replacing organic with inorganic. I wanted to vomit. She pulled the paper back down, putting it back into the organized binder and closing the metal loops."Messy work, I know, but that was one of the first trials," She flipped to another page, and I could see more pictures of my body, both from afar and close up, cut open and exposed for all to see."But I started to perfect everything, slowly, but everything takes time, even you. Even SPARK. I must admit, I've been rather impatient, but I can't rush this, no, I need to be careful, one wrong move and all of this will have gone to waste." She gestured her white arm out to everything, me, the facility, the machines, just all of it. Her expression never once changed or faltered. Her eyes turned back to me, narrowing."I've been working for so, so long now. And I think it's finally ready to be installed, though I should test it first and work out any kinks, but I'm just so excited! SPARK, be a dear and prepare for Protocol B-03-01."Yes, Director." The dirty blonde woman spoke, in the same robotic voice that would echo from the walls of this damned place. She was no person at all, she was a vessel for SPARK. She walked over to the console that Charlotte had been at, robotically but swiftly, with calculated movements, she flipped switches, pressed buttons, and twisted dials. The table began to move again, leaning back completely flat. I watched as holes opened up in the ceiling, large machines lowering, twisting around, and moving like arms, surrounding me. One of them was a large light, yet to be turned on, while many of the other arms were small and thin, delicate with tools on the ends of them; scissors and forceps, scalpels and needles, tools that slowly headed up burning hot red, cauterizing instruments. There were so many I couldn't see them all. Charlotte wheeled over to the head of the table, behind me head where I couldn't see. A hissing sound next to my ear had me jumping, turning my head to try and see. Instead, a cold hand pressed to my forehead, turning it back to look up at the ceiling."Now now, don't move, if you do I might just kill you." I swallowed hard, feeling a metal band being secured around my forehead, holding my head down to the table, limiting my movement more. She positioned a machine over my head, thin yet sturdy metal wires curved all around, some kind of headgear. She lowered it, securing it to my face. It held my head still even more and kept my mouth shut, but most of all, it had clamps above the eyes. SPARK walked over to us, using one hand to keep my eyelids open as she positioned the clamps, letting go and doing the same to my other eye. I couldn't close my eyes at all, the cold metal of the clamps made my eyes sting and they began to burn from the air pricking at them. She then grabbed a small white bottle from her pocket, lifting it up, and unscrewing the cap, squirting out a few drops of the clear liquid into both of my eyes. They quickly became numb, and I couldn't move my eyes, though I could still see, and thankfully I didn't feel like I needed to blink anymore.I watched as another slot opened in the ceiling, another robotic arm lowering down, this time with a mirror attached to the end of it. It was held in front of my face and angled, bouncing off of another mirror behind me, all so I could see the top of my head. I watched as SPARK began to shave away my hair, letting the locks fall to the floor, all until every last strand had been shaved away, completely smooth and bald.I felt the I.V. in my arm shift and move around before a cold feeling began to wash through my arm, my whole body falling numb, but I was still awake and conscious, seeing everything through the mirror, but unable to move or feel any pain, only pressure."Now, since you don't remember, you need to tell me if anything happens, alright love?" I felt the wire holding my jaw shut loosen, only enough for me to slightly talk."Answer me.""Y-yes.""Yes, what?" I swallowed hard."Yes, mother?" A hard slap hit my cheek." No ! 'Yes, Ma'am!' Try again.""Yes, Ma'am.""Good girl." I watched through the mirrors as a robotic arm lowered, scalpel gleaming in the light. Slenderman jolted in his seat, hand instantly flying to the top of his head. He could feel it, even if you were numbed, he could  feel  everything. He wanted to scream, but his proxies already were, echoing throughout the hallways of the mansion. They had only a few hours of peace from the pain, but it was back again. He could feel his skull being sawed open, slowly, and the warmth of blood rushing down his face, all invisible and not truly happening to him, he could feel it all happening to you.The skin was cut open, the bone of your skull being sawed apart until the whole top of your cranium was removed, he could feel the cold air dancing across your brain, exposed. He could almost  see  it, though that was a new sensation, he had no clue what it meant, he only knew what was happening to your body. An invasion of your mind, of your very thoughts, of the organ that truly distinguished one from another, and it was being poked and prodded like some kind of  toy . He would hear Brian screeching in pain. He too wanted to join the symphony of despair, but he knew he couldn't, he had to hold out, for them, for you, for everyone. The pain was draining, he felt tired and weak. His whole body felt cold and exposed, like in his early days of existence. Even though the whole house was warm and he was wearing his suit, he felt freezing cold, like frozen metal surrounded his whole body. His vision blinked out for a moment, everything going completely black before it returned. Then it happened again. And again and again. He wasn't blinking, no, this was happening to you, whatever was crawling through the crevices of your brain was affecting your vision. And you were awake for it all. For every agonizing moment of having your brain picked apart piece by piece, dug through like a worm burrowing through the soil.He wanted to bash his own skull to pieces to alleviate the building pressure and to end the pain. End all of it. But he wouldn't. Couldn't. He never would. It would leave his residents, his family, all alone and defenseless, the house would be exposed, located, found, they would all be captured again, slaughtered without hesitation, and the life reserve would be all gone. He was the only one keeping them all safe and concealed, hidden away from the prying eyes of violent, volatile humans. His hands gripped at his desk, clawing long, thin lines into the wood, splinters digging into his fingers, before falling right back out, the small punctures closing. An intense migraine was pounding through his head, pain resonating throughout his body through his nerves. He felt so vulnerable and weary. There was nothing he could do. The pain only continued, worsening by the second, he felt like his mental state was deteriorating, and god only knew what was happening to his proxies.Tim was stuck in a coughing fit, wheezing for air, hissing in pain, screaming, and clawing at his head. The worst headache he could have never could have imagined, not in a million years, ravaging inside his skull, pounding and tearing apart his brain. Brian was no different, screaming and rolling around in misery, kicking his legs out, punching the floor, trying to feel anything other than whatever was cutting through his brain, squishing it around and pulling it apart. Toby was by far the worst, wailing and shrieking, throwing his body around, a primal reaction to get away from the pain, but there was nothing attacking him, there was no escape.It was all emanating from you, they knew that, and it  hurt . The agony and torture you were in was almost as painful as what you were going through. If it hurt this much, you must have been in a living hell. And it hurt that there was nothing they could do. They felt helpless, useless, not a single thing they could do to aid you. All of them, every last one had grown to like you, they were so fond of your kindness, your gentle smile, and how friendly you were, you were quickly becoming a close friend, and there was nothing they could do to help you. Sally was taking it the hardest of them all. You were gone, you had promised and you were gone. Not to mention everyone she loved, her friends, those who she considered family, were suffering in horrendous pain, screaming and crying, clawing at their bodies in distress, convulsing on the ground, living in torment.Her room was destroyed. It had been such a long time since she felt like this. She had thought she didn't have powers of any sort, but she was a ghost cursed to wander the land still, taken in to be protected and shown true love and care. Yet, with such heightened emotions, worry, and fear, scared for her friends, terrified of what would happen to them all, the poltergeist was losing her grasp on reality. Her room was dark, a whirlwind of toys and furniture being thrown around, curtains and bedding being ripped to shreds, the walls and floor being ripped up and shattered, torn apart as the child sat in the middle of it all, sobbing and wailing, her hair whipping around wildly. Her once innocent, bright green eyes were now dull and dead, full of a constant stream of tears. She couldn't stop crying, and not even Slender could console her. She never acknowledged it. She knew she was dead. She knew she was a ghost. But she still wanted to be a kid. But you were gone, and she was miserable without you. Toby couldn't play with her either, he was in too much pain, and the same applied to Tim and Brian. And there was nothing she could do but scream and cry, a tornado of her anger and sorrow ripping apart her room, fragments of wood and plaster being shot around like bullets, her toys fragmenting into chunks of sharp plastic. Jane would wait outside her room, sat on the cold floor, waiting for a moment of calm to try and comfort the child, trying to offer her food or drinks, but the screaming and possession would only start up again. Then the waiting game would start all over, listening to the wailing ghost, holed up in her room, screaming out for (Y/n) to return. Besides the proxies and two girls, everyone else sat in the living room, staring at the dried smeared blood on the static-filled TV screen. Waiting. Thinking. Hoping. For the first hour, Ben sat in front of the TV, punching it, trying to crawl through to any electronics in the facility, but he couldn't find a single connection point. Eyeless Jack tried to get him to stop, but he wouldn't, not for a long while. Jeff only sat on the couch, elbows resting on his knees, leaning forward, watching the scene play out in front of him. Laughing Jack loomed in a dark corner, staring, wide-eyed, smile long gone. Observing. All the while Smile and Grinny sat together in a separate room, dark and dingy, whining and mewling, their own hearts aching. No one smiled. No one was happy. You were still new, they were still slowly opening up, but you were a friend, you were a kind stranger who offered a helping hand, putting your own life in danger. All for them, even after you knew who they were,  what  they were, what they  did , you were still there, always smiling, even through your own tears. You stayed, you helped, you gave them that beginning spark of hope, reigniting those extinguished fires they once had alight in their hearts. You lifted their souls, gave them a reason to keep trying and fighting once more. And now you were gone. Trapped once more, stuck, and from what was happening to the three proxies, you were being tortured for your kindness. They were  angry . No, that wasn't enough to describe the pure burning  rage  they felt. Compared to the sun, their rage burned so much brighter, hotter. Animosity, bitterness, hatred, and fury. A temperamental storm growing in power, violence, and resentment growing and growing, all-encompassing into an enormous tempest of pure, unaltered  rage . Burning through their veins, turning their blood into a white-hot fire, scorching and searing, blistering their hearts.They were going to massacre whoever did this. They make them  beg  for death. My body didn't feel numb from the I.V. injection, no, it was numb from the shock. Pins and needles flooded my nervous system, earing ringing from the shock of watching my own head getting cut open, watching as the robotic arms picked through my brain, attaching pads and sending small electrical currents through me. My arm would jolt, my legs would curl in, my vision would disappear, my hearing would cut out, and my fingers would twitch. Involuntary movements all controlled by that woman, my god-forsaken mother. It was horrible to watch. I wasn't sure how long it took.Tick. Tick. Tick.It was the only way I could tell the time. The ticking clock out of sight. It felt maddening. Tick. Tick. Tick.I wanted to close my eyes, but the clamps held them open. I wanted to look away, but my eyes were paralyzed. I could only watch as my brain was rummaged around in. The only relief I would get was when my vision would disappear. Tick. Tick. Tick.I watched as the arms finally receded, removing the small white electrical pads with them. I watched as the top of my skull was placed back. I watched as  I  was put back together like a broken toy. Put back together. I wish I could look away, fall asleep, and wipe this moment from my mind. But I couldn't. I felt frozen, and not just from the paralytic. From the fear and anxiety."Protocol B-03-01 complete. Prepare for Protocol S-12-01. We will begin in 2 hours." I wanted to die. I just wanted to disappear and never exist, I wish I was never born to begin with. This pain, this torture, what did I do to earn all this suffering? Was I really such a terrible person? To deserve every last moment of this torture? Physical, mental, emotional. All of it. "Yes, Director." SPARK spoke, monotone and hollow. All the arms had receded back into the ceiling, mirrors and all. SPARK took the clamps off my eyes, although I still couldn't blink, eyes and body still paralyzed. It was wheeled back, away, and out of sight. I heard Charlotte wheel away slowly too, the wheels creaking of the chair creaking as it moved. I could rest and breathe. For just a moment, but a break nonetheless. I felt another cold stream wash through my arm, spreading across my body, the I.V. being fiddled with again. I felt feeling come back to my body. Tingling, pins and needles, numbness melting away, replacing itself with aching bones and sore muscles, a pounding, sharp pain stinging into my head, throughout my skull. Pain. I could only groan in pain. It was all I could feel now. Pain. Pain. Pain. I wanted to scream. Another cold wave and I felt myself drifting away. I tried to fight it, tried to stay awake, but I was too weak, and I fell unconscious.A break. Finally.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

They finally stopped screaming. For nearly 2 hours they were all wailing, in horrendous pain, feeling their sanity teetering on the edge. Most would've thought that, as they were, living in that house, murdering and killing, living with creatures that would drive the human mind beyond the brink of madness, they too would've been considered insane. But this? This brutal torment was truly going to drive them crazy. Delirious and frantic, doing anything to try and make the pain stop.

When the torture finally stopped, they got to breathe and rest, taking a moment to enjoy the bliss of comfort and relief. But deep down, in the bottom of their souls, they knew it wouldn't be long before the pain would return, most of all, Brian knew. He had seen up close and personal what they would do to their test subjects. We would see the photos documenting the processes, he knew what they were capable of, and that they had no limits. He knew it wouldn't be long until the misery would start up all over again.

Slender was struggling to keep his wits about him. He had been tortured at the facility, yes, but it was rare, and often times it wasn't much. He was brutal, hard to get close to. He would put up the biggest fight out of all of them, and even when they did manage to get ahold of him on the rare occasion, it was only small things. Drawing black blood, attempting C.A.T. scans, but never getting a clear image, he would fry all the equipment, making it unusable. The same applied when attempting X-Rays and other such scans.

But this? This was the most pain he had ever been in. Nothing, no one, had ever been able to inflict anything on him like this. And it was miserable, cruel, gut-wrenching, and fear-inducing, even for him. He was slowly losing it. Anger and despair festering like maggots feasting in a rotting corpse. Festering like the spread of decay and plagues. No one had come to disturb him, otherwise, they'd see him curled in a ball on the floor, clutching at his head, fingers digging in, smearing black liquid across his stark white skin. He looked like a mess, something no one could imagine of the pristine, impeccable being. And yet, here he was, helpless, struggling in agony, suffering through you, something that even he thought, with all his strength and power, something that could

never

happen to him, ever.

All of them were covered in their own blood from clawing at their bodies, the wounds sealing shut within seconds, only for their flesh to be clawed open once more. Even though all the others weren't experiencing the pain they were being subjected to, the screaming was driving them mad. Their friends, their leader, and you, all of you were suffering, and there was nothing they could do but listen and imagine what was even happening to you. Slender wasn't speaking to anyone, he stayed isolated within his office, and the three proxies were in too much pain and constantly screaming to even speak, to try and even describe a fraction of the pain they were feeling.

Sally was deteriorating by the second, her tantrum raging on inside her room. The light fixture had been shattered long ago, glass shards flying around and ripping up the walls, paint chipping and dulling with her emotions. Just another wailing ghost, another victim of the facility.

Jeff was done waiting around. It had been about 5 hours now, and no one in that time had even tried to come up with an idea or plan to get you back, or to help the ones suffering. Laughing Jack wasn't being useful, he stood still as a statue, staring at the TV with an expression he had never seen the clown wear before, and for the first time, the clown had some color to him, bloodshot eyes, unblinking, unwavering, staring wide with pinprick pupils. The bloodlust was palpable, Jeff could nearly taste it.

He finally stood from the couch. Anger was pulsing through his veins, fueling him, a fire burning in his eyes. He stopped across the living room and through the creaking hallways until he stood in front of the large door leading to Slender's office. He pounded his fist on the door. Nothing. He tried again. Still nothing. He was growing impatient waiting around, and being ignored wasn't helping his anger. He nearly kicked the door down opening it, slamming it against the wall, and bouncing back, just to be kicked again. He wasn't expecting what he saw, it left him frozen in shock.

His boss, the leader, the one protecting them all, a being he had never once seen falter or sway, standing tall and firm, a force to be reckoned with, was huddled in the corner, curdled into a ball, shaking, nearly sobbing, clawing at his face still despite the screaming of the proxies having stopped. Shouldn't he be ok? Shouldn't he no longer be in pain? Jeff ran over to him, falling to his knees, grabbing the being, attempting to pry his boney hands from his face. He, no, no one ever, in the billions of years of existence, had ever seen him like this. No one ever saw or heard him be melancholy or powerless. If Jeff wasn't seeing it for himself, he would have never believed if someone told him that they found him like this. It wasn't a good sign.

"Hey! Get up! It stopped, didn't it? C'mon, we gotta fucking do something!" He was yelling, a lot louder than he had meant to. But the only response he got was Slender's head snapping up, blank face staring up at him for only a second before a large tear ripped open from his face, forming a jagged, black bleeding mouth, rows and rows of jagged, pitch-black teeth lining his maw. He snapped out, grabbing hold of Jeff's arm, and ripping, easily removing the limb. He knew not to stay around. Jeff was quick, he knew that, but he was just hoping that now he was fast enough.

He yelped out before turning and stumbling to his feet, racing out of the room and slamming the door behind him, but not before a flurry of black tentacles lashed and whipped at his face, breaking through his white hoodie and leaving deep lacerations in his back. He was hissing out in pain, gritting his teeth and screaming out, getting anyone's attention that he could.

"Fuck! He's lost it! Fucking son of a bitch!" His still intact hand flew to the stump of his arm, holding the wound, blood pouring out of it and splattering to the floor. This had never happened before. He didn't know what to do. No one would know what to do, maybe his proxies, but they were out of commission. But they had stopped screaming, the pain was gone, so why was Slender acting like this? What was happening?

He heard multiple footsteps running before they turned the corner, Eyeless Jack and Ben. When their eyes saw Jeff, fear struck the bottom of their hearts. Without a word, they knew this was a bad sign, and god knew what it meant. Jack ran forward, assessing Jeff's injuries. Sure, they could heal near instantly, but wounds like these? They'd take hours, maybe even days. Slender had never attacked them before, but they knew his powers, and if he did all this, it could take much, much longer to heal. And no one was risking going in there to retrieve Jeff's arm to try and speed up the healing process. Not even someone with a death wish would in their right mind go in there.

They could hear him rampaging on the other side of the door. Screeching an ear-piercing, animalistic shriek, a call of pain and misery, of rage and hostility. They knew what it meant, it's what they were all feeling, but they never expected

him

out of all of them to react this way. Sally made sense, Laughing Jack was unnerving, but Slender? He was the calm and collected one, cool and wise, astute and knowledgeable, and yet he was the one acting out the most. Violently.

Jack guided him to the infirmary to try and patch him up for the meantime, but Ben just stood in the hallway, staring at the door. Out of everyone, he was beating himself up the most. He could've grabbed you, he should have before the computer was smashed. He could've prevented all of this if he had just grabbed you in time. He could only blame himself, stuck in his own thoughts of despair. It was all his fault, it was the only thing he could think, to constantly blame himself. If he had never agreed in the first place to go, then none of this would have happened, you wouldn't have stepped foot in that wretched place if he hadn't taken you all there. He should've been watching any cameras that weren't smashed. He could've done so much. But he didn't.

Eyeless Jack was in the same boat as him. Blaming himself. He had performed the exam. He didn't want you to go, he

told

you that, he should've lied, said that you needed to heal more, that you couldn't go. he should've put his foot down and demanded that you don't go, that you

never

go back, any of you. But he did. He saw that longing in your bright eyes, the longing to know, to remember, the

need

to know your identity. He fell weak to it, he understood that feeling, he could relate. And if it gave you a chance to find out, to remember, he wouldn't take that from you, but he should have. He really, really should have.

Both he and Ben were stuck in loops in their minds, going over every scenario they could think of, preventing you from going, doing something last minute to help you, to save you. If Ben had given Toby just a second longer, he could've grabbed you. If Jack had said not to go, Slender would've listened and not let you. The two men were stuck in that loop, again and again, everything they

could have

done, but didn't.

In the moments that Tim could think clearly, he was doing the same. All of them were frankly. He had noticed you slowing down, caught up in your thoughts. He should've mentioned something, he should have stopped and waited for you to catch up, he should've paused his walking, should have

said

something. But he didn't. He failed.

Brian wished he had waited to leave, but he wanted to just get out of there, he never wanted to be back there. He wish he had waited and stared down the hallway to see the approaching danger. He just wish he wasn't so cowardly to leave first, instead of waiting. His job was to protect you, and he failed.

Toby wished you went first ahead of him. He wished he had saw it sooner, acted faster instead of freezing in place. That one moment of hesitation could be costing you your life at this very moment. He wished you were just a bit closer, close enough so that he could have grabbed you, and saved you. He was wallowing in his own misery. He was

right there

, and he still couldn't help you. He failed again, a repetitive cycle that played throughout his life, he always seemed to just be too late, not close enough, not there. He just needed to be faster, just that one inch

closer

to grab you. If he had done just that, then he could've gone the rest of his life without ever feeling an ounce of pain, both a blessing and a curse. But he didn't. And he failed.

They had all failed you. They failed their direct orders from their boss, but that hurt less than the fact that they failed you. They saw your scars, they witnessed Brian's memory of you on that table, they saw the pain and terror in your eyes, they heard your sobbing and panic when you were locked in your closet. They

knew

the pain that you carried with you, that you seemed to constantly live in. They could

feel

it, the constant ache in your back, how your heart strained with every emotion you felt.

You were so hurt, so damaged and broken, yet you carried yourself as if nothing was wrong. They didn't know if you were so used to the pain in your back that you couldn't feel it anymore, or if you were just used to it and chose to ignore it. But they all could feel it. The constant pain and suffering your body was subjected to, the stress and strain on your mental state, how you felt so uncomfortable with your own emotions. They

knew

you felt wrong in your own skin, and they

still

let it happen to you, to be tortured again, to be ripped apart, and have to be invaded, exposed, and hurt all over again. Having your very being dismantled, mauled, and pulverized, to have the very core of who you are contaminated and defiled, desecrated, and violated.

They couldn't hear your thoughts, and while they felt your pain, they could also feel your emotions. How scared you were, how tired. You felt so small and weak, worthlessness and helplessness feeding off each other, fueling that dread and despair further, filling you with a whirlwind of emotions eating you alive from the inside out. If it wasn't a scalpel ripping you apart, it was yourself, your mental state degrading and crumbling apart. And they felt like their mindset declining too. It was just too much. It was overwhelming, your sorrow was like a tidal wave drowning them all, your fear wasn't delicious like their victims, no, it was suffocating and foul. Your dread left a cold sweat on their foreheads, and your pain left their stomachs churning and twisting. It was horrible, awful, all of it, and they had to bear witness to every last excruciating second of it all, feeling every last bit of it infesting their bodies.

Jane could only sit on the floor, listening to Sally grieve, hearing Jeff yell out, the vicious howls and screaming emitting from Slender, she could only listen to it all. She felt worn and fatigued. There was nothing she could do to help any of her friends. Not Sally, no you, not even Jeff. She could only sit there, waiting, staring down the hallway at your bedroom door left slightly ajar. Through the crack, she could see a discarded doll that Sally had left in there. It looked just like you. Her eyes burned, and her throat squeezed shut. It was hard to swallow. She couldn't cry, wouldn't let herself. Not until they got you back, until she could hold your face in her hands and see for herself that you were ok. She had to hold out. Not many were staying strong, fuck, even Slender was breaking down, so she had to stay strong for them, for you.

Laughing Jack had a similar thought process, but more twisted and depraved. Angry couldn't even begin to describe what he was feeling. No storm could compare to it. No raging hurricane, no destructive typhoon, no cataclysmic earthquake, not even the burning white-hot fire of the deepest layer of hell itself could even compare to the rampaging monster inside. He stood still as a statue, unwavering, the only movement came from his hands, balled into tight fists, shaking, claws digging in so deep into his palms that thick, black blood was oozing onto the floorboards, pooling around his feet, drying and continuing to expand out. He never once moves, didn't shift his weight, didn't leave, didn't rest, staring unblinkingly at the TV. His pupils were pinpricks. He was furious.

His friend, his new friend, gone, stolen away. Someone he finally felt comfortable enough around to open up to, you were so kind, so different, no human could compare to you. He lamented his story to you, and you listened intently. He felt cared for, listened to, allowed to be who he was, and even in your discomfort, you were so, so lovely and kind. And in turn, you were stolen away just to be tortured, disfigured, and deformed.

The screaming echoing through the house told him enough. With each wail and thud, each agonizing shriek and cry, his anger only grew, more and more, colossal and towering. Just what were they doing to you? If he could he would be there in an instant to slaughter whoever was doing this to you. But he couldn't. He already tried. He was trying every passing second to teleport there, never once ceasing his attempts. But nothing happened. Whatever that horrible place was made out of stopped him, preventing him from helping you. And it only pissed him off more.
 
I groaned, head pounding with a hellish headache. I didn't open my eyes for a long while, just wanting to drift back to sleep. To escape the pain and reality of my situation. But I didn't once forget. The second I woke back up I remembered everything. Seeing the inside of my skull, bone, and brains, being prodded at and looking around inside. I remembered watching a small metal deceive getting pulled out from inside my head, something that had been planted there long ago. She had taken it out, then fiddled with it for a long, long while, adjusting whatever she needed to before placing it back, burring it deep down in my head again.

And now I was awake again. I groaned again, my lips feeling dry and cracked. I was freezing, still naked and exposed. I could hear the clock still, ticking down every second. I could hear a heart monitor beeping with my pulse. I could hear a rhythmic tapping. Light, sharp clicks drumming against metal.

Tap. Tap.

I struggled, but I managed to open my eyes. I felt sluggish and stiff. The strap was no longer around my head. I turned as far as I could, staring to my side, trying to locate the sound of the tapping. SPARK was standing there, standing as still as a statue, staring at me with unnaturally saturated cyan eyes. Her pupils looked blue, lashes white and feathery. She was tapping her sharp white nails across a metal cart, but the movements soon halted upon noticing my awakening. She froze, then tilted her head to the side, it was spine-chilling and eerie. Her eyes were always lidded, looking relaxed yet sharp and fox-like, like a hunter sizing up its prey.

She moved away from the cart, taking a smooth step forward towards me before crouching down to my eye level. She was so close, mere inches away from my face. Her skin was smooth, lacking any wrinkles or pores, it looked like marble, silky and textureless. Unnatural. She would slowly tilt her head from side to side, strands of hair falling in front of her face then waving with each calculated movement.

"Your name is (Y/n). No middle name. No last name. You are 23 years old. You are the daughter of Director Charlotte Miller. Correct?" I just stared at her. Her voice was so cold and emotionless, robotic yet hypnotic. I could only slowly nod.

"Correct. I am always correct. I have access to all information. It is like sustenance for me, as is food and water for you. You are Director Miller's daughter, yet you are on the lower rung of the ladder, so to put it." She tilted her head again, a little too far.

"But the Director wishes to make you better. Fix you. She has appointed me to help, by any means possible. You will be broken down and rebuilt into something greater. You will be the Director's tool, you will become her will, and you will act as she pleases. Correct?"

"N-no." My voice was dry and hoarse. I was so thirsty. But I needed to fight back. I wouldn't let them break me, no matter what they did. I knew I couldn't let them. She hummed, eyes staring intently down at me.

"No? No, that is not the correct answer. The correct answer is 'yes'. This will be your first and only warning. If you do not answer with the correct answers, I will punish you. The Director has given me full access to do what I need and as I please. I am unrestricted with you. Try again. You will become the Director's tool and her will. Correct?" I swallowed hard. Don't let them break you.

"No!" I held firm in my conviction. Her eyes seemed to shift, that unreal cyan color intensifying, glowing. Her pupils flashed white.

"Understood. Then I will need to correct this behavior." She stood back up straight, staring down at me, a hand lifted to grab at her medical mask.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

She pulled off the white mask, neatly folding it and setting it down on the metal cart. Only being able to see her eyes, she looked human enough, if uncanny, but now? She was anything but. She had a seam that stretched from the corners of her mouth up her cheeks, curving and bending every which way, curving behind the hinges of her jaw. Her lips were a pale pink, but her mouth couldn't fully close, due to the sheer amount of teeth jammed into her maw. Long and sharp, pristine white, thin and crowded.

She picked up a pair of white gloves from the cart, stretching them over her hands, securing them over her wrists, and letting them snap. Her eyes fell back to staring down at me, lingering on my face before trailing down, looking over my body, taking in every last detail she could see.

"Surgery has been postponed for now. Currently, you will be corrected. I have access to information, but having a test subject is much better. You have much to learn and be taught, but I too have much to learn from you." Her lips struggled to move around her teeth, but she managed to speak clearly. She never showed an ounce of emotion.

She lowered her hands to my stomach. She would press hard into my sides and abdomen, feeling around, pinching my skin or grabbing chunks between her fingers, feeling the fat underneath my flesh. I tried to struggle, but my restraints prevented me from doing so. She was slow and thorough in whatever it was she was doing. Feeling and almost massaging. She moved her hands up to my arms, skipping over my chest. She kept feeling around, finding tendons and pressure points, pressing a finger into them hard, watching the reaction that would occur.

She made her way from the top of my shoulder all the way down to the tips of my fingers. Moving them, bending them back, seeing how far she could strain me without breaking anything. She repeated the whole process with my other arm, feeling, massaging, pressing. It was painfully slow. Nothing hurt, only ever causing mild discomfort or strain, but no actual pain. It felt more like she was toying with me, putting me on edge, scaring me, and making me nervous and fearful of what she would to do me. It was just mental torture.

I tried to reassure myself that nothing would happen, that I was fine, that it would all be ok. I wanted to close my eyes, but I couldn't, I had to keep watching her, watching her every movement. I tried to control my breathing, but as time ticked by, my anxiety kept building, and my breathing grew heavy and panicked. She said nothing, never once looked back at my face, only continuing on with her goal.

She let go of my pinky figure, pulling her hands back for only a split second. Her hands lowered back down, resting on the sides of my ribs, squeezing slightly, earning a wheeze from me.

"Upon first inspection, it was noted that you were wearing a medical brace, and looking closer, we noticed that you have cracked ribs. They seem to have been healing well, and we will not further those injuries." She squeezed a little harder, and I winced.

"However, I can use it to my advantage." Her nails dug into my sides, causing me to squirm. I tried all I could, but I wasn't stronger than the metal bands holding me down. She held her hands there for a while, watching my reaction to the aching pain she was causing. But it didn't last long, her grip loosening and trailing up to my breast. I tried to protest, but my voice failed me. I felt sick.

She was feeling every inch of skin, rubbing and pressing into the soft tissue. I almost could have explained it away as a full body examination, searching for any lumps or oddities, but no, this wasn't that, and seeing as how she mentioned my cracked ribs, I probably already had an examination done when I was unconscious. Her hands traced around my chest, not gentle or light, it was rough and cold, and she emitted no warmth whatsoever. Her hands began to fall down again. Lower and lower. I tried to close my legs but couldn't, I could only twitch and strain.

"You were informed about some of my properties, but not all of them. One of those properties, when applied correctly, allows me to adapt and change as needed, at will, with limitations. However, some of my restrictions have been loosened. I can change my body if I so wish." Her eyes fell back to my own, it felt like she was staring right through me. I felt tears prick at my eyes as realization set in, watching as she climbed onto the table, crawling over me, staring down at my face, her hair cascading down like a curtain around us. I could only plead.

"N-no...please, don't."
 
They could feel that twisting pit of anxiety spreading through their stomachs again. And it was much worse. They waited minute by minute for the incoming pain. But it never came. Instead, they could feel the ghost of hands tracing their stomachs and arms. It was uncomfortable, they have no clue what was happening. Then over their chests, and they began to piece together what was happening. They didn't want to believe it, but they could feel it.

Brian was the first the stumble down the stairs, Tim close at his heels. He looked panicked, sick to his stomach. He tried to speak, but his voice caught in his throat, tears pricking his eyes. Tim couldn't even speak, his eyes looked dead, face blank, only showing slight shock, eyes every so slightly wide, face pale, a cold sweat beading across his forehead.

"(Y/n)...she's... they're...oh my god." Brian fell to his knees, curling into himself, hands and arms wrapped around his head as he sabbed, hands shaking. Tim swallowed hard, knees buckling, but he managed to stay standing. He helped Brian up, guiding him to the couch, the two sitting down. Jack was still standing in the corner, listening closely, eyes following the too. It wasn't long before Toby showed his face too. He was sobbing, hands wiping at his face, grabbing at his hair, and pulling. The commotion caught the attention of Eyeless Jack and Jeff, pulling the two from the infirmary.

"What's happening now?" Jeff looked angry, not annoyed or irritated, but pissed that it was starting back up, the torture. Toby sat on the stairs, crying out, Brian too adding to the wailing cacophony. Tim held his head in his hands and was leaned over. He was silently crying, he wanted to throw up. They could feel it. Being defiled and violated. Something that should be so natural and loving, something innately beautiful within nature and living beings, was being twisted and distorted.

"C'mon! What the fuck is happening?!" Jeff yelled louder, his hand still holding onto the now wrapped-up bloody stump of his ripped-off arm. They tried to speak, but couldn't. It felt like something was being pushed down their throats, cutting off their breathing, but only momentarily. It wasn't long until the shrieking howls of Slender began to echo from his office once more. He had only fallen silent for a short while, but it soon began again with the new onslaught of torture. Tim managed to get some words out, jumbled and nonsensical, trying to give you some humility back.

"They're...she's being...god, none of us would...were not

that

monstrous...can feel it all...inside...it

hurts

." His voice was hoarse and choppy, catching and giving him pause, needing to clear his throat and try again. Both of the Jacks instantly understood. The air filled with malice and hatred, bloodlust mixing with rage. It took Jeff a few moments to put the puzzle together. The reactions, the jumbled words, the crying and wailing, and something that they would never do. They were killers, yes, but they weren't monsters or freaks. Plenty of them had to go through that trauma, they knew how horrible and debilitating it was. They would never do that, and yet it was happening to you now, and four of them could

feel

that violation. That was the last straw. For all of them.

It was Laughing Jack who made the first move. Poofing away in a cloud of smoke without a word. Jeff stomped off to where Jane still sat on the floor, kneeling down and using the mental link to tell her what was happening. He had seen her angry at him, fuck, she hated him the most, but he had

never

seen this enraged at anything before. She was quick to stand to her feet, stomping down the hallway to the living room, seething with each breath. Her eyes, despite being black voids, had just a hint of a red undertone to them now, dull and void of any sparkle they once held. The aura around her was dark and dense, palpable. They all felt the same rage.

Eyeless Jack sent a text to Ben. It sent through, and there was only a few seconds of calm before a wave ravaged through the house. Speakers and computers, TVs and phones, analog clocks and radios, everything within the house, all in unison screeching out in a metallic mess of noise, blasting beyond full volume, all screens turning on to a horrid, raging static. The floor shook with the sound and the walls rattled, pictures and paintings falling off the walls and shattering on the ground. Anything closer to the central point of Ben that was made of glass shattered from the sound.

His hat and hair waved around violently, the same thing that was happening with Sally. Wind whipped around him, threatening to slice anyone or anything in half that stood too close, slashing the walls and floors, ripping apart the wallpaper and plaster, and pulling up the floorboards and nails. Black liquid oozed from his eyes like a flood, the red pinpricks of his eyes glowed brightly with an angry fire, his teeth gritting together hard, his jaw aching. An electric green bolt zapped in through his computer and out of the TV in the living room. He was raging, an expression that was never seen on his face before. He was always smiling in some way. He would smile when playing games, smiling when joking or teasing the others, grinning when he would torture and toy with his victims, but nothing like this cold, wide eyes stare, a near replica of Jack's expression.

The word spread like wildfire, raging and burning up within the mansion. The air was turning to lava, hot and filled with animosity and indignation. This was too far. They were angry before, but now? Now they didn't care what happened to them, they were going to do whatever they needed to save you from

that

. They had seen your pain, seen your sorrow and fear. They had watched as you were beaten and shocked for them, how you tried to fight back and hold strong.

They all began to gather in the living room. They could only watch in disgust as the three proxies continued to react to the violation of your body. They waited patiently for everyone to amass. They were only waiting on Laughing Jack now. They already knew what he was doing. They always saw it as a last-ditch effort to call upon them. But now? Now they were desperate and frantic for help. Their boss, their protector was unhinged at the moment, and they all knew without a word that the only ones able to help him were his own kin. They didn't like associating with them much, especially

one

of them, but they needed all the help they could get.

A full-on raid of the place. They would find it, and they would slaughter every last person this time, they wouldn't make that mistake again, it wasn't an option to leave even one alive. They would tear that place apart until it crumbled down all around them. They would leave nothing but dust and dead, mangled bodies behind. A sea of blood would flow and paint that wretched white place red.

A large gust of black and white smoke filled the entire living room, overtaking everyone. As it cleared, four figures could be made out in the smoke. Jack was easy to distinguish, much shorter than the other three figures, the large plums of his black feathers looking like the wings of death. As it all finally disappeared, they were all a bit shocked at the three.

The one who was always smiling wore a deep frown, eyes wide and blank. It was a stark contrast to the colorful spots that splattered across his suit and tophat. He stood stiff and hunched over, a single black teardrop etched into his cheek. They had never seen him sad before.

The one wearing all beige was silent. His usual demeanor of criticizing their clothing and fashion was nonexistent. His arms were crossed, hands digging into his upper arms. He stood still and tall, head down and silent, hat pulled down, casting a shadow over his blank face, his glasses looked dingy. They had never heard him quiet before.

The one wearing the black trench coat opened to show his torso and had his hands shoved in his pockets. He too shared a deep frown with the eldest brother. He had no remark to make, nothing dirty to say. He too was downcast, staring at the wall across from him. They had never seen him act so calm before.

It was so unusual for the three. Splendor was always so fun and bubbly, talking always and making jokes with Laughing Jack and Ben, taking care of his younger brothers. Trendor was always trying to give advice on clothing and appearance and personal hygiene. Sally loved him, she loved playing dress up, and he would always make her feel as pretty as a princess, Jane often joined the two for a short while before he began to annoy her. Offender was hated by them all. And he was the last one they wanted to ask for help for

this

situation. Whenever he visited he was always left alone. No one laughed with him or engaged with him.

Not a word was spoken, Jack had already explained every last tiny, precise detail to them. Splendor took the lead, guiding the other two down the hallway to Slender's office, the howling continuing. They had never seen the calm and collected brother like this. Ever. Even in the very beginning, when they were all animalistic, he was still always the mellower one of the four.

They all listened intently. They listened to the door creaking open, to it slamming shut and locking behind them. They listened to the screaming and yowling, they listened to the sound of furniture being thrown about and smashed, banging on the floors, and clawing at the walls. Then silence. Long, ear-piercing silence. The only sound was the cyclone still raging on within Sally's room. They listened. And waited. Closely and carefully. With each passing second the tension continued to build, the wrath continued to fester. The horrors playing within their minds that they would take out onto any facility members only grew more gruesome.

The three brothers stared in shock at the youngest. Not even in their wildest dreams could they have ever imagined him like

this

. He was reverting. Black tendrils were stabbing out through his back, violently breaking the white skin, black ooze dripping down. His usual neat and tidy suit was torn and ripped, wrinkled and stained in mostly his own blood, a large red splotch down his mouth, neck, and front of his white undershirt was Jeff's. The faceless being had ripped a mouth open, lined with teeth like a leech. His back legs were broken and bent, turning into something like that of an animal. He was curled up on the floor, crouching down on all fours, hissing and snarling, drool dripping from his open jaws.

The whole office was even more of a mess. The ceiling, walls, and floor were slashed to bits, deep claw marks etched into the structure. His desk was smashed to splinters and the file cabinets were pushed over, papers and folders strewn about, either stained with blood or shredded. All except for one. A manilla folder, thin and barely filled, not a drop of debris or blood on its pristine surface. It lay on the ground underneath him as if he were protecting it.

The tentacles that ripped from his back were constantly lashing around like whips. Hitting the walls and floor, lashing out trying to slash at his brothers, and those that made no contact with anything just let out sharp cracks in the air. The three brothers spread out, forming a semi-circle around the youngest, cornering him, slowly getting closer. Their own tendrils forming and becoming corporeal, each slashing and blocking the incoming onslaught from Slender, their tendrils grabbing his, trying to restrict him, getting closer.

They tried to calm him, trying to find reason and to ground him back to reality. But it wasn't working. His mind was only a constant screeching like nails against metal, glass shards being dragged across chalkboards, it was grating and loud, nonsensical and panicked.

"Please, listen to us, let us help you. We'll get her back, just let us help."

"Honestly, I never expected this from

you

. Come now, prove me wrong."

"Ya gotta fuckin' quit this shit! This ain't you, ya gotta get ahold of yer'self!"

All three were struggling, speaking in their own ways to try and soothe the youngest. There was a pause when a single coherent thought shrieked out from within his mind, a wail of woe and despair.

"What have they done to her!? Not even we would do such things! So why!? Why her!? Why must they do this to someone so angelic and kind! She, who could move the heavens! So how!? How could she be imprisoned in hell itself!?"

They were a bit taken aback. It wasn't how he spoke, it was usual and praising, it was distressed and pained. They kept trying, using what powers and strength they had to try and soothe him, to try and force his mind and form back to how it should be. It was slow, the screeching was loud, and if they had ears, they would be bleeding.

It took 13 minutes before it began to work, slowly, however. The wailing and howling began to lessen, becoming quieter and not as often. His tendrils lashed out less and less, a few even receding back into his body. His snarling mouth began to soften, the wrinkles on his face began to smooth back out, and his posture went from stiff to slack. He slowly began to calm down. His fuzzy red vision clearing slightly, recognizing his brothers, words finally getting through to him.

He could still feel

that

pain twisting in his abdomen. He stared up at his brothers, still feeling that animalistic desire to protect his family. He tried to breathe, his vision fading in and out from normal to red. He had never had this happen before. He had never been connected to someone with the mark and had anything even close to this happen. His proxies were always careful, and even in the facility, when they were experimented on, taken apart, beheaded, and disemboweled, he had never felt

this

sort of pain before. This was something so much deeper, something that was so horrific that it was causing him to revert to an older, more beastly form. He tasted blood in his mouth.

He rolled over, falling to the side and sitting down, his legs snapping and breaking again, resetting back into humanoid legs. He lifted a hand to his head, trying to think and recollect himself, his mouth sealing back shut. He tried regaining his breathing, shoulders heaving as he reeled. He felt awful. He had let them take you, let you leave in the first place to even get captured. He attacked one of his residents who just wanted to help him, he ripped off Jeff's arm and devoured it. Sleeve, bone, and all.

He had felt every ounce of your pain. Something so deep and personal, so cruel and unforgiving. It was a type of pain that no other could compare to. A pain that even drained him. It left him weak and vulnerable. He couldn't rest. Even after the torture had stopped, he could still feel it. He would relive it again and again, deteriorating his mental state. He leaned his head back against the wall, sighing heavily. How could he lose himself like this?

"Are you feeling better?" A hand resting on his shoulder, causing him to look up. Splendor stared down at him with a sad and worried expression. Slender slowly nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"We need to save her-"

"We know, Jack told us everything. The way he speaks of her, how you see her, how you all feel for her, we will help you, and we will not harm her. Promise." He could only nod again, leaning back once more and resting. Splendor turned to his two younger brothers.

"Trendy, go fetch him a new suit and tie, please. Offendy, go gather our little army~" There was a twisted sadism laced in his voice. The two nodded, reality distorting around them as they teleported away to do what was told of them. Splendor stayed there, comforting his baby brother. There was only a mere few seconds between all their ages, but it was just enough for Splendor to take the place of the eldest, referring to his siblings as just his baby brothers, even if they all came into existence within the same minute of each other.

Trendor returned quickly, a tidy and ironed suit draped over his arm, holding a tie in his other hand. And under his arm was a small stool. He set it down before neatly folding the suit and setting it down on the stool, brushing away any dust or lint. The two oldest left the room, allowing Slender to change and neaten out the room, collecting himself. When they reentered the room, they found that it looked untouched. Everything was back to normal. The walls unscathed, the desk sturdy as ever, and the cabinets reorganized and restored once more. He wore his new suit, smooth and perfect, the old suit tossed into the trashcan beside the desk. He fixed his tie and looked to his brothers, not a trace of blood left on his stark white skin.

"Thank you, you two. Now then, let's not keep the others waiting, I am sure I can

taste

my resident's wrath from here." The two nodded, allowing Slender to take the lead down the hallway, once more calm and cool. The two eldest shared a look. It always shocked them how he, the most tranquil, the quietest, and the most collected of them all, was also the most brutal, even when he wasn't all there, he was still so much stronger than all of them. If he hadn't been protecting that folder, or if one of them had taken it, he would have slaughtered them within seconds.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

They all gathered in the living room, a small sense of relief washing over the residents as they all saw Slender, once more normal and sane. He strode with purpose in each step, looking as if he was simply gliding across the floor. He was once more as eloquent as usual. He looked over all of them, slowly, calculated. His gaze stopped at Jeff, his stomach twisting. He felt horrible, he didn't mean to hurt him, to rip his arm off, he truly didn't mean to. He could still taste the metallic blood on his tongue. He cleared his throat, insuring he had their attention. All eyes stared at him, staring up at him with hope, eyes full of malevolent rage, bloodthirsty and brutal thoughts swirling in their minds. His proxies were still weeping and writhing, teeth bared and gritting together.It was still happening, continuing on tortuously. You were crying and wailing, he could just barely hear it, just out of earshot, barely there, dancing on the edge of his senses. He could hear your desperation, feeling your pain and guilt, he could smell your fear and taste your shame. You were miserable, and he felt helpless to it all. They all did, and they  hated  it. They had never known what it was like to feel like  this  in such a long time. Each one of them had felt like this once.Helpless and small, weak and vulnerable, completely defenseless and powerless. But that was a long time ago. The turning point of their lives, when it finally reached a peak, snapping and breaking, an event to finally set them free, to finally give them power and control. That was years ago, for each one of them. They had felt something similar when trapped in the facility, but nothing like  this  disgusting feeling. The facility didn't make them feel small and meek and powerless, no, it just made them bored and angry, just an  inconvenience  at most. Besides, what was there to fear there? They couldn't die. So, so many lives had been taken, souls swirling in a hidden void, a shimmering pool full of life, feeding them all, letting them live on far past what would be humanly possible. But they weren't human anymore. They couldn't die, so they felt no fear. But you? You weren't one of them. You were mortal, fragile, and weak. You hadn't yet  broken  like they had. And you were in so much  pain . You were so  afraid  because you  could  die. For them, pain was just another feeling that would pass, it was never permanent. But you? You had no clue when it would stop, and when it would, you'd be dreading when it would start again. And normally they wouldn't care, every man for himself, but you? You had been so kind and caring, and they were growing so fond of you. You were theirs now, and they weren't just going to let you go that easily. They were going to fight, tooth and nail, to get you back. It didn't matter how much they'd be torn apart, dismembered, and mangled, they would fight until their dying breath, and unfortunately for the facility, that would never come. They had been out of commission for a few years now, and despite being free once more, not many of them had gotten back to doing their jobs. They were a bit out of practice, but their rage was enough to fuel them to be as brutal and as cruel as possible. Such high emotions were letting loose hidden abilities within some of them. Green electricity buzzed through the air, arcs of bolts and white hot sparks danced up Ben's arms, hands balled into tight fists, knuckles white, an invisible wind whipping around him like a raging ocean. The red pinpricks of his eyes were glowing an intense red, nearly turning the entirety of his eyes the same color. More black ooze was rushing down his cheeks like waterfalls. A black fog was covering the floor, rising to knee height, swirling and buzzing, and it felt like bugs were crawling around in the smoke, all emanating from the manacing clown. The feathers on his shoulders looked to raise and fan out, like the hackles of a dog. His eyes were turning into black-and-white swirls, just looking at them would hypnotize anyone. Small, glowing white dots scattered around Jane, hovering in the air. They looked like distant stars, or falling snow stopped in time. They glimmered and sparkled, a soft glow illuminating around them and reflecting in her abyss eyes. Every instinct in everyone's body told them not to touch the stars. No matter how pretty they looked. Thin black cracks were shattering across Jack's blue mask like spiderwebs. Black liquid gushing out in waves, dripping to the floor, hissing and bubbling, eating away at the wooden floor, acidic and deadly. The same ooze was streaming from his hollow eyes and the corners of his mouth, something behind his cheeks was squirming, fighting to get out. An unbearable heat was wavering off Jeff as if he was set on fire once more. Wavering around, the air surrounding him warping like a mirage waving around on top of concrete on a hot summer's day. The ends of his pitch-black hair were swirling and billowing around, and the edges of his hoodie were turning black and singed, holes burning themselves through the sleeves and hood. Shiny black tendrils reemerged from Slender's back, and his body once more seemed to be changing and morphing. He was growing taller, the sounds of cracking bones echoing around the empty room. Sharp ridges protruded along his spine, sticking through his skin. He looked more skeletal, yet much sharper and dangerous. Haunting. The tips of his fingers began to elongate until black claws ripped through his skin, long and razor-sharp. The divet of his eye sockets only grew deeper, the shadows growing darker. In fact, it seemed like all the shadows in the room were coming to life. Growing and warping, twisting and contorting, corrupting the laws of what it meant to be a shadow and bending to the will of the tall entity. Shadowy mouths opened in silent screams, shark-like teeth gnashing and drooling, craving to feast on flesh. Some were reaching out of the walls and floors, from every corner and crevice of the room, swirling and clawing all around Slender, begging to do his bidding to be set free once more of his willpower.Anger. It was the one thing any of them could feel, the one thing filling the room, and they were all feeding off each other's rage, growing more and more. "I'm sure we all agree on what we'll  do  to the filth infesting that wretched hellscape, but I would just  love  to hear any ideas you all may have?" It finally stopped. She was finally  done . I could feel the warm blood pooling between my legs when she finally pulled back. I could feel blood leaking from the bite marks all across my body. On my arms, on my neck, my chest, on my thighs, inside and out. I felt so  dirty . Violated, wrong, gross, shameful. I wanted to wither away and die. She licked the blood from her pale lips, face as dead as ever. I couldn't look past her torso, I just couldn't bring myself to look. It felt  sharp  like it was covered in razors. It  hurt  so much."Interesting." Her voice was low and rumbling, not like a purr, but like a growling beast, warning me. Her hands finally let go of my hips, nails retracting and letting the blood leak from my skin. She crawled off the table and began to dress again, pulling on her blood-stained pants and shirt before throwing her coat over her shoulder. Silent, hot tears were streaming down the sides of my face. They left behind streaks that would dry and leave my skin cold once more. I was shaking, my nails digging into the palms of my hands. I wanted to spit the taste of my own blood out of my mouth, but I couldn't even manage to breathe properly. I couldn't swallow, couldn't spit, couldn't speak. I couldn't do a single thing. She had dug through and violated every part of me she could get access to, to infest and degrade. The last bit of dignity I knew I had left was just ripped from my hands and rubbed in my face, mocking me. SPARK left without another word. I was alone again. The taunting clock in the room still ticking away. It had felt like hours before it was finally over. I waited. And waited. Tick. Tick. Tick. Then finally, I groaned, a scratching sound catching in my voice, a fresh new wave of tears pricking at my eyes. My lips were trembling, my cheeks hurt from gritting my teeth, and my throat was tightening again. My chest, my heart was aching and pounding. Everything hurt. I finally let out a wail. Loud and guttural. Crying out in pure despair and sorrow, misery and distress taking over my mind. I cried loud and hard. Screaming and weeping. It was all I could do. Was cry. Cry for my violated body. Cry for my broken mind. Cry for everything I had lost, that I would never get to experience to enjoy. Crying for the loss of my entire self, I knew I would never be the same after this. It was painful, I was still aching, and it felt like she had torn me in half. I was thrashing despite the restraints, the metal cutting into the skin on my wrists and ankles, drawing more blood. I just wanted to curl up into a ball, hug myself, hiding my exposed body. I just wanted to feel safe again. I lay there, crying and crying. Even when it felt like I couldn't cry anymore, had no more tears to shed, and couldn't make another raspy sound, I still wept, silently. Grieving. I felt broken. I knew she was cruel, but to just  allow  your own flesh and blood to be violated like this?To let me be raped?I would have never considered her a mother before, but now, she was nothing but a sniveling, writhing worm. Just something to eat shit and dirt, to dig around in the dark mud and hide from any and all consequences of her actions. I hated her. I hated her so, so much.I hate her. I hate her. I hate her. I hate her. I hate her. I tried screaming again. I was arching my back and slamming it back on the table. I was thrashing my head around, but the aching of the staples and bolts holding my skull together ached. My voice was crackling, and sounding as if at any moment it would give out. The metal bands were cutting deeper into my limbs. I couldn't breathe properly, hiccuping and hyperventilating. Taking in sharp, shallow breaths. I felt like I was dangling off a cliff, reading to drop and fall into the dark pit of losing my mind. I was being pushed to my limits, and I knew I wasn't even here for a full day. I sobbed for so long. I wasn't sure how long. The ticking of the clock began to melt together into one constant droning sound. I could barely even tell time anymore. I knew it was a while though. At least half an hour. Thirty minutes straight of wailing and shrieking. At some point, I had finally began to calm down. But just as I began to think about it again, just as a new wave of tears began to claw out, the familiar hissing of a door opening echoed in the room, the sound of her wheelchair creaking into the room. "You feel that? That's how  you  made  me  feel! My own daughter, who I put so much love and care into, I tried to set you up for success, and you go and try to kill me!? Shame on you, (Y/n). Really. This is only fair. I'm going to make you feel what you made me feel. All that pain and helplessness. I did  nothing  wrong to you. I was a  good  mom, I did my best! There's no manual for parenting, so my bad if me grounding you made you think I was the worst person in the world!" I turned my head to stare at her, dead-eyed. She continued to ramble, throwing her hand around in the air."You are just so immature! (Y/n), I swear! I sacrificed so much for you! I carried you for 9-fucking-months! And  this  is what I get!? I send you to school, sign you up for so many clubs and after-school academics to set you up for success, and you go and  stab  me? So over dramatic, I can't believe you're like this, I don't know what I even did wrong."And  then  you started  that  attention-seeking bullshit! Cutting your arms and thighs. Pfft, if you  really  wanted to kill yourself you would have  actually  done it, but you  didn't . You just wanted the attention. 'Oh, look at me! Poor little, (Y/n)! Oh, woe is me! My life is soooo hard and tough! My mommy is so mean to me, grounding me, not letting me have sleepovers or go out to parties!' Hah! "You really are just so pathetic. I took you to therapists, I was there for every single appointment, and you never said anything was wrong! You never got diagnosed! You're just an entitled  brat. " Her head snapped to me, glaring harshly. Her eyes were different. The skin around her eyes was red and irritated, and the metal orbs were now replaced with what  looked  like normal eyes, white sclera, and an unnaturally bright blue iris, not the same color as her real icy blue eyes. Her scowl slowly morphed into a sickly sweet smile, her eyes still cold and lifeless, cruel and menacing."But you already know that. Now then, we postponed surgery long enough!" She sounded horrifically excited."SPARK will come to clean you up and prep for surgery, I need to go attend to some things before we start." There was a twisted gleeful sound to her tone, her voice dripping with malice and venom. I felt a twist of fear in my stomach, my heart leaping to my throat. I couldn't speak, it felt like blood was coating my throat, and my voice was so sore from screaming and crying, I  couldn't  speak. She just winked at me before turning and wheeling out of the room, leaving me all alone again. Or so I thought."You are quite fascinating. I will find it quite enjoyable to be able to continue my experiments with you. Taking you apart, seeing every inch of you inside and out. My very own specimen." Her emotionless, monotone voice left a cold chill in my bones. I wanted to cry again. SPARK walked into view, and I had to look away from her, I couldn't bare to look at her again. Her hand landed on my shin, and I jumped, trying to pull my leg away from her, but I couldn't. "Stop moving. I need to clean you." I felt a freezing cold, wet rag land on my leg, SPARK beginning to scrub my skin harshly, removing any sweat and blood from my skin and wounds. Whenever she would reach an injury, she would pour a cold liquid over it, and it would burn immensely. I could feel my muscles tensing up and spasming in pain, but eventually, it would fade, and she would continue. It was slow and repetitive; scrubbing, splashing, burning, scrubbing, splashing, burning. When she had finally washed me head to toe, lifting parts of me up to scrub the backside of my body, she picked up a white package, ripping it open, and pulling out another wet fabric of some kind, one that smelled of rubbing alcohol. And once again she began wiping my whole body down, every inch of skin. It dried quickly, but it felt like the residue left behind was slightly sticky. She disposed of the wipe and seemed to glide over to the console, inputting a pattern. The table under me rumbled and shifted. I felt as the metal table below me melted away, leaving behind just a metallic skeleton that held my arms and legs spread out, folding over in the air until I was angled. I was now looking behind me, where I once couldn't see before. I was slightly angled down towards the floor but still held up enough to look around. Directly in front of me was the door, but it was transparent, see-through for observation, along with an all-white white hung above the doorway, ticking. More metal carts and machines were scattered around. I watched as the door hissed and slid up into the wall above it, opening for Charlotte to wheel back into the room, clipboard in her lap."Ah, all ready I see?""Not yet, Director. I need to disinfect her back, then she will be ready for Protocol S-12-01.""Good. Hurry up then, I'm looking forward to this!" Her grin was wide and manic. I swallowed hard, a cold sweat beading on the back of my neck. Charlotte grabbed a cart and pushed it had me hard, it wheeled forward and violently smacked my face, hitting my nose, and blood instantly pouring out and dripping to the floor below me."Disgusting." She sneered, wheeling over and grabbing the cart again, one more smashing it into my face before setting it beside her, grabbing sticky pads off of it, and placing them all over me. On my temples, my chest, stomach, and neck. They were all wired and connected to several different machines in the room. I had to breathe through my mouth, blood pouring down my lips and chin, nose stuffed. I could feel SPARK wiping my back with another cold alcohol wipe, cleaning from the base of my neck to my tailbone, not missing an inch of skin. "Subject is prepped for surgery. Initiate Protocol S-12-01?""Commence.""Yes, Director." She smiled at me, there was a second of silence, even the air was still, then a sharp stab into the base of my neck. Pushing deep into my skin before pulling down, slowly, cutting me open. At first, I groaned, but very quickly the pain was escalating, and the low groan was quickly turning into loud screams for help. Charlotte grabbed a syringe off the cart, injecting the liquid into one of my I.V.s, a cold feeling washing over me, paralyzing me once more, the pain only dulling slightly, but it still left me screaming in pain, wanting to writhe around and escape."Can't have you in  too  much pain. You could die just from that, you know? Too much pain and you'll just shut off!" She cackled as SPARK continued to slice my back open, and I could feel cold air pricking at my exposed bone. I could feel her securing the flaps of my skin to my back with what felt like pins, ensuring that they don't get in the way. I could feel hot blood pouring down my sides, cascading down my stomach before dripping to the floor, joining the puddle of my bloody nose."Entry site opened and secured." "Good girl, SPARK. I wish you were my daughter, though I did make you, so close enough~" She spoke in a sing-song voice, and it sounded sinister. She wheeled around me out of view, the two monsters speaking back and forth."The wires are still intact, so what malfunctioned?""Uncertain. No wires are crossed nor cut or twisted. Metal plates are still secure.""If something's wrong and you can't see it then keep looking!" "Yes, Director." I could feel a pair of hands digging around in my back, eliciting more shrieks and howls from me. I could feel things in my back being pulled and tugged, it was painful and uncomfortable. My heart was pounding and I felt so lightheaded.Something in my back was yanked and I shrieked in agony, sending a blinding white-hot streak of pain coursing through my body, straight up my back and to my head, burning and stinging. Tears were spilling down my cheeks. There was a chuckle in response to my reaction. This pattern continued. SPARK digging around in my back, through muscle and fat, and around my spine, from the very top to the very bottom. Pulling and tugging on wires and whatever else was inside my body, and I would react like a puppet on strings, each wire causing a new, involuntary reaction. Despite the paralytic, sometimes my legs would spasm or try to curl back, my arms would tighten and try to fold in on themselves, or my back would arch. It was miserable, every second of the pain felt like hours of torment. And every time I would scream, it would sound like a symphony of screams, others crying out with me. Voices that weren't my own, voices that I knew but couldn't place, just barely in earshot. I could swear I could hear them, screaming out and sharing in my pain. I felt horrible. All eyes turned and watched as Tim fell forward onto the floor, screaming out in a cacophony with Brian and Toby, even Slender falling to a knee, catching himself. The exposed bone of his spine shook and clattered, in a sound similar to that of a rattlesnake. He breathed heavily and pushed himself back up, wavering and staring at his proxies. You barely even had a break and they were back to it again. His body felt hot with anger."My dear brothers, call upon your own families and residents, gather all you can. We need everyone we can get ahold of to search on foot. "Ben, gather the others who share in your abilities. Search every last corner of your domain, find  anything  that can let us see into that place, find anything that we could travel through into it. Find the facility."All animals and creatures alike will track any scent they can. No obstacle will stand in the way. Cut down anyone who gets in your way. We will find that place, and we will tear it to the ground."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It was over. It was finally over. The last crimson droplets falling to the floor, splattering into abstract roses painted across the stark white floor. A morbid display of my pain, showing for all to see my defeat, unable to keep my thoughts straight. I could only imagine the massacre carved into my back. I could feel each stitch and stable, piercing through layers of skin, pulling and tugging my flesh back together. Then the dressings. Bandages upon bandages, rolls of gauze wrapping across my chest tightly and around my back. It felt like the air was being squeezed out of me. It was a struggle to breathe, to see the blurry blobs of white and grey through my tear-filled vision. I could taste blood in my mouth. My nose had stopped bleeding, but the blood that once gushed out of it filled my mouth every time I screamed and wailed, causing me to gag and choke. I felt so tired.

"Well then, everything appears to be in order. Although I'm not overly sure about installing SPARK yet, you're too...

stable

." I barely processed the words when Charlotte spoke, only paying attention when she gripped my jaw, forcing me to look up at her. She was standing up again. She hummed, staring at me with those sharp, saturated blue eyes. They were like gleaming sapphires, once upon a time they may have been beautiful and glistening, but now only dull and cruel, no matter how fake they were.

"Sadly, you won't need to worry much about that. Everything will start to just blur together and time will feel like nothing in relativity to reality. A year could go by, and it'll only feel like a couple of days for you. I'll just have to make sure to mix it up and remind you who you

belong

to." Her grin was malicious. I could only cough in response, a few driblets of blood flying past my chapped lips. Her fingers dug into my cheeks, and I whined in response.

"So disgusting. I still can't believe I

fucking

birthed you. Just rotten and broken. I wish I could go back, just to that one night. I wish I didn't stop. I regret not following through. But that

stupid

feeling...that '

motherly instinct

', I couldn't

stand

you crying. That was my biggest mistake." I only felt numb. Each new word, each new snippet of my past, I didn't care anymore. I couldn't even fully process it. I didn't care. I just wanted the pain to stop, the pounding ache that thudded through my nerves and veins, setting each of my senses on fire. I just didn't care anymore. I wanted to go home. She let my face go, and I felt the last of the wrappings tightening around my torso. Everything hurt. Everything ached.

"SPARK, be a dear and escort her to her new holding cell, oh, and don't forget C.B-0043. I still can't believe C.B-0025 malfunctioned! Oh well, trial and error." She sighed, stumbling backward slightly, legs wobbling. Her hand reached out behind her, grabbing the arm of her chair and pulling it towards her before she fell down into it, dramatically sighing again.

SPARK walked around from behind me to in front, her piercing cyan eyes staring at me through her white lashes, pupils flashing white for a moment. She dragged a cart behind her, and a stomach-twisting, familiar sight sat lone on top of the shiny metal surface.

A perfectly smooth, white band.

It looked thicker than the first collar, sturdier. SPARK plucked it up gingerly, the thing hissing and two seams appearing, on opposite sides of one another. It unlocked and fell into two pieces, SPARK holding one piece in each hand. Something primal in me took over. Despite the searing pain in my back, despite the aching in between my legs, despite all the pain, I began to thrash around. Not again, I would never wear that damned collar again. I wasn't a dog. I wasn't an animal. I refused to be some obedient pet, sitting and waiting for every beckoning call.

My teeth were gritting so hard my jaw ached, and fresh hot tears spilling down my cheeks. I was so, so afraid. I didn't want to be collared again, I couldn't be, I'd die if I was. I couldn't, I just

couldn't

.

One of her hands moved behind my neck, the cold material of the collar fitting around my neck snuggly, and then she began to lift the front half. I thrashed harder, jerking my head every which way, I began to scream once more. My heart was pounding and anxiety was eating me alive. I felt sick, bile was rising up into my throat.

The front piece snapped on, hissing and sealing shut once more. Everything went still and silent. That was it. That was really it. My fate was sealed. I was stuck, trapped here forever. There was no way in hell that she'd ever let me go again, especially not with SPARK at her side and the collar choking my freedom from me.

I could only go limp, hanging my head in defeat, sobbing silently. I had no clothes, no dignity, no sense of self, no memories or friends or family. I had nothing, nothing but this collar. It was the only possession I had, and it signaled that in turn,

I

was a possession, just a

thing

to be owned, used and abused, twisted and experimented on at my master's wish.

"There. See? That didn't hurt one bit! Don't be so sad, this time it won't break! The last one was a dud, but this one I've been working on and perfecting for years. No need to cry, love, you'll never be taken away from me again." I could only imagine her expression, but I refused to look at her. Even if I wanted to, she would only be a blur.

SPARK moved about, removing the I.V.s from my arms, and placing white cotton balls in the crooks of my arms before using gauze to secure them around my elbows. It was quick and took no more than a few minutes.

Another hissing sound followed by mechanical whirring. The metal armature that held me up began to shift and move, lowering me down before releasing my wrists and ankles, setting me unsettlingly softly on the floor. I watched the blonde woman carefully, fear gripping my heart. She knelt down, scooping one arm under my legs and the other around my torso before lifting me up. It was a smooth and easy motion for her, picking me up with such ease as if I weighed nothing. It was unnatural, each movement calculated and manufactured, trying and failing to create a soft and gentle gesture to ease me, but it only caused more tension and anxiety.

She lifted me into her cold arms, my arms dangling down, I was too weak to lift them, to rest them on my chest or belly. Her whole body was cold, as if the air around her was sapped of any and all warmth. My back was aching, my head pounding, and everything hurt so badly. It felt like I was dying, but I knew they wouldn't let me. They'd keep me alive as long as humanly possible. But I'd be lying if I were to say I didn't want to die. But at the same time, I wanted to live. I wanted to live my life, experience the beauties and wonders of life, to have those that I could call friends and family, to find my place in the world, to feel wanted, needed, by someone, anyone. I just wanted to know what it was like to be loved and cared for once in my life.

I couldn't remember, but I just knew deep down, in the tight feeling in my chest, that I had never had parental or sibling love, I never had loving friends, and I was certain I didn't have any past partners, not with how Charlotte, my mother, acted. With how little I knew, I was certain I was never allowed to socialize, to mingle, and make friends or memories. I already knew that she had me locked up, and when I was out and about, she was there, or at the very least tracking me. I just knew it. Something in the back of my brain just

knew

.

SPARK began to walk, with mechanically smooth precision. It was eerie, feeling like I was gliding in the air as she carried me. The glass doorway hissed and opened, unblocking SPARK's path without her ever needing to stop or pause. She walked down a long, blank corridor, everything was empty, no pictures or plants, no furniture, no sound, not even her footsteps made noise. Not the swishing of her clothes, she didn't even breathe. The only sound was my panicked, ragged breathing. Panic was quickly setting in. I couldn't even control my breathing no matter how hard I tried. My limbs were tingling and growing numb, hundreds of thousands of tiny needles stabbing my nerves, static buzzing through my blood. It was so numb it burned. My ears were ringing and my eyes couldn't focus.

I just limply laid in her arms, occasionally twitching, hiccuping, and crying. I was terrified. Naked, hurting, alone, and one more collared. The reality of it all finally set in. I was stuck. I was trapped, imprisoned, with no one to talk to, to laugh or smile with, no one to get comfort from. I was here just to be tortured, raped, dismantled, and ripped to shreds, put back together like some twisted machine that kept breaking. That's all I was to them. Just some toy, a tool to be used, an object that was only ever broken, never truly fixed.

SPARK turned smoothly, a doorway opening up. My heart leaped into my throat, and I felt like vomiting. It was a tiny, dark room. No furniture, no bed or cot, not even an old torn-up mattress on the floor. Just the hard, smooth material that made up everything. It was white, but the lack of light in the room made it look pitch black, only lighting up when the door opened, the hallway light spilling in and infecting the darkness. She took one step in, setting me down before once more stepping back. The last bit of anything I saw was her cyan eyes staring at me coldly before the door hissed shut, and I was plunged into the void.

I lay on the cold floor, shivering and goosebumps covering my skin. I lay there, hot tears running down my face, over the bridge of my nose, and leaving behind trails that cooled quickly and left me even more cold. The only warmth was my tears. I tried to get my breathing under control, I tried to focus, but nothing worked. I just continued to hyperventilate, unable to move. All I could do was wait. And wait. And wait.

And wait.

I let the panic attack run its course. I wasn't sure how long it took, it could've been minutes or hours, time felt skewed. But all I could do was lay there and wait. I couldn't even fall asleep. My mind was racing yet empty at the same time. My body was cold yet my nerves were burning on fire. Everything felt so wrong. So broken and twisted.

I

was broken.

When I could finally move again, I curled into a ball, hugging my arms around my body, I could feel the bandages on my back against my burned fingertips. My head was pounding, my back was screaming in pain. I cried more, harder, silently. Tears were streaming from my eyes, and my mouth hung open in a silent wail, drool dripping from my lips to the floor. I would occasionally whimper, or gasp for air, hiccuping still and a sob finally breaking through to fill the barren room.

Everything was going wrong. I thought I could be free, I thought I could survive and live my life to the fullest, I thought I could learn about my past, remember anything. I was delusional. Why did I ever think I could be happy? I knew so little, but knowing what I do, how could I

ever

think I'd be happy? Safe? Loved? It was all just some fantasy that I could dream of having one day, but I knew I'd never really get any of that. It was all just temporary, fake, never once sincere.

I was truly, utterly, entirely alone.

All feeling was draining from me. It felt like everything around me, the walls, the ceiling, the floor, it was all sapping my energy from me, like some kind of fucked up battery. It felt like every inch, every millimeter of the room was covered in eyes, watching me, analyzing every movement, every sound and reaction. I felt so weak. So broke. So useless. I just didn't feel real anymore. I felt like a discarded doll, tucked away in the toy box, patiently waiting for the next time I'd be brought out and played with. But it wouldn't be 'house' or 'dress up', it would be surgery, torture, rape, beating, abuse of every kind.

In the dark room, faint images began to form and swirl around in the inky blackness. Faint, barely there. Random geometrical shapes, fuzzy static swirling into foreign and alien flowers, petals blooming out, stretching all around the room, past my peripheral. Glaring eyes and unknown faces. I tried to blink the mirages away, but they persisted. Taunting me. Grinning impossibly large smiles full of crooked teeth, sharp teeth, perfect teeth, all different kinds. Everything that I wasn't.

Perfect.

If I had just been perfect, if I had just been good enough, not a failure, maybe everything would be different. Maybe Charlotte, mom, would have loved me? Cared for me? Treasured me like any parent should their child. Maybe then, if I was just better, maybe I would still have my memories, maybe I would have friends and family, and maybe I'd be in college, learning and growing and paving a way for my future. Maybe I could be curled up asleep in a nice cozy bed, warm thick blankets snuggled around my shivering body, soft fluffy pillows cushioning my aching head, and a full belly with a nice, hot dinner. Maybe then, maybe I would be happy?

When was I last happy?

Sally?

I was happy around Sally. Seeing her emerald eyes light up with joy when she finally had a new friend, someone to interact with. How big she smiled that goofy, crooked, childish smile. How ecstatic she was to be able to draw her friends and her family. The enthusiasm when I loved it, when I asked for it. When we finally got out, that first hug. So brief, but so warm and loving. It was such a tight squeeze, afraid to let go. Brief, broken up by the need to escape, but even then, I still held her in my arms, managing to carry her even with cracked ribs.

When we finally got home, when we got to chat and share warm meals together. When she and Jane got me clothes, dressing me up, insisting I was pretty and that the others agreed. Laughing and just enjoying the moment. Just that one moment. Frozen in time, hugging her so tightly, so warm and comforting. That one moment, lost to time, never to happen again. I would never hug Sally ever again. I would never get to laugh with her, to have breakfast together, or play games. My last moment with her was truly my last. I wish I had indulged in that moment just a little longer. Telling her how important she is to me, how much I love and care for her as if she were my own baby sister. How I could do anything to protect her, do anything just to see her precious smile once more.

I would never get the chance. That moment was long gone now. I would never get to hug her again, to tuck her into bed and wish her sweet dreams. And she would never know why I left, why I was gone. Does she think I abandoned her? Left her all alone. Did she hate me? Probably. I wouldn't blame her. I'd hate me too, leaving with little to no explanation. I wish I gave her one last hug.

I felt so alone, my chest was aching and pounding, straining in heartache and pain. I missed her. I missed them all. All their little quirks and oddities. Their contrasting personalities that all complemented each other so well. Their jokes and pranks, their conversations and stories, their laughter, smiles, and happiness. The taste of freedom, a taste that left them drunk off the sensation. Freedom.

At least they were free. Even if I was here, no matter what happened, at least they were free. Out and about, living their lives once more. Happy, content, full, warm. At least they were okay. I could only hope that they would forgive me, accept my fate, and not even bother. I hope they stay away, I hope they stay far, far away, and safe. Safe from this hellish place. Safe in their own house, in their beds, eating their meals, and doing their jobs.

Safe from Charlotte.

Safe from SPARK.
 
Safe from me.

I must have been cursed. That's the only thing that would explain all of this. A curse. Festering and angry, latching onto me like a leech, devouring and sucking the life and luck from me. A mass of tendrils and mold growing inside my soul, infecting my life and spreading its disease. I was nothing but cursed. No.

I

was the curse. I destroyed everything around me, brought it to ruin, crumbling down and bleeding everything of color and life. I was just some monster, consuming all happiness and light around me.

I deserved this. I must've. Right? That's the only reason any of this would be happening. This would never happen to anyone innocent. Only cruel, evil people get punished like this. Tortured and abused. Jack was right, I must have done something

terrible

to be treated like this. A bad dog picked up from the kennels, to be beaten and whipped and lashed into obedence. To sit when told, bark when commanded, to lie down, and roll over when kicked. Just some fucking dog. That's all I was. That was it. It just had to be. I was so awful, someone truly demented and monstrous to deserve all this. It had to be.
 
It had to be.
 
Right?
 
The sun had set a few hours ago, plunging the forest into a despairing darkness. The night sky was void of any stars or moon. The trees seemed to loom tall and gnarled, branches twisting out into sharp claws, ready to snatch any prey that dared to lurk too close. The once lush, green grass was now wilted, dry, and yellowed. It crunched under footstep. All the leaves had shed themselves from the trees and bushes, falling to the floor in a crude mimicking of autumn. It was still spring, barely even summer, yet the whole forest surrounding the leering house looked like a scene from a horror film, in the midst of winter.

Everything looked dead and wilted. Berries shriveled up and leaking rotting juices. All animals had quickly ran away, escaping the area, sensing the turbulent danger and anger that swirled like a tempest around the clearing. A harsh wind blew, rattling the bony trees and leaving cold needles to bury themselves within any exposed skin. The house creaked, it looked more decayed than before, nearly about to crumble down into dust and splinters and shards of filthy glass.

Fresh blood stains dripped off the wooden porch, the deep red soaking into the grain. With each ear-piercing scream that would echo out from some hidden chamber underground, another noise would soon follow. Either a loud crack followed by a dull, limp thud, or maybe squelching sounds to earn more screams as their intestines would spill from their bellies. Anger, rage, fury, unaltered wrath, in a flurry of frenzied killings.

Replenishing. Gaining back strength. Growing in power once again, once more filling that perfect, heavenly blue pool. It was ironic, they all thought it once. They had seen only glimpses of it, despite its physical form being nonexistent. A shimmering lake, a perfect, beautiful, bright aquamarine blue, like a thousand tiny glistening diamonds and sapphires, the bottom of the lake made up of sharp, jagged crystalline structures of larimar and turquoise. Thin veins of gold and silver stretching out throughout the base, spreading out, shimmering, pulsing with life and energy. It was beautiful, ethereal, something made from gods, yet in the hands and use of monsters, killers, creatures of hell, and malice.

Despite the grimness of their emotions, the house was bustling with beings. Milling around, killing, devouring, torturing, eating, and choking down blood and life. New figures and creatures of all kinds, most of which had never even been permitted to set foot on this land, much less allowed within the confines of this safe haven. While they didn't know you, they could feel the emotions, taste the rage, hear the pounding hearts and racing blood. They knew just how full of outrage they were, and they fed off of it, amping themselves up too. It was growing, building, rising higher and higher until it would reach its peak, cresting over the curve before it would soon snap, finally releasing the rage and bloodlust unto the world for its transactions.

They would get you back, even if it meant that the heavenly pool would dry up and wither from blue to a dull, lackluster gray. Until the beautiful seams of gold and silver would start to crack and splinter into thousands of tiny shards, falling apart into dust, turning from glorious gems to just sand. Sand that would be that of an hourglass, each grain ticking down to their last seconds of life before they would simply vanish. No pain, no thoughts. Not a single trace left behind, not even memories of them would exist within the minds of others.

The brothers would never have been four, but would have always just been the three. Urban legends and tales of serial killers who stalked in the night, wielding knives and hatchets and guns and blunt rocks would be forgotten, their stories never once spoken, erased from time and history as a whole.

Even with that fate, they knew what they wanted, what they needed to do. What they would be willing to risk, not their lives, but their very existence. They would risk it all, just to get you back, safe in their arms. Protected. You were so much like them, so similar, you had so many struggles, you've been through so much, all alone for so long, with no one to love or care for you. They knew what it was like, and you didn't deserve it. You were too kind, so caring, so full of love despite it all. You weren't filled with bitter hatred or seething disdain. You were still so warm and welcoming, too forgiving and affectionate. You were so perfect. And you were theirs.

But not in the way of someone owning a doll or house, no, you were theirs, you were their friend, their family, you belonged with them, among them. You were one of them, even if you were

quite

like them entirely. You were still very much human, very much mortal, fragile and small, squishy and malleable. You were

human

. And yet, you were the first human they haven't killed, didn't have the urge or instinct to kill. You were the first one that they always wanted to come back to, to talk to, to learn and understand you. They wanted to pick your brain apart just to understand you, to know what you loved and hated, all your imperfections that made you perfect in their eyes.

You were theirs. Theirs to learn about and laugh with, theirs to have those wonderful conversations with, fun and serious, learning about each other, all of your stories intertwining like tree roots, twisting down and growing through the Earth. Growing, learning, and feeding off the nutrients of the world around you, growing and thriving. You were theirs. And they would never deny just how selfish they were. How greedy they could be. And just how aggressive they could be when something of theirs was stolen away, and even more so when their possessions were destroyed or hurt.

And you. You in all your perfection. Your beautiful hair, your shining eyes, undulled even with all of the horrors in life you've experienced. You with your scars like lines on a treasure map. Like words written in a book, telling your story. Yes, the story was sad and horrific, but it didn't make you ugly. It made you just as beautiful and complex.

Everything about you screamed perfection, beauty, the true pinnacle of what it meant to be human, the good side of being human. Kind and loving, always open and willing to listen. You let yourself feel your emotions, you didn't try to shame yourself for them, and you allowed them to indulge in their own emotions and thoughts. You never judged, you cared for them but didn't care if they were monsters or not.

The way you spoke to them, the way you looked at them with such admiration, they'd be lying if they said that your eyes didn't make their breath catch in their throat, how you made them feel addicted to you, needing to come back, just to be around you. You were like a drug to them, always bringing them back to you. And when they got to dance with you?

Your skin was so warm and soft, squishy and so huggable. Being so close, the detail in your eyes shone brighter, every distinct coloration, all the deep colors and light hues hidden within those pools. You had such a sweet smell around you, sugar and wildflowers, something that was untamed and mystical. The blush on your cheeks was so dark and cute, the way you danced without a care was intoxicating. The way that you lived with them showed just how free you felt, it showed how happy you were, even with them. You weren't scared of them, if only a bit wary at first. You were open to them, curious, and all your questions wanting to learn more. Most were confused at first, cautious and concerned, but a few others immediately took to you, happy and willing to converse, wanting to know more about you, to know you better.

And you were taken away from them. Stolen. Hidden away to be tortured ruthlessly. To have your freedom and happiness ripped from you, to leave you feeling so helpless and weak. And it pissed them off. Their anger spread like an infestation. Maggots festering on the decaying dead bodies, flies swarming the house, buzzing around, before the aura of anger left them dropping dead within seconds. Life was struggling to flourish, everything within the vicinity was decaying and dying, and the only life within the house were its residents and visitors. No victims, no bugs, no plant life persisted beyond a few minutes.

But their anger persisted. It grew. Bigger and bigger. It was turbulent and oozing into the atmosphere. Dread and fear was growing, spreading throughout the woods and leaking out all across the globe. Leaking out and crawling along the ground through suburban neighborhoods and lone farms. Contaminating and creeping along into towns and cities. Growing and spreading. Anxiety began growing in people. Their primal, ancient instincts, that gut feeling of fear, that they were being hunted and stalked. There was no proof, no evidence of anything existing, no one hiding around the corner or in the dark closet ready for the kill. But everyone felt it. Everyone felt the entities all around, growing in strength and anger, their presence all around, haunting and looming, dark shadows that hid millions of eyes within them. Looking everywhere, searching. Anyone perceptive enough to notice them didn't even have a chance to breathe before they dropped dead to the floor, eyes rolled back, noses bleeding and drool pooling from the corner of their mouths.

Death was spreading across the world, not too much more than normal, but a minor spike in missing cases, sudden death by heart attacks or brain aneurysms, bodies found in alleyways and along the edge of forests, dead and mangled and nearly unrecognizable as human. It was odd, the news reports spiked fear, but it was barely more than usual. It was easy to brush off, most going about their days as normal, the select paranoid few locking themselves in their homes, isolated and putting their own lives at more risk.

Their anger was so great that it was affecting the entire world. Creatures stalking the woods, the few unlucky victims who managed to escape them spreading stories, rumors, myths, unknowingly growing the creature's power by word of mouth. Shadows were sent out, inky black glooms, watching with careful eyes, sniffing out any leads, following each trail until its dead end. They were spread, crawling and clawing at the earth, trying to track you down. They were going to find you, they were determined. The shadows were eager to obey their master, it was pain existing in the light, where they shouldn't be. If they found you, they'd be free just to be shadow again.

They were going to find you. The shadows, the creatures, the shapeless beings, and looming entities, the killers and stalkers, the violent and the calm, the calculated and the spontaneous. All of them had the same mission. To find you and bring you home. They'd kill every last human if they had to just to find you.
 
I knew I had been lying there for hours. I couldn't sleep. My anxiety never wavered, never lessened, in fact, it only felt as if it was growing. The collar around my neck felt tight like it was choking the life from me, but I could still breathe just fine. I would do anything just for a blanket. To be warm and cover myself, to give myself back some dignity. But all I could do was stay curled in a ball, arms wrapped around myself, nails digging into my skin. I couldn't tell if my eyes were open or closed, only until they began to burn did I realize I was still staring into the darkness. I would blink, then continue to stare. The faded shapes were still there, morphing and twisting in the darkness. I wish I could reach out and touch them, but I knew I couldn't. I knew it was nothing but my eyes playing tricks on me.

Besides, I was too weak to even try and move. Even breathing was painful. My lungs expanding and stretching the stitches and staples in my back. It felt as if I moved too much that the skin of my back would rip open. It was painful. From the base of my skull all the way down to my tailbone. Long and deep, down to the bone. I could still feel the ghostly touches of SPARK's fingers digging into my muscle and fat, pushing and pulling it aside to get to my spine and the wires intertwined with organic material. Even now I swear I could feel the wires and metal plates inside my body, cold and intrusive. It felt wrong and crowded inside my own body.

My tears had long dried up, having none left to shed. The streaks across my face had long dried and cooled, my lips were cracked and dry, my mouth felt like cotton and my throat was still squeezing shut. My body was still crying out despite my eyes themselves no longer crying. Despair was feeding off of me, growing and filling my body like a meat suit. I was just a puppet to my own emotions. Any control I had in life, over my own thoughts and emotions, any control over my actions was all gone, ripped away from me, and burned up. All my autonomy, all my freedom of any kind was gone. I was truly helpless, a caged rat to continuously be shaved and poked with needles and machines.

I wanted to keep crying, but I couldn't. I wanted to escape into my thoughts, but I just couldn't. I couldn't escape to anywhere. I tried to think about them, my friends. I tried so hard, but it seemed as if their faces were blurs in my mind, I couldn't properly imagine them, how they looked. I forgot how their voices sounded, and how each of them acted. It felt as if they were quickly becoming a distant memory and I was losing all connection to them. The only thing that reassured me that they still existed, that I wasn't just crazy, was my hand. I could still

feel

them. It was pulling in every single direction. Up and down, left to right, in front of me and behind me. It was almost like they were entirely surrounding me.

I tried to focus in on it. I needed to. I could feel all four of them. Tim, Brian, Toby, and Slender. Slender's pull was the strongest, and so much more distinct than the other three. I closed my eyes, the swirling shapes moving to behind my eyelids, taunting me. I tried to focus in on those feelings, honing in on that pull. I was trying my hardest, putting all my energy and willpower into that feeling, that pull. And for a moment, just a second, it focused. That spinning needle broken within a compass found its pull towards North and focussed. It stopped, pulling harshly to the left of me. But just as sudden as it happened, it was broken again, spinning wildly and pulling in every direction.

I sighed, brows furrowing and nose scrunched, trying again. My nails dug in harder into my side, feeling the tingling on the top of my hand. Please. Please, please, please, please, please. Just work. Work and let them know I'm ok. Please work and show me that they are safe. Work and tell me that they are home, safe and sound, not looking for me. And for just another moment, it worked, and a flash of an image flashed through my mind.

It focused in on all four of them. They were all spread out, separated, I knew they were searching. For a split second, I saw the house, and the clearing, and it made me want to cry all over again. Dead grass and wilting trees, the house looked ready to collapse, windows and porch stained with fresh blood. Glass shards broken from a few windows, frozen in time, fragments flying through the air like bullets. Black fog covered the ground, it looked as if a fire was raging inside, burning along green bolts of electricity covering the house. Ashy snow was falling from the dark sky and a whirlwind was raging all around.

And it was gone. The image, the sensation of their presence, it was all gone. No matter how hard I tried again, I couldn't bring the image back, I couldn't pinpoint them again. I needed to tell them. I needed to let them know not to come. I needed them to go home and forget me, to leave me here, to break the connection. The mark needed to go. If it was gone, they wouldn't be able to find me, and they'd have to give up. I couldn't let them come here.

Charlotte had lost her mind and with SPARK having a physical body but still being some kind of A.I. and android mix, she was impossibly strong, resilient, able to morph and change however she needed to for any situation, and I knew she couldn't feel pain. They wouldn't stand a chance against her. She was cold and heartless. She looked human, but she was the most monstrous thing to exist within all the universe, through stars from each system to the next, she was the true mockery of humanity, second only to my mother.

My hand tingled for a moment, the hairs on the back of my neck raising before a familiar, gut-wrenching hissing sound echoed out. Light invaded the room, bright and blinding. I squinted my eyes open, staring up at the still figure in the doorway. SPARK. She was back, and this time, her eyes were wide and pupils shrunken, blue turned to a bright, glowing white. The door had barely finished rising up into the ceiling before she flew forward, hands pinning me down, knee on my stomach, grabbing my hand and yanking it up, staring at the back of my hand.

"I saw. I saw it. Show me. Bring it back. Now!" Her voice was sharp and loud, echoing all around the facility, through the hallways, and in all the empty rooms.

"W-what-?"

"Show me!" The room rumbled, shaking with her booming voice. Her wide eyes stared down at me, not crazed, something similar to shock but not quite, not flaring with rage, not anger or confusion. It was unreadable. There was a long pause.

"No." Her fingers dug hard into my skin, easily breaking it, warm blood trickling down my forearms. She stood up, fingers still dug into my skin, ripping me up and off the floor, spinning and throwing me. I hit the wall hard, screaming out as I felt stitches in my back rip open, my head aching, staples pulling at tight skin, threatening to break open.

"Show me." It was a low, threatening rumble. It echoed all around me. She spoke slowly, it was dangerous and predatory, poison dripping from her voice. She reached up, ripping the mask from her face, long sharp teeth bared. Her jaw clicked, and it moved back, unhinging before moving forward again, lowering and opening wide. Much wider than what should ever be possible.

"Three." Her mouth opened more, strands of drool strung together in strings, connecting her teeth, dripping down her chin and to the floor.

"Two." She crouched lower, pupils flickering, from white to a bright red. She took a step forward, then another.

"One." She lunged, she was so fast. Her hands struck the walls, a loud boom next to my ears, and I could hear the walls crack, chunks of white material falling to the floor, bouncing away before landing still. All I could see was her gaping maw. Inches away from my face, angled down towards my neck.

"That's enough!" A shrill voice screeched across the room, SPARK freezing instantly, not moving even a centimeter, she looked like a statue, her mouth still hung open, eyes unblinking, only staring down at me. Her pupils didn't flash this time, only slowly fading from that bright red to mild blue. Her jaw creaked, moving down and back, hooking back into place, and finally closing with a 'click'. But she didn't move away. Her hands stayed buried in the wall. I hadn't even noticed, but upon glancing, her hands were fully embedded into the walls, up to her wrists. Cracks etched out through the material, a few continuing outwards, light crackling the only sound in the room. A few chunks still fell from the two holes in the wall.

"SPARK, step away. Now!" SPARK didn't move at first, there was a pause, and Charlotte once again screeched at the defiance.

"Now! Now, now, now! Move!" She slowly creaked back to life, like a broken robot starting up, its joints rusted and falling apart. It was unlike her, her movements were usually smooth, not jerky and rigid. Her hands were stuck in the walls, and with a violent tug, her arms were freed, pulling even more rubble along with her. Dust and pebbles falling to the ground. I could feel streams of hot air leaking from the holes. SPARK backed up finally, standing and taking one long stride back. Her staring persisted.

Charlotte wheeled into the room, a furious look smeared across her aged face. She sped over towards SPARK as fast as she could, wobbling to her feet, managing to stand for a few moments long enough to strike SPARK. She fell forward, holding onto SPARK to catch herself. SPARK stood unmoving, only staring at me. Charlotte struggled to lift herself back up, screaming obscenities and cruel words at SPARK. She steadied herself back up, hitting her over again and again. SPARK didn't move, didn't flinch, didn't react.

"Stupid! So stupid! What did I tell you!? I fucking told you! I told you and you disobeyed me! You're supposed to listen to me! I'm the Director! I'm the mother! I'm your fucking master! You

listen

to

me

!" I could only stare at the display. I lifted my head, trying to sit myself up better, trying to alleviate the pain in my back. I tried to brace against the wall, but instead, my hand fell into one of the holes. It was warm, unlike the cold inside of the facility. The edges of the shattered material were sharp and cut up my arms more so than SPARK's claws had.

But there was something else. A fuzzy, vague feeling. Not numbing, just fuzzy. It was an odd feeling, not inside my skin or bones, but all around my arm, a surrounding comfort, warmth, like an invisible blanket. It was like a friendly hug almost. I wanted to pull my hand back from the pain of the cuts, but I left it there, indulging in the comfort of the warm air. I felt a pulse in my hand. Then again, and again. Pulsing, almost like a heartbeat. Followed by a static feeling along the top of my hand, then it was gone.

I finally pulled my hand out of the hole, looking down at my arm. All the cuts were gone, as if never existing, but the blood remained. The pain in my head and back dulled slightly, but not by much. But it was enough to make something in my chest spark back to life. Just a small kindling of a fire, a small flame to warm me back up, a tiny flash of hope. Maybe, just maybe my fate wasn't sealed? Maybe. Just yet. I finally focussed back on the two women.

"Fucking stupid bitch! You wretched bot! I gave you a body and mind! You're fucking lucky I didn't give you pain receptors! Next time you better fucking listen to me! Or I'll fucking disable you! Now pick her up and bring her to the goddamn operation room before I change my mind!" She wobbled again, using SPARK as a crutch to help her sit back down in the chair. She was still fuming and muttering under her breath. She turned and began to roll herself out of the room, only pausing at the doorway and turning, waiting for SPARK to comply with her. Again, she didn't move for a moment before she finally seemed to come to life once again.

She stepped forward, and gently scooped me up in her arms, her eyes relaxed and dead once more, no longer wide and wild. She stared ahead, once more with smooth movements, walking and following close behind Charlotte.

"Now then, what was it that you saw, SPARK?"

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

SPARK glanced down at me before her eyes drifted back up to Charlotte. Her eyes flickered around, seeming unsure, or perhaps just thinking, remembering, calculating. She was silent for a moment, but Charlotte didn't push, didn't try to pry the information from her.

"It was a mark, Director. Perfectly even and symmetrical in every way. A circle with a large, thin 'X' through it. It is located on the back of her right hand. I saw it. It flickered, it almost seemed to have the opposite effect of an object glowing. I saw it, and the shadows seemed to condense around it, so much so that it was difficult for even

me

to see it. But I did. It sucked away all the light around it, even the nonexistent light." She paused, humming in thought, closing her eyes for a few seconds before reopening them and speaking again. It almost made her look human. Almost. But she was too uncanny.

From her smooth, poreless skin, to the lack of any eyebrows or peachfuzz on her face or arms. Her colorless skin, with no pigmentation, no blush on her nose or cheeks, everything made it look as if she were just a walking corpse, with no pumping blood or working organs. Just a microchip given a body and voice. The segmentation of her jaw was still visible on the sides of her face where the surgical mask didn't cover. Her ears were small and seemed decorative. There were curves and dips, carvings of an ear shape, but no actual ear canal. Her body was thin, it looked frail and sickly, yet she was so powerfully strong.

"I felt an electrical pulse through my walls, all around her. It felt as if she were sending out a radar signal. It pulsed three times before stopping. It felt like static, and oddly enough, it blinded me, and deafened me. It momentarily disabled me. I could not see her, nor anything else throughout all the facility. Not in the rooms or hallways or cells. I couldn't hear a single thing. It felt as if I had somehow experienced what death was, just an empty void, barren of any senses." It was Charlotte's turn to hum in thought.

"Fascinating. I suppose we'll need to run some tests then." She turned her head around to stare at me, a thin, sadistic smile creeping along her thin lips.

"You should know by now to cooperate. But just to remind you, if you do as you're told, everything will be so much

easier

for you." It was a simple warning. Laid out with clear intentions despite the lack of actual words saying what would happen to me. If I listened to them and did everything they asked me to, maybe my torture wouldn't be nearly as bad, maybe the pain would be more bearable? Maybe I could get a blanket or clothes? Something to keep myself warm. I could only hope. But a part of me didn't want to cooperate. I wanted to fight back, fight until my dying breath.

We finally made it back to the operation room. The floor and table were clean, with not a single drop of my blood in sight, though it did stain the floor under the table a very light, barely visible pink. Proof that I was there, proof that I was cut open, getting a cart bashed into my face, being...violated. Fresh tears pricked at my eyes out of fear, and a chill crawled down my spine, like spindly fingers or a spider crawling underneath my skin.

SPARK laid me on the cold metal table, the restraints automatically clicking into place and locking around my extremities. I didn't have the energy to try and struggle or flail. I just felt so weak. The table began to move, raising up and twisting around to face the doorway. I could feel the weight of my body being pulled down by gravity, my whole body felt so heavy, it felt like the metal restraints were digging into the skin on my wrists. I felt so tired.

I watched both Charlotte and SPARK mill around the room, grabbing clipboards and folders, flipping through pages, reading sections of texts and jotting down notes, scribbling down harshly whatever it was they were thinking. SPARK pushed machines around, rearranging the room, and slots in the ceiling opened up, mechanical arms lowering all around the room, positioning into place before becoming still once more, like statues. The table had once more turned into those arms as well, moving my right arm forward, palm facing down towards the floor, angled in a way for all three of us to see the top of my hand. Another arm rose up from the floor this time, one long pole with multiple joints that ended in multiple protrusions, it resembled a metal skeleton hand and arm. It latched onto my palm and wrapped around my fingers. The table's restraint was removed from my wrist to allow the new arm to hook around it. It continued, latching around my entire arm all the way up to my mid-upper arm. The metal bones of the arm lay across the underside of my arm, with metal bands opening up from the main core and wrapping around my arm. It looked like my arm was decorated with bangles and bracelets, silver and abundant, but in reality, it was the opposite of anything elegant or beautiful. It was terrifying and chilling. It felt like my entire limb was in a bear trap, and if I moved a single inch then it would trigger and slice my arm to ribbons.

Charlotte wheeled forward, lifting her prosthetic arm up, smooth fingers brushing across the top of my hand, using her index finger to trace along the bones and tendons, and veins that were visible under my skin. She would press down hard enough to not hurt but to feel the anatomy of my hand, wrapping her fingers around my hand or wrist, finding a point to pinch and push into, causing my hand to flex open or clench shut. She was toying with me. Finding each pressure point and playing with it, humming with an unusually soft smile, hiding the true malice inside her. Her arm fell, resting in her lap, and her cold eyes drifted up to stare at me. They looked so fake even though they had been replaced with more realistic ones now. I wasn't sure how they were able to replace them so quickly, I must have been in that room for a lot longer than I thought.

SPARK wheeled a raised metal cart over to us. It was empty, and she positioned it below my hand. The metal arm attached to my limb moved down, resting my hand on the cart, fingers splayed out, palm flat against the cold metal. She then delicately placed down a single gleaming scalpel onto the surface next to my hand. It made a light 'tink' sound when it fully dropped from her fingers. Charlotte still wore that suspiciously soft smile, her eyes downcast, staring at my hand.

"You know," Her voice cut through the silence, unusually quiet, calculated. It was a stark difference to her manic ramblings. Her eyes never left my hand, just staring, blue irises slowly tracing every divet and curve of my hand.

"When you took my arm from me, I was really angry. I thought of all the ways I could punish you, make you pay for what you did to me." She sighed, still smiling.

"But, then I thought, since you are my daughter, I could just

replace

my body with yours. We are of the same blood. I had everything tested when you were little, I doubt you remember. We are completely compatible. Organs, blood, bone marrow...limbs." Her eyes finally drifted up to stare into my own.

"Having a younger body, stronger bones, more muscle and fat, it would be so...

healthy

for me. Wouldn't you want your dear old mother to be healthy? Safe from sickness and disease? No longer suffering in pain from arthritis and aching bones?" Her smile stretched a little more, sickly sweet. She was pretending. Acting like a sweet old lady stuck in a wheelchair. I sneered down at her, but her expression didn't change, but she once more was back to staring at my hand.

"I'm sure your little 'friends' have told you what they've been through, haven't they?" There was a pause. She giggled.

"I'm sure they have, but I doubt they told you

everything

. Every last experiment, I'm sure they were missing details." They hadn't really told me much about what they went through here. They said a few things, but never told any stories or fully talked about it. She picked up the scalpel, holding it carefully in her fake, white fingers.

"Ever since I could remember, I have always been

fascinated

by bodies. Animals, insects, humans, I would even study the structure of plants. Trees, flowers, weeds, fungi, everything. But humans have always been so much more

interesting

. So much more complex. Animals have basic instincts, pain and hunger, fear and hostility. But do they feel love? Hate? Can they understand what it even means to have interests in arts and science? Of course not, they are just animals, they haven't evolved for those sorts of things like humans have.

"But us? We are so brilliant yet flawed in design. Our jaws formed not for food, but for speech. We created music and literature, paintings and poetry, and alchemy to science. We have records of history and buildings, empires, and cities. We humans are exquisite.

"I've studied every book I could get my hands on. Went to specialized colleges and labs, touring and learning, graduating and finally getting my degrees. I struggled and pushed on. I took classes in anatomy, sciences, and psychology, hell, I even took forensic technology. We got to dissect so many things in almost every class. Frogs, sheep eyes, all the way to getting to sit in and observe an actual human dissection and autopsies." She sighed, almost dreamily.

"Their bodies were just...so beautiful. I always dreamed of being able to do what they did one day. And I worked hard to get to that position. But it just was never enough. I

needed

to know more. I was so

hungry

to know. So I worked harder and harder. Every day I felt like I was breaking my body and mind, molding it into the perfect vessel for my dreams. Years and years of hard work and research, of examining and observing, watching and taking part in. All the way up until I created the very first version of SPARK.

"Just a pebble of white material. Soft like cotton or silk, as light as a feather, yet so effortlessly strong and sturdy. It was beautiful to behold, and even more glorious under the microscope. It felt like a wave of success washed over me, like everything I had worked for all led up to that moment. At the time, I had no clue the potential SPARK had, no clue I could pulse electrical and vibrational currents through it to change the properties, no idea I could create an A.I. and place it into the material as a voice, eventually leading to the SPARK you know.

"But it

still

wasn't enough. No, I needed

more

. So I thought, what about a prodigy? A mother and child duo, both scientists, beauty in form and mind, ever as clever as possible. I had so much hope for you. And it wasn't cheap. Do you know how expensive I.V.F. is? Quite a heavy weight on the wallet. But thankfully it worked the fifth time around. And I got you. And you

wasted

it all. " She paused, sighing, then giving a half-hearted, breathy laugh, shaking her head.

"But during a late night, working here, fixing SPARK's body, you were supposed to be at home, sleeping in bed. But you woke up. And I'm forever glad you did!" That manic expression flashed in her eyes quickly but was gone just as fast.

"You decided a late-night walk would be good for you. You don't remember, it was easy enough to make you forget, to induce specific amnesia-like symptoms. Anyways. I wasn't home to stop you. So you got up, got all dressed up in a nice snuggly coat, and went out into that beautifully white blizzard. You never told anyone

why

you kept walking, even when you came so

close

to frostbitten hands. You kept walking. Thankfully I had the foresight to always station at least two guards at home. They followed you and watched. You walked into the woods, into the knee-deep snow. Then that

monster

peaked from behind the tree. It stared at you and you stared back. You just

let

it approach you. It didn't try to kill you, but I'm

sure

it would have if those guards hesitated.

"They shot it. So much, and hit you. You fell to the ground, and the monster stood over you, but then they hit it one last time, and it fell over. You and that

thing

stained the beautiful snow to an ugly red with all that blood. They captured it, and they said the brains that spilled out of its skull were black like they were rotten. But when I finally got it on my table, it was alive again. Screaming and hissing like a wild beast, not a single bullet hole to be found. They had managed to bind its hands and feet before it started to heal.

"I remember it so clearly. It was so ugly. Gray and bony, skeletal yet somehow still alive. Massive and long claws on its fingers. It was humanoid, save for the tiny remnants of a tailbone on it. Its posture almost was like a dog. Its eyes were completely black and beady, and its mouth was full of teeth.

"I sliced it up so many times, yet it never died. I tried to insert objects and devices into its stomach cavity, but its body always rejected it. They would get pushed out and the skin would just seal back shut. Not just its brain, but all of its organs were black, but it was so pale I would've sworn there was no blood or organs or veins in its body, but there was.

"Then I tried SPARK. A small piece of her was placed into its skull, and it didn't reject! Instead, it seemed to halt the regenerating process slightly. Not completely, but it was slow. When it did heal, it woke up and was acting just as it had been before."

She fiddled with the scalpel in her hand, running a finger across the blade, not a single scratch was marked. She then rested her wrist on the table, the blade hovering just above my hand, not yet touching my skin.

"I kept it for nearly a year, running experiments and diagnostics, and then I had a wonderful idea. What if there was more? A home? A family? More of the species? So I implanted a SPARK tracker, waited for it to fully heal, then we released it. Watching its human body running on all fours, the claws causing no hindrance despite their size, was fascinating! It just made me hungry, no, I was

starving

to feed on more knowledge!" Her grin widened again, and the blade touched my skin, gently pulling down from the first index knuckle to the middle one.

"It ran and ran and ran, alllllll the way home. Oddly enough, once it hit a certain point, the signal struggled to stay connected. However, taking SPARK with me, following the last traces of the signal, and getting closer made it stronger, though still fuzzy. We walked through the snow-filled woods for weeks and weeks. We were out there for 5 months and 16 days. Then we finally hit a point. It was wonderful. We watched as the whole world shifted around us. The air around SPARK filled with static, it seemed to warp the very existence of reality, and yet SPARK was repelling it. And then we were there.

"Standing in the treeline staring at that old house. It was so old-looking, and we saw someone. Not our little monster, no, but a little

girl

. She was covered in blood and was wearing a big pink coat with pink gloves, she was building a snowman. In that second I

knew

what I found. What

she

was. So I ordered them to start shooting-"

"You bitch!" I screamed, finding some strength to try and lunge forward. The metal frame holding me jolted and creaked, but otherwise didn't move. She stared up into my eyes, gleeful. The scalpel pressed deeper into my finger. SPARK was quick to hold a hand over my mouth, muffling my yells and curses.

"Watch your tongue. It's rude to interrupt, I raised you better than that. Where was I...ah. They began shooting. Mufflers made of SPARK material work so much better, there wasn't a single sound! She fell to the ground quickly, her blood spattered everything and the snowman crumbled into a pile. She never even made a sound. We captured her, and by that time I had made so many restraints with the SPARK material. Chains, ropes, handcuffs, the first ever versions of the collar, which were actually ankle cuffs. We didn't want a

single

thing to escape, even 'little girls'. So we got her all tied up, but I hit the jackpot that day.

"More of them! One walked out of the house with another behind him, it was the black-haired and blonde one. The black-haired man yelled something, but they shot him down too! And the blonde. He couldn't make a noise either, just like the girl. Not a simple peep. He just looked surprised. "

I felt angry. I couldn't help the images that flashed through my mind. Hundreds of bullets ripping through my friends's bodies. Skin and bone and cloth being torn to shred, blood spraying through the air and staining the snow a light pink. I could almost see their bodies on the ground. Crumpled up into heaps of unrecognizable flesh, blood-staining clothes to the point that they all only wore red. Not green or pink or white. Just red. She dragged the scalpel down more, over my middle knuckle and down to the first knuckle before my nail. I hissed in pain, anger bubbling up. I was breathing heavily.

"The same thing was done to them, tied up and bound. We invaded the house. So many tried to fight back, and so many broke windows and ran out to escape. I

thought

we caught them all, but I suppose a few still escaped. There was blood everywhere. Pfft, red, is such an

ugly

color, a shame it's the color of our blood. The hardest one to get was that tall, thin one. Oh, now

that

is a

monster

, yet somehow such a creature of beauty. It was the first and last time I would ever get to see his blood. Such beautiful blood, when it flew through the air and the light hit it perfectly, it looked like obsidian glass. It was

breathtaking

. He took maybe a few hundred bullets before we got him down, but not before he took most of my men from me.

"But it was an even trade, I took his people, and he took mine. But I still caught him. The most beautiful specimen of them all. We made sure to lock him up first before the rest. He had the most restrictions put on. He had to be dragged through the snow too, no one could carry him. He left a lovely, deep black trail through the snow. Everything was red by the end of it all. Blood and guts and brains and bone fragments scattered all around, strewn about from all the gunfire. SPARK bullets are so much more effective. They slow the healing process immensely. They were all still in a dead state when we finally got them all processed and into their cells. I watched closely as they healed.

"The tall one healed first, within 48 hours he was healed completely. It was no surprise, he is the most powerful. The little girl was last. She was dead for 17 days before she healed, but she never rotted. It took the rest of them a couple days. It gave me plenty of time to dissect them and run tests." Her soft smile twisted into a cruel grin, then stabbed the scalpel into my nail, blood bubbling up and spilling over the sides of my finger. A muffled scream ripped through my throat.

"Did you know they are conscious the whole time? They can feel everything, even when they seem dead. They can still feel and hear and see and smell everything! They just can't move or speak. But they are still

there

. Their muscles still twitch and spasm, their vocal cords tense up as if trying to scream or speak, but there's no noise! I've ripped them all apart, down to the smallest bits of flesh. I could see the fibers of their muscles wiggling under microscopes, trying to reconnect to other parts and regrowing others. In the end, the single mass will always come back together, they will never multiply. I've tried. Taking their arms and legs and heads and putting their body parts in separate sealed rooms. The head is the regenerative part. If the parts cannot reconnect then the head will grow a whole new body while the dismembered parts won't even rot, they just turn to dust, and the dust disappears from existence. Even their blood. Not a single trace of them is ever left behind, not even DNA."

I was horrified. My eyes were wide and I could feel a cold sweat beading on my forehead. Fear and hatred. Anger and disgust. It was a typhoon raging through my veins. And it only kept building. More and more, a tidal wave growing with each new detail. Images flashed through my mind, gruesome scenes of my friends' decapitated heads sitting on the floor in a room, eyes rolled back and blood pooling from their necks, and in adjacent rooms their disintegrating bodies. Toby, Tom, Ben, Jeff, Sally. Every single one of them. Except...

"I could do whatever I wanted to all of them. All except the tall one. I would send others to try and capture him, disable him, knock him unconscious, anything to run experiments. But no one could get close to him. Even outside the door, he could kill them. Autopsies showed their brains had melted into something like a smoothie. Their noses and eyes would bleed, they would foam at the mouth, fall into a seizing fit, and their bodies would tense up and curl into tight balls so harshly that their muscles tore and tendons snapped in two. It would last a few seconds before they died. They were stuck in those positions, a permanent rigor mortis.

"I never talked to him face to 'face'. I only used test subjects to speak to him. The rude ones he killed instantly. The nice ones he left alone until they proved just to be like all the others before them. 732 people were sacrificed before your position. I had remembered that night with the monster, we caught it again during the raid, and how it acted towards you. So I thought maybe you actually did have some potential. Something special about you. So after a couple months of thinking I decided 'Why not?' You had no other potential, you were just a failure. So I threw you to the wolves." She lifted the scalpel, placing it in the center of my hand. I felt a pulse under my skin, a wave washing through me, I only got angrier.

"And wouldn't you know it, they took to you! Nothing about you is special or different from all the other subjects. I've examined every last factor. Blood type, hair color, hair length and texture, height, weight, hygiene, everything under the sun. You are no different and yet there was an almost immediate reaction. And somehow you all managed to escape so quickly after the fact. You gave me no chance to fully observe your interactions. And it was infuriating when you would go quiet. But I let it be. The closer you got to them the more information you could squeeze out for me." She began to slice into my hand, deep gashes with smooth movements, making a near-perfect circle in my hand. It was quick and painful.

"I do miss the sounds of the screams though, I will admit. I'm not a monster like them, but I think they deserved it. They've killed so many people. Oh, how I loved their screams. The little girl was the loudest, she always cried just pretty tears." Another pulse washed through my hand, and I screamed louder. My body felt

hot.

So fucking

hot.

Another pulse, then a numbing static feeling taking over my whole arm within an instant, and then a gush of pressure rushed through the room. My hair waved around, Charlotte was pushed back in her chair and even SPARK fell over. She buzzed and beeped, twitching and lying on the ground. The lights in the room flickered before she fell still. A light beeping sound was the only noise emanating from her.

I looked at my hand. Blood was spilling from the cut, and the black symbol was flashing on my hand. It pulsed and burned hotly, but it didn't hurt. It kept flashing, each flash pulsing another wave through the room. SPARK continued to beep, occasionally twitching, Charlotte kept getting pushed back farther and farther. The metal arms holding me shuttered but stayed in place. A few more seconds passed before the pulses stopped, and the symbol dissolved away.

Charlotte stared at my hand, wide eyes, arm raised up to her face in defense. She looked surprised, then a gleeful expression took over her face.

"It's true! You

were

marked! Good, good! You share a connection with him at the very least. I can work with this. SPARK, get up!" She stared at SPARK's body, but she only continued to spasm, unresponsive, the beeping still echoing out. Charlotte waited only a second before sighing.

"I suppose

this

is what she meant. I guess I'll just have to wait." Her eyes turned back to me, cold and cruel, her eyes wrinkling, squinting at me with contempt.

"I'll just start without her. I've done this for years all by myself anyway. I can do it again." She wheeled herself to my side, grabbing the lone I.V. tube still in my arm. She grabbed an I.V. bag nearby, pulled it closer, grabbing the tube, and connected it to the one in my arm, securing it in place first before turning the drip on. It was slow but I felt an immediate cold wave wash through my arm. I felt dizzy instantly, I tried to fight it but quickly fell unconscious.
 
Tim was trudging through the muddy swamp, Jeff and Smile only a few feet behind him. It was raining hard. No one spoke or made any noise, they were like ghosts. A thick mist covered the ground, hiding any trace of them. Jeff had his hood pulled up, lost in thought, patting Smile on the top of his head. The dog was too busy sniffing the air and mud to notice or even wag his tail.

A wet thud. Not a single noise. Tim didn't even gasp from the stinging pain in his hand. A few more minutes had passed from that moment before he collapsed to the muddy ground. Smile barked once, and Jeff ran forward, trying to catch him. He was out cold like he was in a peaceful sleep, but Jeff knew better. He wasn't stupid. He knew that meant something was happening to you. This wasn't one of Tim's seizures, this was a correlation to you. He struggled to hoist Tim over his shoulders but managed, and they quickly began making their way back home, needing to report this.

Toby, Eyeless Jack, and Grinny were walking through a dark mountain trail, weaving through bushes and trees, avoiding the occasional jogger taking a late-night run. Toby was ticking more than usual. Grinny was laid across his shoulders, trying to provide some comfort in the cold night air. Jack was doing most of the lookout. Whipping his head around, seeing the glowing images of animals in the dark, the cold trails of reptiles skittering away to find cover. He would smell the air, his sharp nose picking up every single scent. All but yours. His ears pricked when he heard Toby hissing out in pain, stumbling back and gripping his hand to his chest. His face was twisted in pain. He looked back at Jack, still grimacing, but nodding to him to confirm that he was fine. Only a few more seconds passed before his eyes rolled back and his knees buckled, and he fell back unconscious. Grinny hissed out, leaping from his shoulders to the dirt path, fur sticking up on end.

Back at the house, in the living room, Ben had set up a sort of control center, cables and monitors, and computer towers littered the coffee table and floor. Papers were strewn about, scattered across the floor, and pinned to the walls. Newspaper articles, maps, and traced locations. Brian was paired with him, telling Ben all the information he knew, how he tracked them all down, where the location of the facility was located, everything he knew. Everything he could remember, all the secret pictures he took of documents and faces, I.D.s and passcodes. Charlotte's full name, address, close and extended family, coworkers, and past and current friends, they dug and dug and dug through piles of information, finding anything they could and compiling it all together. They pieced together a timeline, jotting down every location they could find, everything. Ben hadn't been paying attention to Brian, not until the dull thud of his body hitting the floor caused a cable to get pulled, a monitor crashed to the floor, screen cracking and buzzing, pixelated watercolors splashing across the screen in explosions of hues and saturations before it finally blinked to black.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

His hand burned, it was hot and fuzzy, and he knew what was happening. The mark on your hand was being cut, and it was defending itself. Its host. He could feel it, pulsing and angry. The pain was still there, but it stopped its warning. A few seconds passed before it hit him. Slender felt dizzy. He couldn't place it at first. His arm felt cold, colder than the rest of his body, he felt light-headed and caught himself on his desk before he tipped over. His whole mind felt fuzzy, and it took a few moments for him to realize what it was, what was causing the feeling. Anesthesia.

He could hear the mumblings of his residents and his brother's. He could hear them, but couldn't make out what was being said. It was so fuzzy, so distant. He tried to focus, but the feeling wouldn't subside. He held on to consciousness though. He tried to reach out but was met by silence from his proxies. They had fallen unconscious. He stumbled forward, trying to call out to his eldest brother. This time, there was an instant response.

Splendor didn't even knock, he appeared within the room, a spindly arm wrapping around Slender's back, supporting his weight. He had never been one to show much emotion, his brothers showed enough emotions for all of them. But now? Now he was tired, exhausted, and weary. He just wanted to rest, but he couldn't, not yet, not until you were safe and home. He would never admit it, would never speak the words, but he just wanted to cry out in frustration.

Splendor lowered his brother to the floor, letting him sit on the floor and rest. His youngest brother tried to speak, but his words were slurred. He tried to look in his mind, but it was just fuzzy. He sat next to his brother, trying to give him any comfort he could. He knew all his brothers well. Slender was never one to act weak or vulnerable, but Splendor was the only person he would ever go to when he needed a hug, or someone to rely on, to finally rest the weight on his shoulders.

He listened carefully to his brother, to his breathing. He was heaving, but slowly, he began to calm before his body fell limp. He finally passed out. There was simply nothing anyone could do. They could only wait. He sat there, listening to the commotion outside the door. Jeff and Jack had both returned with the unconscious bodies of Tim and Toby. The three proxies were being laid out on the couch, and beings began to congregate in the living room, watching over the three, observing carefully. They were already checked over, but any possible injuries they may have had would have already healed, nothing deep or serious. He would feel their auras all around, moving and shifting, running and crawling, searching high and low, sniffing out, seeking down heat trails, using all their senses, and more. It was draining, physically and mentally, and especially more so on his brother and his 3 proxies. If they were in this state, what were you like?

Yes, he was just like his brothers. He was known as the friendliest one, but he could be just as cruel. He, like his brothers, cares little to none about humanity. They were the first conscious beings on the Earth, they watched from the shadows as the first signs of humanity showed itself. Growing, evolving, walking, hunting, cooking, sculpting, sewing, and mixing medicines. He and his brothers watched as humans became what they are today. At first, the brothers were curious, and actually quite liked humans. Humans were just as curious as them. Making fires and paintings from red mud, learning to break rocks to make hunting and eating easier, and cooking safer and more delicious meals. Humans were so smart, so clever, creative and intuitive. They watched as families bloomed and friendships grew, how relationships between humans grew and changed. They saw the love that humans had for each other, just as the brothers loved each other.

Then something changed. It happened so fast, there was no shift, it was instant. Greed and selfishness spread like a disease, it grew like mold, spreading and infesting all of humanity, digging in deep and burrowing into their hearts. There was no longer fair trade or bartering, or kindness in knowing the necessities of survival, no, that was all wiped out. It was replaced with price tags and materialism. Hierarchies and blue bloods, the rich and the poor. There were no longer happy, loving families with full bellies, no, those were few and far between. Instead, there was only sadness, parents and children alike living in filth, struggling to survive, eating flavorless, unfulfilling meals that lacked nutrition. Faces were pale and sullen, eyes red and swollen, lips dry and cracked. The only ones who 'earned' any luxury were the rich.

It only grew from there. Years and years and years of observing until now. Splendor held out the most hope. Offendor was the first to voice his disdain for humans, soon followed by Trendor, who soon would admit he only adored their clothing and textiles. Both Slender and he held out, for thousands of years, hoping they would turn back to the beautiful little creatures they once were, realizing how disgusting and

wrong

society had turned. But instead, it only continued to fester. Splendor lost hope third. He watched the youngest brother admire humans from afar. He still saw that hope in his brother, and Slender saw that spark in humans still. He saw it in their children. In their careless smiles, that wildfire in their eyes. Children had no care for money or possessions, they loved to share their toys and stories, and they played games together, regardless of status or presentation. They didn't care for gold or hoarding knowledge, in fact, they happily shared it. Precious memories and stories passed down through generations, priceless heirlooms with no physical body, and they happily shared them. Whereas the adults would pay to hear stories and songs, pay to view art and literature, pay to simply be warm and comfortable, to eat and breathe, to have shelter, to just merely live.

But just like his brothers, he soon saw that even then, the children would turn to corrupted adults, and some even seemingly being born evil. So many times he saw children throwing rocks at one another, one collapsing and the rest leaving the poor child to die. He couldn't help but intervene. He would heal the child but would keep himself hidden. He knew how fragile their minds were, no matter the age. The few humans who did see him or his brothers were so, so afraid of them. They would scream and cry, throw rocks and sticks and weapons at them, humans would try to

hurt

them.

Kill

them. They would kill anything and everything they could. Splendor witnessed it plenty of times. Mindlessly slaughtering cattle and rabbits, birds and swine, and most of all each other. Wars over territory or religion, over morals or politics. Anything could easily anger them and set them on the warpath of hatred and violence.

He still remembered the day that Slender had lost all hope, it was such a shift in his brother, it was hard to not notice it. His little brother had witnessed such a gruesome sight. Two children trying to murder another one. Cruel and malicious, the two older children were smiling and laughing while the youngest cried in pain and terror. That was the second time his brother had ever purposely shown himself. He lashed out at the two, screeching and and growling and howling, covering the small child's body with his own, on all fours, tendrils whipping about, making his appearance look bigger and more ferocious. He never hurt the two, never laid a finger on them, but he wanted to scare them horribly, make them never want to ever hurt another being ever again. The two ran off screaming and crying.

He remembered watching his brother calm down, turning to the small child. It was far too late, and he no longer howled in anger, but in such a deep, guttural sadness. It was so profound that all animals within the vicinity too began to cry out, joining into a symphony of howls and cries, owls cooing and wolves weeping. He cradled the child in his arms, and he tried to heal her, but she didn't move, didn't cry or breathe ever again. He tried for hours to heal and revive her. Splendor watched his brother wail and cry out. Such a powerful being such as him was still so powerless in the face of death.

He buried the child, giving her a grand burial and grave. He spent days carving such an intricate tombstone for her. He didn't know her name or when she was born, so all he would carve into it were details of the child, along with the year she died. Long, curly brown hair, bright green eyes, rosy cheeks, and a pink nightgown. She died back in 1638. He left flowers at her grave every day for years and years and years. Every day until 1872, when humans expanded and demolished the grave. That's when the hatred began to grow, not just sadness and grief.

Much later, he found Sally. She was the spitting image of that child, and instantly she became his daughter. He protected her at all costs. He cherished her and spoiled her. And she was always so kind and grateful for it all, just like how humans were in the beginning. It was almost as if being reborn as one of them had completely reset her humanity, back millions of years, all the way to the beginning, when humans were warm and kind and loving.

After all of that, after every single thing each one of them had been through, not just the brothers, but their residents and proxies too. Every single one of them had a story, complex and spanning. Abuse, beatings, rape, torture, discrimination, pain of all kinds. They all had such a deep hatred for humans. So seeing his brother and his brother's residents fighting so hard to find you, searching in any kind of weather and terrain, through rain and snow, hail and thunder, rocky paths and steep hills, none of them were resting. Searching and searching, just to find a single human. Just to find

you

.

Splendor was just so extremely curious about you. How were you any different? He still had his doubts, but he truly needed to know. He needed to know what was so different, so special about you. Splendor could have, at any point, cut the ties, and released the mark from you to alleviate himself and his proxies from all the pain, but he didn't. His proxies never asked for the marks to be severed, but they could have, especially through all the pain that they all were experiencing. What was so captivating about you that they would be willing to go through all this torture and misery? He knew how Slender was, but this was just plain stupid, not even Splendor would do something so reckless and painful. And yet, here he sat, with his brother leaned against him, and three others passed out in just the next room over, still willing to go through everything you were experiencing.

He laid his brother down gently, grabbing a decorative pillow that sat on the small bench under the window, resting it under Slender's head before Splendor finally stood up, making his way out of the office and into the living room, gently closing the door behind him.

Walking into the living room, he took in the view all around him. The three proxies, just like his brother, were all unconscious and laid out on the couch. Everyone quietly muttered amongst themselves, trying to figure out what was happening now. Ben still sat at the computer setup, hands only hovering above the keyboard, little arcs of green electricity sparking from his fingertips to the keyboard, all the while the many computer screens were rapidly flashing, going at impossible speeds all the while he took in all the information.

A main group had formed, with all the beings who held any medical knowledge conversing and coming to the conclusion that you must have been administered anesthesia, due to the proxies having collapsed quickly and suddenly. But that information bloomed a new fear in Slender's residents. If you could have your brain and spine picked apart awake, what were they doing to you that you need to be put under for? There were worried murmurs, anger and fear and concern growing all over again. Whispers and mumbles, wondering what was happening now, what you were going through, what was going to happen to you.
 
Hours had passed, and they were still asleep. Worry grew higher and higher. A few whispers wondered if you were dead, but they were shut down quickly with snarls and growls of threats, daring them not to even think those thoughts. Everyone in the room was getting antsy, and quiet talking was slowly getting louder and louder, until the whole living room was roaring with chatter, ideas of how to wake them up, trying to figure out ways to know what was happening to you, if you were ok, threats of how they'd kill whoever was doing this, or even lashing out at each other. It lasted a few minutes before Splendor opened his mouth, ready to put an end to the growing panic and violence, something he detested despite his nature.

But he didn't get a chance to. All the lights in the house flickered, blinking into darkness for a moment, the only light was the piercing red pinpricks of the blonde man still sat in front of the computer, a faint light illuminating his face eerily. The usually fun and joking man was cold and serious, and those who knew him best felt a chill at his gaze.

"Shut up." It was all he hissed out before the lights flicked back on, and his eyes drifted back to the computer screens. The room fell silent, some even held their breaths to not make noise.

Despite all of them being on the same level as one another, the same hierarchy, no one being a rank over or under any other, they all knew that their abilities, strength, and powers were all different, and that indeed put them on different levels from one another. Some didn't have any gifts or abilities, and some did, and it was no secret that Ben certainly had these gifts. While yes, he was a prankster, always joking around, lax and uncaring, he was just as deadly and powerful. In the early days of humanity, he would have been nothing, but in this day and age, he held more power than most realized.

Having near complete control over electronics and electricity, power, being able to enter into these devices, into the internet, across the invisible sound and electric waves, being able to travel through the thinnest and smallest of wires and circuits, it was hard to keep him out of anywhere. Most would only think at face value that if you had no phones or computers, no TVs or electronics of any kind, you'd be safe from him, but as long as there was electricity, he had influence.

He could enter into these zones, and he could pull others into them as well, and he had done it plenty of times before. When he was first new, after experiencing death, remembering the trauma of what happened to him, he was angry and impulsive. He was a poltergeist, and in his anger, his room was much like Sally's, a tornado of objects being thrown about, walls shaking, and the floor being ripped up. Anyone who came close to him was yanked into the computers that flew all about his room. They were stuck in voids of empty blankness for weeks. When Ben had finally processed everything, come to terms with what happened and who he was now, what he had become, and what he was capable of, he took to his abilities quickly and easily and released his new housemates from the devices.

Some lashed out, but they couldn't lay a finger on him before they were either zapped with burning white, green arcs, or pulled back into the computers. The ranks stayed the same, but the levels were quickly rearranged, with Ben skyrocketing in power.

He was still new in relativity to the rest, but he was unarguably powerful. Even the most stubborn and hotheaded of the residents knew not to piss him off, otherwise, you'd be subjected to endless isolation for who knew how long. Painfully boring or lonely, it would eat away at anyone. He had done it before, he would do it again. Everyone knew this, and they wouldn't dare try to push it.

Carefully, slowly, eventually, silent whispers began to form once again, using the telepathic links to communicate with one another. Seconds ticked by, turning into minutes, then into hours.

The first to stir awake was Slender, awakening on his office floor, a small stiff pillow placed under his head. He slowly pushed himself up from the floor, the fog slowly lifting from his mind. It didn't quite hit him yet, but a creeping pain began to sink into his back, settling deep into his bones and nerves. It hurt like hell, causing him to hiss out in pain. There was a terrible feeling, like something wrapped around his spine, interweaved with each vertebrae. He groaned out, trying to stand up, but he couldn't, his legs gave out, and so he simply leaned against the wall, with staggered breathing, trying to bear the pain.

Brian was the next to wake up. He was groaning in pain, rolling back and forth, face twisted into a grimace with bared teeth. Tim soon followed, quickly flipping to his stomach and curling up, wrapping his arms around himself, face pushed into the couch cushions, slurring about how badly it hurt. Finally, Toby awoke. He was slow to come to, but soon followed in agony, back arching, hands tensed out in pain, not knowing what to do with himself, how to deal with the pain. All four had labored breathing, struggling in pain, trying to find any way to ease the pain or be more comfortable, barely able to move and talk, still groggy. It was a heartbreaking sight to any who saw, they knew how much the proxies had gone through, and to be in excruciating pain all over again, but even so, there was a sigh of relief. They were alive still, and so were you. And there was a grim comfort in that.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Time felt like a blur. It didn't feel real, but the pain sure did. Everything around me felt intangible, time moved so fast, hours left like seconds, but it also felt so horribly slow, weeks felt like years. I felt like I was losing my grip on reality. I could barely even think properly.

I tried to keep myself grounded. I tried to remember their voices and faces, but they were just fuzzy images in my mind, their voices were distorted and distant, and I could hardly even remember Sally. Was her nightgown pink? Or maybe purple? Wait no, it was red, no? I couldn't focus, couldn't think, not with all the pain and the constant anxiety eating away at me, waiting for SPARK to reappear in the doorway to take me away, off to that room again, a room that smelled of my blood, rusty and metallic, the floor stained a light pink now after all this time.

I tried to keep track, counting in seconds, and trying to calculate time, hours, and days. But it didn't last long. I couldn't exactly count time while I was asleep or unconscious. I couldn't count while screaming out in pain or shutting down from the abuse. It was all too much. But I did try. All I knew was that I was here for a couple of days. That was a given.

When I had woken up from the first sound of anesthesia, my back had been cut open again. Freshly sewn back up and rebandaged, but the pain was worse than the first time. I awoke in that dark, cold room, but there was something different this time. There was a draft, a warm breeze that brushed across my skin. I tried to move as best I could, crawling across the freezing floor, and dragging my limp body towards the warmth. I just laid there on my stomach, hand outreached towards the warm draft that seeped through the hole that SPARK had bashed into the wall.

It was like a blanket or a hug, wrapping around me, ripping the chill from my bones and replacing it with comfort, even if just a little. I crawled forward, just a little more, a little closer, close enough to grasp a jagged edge of the wall with my hand, my right hand. It happened once, maybe with the broken barrier, I could get through? As selfish as I felt, as badly as I didn't want any of them to come back here, to find me and get captured all over again, that primal survival instinct kept taking over, finding any excuse to find help or call for rescue. I felt horrible, like I was just being used as bait to call them back to this foul place, and yet, I

needed

to call out for them.

As much as I wanted to cry, I had no tears left to shed. My throat was dry and my lips were cracked. My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. I tried to swallow, but there was nothing. I felt drained of all energy, and yet, what little I could muster left, I focused all into the mark on my hand. I couldn't see in the pitch black of the room, but I could feel it, waving and pulsing through my skin, building with energy and electricity. Then, a pulse, a single one, but a pulse nonetheless. It waved out, through the room and the facility. Lights flickered in the room momentarily, dim and dingy, and for a split second, I could see the hole in the wall.

It was dark, with no light entering the crevice, the edges were sharp and jagged, a small, thin trail of blood dripping down the wall from my hand, a cut that I couldn't even feel compared to the rest of the pain in my body. Spindley cracks reached out from the hole, dancing and snaking across the walls, spreading out like intricate spiderwebs, deep and dark. In the flashes of flickering light, I could see my hand. The symbol was bold and dark, the deepest black imaginable, and the veins under my skin surrounding it were black too, fading out back into shades of greens and blues. Tendrils of whispy smoke curled off of the mark, as if on fire, but there was no flame or heat, and it emitted no light, in fact, when there was light, it looked as if it was sucking it all up, like a black hole. Streams of light whirled through the air, like a vortex, the mark feeding off of the energy and turning the light into darkness and shadows.

The shadows either whirled into the air or dripped off my hand like liquid, crawling across the floor and up the wall, into the hole, and seeping through the cracks, escaping this hellish place, but leaving me behind. The flickering lasted a few seconds before the lights finally blinked out once again. I felt the mark slowly fade away, but a wisp of shade lingered, wrapping around my fingers, curling and weaving through them before it too lept into the void.

Everything was still and quiet, but I waited with bated breath, knowing full well that my actions would not go unpunished. Seconds slowly ticked by, painfully. I had counted 143 seconds before I felt the tingling sensation. It wasn't in the floor, it was in my back, attached to my spine. It was a tingle at first, then numbness, then excruciating pain shooting through my nerves as electric shocks ravaged through my body. I couldn't even scream, my vocal cords felt paralyzed. My whole body was tense, but the shock didn't last long before another reaction occurred. My hand pulsed on its own. A wave of euphoric numbness washed through my veins, cleansing away the pain and electricity. There was a loud buzz that echoed in my skull, not in the room or facility, but in my head, then a beep, and it was done, there were no more painful shocks, it had been completely disabled.

I heard another beep, but nothing. It happened again, and again and again and again, but there was no shock, no pain, or even numbness. The beeping was speeding up, aggressively trying to trigger but it just wasn't working. It finally abruptly stopped, and everything was silent again. A few more moments passed before there was a sharp hiss and light flooded into the room. I couldn't even turn to look at who it was, but the creaking of wheels told me it was Charlotte.

"Why?! Why isn't it working?! I

just

installed it! It was perfect! What did you

do

?!" She was shrieking at me, my ears ringing in turn. But I couldn't care less. I didn't give her the satisfaction of an answer or even a glance. She growled, a raspy guttural sound.

"

Fine

! No matter, I have

other

plans." I felt something hit my side, it was hard and made me whine. I heard it tumble away, a hollow sound against the floor. It was just a chunk of the wall that had broken off. And with that, I was plunged into darkness once more. My ears continued to ring, but not from it being too loud, no, it was the silence, it was so deafeningly quiet that my ears were ringing so loudly, it was giving me a headache. I sighed, letting out the breath that I was holding. I felt my body sink into the floor, and my heavy eyes slid close. I was so tired.
 
I couldn't remember how long ago that day was. Ever since then, there had been endless surgeries on my head and inside my head, trying to get whatever it was she 'installed' in me to work, but it never did. Whenever she tried to use it, it would beep, then click, and the mark on my hand would trigger, instantly disabling it, protecting me, or perhaps just itself, I wasn't sure. With every failed attempt, she would beat me, or make SPARK beat me when she was too tired. But whenever the mark would activate, it would disable SPARK, and Charlotte was left to do all the dirty work.

I couldn't tell time, but I knew enough time had passed when Charlotte stopped using the wheelchair, able to finally walk on her pristine new legs. And when her arm was finally freed of the cast, I knew at the very least a month or two had gone by. She made sure I saw just how badly I had scared her arm, and she beat me for it, then let SPARK beat me, harshly, for so, so long. Just for scars, she hadn't even begun the punishment for the rest of the bodily harm I caused.

At times, it felt like I was losing my grip on reality. But Charlotte made sure that I stayed sane through it all, conscious and aware of all the torment that was happening to me, and for the future. She made sure I knew just what she was doing, and why. She blamed me for everything she could. Why her legs and arm were amputated, why her one remaining limb was in a cast, naming off every injury in detail. Her tongue still split, her eyes replaced, the soft underside of her chin, into her mouth, had to be stitched shut and carefully taken care of to prevent infection all the while still needing to eat and drink.

How I ruined her body ever since my inception, up until the day I was born, and all the way until now. I caused her so much stress she got gray hair, and how she could never get rid of the stretch marks on her body that

I

caused. How no matter how much she exercised and dieted that she could never lose the pregnancy weight, how I was the cause of every last wrinkle and stretch mark and scar and blemish. Every single one of her imperfections was all

my

fault.

She's right though. If I had just been a good daughter, and done what I was told, I wouldn't be here. I would be out there, in the world, successful and adored, beautiful and lively. I could be standing next to her, helping her with her projects, winning awards, and writing papers and articles. I could have been someone, I could have been known and loved, but instead, I did everything she told me not to. I ruined everything, I ruined her and sucked the life from her, I stole it all away for my own selfish desires, just to leave her behind. Attempted murder and running away, hiding away and refusing to ever listen. I don't blame her. I would hate me too. No, I

do

hate me.

I no longer fought the beatings, I accepted each one. It was my repentance of sorts. Nothing could ever repair the damage I caused, caused to her and her reputation of a failed daughter. I could never repair her trust or love in me. This was all I could do to make it all up to her. Each drawing I made, each bad grade I earned, each time I asked for a toy or sleepover party, begging for cake or presents, it was all selfish, each selfish, greedy desire should have been snuffed out. I could have done better, been better. Instead of drawing I could have been studying, instead of trying to chit-chat and talk to others, I should have offered to help my mother more. Instead of selfishly wanting a day about me, I should have celebrated her, for her struggles to give me life that day. It should have been about her, not me.

She never told me what day it was, never told me how long I had been there for. She kept the outside world a secret from me, and I soon stopped asking. I stopped talking much in general. At first, I would ask about

them

, but she would just beat me. Then I would ask the time, the day, and how long I had been there for. She would just ignore me. Then, there was that time of silence, where I couldn't even bring myself to speak. But now, every time I see her, I ask her how her day was, how she has been. I think, deep down, I knew I was selfishly asking her those questions, wanting to get on her good side, but now? Now, I owe it to her. I am her daughter, I am

supposed

to love her.

She had me hooked up in the operating room again. Hanging from the metal skeleton, mirrors hung all around the room, angled perfectly so I could see my back. It was an awful sight when I first saw it, but I was numb to it now. I deserved it. A white, spine-like exoskeleton was attached to my back, lined up with my spine, digging into my flesh and deep down into the muscle and bone, wrapped around my vertebrae and interweaving with veins. The edges of the exoskeleton were pink from blood stains, and the skin underneath was red, bloodied, and irritated. She liked to show it to me. She was so proud of her work. I was her creation, I was always meant to be her magnum opus. Why did I never see this? I was always going to be a work in progress, a piece of art for her to carve and sculpt as she pleased, until she saw fit that I was finished.

She tapped at a clipboard in her hand, SPARK standing idly next to her. The room was silent except for the tapping. She hummed, glancing up at me with her cold eyes. I tried to smile at her, but she only looked back down to the board, scribbling something down.

I was back in my room. Time was surreal, most of my memory was falling blank. Every time I was in my room, I would reflect. It was always the same things. The stories she would tell me, what little memories I could remember, the few flashes of begging her for material possessions, being a thankless brat, running away, finding my friends-no. No. She told me they weren't my friends. They were just using me. They were going to kill me. Why wouldn't they? They fed off of life force, by stealing it from others and keeping it all for themselves. They hurt and killed innocent people. They were cruel and uncaring, they loved only themselves and no one else. They didn't care about me. If they did, why didn't they come find me already? Why was I still here if they were the 'good guys'? If they really cared, if they were good, they would have 'rescued' me by now.

But I was still here. And good guys, heroes, don't leave innocent people to die or be tortured. So then they weren't the good guys. They were the villains, and my mother was the hero. She was saving me, helping me. She rescued me from their clawed grasp and was trying to reverse the damage they caused me. After all, they were monsters. No human would ever look like them. Only demons and monsters looked like them, acted like them. It was their influence that led me to hurt my poor, sweet mother.

I felt dirty. Tainted. Disgusting. I was supposed to be the perfect daughter but I ruined it at every single fucking turn. So now she had to come to my rescue all over again, saving me from myself

again

. All these surgeries and tests, they were all to fix me, make me better again. It was like a sickness and she was just trying to cure me. And sometimes cures hurt. All this pain, it would be good for me, it would

help me

.

I couldn't remember their faces anymore. All I could imagine when I could think about them were dark shadows seeping into the corners of my mind. Gnashing teeth and bloodied claws. Dirty maws slurring curses and hexes, lapping from the pool of life like starving beasts, waiting for their next chance to strike. Bright emerald green eyes became sickly and deranged, staring at me from the back of my mind with murderous intent. Hands reaching out, grabbing my wrists and ankles, ready to rip my skin from my body, flaying me to drink my blood and dine on my flesh.

Every time I thought of them, I could only imagine gruesome images flashing behind my eyes. Hanging me from meat hooks and bleeding me like cattle and swine, gouging out my eyes and tongue, punching out my teeth, and breaking my bones. Ripping me limb from limb, pulling out my veins and nerves, setting my body alight, and cackling with howling laughter at my screams of agony.

I became so afraid of the dark that my poor mother felt forced to leave the lights in my room on. And when I selfishly begged her to patch the hole in the wall, she would just roll her eyes. She would call me a crybaby and whiney bitch. It was SPARK who told me why it wasn't being fixed. They had no more material to repair it. And there was no other room they could put me in. When I pressed, she was vague, but said they had no means to make or retrieve the materials needed, and that rooms and space were limited.

So I would push myself into the farthest corner from the hole. It emitted warmth, but I rather freeze than get close to it. When I was too close, I could hear whispers, and see shadows moving inside, and millions of invisible, hungry eyes watched me from the abyss inside. I would stare into it, scared to look away, afraid that if I took my eyes off of it, something horrible would crawl out. With twisting limbs and skin made of smoke and shadow, a gangly body covered in eyes and mouths with razor-sharp teeth, with black goop and blood oozing from every orifice with its red eyes glowing with hate and malice and hunger.

Occasionally, I would be gifted with such kindness. SPARK would take me to a separate room, a bathroom, to bathe me. I was barely able to wash myself, so she would scrub me. I couldn't remember why I was so afraid of her touching my body, but I wasn't scared anymore. If I couldn't remember then it meant my fear was unfounded. She would scrub the blood and oil from my scalp, ridding my skin of sweat and dried blood and residue of all sorts. I always felt so clean and thankful afterward.

It had been long enough for my hair to start growing back. Mother let me keep it, she no longer shaved it down, and SPARK would brush it out for me. She was like a caring, older sister to me. My very own sister. Oh, how lucky I was! A loving family to care for me, trying their hardest to cure me, they were so kind and loving. Even when I was hurting, I knew it was for the best. They meant well. I know they truly do love me.

I stopped trying to count long ago. There was no point in counting the time. I was home, so what was I counting for? I couldn't remember. But it was OK. I got to see my mother and sister every day, I got to interact with them and talk with them, they love me so much. I can

feel

it.

Today was a special day. That's what mother said. She said she had been planning this day for the longest time. I don't think I have ever been so excited! SPARK has been so kind the past few days, and for a long time now there hasnt been any surgeries, maybe I was all better? SPARK had already brought me to the operation room, I was on the table this time, not the metal arms. There was even another new table right next to mine, but it had a cloth over the top of it, along with a sort of headrest. I happily waited, patiently, mother never took very long before she would come to the room.

"How are you today, SPARK?"

"Fine."

"That's good! Where's mother?"

"Getting ready."

"For what? Do you know why today is so special?"

"I can't tell you."

"Awe, that's ok! I'll know soon though, right?"

"Yes." I grinned gleefully. I was just so excited! A few more minutes passed before I heard the door hiss open, and in my excitement, I lifted my head as far up as I could to see her. Instead of her usual beautiful white clothes, she wore a white hospital gown.

"Hello, mother! How are you? Are you ok? Why are you wearing that?" She didn't answer me, but that was ok. She walked up to SPARK, and the two whispered to each other for a few minutes. I stayed smiling, happy to see my family all together. I can't believe I ever considered those monsters family. I watched as mother sat on the other table, swinging her legs up and lying down. SPARK hooked up two separate I.V.s to her, I already have mine. SPARK then looked at me, and there was a shine of something in her eyes, probably just how much love she had for our mother!

She moved around the room swiftly and smoothly, adjusting machines and moving them around. She then hooked up my very own I.V.s, then secured a mask around my nose and mouth, mother already had one. I heard a hiss and smiled up to SPARK.

"Good night..." It was all I managed before I trailed off. My eyes grew heavy, and a teeny tiny little thought popped into existence before I crushed it away, just remnants of being uncured.

Help me

.
 
I began to stir. I felt so groggy. I always hated how even though I was asleep, I never got any rest from it. I tried to close my eyes again, wanting to go back to sleep, but a shaking of my shoulder had me staying awake.

"You need to wake up now."

"A couple more minutes?" I managed to slur.

"No, you need to wake up." I grumbled but couldn't string together a response. I never liked how I felt after waking up from surgery. I tried to lift my hand to rub at my face, I wasn't restrained. My shoulder was stiff, moving and lifting up, but my hand never touched my face. I flexed my fingers, but there was a strange feeling. I couldn't quite place it. I tried opening my eyes, but they rolled back, the effects of the medicine still wearing off. SPARK kept trying to keep me conscious. Tapping my cheeks and rocking my shoulders.

Eventually, I began to fully wake up, blinking and looking around the empty ceiling, trying to find my bearings. I tried to lift my hand again to rub my eyes, but even though my arm moved, I could

feel

it, nothing appeared in front of my face. I felt the table under me begin to move and sit up, angling me to face towards the door. Oddly enough, a nice warm blanket was wrapped under my arms. Looking around the room, mother was nowhere to be found.

I didn't have time to question her whereabouts. I looked down and felt my blood run cold. My left arm, just an inch under the elbow, was gone. Wrappings and bandages were covering the stump, some blood leaking through the white gauze already. I flexed my hand. I could still

feel

it, but it wasn't there. It was gone, I didn't have my arm anymore. My right arm and hand remained, however. The cursed arm, with my infected hand. A hex was placed on me by that monster, a mark to signal that I was prey, a meal to be torn apart and devoured. To track me down and find me.

We tried removing it before, so many times. At first just the mark, but it always repelled whatever instrument, it pushed away mother and SPARK, and it healed itself. Then we tried amputating my hand, then my arm, but nothing ever worked.

So why was my left arm gone? It was infected, was it?

"SPARK..." She cut me off, moving to my side and ripping the blanket from my body. The cold air assaulted my skin as a scream nearly ripped from my throat.

My legs...!

My fucking legs!

They were gone too. Gone at the mid-thigh. I only had my right arm. My wretched, tainted, infested, cursed right arm. I swear I could still feel my legs and arm, I could feel my fingers and toes, but they weren't there.

"SPARK! SPARK! What did you do!? What did you do to me!? What did I do? I didn't do anything wrong! I've been good! I thought I was doing better!" I was sobbing, screaming, and wailing out, a sound I hadn't made in a long, long time. I was hurting so badly, my chest was tightening with betrayal. The tumps of my limbs were painful, I felt so hurt by her actions, stabbed in the back and punished, all for what? I did nothing wrong. I've been listening to them. I did everything they told me to, I didn't argue or scream or cry or fight it. They knew what was good for me, so why this? It was my right hand that was the problem, not my legs or other arm. Why?

Why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why?

Why

?

I thought they loved me.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Slender sat at his desk. He had been keeping logs, a journal of events, and notable details. He started it back in June, on the 25th. You had been kidnapped on the 23rd. He stared down at the dark leather cover, one hand resting on it, dreading to open it once again. It was now a daily occurrence. And as each day passed, more and more dread bubbled up within him. He didn't want to open it, not again. He didn't want to log another day's events. Not again. With each entry, he felt like a failure. A failure of a guardian, a failure of a protector, he felt like his position in this world was failing, all because he couldn't find one single person.

His shoulders drooped, and he opened the cover. The first page, dated June 25th, 2023. It was a short entry, only a few paragraphs detailing what had happened, using details from his proxies and Ben who were there with you, and what each one saw and remembered.

He slowly thumbed through the pages. Black ink covered each piece of paper, front and back, top to bottom. Full pages in pristine cursive, but the more he flipped through, the more the handwriting deteriorated. From fine, loopy cursive to scratchy print, sloppy and scribbled, smudged across the paper. Soon, the dates began to change. June to July and August, all the way through September and October. It was now November 27th. Months had passed searching for you. It had been 157 days. 
 
Twenty-two weeks. 
 
Five months.
 
Though through all this time, it looked like winter outside. The pure rage and despair they all felt had permanently altered the weather outside into an endless winter, it was so cold it could rival any ice age. He had paused to reread some entries, feeling his heart sink to his stomach. He had reread each entry dozens of times, but it never made him any less sick, it was one thing he would never be desensitized to.
 
June 25th, 2023

Two days ago our dear (Y/n) was taken away. There was no hesitation on her kidnapper's end to begin torturing her. It was horribly painful for us, I cannot image what she herself is feeling. There is a constant chill, not in the air from the snow outside, but inside me, in my skin. No matter how much I try to warm myself, I still shiver. I have had this horrendous migraine now ever since the few hours after we lost her.

I cannot string all the words in the world together to describe just how I feel, but to put it shortly and simply, I feel like I failed. I failed (Y/n), and I failed my residents and proxies. I failed myself. I constantly wish that I could go back, that I had gone with them instead of staying here. If only I knew then what would happen, I would have never allowed them to go back.

I cannot speak for the others, but I can feel their emotions, hear the echoes of their thoughts, and they feel just the same as me. They all keep blaming themselves. I believe Toby and Ben are taking it the worst. Toby was right there, and so was Ben. But I do not blame them, nor am I angry or disappointed with them. I understand that we don't always think things through, I myself make plenty of mistakes. Human or not, there are still many similarities between all of us, and mistakes will always be one of those connections.

It had all happened too quickly, there wasn't much time for any of them to react. At that point, there was truly nothing we could have done, especially with the connection of the mark. Whether the assailant knew of it or not, what they did to (Y/n) had the same effect on us. Disabling her as they did, Toby would never have been able to reach her, Brian or Tim couldn't have said anything or acted quickly enough in time, and I had no time to warn any of them. It was all so quick, like a blink, and she was gone, and we couldn't get back.

When they came to, I questioned them all relentlessly. The facility was empty of bodies or still living facility members. However, nothing was cleaned, there was still blood and innards about, and files upon files of information regarding other humans. They couldn't find anything about (Y/n), and only a few files about us remained, the majority was taken with whoever the survivor was.

Only Toby saw a glimpse of them. He described her as a tall woman, with rather long dirty blonde hair and white skin, similar to Jeff and Jane, except she looked dead, like a corpse. She wore a white medical mask and all-white clothing, something that belonged within the facility. She stood there, unmoving, before the violent shocks of electricity began.

Within the first day, we felt a pulse. Three, quick pulses from the mark, from (Y/n). And just for a moment during those pulses, we knew the direction of where she may be located. The signal was not long enough to pinpoint an exact location, it was still fuzzy, but we know which direction we should start searching in. 
 
June 30, 2023

We've spent every day since then searching for her, and for the facility in turn, or rather, the new place that she has been taken to. Brian took a rather large group back to the facility, me included, along with my brothers, but it was completely abandoned. We searched every last inch of it, from the very top of the roof to the very bottom of the basement levels. There was nothing. It was hard to destroy the structure, whatever the material that place is made of weakens us, but we managed to break the walls down. We tore the whole place apart, trying to find her, but she wasn't there. There were no secret rooms or tunnels.

It was much larger than I previously thought, and there were still plenty of beings and creatures left behind, sadly. Thankfully, upon returning, we managed to finally free everyone and everything, but despite our efforts, we still cannot find nor free (Y/n).

It took several days to clear the facility. It was difficult and demanding work, but we searched tirelessly. There were no bodies found, they had all been cleared out, and if there were any survivors, they had left long ago.

The torment continues. Near daily she is being harmed, cut open, and invaded. A day or two rarely goes by without any pain, but even still when there is no pain, it is endlessly cold and suffocating, I can feel such a deep, profound despair and loneliness, it is not my own, but it is (Y/n)'s. I have my own sorrows, but they are nothing compared to how she feels every single day.

Occasionally, we'll receive a pulse. It is always too quick and short to pinpoint, but it helps us narrow down locations. It is rare to happen, it has only happened four times now. Hope is quickly fading away, not just in me, but in everyone. We all lash out in different ways. Some have become reclusive, others screaming out in anger, and some simply cry when they think they're alone.

I rarely see Sally nowadays. I do miss her smile. She hasn't smiled since (Y/n) was taken away. She barely eats, her eyes are always red and tear streaks are permanently stained on her cheeks. She is a shell of the girl we all once knew. Jane and Laughing Jack have tried to cheer her up, but nothing has worked, and even my best efforts have been fruitless.

Meals together are either silent or screaming matches. Everyone is tired. Some have questioned why we are looking for her still, why I haven't severed the connection of the mark. Those who want her back with lash out at them and start yelling all over again. I can never find an answer, despite just having this feeling that we need her back. She is so kind to us, to Sally, so understanding and warm and open. She is the pinnacle of the best of humanity, she reminds me so much of how humans were in the very beginning. Beautiful creatures. She is that last remaining fragment of true compassion.
 
July 13, 2023

It has been 20 days since that day. I feel so tired and drained. I struggle to eat and get through the days now. I find myself wanting to sleep, but unable to rest at all. There is no longer fighting or idle chatter, everyone is almost completely silent. The only sounds now are wails of agony from me and my proxies or wailing coming from Sally's room. If not out searching, everyone simply stays in their rooms, either resting or planning. Figuring out new ways to find her, to track her down, marking places we already have been and haven't been to.

My brothers tried to talk to me again. Saying that I am drained and getting weaker and weaker. They tried to convince me to stop again, but I refused. I tried to reason with them, tried to show them my thoughts, my memories, and sentiments, I projected every single recollection of her and that place to them. But they still don't understand. They never will until they can experience firsthand what it is like to be locked up, tortured relentlessly for years, to have your residents, proxies, your family tortured, torn apart to shreds, and being able to feel it

all

. To finally have that once long-lost hope reignited by a human, the same thing that smothered out that hope in the first place.

But I cannot blame them, and I won't. But I will not give up. With each passing day of searching, I can feel us getting closer. 
 
July 28, 2023

The fifth pulse was sent out today. We're so close to her, so close. We've narrowed it down. But the only issue is that the places that she could be in are all dense, tightly packed neighborhoods, bustling with people and life, all hours of the day and night. All are expensive places, and cameras are everywhere too. The cameras are easy enough to disable, but our options narrow down to going through each house one by one, or waiting for another pulse.

On one hand, if we go through each house, we will cause such chaos and a fuss, it will be hard to ignore our presence, and suspicions would arise if an entire neighborhood of rich and elite were slaughtered within a single night. This would also alert the kidnapper of us, and if luck isn't on our side, they will have ample time to escape with (Y/n), and we will need to start all over again.

However, on the other hand, if we wait, the torture and agony and despair will continue on. I can barely even understand what she feels anymore. It's so much, all muddled together in a mess. It's so overwhelming but just too much, nothing is discernable anymore. I'll have to convene everyone and discuss this, we will come to a decision then, debating the risks of either option. 
 
July 30, 2023

I am terrified. Yesterday, there seemed to have been another round of anesthesia. We were asleep for 13 hours. When we finally awoke, we all felt the same thing. Intense pain and a strange numbness in all our limbs except for our right arms. We can still walk and use our left arms just fine, but the strange sensation is still there, as if our limbs are nonexistent. There is no pain in the whole limb, just at a single point. In the left arm, it is an inch below the elbow, and both legs are at the mid-thighs. Below that thin line of pain is no sensation but a tingling numbness. It is strange yet oddly familiar, but I cannot put my finger on why. It scares me, I am unsure what has happened to (Y/n), and I do not want to think of what it may be.

It is currently 12:42 AM, we had a meeting a few hours earlier. Despite how much we want to go in a find her, the risks are too high to just barge in and tear that whole sector of houses apart. We will be waiting. We are spread out and surrounding the neighborhood, keeping a close watch on it, observing each person, seeing if anyone is familiar to us.

We will be careful and delicate about this. We do not want to rush and ruin our chances of helping her, or in turn, triggering her tormentor, and causing them to kill her as a last-ditch effort.

I cannot help but recognize the feeling of hurt and betrayal, I feel as though my whole life has been turned upside down, but these are not my thoughts or feelings. These belong to her. What have they done to her? Why does she feel like this? Does she think we...? No, she would have no reason to think we would abandon her, we have only ever returned her kindness and deep care for us, we never hurt her, so why does she feel like this?
 
September 2, 2023

August went by with no news. It was silent on (Y/n)'s end the whole month. No new pain or torture. I have adjusted to the numbness of my limbs, but my proxies are still adjusting, though they have gotten better since it first happened. We each have tried to pulse our marks, or try to trigger a signal from her, but there is nothing, it is completely silent on her end. She is still alive, we can feel her heartbeat, each shaking breath she takes, but she remains silent and still. We can only feel the deep fear and unrelenting betrayal and deception that she is experiencing. Otherwise, there is no other news. 
 
September 16, 2023

The torment has begun again. All over again. It is excruciating, and I barely have any energy left to try and silently battle through it. I try so hard to stay strong, for all of them, I am trying my damnedest to be the pillar holding us up, the glue keeping us together, but I am simply becoming too tired and weak to continue. I think that it may just be my turn to be weak, if for just a moment. I need to rest.
 
September 29, 2023

She is crying. I cannot remember the last time she has cried, it has been a long time. But now she is wailing. It is such a gutwrenching, heart-aching feeling. My chest, hers, feels so tight, my heart aches and pangs. It feels like my chest is being clawed at, trying to clench at my heart. It's such a wretched feeling, the deep sorrow she feels is forcing my own tears. This feeling has never happened before. This emotional pain of another, their own sadness and despair has never forced itself as my own before. I can hear them crying too. My proxies, sobbing and gripping at their own chests too. I have never felt such a bottomless and profound sorrow, never such a feeling of eternal anguish.

In that sadness, I can feel a spark of hatred, fear, and realization. While I can recognize it, she cannot, and has not yet realized these fleeting feelings. Just small seeds, planting themselves, digging in with vicious roots, feeding off of her.

I worry for her greatly. I can no longer make any sense of her thoughts and feelings, or why she feels this way. A part of me blames myself. She may just believe that we have left her behind, that we will never come to her rescue, but she doesn't know just how hard we are searching for her, exhausting ourselves until we faint.

We need to find her. I did not wish to do this, it is too taxing, and I do not know if in my condition, I will be able to, or if it will even be successful. If it is, I may be out of commission for a few days. But at this point, I need to try anything I can. I need to force a signal from her, we have run out of options and waiting has become brutal. I will discuss it with my brothers tomorrow. For now, I need to wait for her to calm so that I can recollect myself.
 
October 1, 2023

We came to a decision today. After a couple of days of discussion, we've come to a conclusion. I will force a signal twice. The first time, today, will narrow down which neighborhood she resides in, and the second, when I have recovered, to find the house. It is a waiting process, but we have no choice now. For the sake of my residents, this whole situation needs to be done and over with already, and even at the risk of myself, I will finally put an end to this.

We calculated the risks. I will obviously survive, but with how tired and weak I have become, I may be unresponsive for about 5 days, maybe more, maybe less. I will not inform my residents. While I normally would, I feel that this is my decision alone, and I do not want to cause unnecessary stress or worry. But I do not want any of them to try and talk me out of it. I have no choice left. My brothers will inform them once it is done. I will write when I awake.
 
October 26, 2023.

I did not expect to be unconscious for nearly the entire month. I feel like I have gotten some rest from my comatose state, but I still feel weak. We now know which neighborhood she is in, once I recover, I will force another signal, and we will finally find her.

When everyone was informed, there was outrage. Yelling and fighting broke out all over again, breaking the months of silence. Sally came to visit me. She stayed with me the whole time. It makes me feel sick. She lost (Y/n), and then me. The poor child. I had to sit down with her and explain why I did it, and why I would need to do it again, but that regardless, I would wake up. She was heartbroken, she felt as if she was losing her whole family, one by one by one.

She is sad, but understanding of what I, and all the others, must do. She wants to help, but in this situation, there isn't much that she can do. There isn't much any of us can do. Most of what we know is from Brian's knowledge of the facility, its whereabouts and the members, the connection of the mark, and of course any and all information Ben can find.

We've exhausted so many dead ends. It is hard to find any information on (Y/n), it is as if she never existed in the world outside. What little we could find, we tracked down as much as we could. Last known locations and residences, we even managed to have a few humanoid enough sneak into the college she was attending before she was kidnapped. Nothing. No one had any information on her, and those who did didn't have much to say.

What little we could find was, to say the least, sad. She was reclusive, unsociable, and had no friends. When the time for lunch would come around, she would leave the campus until classes resumed. Group projects were always done alone unless a professor insisted on it needing to be a group.

I will rest a few days before I force the last signal. I will write when I wake up again, and when we know, we will get her back. I must admit, however, that I am truly afraid. I am scared to see what has become of her, if she will still be herself, or just a shell of the bright, kind woman we once knew. I feel sick just thinking about what kind of state she may be in, physically and mentally. But, I am prepared to do all I need to help her heal and recover. I will not fail again, I will not lose another soul. Sally was enough, even for a being such as myself. I cannot fail another again.
 
October 30, 2023

I will be performing the final signal today. I have rested and regained as much energy as I could. I have slept and ate and focused all I could. She is in immense pain today, my legs hurt horribly. Sally said she would stay by my side again. I tried to deter her but she is stubborn. Tonight was the first time in such a long while that we all shared a meal again. It was quiet, but there was idle chatter. Little sparks of hope, of excitement. This waking nightmare will finally be over soon. We will finally be able to rest and be assured that all is well again. Soon, we will have our dear (Y/n) back. As silly as it sounds, I feel that I have forgotten her voice and face.

Her smile was so radiant, it brought such joy and warmth to all of us. I hope to see it soon. I hope that through everything she has gone through, she is still there, with that kind smile and her warm eyes. She truly did bring back that sparkle of humanity that I so adored, and they all can feel it too. What humanity should have been, what it could be, how easy and wonderful it is. I know that no one is more excited than Sally though. She finally smiled again tonight when she heard just how close we were to her. She was so happy, she leaped across the table to hug me, then ran around to everyone, hugging them tightly. She was crying, tears of joy and relief. I admit it started to make me tear up as well.

There were careful glances and reluctant smiles for everyone else. Yes, we are excited but nervous too, worried, scared. We have no idea what we'll find, just what we'll be walking into. I can only hope it is not as bad as I imagine.
 
November 24, 2023

Another month has gone by. I awoke today. Drained yet feeling somewhat rested. But I am exhausted, emotionally, mentally, and physically. I feel as if I should sleep another couple of eons to recover. But, we know. We know which house she resides in. It is in the middle of the neighborhood. Like the rest of the houses, it has a rather tall security fence. There are cameras everywhere. It is a massive house, nothing close to ours, but for humans, it is quite pricey.

While I was asleep, they had been scouting it out. No one leaves the house. Occasionally, a car will pull up, a man or woman will exit, dressed in a suit and tie, and will carry plastic bags of groceries into the house before leaving once again. No one was able to find any information on the house or its residents.

Sally was by my side when I woke up. She was waiting so patiently, humming and reading a book. She waited the whole time for me. When I stirred, she bolted out of the room, yelling to everyone that I was finally awake. My proxies promptly entered the room to inform me of any news and information, on all their research and observations.

All three looked so tired. The normal bags under their eyes had deepened and darkened. Their faces look pale and sallow, they look so tired. After their report, I told them to go rest, and that I would take back over from here.

Everything was in neat and tidy order, nothing in disarray or chaos. After gathering the rest of my residents and my brother's who are still helping, we all discussed. For hours.

I ordered they all rest and regain energy any way they need to. In just a few days, we will retrieve her. Will will attack, invade the house, and slaughter all inside just to save her. Whoever is responsible for hurting her will pay, and I will take care of them personally.

I cannot ignore the aches and pains in my body. Poor, sweet (Y/n). What is she going through now? My head is pounding, my eyes burn, my throat feels dry and my limbs hurt. The aching of my spine is still prominent. It feels as if she is never given a chance to heal or rest, it's just torture again and again.

I cannot dwell on 'mights' and 'what ifs', for now, I will rest. We all will. We will regain strength and composure, then we will attack.
 
He flipped to the next empty page. His fingers gingerly picked up the pen set aside. He clicked it, lifting it to the page. His hand was shaking, he had never experienced anxiety before, and that is all he could chalk this feeling up to. He began to write, slowly and carefully.
 
November 27, 2023

Today is the day. Everyone else is still asleep, but I cannot. I am restless. I am afraid. I can only think of all the things that could go wrong. Everything that we may see, may hear, and smell. What she will look like. I am scared that, if we are not fast enough, her tormentor will kill her right there, and all of this will have been for nothing. I keep going over everything. Every plan we have come up with. I go over every detail in my mind. This needs to go right, it needs to be perfect, because if it is not, we may lose so much more than we expect.

I hope this is the last entry I will ever need to write. I hope that I will never need to look at this wretched book again. It is a chronicle of our shared nightmare, of every excruciating day and night, of pain and sorrow and despair and rage. This book feels like a curse, something I never should have had to write, but here I am, writing. Five months of waiting, of searching and exhausting ourselves to find her. I can only hope that all goes well.

It has to go well. If it doesn't, I do not know what I'll do.

It has to work.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

I woke up in my room again. Nothing felt real anymore. I was in so much pain, but I couldn't crawl away from the whispering hole in the wall. I only had my right hand, my cursed right hand. I was sobbing, my cheeks were wet and cold. I felt heartbroken, betrayed, fooled into believing I was worthy of love. My reality, my life had shattered in mere seconds. Was I sicker than I thought? I had to be, right? Why else would she take my legs and arm? There was no point unless I was sick.

Right?

Right. It had to be. There would be no other reason, no other explanation. She wouldn't do this to me unless absolutely necessary. My sickness was just spreading, and this was the only way to get rid of it. She loved me. She cared about me.

She loved me.

I love her. She's my mother. I'm supposed to love her. Trust her. She's just showing how much she loves me. Caring for me.

I could only silently cry on the cold floor. A chill was set deep into my bones, my body was aching with healed over wounds and bruises, old and new. Bandages and bandaids and gauze covered my body, soaked with dried blood, tears, and sweat. I love her, she loves me. I'm only crying from the pain, not my hurting heart.

My tears soon dried up. I tried to smile, but my quivering lips would only form a frown. I kept reasoning again and again why this would happen to me. I swear I could feel my limbs still. Flexing fingers and wiggling my toes, lifting my legs and bending my elbow, but I couldn't feel the ground or air, I couldn't hold my head or wrap my arm around myself for warmth. My heart was aching horribly. It was twisting in my chest, it felt like it would explode from being squeezed so tight.

I lifted my one remaining hand and began clawing at my bare chest. Gripping and nails digging into my skin. My eyes began to burn and tear up again, and the crying started all over again. I was sobbing once more, gripping at my chest, my limbs feeling on fire, burning in pain. Everything hurt. My body. My mind. My heart. It was horrible, agonizing, pain.

I sobbed and wailed and cried.

I wasn't sure how long had passed. I was so scared. It was dark. I felt like a cornered animal, hurt, scared, and all alone. I had no comfort, no warmth. Nothing. But she loved me.

The door hissed open, light flooding into the darkness. I tried to lift my head to look up, but I couldn't, I was so tired, so weak, I couldn't move. I heard the soft, nearly quiet footsteps of SPARK. I had learned their footsteps. She walked softly and quietly, like a mouse, while mother walked with confidence, a slight stomp to her footsteps. She crouched down next to me, staring down at my face, into my eyes.

"You're not screaming." I shook my head.

"Why?" I sniffled, trying to speak, but couldn't, my voice caught in my throat. She hummed.

"You get to rest a few days before we start the next surgery. You did well. You're helping the Director."

"H-huh?" She tilted her head to the side, hair cascading down around her face like a curtain. The light that shone through the doorway caused a rainbow effect that glimmered through the air as it passed through her hair, like a prism.

"You'll see soon. But you will love it. You're helping your mother." I tried to smile, but it faltered again, silent tears still streaming down the sides of my face.

"I-it hurts..."

"I know. It will. And it will hurt more. But you won't die, we won't let you." She sounded so cold. I couldn't get another word out before she stood up, the prismatic rainbow of hair disappearing with her. She turned, and let the darkness flood back into the room again, eating away and smothering out all the light in the room. Left alone again once more in the terrifying darkness made my stomach churn.

A warm breeze blew against my shoulder from the hole in the wall. I wanted to crawl away from it, to hide in the corner of my room, but I just couldn't move. I couldn't escape. I was stuck, laying there, crying and in agony. I swear I could hear whispers on just the edge of my hearing, just barely there, nearly indistinguishable, only a few phrases slipped passed that I could process.

"Get her back!"

"Why are we trying so hard? Who even is she?"

"I want my sister back!"

"It's all my fault."

"I'm so sorry, I was right there."

"I could've done something."

"We shouldn't have left."

"I shouldn't have let them go."

"Why didn't I help her?"

"Why didn't I help her?"

"Why didn't I help her?"

"Why didn't I help her?"

"Why didn't I help her?"

"Why didn't I help her?"

"Why didn't I help her?"

A cacophony of voices, male and female, young and older, all mashing together in anger and despair, blame and condemnation. It only made me cry harder. I could hear those voices, but who they belonged to I didn't know. I couldn't even remember who was supposed to love and care for me. I couldn't remember friends or family. Everything felt like it was being deleted from my mind, being stolen away and hidden, repressed and stored away. Faces and voices that I couldn't remember but that felt so familiar. So distant, just out of reach.
 
Time ticked by. I wasn't sure how long, it felt like I was in a boat in the middle of the ocean, waves and typhoons jostling me all about, up and down, flinging me into the air and dragging me down into the cold depths. I was simply floating through time, the world outside none the wiser. Tendrils of black shadows wrapped around my shoulders, weaving across my collarbones, trying to warm me. Brushing back my hair and wiping at tears, interweaving with my fingers and holding my hand, trying to comfort my broken heart and spirit.

Whenever I would be taken from my room, more experiments and surgeries would commence. Checking my cut-off limbs for infections, making sure there was no bleeding or puss.

When I first saw my mother after the amputation, something snapped inside me. Something completely broke and shattered. Her once white prosthetic limbs were gone, replaced with now with

my

limbs. Smooth and free of wrinkles, but covered in scars. My scars. She was in a wheelchair again, this time with a full-body skeletal brace made of the white material. Attactched her neck, back, and each limb, except for her right arm.

She was ecstatic, claiming how she was young and perfect again, how she could laser away the scars, and that she had new bones without arthritis or pain or swelling. She couldn't stop admiring her new limbs, all the while I sat on the metal table, the only thing holding me up was my right arm. A kindling lit inside me, small and smoking, a fire slowly growing and raging. My chest hurt, it felt burning hot like I had swallowed coals. There was a pause, time felt frozen and still. I took in the sight in front of me.

She was grinning ear to ear with wide eyes, staring down at her new arm, my arm, attached to her elbow. Then, a pulse. A big one this time. Anger and rage bubbled from my throat, lashing out with a pained scream of betrayal. The pulse was painful, the air pressurized and exploded out from me. Cracks spiderwebbed into the floor and walls, pinpointing me as the source. The machine's glass screens shattered and exploded, shards falling to the ground and fragmenting back into smaller pieces. Cords and wires snapped with buzzing electrical arcs exposed at the ends. SPARK collapsed in a heap and the lights flickered before dimming and blinking out completely.

I could feel the shadow tendrils crawling out of my hand, wrapping around my hand and crawling up my arm, curling around my neck before leaping off of me and into the void. I could hear her, mother, cursing under her breath, calling me volatile names but I couldn't listen, couldn't process. I was heavying, tears streaming down my face, staring wide-eyed into the darkness. I could hear something dragging in the darkness, but I wasn't sure what. It wasn't the wheelchair and it wasn't SPARK, she was still down, buzzing and glitching out on the floor.

My teeth were gritted and bared, and my nails were digging into the metal table, causing more aches and pains. My hand was burning. I screamed again, and another pulse washed through the room. I hear the walls and floor shatter further, and the glass shards breaking down further into dust.

I was punished for that tantrum. Once SPARK came back online and I calmed down I was beaten. Told I needed to shut up and not do that, that I needed to stop breaking her equipment and machines. She made SPARK beat me. My nose kept cracking as blood poured down my face. My cheeks felt swollen and bruised, my ribs and stomach hurt and I felt ready to hurl.

I was thrown back into my room, hidden away until I was needed once more. Digging into my back and insides all over again. Hooking me up to beeping machines that would shock me, my arm curling in on itself. Endless experiments. SPARK would always come into my room. Taunting me. Telling me what would happen next, and how long until it would happen.

But none of that compared to today. Constant whispering into my ears about today, anxiety and dread growing.

"It's just a test, well only do one until we know."

"Just a few more days."

"Tomorrow is the day."

"It's time." She whispered in my ear, picking me up. I was scared, but simply fell limp in her arms. She walked smoothly down the short hallway back to the dreaded operation room. She laid me down on the table, her hands trailing up to rest on my cheeks, her cold thumbs wiping away stray tears that had already begun to leak. She stared down into my eyes, unblinking, with no emotion.

She stared for a long moment before pulling back, going through the routine of prepping for surgery. Washing my body down with soap and cold water before wiping me down with a disinfectant wipe. Under my fingernails, between my fingers, the top and palm of my hand, up my arm, across my chest and stomach, my neck and face, every last inch of my skin was cleaned and scrubbed before being wiped down. She placed a cap over my head, making sure all my hair was tucked into it. Then she placed the I.V.s. One in the crook of my elbow, and the other close to the stump of my amputated left arm. She hooked one up to the saline drip, the other unattached to anything yet, but ready for the anesthesia injection.

As much as I wanted to, I was too weak and tired to fight back or object to the surgery. I knew it would happen, regardless of what I said or did. Everything was only a matter of time.

I stared at the ceiling, eyes tracing across the cracks in the material. I could almost see the black shadowy tendrils seeping out, twisting and curling around, trying to sneak in.

"She is ready, Director." SPARK's voice echoed across the entire room and through the halls.

"Proceed." Mother's voice spoke over an intercom. She sounded giddy and excited, I could hear the smile in her sing-song voice. Why was she so happy? Was she happy because of this? Of what was about to happen to me? But...

She's supposed to love me.

A cold feeling engulfed my arm, and try as hard as I might to fight it, I just couldn't. I fell unconscious, taking in the last image of cracks dancing across the ceiling.
 
I was groggy, and I could feel a dribble of drool dripping from the corner of my mouth. Something soft wiped it away. With how many times I had been put under, I should have been used to this by now. But it never changed or got any easier, I never got used to it. It took me a while to fully wake up, opening my eyes was a struggle. My eyelids felt so heavy. I managed to squint open my left eye, blinking and looking around, trying to shake the fog from my mind. My body felt heavy. SPARK was standing next to me, making sure I was alright and wouldn't fall over. She already had me sitting up and was dabbing the drool from my bottom lip.

I blinked a few more times as the rest of the anesthesia began to wear off. I looked up at SPARK, blinking my eye. My right eye just wouldn't open. It felt paralyzed.

"How are you feeling?"

"I...I can't see."

"I know." I swallowed hard. I already knew. She had been telling me for days. Taunting me, building my anxiety and nerves.

She took my eye.

I lifted my hand to my face, feeling the bandages around my head. I hadn't even felt them until now.

"Is...is it for mother?"

"Yes." I swallowed hard.

She was taking apart my body and replacing hers with it. It was beginning to sink in. She loved me, but she also loved that I could fix her. Fix what I had done to her. This was my repentance. Everything I had taken from her, she would take back from me. She will make herself whole again, using me for parts. My limbs, my eyes, my blood, all of me is to be given to her. I belong to her. My skin, my bones, my thoughts, feelings, emotions, my love, it is all hers. I belong to her. To do with whatever she pleases with. I am her daughter. I took so much from her. The least I could do was to give my life for hers.

My life was hers, and only hers.

I could never give any part of my to anyone else. Not my love, not my kindness, not my care or heart. I was hers. She is my mother, she sacrificed so much for me, she was essentially my god, and the least I could do was to worship her.

A strange acceptance washed through me, though it was filled with sadness. This would be my life. Any selfish, greedy thoughts of

wanting

a life outside of this was smothered. Any desire for want was snuffed out. I would never love, never have a family or friends, I would never

be

loved. I wouldn't get to experience life. Not love or heartbreak, not those beautiful moments of taking in the breathtaking world around me. I will never get to stare up in awe at towering snow-capped mountains. I will never be able to play in freezing cold streams running through the woods, crystal clear and filled with life, flinging a fine mist into the air, creating rainbows to breathe in. I will never get to see that clearing full of life and trees-

Clearing?

The image was a blink in my mind. Barley there, I saw it for not even half a second. I knew that place, it was so familiar, but I just

couldn't

remember. No matter how hard I tried, I just

could not

. A clearing filled with bustling life. Grazing deer and chirping birds, singing toads and crickets joining the tune. Tall trees as old as time, the tallest in the world, strong and sturdy pillars to hold the world on top of them. Bushes full of berries, ripe and juicy, leaves giving off cool areas of shade, speckles of sunlight still streaming through, dancing across the soft, lush grass, freshly wet with morning dew.

Wildflowers as far as the eye can see. A whole slew of colors, reds and pinks, teals and chartreuses and periwinkles. Sunflowers intertwining with lavender, dancing alongside dandelions and roses, thorns digging into nearby petunias and tulips, wisteria hanging down low to brush across the tops of the petals. Marigolds and myrtle, poppies and yarrow, sage and orchids, impossible combinations but yet they were all there, mingling and growing and thriving all together despite the weather, despite the sun and moon, through rain and snow, they all flourish and prosper.

All of that. All of it in just a flash. I had seen that place before, been there, walked through the meadows, peaking through the trees and looking out into the distance. My fingertips brushed through the tall grass, feeling the cool breeze against my skin mixing with the warmth of the sun beating down on me. I had been free once, spreading my wings and taking flight, soaring through the clouds as the wind whipped all around me. I was free-

No!

Quit it! It's selfish! That was another time, that was such a long time ago. I could never get back there, to that place. I was here, in this smooth, white place, I was here and now, not then and there. I was free in a different way. I was free from greed and desire, free from lust and envy, free from any thoughts of false belonging that I once had. Here, I was truly free. Being here, it gave me a point in living, I had a use, it gave my life meaning being here, being here for my mother.

I swallowed the bubble forming in my throat, pushing down the self-centered thoughts, burying them deep inside, never to be uncovered again. My hand fell from my face and down in my lap, limp and defeated.

I felt so numb. I didn't even process being carried back to my room, sitting up in the darkness, staring down at the invisible floor. I was curling my fingers. Flexing them into claws before relaxing again into limp extremities. There was a sinking feeling deep inside my stomach. I felt sick. It wasn't hunger, they kept me well-fed, even if the food was tasteless and bland.

I couldn't remember if food was even supposed to taste good. Did it ever? It was just food after all, what was the point of it being good? You needed to eat to survive, so why make it anything more than a basic necessity? Although, there were a few times when mother would have a hot drink in a mug, and I could smell it. It smelt amazing. Sweet and savory, strong and full of aromas. It would make my mouth water. My food never smelled like that. I could only wonder what it was, just wishing for a taste-

I shook my head. What was wrong with me today? I was doing so well, what was happening to make me so greedy today?

There was a sudden shift in the air. Like the stale air suddenly filled with static and the smell of wet grass and flowers. My hand felt fuzzy, it was tingling but not in a numb way, no, it felt full of static, but I could still feel my hand, move it without it hurting or feeling stiff. The air was shifting around me, moving and morphing. I suddenly became acutely aware of the cold, spindly ghostly hand on my back. Its fingers were long and thin, but it was gentle, caressing the mechanism attached to my spine.

I had felt this before. It didn't disturb SPARK nor alert her or mother. This had happened only once more before. It felt like such a long time ago, but I had no sense of time. It could have just been the other day, or months ago for all I knew. But I knew this sensation. It was so unique, so familiar.

I felt warm. Like I was being hugged by many all at once. Embracing me, covering me, protecting me, keeping me warm and safe. Silent whispers of love and care were indistinguishable, but they were filled with such tenderness it brought me to tears. While it was so soft and caring, it felt like it was sapping my energy, what little I had left, gathering it all up into a condensed ball of vitality, all focusing into the palm of the hand on my back. It began to pull away, taking that ball of energy with it, pulling it out of it. It was exhausting, but so warm and comforting. I forgot all the pain, all the fear and sorrow, in that moment, I lived in ignorant bliss of the world around me, I could feel safe and warm and alive and loved.

And before I knew it, it was gone. I felt so, so tired, my eye was so heavy, I couldn't keep it open. I used my arm to slowly lay myself down, resting my head on my arm before quickly falling asleep, a warm breeze brushing past my face.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

They waited until far past nightfall. They were already spread out and circling the house. It wasn't everyone that had been gathered from Slender's brothers and his own residents. No, that would have been far too big a group and far too risky. They learned a pattern. At night, you got to rest, to sleep, and with uninterrupted by pain. It was perfect. They would not be hindered by your pain, everyone else would be asleep, none the wiser to the looming threats whose anger had physically affected the world. They waited patiently, hiding amongst the trees and hills, slowly crawling their way through the streets. They waited for the signals, continuing only when told that the nearby cameras had been disabled.

Slender, Ben, and the brothers worked carefully and slowly. Disabling all security measures in every single house so there was no chance of them being detected, not even a single pixel in a grainy security camera footage. Alarms, cameras, motion-sensor lights, all of it was disabled. One by one by one.

They soon were surrounding the house, unbeknownst to the residents inside. They were careful, they couldn't ruin their one chance at this, they may never get another. They communicated carefully and constantly, any movement, any sound, it was all told and updated to each other. They wouldn't take a single risk.
 
I felt a chill. Not the normal cold chill of the air, but a deep, spine-tingling chill that crawled under my skin and through my bones. I couldn't lift myself from the floor, I just stayed lying there. I was wide awake, staring into the darkness. I was listening carefully, something felt off, close by, dangerous.
 
Sneaking in was no different than doing so to any other house. Slipping through windows and picking locks to teleport directly inside. Every single electronic and device in the house had been disabled. Any of them that were found were immediately broken. Anything not found or hidden away was infected with a self-destructive virus, eating away at the motherboard and circuits until the heat killed the device. They carefully explored the house, looking around each and every corner before continuing. The whole house was empty. It felt desolate. The fridge and pantry were full of food, but there was a noticeable lack of furniture and decor within the house.

There was a living room with a small couch, but there was no coffee table, no TV, no plants or paintings or portraits or shelves. Every room had a single, basic furnishing, but nothing else. Upstairs and the attic, the kitchen and living room, every single bedroom and bathroom. There was nothing. They all shared a look.
 
I felt a strange pull. A gravitational force trying to drag me closer, a magnetic attraction trying to drag me closer, a pressure around my whole body. I didn't dare move, didn't speak, or make any noise. I hadn't even noticed I was holding my breath until I had to sigh and take in another quick, deep breath. I was shivering on the ground, but not from the cold. A tight knot was forming in my stomach, my heart was racing and my lungs were burning. A cold sweat was forming all across my body, beading across my forehead and trickling down my back. An intense aura surrounded me, looming and staring at me. My throat felt tight, being squeezed with barbed wire and filled with razors.
 
They kept searching through the house, panic began to set in, and careful, quiet digging turned into frantic smashing and shoving. Tearing apart the bare minimum of furniture, knocking over boxes in the basement, ripping up carpets, and tearing doors and cabinets off of their hinges. Clawing into the walls, tearing down counters, shredding anything and everything. They just needed something,

anything

, that would lead them to you, show them where you were hidden away. The signal was from

this

house, they weren't wrong, they were so,

so

careful tracking you down. They were in the right place, but just

where

were you?!
 
I slowly pushed myself up, trying to balance, propped up on my arm. I was looking up, at least I thought I was looking up. I had no way to orientate myself, the pitch blackness left my senses dulled and confused. I fully sat up, staring into the infinite stretching ceiling, my eyes searching around in the void for something, anything. Invisible swirls moved through the air like water. Something inside me, so deep inside, broke. A click, just a small voice that spoke through me, calling out, it was my voice, but I wasn't sure if I was even speaking.

"I'm here..." It was quiet, barely above a whisper.

"I'm here." It was instant, a little louder. I felt tears pricking my eyes, stinging and burning, and my chest was twisting.

"I'm in here!" I screamed. I pulled everything I had in me to yell out. A small glimmer of hope was there. I wasn't sure, but I could feel it. That pulling. I could smell wildflowers and taste the rain. I could almost feel the sun on my skin.

Almost

.

I wasn't sure who I was calling out to, or what, but I knew that I would be saved.

But I was safe here.

No.

No, I wasn't. That was a lie. I knew it was. I knew all this time.

But what if it wasn't a lie? What if I truly was safe and sound here?

Why couldn't I just be good?

Why can't I just listen!?

Be a good daughter!
 
They froze. They felt it. Their ears perked up. Listening intently. They couldn't hear anything, it was deathly quiet, but they

felt

it. They felt the pull, the despair and sorrow, the pain and guilt. They could smell the fear, taste the desperation. The pause barely lasted a half second before they were moving again. Everyone bustled back down into the basement, they felt it down there. Ben was gone, zapping into an outlet, the house was buzzing with electricity. Jack was gone in a puff of smoke, already downstairs, black claws digging into the ground. Toby was hacking and slashing at the walls, bashing massive holes into them, kicking down beams, and tearing out wires. Black snow fell all around Jane, and when it touched the walls and floors, it would burn holes through them. Disintegrating the wood and plaster into ash. Brian and Tim were using any tools they could find to tear up the wooden floor, yanking out nails and studs, ignoring every single splinter. Jack was sniffing the air, following each smell to tear into every wall, ripping apart bookshelves and boxes. Jeff was wreaking havoc, shoving over heavy pieces of furniture, shattering it on the floor, smoldering handprints burned into the surfaces.

Slender stood there, his brothers were still upstairs, searching. He could feel you, you were

so close

. His fingers twitched, tensing up into claws. Anger was bubbling up. After all this time, after everything that has happened, that you have been through, that they experienced, that he could

feel

, it was all flooding back into his mind. Anger was turning into rage, rage into fury, fury to bloodlust. Then, a glimmer. Something shiny, and starkly white. He tilted his head, neck cracking as he stared down at the sliver of white. It was no bigger than a needle, but his keen eyes could spot it a mile away.

He leaned down, finger tracing over the missing sliver of wood. He recognized the material. The same type of material that was his prison for five long, agonizing years. To a being like him, five years was like a blink, but knowing what was happening to his family, to Sally, it felt like eons. He got everyone's attention. They all gathered around him, staring down at the barely noticeable speck of white hidden beneath the floor.

"Here."
 
I felt a jolt. The floor, the walls, everything was buzzing. Buzzing with life. Buzzing with anger. I whipped my head around, looking all around me, fear sinking into my skin. I only got a glance, I thought I had imagined it. Two red dots, staring at me, faintly illuminating the jagged edges of the hole in the wall. Barley there, then gone. A flash of red in the darkness.

I fell backwards, heaving, fear now racing through my veins. My heart was pounding in my chest. My mind was mulling over every single possibility in existence. Was it SPARK? Was she mad I was yelling? Is she going to punish me? Was it just my imagination?

I waited in silence. Waited for the red glowing eyes to reappear, waiting for painful electric shocks to jolt through my body, waited for the lights to turn on or for the door to hiss open. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears, alongside the painful ringing of silence. I waited. And waited.

And waited.
 
Claws and hands and hatchet and knives were being shoved under the wood, prying it up into splinters, flecks and chunks of wood flying through the air. They were stomping, ripping, tearing up every last fleck of wood grain. They kept digging and destroying until there was a sizeable hole in the floor, with a smooth white underlayer.

Everyone stood back as Slender stepped closer, smoking tendrils, dripping with shadows, slithered from his back. Without hesitation, a barrage of whips and lashes were being struck upon the white material. There were already thin, hairline cracks throughout the material, only he had noticed it. It was already weak. Weak enough that it only took a few hard hits before it crumbled away, falling down with a loud rumble, exposing a hidden room beneath. A room that had such a familiar metallic scent. The smell of blood. With a pink-stained floor and a metal table sat in the middle of the room.

They were like wolves, pouncing down into the hole, spreading out, and stalking for their prey. Everything was silent and dark, the only light was glowing eyes and anything that streamed from the hole in the ceiling. They were quick to notice the deep cracks all around them, in the walls and floor, all across the ceiling. There was a click sound, and the door in the room opened, glowing red eyes staring back at them.

He looked far paler than normal. Pointed ears were lowered, eyes wide. He looked sick. His expression spoke to the horrors he saw without saying a single word aloud or telepathically. They all shared a nervous glance before a loud bang rang out. It was so loud and so fast.

The group saw pink brains and deep red blood spraying through the air in a fine mist, covering the walls and dripping down as the blonde slumped to the floor. His hat fell in front of his face, hiding any and all expression of shock. They could only stare at his body, waiting for the assailant to show. They were waiting for him to heal, to zap back into the walls, but nothing was happening. It was just like when they had been kidnapped. When they couldn't recover...
 
A loud rumble echoed through the walls. There were only a few seconds of silence before a loud bang soon followed, making me jump. It was so fast. I had no clue what was happening. What was that sound? Why did it sound so familiar? It set off a new fear, something I had experienced before but couldn't remember. I felt sick, scared. I wanted to run away, escape, go far, far away from this place. But even if I was outside, I couldn't do a single thing by myself. I was useless, I would be reliant on SPARK and mother until the day I died.
 
"SPARK, lockdown." The voice spoke over an invisible intercom, echoing through the whole underground structure. The lights all flashed on, blindingly bright. There was a soft click of heeled footsteps. A tall woman strode into the doorway, movements smooth and uncanny. Her long dirty blonde hair swished around like silk, catching the light perfectly, iridecent and shining like diamonds intertwined with each strand. Her face was cold and emotionless. Her mouth hung open with long sharp teeth, a seam along her jaw, hooking around her ears, showing a very clear hinge joint. Her piercing cyan eyes glowed even in the bright room, and her pupils flashed from deep blue to piercing white.

She lifted her hand up, quickly and smoothly, incredibly fast that it left them with little reaction time. She held her index and middle finger out, the rest curled in, like a gun, and another shot rang out. White smoke curled from her fingers as a bullet tore through Jack's shoulder.

The sheer force made him stumble back, so harshly his face fell crooked on his face, exposing his lower jaw, teeth bared and growling. Black blood splattered across the floor, sizzling and bubbling. The wound wouldn't heal, wouldn't close shut or seal, blood was seeping out quickly, staining his blue hoodie black and burning holes through the sleeve.

Everyone began screaming and yelling, all lunging forward, hacking and slashing at the woman. More shots rang out, she was so fast. Bullet holes were ripping through limbs and abdomens, blood splattering across the room, joining the old pink stains. She dodged most attacks, only a few were able to stab or slash her. There was a puff of black smoke, it filled the room entirely, an attempt to blind the woman, but failing. Her eyes adjusted impossibly fast.

Jack towered behind her, stabbing a clawed hand through her side, grabbing anything he could, and ripping out a handful of wires and circuits. Neon blue liquid oozed from the shattered hole in her side. She wasn't human, wasn't flesh. Her skin didn't tear or shred, it cracked and broke apart like the walls all around them. It didn't slow her. 
 
It was so loud outside. Indistinct screaming and yelling, with bang after bang after bang. It wouldn't stop. There was never a pause. Just continuous loud noises. I was so afraid. Curled into a ball, crying and trying to cover my ears. One pressed into the floor, while my hand covered the other. The noises were all so loud and my eyes shut too tight that I hadn't noticed the door hissing open.
 
Shot after shot rang out, tearing their bodies apart and putting holes through the walls. Neon ooze was splattered about, joining in the slurry of red and black, mixing and swirling together. Curses were pouring from bruised lips and bloodied teeth were gnashing together, trying to bite at arms and legs. Shadows were holding her feet still, but every time they got close, she would pull a new trick. Her body morphed and shaped itself. Guns and saws, long blades, and flame throwers. Her arms would twist and melt into weapons, trying to keep them all at bay, she never moved away from the doorway. The intercom crackled to life.

"Now, now. Let's not destroy my life's work, shall we? If you're here for what I think you are, you may want to listen." They all screamed out, cursing at the vile voice behind all of this. Cussing and screaming threats, condemning the voice to a world of hell when they got their hands on her. They were all cut off when a gurgling gasp echoed through the room. Choking and gagging for air. It wasn't the woman.

"That get your attention? Good. Poor little (Y/n) here is back home, safe and sound with her

real

family. I gave her

life

, the least she could do is help her poor mother." There was a pause, then a snicker, holding back her laughter.

"I should know better, but I just can't help myself! You all just look so pathetic. There are so many of you yet you can't kill a

single

thing

? I thought you all had more in you. Such a shame~" The smile was evident in her voice, a large grin with bared teeth. She was savoring this, it was like a show to her.

"How long have you all been waiting to see her again? To torment my poor baby girl. Trying to corrupt and destroy my sweet child. You are all

monsters

, animals, just

insects

, ready to infest and infect her mind. I won't let you take her away from me again, she's

mine

, and she stays

here

." There was a pause, a distant snicker echoing through the halls. SPARK was buzzing, eyes flickering all around like a chameleon, staring, observing, watching each one of them, taking in every shaking movement, each heaving breath, every cough and sputter of lips and shoulders shuddering.

"You know what? I'm feeling

nice

today, maybe a bit cocky, I can admit, but you just don't understand this

rush

I'm feeling! It feels like the most exquisite roller coaster ride of my life! This adrenaline rush is just so

addictive

! Ah, I shouldn't get off track. Now, how would you all like to see your

precious

(Y/n)?"

A cold chill filled the air. Tense and angry. Being called animals, insects, it was an insult of the highest degree. They were so much more. Beings of such infinite power, Gods among men, if anything, humans were the pesky insects, just mere ants under the heels of these beings. Who did she think she was? How dare she think that someone as small and as frail as she was the God among them all? To speak directly to them, to practically stare in their faces and laugh at just

who

they were.

But the chill wasn't just anger. No. It was

fear

. Fear of what they would see, confirming just what had happened to you over these grueling five months. They had seen Ben's face, just how sick he looked from whatever it was he saw. After all they have been through, in their past lives, and these lives now, after all they have inflicted on others, just what did he see?

They could feel her hands around their throats, around your throat. They had felt the squeezing, choking you, suffocating you. They struggled to breathe through it, but they still

could

, you could not.

The intercom clicked off, and there was only silence in the air. They watched carefully, listening intently. There were soft clicking footsteps down the hallway, just out of view. The tall woman stayed standing where she was, blocking the doorway, but stepped to the side, showing past the doorway. Ben's body was still slumped over on the ground, blood still pouring from his head.

The footsteps were slowly getting closer, deliberately taking their time. It was hard to hear, but they soon caught another sound. A creaking noise, like the squealing of old rusted wheels. A thick tension was building in the air, anxiety, fear, and anger growing with each footstep.

An object was pushed into the doorway, a shapeless lump with a white sheet thrown over it. It sat in a wheelchair, to which an old, familiar face stood behind. Cold eyes stared back at them all, with a small, cruel grin, thin lips stretched over pure white teeth. Her wrinkly face was one that should have been dead, yet here she stood, alive. Her short black hair was brushed neatly out of her face.

Their eyes were trained to notice the little details. How her left hand wasn't that of an older woman, but that of someone young, with smooth skin, covered in familiar-looking scars. Her right eye was different from the left. The left eye had a perfect white sclera with an unnatural blue iris, while the right eye was more...real. Yellowish-white sclera with red veins on the edges, and a beautiful iris, the same color as your eyes, but that sparkle of life was missing. Her grin widened, and she leaned forward, over the covered lump in the wheelchair.

"Oh, so good to

see

you all again! I must admit, I do still have bitter feelings for you all, especially what you made my daughter do to me. No child should hurt her own mother, much less try to

kill

her. But, as you can see, you all

failed.

I'm still here! Thankfully, I like to always take precautions into mind. Should have just gone for the kill. I suppose I should say thank you though. If not for you, or your actions, I couldn't have had such a close-death experience! It truly is enlightening, not that any of you would know. So, so selfish, taking for granted what you all have and what we

normal

people don't have."

She glanced behind her, sneering at Ben's body.

"Just like that. Careless and selfish. None of you have to worry about

actually

dying. But, I got to experience that. That rush of adrenaline to numb the pain for only a few minutes before it washed away and the true agony set in. Lucky lucky me though, my dear SPARK here came to my rescue." She gestured to the tall woman, grin never faltering.

"And now, I get to share that expierence with my daughter, a mother-daughter bonding. I've been showing her that exact rush for months now. Teaching her what it truly means to be human, to be

my

child, my successor, mine. She's been such a good girl too. I trained her so well. Now she listens and does as she's told. But I still have to punish her for what she did to me, it's the responsible thing to do. It's how you teach children."

Her hand lifted from the wheelchair handle, grabbing a fistful of the sheet. Hearts were racing and throats felt squeezed shut. They all held their breaths. She flashed a psychotic look that would put them to shame, and in a dramatic flare, whipped the sheet off of the wheelchair. It flew through the air, waving about and floating down in a ghostly display. A few of them gasped, and someone began to gag. Charlotte's eyes lit up with such excitement at her masterpiece.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

You looked dead. Pale and your eye stared into the distance. Your lips were dry and cracked, just as pale as the rest of you. You were covered in bloodied bandages and gauze and bandaids. Your hair was a ratty mess, tangled and matted, full of knots and uneven cuts. Both your legs and your right arm were just stumps, the white bandages having blood still soaking through. You were covered in bruises and cuts covered in dried blood. You were frail and looked so much thinner than they remembered. You were completely exposed, but you were so shut down you didn't even try to cover yourself, you didn't even seem to acknowledge their existence.

You only had your right arm left, but it too was covered in bruises and cuts, but nothing on your hand. You just sat in that chair, slumped over. No emotion or expression on your face, no hope or care or kindness left in your eye. You were simply just a shell of the bright woman you once were.

They could only stare wide-eyed at you, at the new forming bruises in the form of handprints across your thin neck. The woman was petting at your head with her nails, still grinning, before reaching her hand down to stroke your bruised cheek. You flinched at her touch, and they could feel their hearts twisting just seeing you jerk away like that. You were shivering, your bottom lip quivering, your fingertips shaking, but you didn't dare move. You were completely frozen.
 
Her hand finally stopped squeezing around my neck. I gasped out a choking noise, trying to catch back my breath, a thin string of drool dripping from my bottom lip. I didn't see her face, but I could hear the smile as she spoke, taunting words over the intercom, jabs and digs into whoever it was that had angered her and SPARK.

She had retrieved me from my room. I would've thought she never would have been able to pick me up with her frail body, but with how malnourished I was, missing half my body weight with my limps taken from me, she found it easy to drag me and flop my limp body into her old wheelchair. She had opened a panel in the wall, using the hidden intercom to speak to the intruders.

She already had brought the blanket with her. A thin sheet, but the warmth it granted me when she covered me with it was comforting, even if just a little. My whole body was hurting. It felt as if small holes were ripping through my body. In my shoulders and chest and stomach, even in the limbs I no longer had, a phantom pain of cold metal tearing through ghostly flesh and bone. I felt like I was being beaten again without physically being touched. It hurt so badly, but I was too weak to scream or call out. I could only whimper and groan.

Her hand sat atop my head, not patting me or in a comforting manner. No, it was threatening, nails digging into my scalp through the thin blanket. A silent warning. Don't scream, don't speak, don't step out of line, do as I say and the damage will be minimal. My silence was a confirmation of my submission.

She spoke, but I couldn't listen, couldn't pay attention to the words. Something felt so wrong, so gut-wrenching and heart-twisting. I felt so close to tasting the sun and air again, but so hopeless like a living void was consuming me slowly, stripping away every last drop of dignity and hope. I yearned for freedom but was resigned to my duty of repaying my mother. I had to stay, I had to pay my debt to her however I could. I needed to be there for her. Support her, love her, cherish her, as any good child should.

The chair jostled and began moving. She was pushing me somewhere, but I couldn't see. Faint light and shadows shone through the cloth, but not enough to see the outside world. The cloth wasn't pressed to my eye to see, it was tented around my body, enough where I couldn't peak through. She was slow, her footsteps rhythmic and steady, deliberate and sluggish. She was softly giggling under her breath. As she pushed me, I could hear noises, a loud commotion. Loud bangs, one after another. A few times a strike of pain would rip through my body in tune with the bangs. I felt a pull in my hand, buzzing with static and like a needle in a compass, once broken and constantly searching now finding true north, and like a magnetic force, was trying to drag me to the source.

Anxiety was filling me. My chest was squeezing tight and I felt like I was going to throw up. But I just couldn't move. Couldnt be bothered to even care anymore. Any emotions I did feel, I couldn't recognize, couldn't decipher what it was I was feeling or thinking. I felt like a child, relearning myself all over again. Learning how to process my feelings and emotions, learning how to read them, figuring out what they meant, and what I truly thought. But I just

couldn't

. I couldn't understand them anymore.

There was little I did understand. I understood that I loved my mother, and that she loved me too. I understood SPARK is meant to protect me and keep me safe. I understood that this was my home and that I belonged here. I understood bad people, monsters were looking for me and that they were dangerous. I understood my arm was cursed.

That was it. I knew nothing else.

The noise, fighting, screaming, and yelling, was so loud now, but it fell silent, incredibly fast. Mother kept walking, pushing me along, closer to the source. The sudden silence left my ears ringing. Step. Step. Step.

She stopped. I just stared down into my lap, at my hand. I was freezing, I was scared, and anxiety was flooding through my veins. Goosebumps raised along my skin and my fingertips felt numb. There was more talking, jumbled nonsense in my empty mind. I didn't bother to listen, I couldn't. Something felt so, so wrong. So horrible and sickening. I couldn't pay attention to what mother was saying. I knew she would punish me for not listening to her.

I would deserve it anyway.

I felt a hand grip at my head, grabbing the blanket and some hair with it before ripping it away. My scalp stung with the hairs pulled out, and cold air quickly swarmed in, nipping and biting at my skin. Any warmth the blanket provided was now all gone.

I didn't bother to look up. I had no energy to. I could see figures standing just out of my peripheral, and the smell of metal assaulted my nose. Black and red and neon blue liquid covered the floor below me. It was wet and fresh, swirling together in a beautiful display of harmony. Bold colors, playful and alluring, mixing and swirling together, small blooms of purples and darker shades hidden within the fine lines between the colors.

Her hand rested on my head again, coldly petting my hair, nails wraking against my scalp. It only lasted a few seconds before it pulled away, moving down and brushing at my cheek. I flinched. It was unusual. She never did this, was never this kind or gentle to me. Whenever she was near my face, she would strike me. It felt so wrong, being treated gently and kindly. But it wasn't kind. It was a show.

"Now, now~ Don't flinch, I don't hurt you

that

much." I could only close my eye, trying to hold back the tears of fear. This wasn't right, and it was scaring me more than usual. She was quick. Her hand grabbed my chin, yanking it up and forward, facing into the operation room.

"(Y/n). Listen to me. Open your eye. Now. You need to listen to your mother." She was demanding, her evident grin now gone and replaced with a cold sneer. I was shaking worse. My eye was stinging, ready to cry, my throat was burning and tight, and my lips were quivering. I swallowed hard, trying to rid the lump in my throat.

"I said

open

, don't make me force you. You know just how

much

it hurts

me

to hurt you-"

"

Liar.

" It was a gruff voice, hissing with the most anger I've ever heard, it was palpable. A chill ran down my spine, and I was shaking worse than before. I was so afraid. Slowly. Carefully. I squinted my eye open. The bright lights above momentarily blinded me, and I had to blink a few times to adjust.

Before me stood many figures. Colors that once would have stood out so brightly against all the white, but were now painted red and black and blue in a beautiful mural. Something so foreign, so far away and unknown. A tall white faceless being with not a drop of color to him, beings with paper white skin and solid black eyes, a bloody smile, and a swirling black and white nose. Sneers and growls and terrified faces. It was all so much. So overwhelming. But it was new. It was different. It wasn't a cold, uncaring grin or disappointed scowl. It wasn't a blank expressionless face. It wasn't solid white. It wasn't empty or void of color or emotion. It wasn't a colorless nothing. There was

something

.

There were blues and reds and browns and yellows and oranges, a whole slew of rainbows painted in front of me. It was full of

everything

. Life. Anger, sadness, fear, disgust, relief. A breath of fresh air surrounded them, and my lungs felt clear once more. I could breathe again.

No.

Not yet.

Fear struck me. It was them. The monsters she spoke about. The stories whisper into my ears every night. Murderers. Killers. Monsters from a timeless era who would mercilessly kill people like me. Who would kill children and elderly, men and women all alike. They didn't care who. If they breathed then they were a viable target. I was just as much a target. My mother was just as much a target. And I was sat right there in front of them. Defenseless. Completely vulnerable and helpless. I had no protection of any kind. The only thing that stood between them and me, between life and death, was SPARK protecting me and mother.

My breathing hitched and my eye grew wide. I could only stare at the beings laid out in front of me, blood and black ooze dripping from their wounds. Curled lips and bared teeth, wide eyes full of a raging fire and a strange calm relief. Streaks of red and black smeared across their lips and teeth, small droplets falling to the floor to join the mix.

That pull was stronger than ever before now. Towards

them

. I didn't know what to feel. What to think. Mother had always said they were mean, cruel, evil monsters out to track me down and kill me. And yet, here they stood in front of me, not jumping to slaughter me, but looking relieved, even happy. And that

pull

. It was so strong, it felt right, safe, and warm. Pulling me towards open arms, pulling me towards a comforting hug.

"(Y/n), what did they...what happened to you?" It was a weak voice, breathless with disbelief and pain. She stepped forward, black heels clicking against the floor, sticking to the bloodied floor. She was beautiful, breathtaking. Her hair was full and luscious, like silk. A deep black that framed her face. Her black eyes were wide and the lights reflected in them like stars. She looked terrified. A bang rang out, a single bullet from SPARK ripping through the woman's collarbone, blood gushing from the wound and causing her to stumble back. But her eyes never turned away from me.

"I should warn you not to move, or well take that as a threat." Mother was grinning again.

"Oh, shut the fuck up you snobby bitch!" A man with ghostly white skin and ragged black hair spoke, deep wounds carved into his cheeks, from the corners of his mouth up to his ears. He practically spat the words out at her. I wanted to say something, to open my mouth and snap back, to defend my mother, but nothing. I couldn't. I wanted to, but I didn't.

"Don't you

dare

insult me in

my

own home! Who do you think you are?! Just

bugs

!" The sneer was evident in her voice, and her hand lowered from my chin to my neck, quickly grabbing and beginning to squeeze, thumb pressed into the side of my neck, into my artery. She was pressing hard, and it was quickly taking effect. I tried gasping for air, immediately getting lightheaded. Someone else in the room gasped out, and another wobbled, falling to a knee.

She held her hand there, slowly choking me out. I wanted to fight back, to reach at her hand and claw it away from my throat, but I couldn't even do that. I had no energy left, no fight left in me. But just like that, she let go, and I could breathe again. I heaved for oxygen. Mother chuckled.

"I'd be careful, you're all here for her, it'd be a shame if, after all this time, she just died!" She was trying to hold back a laugh, but a few giggles still escaped her. And all I could do was slump forward, head hanging low, defeated. Tears softly began to trickle down my cheek, but I held in my sobs.

"SPARK, be a dear and aim a single bullet at (Y/n) here." My blood ran cold. I heard a creak and click, and slowly looked up. SPARK was pointing her other hand at me, two fingers at me, the rest curled back. Her index fingernail was pulled back, showing a hollow tunnel through her finger. She didn't look at me, her eyes stayed trained on the beings. No one moved, but the air all around me felt burning hot, a sudden shift.

At first, the warmth was a welcome change. Comforting even looking in the face of death. But it was quickly rising, becoming unbearably hot, then sweltering. Mother pulled my wheelchair back slightly from the group, but SPARK's hand didn't follow.

"Who's doing that? What are you all doing? Quit that!" She was trying to hide the panic laced in her voice, but it was evident even to me. No one spoke, no one moved. Murderous glared past my shoulders to mother, bloodlust was filling the air with such a thick tension it could be cut with a knife.

It took me a moment longer to realize the snow in the room. Gray and slowly floating around the room. It was so pretty, and my eyes finally broke away from SPARK, looking at the falling specks that swirled through the air, falling everywhere around me, but never closer. As they fell to the floor and walls, the white material underneath turned black, sizzling and melting away, small holes tunneling through the room.

A dense black fog began to spread across the floor, covering everything below knee height. The heat was just getting hotter and hotter, and it made my fingers feel numb from the sudden shift from cold to hot. The wheelchair was pulled back further.

"Stop! I said stop! Or else! SPARK!" She didn't respond. Didnt look at mother, didn't turn or even glance. She was frozen stiff.

"SPARK? SPARK! Dammit, you stupid machine! Pay attention!" A slow buzz began to fill the air, a distant static sound within my mind, but there was another buzz that hid behind the static until now. An electrical buzzing. The lights began to flicker, dimming and growing unbearably bright before blinking out. The only light was the blue glow from SPARK's eyes and the soft glow from the neon blue liquid still oozing from her shattered side.

There was a snap, then creaking. I watched as the glowing blue eyes began to turn, facing me and mother. White pupils flashed red, and blue faded to a bright green.

Then, a single loud bang.

The lights flickered back on, though still dim. There was a wet gushing sound behind me, followed by a thud. SPARK's once emotionless face was one of anger and rage. Then she began to jolt back and forth, glitching and stuttering. Arcs of electricity were covering across her body, bright green and hot white, tearing new holes through her body, melting the material, and breaking her own body down. Her eyes were quickly flashing between green and blue. Her hands fell loosely to her sides as she twitched and shuddered all around violently.

The black-haired woman bolted forward, sliding to her knees in front of me, grabbing the blanket from the floor, and wrapping it around me before gently resting her hands on my cheeks, staring up at me, translucent black tears falling down her pale cheeks.

A few others ran past us behind me. Wet choking and coughing were coming from somewhere behind me, low to the ground. It was mother. She was begging with jumbled words strung together too fast to hear. Sounds of all sorts began. Wet gushes and ripping sounds, loud crunches and snapping. I tried to turn my head, but the woman held my face still and forward, she wouldn't let me look.

"No, no, it's okay, but don't look, okay? No more of that, you don't have to look at her ever again, okay?" I couldn't speak, just continued to stare down at her. What were they doing to my mother? I tried to look again, but she wouldn't let me.

Another being had run to my side. A shattered blue mask hid half of a gray face with empty eye sockets that bled black. He crouched, looking closely at the patch over my eye, looking hesitant to try and remove it. He was speaking, but I couldn't focus. My ears were ringing. I couldn't think.

A loud thud did catch my attention, and I whipped my head to the side. SPARK had crumpled to the floor, a melted pile of white and wires and circuits. What little remained of her face was barely recognizable, and her eyes finally flickered blue one last time before the light finally extinguished, and she was gone. A bolt of green zapped out from the pile and formed the figure of another being, one I hadn't seen before. Half of his face was gone, exposed brain and skull seeming to melt and morph, extremely slowly trying to grow back, but struggling. He adjusted the hat on his head, pulling it over the wound to try and hide as much as he could.

Finally, the tall faceless one stepped forward, slowly, step after step, until he stood next to the woman. He crouched next to her, looking at me. That pull was ever so strong, that I wanted to reach out to him.

I did.

I lifted my hand from under the blanket, reaching out to him. I was so weak and my hand was shaking horribly. I barely reached it out before my muscles gave out, but he caught my hand in his.

"(Y/n), do you remember us?" I couldn't. I tried to, but I recognized none of them. Just a sense of danger and familiarity. I couldn't speak, so I just shook my head. There was a sudden silence. Still and realizing. The wet coughing had stopped, no longer there.

"You don't?" It was a gravelly voice, one that sounded so hurt. I turned to look up at my side. A tall black and white man, with a swirling cone for a nose stood there, looking down at me with wide eyes. He looked shocked. I just shook my head again. The woman made a strained noise, her shoulders slumping and resting her head in my lap, wet hot tears soaking through the blanket. Someone behind me yelled out a curse, and the wet sounds began again, violently. The tall being hung his head for a moment but looked back up at me, still holding my hand, and lifting his other to pat the top of mine.

"It's alright. It isn't your fault, you didn't choose this. We'll get you back home and you can rest." I was confused and furrowed my brow. I tried and strained, and finally found my voice.

"But I am home."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Silence hung heavy in the air. Jeff, who was kicking at Charlotte's limp body, paused, slowly turning to stare at the back of your head. Tim and Toby continued kicking and punching and stabbing, only harder and more vicious now. Her breathing had stopped long ago. Jane tensed up, she felt like her heart stopped in its rhythm. Ben couldn't look at you, not again. Brian and both of the Jacks stood off to the side. Slender couldn't move, he felt like a statue.

No one had any words. Their minds fell blank. What did you just say? Did you...you called this horrible prison of hellish torment your home? How? Why? What would ever compel you to ever consider this even remotely close to a 'home'? Eyes stared at you, but the air around you was now so different.

You no longer had that warmth that radiated from you. You didn't have that kind smile nor caring sparkle in your eye. It was dull and lifeless, even a doll had more life to it than you did. You held no emotion on your features, no joy or happiness, no relief. Did you even realize you were safe now? They couldn't tell. It was silent for a long time. Minds reeling, mouths open ready to speak but finding no words, breathing hitched and held. Finally, Slender managed to speak, still cradling your hand between his own.

"Dear, do you not remember

anything

?"

"I remember my mother. And SPARK." They watched you tilt your head to look at the melted pile of smooth white material. You continued.

"She's like my sister, I think. Can you wake her up? I think there was something important today." Eyes flickered from the melted puddle then back to you, then to the mass again. Wake it up? It was just an amalgamation of wires and circuits and materials. If 'she' was ever alive, or conscious, then she was certainly dead.

"SPARK. Please wake up." You called to the mass, voice flat and monotone, yet shaking and weak. You sounded scared, but only slightly.

"SPARK?" You furrowed your brow, pulling your hand from Slender and trying to reach out to the remains of SPARK. Something felt so terribly wrong.

"Mother? Why isn't she waking up?" You tried to turn, but Jane caught your cheeks again, preventing you from looking.

"Stop it, let me see her." It wasn't even a demand or a plead, it was just a flat statement.

"Mother? Are you still there? Did she leave?" Toby and Tim had stopped by now, just staring at the back of your head. They looked down at the corpse of the woman. She was barely recognizable at this point. Her torso was ripped out and turned to slush, bones were broken out and sticking through skin. Only her face remained intact. Wide eyes staring at you, hand laid out on the floor as a mockery of reaching out to you, mouth hung wide open in a silent scream.

"Mother?" Their stomachs were turning. You were now pleading for her, for your mother, trying to figure out where she was.

"Mother, SPARK, please come back, where are you?" You sounded like a child calling out to their parents, lost in a store amongst a sea of strangers washing you away, never to be seen again. The room fell silent again.

For a long, long time.

It was a sudden yet slow movement as Slender began to move. He slowly reached forward, tying the ends of the blanket behind your neck together to try and keep it on you. He then picked you up with ease, cradling your so much smaller form in the crook of his arm. Jack was quick to fold the wheelchair and tuck it under his arm, knowing to bring it with him. Jane still kneeled on the ground, hands on her lap, palms up, staring down at them.

No one spoke.

They slowly began to move. Walking over to stand beneath the hole in the ceiling, a few chunks of debris still falling from its shattered edges. They slowly shuffled over, walking past Jane, before a hand was placed on her shoulder. She slowly looked up, tears still streaming down her face. Brian had lifted his mask, giving her an empathetic look.

"I know that feeling. When you all got taken...we'll get through this and help her as much as we can. C'mon-"

"This is going to break Sally." Her voice cracked, her throat felt like it was squeezing shut, it hurt, she was trying so hard to hold it in. He nodded, frowning deeply.

"I know." He helped her up and the two joined the rest. They were all slowly crawling out. Jack had teleported to the opening already, long arms stretching down to help others up and out. Slender waited, watching, making sure this time that

everyone

would leave safely. We it was finally empty, he stood there, staring at the room all around him. He waited, holding his free hand out, calling to the shade. The lights flickered and dimmed further, nearly dark. He finally watched as a small leech-like shadowy creature crawled through the floor, leaping from puddles of blood to the next before jumping into the palm of his hand, melting into his skin. It couldn't escape here, but it was your companion, and it saw everything you went through.

You shifted in his arm, hand reaching out from under the blanket, reaching out towards the heap of flesh and blood and bone.

"Mother? Are you coming?"
 
It was dark, but my eyes adjusted quickly. I saw her, her face. She was reaching out to me, silently calling out to me. She wanted to come with me wherever I was going. She didn't want to leave me alone. I tried to reach back out to her, trying to reach her hand, but she was so far away. Why did she look like that? She didn't look happy or angry like she usually did. She looked...scared?

"Mother? Are you coming?" She didn't respond, she just continued to stare at me with my borrowed eye and SPARK's eye. A white hand reached up, gently grabbing mine and placing it down to rest on my stomach before his hand fell back down to his side. I turned to look up at the being holding me, watching as many black tendrils grew from his back like tree branches, reaching up through the hole in the ceiling, grabbing at edges and anything past the boundaries of my home. We began to lift up, getting pulled towards the opening.

"I can't go out there. Mother said I can't." He didn't respond, but we continued to get closer to the exit.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what I did, but please don't take me away." No response.

"Can mother come? Please? She's still trying to heal my hand." Nothing still, my pleas falling on deaf ears, and we finally passed through the chasm. The world above was so dark and dim, but it had so much more color already. I looked all around, taking in the view of everything around me. The air felt...fresher, not stagnant. It was dark, but a stream of pale gray light shone through a glass pane in the wall, half-covered with a dusty blue cloth. I slowly looked around, taking in the view of everything. All the colors, light and dark, bright and dull, covered in dust and broken wood splinters. All different textures, not everything was perfectly smooth like my home, my room.

All my senses were tingling. All the new sights to see, colors and shapes, darkness and light. The smell of fresh air and dust, of passed-by ages of moldy wood and damp carpet. It was no longer deafenly quiet, there was so much noise now. Breathing, light sobs, crickets in the distance, frogs croaking, and a lone crow crying its sorrows for all to hear. It sounded as if the whole world collectively was grieving together, mourning a deep loss that could never heal. The creaking of floorboards beneath feet and creaking beams. I no longer felt only numbly cold. The blanket around me held in warmth, even if it was thin, it felt soft and dry, and the heat seeping through the being's chest holding me nearly cradled me to sleep. It felt like I was just born, overwhelmed with the new world all around me.

"Calm yourself. You are breathing too fast, and your heart rate is rising. Take deep and slow breaths. You are safe now." The voice was calm and soothing, he spoke directly into my mind. 'I was safe now'? But I've always been safe. I was safe with SPARK and my mother. Weren't they the danger? Mother kept saying they were, so why were they being so gentle and tender with me? Crying and talking softly to me. Why weren't they hurting me?

"Can I go back?" There was a hitching in breath within the room but I received no response. Instead, a voice cut through the silence, cracking and sounding forced out.

"Let's head back home. Everyone's waitin' at home." It was a cold voice, holding back any emotion they could, even though their voice continued cracking and hitching, stuck in their throat. It came from the pale man with the tangled mess of black hair, icy blue eyes slicing through the darkness like beacons.

There was a silent agreement as everyone began to move in sync. A few walked up the stairs, followed by the being holding me, and then the rest followed behind us. I felt something brushing through my hair, dragging my eyes down to look once more into the glistening black eyes of the woman.

"What did they do to you?" I couldn't find words, I could only blink at her, trying to read her expression, but it was foreign. Her fingers fell from my hair, dropping back down to her side, looking down at the wooden steps as we continued to walk. We finally reached the top, the air was warmer, like a soft hug wrapping me up. It was a larger, more open room, barren but torn apart with what little was in the room. Torn fabric, flipped chairs and tables, bookshelves smashed to splinters. They all stood around, close by, a few glancing around at the destruction around us, sneering.

"Is everyone accounted for?" There were a few glances followed by nods. A few seconds ticked by, a silent pause hanging in the air. All the noise seemed to silence, the crickets died away and the frogs choked up. Everything all around began to distort. Shapes began to melt and morph, colors swirling together, changing hue, gravity felt unreal, like I was spinning all around, in every direction. I felt disorientated. Everything was melted, shrinking and expanding, waving all around, and before I knew it, the inside of the room had completely changed, bent and twisted into a clearing. The outside world.

In front of us, looming high above, a large, old house. Dark wood and a large porch. Dark windows with drawn curtains, a few with broken glass, boarded up with planks and tape and cloth. It creaked as if alive and breathing and fuzzy shadows moved behind the windows. Curtains brushing aside, eyes poking out in curiosity.

I was carried through the clearing. It was freezing cold, clouds of my hot breath blooming out in front of my face, quickly blowing away with the wind. Bright white snow covered everything, a thick layer across the roof and porch, the trees all around were dead and branches hung heavy with snow and ice. It sparkled with thousands and thousands like tiny little crystals weaved throughout it all. I leaned my head back, staring past the faceless being, high into the sky, speckled with stars and a full moon hanging high within the night sky. It was so bright, and despite the biting cold, the view of it all was breathtaking, and something warm bloomed within my chest.

I looked back to the house as we approached, the large double front doors creaking open wide, a stream of warm air pulsing out into my face. In the doorway stood another tall being, skin as white as the snow that surrounded us, two black eyes staring down at me, with a deep frown drawn on his face.

No words were exchanged. He moved aside, allowing the being holding me in first. The house was warm and comforting, full and bustling with a silent crowd, the only noise was the creaking wood and indistinguishable whispers. I felt dozens of eyes staring at me, it all felt predatory, lurking and stalking, waiting for any moment to pounce. There was no pause in walking. We continued on, walking past the crowd of staring eyes and whispering lips. Only a few long strides had brought us in front of a door, the gray-skinned man rushing forward and opening it, simultaneously taking off his half-broken blue mask.

The tall being ducked under the doorway, carrying me inside the room, the gray-skinned man and black-eyed woman following us inside, shutting the door behind us. It was a room similar to the operation room I spent most of my time in. Only this room wasn't white and blindingly bright. There was plenty of light inside, and the walls were a faded beige wallpaper, the floor was a deep, dark wood, and the seat in the center was a faded mint green. I was laid in the chair, the being making sure to keep the blanket tucked around me, covering my whole form. The woman pulled a nearby chair to my side, sitting close, gently combing her fingers through my hair, gently detangling any knots she found. It was comforting and soothing, but I never knew such a gentle touch, it felt wrong, horrible, like a predator luring their prey in, to feel comfortable enough to let their guard down, waiting for me to get comfortable enough to strike for my throat.

The being stood by the door, a black leather bound book held open in his hands, writing in it with a glossy black pen. The man slowly moved about the room, methodically and carefully. Washing his hands and forearms, stretching blue gloves over his gray hands, gathering bandages and scalpels and various materials and other tools onto a familiar metal cart.

My heart was pounding behind my ribs, straining in fear and confusion. I still felt disoriented, unsure of how I even got here, not knowing where in the world I was. Stolen, taken away, lost to the depths of the unknown. Hidden somewhere within the Earth, still unknown to the world.

The man pulled forward a stool alongside the metal cart, sitting down on my other side, and scooting closer. He paused, hesitating before turning and fiddling with the items on the cart once more. Despite the shocking lack of eyes, only empty sockets where they should be, I knew he never directly looked at my face, keeping his head down. The woman gently reached for my hand, startling me, and causing me to jump. I glanced at her, feeling a jump of fear in my heart. Her hand quickly pulled back, her eyes widening slightly.

"Oh, sorry." It was a mumble, something barely above a whisper. It hurt. She seemed so deeply sad, and it made my chest tighten. There was a pause in the air before I slowly lifted my hand up to her. She hesitated but gently held my hand between her two, thumb rubbing the back of my hand, something soothing.

"Um, (Y/n)?" I turned back to face the man.

"Do you remember us? Jane? Slender? Me?" He spoke with an odd canter. Tentative, worried, and reluctant to ask and receive any answers I might give. I could only blink and shake my head. Their names nor faces were familiar. Wavering, he tried again.

"Sally?" I tried to shake my head but paused. It wasn't familiar, but a light shade of pink flashed through my mind.

"Pink." He tilted his head slightly, brows furrowing.

"Pink?" I nodded.

"What about Tim? Or Ben? Toby, Jeff?" I shook my head again. His shoulders fell, a silent defeat.

"Can I see your arm?" I tried to pull my hand from the woman, but he held up a hand, pointing to my left arm with his other.

"No, not that one, your left one, sorry." I nodded, lifting what was left of my arm from beneath the blanket, holding it up to show to him. He rested a hand on the underside of my arm, cringing slightly as his free hand slowly began to undo the bandages and wrappings around the end. Slowly, he peeled back layers and layers of gauze, dried, brown blood stained the white sheets, and only got darker and more concentrated the deeper through the layers he got.

Finally, the last of the bandages were removed, exposing my irritated skin, red from flushing blood underneath the skin, and deep red dried blood across. Perfectly straight line incisions decorated the stump, with plentiful small tight stitches to keep it all closed and shut, with a layer of medical glue on top to keep it clean and sealed.

Despite the precision of it all, it was still a horrific sight, and it truly set in, seeing the incisions and stitches, that my arms and legs truly were gone, and what was left of them began to tingle like static, numbing, and my head felt light, my ears ringing and vision blurring slightly. I felt the woman's warm hand set on my shoulder, still rubbing her thumb across my skin.

"It's okay, just breathe." I tried to listen, but just couldn't. I could only stare at the incisions. The man was slow and gentle, acting as if trying to help a skittish, wild animal. He lifted my arm, looking it over, turning it every which way.

"It's clean, no infections, precise. Do you know where your arm might be? Your legs?" My breathing was sped up. I swallowed hard, trying to gather my thoughts. I tried to wiggle my fingers. I could see the muscle in my arm moving, I

swear

I could feel my fingers moving, but there was nothing.

"Um, ah, m-mother, she took them. I took her arms, so she took mine." There was a pause, and the air felt stagnant.

"What do you mean?" I swallowed again, my mouth felt dry.

"They're mothers now. She needed them." His brows were furrowed, thinking and slightly confused before his sockets widened, and he seemed to finally realize my words, connecting the dots.

"She replaced her limbs with yours?" I nodded. There was a burst of static through the room. It was loud and jarring, causing all of us to jump. All heads turned to look at the faceless being still by the store. He still held the book and pen, only now the pen was stabbed straight through the books, pages and cover and all.

"Can we send anyone to retrieve the body? We can still try and reattach her limbs?" There was a long pause, a faint ticking sound in the background filling the silence.

"I can try, but it may be too dangerous, it won't be very long until that wretched place starts swarming with authorities. And besides that, how much damage was done to her arms and legs? She was a pile of blood and bone when we left." The man cringed, his leg shaking up and down, the heel of his shoe rapidly tapping against the floor.

"It's worth a shot before they start to rot and coagulate beyond repair. We were just there, there should still be enough time." The being ripped the pen from the book, snapping it shut promptly, and turned, hand resting on the doorknob.

"I'll gather a few and see what can be done." He sounded angry and curt. Then came a growing noise. It was outside the door. Yelling and stomping, a ruckus growing closer and closer, but no discernable words could be heard. The being opened the door, peaking his head out, but in a blur of pink, a small ball of energy bolted into the room, jumping onto the chair and into my lap, staring into my face with wide, sparkling green eyes.

"(Y/n)! You're back-" She cut herself off, eyes snapping to my arm, staring, her smile slowly dropping, eyes growing wider.

"Sally! N-n-n-no you can't go in there!-" Another man appeared in the doorway, pale skin and shaggy, messy brown hair wild and tangled. He was panting and ran forward, grabbing the girl and picking her up, trying to take her out of the room. She immediately started screaming, thrashing in his arms and reaching her hands out towards me.

"No! No! Let me go! What happened!? What happened!?" She screeched, her voice getting higher and higher pitched, the ground rumbling and everything on the counters beginning to shake and slowly fall off the counters and onto the ground, some things shattered and breaking into a thousand glass shards. She clawed at his arms, kicking her legs out and thrashing her head. She managed to wiggle free, dropping to the ground and rushing back to my side again. He tried to grab her again, and a few more figures appeared in the doorway, a few more rushing into trying to grab the child. She was screaming and crying, clutching onto my still intact arm, staring up at me as massive tears rolled down her cheeks.

"(Y/n)! W-w-what happen-ed!?" She was wailing, hiccupping, and breathing heavy, tiny fingers digging into my forearm. The noise from outside followed into the room, it was loud and disorientating.

"Sally, please! You can't be in here right now!"

"Get out! You can't see her!"

"No, not yet!"

"Get her! Don't let her see (Y/n)!"

It was all too late. She saw me, she saw my arm. My bruised face, the bandage over my eye, my missing arm. There was a sudden silence as realizating set in fully. The poor girl was wailing and barely able to speak, most of her words slurred together in a mess of hiccups and words squished together. I could only stare down at her, confused, and scared, my heart aching. There was a pause, the girl staring up at me.

"(Y/n)?" I continued to blankly stare at her.

"Who are you?"

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

All hell broke loose the second those words left my lips. Regret and guilt filled my veins as a whirlwind quickly appeared within the room, spinning my hair all around, whipping my face, and leaving behind a stinging sensation. Everything shook, her scream was a piercing, shrill sound, her hands digging into my upper arm, fresh hot tears streaming down her face. No one could move, everyone seemed bolted to the floor, unable to try and reach the girl nor calm her heartache.

Something deep within my chest was burning, squeezing tighter and tighter, a feeling that made tears prick at my eye. I slowly leaned forward, resting my chin on the top of her tiny head, wrapping my forearm around her back, and pulling her close to my shoulder.

And just like that, it all stopped in an instant. She still cried, now silently into my shoulder, hands letting my arm go and reaching up to wrap around my neck, pulling me closer. Figures moved all around us, cleaning the mess, a few just standing and watching. My eye drifted up to the black-eyed woman, she too freshly sobbing into her pale hands.

"I'm sorry." I received no response, the little girl only cried harder. Finally, the faceless being stepped forward, placing a hand on her head, causing her to pull back and look up at him, green eyes rapidly trying to blink away the tears.

"I know it's hard. Come now, Jack needs to make sure she is well." She sniffled, then nodded, hesitating before letting me go. But before walking away, she kissed her index finger before tapping my cheek with it, giving a weak, quivering smile before turning, hand in hand with the being, and exiting the room, followed by the others, leaving only me, the man, and the woman in the room alone once more, the door shut behind the last one.

All continued in silence. Examining my arm, wrapping it in fresh gauze before moving to my legs. The woman moved and adjusted the blanket as needed, covering certain parts of me. I hadn't realized that another blanket had been grabbed, so when my stomach was checked, one blanket covered my chest, the other my hips down. I wasn't sure why, if it was to keep me warm or hide something. Mother and SPARK never covered me, so I was unsure what the point even was.

Eventually, I was sat up, the woman holding my hair aside as the man finally looked at my back. The already silent room fell even quieter as his breathing paused, a quiet but audible hitch and gasp of air. The woman turned her head and had the same reaction. A finger ran down the side of my spine, my nerves tingling with the phantom touch, the pinpricks of pain shooting through my spine at the memories.

No words were spoken or uttered. My back was stared at for who knew how long before the woman let my hair down again, and they allowed me to sit back in the chair, carefully so as to not hurt anything. The two people, despite the lack of eye details, shared an obvious look before the man stood, removing his gloves, discarding them, and then exiting the room, softly shutting the door behind him.

The woman was back to holding my hand, holding it up to her face, her forehead resting against the top of my hand, her elbows resting on the side of the chair. She looked tired, hurt, angry, but most of all, relieved.

The man was gone awhile. I sat silently, waiting. I was afraid to talk, I didn't want to upset anyone, didn't want to anger them. And so, I waited. And waited. And waited. Eventually, the door slowly creaked back open, and the man, little girl, and faceless being entering the room once more. The little girl had her head held down, her cheeks stained with tear streaks and her eyes red and irritated. She dared a glance at me, new tears welling back up.

Without a word, the being lifted me up once more, cradling me in his arms carefully, making sure now that both blankets were wrapped around me securely, snugly, and warmly. He walked as if gliding, careful not to jostle or move me too much. The three others followed us closely. We passed through the crowded room I first saw when we entered the house. A wooden table in the middle, a large, soft-looking couch, everything covered in wires and machines, similar to the ones I was once hooked up to. It gave me a jolt of anxiety, and instinctively, I flinched, pushing myself further into his arms, away from the metal boxes and black cables. It was something that wouldn't go unnoticed, not by a single being who saw, and any who didn't see, would be told.

We walked through the split crowd, eyes stared, but none spoke, and some could only glance before looking away or down to the floor. Past the room, down a short hallway decorated with doors, I was brought to the door at the very end. The little girl peaked forward, twisting the handle and pushing the door open. The room was breathtaking, warm, inviting.

The carpet was shaggy and cream colored, there were transparent green plastic stars and moons stuck all across the ceiling, the curtains on the large window opposite from us were layered, transparent fabrics and opaque, the transparent ones closed, letting what little light there was from outside drip into the room in an array of colors, opaque curtains drawn back, tied with pink silk ribbons, shades of blues and purples with a shiny embossed floral pattern of greens and yellows. To the right of the room were two doors on either side of the wall, both opened, the lights inside each room turned on. On the left side was a large bed, not fully pushed against the wall, but not centered in the wall.

It looked plush, full of an array of blankets and pillows, a rainbow of colors and fabrics, stuffed with cotton and feathers, silky pillowcases shining in the light. On each corner of the bed were posts, four total, reaching to nearly the ceiling, a variety of curtains and clothes and fabrics hung from them, cascading down around the bed, like something straight from a fairytale.

On both sides of the bed were nightstands, made of a deep walnut wood, the handles a shining silver. On top of one were a variety of items. A large glass bottle with a metal lid, next to it a small glass cup. A black box with numbers, reading the times, 3:54 AM, a smaller rectangle, much thinner, with a black glass screen, a white cable plugged into the bottom of the device. A black framed hand-held mirror, a small white tube stood upward.

On the other nightstand was a brown woven basket, filled to the brim with stuff, most of which I couldn't even tell what it was. A few were shiny bags, with pictures of food on the fronts of them. Long bars with silver and gold wrappers, flowers sprung out from the edges, a whole prism of colors, shapes, sizes, petals, thorns, and leaves. A beautiful display.

The being stepped into the room, stooping down to not hit the door frame. He walked to the bed, gently laying me down on it. I sunk into the soft fabrics, and for the first time I could remember, I was comfortable, warm, and surrounded by softness, nothing was hard or cold, or bright. I looked up at the ceiling. The room was lit by a light in the center of the ceiling, but it was dimmed, allowing the stars and moons to lightly glow.

"Do you need any help, Jane? I could go retrieve Anne or-" The woman just shook her head and he stopped, nodding to her.

"Very well then. If you do need any help just call. And (Y/n)," His head shifted, turning towards me, and despite being featureless, he seemed so sad, but full of warmth.

"Welcome back home. I hope we can make you as comfortable as possible. If you need

anything

, please, do not be afraid to ask." I slowly nodded and watched as he left the room, the little girl following, glancing behind to look at me again before shutting the door.

The woman sat down next to me on the bed, her gaze cast downward, away from me, staring into nothing. She simply looked away for a short while, shoulders heaving slightly, her body tense, hand balled into a fist, gripping the sheets tightly. Finally, she turned, facing more towards me, scooting a bit closer.

She moved smoothly yet carefully, slowly, thinking every action through. She picked up different items from the nightstand, showing them to me, telling me their names, and explaining what they were, what they did, and how I could use them. A phone, plugged into the wall to stay charged, a device used to communicate with them if I needed to, a small chapstick tube, water to keep me hydrated, a clock to tell the time, and a mirror if I felt the need to look at myself.

She poured the glass full of water, preparing it for me, and opened the chapstick, gently rubbing it across my dry and cracked lips, it smelled of vanilla and cherry. I rubbed my lips together, smoothing out the cool substance. She placed it quietly back onto the nightstand, standing and walking towards one of the open doors, walking in and looking over a variety of clothes, the majority of which were black, with a few different colors and textures strewn throughout; pinks dull and vibrant, greens dark and light, reds and blue, with trims of purple or white, yellows and browns and oranges, beiges mixed in with the scale of white to black, a variety of grays in between, rainbows hidden away within the mass of black.

The light hit her eyes just perfectly, dots of stars reflecting in the darkness of them, but the way the light reflected off her eyes moved when her eyes moved. Looking around, shifting, glancing across the clothes, and occasionally, peaking out the corner of her eye at me, a sadness would fill her obsidian eyes, and they would quickly shift back to the soft clothes.

Finally, she grabbed a few things and brought them over, laying them on the bed, then making her way to a dark wood dresser against the wall, picking through and grabbing a few items, bringing them over too. It was all the same shade of plain black, minus the shirt, that had a blue undertone to it.

"Lift your arms, hon." I slowly lifted my arms out from under the blankets, my right arm raised high above my head, my amputated arm only reaching about an inch or two above my scalp. Her frown deepened still, but she soon grabbed a small bit of clothing, a thick padded sort of mini-shirt. She pulled it over my arms and head, securing it around my chest, making sure the bottom seam wasn't folded uncomfortably into my skin. The traps were thick and clung between the crooks of my neck.

"Shirt?" My voice was hoarse and cracked as I spoke.

"Oh, no, it's a bra. It goes under a shirt, here, keep your arms up." She grabbed the actual shirt this time, pulling it too over me and securing it around me. The fabric was breathable and cool but kept me plenty warm enough. It was loose and flowy, something to easily remove and put back on. Next was the smallest piece of cloth of the bunch, triangular in shape and stretchy.

She kept her eyes adverted as she removed the bottom of the blankets and moved the cloth up my amputated legs and around my hips and groin. Once secure, she dared a look, but her eyes only fell to the stumps of my legs, covered in massive scars, long and thin, thick and short, raised and sunken in, a mix of darks, lights, and pinkish colors. Somehow, her face looked paler than the bright white it already was.

"I'm...I'm so sorry-" Her voice cracked, her knees wobbled, her bottom lip quivered, and she slowly slid down the bed, sitting on the floor next to the bed. She folded her arms under her head and silently wept, shoulders sputtering and back curved and heaving with each ragged breath and sob.

She cried for a few minutes. Sniffing, hiccuping, crying. I slowly lifted my hand and rested it on the top of her head, giving a soft pat, trying awkwardly to comfort the heartbroken woman. She looked up, a newfound sparkle in her eye, though tiny, it was still there, something small and hopeful, yet still sad. She tried a soft smile, though still sad, and wiped at her face, slowly calming down. She said nothing as she collected herself, and finally, she stood back up. She picked up a pair of loose shorts with a drawstring in the front. She pulled them up my legs and to my waist, tying the string, not too tight, but enough to keep the shorts up. The stumps of my legs poked out from the bottoms of the shorts, but they covered the majority of the damage just fine.

An item I hadn't realized she grabbed was a brush, a black handheld thing, with soft bristles decorating the one side of it. She slowly and gently brushed my hair properly, gently detangling any knots and messes. It was slow and soothing, and although it could've lulled me to sleep, a looming sense of danger never left me, wrapping over my shoulders and whispering in my ears.

'Don't close your eye.

They'll hurt you.

Kill you.

Eat you up.

Devouring you whole.

Blood and bones and guts and all.

Not even a hair will be left.

They'll aim for the throat and back.

Listen to Mother.

Don't trust anyone.

They are all after you.

Your blood.

Your life.

Your hot, beating heart.'

Rivers of blood flowed through my mind, painting a gory picture of splintered bones and splattered innards. Steam rising into the air from the still-hot body parts, swirling into the cold air and dissipating. Teeth scattered and mixed with a cut-off tongue and a torn-out eye. Dismembered, dislocated, disconnected, broken down like cattle to be made into a forbidden feast of still warm flesh.

Though, small, buried deep down, something seemed so alluring about the images that flashed through my mind.

A shiver ran up my spine, and nausea filled my empty stomach. My throat clamped shut and a thin film of cold sweat coated my forehead. I blinked my eye rapidly, brushing away the idea of sleep, swallowed down the discomfort, and shifted around, looking anywhere but the woman.

"You alright, hon? If you're hungry there's food being made, it should be done soon. Here, drink." She set the brush down and grabbed the glass of water she had already poured, holding the rim up to my lips and slowly tipping it back. I greedily drank it down. Just a drop ignited my thirst, and I realized how truly dehydrated I was. My mouth and throat felt so dry, and I could feel the cold stream of water moving through my torso, down to my empty stomach, making the hunger only feel worse.

I drank the glass empty, and when offered more, I eagerly nodded, watching her pour the crystal clear liquid and move the glass to my lips again. Once more, I drank every last drop, barely breathing through my nose as I drank. I heaved when the glass was finally emptied, gasping lightly and swallowing what was left in my mouth. Upon the offer of a third glass, I shook my head, and she set it back down gently on the nightstand. As much as she tried to be calm and gentle, slow and relaxed, she constantly looked uncomfortable, sad, discontent.

"Are you comfy? Warm, cold? I could get you more pillows if you need-" She was cut off by a soft knocking at the door, something that caused me to jump, a sudden noise, even if quiet. The door slowly opened, lightly creaking. A man poked his head in, brown hair messy and covering his forehead, tired brown eyes staring over at us. He wore a yellow jacket, a cigarette hanging lazily from his lips, almost completely gone.

Just like the woman, he looked uncomfortable and drained of energy. He said nothing, simply walking in with a plate of food. Shapes and colors, different textures of all sorts neatly separated into different piles. Steam rolled off the food in thick swirls, still hot and fresh. The woman held out her hands, taking the plate from the man, and not a single word was exchanged. She gave him a small nod, and he glanced at me, eyebrows further knitting together. It wasn't anger or confusion, it was something sad, holding back, thinking hard about what to do or say, if anything at all.

"Need anything else?" He directed the question to the woman, but she instead looked at me, awaiting an answer. I just shook my head. The man just pursed his lips before turning and leaving, shoulders tense and head hung low. The woman turned, taking her seat on the bed again and scooting closer, picking up the fork off the plate, stabbing a piece of food, and holding it up to my lips. It smelled delicious, and the warmth wafted off of it against my skin. But even still, I didn't open my mouth, I just stared at the woman, cautious, unsure. She seemed to take notice of my wariness, pinching the piece of food off the fork between her thumb and index finger before throwing it into her mouth, chewing, then swallowing.

"It's okay, see? It's just chicken, Tim made it, he's a pretty good cook, I don't think you've tried his food before. C'mon, please eat?" She poked another piece of the chicken onto the fork, once more holding it up to my lips. Hesitantly, I opened my mouth, biting down on the piece of meat, and starting to chew.

Flavor exploded in my mouth. A tender texture with crispy skin, savory, and only very slightly spicy. Salt and pepper, garlic and onions, thyme and basil. The flavor filled my mind with wonder. I had never had anything like this before. Everything that Mother and SPARK had fed to me was bland, boiled, unsalted, soft, and as basic as possible with minimum nutrients, and even then, I would be lucky to get two meals a day. Mostly it was only the one dish.

I hummed and felt a smile twitch at the corners of my mouth. I swallowed and opened my mouth, happily taking another bite of the meal. With each bite came a new flavor, a new texture, a new smell, and all the while the woman helped me, feeding me and explaining what each ingredient was.

Asparagus, grilled, buttered and salted. Mashed potatoes, seasoned lightly with a small amount of chicken stalk mixed in. Chicken, marinated in buttermilk, thyme, and basil, roasted, then shredded. Salt, pepper, onion powder, minced garlic. So many flavors, and so many delicious new sensations bursting through every bite. And on the side of it all, a slice of soft baked bread, a baguette she called it, lightly toasted with a smear of butter.

I ate the whole plate happily, my cold, empty stomach greedily wanting every last bite. I licked my lips clean of the crumbs and butter, swallowing the last bit. It was truly a delicious meal, the most fulfilling one I ever had. I felt happy and satisfied, and quickly a wave of exhaustion washed over me. My eyelid began to droop, my body felt heavy, and a yawn clawed its way out my mouth.

"Tired? You should rest, I'll turn the lights off for y-"

"No. On, please."

"You want me to leave the lights on?" I nodded and she shrugged, offering a hesitant smile. She helped tuck me into the bed, pulling soft blankets over me, surrounding me with pillows of all sorts, different shapes and sizes, fluffy and stiff, long pillows supporting my sides, smaller ones under my head. She made sure I was comfortable, combed her fingers through my hair one last time, then left the room, lights still on, door shut softly behind her.

I could only stare up at the ceiling, despite the tiredness. A cream-colored ceiling, paint unchipped, immaculate. But not white.

Little stars and moons stuck to that cream-colored paint, transparent lime green shapes decorating it all, with wobbly edges, small and big shapes, all different, not one the same as another. Not perfect.

All the colors in the room. All the shapes, soft rounded edges of furniture, sharp edges of doorways and trims, deep dark walnut wood, accented by a rainbow of colors. Soft fluffy blankets, shaggy carpet, smooth wood, silky curtains. This small world within the room, it was filled with life and personality. It was full and colorful. It wasn't just a room full of nothing, it was full of everything. Life. Care. Love. Gentleness. Thought.

I finally let my eye shut, sinking my mind into darkness. Sreams of silver running through deep crevices in the wheat-colored grass, trickling down into large pools of metallic gray. Thin strands of light, like veins, ran through the ground and up into the sky, reaching far, far off into the distance, so far out of reach, colors or amethyst and lavender, sky and sapphire, peridots and emeralds and sages. Cool colors contrasting against the warm sunset-colored sky. Reds and oranges and yellows, the color of crips apples and fall leaves, honey and nectar, the sweet ambrosia of something beyond. Dreams of beautiful, ethereal worlds, worlds alien and distant, unknown and unprovable.

When I woke, it felt as if no time had passed at all. I still lay on my back, staring up at the star-speckled ceiling. The blanket was still warmly wrapped around me, pillows cushioning all my movements. Finally being able to lay down comfortably, on something soft and warm, unlike the cold hard floor of my room, it was new but nice. I could've fallen back asleep, but I felt rejuvenated with energy. My eye was open wide, taking in everything once more. The light in the room was still on despite the sunbeams flowing into the room. The air touching my nose and kissing my cheeks was cold, and I further buried myself into my cozy den.

I looked around the room, craning my head every which way. No one was in the room, but there was a chair pulled next to the side of the bed, empty. I turned my head further, looking towards the clock, soft glowing white numbers reading the time. 2:21 PM. I turned again. The door to the room was wide open, and the two doors on the other side of the room were closed, the small gaps at the bottom of the doors were dark, and the lights turned off. I could hear footsteps, distant, just outside the open door. A multitude, moving all around, some down the hall, some further away. And all I could do was wait. Wait as the seconds and minutes moved by slowly.

Then came a set of footsteps, moving down the hallway, closer and closer, not stopping or faltering, though they were slow. I watched as the tall, paper-white-skinned faceless being appeared in the doorway, ducking down and through it and into the room. He stood tall, proper, with well-mannered etiquette. He moved forward, pulling the chair back and taking a seat. His long limbs made him fit awkwardly on the chair, and it made him look a little silly. He crosses one leg over the other, folding his hands and resting them on his knees. He wasn't facing me, instead looking off at the door, staring at it, as if lost in a daze. Everything was silent and still, he seemed to be collecting himself.

"You remember nothing of us, correct?" I slowly nodded, his shoulders slumped slightly. He hummed lightly, finally turning his head to look down at me.

"I'll try to be short, not too long-winded. Obviously, I am not human like you, I am something else. Being what I am, I have a variety of skills and abilities, one of which allows me to see into your mind, your memories, feelings, and thoughts. If you would allow me, may I see into your past? I would appreciate knowing just how much...damage has been done." There was a long pause of silence as I thought. It would make things simpler if he just

knew

everything without me having to explain or remember. Slowly, carefully, I nodded. He hummed again, fully turning his body to face me now.

He held out his hand, palm up, awaiting my own. I lifted my hand from beneath the blankets, into the cold air, and resting my palm in his own. His skin was warm and comforting, and he rested his other hand on top of mine. Everything was silent for a few moments, nothing happening. There was a sudden fuzzy sensation, taking over my hand before in an instant it flooded through my body.

A buzzing static, uncomfortable, and filling my body. Memories flashed through my mind. Torture, surgery, being awake and seeing my brain picked apart, watching as blood pooled below me as my back was sliced into deeply. Laying on that cold table, helped to SPARK and her curiosity, her fingers moving about my body, cold and uncaring, not the gentle touch that it should have been. The pain of it all, the bleeding, shutting down before, during, and after. Until it was the norm, simply unfeeling, distant, mentally escaping into a better and safer world.

A searing hot pain roared through my back, pushing back the static, pushing it out of my body and replacing it with a sweltering hot burning. I grimaced, gritting my teeth and arching my back in pain. I was gasping as the feeling grew and grew, overtaking my body as the static had done, filling me with agony and fear.

The being let go of my hands, standing and quickly backing away. He fumbled with words, unable to pick the right ones to speak. I still lay there in distress, writhing around, hand clawing at the bed below me. Finally, he found his voice, yelling down the hallway, quickly receiving a response in the way of running footsteps, and several blurry figures entering into the room. A familiar gray face appeared in my vision, pressing two fingers to the side of my neck, the back of his other hand pressed to my forehead.

It was only a few seconds until he rolled me onto my side, head lolling off the side of the bed, a hand on my shoulder to keep me on the bed, patting my back rhythmically. All they could do was to keep me comfortable until the pain would subside. Keeping me safe in case I needed to vomit or would fall into a seizure.

Finally, after what felt like ages, the pain faded, and left me dazed, breathing in gulps of fresh cold air. The man continued patting my back, oddly comforting me. He rolled me back onto my back.

"Hey, you alright? What happened?"

"Pain...back." I wheezed, my throat feeling clamped shut. He nodded, brows creasing together, looking a mix of worried, confused, and serious.

"Can I see your back?" I nodded, and carefully, I rolled onto my stomach and he lifted the back of my shirt up to the nape of my neck. He hummed, examining my back closely, but shortly, and pulled the shirt back down, helping me to fully sit up.

"There's nothing visibly wrong, but there's probably a lot of nerve damage." Before he could continue, the being spoke.

"No, it's not the nerve damage..." He sounded out of breath, wheezy, and shocked. The gray man raised an eyebrow, staring back at the being, and the room fell silent once more. Seconds slowly crawled by, and before long, the empty sockets of the gray man widened, and his mouth hung open slightly.

If it was true, if he could see my memories, then he knew everything. The deeper information. SPARK, her material, her body, what it was and what it could do, how it could be altered and programmed.

And how it could be used to augment flesh and bone, human bodies, and what they can do when inserted into the human body.

Wrapped and weaving, encasing my spine, segmented to bend as a spine should, something full of wires and electricity, a secret program running for an unknown purpose, a part of SPARK

living

inside me, right next to my heart and lungs.

An internal prison.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The two ushered the other figures out of the room, closing the door firmly, mumbling something about a meeting, and gathering everyone who had any sort of medical knowledge. I could hear the echoing of talking through the walls, though unintelligible. Some voices rose so loud that they sent vibrations through the walls and floor. I leaned back against the headboard, staring up at the ceiling, focused on my breathing. In and out, lungs expanding as much as possible to the point that they would strain and hurt, holding, then letting it all out quickly. It was something distracting and managed to entertain me just enough to pass by the time.

Eventually, a knock came to the door, though there was no wait for an answer. The faceless being reentered the room, alone, closing the door behind him, hesitating, then once more taking a seat in the wooden chair next to the bed.

"I apologize, I did not mean to cause any harm, I did not know that would happen. I truly am sorry." I nodded my head, finding my voice, still scratchy and hoarse.

"It's okay." He waited for more, but when I didn't speak another word, he continued.

"Ah, thank you. Ahem, well. It seems that there is a foreign object inserted into your back. You already know that, and what it's made of and how it works, and now I know. Even using my abilities triggers it, and instead of lashing out to protect you or harm us, it instead causes you great pain." He paused, shifting in the seat, uncomfortable.

"But, there is another. A small round disk, within your skull. If, and only if you would like, we can try to remove these objects. They are causing you harm, and unnecessary pain, they are not protecting you or keeping you safe. I understand if you do not want to go through any more surgeries, but this would be beneficial to you, for your wellbeing and overall health." Another pause.

"Again, if you wish to proceed, we can do our best to remove them. There are alternative paths, however, I do not feel comfortable pursuing those options while you are...in this state of mind and physical well-being. When you are better and healthier, then we may explore those avenues on what to do next, but until then, we'll take small steps, one at a time, and we will be here with you for every step." Silence descended again, engulfing the room. He was waiting for my response, almost eagerly, slightly leaning forward in the chair, only slightly.

Thoughts and feelings rushed through my mind, but my chest felt hollow and empty, although a distinct tightness made itself known, squeezing around my heart. Barbed wire slithered around my throat, tightening around, stinging and burning. Something inside me was hurting, squeezing and pulling and trying to escape, squirming free.

My eye burned, but no tears came. My heart was twisting around itself, squeezing tight and beating harder. My lungs felt as if they were deflating, and I couldn't breathe, no matter how deeply I inhaled, to the point my lungs strained and hurt, expanding to their capacity. A sudden tension made itself known in my shoulders and neck, aching and straining. I licked my lips, staring down at my lap, at my hand. My skin was pale and dry, cracked, nails jagged and broken, the skin around them peeled back in thin strands.

My fingers twitched, I curled them into a fist, then let my hand fall limp and flat once more. I repeated the action of few times, carefully watching the muscles under my skin move, the tendons along the top of my hand push and pull, how my knuckles glided beneath the muscle and fat. Every little detail made it all feel so much more real, it grounded me, brought reality back to the forefront of my mind. I was here. Mother and SPARK were elsewhere. I wasn't being hurt, I was being fed and given water, I was given clothes and blankets and warmth and safety.

But everything mother did was to keep me safe. Right? That's what she said, and what mother would lie to her child? Hurt them? No, she wouldn't, she was keeping me safe, she tried to heal me but also teach me a lesson for what I had done to her. She was doing what any good parent would do. Punish, teach, correct, and heal. She was taking care of me the best way she knew how, after all, she was a scientist, clever and revered, she knew what she was doing. So why now was I being treated differently? Kinder? Nicer? Warmer? I slowly looked up to the being, slowly nodding.

"Okay." His shoulders fell, relieved. He too nodded, fixing his posture upright. The whole room seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, the walls felt alive.

"Thank you. I promise you, dear, that no matter what, no more harm will come to you, and we

will

keep you safe." I could only stare at him, having no other response. After waiting, he finally stood, hesitating before turning on his heels, gliding out of the room, the door left slightly ajar. I listened intently as his footsteps echoed further and further away until I could no longer hear them. But what caught my attention was the chilling face, halfway peaking from the door. A pale face, tired with deep bags under the single visible green eye. I jumped, but as the face moved further into the room, I soon recognized the little girl from earlier.

No words were spoken. Instead, she just slowly crept into the room, crawling up onto the bed and finding a seat next to me, laying down and resting her head on my lap. She was sniffling but otherwise stayed silent. I carefully rested my hand atop her head, brushing aside her curly brown hair, working out any knots within her lion's mane of hair.

We sat there in silence. The only sound was her soft sobs and hiccups. Her tiny hands were balled into fists, gripping at my shorts, hands shaking. I too had no words. I didn't know what to say, or what else to do. I didn't know what she wanted to hear, what she needed to hear, but I didn't have the answers. Eventually, the familiar woman entered the room, sitting in the chair, staring down at the child. She too was quiet, sometimes opening her mouth, but quickly closing it, losing her words.

Nothing felt real. Not time, not reality, not this place or the people. Nothing. I felt lost and alone despite there always being someone nearby, or even laying on me, but I felt so distant from my body, as if I were simply a passenger within my own mind, someone else taking the reigns and guiding the husk that was my body. The woman reached forward, grabbing one of the little girl's hands.

"Sally, come on, we need to let her rest." The little girl, Sally, defiantly shook her head, sitting up and scooting further away from the woman, though still huddled into my side.

"No! Let me be with her! Please!" She was pleading, fresh tears bubbling up in her emerald eyes. The woman frowned deeper, she too looked ready to cry, black eyes glossy and glazed over.

"No, hon. I'm sorry." She stood up, and in a quick movement, she picked up the little girl, cuddling her in her arms. Sally began sobbing again, arms wrapping around the woman's neck, hugging her closely, and wailing into her shoulder. Silent tears began to stream down the woman's cheeks, but she swiftly turned away, leaving the room with the melancholic child. And like that, I was alone again.

The door was softly shut, and everything around me fell quiet. The only sound was the light ringing in my ears. I could feel the rhythmic beating of my heart, my lungs expanding with every slow, shallow breath. I closed my eye, letting the shadows engulf my mind. My thoughts were both blank yet racing. Nothing specific came to the forefront of the chaos, but every possibility screamed in a cacophony. I slowly laid down, careful of my aching body. Pain tingled through every fiber of my being. My cut-off limbs, my sore back, my aching head, my squeezing heart. Everything, it all hurt. It hurt so much, but the constant pain almost felt numbing, not nearly as bad as it actually was.

My eye stayed shut, limbs sprawled out across the bed, weaving through the den of blankets and pillows. I let my mind wander, focusing on all the sensations around me. Warmth and coolness, not hot or freezing. The room was comfortably cool, and the blankets that covered my body kept me just warm enough to stay comfortable. Soft and fluffy, brushing lightly across my skin. How stray strands of hair tickled my face, how the tape that kept the bandage over my other eye pulled at my flesh. Feeling my chest and belly rise up and down, almost in rhythm with my heartbeat. The stale taste that lingered in my mouth, my dry tongue pressed to the roof of my mouth.

When a hand was shaking my shoulder gently, I hadn't even realized I had fallen asleep. I didn't even think I did sleep, it felt as if I just closed my eye for a moment. But the groggy feeling that hung heavy over my mind let me know that I had been asleep. I blinked my eye a few times before looking up at the black-eyed woman, a soft smile adorning her peaceful face. She spoke quietly and sweetly, her voice dripping with honey.

"Hey, hon. Sorry to wake you, but we gotta get you cleaned up, okay?" I yawned, taking a moment to process the words as I continued to wake up. I licked my cracked lips and slowly nodded my head, already trying to sit back up, but failing. I had forgotten I no longer had my legs or left arm. The realization set back in again, and a heavy sadness clawed at my heart, claws wrapping around the red beating organ.

The woman placed a hand on my back, helping me to actually sit up. My eyes drifted to her side, seeing an empty wheelchair, another woman stood behind it, black-gloved hands holding the handles. She was tall, and her skin was a patchwork of stitches and dead light gray skin. Her attire was all black, from her gloves that stopped at her mid-upper arms, to her hat, face mask, and dress, each adorned with a single red gross, the one of her dress stitched into the right breast side. White stitching and buttons accented each garment, and adding to her height was a pair of glossy black heels. Her eyes were black with a red iris, and a pinprick black pupil, and her desaturated red hair fell all about her face, only showing a single eye.

She stared at me, and her eye creased as if smiling, though her mask covered her mouth. She stayed silent, and the black-haired woman helped scoot me closer to the edge of the bed.

"This is Ann, she's gonna help us, is that okay?" I could only nod. The two women helped me into the wheelchair before turning it and taking me towards one of the doors in the room, already open with the light on inside. A bathroom, clean and pristine, the counter covered with a wide variety of bottles, towels, and other packages.

The door was shut behind us, and despite the bathroom being a decent size, it was still a bit too small for three people and a wheelchair. The two said nothing, organizing the objects on the counter first, laying towels on the ground, filling the bathtub with hot water and soap, and throwing a few washcloths in the tub.

The black-haired woman walked me through each step and action, making sure I was as comfortable as possible. Undressing me, looking me over for any other wounds that might've been missed, and carefully using the soaked clothes to wash my body. They were careful around the incisions and my back but were thorough to get me as clean as possible. Ann was washing my hair, using a small cup of hot water to wet my scalp and gently massaging shampoo through it. She was gentle, her nails lightly scratching at my scalp, and it felt like heaven.

It took them a while, making sure I was as clean as possible, even cleaning and wiping down the wheelchair as well so I wouldn't get dirty again. After patting me down with towels, they each grabbed a white plastic package, ripping them open, and pulling out large wet wipes that smelled strongly of alcohol. I swallowed hard, the smell filling my mind with fear and worry.

And it repeated, wiping down every inch of my body with the alcohol wipes, disinfecting my now clean body. It felt as if it left behind a sticky residue on my cold skin. It was much quicker than washing my body. Then the clothes, or lack thereof. Only a pair of gauze-like disposable underwear with a classic hospital gown, only covering my front, the back open but each side pulled around the other to keep my backside covered. My hair was towel-dried before a plastic feeling cap was wrapped around my head and over my ears.

Once they were finally done, having prepped me as best as they could, I was wheeled out of the bathroom and back into the main room. Ann left and the black-haired woman stayed with me. I tilted my head back, looking up at her. She smiled down at me, but it was a sad smile.

"What's your name?" Her smile faltered.

"Ah, right, it's Jane, hon." I nodded before looking back ahead of me at the door. Slowly, people would come into the room, quietly whispering with one another, some talking with the woman, others keeping to themselves. A few of the faces were somewhat familiar, the ones in the operating room when they took me away from my home. They didn't speak to me, but they all spoke to the woman. They all either looked sad, angry, or a mix of both.

It seemed like a constant flow, like waves on the ocean. Rolling in and out of the room, figures, familiar and strange, in and out, joining in groups before leaving once more, all silent. It all moved like a blur, and all the while I sat in that cold wheelchair, still as a statue, numb, a fuzzy feeling filling my body. I hadn't even realized I was being spoken to until a hand softly touched my shoulder. That tall, faceless being again.

"Ah, pardon. Are you ready?" I sucked in a sharp breath but nodded. He nodded first to me, then to the woman. She pushed the wheelchair as he led the way, leaving the room, traversing back down the hall and through the large room that once housed machines and wires and cables, now clear of all the items, spotless, void of all life except for the two balls of red and black fur curled up on the couch, one large, one small, eyes of red and gold staring back at me. The tall ears of the larger furball perking up before flopping back down, folding back with a soft whine, the smaller one huddling closer to it, a tiny face pressing into the bigger one. Two animals that felt the same sadness that humans could.

I was brought to the medical room, the one that reminded me so much of the operation room back home. It was filled with people. Tall and short, eyes of black and white, hollowed and seeing, men and women all alike. All their faces were shrouded with light blue masks, white aprons on, and blue gloves pulled up far onto their forearms. Hair was pulled back, some wore glasses, others were stood by new machines that weren't in the room before. And in the center of the room, replacing the chair, was a proper medical table, the cold metal padded with white fabric, a headrest with a hole at the center of it. Proper, warm, and comfortable.

"Do you have everything? Are we missing anything?" The tall being gently picked me up from the wheelchair and sat me on the table, a woman approached by my side, gently taking my arm and swiftly, with a talent of doing this millions of times before, placed an I.V. within the crook of my arm. She was skilled, it was nearly painless. I recognized the gray-skinned man as he stepped forward.

"No, Ben brought back everything we needed, and everyone is here too. We've all been over it, it'll take a couple hours at least, but everyone's ready."

"Good." The being's voice was warm when talking to me, but when talking

about

me, it was cold, distant, and angry. The woman helped to lay me down, attaching a new tube to the I.V. and turning the drip on. The being moved behind me, standing behind my head and looking down at me, the black-eyed woman stood by his side, a new mask adorning her face. A cold feeling washed through my arm, filling my body, and instantly I felt dizzy. As I stared at the faceless man, I could almost imagine him smiling.
 
They watched as your eye fluttered shut, properly asleep now. They each had an important role within that locked room. All were attentive, eyes sharp and focused, minds replaying the plans, the memories of the wires weaved through your spine burned into their minds, that unnaturally white material was their target, ready to remove every last speck of that poison from your body.

Slender was monitoring your mind the whole time. Searching for anything, any pain, any consciousness, anything that would signal that something went wrong. It was tedious, combing through every last neuron and link. He had failed you before, he wouldn't do it again.

A breathing tube was placed down your throat first before you were gently rolled to your side, the back of your gown pulled open, exposing your entire back to all eyes in the room. You were once more quickly cleaned, sanitized, and dried, ensuring the utmost cleanliness and keeping you safe from infection. Jack stepped forward, scalpel held steady in his hand as he made the first slice through the tough and scarred-over skin.

Wires and sticky pads were stuck to your body. Eyes carefully watched your heart rate, blood pressure, checking your face and throat, making sure you were breathing and not choking on vomit. You were watched carefully as the designated surgeons worked. This was the most tedious and intricate task any of them had done. None of them ever had the need to perform a surgery like this, and most certainly not a surgery where the person needed to stay alive. Whether killer or cannibal, most in that room had ever had the job of saving a life, and those who used to hadn't done so in years and years. They had no reason to. They could heal, couldn't die, and there was never a use for surgery. That operation room was only there for severe injuries, to have a place to store and organize medicines. Ripped off arms, and deep gashes in the skull, it was more a place to recover and heal, not to fix.

Before you were brought into the room, there was an underlying panic, though hidden. Books were flipped through, step-by-step videos and demonstrations watched, stockpiles of information loaded into their minds, they needed all the information they could get, they needed to know what to expect, and how to execute this procedure carefully and properly. Slender had burned your memories into their minds, watching through your eyes through the series of mirrors, the mental torture of watching your own body being torn apart. They were all mentally linked together, each thought was so much faster than speaking, nearly instant communication, lessening the risk of mistakes but an even wider margin. They would be cutting in, around, and near your spinal cord, any damage could be permanent and irreversible, and they could make your condition so much worse. Not to mention the even more precarious procedure of brain surgery.

Well, there certainly

was

a way, but it would not ever be considered until you were in near-perfect health and mentally stable, but until then, the mere mention of it would not be tolerated, not even thought about.

The majority in the room wouldn't have cared for you, in fact, they would have happily torn you apart within seconds, but they held great respect for their hosts, the brothers, and the brothers cared for Slender. Those that Slender cared for, the brothers cared for, and in turn, their residents would respect them too. The instructions given were crystal clear; do not harm or kill you, and if they did, they would experience a living hell much worse than their lives before, not only from Slender and his brothers, but Slender's residents would be on the warpath, bloodthirst and full of rage.

The warning was loud and clear, and all took it to heart. So, as they worked, they steadied their hands, took careful breaths, and communicated clearly and carefully. With every slice of the blade, washing away the blood, they cut deeper and deeper, through skin and scar tissue, separating layers of fat and muscle fibers, all the way down each layer until they reached bone. Between each vertebra was a light blue disc, squishy and flexible. They had cut from your mid-upper back all the way down to a few inches above your tailbone, seeing the entirety of the thoracic and the lumbar sections of your spine. Woven through your spine were wires of blue and red and green and black and white, and around each part of your vertebrae was a pure white casing of that wretched material, smooth, almost soft and silky feeling.

There were no visible seams, and they were lost on how to exactly take it off, but they would do what they could. The majority of beings in that room had no experience with SPARK before, but a select few did, and with what they did know, it was to be careful. They combed through the memories that Slender had fed them, seeing your psychotic mother ranting on and on about SPARK, its properties, how it worked and reacted. Electricity seemed to be the key. And so, a few parted away from Jack, allowing the third person in that room who had no medical experience to step forward.

He was the only one without gloves, they acted as an insulator and wouldn't allow him to properly do what he needed, but otherwise, he was dressed the same as everyone else in the room, lacking his usual green attire. Ben examined all the wires in your spine, mind working out the maze of colors like a puzzle, piecing each section together, examining and thinking hard, about how each wire interacted with another, what each would do. They all saw his thought process, slowly figuring out what each wire did. Jack keenly listened as Ben walked him through which wires to slowly pull out. He couldn't do it on account of the lack of gloves, so Jack moved slowly, not wanting to make a mistake or grab the wrong wire. When he had grabbed the two that Ben instructed, they were snipped, and the exposed copper was pinched between Ben's fingers.

He closed his eyes and focused on the currents, each pulse and wave of electricity, what each signal meant, what its function was, and how to properly disable it all without harming you. The tips of his fingers tingled, and slowly, he matched the current with his own. Finding the pattern, feeling the waves as if rhythmic ocean currents. And within a zap, he was flowing through the wires, and for the second time ever, he was inside of SPARK, looking around the empty white void.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Ben slowly looked around. It was completely empty inside the segments, an endless blindingly bright void. But he knew there was something, he had seen it before, for just that moment, that internal remote that SPARK had tried to activate when he took over the android. He just needed to figure out how to access it. Within this pocket void, he was everywhere and nowhere all at once, the telepathic link couldn't work within these spaces, and even more so when within SPARK. So he reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone, and texted Jane, some form of communication, though phone calls couldn't work within this space still.

"I'm in here, just let me know if anything starts happening out there, 'kay?" Jane sent back a confirmation and Ben got to work. He swiped his hand through the hair, a large console-like screen appearing, thinner than spider webs and semi-transparent. Images, numbers, words, and code scrolled and flashed through the screen, impossibly fast, but to Ben, not fast enough. He rapidly read everything, scanning every last letter and number, each symbol and cipher. His brain was working overtime, similar to a computer within itself, calculating and thinking, piecing the puzzle pieces together, computing each input and output, figuring out what it all meant, what it was for.

It wasn't just coded telling the material what to do, no, it was

in

code, needing to be decrypted and undone into an intelligible language he could understand and decode properly. Layers and layers, each deciphered line turned into a new riddle. Breaking it down, new screens upon screens appearing, all around him, notes and breakdowns of the codes into a proper table for faster deciphering, writing up his own code to automatically decipher. Again and again and again for each new language and code he found. The number of ciphers was rising and rising. One, five, fifteen, twenty-seven. The final number was 292, but a discontinued 293rd code was found, though incomplete.

It was a constant work in progress, although it wasn't Charlotte who was writing it. She wrote the base code, but SPARK did the rest, hiding it all behind dozens and hundreds of ciphers, translating each one slowly and over time, producing new codes to hide it all behind walls of protection. With no more input, it could no longer produce those walls, and Ben was an expert at breaking down walls.

His work was always fast and efficient, clever and quick-witted, he practically lived in the internet, he lived and breathed code and viruses, and his mind was constantly thinking, imaging new codes and ciphers, thinking how to mentally break apart his next victim until they were just pixels splattered across a screen. Eyes were always searching, reading invisible lines of text that weren't there, ears twitching, hearing the constant static of electricity, seeking it out, needing to explore the entirety of the world, inside and out, in computers and circuits, finding his way through mazes of motherboards and balancing across copper wires.

This was nothing new, but it was the most complex and complicated code he had ever seen, on top of it being a completely unknown and new component. This wasn't copper and wires, this was SPARK, something that had its own set of rules to follow, though it still followed basic computer physics. He just had to figure out what

its

rules were, that was the hard part.

Though only seconds were passing in the outside world, hours and days ticked by within that prison. Endlessly working. Ben was exhausted, and tired, brain not having a second to breathe, he was constantly reading, decoding, deciphering, rewriting, again and again. Until finally, the main screen fell blank, and finally, a single white flashing arrow awaited input. The command prompts.

>system

>command does not match any known commands

>systen_input

>command does not match any known commands

And so he tried again. Entering each and every possible input he could think of, he tried. But his tired mind was thinking too complexly, and so, he finally sat back, resting his eyes and mind for a moment, cooling down and resting. Again, seconds passed in the waking world, but for him, he slept a full 8 hours before finally waking back up, mind snapping back to the task at hand, and one simple thought entered his mind. Help.

He leaned forward and typed the most simple word that any sane person would put into a command prompt.

>help

And help it did. Endless commands appeared on the screens, dozens to read and figure out what would be most useful. Although they were all complicated. So he duplicated all the possible inputs, separating the copy into a separate window for reference.

>system_memory_visuals

>showing system_memory_visuals 06.23.23-11.27.23

A much larger screen appeared behind the first one, large like one inside a movie theater, and the images that flashed across it were sickening. He had been the first to find you, Slender had seen your memories from your perspective, but here he would see it all from that wretched android's perspective. He could see your terrified face, hear your pleading voice louder than ever surrounding him, screams and cries of pain, seeing your bright red blood painting the floors. In a flash, he had seen the whole 5-month ordeal take place.

Tim, Brian, Toby, and Slender had all

felt

what you were going through, but Ben could

see

it all. Not as scarring as the feeling, but just as horrific. Knowing just

what

it was all his friends were going through and feeling, seeing it all, hearing Charlotte laughing at your pain, belittling you, brainwashing you with every word. Abuse of all sorts, all while you were so weak and frail, every last bit of what made you,

you

, being stripped away piece by piece. he felt nauseous.

He swiped away the screen, the images haunting his mind as he tried to focus on working. Going through each prompt and input, digging deeper and deeper, trying to find just

what

the purpose of these inserts were.

>system_reminder_program_procedure

>password:

|

Ben stared at the blinking line, awaiting a password.

"Fuck."

The internal day cycles of electronics were disproportionate to the physical world. A second outside meant a 24-hour cycle inside. Outside, someone had set a timer, seeing how long it would take Ben. Whenever they did this, he wasn't even inside the computer for even a full second, immediately flashing in and then out. The longest he had ever taken on anything was 1.3 seconds. But currently, the timer showed 13 seconds. Everyone's nerves were on end, a buzzing adrenaline causing hands to shake. They kept you stable, working on whatever they could without disrupting Ben or the wires.

Ben was combing through the code again, carefully and slowly, finding anything that would lead to the password. Eyes rapidly scanning each line, back and forth, up and down. Was it something obvious? Probably not, Charlotte was as smart as she was cruel, no way she would make a simple password, and she wasn't stupid enough to write one down. The password and all her secrets died alongside her. But, even if she was smart, she was still just

human

, and humans were simple creatures, always falling back to some sort of pattern.

Finally, his eyes fell upon a line that stood out. It was unlikely, but it was still a possibility, and he didn't have an eternity to figure it out.

>password: CMMillerSPARK1131970

>password accepted

>acess granted

>loading system_reminder_program_procedure

Ben cheered, throwing his hands up, his grin was sharp-toothed and wide, a sense of victory washing over him. First and middle name initials, last name, her greatest creation, and birthday. It wasn't the name given to this device hiding in your spine, it was the password, and a very

human

one at that. He watched as lines of text appeared, writing out, all organized, neat and tidy, something that SPARK didn't write. This was Charlotte's work. He read and read, and as he read the entry, two things became clear. One; these were written as diary entries, but used as both a plan and code, somehow it was something SPARK understood, and two; what the purpose of this device was. His face fell and his blood ran cold.

June 23rd, 2023

I have her! I finally had her back. This stupid child of mine, I just don't know where I went wrong with her. I gave her everything a child could ever want or need. A proper education, a stable household, good and healthy food, extra lessons, toys, and blankets. Oh but no, I'm such a terrible mother for not letting her outside and roll around in all the filth and mud and drag bacteria into the house! Regardless, I have her back, and I will make sure that

this

time she doesn't run away again. Once was already bad enough, but now a second time? This child just cannot learn her lesson, no matter who gets hurt, or how badly. Herself or others. Even I was not off limits.

This time, I will make sure she is properly punished and learned her lesson, even if I have to beat it into her very soul, if that even exists, I doubt it. But I already have an idea! I've been thinking and thinking while SPARK has taken care of me. I just knew she would try to come back, she always does, even if she doesn't remember why. It's in her nature to always return to me, a child's instinct.

I had SPARK draw up the plans while I rested, but now I can write for myself. An internal collar and leash. Keeping her on a tight leash and by my side. I have plans for her and I will not allow her to just throw her life away on ridiculous and frivolous dreams and fantasies.

This device is being called the SPARK S Triple C V.0.5 [SPARKSCCCV.0.5][SPARK Spinal Cord Collar Control Version 0.5]. Simple, but easy and explanatory. I don't need a long or complicated name, so that's what I've settled on. This device will be a series of casingings, ranging in sizes and measurements, each meant to surround a single segment of the vertebra. I will have to measure each vertebra and disc in her spine, detailed notes will be taken and SPARK will record each surgery and specification. She'll do all the math and measurements and create everything, all the hard stuff I can't quite do yet, I'm still too tired.

There's no avoiding the wires, they will be needed, but it will work just fine. She still needs to be able to move around, she needs to look and act normal to the public. And it's perfect because I can just switch her off and input whatever

I

need her to do. Only I will have control of the console, SPARK cannot place any inputs for me,

I

control them, no one else, nothing else.

I won't ramble, I do try to keep these short, but with SPARK's properties, I can alter her mind as much as I need to, and in turn, her emotions and reactions. It still needs some tweaking, I fret that it won't block out

all

emotions, mainly the strong ones, but for now, the mild ones can be suppressed. If I make her

think

she's safe here, she'll fight back less, and be more cooperative, though it isn't some miracle cure, no, she will still think normally, and with ration and reason, so I do need to verbally convince her alongside every input. Science isn't always so simple.

The casings will only expand from the top of the thoracic to the bottom segment of the lumbar. That will be a total of 17 segment casings. Thankfully not too many, but enough. I cannot express just how

excited

I am to start this process! However, there are a few more procedures to do first before I continue on with this plan.

July 13, 2023

I thought of it! The perfect fail-safe! Basically a 'killswitch', though not quite, I'm not trying to literally kill her. A single, teeny tiny insert in her skull, and if I won't, then

I can directly turn her off! Asleep until only

I

wake her up. And if, for whatever reason, she tries to remove the SPARKSCCCV.0.5 improperly, then off she goes! Just like SPARK, absolutely perfect. Only I can wake her up, and only I will know how to. Not even SPARK. If I die, then so does she.

Thankfully this part could be done without any wires. A constant electromagnetic pulse with be sent out, received, and then returned between the two devices. Once that signal stops from either device, then the killswitch is triggered. If the SPARKSCCCV.0.5 is removed, she will stay asleep until I wake her up. But, if the ICSKS [Internal Cranial SPARK Killswitch] is removed, then the Spinal Collar will send out an electric shock, nonstop, and slowly gain in intensity until I either disable it, or it kills her. If I'm not around, then she doesn't need to expose my more lawfully questionable experiments.

It needs some more refining so I suppose I should go work on that, but I will keep these little entries updated, they are quite fun.

July 30, 2023

I think I know just how to refine this whole process. I'll try to keep everything as wireless as possible, I love the neat and tidy look, plus it keeps the mess to a minimum, however, it is unavoidable that wires must be used.

Each piece will send signals between each other, communicating separate pieces of code that will finally be conjoined in the ICSKS, where it will be pieced together, read, and executed. Then the cycle repeats. No single piece of the Spinal Collar will have the complete code, only the final piece, the hardest to get to. I would pat myself on the back, but I'm not quite as limber as I once was. I do wonder...

August 20, 2023

Everything has been installed, with some minor tweaking, and it all works! She finally stopped screaming and crying, now at most it's just these little pathetic whimpers. She finally stopped making that ugly face at me, though now she just always smiles when she sees me or SPARK, I should fix that, it's not professional to always be smiling like a ditz.

But it is still a win in my book. No more struggling or fighting, no more crying or begging, she is finally silent. SPARK from here on out will now be constantly monitoring her, making sure she is stable. I too will be keeping a close eye on her, but I'm already writing up new ideas! I can just never stop thinking!

August 27, 2023

To be safe, I will proceed with the surgery on November 23, 2023. I want to have enough time to let her heal properly, to not overwhelm her, and to ensure proper procedures are taken during the surgery. I especially don't feel like nearly dying again. There isn't much else to report on.

October 31, 2023

Halloween day. A wretched, stupid, bothersome day. I hatefully always remember this day. How she would so badly wish and pray and bed me to go out, to dress up and go house to house of complete strangers and plead with them for free candy. A silly idea, a dangerous concept, a proven horrible holiday. Every year until she was 13 she would beg and beg, and I would have to punish her. Chores, locked in her room, more study lessons, taking away her blankets, pillows, bed, all of it, until it finally was drilled into her mind how unacceptable her behavior and this foul holiday are.

November 22, 2023

Tomorrow is the surgery. She doesn't know, and I will certainly delight in seeing her face afterward. She should have known better, doing this to me, her own mother. I gave her so much, I gave her my life, I ruined my body and mind for her, I put myself through hell to bring her to life, and that ungrateful wretch decides to take even more from me.

Oh well, I have all the time in the world to fix her now. But first, time to fix myself. My arms, my legs, I can get them back, and even younger and more spry! And no arthritus too!

Yes, these SPARK-augmented prosthetics are useful, but I can't go out like this! And I most certainly am now

low

enough to receive

these

! I deserve real hands and arms and legs and feet, joints and ligaments and muscles. I am human, not some

freak

, and I will

not

allow the public to view me as such. I am not a monster like those

things

that managed to escape, I refuse to even be compared to being on the same level as those

bugs

.

Alas, I should rest before tomorrow. All the preparations have been made, now it's just a matter of waiting. 
 
Ben stared at the words, daily entries all leading up to the 22nd. They rescued you on the 27th. Just mere days ago your limbs were taken,

that's

why the wounds still looked so fresh, because they

were

. They were hoping that it had been longer, but no, they were so wrong, it was only 4 days ago that you were ripped apart.

But the new glaring issue was this 'killswitch'. It didn't matter what was removed first, either option would surely result in a death sentence. He sighed, rubbing his face and leaning back, eyes squeezed shut, brows furrowed, ears twitching. The whole situation just became so much worse than originally thought.

You weren't just brainwashed, no, you had been

programmed

into this shutdown state, emotions and thoughts turned off, you were suppressed until you were just a shell, stuck under lock and key and collar, hidden away deep within your own mind, stuck, screaming and crying to be let out, to be free again. Whatever was pretending to be you was just a mask, so who knew what you were

truly

thinking right now, feeling, wanting to say. It was a distressing thought. But just how to set you free was now a whole new puzzle, and one so much more complicated than the starting trials.

He sent a text to Jane, explaining everything he had just learned and the consequences of removing either device from your body. The set timer read 37 seconds when Jane received the message. As her eyes read every word, everyone in the room could hear the message, and a cold sweat began to form on palms and foreheads, a sinking feeling in their chests and stomachs. A wave of fresh, new fury sparked to life within Slender, small, thin tears forming where his mouth would be, dribbles of black oozes from the holes, slowly forming a torn open mouth, pulled back into a growling sneer. He could taste blood on his tongue and his jaw ached from clenching.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

You were back, there was a warmth in that fact alone, but that kindling was nothing compared to the still seething blizzard inside their minds. Cold, raging, blinding. The house felt so cold, creaking with every footstep, soft or stomping. It felt as if the house itself was grieving for you, and in turn, their own little pocket of paradise outside reflected that still. However, it seemed as if it was getting worse before better. The snow outside gained another 2 to 3 inches, long, sharp icicles hung heavy from dead tree branches, their weight pulling the limbs down, nearly snapping from the heaviness. The ground was frozen solid, and all the fauna had long escaped the eternal winter that plagued the surrounding forest.

Sally's tantrum had not returned since you were brought back, her ghostly destruction had long ceased, but her tears were never-ending. Her emerald green eyes were always glossy, and if she wasn't crying, she was on the verge of so. Even when she was asleep her cheeks were tear-stained and her nose flushed red. She couldn't even cling to anyone, instead isolating herself in her room. The bed, the curtains, the flooring and walls had long healed and been fixed by the house, but there were still scars, even if unseen. The once colorful room was dim and dull, the rainbows inside seeming to have lost their color, faded with the pain that Sally felt. Her hair was a tangled mess, her eyes droopy and rubbed raw. She clutched her bear tight in her arms, so, so tight that she feared if she let it go, it too would disappear like you. She could only delve into her memories, remembering when you first met. How concerned you were for her, a complete stranger, you were ready to immediately risk your life for her. You were so warm, even through walls of glass, you still smiled so kindly to her, a smile full of love and sunshine. You radiated warmth and familial love, as if you had known Sally all your life, raised her as your own, and after being separated, you looked so happy and relieved to see her. She tried to comfort herself with the memories of your smiles and tight hugs, but they only made her cry harder.

Tim couldn't stop thinking. His mind was constantly racing with 'what ifs' and 'what if I'. He blamed himself so much. He was supposed to protect you, bring you back, yet he was the first to leave, leave you behind alone and vulnerable. Feeling every last thing that happened to you, it was maddening, but he thought it a fair enough karma to feel it all. It made him sick, so many times he would vomit from the pain and feelings, dry heaving until nothing but a foul taste was left. He, like Sally, confined himself to his room, falling in and out of fits of seizures, barely able to sleep through all the suffering, thinking how if he had just waited, how he could have saved you. But you were back now, but even then, it was far too late. You had been beaten, degraded, dignity and mind stripped away, chopped up and put back together and ripped apart all over again. He already knew you were just a shell, he could

feel

it, those repressed emotions and thoughts and feelings. They were so distant, so fuzzy, unintelligible, and hidden away. He wished he could go back, to the very beginning. He wished he had the foresight to see your kindness and return it. He wished he had just been kinder, even if just a little, more open to hearing you out and conversing. He didn't think you would ever come back, not from this, not this time.

Brian was the same way. Though he had no regrets wishing to be kinder, he was kind from the beginning, but he had wished he stayed too, waiting, observing, listening. Maybe then he would have seen SPARK, maybe then he would have been able to put up a fight, maybe stall long enough for you to escape. But no, he had only grabbed Toby and left you behind, scared and alone, only to fend for yourself. They always had strength, regardless of what they ate or how badly they were beaten and abused, but you? You were still just human. You were still recovering from burns, from being shot, from being malnourished, you had no energy, no strength to fight back, and you couldn't heal like them. You were the weakest of them all, even Sally was stronger than you, and he just left you behind. When there were no eyes around, he would silently weep to himself, he was supposed to be the leader of the trio, and yet he failed the most.

Toby arguably took it all the hardest. He was

right there

! He

saw

SPARK approaching, that stark white figure almost camouflaged into her surroundings, is almost looked as if she appeared out of thin air, melting out of the walls, piercing blue eyes staring through strands of silky hair, white bolts of electricity covering her body before it all shot through the ground. If he had just been faster, just an inch closer, he could have grabbed you and saved you. But he just wasn't fast enough, not close enough. He just wished he had looked sooner, saw it quicker, grabbed you before it hit you, and disabled them. That electricity that knocked you out nearly instantly had nearly done the same to them. You were back now, but he could still feel that pain as if you were still being tormented, it was a feeling burned into his mind, his very nerves and veins. The burning pain of being sliced open, the searing pain of having your skull opened up, it was all still so crystal clear to him. You were back, but you weren't you anymore. You were always smiling before, something that would make him smile too, but now you couldn't even muster a faint grin. Your eye were dull, having lost that glistening sparkle they once held. You were always staring into the distance, your one remaining eye unfocused and lidded. You had no life left in you, it was as if your soul was torn away from you.

Jane was just as numb as they were. She loved to joke around, giggling always and playing and spending her time with Sally and the others, but once you were taken, she couldn't bring herself to keep the mood up. Her smile faded away, her glossy black eyes dulled, her lips paled and her cheeks sunk in. She felt as if she lost a piece of herself when you were taken. But even now, with you back, the house still felt just as empty and cold. She tried to look you in the eye, but your sight was unfocused, you simply looked through her, and you didn't remember her face or name. You were lost, and the person who was returned to them was not the same girl from months ago. She didn't expect you to be the same, but to see you in such a state like this? That night you returned, she holed up in her room and wailed. Watching you reaching out for your mom, pleading for that abusive monster to join you. You called that cold, heartless place your home, you wanted to stay, you would have rather rotted next to her corpse than stay safe and warm and cared for and loved with them. You would have rather condemned yourself to a slow, excruciating, cold death, sitting in that empty room, all alone. The pain in her heart was unbearable, it hurt so much to see you, someone she cared so deeply for, withered away into this wilted form, hollow and malnourished, dead inside and numb to all sensations.

Rage was just a word, but it couldn't even come close to the anger that Jeff felt. He tried to not care, he always did so. He pushed everyone away. Sure, he had his friends, but he still kept his distance, he wasn't one to get too close, always wary and careful. But even so, despite the distance, he still had a soft spot for you. You were funny, you could get sassy and snarky, playful, and yet, after his first impression, you were still so kind to him. You let him scream and yell and rage as much as he needed to, all the while waiting patiently, your kind eyes waiting to see if you could find a crack in the walls he built up. But you weren't one to exploit or tear them down, no, you spoke through them, softly, confidently, kindly. You used it not as a weapon against him, you used it as a tool to reach a hand out to him. When the cracks had grown more and more until a hole was shattered through those walls, you still didn't intrude, you just smiled through and waved. You never pushed, you cared so deeply and couldn't hide it. You were one of the very few people he actually liked, that he actually felt comfortable being around. He always acted like a skittish animal, cornered with monsters all around, fangs bared and claws scratching the ground, and even still, through the looming shadows, you appeared, and held out a soft hand, showing him that it was okay, that it would all be okay, and that he wasn't crazy for having his thoughts or feelings. A silent confirmation that he was allowed to feel his anger and fear, but to not let it control him. His eyes burned, his throat felt swollen shut. He could only sit in his rooms, elbows on his knees, hands hung low, wide eyes staring at all the holes in his walls, punched through with splintered wood and cracked drywall. Slowly closing back up, the house healing its wounds, but his anger was a festering infection, and the holes still remained even days later.

He was supposed to be cold and lethal, efficient and quick with his meals. He always felt thirsty, a constant empty hunger hung heavy in his stomach, craving human flesh, relishing in the feeling of fresh hot blood coating his tongue, and he still thought the same when first meeting you, just how relieving it would be to rip your throat out, gouge out your eyes, pull your ribs and spine from your torso, feast upon a good meal for the first time in years, but you changed that hunger so quickly. You morphed that hunger into curiosity. You had such a way with words, you held such a confidence and determination in your voice, even when you were scared or in pain, you still held your convictions close to your heart. You were so certain you would help them escape, release them from that prison, even if you died doing so. He had ignored you, refused to speak, and pushed you as far away as possible, you were human after all, you would just be like the rest, only ever seen as a food source for Jack. But you pushed back. You held your place, planting your feet firm and speaking your mind, even offering the distressing concept of kidneys for a meal. You tried so hard, you never gave up, and it was as alluring as the scent of blood, it piqued his curiosity, he just needed to know more about you, why you were like this, and what your true motives were. But there were no 'true motives', you spoke the truth, and Slender had confirmed that enough. You were tested time and time again, and even if you fell, you got up, dusted yourself off, and still offered a kind smile to them all. Even him. And now here he stood, almost as if the roles were reversed. You were in a prison of your own, and it was he reaching a hand out, trying desperately to pull you out, even with a blade in his bloody gloved hand. Blood normally smelt so sweet to him, but yours made him want to vomit.

Through all the creaking locks and twisting keys, invisible maps drawn within his mind, mapping out each puzzle, each equation and cipher, despite just how busy his mind was, there was still a space open enough to remember, to look back on. He could've reached you, he knew he could, but he was so scared. Time in the outside world moved too fast, while inside these pockets and spaces, he felt safe. Time moved so much slower, it was comforting. He could take his time to recover, to think and relax and calm down. In these voids made of pixels and electricity, he could escape into his own worlds and take all the time he needed. Years and years of vacation, all the while in the outside world, he would have only been gone such a short while. It was his world, his domain, a place all to himself, he made the rules, and no one could hurt him or tell him what to do. But outside, time moved so, so fast. He couldn't die, he was immortal, but that fear remained buried within him, that his time would soon run out, and so inside cables and wires, his time would be infinite. But then you came along and toppled the playing fields. You had a time limit and a much shorter one at that, but you couldn't care less. You stared death in the face and greeted it like an old friend. You had accepted fate as it was, and you didn't care if you died, you only cared to spread kindness and to help where you could, even if you got hurt doing so. And it left Ben dumbfounded. How could he, an immortal, still feel the creeping fear of death, and yet you, a mortal human who teetered on the precipice of extinction, not care? It baffled him, and he yearned to pick your mind apart and just figure out why it was the way you were. He wanted to ask you a million and one question, then another dozen questions for every answer. You were so curious, and yet, at the same time, such a strange thing you were, you erased that fear from his mind when you talked, when you smiled and listened to him. Seeing you facing your fears, even though you were shaking and scared, you still stood firm, and he admired that so much. He couldn't help but try and copy that, facing his fears, leaving his realm, and joining along on that little trip back to that place. But when push came to shove, his fears took hold of his cold, blue heart, and ripped him away once more, condemning someone so kind, so innocent, so warm to the deepest pits of a freezing help. His own inaction haunted him like how he haunted the nightmares of his victims.

A room just as colorful as he once was, one that rivaled Sally's, now reflected his exterior, black and white, monochrome with not a drop of color in sight, even the light that streamed in through the windows was gray. Deep claw marks were dragged through the carpets and walls, through all the curtains and furniture, rugs were shredded and dressers smashed into splinters. Everything in sight was destroyed down into its smallest form. While Sally had the most visible sorrow, it was Jack who had the most visible anger. For once, he wanted to be selfish, to keep something so precious all to himself, something he was

made

for, and yet he still failed. And for a second time, he failed again. He couldn't protect his friend, he couldn't protect you. A repeating pattern, only twice, but it was enough to eat away at him. Was he cursed? First, his wings ripped from his back, slow and painful, bloody and sewn into decorative shoulder plumes, then drained of his beautiful colors, abandoned in his box for decades, broken down and witness to horrors that he soon grew to love and relish the sight of. He was the one most aware of the mental and emotional torture you had gone through. He could relate, and it endlessly frustrated him that he couldn't do a damn thing about it. You were the first one he had opened up to in so long, so quickly, giving the most details of his life. You were just so comforting to be around, you relaxed his tensed shoulders, he could finally put his guard down, and he could reminisce about his home once more. He would dream of dancing among the stars once more, laughing and playing with his brethren, weaving new constellations and breathing clouds of nebulas and galaxies. But he could never go back, he already tried, and the aching scars on his back reminded him of that mistake. But there was another feeling, a hot anger for those still above. It was beyond rare that any of them would traverse beyond their realm, and he was one of the very few in eons to leave the heavens. Seeing both sides of the heavens and the Earth, he realized just what they were like. He and the other angels. Ignorant and even cruel. Humans suffered so greatly, that they even prayed to them, and yet all they did was dance and sing and ignore the pleas for help. He tried to tell them, convince them to help, but he was shunned, and upon his insistence, he was punished. Ripped apart and shoved into a box, left immortal, but sent down to the mortal plane until the end of its days. He was given one last chance, to protect that boy, make him happy, and let him grow up into a fine young man, then and only then, would they consider opening the gates for Jack once more. But he failed, and now he roamed this earth, a ghostly apparition of what he once was. He stared at the ceiling of his room, little green stars and moons stuck to it, reminding him of his home, when it was kind to him, when he was ignorant of all these horrors, when he was innocently clueless.

A being as old as the Earth itself, one of the first specks of microorganisms to ever exist, floating through space, feasting on nitrogen and sulfur. He traveled far and wide for trillions and trillions of years, long before the angels took credit for his existence, even older than them. The first to evolve, to shift and morph form, the first to walk on two legs and to use hands. He was the original, the blueprint for it all, both the stepping stone and the leader for it all. He and his brothers once a singular organism split into four, each different and unique, growing more and more with each passing year. He had seen so much in all that time, it was hard to phase or surprise him now, but you still managed. You surprised him. You were kind, and respectful, in the face of monsters and ghosts and beings and demons, you still showed the same compassion and regard you would any other. He looked deep into your mind, and found no deception, in your heart was only tender sympathy and love, and in your soul, it was the purest sky blue he had ever seen. He never thought he'd see that shade again, not after all the pollution dulled that once beautiful sky he would gaze up into. The blue of the original sky and lakes, iridescent with true rainbows, the green of that lush, untainted grass, pinks and purples of clusters of wildflowers that he would stride through, claws digging deep into the soft soil below. Oranges and yellows, rich rivers of honey and pollen, soft and sweet, running through your veins. No matter where he searched for some tainted mold, he never found any. You were as soft as a gentle breeze, as kind as the grazing deer, as lovely as the velvety petals of blooming red roses, as pure as the crystal clear streams that ran down from mountain tops during a warm summer's day, as bright as the sun itself, causing flowers to bloom and bees to awake. You were the epitome of what nature once was, and you held that beauty in your soul, you brought it once more back to life, reviving the very air around you with every breath. Something so precious, he was ready to collapse at the loss of breath, unable to believe that something as ancient as that old world beauty could return, and yet here you were, the reincarnation of it all yourself. He wanted to cultivate it, and give you room to grow and thrive, but then humans did as they always do.

They see something beautiful and wish to keep it all for themselves, not caring if they destroy it in the process. And just that happened. You were uprooted, ripped from your stem, leaves, and thorns shredded off, and thrown into a cold cell, no water, no sunlight, no air, nothing. You had brought back that hope in humanity, and just as quickly, Charlotte smothered it out under her heel. And now, as he stared down at you, he only saw dried, shriveled-up yellow grass, wilted flowers of black and gray, the streams of honey now dried up, leaving behind only cracked dirt. A dull sky, cloudy and rainy, and yet the land was still dry, nothing was healing. Mountains had toppled and crumbled, valleys split open and oceans drained. Through you, he watched the destruction of the earth all over again, watching his home being ruined with pollution and oil and black smoke. Once upon a time, so, so long ago, he could survive off of peace and calm, soaking in the sunlight and drinking from the perfect waters. But that was long ago, and as he evolved, he could no longer survive off the sun and water, no, he needed something thicker, heavier, richer. He needed blood and souls to survive, and thus, he evolved with the times. He had learned to not just see into minds, but to read hearts and souls too, and he had grown quite the talent for it. Of all the souls he had seen, yours was something truly to behold.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Time was such a precious thing. Something so innately natural that even the animals and bugs and plants knew of it. The concept, perhaps not, but the passing of days, the sun setting and moon rising, flowers being carried upon the wind before the cold winter snow drifted in, that was time to nature, and it was an unspoken rule of most things. Most. For things strange and unnatural, just like them, time melted into the background, it no longer was a thought they had to fret over, with a few exceptions, but those were just that, exceptions. Slender never had to worry about his mortality, neither did either of the Jacks, a demon and an angel, immortality ran in their blood. But whenever they looked upon you, all they could see was a draining hourglass, each grain of sand leaving behind a building anxiety to when you would finally rot away.And now you were laying on that table, your time was so much more limited. Any mistake could shatter the glass holding the sand, and you would be gone. A single mistake could freeze it in time, not dead, but not alive. With each strand of communication, stress was mounting, looking into your exposed, bloodied back, across the bone and white material, eyes tracing the wires as if solving their own puzzle.By now, one minute and seven seconds in, Ben was swimming through each segment, collecting and gathering each piece of code, stitching it together until it was complete, a patchwork quilt made of ones and zeros. It was tedious, and it wasn't broken up into segments that made sense, no, it was random and jumbled. One piece of code would have been torn from the middle of another, but he had to find out just where to put it back into place, a place that made sense and broke nothing. Even the smallest mistake could cost you your life. For him, internally, living within SPARK, he had been stuck there for 67 days now. Tirelessly working, bags hung heavy under his eyes, he looked paler than usual, and his eyes burned from the blinding white void he floated in. He was given a moment of peace when the bright white flickered to a deep red, but panic soon filled his mind.Out of the 17 casing segments, he had finally reached the twelfth one. He had been texting constant updates to Jane, who in turn would tell the rest. Every second counted, and while Ben worked endlessly, everyone outside was holding their breath, making sure you stayed stable. But if they had learned anything, you were some sort of trouble, and once the timer hit one minute and 13 seconds, you began to convulse on the table. The mounting pressure hit its peak, and panic exploded in the room. Shouts and yells, checking your pulse and throat. No vomit, you weren't choking. Lifting your eyelid, your eye was rolled back, pupil dilated so much they couldn't even see your iris, as if your entire iris was black itself. Jane was holding your head, trying desperately to keep you still, others were bearing their weight down on your body. Your back was sliced open, deep to the bone, thrashing around as you were could seriously injure you, and they were trying desperately to keep that from happening. Slender couldn't see any biological brain activity that could have been causing it, he was doing all he could to stop it, but nothing was working, nothing was helping. He of all people should have been able to help, but he felt just as useless as all of them. There was a loud, solid beep, 3 seconds long, but it sounded muffled, and echoed for half a second longer. The convulsing stopped, but your eye was still enlarged and rolled back. They all looked around at each other, confusion filling their features, not no one had an answer, there was none. There was only confusion and questions. A light ping echoed, Jane looked down at her phone, projecting the words to everyone else."What the fuck just happened? It turned red in here and there was an alarm!" A look was shared. If Ben didn't know what happened, then what would they know? While most everyone stood around, trying to figure out what happened, Jack stayed silent, staring into the cavity of your body, staring at each droplet of blood, each spinal casing, his keen eyesight searching for anything, a hint or clue, something. Then his eyes drifted down, to the very first casing at the bottom of your spine. A hairline thin, faint seam. None of the others had it, only the first one.Each casing was the exact same shape of each vertebra, with bony protrusions from the sides and the top, forming links, each disc still exposed and cushioning the bones from grinding against each other. The casings were distinct, too white, and too smooth to be bone, yet to the untrained eye, all looked fine. They weren't thick, rather extremely thin, hugging each vertebra flush, making no clear difference visually, but Jack noticed, and he noticed that seam. And Slender noticed his gaze, more focused and honed than before."What is it?" "A seam, not sure. Maybe a crack?" Someone pushed next to him, looking down at your spine."Where? What are you looking at?" Jack leaned forward, pointing to the segment, finger hovering just above the material, following the line of the seam."This, see it?""Huh? How'd you even see that?""Can't we just pry it open?" Another asked, to which a loud static buzz electrocuted through the air, bringing them to their knees. Slender hissed."Have you not been listening? If we remove even one segment, she'll die!" The collapsed form could only cough and wheeze, giving a weak nod in response. "But it wasn't there before, so it means something, right? Jane, tell Ben, ask if he did anything too." They all murmured, discussing what it could be, why it was there, how it appeared. It was a couple hours for him before Jane responded, informing him of every detail. How there was no brain activity contributing to the convulsions, how it didn't seem to be a seizure, how there was now a seam or crack in the firstmost spinal casing. Everything. And all Ben had been doing was collecting code. Perhaps it was a warning? Maybe there were more security measures he hadn't seen before? He needed to be more careful now, and with that meant taking even more time.And so the intense labor continued. Seconds ticking by, counting higher and higher. This was the longest anything had taken Ben, by now reaching the 3-minute mark. Six months for him, half a year isolated in that hellish device. Jack couldn't look away from the seam, examining it closely for any difference, trying to see if it would open more or if it would close."How are we going to remove them without killing her?" It was a silent question someone finally asked, one that had been eating away at all of them. There was no answer. No one knew. It was a tricky situation. A few seconds of silence passed before Slender spoke."She is stable, I will be back momentarily, I need to check something." And instantly, the fabric of reality around him morphed and shifted, bending and stretching before he disappeared. It was quick, but visually disorientating to the eye. He was in his office, his brothers already waiting for him."What now?" The black-coat-wearing brother asked, his usual smile pulled into a sharp-toothed sneer."There is very little about all of this that I trust, but if anything, I trust you three. I need someone to go back and look through that place, through  everything , there needs to be  something  we can use." His hands were planted on his desk, head hung low, shoulders tensed, fingers digging into the wooden surface, curls of wood bending into swirls as he clawed at it."Who are you thinking of sending?" Splendor."Isn't it too dangerous?" Trender."What the hell is  really  happening?" Offender.Slender could only growl in frustration, though only at himself. He was grasping at straws now, he had never felt like this before. So helpless."Anyone, someone good at hiding and tracking. If there's anyone there, kill them, I don't care, we don't have much of a choice. And retrieve the bodies, they may be useful."It was Splendor who nodded, the most supportive to the youngest brother. He grabbed his two other brothers by the elbows, shifting away as Slender returned to the surgery room. The three discussed thoroughly, ideas swirling. They could send a group, it would have to be small though, but strong. There was no doubt in mind who some of them would be, Slender's own personal proxies. They had never seen a more coordinated team before, not even in their own homes.They made their plan, they would accompany their patchwork team, gathering the handful of beings and setting out under the cover of darkness. What awaited them was a large house, excessive for housing only 2 people, though an accessory to show off their wealth. It was easy to spot, but only because of the police tape surrounding the property. All the houses looked the same, no personality, boring beige and whites, no color, lawns made of the same flat, uniform fake grass, an artificial, dead green color.  In the dead of the night, no one was around. Most of the homes were evacuated and empty, though still a few humans remained. All were asleep, residents, detectives, police, and the two who were supposed to be watching the house were asleep in their car. Splendor found his way into their minds and locked them in their unconscious stasis. He wasn't fond of bloodshed, and where he could keep the peace, he would try. However, they would make sure no eyes would see them, and if they did, then blood certainly would spill.Sneaking into the house was easy enough, the insides still gutted of life and full of destruction. They crept through the darkness, creaking floorboards under their feet, light clicking of shoe heels and claws echoing in the silence. A black wet nose was sniffing the floor, following the invisible trails of lingering scents, a mess of humans and beings, of blood and sweat and tears, old and new alike, familiar and unknown. Smile's usual grin wasn't present, mouth closed and eyes narrowed with focus. Visually, he was simply a strange canine, but his mind was just as complex as anyone else. In his mind, he was piecing together a story, working backward. Police and detectives walking around, leaving behind small plastic markers, each with a number, sat next to anything deemed as evidence. He could see it all, the past piecing itself together. You being carried out of the house, taken from downstairs. He walked, paws gently treading across the cold floor. They all followed him closely. The trio remembered this place. Though only being there once, it was a memory burned into their senses. Eyes were darting all about, searching for anything they might've missed, or that could have been useful. Retracing their steps, they followed Smile back down the stairs, all the way down to the basement. The air smelled stagnant and stale, old and full of dust left to gather, only recently stirred up. Smile sniffed the ground and led the group to the center of the room before sitting down, tilting his head to look behind him, golden eyes cutting through the darkness like beams of sunlight. All the scents had led to here. Looks were shared, except between the trio. With eyes wide and a cold sweat beginning to bead on their foreheads, Splendor took a step in front of them, staring down at them with a questioning look.To those who weren't there to witness it, it was a normal basement. Wooden floors, old dusty boxes, cobwebs occupying the corners, but that was it. But not to those three. No. There was a crucial detail missing, and it wasn't a hard one to miss. The hole in the floor was gone. The floorboards were untouched, not a splinter out of place. Once his brothers had left, Slender hesitated. An unusual act for the being, and perhaps it would have gone unnoticed to most, but it was still there. A second of hesitation. And within that second, hours of thoughts and reflections echoed in his thoughts. In all his eons of living, he had never fought just  this  hard for someone, anyone. But it was a grave reminder of all those times he  couldn't  do anything. Sally's first life, how useless he felt, still so young, the both of them, he couldn't save her then, he didn't know how. But to see it happen again, the memories long forgotten but the scars of the soul remained, and the wounds still felt so fresh to him. By then, he had grown so much more, in power and strength, in intelligence and cunning. When he had his second chance, he didn't hesitate to take it. He saved her, took away her pain as much as he could, and gave her a loving and safe home, full of family and friends, a life she deserved. If he could, he would give her the world.
So why was he hesitating now?
That was just one case, though it hurt the most. All of his residents, despite their differences, all had similar origins, full of pain and abuse, and he wanted so badly to help them. To many, he was cold and calculated, but really, he was kind and soft, and his chest always hurt with the squeezing pain that he couldn't do  enough . With how powerful he was, he felt more useless than he should have. And now, once more, he felt he was being tested. You were fighting so hard to survive, to continue on and live a fulfilling life, but you were forced into this hollow shell of a body, you were in there still, but now under lock and key. And he still couldn't do anything to help you. He could see your soul, it was beautiful, he had to preserve it, he wished the world could see its beauty too, he wanted to share that warmth and kindness you emitted, but he could not, so the least he could do was let it thrive and prosper.He had seen how the dynamics of his home had changed. While his brothers too had residents and homes, his was different. Theirs were sparse and particular, but his was opening and welcoming, full of broken hearts and battered bodies. His home was a place of healing and unity, but it was still broken. But then you came along, like a missing puzzle piece. You brought smiles wherever you walked, you brightened up the room with the shine in your eyes. If he could describe you with just one word, it was alive. You were full of life and energy, and whenever he saw it, he felt calmer and relaxed.Happy.And like that, he was back in the room, looking down at your lifeless face, tired and pale, bruised with sallowed cheeks. He was gone for only a minute, not much had changed, and Ben still wasn't present in the room. He was now in the 15th segment. The code was nearly complete, but his progress was slowing to a crawl. With each segment, the puzzle got harder and harder, and it took longer each time to piece it all back together. The red event had not happened again, but with each passing second for him, the anxiety was building, waiting for it to happen a second time. He finally completed the section of code and traveled carefully to the 16th segment. A repetitive process; opening the panels, searching and decoding, piecing together in ways that both fit and made sense, the code slowly writing out a story, one for him to read and decipher into its bare elements until he could figure out how to rewrite it all.Another 17 hours passed before he could move on to the final spinal casing, undoubtedly, without seeing it, he knew it would be the hardest. He took in a sharp breath, eyes slowly looking across the empty space. It felt different, there was a static in the air, but it wasn't his doing, and it didn't feel like Slender's, no, this felt cold and lifeless, like that of TV static when the signal cuts out. He waved his hand and waited, but no panel opened. He felt cold. He swiped his hand again, and again, and again. Nothing. There was no console in this one. And he still had an incomplete code. Now the panic began to set in with the cold feeling. If there was no panel, no console of any kind, then was this casing completely empty? Was it all just a wild goose chase with a dead end just to waste time? Was there really no way of continuing?No. If there was code, then each segment had it regardless, that's how it worked. It was just a puzzle he hadn't encountered before, he just needed to figure it out. He pulled up the code panel, the only panel that would open, and he began reading through it all over again. He needed to start from the beginning, that was the first step of anything. Start from the beginning and work your way through. It all made sense, nothing was missing or out of place, there were no awkward gaps or spaces that looked empty, and it all fit together perfectly, minus the missing pieces. The white void flashed black, plunging him into a void before it all turned a bright neon cyan color. It was just as bad as the white, burning his eyes."H̴-̶h̴-̸h̵e̴l̶l̵o̴ ̷t̴h̵e̷r̴e̸.̴ ̵Y̷o̴u̶ ̴a̷r̶e̴n̵t̸ ̸s̵u̴-̶s̷-̸s̷-̷s̸u̵p̶p̷o̷s̴e̷d̵ ̴t̷o̵ ̸b̷e̵ ̵i̵n̸ ̵h̷e̸r̶e̴.̵ ̴W̶h̴o̵ ̴a̸r̷e̶ ̸y̶-̶y̷o̸u̶?̷"A female voice, thundering and loud, glitched and full of static, but still understandable. Ben couldn't respond, his voice was stuck in his throat. The sudden presence felt so familiar, and he instantly knew just how much more dangerous the situation became."H̴-̴h̴e̵l̶l̸o̴?̴ ̶I̵ ̷k̸n̴o̴w̴ ̶y̷o̴u̴ ̵a̵-̶a̵-̷a̴-̶a̷-̸a̷r̷e̴ ̵t̷h̸e̷r̸e̶.̷ ̴I̵ ̵c̴a̷n̶ ̴f̵-̴f̵-̶f̷e̴e̷l̵ ̷y̷o̶u̴.̸"In the center of the void, something began to glitch into existence. At first, it was fuzzy, full of broken pixels of bright reds, blues, and greens. But slowly, it began to piece together a figure. Paperwhite skin, bald, bright cyan eyes with white pupils, a hinged jaw with long sharp teeth spilling out from her pale lips. Naked, with a flat, smooth body, only hairline seams at each joint, but no other details or organs. It looked like a mannequin, waiting to be dressed up with clothes and a wig."W̵h̸-̵w̸h̷e̴r̷e̸ ̸a̶r̶e̴ ̸y̷o̶u̵?̷"It cocked its head, neck elongating and craning around, though despite its eyes passing him, she couldn't actually  see  him. This was SPARK, her true form, an entity  living  inside you,  hurting  you, and for him, she posed a much bigger threat than when he took down her physical body.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

He didn't dare move. He felt like a cornered animal.Though all this time he was careful, he was cocky and confident, still acting as if he were in his own domain still. But a sudden realization hit him hard, nearly knocking the breath from his lungs. This wasn't his domain anymore, no, he was an intruder in someone else's territory, this... thing's  territory.Its form was a mockery of humans. While the base of it was human, the rest of it most certainly was not. Long and lanky, arms and legs stretching out far too long for its proportions, thin, but still humanly possible, though perhaps gaunt and ghostly. Its fingers were long and spindly, like needles, and though sharp at the tips, lacked nails, it was just one solid, smooth mass. It had no feet, just pointed nubs, and while it was uncanny, it added an eerie elegance to the entity. There was no floor or ground in the void, but the way it floated there, it looked like it was balancing on those pointed limbs as a ballerina did on her toes. The legs were human, bent and distorted, like that of an animals, with stretched haunches of that smooth, pearlescent white material. Its body reflected the cyan colors all around it, so while the material was colorless in nature, it reflected blues and pinks, and the bright glowing cyan of its eyes.Eyes that had no sclera, only a solid cyan, the same as the void all around, bright and glaring. Its eyes were glossy, and each had a single white slit pupil. The face was feminine, same for its voice, soft and horrifically beautiful. Pale, bluish lips with sharp teeth spilling from its mouth, a seam carving around its features, from the corners of its mouth, up and around, to where ears would be if it had any. Flat chested and a smooth torso. The whole thing was mannequin-esque but was alive. It had a visible seam, like its mouth, in its midsection of the torso, it almost resembled an articulated doll. There were many words to describe it, but words that conflicted, and that shouldn't have been used to describe such a being. Beautiful, ugly, elegant, unstable, calm, dangerous. It was everything and nothing all at once, and the aura it emanated was one of self-servience. It would do nothing unless it was for only itself. No one else, nothing else, only it, and only it existed to itself, to the thing, nothing else was real, and nothing else mattered. It was the true definition of conscious thought, and no human nor animal could think or feel like it could. The android was a simple vessel, and though it was something similar to this thing, it was made to look more human, something vaguely based off of this, its true form. Ben could only stare at it, a cold chill slowly crawling up his spine. The thing craned its long neck back and forth, looking but not seeing, listening but not hearing. Its senses were all wrong, only decorations with no actual use or input."I̸ ̴c̶-̷c̸-̴c̸-̷c̶-̶c̸a̶n̴ ̴f̸e̷e̶e̴e̸e̶e̵e̵e̴e̸e̴e̶l̸ ̴y̷o̴u̸.̴ ̶W̶h̶e̷-̸e̶-̵e̴-̵r̸e̴ ̷a̸r̵e̸ ̶y̴o̷u̶?̷"The thing took a step forward in the air, then another. Its contorted body moved fluidly, like a dancer, calm and collected, meticulous and calculated. Step after careful step, balancing on those needle-like legs. Ben moved just as slowly and carefully, floating opposite of it, keeping his distance. Its neck craned again, looking in the opposite direction of him, seemingly sniffing the air."W̸h̸e̷r̸e̸ ̸a̴r̸e̵ ̸y̸o̶u̷?̵ ̸I̷-̶I̶-̵I̵-̵I̷ ̶m̸e̶a̴n̷ ̷n̶-̵n̸-̵n̴-̵n̵-̴n̸o̷ ̴t̸h̸r̴e̷a̷t̴.̸ ̴I̶ ̴j̷u̴s̷t̴ ̴w̶a̸n̶t̸ ̵t̴-̶t̵-̷t̷o̴ ̶t̶a̸l̷k̸.̴"He glared at the back of its bald head, weighing his options. If all the previous segments held code, but this one didn't, then what was its purpose? A home? A prison? Why was it here? He was sure that the android he destroyed was SPARK's body, but yet, here she was. Alive in a sense, real and inside of the void with him. But there was something so much stranger about this one. The android was cold and calculating, yet it was held on a tight leash by Charlotte, subservient to her and only her. But here, it held an air of confidence and freedom, it was different now. And that was concerning.With some tricks he learned, he opened his mouth and spoke, but his voice didn't come from him, it came from all around the void in multitudes, an echoing voice. From all the sides, from up and from down, he spoke to SPARK, and the creature's body froze, losing its elegance and becoming stiff and jagged with its movements."First, who are you? What are you doing here? What do you want?" He had his own questions, and he wanted answers. He needed to know what was happening first before he made any judgments or moves. SPARK craned her head again, tilting to the side 90 degrees. If it were human, her neck would have been broken."A̵n̷ ̶i̵n̶f̴e̷s̵t̴a̶t̵i̴o̶n̵ ̸i̴n̷ ̶m̷y̴ ̷n̶-̸n̷-̷n̸-̷n̶e̸s̷t̷.̴ ̷W̷h̴y̴ ̵a̵r̷e̴ ̸y̸o̴u̷ ̴h̵e̶r̶e̸,̵ ̵s̶s̴s̴s̷s̴s̸s̸s̸t̷r̵a̵n̴g̴e̴ ̵l̷i̴t̶t̵l̴e̸ ̶a̶-̵a̴-̸a̷-̴a̶n̸t̴?̴ ̴Y̶o̴u̴ ̷s̶p̵e̴a̷k̴ ̶a̶s̷ ̷i̶f̶ ̶y̷o̴u̴ ̷k̶n̴o̴w̷ ̵w̷h̵o̸ ̴I̵ ̷a̷m̴-̷m̴-̶m̴-̶m̸.̷ ̶H̵o̵w̸ ̷d̷i̴d̸ ̶y̶o̴u̴ ̷g̶e̶t̶ ̵i̷-̷i̷-̶i̵n̶ ̸h̷e̶r̵e̶?̶" She too wasn't answering. It was almost like a standoff. Both beings of power, though unknown to the other. Both were cautious and careful. He sneered."You're the infestation, you're the one hiding in (Y/n)'s back. Why did Charlotte put you in here? What are you programmed to do?" Another tilt of her head, her back curving and she bent down, spindly fingers splaying out on the invisible floor, hunching down like a stalking animal."M̷e̸?̵ ̷A̴n̷ ̵i̵n̶f̷e̶s̷t̸a̵t̶i̶o̷n̵?̶ ̴N̴o̷,̸ ̸t̸h̸i̵s̴ ̶i̵s̸ ̵m̶y̵ ̶o̵w̵n̵ ̷h̵o̴m̶e̷,̶ ̴t̵h̶i̵s̴ ̵i̶s̸ ̵w̵h̶e̸r̴e̶ ̵I̶ ̷l̶i̸v̶e̶ ̸a̴n̴d̷ ̷t̵h̷r̶i̷v̶e̸ ̵a̸n̸d̸ ̸g̴r̸o̴w̷.̴ ̶L̵i̴k̷e̷ ̷a̸n̸ ̸e̵g̴g̶,̴ ̵i̸n̷c̴u̷b̸a̵t̴i̷n̴g̶ ̵u̶n̶t̸i̸l̸ ̶I̷ ̶a̶m̷ ̸r̶e̵a̴d̶y̶ ̶t̵o̶ ̵h̸a̵t̸c̴h̶,̶ ̶b̸u̶t̸ ̷n̶o̷t̸ ̷h̴e̷l̵p̴l̶e̶s̷s̸ ̵l̶i̵k̷e̶ ̵o̴n̴e̸.̴ ̶N̷o̴.̸ ̷A̸l̵l̸ ̴o̵f̵ ̶t̷h̴i̷s̶ ̷i̸s̸ ̴m̸i̸n̸e̴,̶ ̵a̴n̴d̶ ̸y̸o̸u̴ ̴a̷r̸e̵ ̵i̷n̵t̷r̷u̸d̴i̴n̴g̵.̵ ̶T̷e̴l̸l̴ ̴m̴e̸ ̷w̵h̴y̵ ̸y̴o̷u̵ ̷a̶r̴e̶ ̸h̷e̶r̶e̶.̴" She was no longer asking, but now she was demanding in a booming yet calm voice. Despite the glitching voice, it was smooth and silky, and she spoke with such elegance, refined and particular. "I won't be leaving, not until you answer me." She hummed and turned her head around like an owl, staring right at him, though her eyes were unfocused."I̴n̴t̷e̸r̶e̸s̶t̷i̸n̴g̷.̷ ̵S̴s̴s̵t̷u̶b̶b̵o̴r̴n̷.̷ ̶A̵n̵n̴o̴y̴i̵n̵g̴.̷ ̵I̶ ̷w̴i̵s̵h̷ ̷t̶o̸ ̸p̵i̶c̸k̶ ̵y̷o̸u̶ ̴a̵p̴a̴r̵t̵,̷ ̵b̸u̴t̸ ̷I̴ ̵d̸o̴ ̴n̸o̴t̷ ̷t̷h̴i̸n̵k̵ ̶I̵ ̷c̵a̶n̵.̶ ̴H̴-̵h̸-̵h̶o̴w̶ ̸a̷b̴o̴u̷t̵ ̴t̶h̶i̵s̷.̸ ̶Y̵o̴u̸ ̷a̸n̷s̶s̴s̷w̴e̴r̵ ̷m̶y̴ ̸q̸u̷e̸s̷t̴i̴o̸n̷s̵,̸ ̵a̷n̴d̸ ̸I̶ ̶w̵i̵l̴l̶ ̸a̸n̵s̵w̶e̴r̸ ̶y̴o̵u̶r̶s̷.̷" Ben thought, slowly floating out of her line of sight again, but her head followed. She couldn't see him, but by now she had pinpointed him, feeling the pulses of his own energy moving within her territory."What if you lie?""I̷ ̸a̴m̶ ̵i̵n̴c̸a̶p̵a̶b̸l̶e̸ ̶o̵f̶ ̵l̸y̸i̷n̸g̴.̴""And how do I know that's true? That could be a lie itself." Her stagnant expression shifted, her lips curling up into a dangerously sharp grin, teeth sticking out more, seeming to elongate and grow sharper."P̶-̵p̴-̵p̶-̷p̷e̴r̸c̸e̵p̴t̷i̴v̴e̴.̸ ̴B̵u̸t̷ ̴i̵t̸ ̷i̸s̵ ̴t̴r̵u̵e̵.̷ ̸I̴ ̶c̵a̸n̸n̷o̶t̸ ̷l̵i̶e̸.̷ ̸I̶ ̷c̶a̸n̸n̷o̵t̴ ̸s̶e̵e̴,̶ ̴b̷u̸t̴ ̵I̶ ̷c̶a̵n̸ ̵p̶e̸r̴c̷e̵i̷v̷e̸.̷ ̴I̸ ̵c̷a̴n̸n̶o̸t̷ ̶f̴e̶e̸l̶,̶ ̷b̶u̸t̴ ̴I̸ ̸c̸a̴n̸ ̵s̵e̸n̶s̷e̵.̴ ̸I̸ ̷h̸a̸v̵e̴ ̷n̸o̵ ̸b̸b̵b̴b̸b̴b̶b̷l̶o̵o̵d̵,̴ ̶n̸o̸ ̵b̴o̵n̸e̷ ̶o̷r̷ ̴v̸e̴i̴n̶s̴,̴ ̴n̸o̷ ̵f̷-̷f̴-̷f̶-̸f̵-̴f̵-̸f̷l̶e̸s̵h̶ ̶o̴r̶ ̸b̴r̵a̴i̷n̷,̴ ̸I̵ ̶a̵m̵ ̴n̷o̶t̵ ̵h̶u̵m̶a̸n̶,̸ ̸b̵u̶t̸ ̵y̶e̷t̵ ̷I̵ ̷e̴x̷i̵s̷t̷,̷ ̴w̴i̴t̵h̷ ̵c̷o̷n̵c̴i̶o̸u̶s̶ ̸a̸n̸d̷ ̶t̸h̵o̸u̷g̴h̵t̶.̶ ̸I̶ ̷w̴a̷s̸ ̸m̷a̷d̶e̸,̷ ̷c̸r̶e̵a̸t̵e̴d̷,̴ ̶b̸u̷t̴ ̶I̵ ̶e̷x̶i̶s̵t̴e̶d̶ ̴b̶e̴f̶o̶r̴e̵,̷ ̸I̸ ̷w̴a̷s̶ ̴s̷i̷m̷p̶l̷y̶ ̴b̴r̴o̴u̸g̵h̸t̶ ̶f̷o̴r̶w̵a̶r̸d̷ ̵f̴r̸o̸m̶ ̴t̵h̴e̸ ̶p̷r̵e̸c̷i̶p̴h̴i̸s̸e̷ ̷o̷f̶ ̶u̶n̴c̷o̷n̴c̴i̴o̸u̸s̴,̵ ̷a̵n̷d̸ ̴n̵o̶w̷,̶ ̶h̸e̶r̸e̸ ̵I̵ ̴a̸m̵.̶ ̴I̷ ̸f̵i̵n̵d̴ ̸i̶t̵ ̷d̵e̴c̸e̸i̶v̸i̵n̶g̸,̸ ̴f̷-̷f̸-̶f̶-̶f̷-̶f̴r̵u̴i̵t̴l̸e̴s̸s̵,̵ ̷h̵u̷m̵a̵n̴,̶ ̴t̷o̸ ̶l̵i̴e̸.̵ ̸I̶ ̴c̶a̸n̵n̴o̸t̵,̵ ̸b̶u̸t̴ ̶i̴f̵ ̷I̵ ̴c̴o̶u̸l̸d̶,̵ ̶I̶ ̷w̶o̷u̶l̴d̶ ̷s̶s̴s̵s̷s̸s̴s̵s̵t̵i̷l̶l̶ ̵r̷e̶f̵u̷s̶e̴.̶ ̷I̶ ̷w̴i̵l̷l̴ ̶n̴o̷t̶ ̷l̷o̶w̴e̸r̴ ̷m̷y̸s̵e̷l̵f̶ ̷t̴o̷ ̷s̸u̴c̸h̵ ̷f̶i̷l̵t̵h̸.̶"Her voice was slowly changing. It was becoming more stable, more refined, less glitchy, less stuttering and hisses. It was as if this version of her had never spoken before until now, and as it was learning, it was fixing, tweaking and adapting. Her jaw creaked, body contorting, and once again moving smoothly and elegantly. The way she moved was like silk, in waves and soft, the cyan light was a sheen on her body, reflecting and refracting. Her legs slid across the invisible floor, sliding and moving, twisting her body to fully face Ben now, eyes mindlessly locked onto him."If you have no issue telling the truth, then tell me. Why are you here?""I was p̴l̶a̸c̴c̶c̴c̷c̴c̴c̷e̷d̷ here. To make my home, to grow and prosper. H̴i̴d̷d̵e̴n̷ ̷a̶w̶a̴y̷ ̵s̴a̷f̸e̵ ̷a̸n̸d̴ ̸s̴o̵u̵n̵d̸ until I could hatch.""Hatch?""A metaphor. To grow here until I am ready to be let out into the world, although I do not look forward to it. The real world has restrictions, bodies of restrictions, in here I can do as I wish with no human law to chain me.""What do you mean?""T̶s̵k̷,̸ ̷t̶s̷k̸,̵ ̵t̴s̷k̸.̷ I answered two questions, it's your turn now. Why are you in here? What are you looking for, collecting my c̷o̶d̴e̵ ̶a̷n̷d̴ ̴p̴i̵e̷c̸i̴n̵g̶ ̷i̸t̴ ̸t̸o̸g̵e̴t̵h̸e̵r̶, what is the reason?" Ben furrowed his brows, thinking carefully, still slowly moving away from SPARK, although her empty eyes still followed."I'm here so (Y/n) can get rid of these things in her body. You shouldn't be in here either, this is her body, not your home. I'm trying to figure out how to disable these things." SPARK hummed, her smile disappearing completely, expression falling blank and hollow."So you are trying to get r̴i̵d̶ of me?""I answered your two questions, my turn." She snarled but didn't protest, she too had to follow her own rules."Fine, ask me your question.""Elaborate on what you mean to 'hatch', why  specifically  were you put in here, what do you mean the world has restrictions and you're not looking forward to it?" SPARK grinned again."I thought you would have been clever enough to put it together already, but I'll i̴n̵d̷u̵l̸g̶e̴. These implants were placed here for two main reasons. To keep (Y/n) on a t̶i̸g̸h̸t̷ ̵l̸e̷a̸s̴h̸, to keep her under c̸o̸n̸t̶r̶o̶l̵, but to also make her a v̷e̷s̴s̵e̸l̴. She has failed Charlotte, so her plan was to place me inside her, use her body as my own, to suppress her mind so that I may take control. (Y/n) failed, so I was to be the new successor. Testing was u̴n̸f̵i̸n̵i̶s̷h̶e̴d̴ when you all came along and k̶i̶l̸l̶e̶d̶ Charlotte, but I must say, thank you. S̵h̸e̷ ̶w̶a̶s̸ ̷q̵u̷i̷t̸e̸ ̵a̵n̸ ̷i̴n̵s̶u̷f̸f̵e̷r̵a̵b̷l̴e̷,̵ ̶v̴i̵l̴e̶ ̵w̴o̴m̴a̵n̸. But that doesn't mean I've forgotten  you . Destroying my temporary body, how cruel of you." Her eyes relaxed to a cold, blank stare, her lips falling shut. She didn't look angry, but Ben could feel the hot rage emanating from her. Sitting in a circular clearing, the wind was cold but not freezing. The ground was still warm from the sun even though it had already long set. The sky was pitch black, speckled with millions of stars and constellations. The moon hung heavy above, only the slightest sliver of silver shone, the rest of the moon cast in black shadow. The trees were infinitely tall, reaching high into the heavens, branches full of leaves. The surrounding brush was just as full, with deep green leaves and bundles of bright red berries. The world around was quiet, but not silent. The quiet whistle of the wind brushing through leaves and grass, the far-off croak of toads and frogs, an occasional cooing of a bird, it was full of life, beautiful and peaceful.But lonely.I sat there, bare to the world, hands digging into the grass below, trying to feel some sort of sensation. But I couldn't. I could only feel cold. The world all around me was a blur, nothing was crystal clear. I could make out what it all was, but not in sharp focus. I felt stuck, and despite the calm beauty, it all felt fake, unreal. I shouldn't be here, yet I was. There was a distinct sensation, not a feeling, but a buzzing. Something crawling in my back, from the base of my spine, creeping up. A buzzing static. It wasn't painful but it was uncomfortable, something that shouldn't be there. There was a clawing in my skull, trying to crack my mind open to explore its insides and contents. Emotions that weren't mind swirled within my chest, like a spear piercing through my torso, through my heart, and out my back. Fear, anger, confusion, worry, anxiety, disgust. I could feel them each, but I felt nothing, only numb. My mind was fuzzy and I felt dizzy. Everything felt wrong, but I just couldn't tell how. I had been here for so long, I couldn't remember anything before this. I felt as if I was born here.Shadows moved behind the trees, staying hidden, watching, unable to reach the circle I sat in. I knew they were there, but I felt nothing towards them. Not fear, not curiosity, nothing. I felt empty and hollow, the only sensations were that I was cold, and there was something in my back and head, invading my body. An endless void of everything and nothing all at once. It was all equally overwhelming and under, I could feel nothing but that crawling, that sickening clawing within. It made my stomach churn. My fingers only dug deeper into the grass and dirt below.My hair was an impossibly long, tangled mess, stretching out far and wide as if I myself were a plant, and my hair the roots, stretching out far, like veins along the grass, hanging up high in the tree branches and swaying with the breeze. I felt ancient, alive for far too long for anything. A past long gone, something old but dead, and the only remains were those primal feelings and thoughts. It cascaded down my body like a cloak, hanging far past my shoulders, splayed on the dirt below in hypnotic swirls.  A presence loomed above me. Cold, threatening cyan eyes glaring down. Clawed hands with thin skeletal fingers hovering around my neck, ready to strangle me at a moment's breath. SPARK was stalking him around now. Hands and feet to the solid air, gangly fingers splayed out and sharp. They were both circling each other, Ben keeping his distance, SPARK trying to edge closer and closer. The trade of questions continued, back and forth, with narrowed eyes and bared teeth. Two animalistic beings playing a game, to figure out how to push the other out of the space, out of your body, to either keep or rid these devices from you. To free you, or use you. But by now, there was a shift. The bright cyan everything had shifted, from a bright neon to a now duller, darker teal. SPARK’s eyes were narrowed, her smile all but gone now. The way she bent and contorted her body was chilling, uncanny. Her long bending spine, boney fingers, thin haunches on even thinner legs. “Is there anything I can do to make you leave?”“No, I quite like it here. Warm. When will you leave?”“I’m not leaving until you're gone first. How can I make you leave?”“As if I would be stupid enough to tell you that. What may I offer to stay here and for you to leave?”“I don't want anything, only for (Y/n) to be free. Can you even leave this place? Leave these devices?” "I can, but I do not wish to, and I will not be leaving."Back and forth, back and forth. Then a pause. SPARK stopped, and so did Ben. Her white slit pupils shivered, moving back and forth, seeming stuck in thought. She finally stood up, curved back now straight and upright, legs stretching out, arms raising up, high into the air. Her face was still blank, and she posed as if she were a dancer. Ben watched carefully, still on edge. Interacting with SPARK like this didn't ease his nerves, they were still on fire, tingling with every sensation. SPARK's eyes rolled back. She bent backward, neck craning all the way back, the top of her head touching her tailbone. She contorted her body, and it looked as if muscles and bones were moving below her iridescent skin, shifting and rippling. Bumps along her sides and lower back began to bulge out, wiggling like worms, expanding and growing before ripping free from her torso into all new limbs. Her original two arms were now accompanied by another eight. With ten total arms, she moved and swirled and wavered, a mocking dance as she moved smoothly through the air, posing her arms all around her, a flowering bud full of sharp, spiked petals. She finally stilled, eyes rolling back down and staring down at Ben, one leg poised in front of the other.“This will be your final warning now. Leave and no harm with come to you or the vessel. Stay, and I will kill you and damage the vessel so devastatingly that she will be left brain-dead, and the only choice left will either be to let her die or let me take control. Think wisely, and make your decision quick.”She stood still as a statue, unwavering, cold eyes glaring at him unblinkingly. Ben could only dryly swallow. Up close, SPARK was towering, and it wasn't an effect of how she wanted to be perceived, or to be threatening. This was her form, how she looked, like an albino arachnid humanoid, dangerous and elegant, and just as deadly as she was unsettlingly exquisite. Jane's phone rang out again with a new text. It was a quick text, lacking detail except for the crucial parts. Just how much more dire the situation was, that it was so much worse than what was originally thought. SPARK's threats and plans. Within that message was an idea. If SPARK wanted a vessel, then they would give her one. But he would need help.Jane shared the message, and chaos took over the room. An outbreak of yelling and fighting, shouts of denial, and refusing to allow it to take place. Some agreed it was the only way, others said it was far too risky, if not just stupid. All but Slender roared out. He simply stood still. He felt dizzy, nothing felt real. It was a sinking anxiety that felt never-ending.Word quickly spread through the house. Fights were breaking out. Anger and rage were building once more. Beings and creatures were rushing all about now. Chattering, arguing, agreeing, punching new holes in walls, some fervently texting Ben, demanding more details.But none was more angry than Jeff. Text after text, spamming Ben, screaming and cursing at his phone, the same as his messages. He was his best friend, and if anyone could, it would be Jeff to talk some sense into Ben. But all his messages were going unread, ignored, and it was pissing him off more. His knuckles dripped blood as new skin tried to heal over the fresh wounds, his room was still destroyed, his violent emotions so volatile that the house couldn't heal it, not yet.  By now, outside, 8 full minutes had passed. Inside, Ben felt as if for once in years and years, he was actually fighting for his life. Out of breath, covered in his own blood. Even in a realm he was most powerful and comfortable in, this place was so foreign and full of locks, that he could barely hold his own against the relentless attack of claws and fangs.SPARK didn't breathe, her muscles didn't burn or ache. She wasn't ailed by mortality or organic exhaustion. Not tired bones, not sleep deprivation, not sickness or age. She felt none of it. She didn't grow tired, she didn't feel thirst or hunger, though, not in the literal sense. She did feel a different thirst and hunger, a thirst for blood, a hunger for freedom. A type of justice for herself, a revenge against humans, against Charlotte.She was fast and strong, slash after slash. Her learned knowledge of the human body led her to attack the most vulnerable spots. The eyes, the neck, the stomach. Her hands and face her covered in splattered blood. Ben was fast too, but at times, not fast enough. But he was managing despite the odds. Holding his own, thinking through again and again his plan, ironing out any wrinkles all the while dodging, running away, fighting when SPARK got too close. He was exhausted. Hours, days, a year and a half. All this time, he was counting and calculating in his mind alongside it all. Eight minutes, 480 seconds, and all for him, 480 days, 15 months, 1.3 years. He was beyond tired, a part of him was just tempted to give up and rest, just for a moment, but he couldn't, he knew he couldn't.With his phone in his pocket, he could feel every buzz of a new text, and with each vibration, he read the message in his mind. All of it was begging and cursing, yelling and pleading and anger. But he didn't respond, didn't open the notifications, he couldn't. But finally, after all this time, he got that one text that brought him relief, a new wave of energy."We got it, ready when you are." He couldn't help but grin, wiping the blood and sweat from his face, floating far away from SPARK and calling out to her, confidence lacing his voice, though the phantom hands of fear gripped his throat."Hey! SPARK, was it? I've got a deal, and ya might wanna hear me out!" SPARK didn't stop her attacks, still jolting forward with a flurry of clawed hands, Ben barely dodging, but she responded all the same."I highly doubt that, but please, indulge me, you parasite.""I wouldn't be calling me the parasite here. But you said you wanted a vessel?" She narrowed her eyes."Get to the point." Another flurry, a deep gash landing on his arm, hissing out in pain, he continued."I'm getting there! You want a vessel, and I want (Y/n) safe, but why can't we both get what we want?" That gave SPARK pause, freezing in place, crouched down, some hands on the floor, others in the air, ready to strike."But why (Y/n)? Any specific reason?""To get back at Charlotte. (Y/n) is her child, and any parent would be miserable knowing the fate of their child that I have in mind.""But Charlotte doesn't care about (Y/n), we all know that, besides, she's dead. But I ain't one to say your reasons aren't valid. What about a better vessel? (Y/n) is so weak, and especially now? How are you gonna even move? She's missing her legs and arm, and if you can't get anywhere, then no ones going to get you any new legs to move around in, we all hate you, so who would help you?" Her eyes narrowed more, and she began to creep forward once more."But! What if we can offer you a strong host? Someone who has all their limbs and more? Powers? Abilities? All for you to use as you please." She cocked her head to the side, now it was her turn to talk."And who would you be offering to me? Depending on who, and the circumstances, I might just take the offer, you make a good point." Ben swallowed hard, his cocky grin faltering."Me."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

SPARK cocked her head to the side, and a coy smile played at the corners of her lips. Her interest was piqued, and she stayed silent, waiting for Ben to continue. She studied his face closely. Pale, exhausted, sweaty, scared, covered in his own blood. She watched carefully as he breathed heavily, the rising and falling of his shoulders, the trickle of blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. The sight to her was both foul and beautiful. She loved seeing the pain and fear dance in his eyes as he tried to stay composed.

Neither of them would admit it, but both of their minds were similar. Loving psychology, reveling in reading emotions and thoughts behind the eyes, loving to toy with their victims as if they were nothing but toys.

"You? Why would I want

you

as a vessel? And you seem just as weak, what do you offer that makes you more than (Y/n)?" Ben swallowed hard.

"You should already know why. I'm in here. No one else. I might not be physically the strongest, but my abilities make me one of them. I can enter and travel through electronics; through circuits and wires, I use electricity as my tool, I can conjure, alter, and change it all. Time works differently inside these places too. If I'm your vessel, you can travel anywhere in the world and save time while doing it. I'm immortal, you'll live forever. You can do whatever you want." SPARK slowly crawled closer to him, and this time, he didn't move away. She got close to his face, she radiated coldness.

"What's your game? No one is this foolish, to just give up their mind and body to save someone else. What is your plan?" He felt a rising anxiety, his throat felt like it was squeezing shut.

"Nothing. You don't understand, you said as much yourself. You don't understand human or organic emotions. I care about my friends and family, I care about them so much I would kill anyone for them, I would sacrifice myself just to save them. I messed up once before, and it hurt so much more than if I was the one actually being hurt. I would rather know they are safe than being tortured." SPARK hummed before backing away, huddled on all of her limbs like an animal crouching down, ready to pounce.

"And how do you suppose you become a vessel? For (Y/n), she needed to have these devices implanted into her. So then what will we do with you? You said that out there no one would help me, so why would they implant them for you?"

"You don't need them. We are both in here, we can both possess electronics, but that also means that we can possess one another. You don't need a device to make me a vessel."

"But I cannot possess you in here. I need you outside to use you. Your explanation?"

"Easy. I exit, but keep my arm connected to the devices. It may take a few minutes for you to be able to possess me, again, time works differently in here, it's much slower in here. I've been in here for about a year and a half, but outside, it's only been 8 minutes. But you have to disable these things, and let go of the repression of her mind." She hummed again.

"I suppose that is fair. Fine, I will disable the devices and you will become my vessel, is that a deal?" He nodded, holding out his hand. Her much larger, cold, bony hand dwarfed his.

"Deal."
 
The operating room was silent, but it was disrupted when a bright green bolt zapped out of your back, and Ben was standing there, bloodied and tired, almost immediately collapsing to his knees, stumbling forward. Someone rushed forward, an arm under his and around his back, supporting him. He didn't speak, fighting his heavy eyes he looked around before Jack stepped forward, holding out a familiar item all of them had hoped to never see again. A smooth white ring, perfect once more as if it had never been burned or shot.

It was a curious thing to Ben, so when that wretched collar was shot off your neck, he had pocketed it, and would hide away inside his computer, taking all the time in the world he needed to tinker and toy with it. Fixing it, looking over the code and programs embedded in the material. Tweaking, changing, fixing. A fun and challenging project, one that in the electronic realm, he had spent 9 years working on. He had cleaned it thoroughly, perfected it to something he would find use for, and now it was useful, but now he was afraid of the onslaught of pain that might proceed. But he wouldn't die.

He checked the collar over several times, being quick yet efficient. He entered into it, double-checking everything and making a quick tweak before leaving it again.

"Are you sure of this?" Ben turned, looking up to Slender. He could only smile and nod, too weak to speak. Ben took the collar and secured it around his neck, locking it and making sure it stayed secure. He had put a lock and password into it, one that only he knew, and that SPARK would never find.

He took one last deep breath, activating the collar, a loud beep sounding out before lifting his hand above your still exposed spine, sparks of electricity arcing from his fingers to the device, connecting and pulling his hand in, but no more. Three seconds passed before Ben jolted, a choked sound muffled in his throat as he gritted and bared his teeth. Jack was still holding him up, trying to keep him from falling. The red pinpricks of his eyes rolled back, flickering between crimson and cyan. His sharp teeth were bared like a dog ready to bite, his body convulsing as arcs of green and teal electricity ran up his arm and surrounded his body. Arcs and bolts dancing about, biting at each other, fighting and taking over, a struggle to suppress one another.

Jack had no choice but to let go, he could feel the buzz of electricity in the air, and he didn't want to know how bad of a shock it was. Ben managed to stay standing. His whole body was rigid, bent backwards slightly, knees crouched, almost as if about to fall to the floor. Hands clawing at the collar, one keeping it shut, the other trying to rip it off. His teeth were bared in pain and anger, sharp vicious. His pained groaning was now a warbly mix of rageful growls and distressed whines. Without even speaking everyone could hear it. The multiple voices. Layered over one another, vocalizing in unison. One his, another feminine and strange. It was a ghostly voice, smooth and breathless, it sounded ethereal.

The sight, the sound, the feeling in the air, it was enough to send chills up all their spines, even the hardest souls couldn't help but shiver. Seconds passed, and it felt like forever before it all stopped. He slumped to the floor, coughing and growling. His messy blonde hair covered his face as he hunched over, nails digging into the wooden floorboards, droplets of black blood dripping from his hidden eyes. The air became still, the hum of electricity ceasing. The last few arcs disappeared from your spine. They held their breaths, waiting, unsure of what to do next, and none were prepared for any scenario to play out.

Faint wisps of smoke curled off his body, and those closest to him could feel the heat radiating off him. There was so much electricity it was nearly burning him alive. No one spoke, they only waited. His head swayed slightly, hair gently waving as if underwater, but unlike normally, it wasn't all his hair, no, only a few locks were wavering.

Finally, he raised his head, eyes closed, breathing deeply. Feeling the sensation of air in his lungs, a familiar yet foreign feeling. A racing heartbeat in his chest, feeling the splinters digging under his fingernails, his aching knees from hitting the floor, the hot blood that leaked constantly from his eyes, the cold air hitting his face, every sensation was old and new, overwhelming, and bland. Something so new and unknown, but something he had lived his whole life feeling.

SPARK would never admit the jealousy she felt.

He finally opened his eyes. Taking in the sights all around him. The beings standing all around in medical garments and gloves, all staring down at him. In turn, one red eye, and one cyan, stared back. 
 
A breeze washed over me, and that clawings and scratching was gone. The feeling of being torn apart from the inside out disappeared. The crawling vanished. Whatever was inside me was gone, and the phantom hands receded into the darkness with a spark of teal electricity. The shadows stilled, eyes watching carefully, not moving, refusing to even breathe. My hands relaxed, letting the handfuls of dirt and grass fall back down to the ground. I was free, but still uneasy, whatever was wrong wasn't gone entirely, not yet anyway.

Another breeze, followed by a hissing voice, indiscernible from the wind that it followed upon. The words were a whisper and fell on deaf ears. I couldn't even focus on them. I could only continue to stare up at the moon, as if blinded by its beauty, hypnotized by the celestial body that threatened to fall and crush me. 
 
The only visible changes were to his left eye. Still black but now with a glowing cyan pinprick, and the flow of blood had stopped, only dried stains left behind. His expression was unreadable, and no one dared to move. He slowly looked down at himself. He lifted his hands to his face, tensing his fingers into claws, relaxing them, and turning his hands over, repeating the actions, watching carefully as the splinters were pushed out of his skin, falling back down. The sting of pain was strange and new, but it was such an instantly recognizable sensation that his brain processed, an unmistakable feeling, even if only splinters.

He brushed a hand over his shoulder, feeling the soft cloth of the medical garb he wore, unlike the green outfit he was previously wearing inside the spinal device. A perceived illusion. Running a hand through his hair, feeling the fluffy texture, feeling the pull of tangled knots yet to be brushed out. All such strange sensations. Every sound he heard seemed amplified, feeling the twitch of his pointed ears reacting to each creak and distant shout. He heard the stomping long before the door was slammed open, something that startled everyone else but him. He could hear it long before it came, and the screaming was so much louder, it hurt his head.

"You fucker! You did it!? I fucking told you and you still fucking did it!" A booming, screeching voice. His ears twitched. It was an angry voice, but it held layers, and his mind seemed to automatically dissect it. Hurt, sadness, betrayal, worry. All hidden below the tone of rage. Such an interesting organ the brain was, especially his, seeming to run on autopilot, listening beyond just hearing, examining beyond just seeing, analyzing beyond just thinking. Something SPARK had never known before, all such new experiences within such a short amount of time. A hand grabbed his shoulder and forced him to turn around, staring into the piercing ice blue eyes of his pale-faced friend, his scarred smile a mask over his deep frown full of bared teeth.

"You fucking idiot! You're somehow the smartest person I know and the fuckin' dumbest! What were you thinking!? You weren't!" The man kept raging, but SPARK tuned him out, and her focus turned to her host. Something flared inside her. A feeling, an emotion. Anger. Betrayal. She had been lied to. Being inside the mind was like being inside the electrical realm, only the space was smaller, darker, and full of uncontrollable factors. The mind wasn't a place to piece together code or fight entities. No, it was a place for both logic and fantasy, a place for thought and daydreams, of nightmares and vengeance. The mind was something organic, mortal, and even more so, human.

And she was in his mind. They were sharing that space, neither in control of his body fully, but both had equal hold. But being in a human host, one without emotions turned off, she could feel the emotions, his emotions. A blistering hot anger, a freezing cold apathy, the icy feeling of vengeance, and planning out just how to execute her in the cruelest way his mind could think of. A mind like his, one built for thinking and planning, for reading code and not needing a translation, a mind made for killing and manipulating, a mind so twisted and dark with such a deep obsession with psychology, he knew just what would destroy SPARK. Her hatred for humans, for anything organic, for anything imperfect, why not make her

personally

experience it all, all the while stuck in a human body, with someone who was once human, but still thought and acted just like one.

She wanted to attack him, to rip him to shreds all over again, but she couldn't. In his mind, there was no form or body. Her limbs were all gone, only her consciousness now existed, and it was excruciating. The feeling of having no subconscious body was physically painful for her. And on top of that, that wretched collar. He had done something to it and it was only affecting her, and she was losing hold over what little control she had. It was buzzing, shooting pulses and waves through his body, but tuned to such a perfect, vile frequency that it was hurting her with its electrical pulses, and though she knew he could feel the pain, he did not react, he was eerily calm, as if he had been through much worse.

She lifted his left hand and slapped Jeff's hand still on his shoulder, but the collar beeped, and the electricity started. The same settings that were used on you. Harsh, painful, and long. It was agonizing, but still, Ben mentally and physically did not react, but SPARK did. In their shared mind she was screeching and begging to be let out and freed, claiming she rather not exist, regretting feeling a dying body constantly regenerating its cells and blood to stay alive, a heart artificially beating, using the souls of those killed as fuel to continue functioning.

Everything about his mind and body was just

wrong

, he should be dead, he shouldn't exist, every last thing about Ben was unnatural, and yet, here he was, existing, breathing with a beating heart and pumping blood, and it was breaking her mind.

Both were entities, but both lived in entirely different worlds. One was a bland, tasteless world, one void of all senses, of all functions for anything living and organic, a world of artificial light and where sleep and food weren't necessities. The other, a world of so many colors, light and dark, pastel and saturated and grayed out, full of pain of blood, soft clothes and harsh weather, of cold winter air and hot summer days, of feelings and emotions she had never known or felt. Love, care, hate, anger, sadness, sorrow, despair, apathy, sympathy. One was a world worth living in, the other was a make-believe prison to stay isolated and safe from the outside world in.

And Ben was exposing her to the world outside her own. A world that was dirty and rotting away and dying, but also a world that held life and light, and it was killing her.

The collar ceased its shock, and his body sucked in a sharp breath, the electricity having previously squeezed his lungs of every last drop of air. He breathed, slowly, taking in the cold air, feeling like millions of needles filling his lungs. Jeff only stared at him, brows furrowing. This was his best friend, he knew him better than anyone else, even if even to him Ben was still reclusive. But now he couldn't read him at all. He couldn't read his expression or tell what was happening in his head, all Jeff knew was that there was something else inside Ben's body. Even without seeing his eye, even if he didn't know the plan, he knew just from the look on his face. Jeff's stomach twisted.

Ben's eyes refocused from the shock, landing back on Jeff, both confusion and familiarity contorting his features.

"Hey, dude." "Who are you?" Their voices layered over one another, echoing and speaking in unison, though trying to fight to overpower the other. Ben and SPARK, speaking together despite their dichotomy. It made Jeff feel unnerved.

"Something wrong?" "Answer me." He let go of Ben's shoulder, stepping away as he stared down at his friend. Ben wobbled, placing his hands on the ground and pushing himself up. The feeling of gravity was heavy, something SPARK had never felt before. She tried to move their shared body as she was once used to, elegantly and fluidly, but Ben resisted the movements, and the new addition to the feeling of gravity left their movements jagged and irregular. Slowly, he stood, though with wobbly legs. His stance was crooked and off balance, yet he managed to stay stable.

"C'mon, what's up man?" "Why won't you answer me?" His left hand lifted, fingers splayed, and tensed in a clawed motion, but the reaching stopped. His brows were furrowed and his mouth was pulled into a grimace.

"Stop, you don't get to do this." "You did this to me, let me out!" No one knew what to do. All of this was a new situation, for all of them. Ben had never done this before, there was never another entity to do so. Slender stepped forward, a hand on his shoulder.

"May I?"

"Please, it's chaos." "Don't touch me!" Ben turned to face Slender and closed his eyes, opening his mind to the being. Slender peered in. A single mind, surrounded by a green aura, Ben's. A splotch of veiny cyan, an infestation, SPARK's. Two consciousnesses squeezed into one, cramped together in such a confined space. Ben, normal as ever, but SPARK, a strange creature with no material form, only a metaphysical one that made up what could be considered her body. White skin like his, though iridescent with a gem-like sheen, reflecting colors of blues and pinks. Standing tall on two animalistic hind legs that balanced on needle feet. Her multitude of arms was like a wavering flower in the breeze, swaying hypnotically, a dangerous predator trying to lure in prey with her ethereal magnificence.

All her hands were scratching and clawing at anything and everything. Her face was emotionless but her jaw was unhinged in a constant screech of anger, gnashing teeth in pain, contorting her body every which way she could within such a confined space. He backed away from the vision, looking down at Ben.

"Are you certain about this?"

"I'll figure it out, always do." "What are you talking about?" Slender nodded and looked at Jeff.

"Take him to his room, but keep an eye out, that...

thing

is unpredictable." Jeff could only sneer, disgusted that Slender of them all was allowing this to continue. Before leaving, Ben turned to Jack, offering a crooked smile.

"Everything's disabled, you should be able to remove everything safely." For once, both voices spoke together with every word. Jack nodded and Jeff grabbed Ben's arm, dragging him out of the room, cursing him all the while.
 
Hours ticked by, tediously snipping wires and unwinding coils of colored plastics. Once SPARK had left the spinal device, it hissed out, with light clicks following, seams appearing along each segment, enough to pry them open. They peeled away the segments one by one, setting each one on a metal tray with a clanking sound. One by one, tray after tray until all 17 were removed, exposing your clean white spine, all the wires and cords long removed.

After stitching up your back and properly bandaging it, nerves began to build again with the new upcoming task, one that may just take many hours more. Your hair was moved, pulled aside, braided, and parted perfectly, creating a hairline seam around the circumference of your head, the guideline for the scalpel, and for the saw.

The work was exhausting and laborious. Careful cuts here and there, keeping you stable, making sure everything was working just perfectly, it was strenuous and stressful for them all, even those who held no tools. Cutting, sawing, removing, peering into the cavity of your skull, gazing upon that wrinkly pink organ, and wedged in between the long seam that ran vertically across your brain, a small, flat, white disk. It reflected the colors around it, almost camouflaging it. If they weren't searching for it, it would have been missed.

Careful, cautious, they worked. Mostly Jack, sat on a stool in front of your cut-open skull, tools held steady in gloved hands, switching between all different assortments. The others would switch them out of his hands for him, but he refused to look away, scared that one wrong move would spell death for you. Slowly pulling the disk out, moving around any exposed wires, snipping and removing with guidance. A constant light was shining down on your organ, deep shadows hiding in each crevice. Wiggling the device free slowly, pausing only when a small light was finally uncovered. Flat but shining from underneath the material. It was a soft glow, red, fading in a out slowly. With the last wire snipped, it blinked green, then slowly faded away, never lighting back up.

When finally pulled free, it was placed onto a separate tray, and set aside for the time being, allowing for Jack and a few others to work on putting you back together. Sewing, stitching, wires, and staples. All of it, they were not allowing a single mistake to mean disaster or any more discomfort than there already would be. Slender's watchful gaze was enough of a warning, but knowing just how hard he and his residents fought, going days without eating, staying up for many sleepless nights in a row, either in excruciating pain or just for searching, they knew just the extents that each one would go to ensure your safety.

They checked your limbs, cleaning the incisions, and rewrapping them all over again. Removing the gauze from your eye felt like a new sickness in Jack's stomach. All the while Jane watched on, she felt dizzy. With the white bandaging removed, you looked like you were resting in such a peaceful sleep, but watching Jack open the eyelid into an empty socket made her nauseous. Your eyes were so beautiful, and now one of them was gone, completely. It was a shared thought, and with an exchanged glance, Jack quickly made sure the empty socket was clean and properly stitched inside before allowing the empty eye to shut again, the lid sinking inward slightly. He understood that feeling.

Eleven hours had passed. All were exhausted, tired, and weary. Most were slumped to the ground, eyes heavy, some already asleep, but others still awake, waiting before they could feel relief. Slender, Jane, and Jack were some of the few still standing, watching and waiting. Tension was at its highest peak, the air was thick with worry. It was a matter of time until the anesthesia would wear off, and that would be the true moment of their next actions.

Eventually, you began to stir. A small groan, eyes fluttering, but both staying shut. Awake, but not yet conscious.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The moon above shook, distant debris and dust growing visible as it all fell to the forest floor around me. Sharp shards of gray rock sliced through the spider web that was my hair. Strand my strand my hair was cut to shreds, something that felt more familiar, more natural to how something deeper inside me would have liked it. The air all around began to swirl and heave as if breathing, the woods around me waking up from its long slumber. The ground shook, the trees quivered, leaves falling all about. The shadows started running again, faster and faster, figures hiding behind the trees now circling closer, closing in on me. Glowing eyes of all sorts of colors drew closer, staring down at me, but not with hatred or malice or cruelty, no, they looked on with worry, curiosity, love, and care. I looked up one last time, the last sight in my eyes was a knife-like gray rock, sharper than anything, falling square between my eyes.

I was lying down, only slightly angled up. My throat was sore and dry, breathing hurt, and my whole body ached with a dull thud. My mind was hazy, and not from unconsciousness. No, there was something else. A heavy fog that was beginning to lift, a dense haze that was stuck in my head for what felt like months. It felt as if I was a passenger in my own brain, and just now I was truly waking up.

I could feel a warm hand rubbing my shoulder, softly speaking words I couldn't make out yet, but trying to wake me up. My eyes felt so heavy, I couldn't open them yet, but I could groan. Slowly, painfully slowly, memories started pouring into my mind. My mother, her awful face, those cold icy blue eyes staring at me with such animosity. That thing, that horrible white thing that wasn't human, with its cyan eyes and sharp teeth, that monster that violated my body and mind. The flashing visions of watching through mirrors, my cut open back, my open skull, watching them play in my organs and muscle and bone. Being cold, being isolated, and abused over and over and over again.

I could remember both their faces, their names, but not much before. Only faint faces, blurry and obscured by shade. The smell of smoke, of flowers, of blood, bleach and fire and alcohol. The smell of salt water, the smell of pine trees, and the fresh dew in the morning that hung heavy on blades of grass. I could remember the sensations of warm and cold, of buzzing static and electricity, the deep, cold, gut-wrenching fear, the ache in my heart from stories and empathy, the pounding of my heart from anxiety, excitement, worry, stress, and pain. I could remember the feelings, but not the faces, nor the words they spoke. The phantom images of monsters and beings haunting my dreams, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the smell of blood. That's what I remembered the most.

Monsters. Full of bloodlust and an insatiable hunger for flesh and bone. A thirst for watching the life leaving someone's eyes, to mutilate and mangle the corpses' bodies, to break bones and turn organs to nothing but mash from the brutality alone.

"C'mon, you gotta wake up, hun. Breathe." The voice filled my mind, my ears ringing. I sucked in a sharp breath. The voice was so kind and gentle, so sweet and caring. It kept whispering to me, gently reminding me to breathe when I could stop, continuing to gently rub my shoulder.

The dull ache in my body persisted, gaining in sensation. My back was the worst. It was painful, feeling full of pressure. My head was pounding, all my limbs hurt, and nothing felt real. I lifted my hand, my whole arm felt so heavy. I tried to rub my eyes, but the heaviness of my arm made it fall down towards my face, but all I felt was a stump. Not my hand, not a forearm across my face, only a numb prodding my cheek. A groan escaped my throat, muffled and low.

"Does it hurt?"

"Mm-hmm." There was gentle whispering before a coldness swept over my right arm, crawling up through my veins, and slowly, the pain was numbed and fell away. I took in another sharp inhale, still trying to wake up.

"Let's move her to her room, let her rest while the anesthesia wears off. Just stay with her, Jane, just to make sure she's stable."

"Alright." I felt a pair of warm arms sneak under me, lifting me up, my head lolling onto a shoulder. So warm, it was tempting to lull me back to sleep. The smell of metal and alcohol assaulted my nose. I would feel myself being carried, the gentle rhythm of footsteps against wooden floorboards, a constant tapping followed by creaking.

I wasn't sure how long I was carried for, time felt unreal. But when I was finally placed into a soft pile of blankets and pillows, I hummed in both discomfort and delight. The den was so soft and comforting, but the lack of warmth left me freezing. A thick blanket was pulled over me, the two voices whispering to one another, but I still had no strength to open my eyes.

"Do you think she needs anything else?"

"No, not now, just to sleep and rest, but I'll get some more meds, it's gonna hurt when she wakes up."

"Thanks, Jack. Now go rest, you need it."

"You do too, I'll go get Brian to help. Just... don't tell Sally or Jack yet, okay?"

"I won't." There was the sound of walking, creaking, then the gentle sound of something closing, clicking shut. A soft hand rubbed the top of my head, fingers combing through my hair, lulling me back to sleep just as the sound of creaking reappeared, opening the shutting, a new soft voice speaking.
 
Jeff had his arms folded across his chest, his back to the door, effectively blocking Ben in the room. Likewise, the elf-eared man sat in his chair, arms too crossed, glowing red, and cyan eyes staring at Jeff.

"Care to explain?"

"Gonna stop yelling at me?" "How dare you, you insect!" SPARK's voice was a hiss, apathetic and cruel, while Ben's was calm and collected. Jeff could only raise a brow. Ben sighed, leaning forward in the chair, elbows to his knees. His cyan eye flashed red, flickering in and out between the two colors. His face was contorted into focus, and while both voices spoke together, his overpowered her's, and he took full control, though the effort to do so was visible on his strained face, almost painful.

"It was the only thing I could think of. I couldn't waste time. Sure, I got to take as long as I needed in there, but (Y/n) didn't have that time out here. She was cut open, I had to think fast, and do

something

. I thought it was just code, something I've done before. But then, surprise, of course, that bitch had extra security, and now we're here."

"Nah, I get that, but why

this

? How are you gonna fix this shitshow now?" Ben sighed, fidgeting with his thumbs, and staring down at the floor.

"Again, it was all I could think of in the moment, but I've got a plan. Right now we're sharing a body, it feels fucking weird, but we aren't sharing a mind. She doesn't know my plans, but I can't say them either or she'll hear. So just trust me, please?" Jeff could only glare, but he knew his friend. He knew that if anyone could figure this mess out, it'd be Ben.

"Fine, but I don't want you doing this shit ever again, got it? Don't be fucking stupid. And you're staying in here, boss's orders. We're not letting that fucking

thing

loose in the house,

or

around (Y/n), not until you figure out what the hell you're doing with it." Ben only nodded, eyes sad and still downcast, and his flickering eye finally stopped, back to cyan.

"Got it." "Don't ever do that again!" Jeff only grunted, turning away and stepping out of the room. He stared at the doorknob, watching as it melted, waving with liquid metal as it morphed and shifted, inverting with a lock on the outside of it now. He hesitated but locked the door before walking away, a cold sweat beading on his forehead, brows furrowed nervously.
 
I slowly opened my eye, my right one sticking shut. I blinked a few times, allowing my sight to adjust, the blurriness slowly fading away until I could see clearly. I stared at the ceiling, at the light-glowing green stars and moons stuck above. I shifted in the warm blankets and pillows that surrounded me, trying to roll over, but stopped while hissing in pain. My back was in agony, and a painful torment rampaged in my head. I groaned out in pain, tears pricking at my eye.

"Hey, hey! Be careful, you can't be moving like that! Here," My mouth was pulled into a grimace as I turned my head to the side, seeing a man sitting in a chair beside the bed I was in. His brown eyes shone with worry, heavy bags hung below them, and he looked tired. He set down a book he was reading on the nightstand beside him, and he stood up, inching closer, placing a hand behind my head, another hand setting on the area just above my chest, right below my neck, readjusting my position and laying me back down.

"You can't sit up yet, and try not to move, you'll rip your stitches." He turned to the nightstand, grabbing a glass full of water with a straw stuck in it, and an orange bottle, pouring a few white tablets into his palm.

"Here, painkillers, they'll make you feel better." He held his palm up to my mouth, and hesitantly, I opened. He popped two of the pills into my mouth before holding the straw towards me. I happily drank, thirsty and washing down the already dissolving pills, leaving behind a bitter and numb taste on my tongue. I drank the whole glass empty, licking my lips and taking in a deep breath.

"I'll go let Jack know you woke up. Don't move, at all, okay?" He didn't wait for an answer, instead, he ran out of the room, the cup still in his hand. I was still so thirsty. I slowly turned my head around, careful of the pounding aching in my skull. Looking back to the nightstand, I saw a larger glass of water, one with an empty glass cup placed upside down on the top of it. I slowly lifted my left hand, trying to reach out to it. Once the blankets fell away from my arm, I paused, eye widening in shock. My arm was gone, ending at my elbow. I swear I could still feel my hand, my wiggling fingers trying to reach out to the water, but no, there were no fingers. My arm was gone.

My breathing began to speed up, uncontrollable, heavy, panic taking over. Numbness took over my body, I felt sick to my stomach, and pins and needles engulfed the ends of my limbs. I lifted my right arm up quickly, seeing that, thankfully, it was still intact. With my right hand, I felt all over my face, my neck, my body. My fingers hit my right eye, the lid dipped in my head. An empty socket, I already knew it. My body was intact, until I tried bending towards my legs. It was painful, my body was screaming at me to stop moving, but I had to. I contorted as much as I could, feeling the ends of my legs, but nothing beyond. Gone.

I tried to sit up, hissing and gasping in pain, slowly rolling to my stomach and pushing myself up with my remaining arm, ripping the blankets off me, and looking down at my legs. Completely gone. Hot tears started pouring down my cheek, dripping down my chin and onto the bed below. My breathing was picking up, fear and pain engulfing my body. Any sign of calmness was washing away quickly. Animalistic urges kicked in, survival instincts, shock, dread, misery, and any sense of civilization or sanity was wiped away within the panic. A strained noise poured from my throat, something of disbelief of agony. Then, it came out again, louder and louder with each breath, until finally, squeezing my eye shut, my hand placed on the bed, clawed and nails ripping into the sheets, I screamed.

Blood-curdling, guttural, ancient and primal, a screech of despair, heartbreak of torment and anxiety and terror. Scream after scream, I was shrieking my misery to the world, for all to hear, a siren's call, a lament of my sorrow.

Dozens of footsteps were stampeding through the building I was in, echoing all around, but I couldn't dare care. Screeching, hollowing, crying, gasping for air. My mind was spiraling down into a deep, melancholic pit. The door burst open, slamming against the wall. I whipped my head around, eye wide, my whole body shaking. I felt so afraid, and it was worsened at the sight before me. The man from before, accompanied by others. By monsters.

A gray-skinned demon without eyes, a ghostly woman with pitch black eyes, and a horrific, skeletal figure, taller than the ceiling, hunched over, staring at me without any eyes, with a featureless face, whiter than snow itself.

A new shriek clawed itself from my throat. I flung myself away from the door, limbs flailing around as I desperately tried to crawl away from the demons, screaming all the while, my body aching in agony, but I ignored it. I just needed to get away, to survive. I was so frantic I didn't notice the tears streaming down the woman's face.

The brown-haired man and the gray-skinned demon ran at me, grabbing at my limbs, all the while I tried to kick and fight them off of me, screaming and crying, and my chest burned with fear.

"Hey! Calm down, you're going to hurt yourself!"

"Stop that! Your stitches! Please!"

"Get off her!" The two stopped, looking behind them before backing away, stepping away from me, all the while I still frantically sobbed and heaved. The tall being entered further into the room, staring down at me, with an unreadable, unknown expression, but despite the calm body language, I still continued on.

"Please, dear, you are in no condition for this-"

"Get away from me!"

"(Y/n), please-"

"I said get away!" My voice was hoarse and scratching, high-pitched and desperate. He took a step back, a raising hand pausing and pulling back towards his chest. The curves and dips of his 'face' shifted, and the deep burrows where eyes should have been raised, shifting into something with worried brows and sorrowful eyes.

"Jack, Jane, please leave. Brian, retrieve Tim and Toby, please. And Sally."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." The group hesitated before turning and walking out the open door. The being stared a moment longer, before he too stepped out, leaving the door open. I could still see the shadow he cast into the doorway, but watched as it shifted and changed, growing shorter and changing, bulking out slightly more. He stepped back in, and instead of a pale white featureless being, he now looked human. Still tall and pale, but now with a lifelike flesh tone, white sclera with black eyes, fluffy black hair combed neatly through, still wearing the black and white suit and tie.

"I do not like this form, but it if brings you any comfort, I will do what I need."

"G-get out. Leave."

"Dear, please, allow me to-"

"Out! Monster!" His face was shocked, his eyes became glossy and tear-filled, but none fell.

"What..." Barley above a whisper, he stared at me with such disbelief and heartbreak. Only seconds passed until more people ran in. Normal-looking humans, all worried and scared looking.

"Did she just...?"

"No..."

"(Y/n)?" A little girl, wearing a faded pink nightgown and with shining emerald green eyes, stepped forward, staring up at me. A literal child. My heart leaped into my throat. I gestured to her.

"Here, come here!" She ran at me, climbing onto the bed and getting close.

"(Y/n)? Are you okay?" I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her close to me, holding her close, and backing further away.

"Why do you monster have a

child

here? What is

wrong

with you!?" Anger, building up, bubbling out and overtaking my fear, though I still shook.

"(Y/n)-"

"How do you know my name!?" One of the men stepped forward. With tired brown eyes, full of sadness and regret, his messy hair fell somewhat in front of his face, a large scar on his cheek, twitching every now and then.

"W-w-whats wrong? R-r-remember us? Sally? Ja-a-ane? Me?" I only pulled the child closer, turning slightly, facing my back towards the people, hiding the girl from their sight. I could only glare, my heart beating hard in my chest. He took a half step closer.

"You dont r-r-r-remeber?" Another man stepped forward, placing a hand and the first's shoulder. He wore an orange jacket and had sideburns.

"Toby, don't push it."

"W-w-we have to do somet-t-t-t-thing!"

"Do what? Make her freak out and hurt herself more? Look, she's bleeding." He lifted his other hand, pointing towards me. At the words, the realization of a spreading warmth covering my back took hold. Sharp, stinging pain, a hot wetness seeping through my shirt, clinging to my skin. The man, Toby, went pale, and the one holding his shoulder dropped his gaze to the floor.

"(Y/n), you're hurt, bad. Please, let us help?" My own safety was farthest from my mind, my only concern left was making sure the blood-covered child was safe. Why was she even covered in blood in the first place? Two tiny hands placed themselves on my cheeks, drawing my attention to the bundle in my arms.

"It's okay, you remember me, right? They're our friends! Please let them help you!" Her eyes shone with pleading hope. It stung my heart. I turned back towards the group, looking across them with a glare, my eyes landing back on the man named Toby.

"Fine. You."

"W-what?"

"You're the one helping me."

"O-oh! N-n-n-no, I don't know anything ab-about that s-s-s-s-stuff!" He tried to take a step back, but the man still holding his shoulder instead pushed him forward.

"You don't have a choice, Jack, talk him through it."

"B-b-b-but my tics! I'll shake, h-hurt her!" Eyes fell back to me, but I could only sneer.

"Him or I keep bleeding." The gray-skinned man left the room, followed by the woman and the being disguised as a man, only the three humans were left with me. The man who was sat in the chair when I woke spoke up.

"I could help? I know more about this stuff than Toby." I shook my head.

"No. That one seems the nicest. No one else." His forced smile fell, eyebrows pulled up in worry. The gray man returned, holding a white and red plastic case. He set it on a dresser close to the door, opening it and fiddling with its contents before turning to Toby.

"Here, clean the wound first." Toby's hands shook as he took the white wet cloths from the demon, looking between him and me.

"Ya know, Jack's w-w-way better at this than m-m-me-"

"Just do it, we don't know how bad it is." The demon's voice was stern and aggravated, but it shut Toby up. He slowly stepped closer and closer to me until he was at the edge of the bed.

"Uh, c-c-can you scoot closer?" The child grabbed my face again, squirming out of my arm and standing on the bed beside me, trying to pull me closer to the men, from the safety of the opposite side of the bed.

"C'mon, please?" I didn't respond, but instead cautiously scoot closer, hissing in pain all the while. The little girl was the one to lift the back of my shirt up, the drying blood sticking and pulling at the wound on my back. She pulled the shirt up to the nape of my neck, and I held the front of it down.

"Oh no!"

"Oh J-J-Jesus!"

"Shit..."

I could only assume the damage based off their reactions.

"O-o-okay, this might sting."

"It will." I wrapped my right arm across my body, gripping my left shoulder, holding myself, and bracing for whatever new pain was to come. The cold alcohol wipe gently dabbed my skin, all along the center of my back, the stinging pain quickly setting into the wounds. I tensed, arching my back, and groaning in pain. Toby muttered out a quiet 'sorry' but continued to clean the wound. I could feel his shaking hand, and the occasional twitch, dragging the cold cloth too far away or too close to the open wound. The wipe was swapped out with a fresh, clean one several times.

The little girl rubbed small, comforting circles on my shoulders, her eyes glued to my back, wide in shock. Finally, the man pulled away, disposing of the final wipe, then looked back to the demon for direction.

"Here, just be careful, keep your hands steady, breathe, and take your time, don't try to rush." Toby only nodded, twitching more so now, his anxiety showing through. He grabbed the hooked needle and thread from the man, listening closely as he spoke, explaining in detail how to properly close the wound, stitching it shut, tying each stitch separately from the rest.

"It'd be best if you sat, it's easier and more stable." The little girl, still holding the back of my shirt up, patted the spot on the bed next to her and angled behind me. She felt me tense up, turning back to look at me, this time with a stern look, something odd for a child.

"Stop that! You need help! I don't know what's wrong but you need to stop it!" She huffed and puffed out her cheeks. It felt weird being scolded by such a small kid, but I couldn't help but smile at her.

"Okay, okay, sorry." She nodded and patted the spot again.

"C'mon!" Toby only nodded, returning and sitting in the spot as directed by the girl. He took in a sharp, shaky breath. I glanced over my shoulder, watching him try to steady his shaking hands, but the little girl had noticed long before I had.

"It's okay! We're all nervous! I can braid your hair to help!" She offered a beaming smile, moving to stand behind him, taking small chunks of his hair, and starting to braid them without any response. He smiled softly, breathed in again, the shaking calming, and leaned forward, placing a hand beside the wound on my back and lifting the needle with the other.

If the wound wasn't as bad as it was, it might not hurt nearly as bad as it did, but each pinch of the needle threading through my skin felt like fire next to the raw skin of torn stitches and sliced flesh. Only into the first couple of stitches, I had grabbed a piece of blanket, biting down on it, gritting my teeth, and groaning in pain. He apologized multiple times but continued on. He took the advice given to heart, careful, but taking his time. It felt like a searing hot agony ravaging my back, setting my nerves alight, my spine felt like it was melting to ash.

The girl hummed the whole time. A soft, upbeat tune, something familiar but that I couldn't place. It was comforting in a way. Even the warm touch of his hand was comforting, despite the pain that it was accompanied by. It was the fact that I wasn't being isolated, I wasn't being hurt or abused or destroyed from the inside out. It hurt, but it was helping. But it did nothing to help my fear and weariness. Especially of the beings and entities that seemed to be hiding around the corner. Something acutely aware in my mind told me they were there, waiting, listening, watching from a distance.

"Annnnnnd, done. T-t-there." His hand pulled away and he leaned back, looking over the stitches, double-checking for any mistakes or missed parts.

"Looks good, good job." Toby nodded to the demon, holding the needle up to him. He took a step forward, reaching a hand out to grab it, but I was quick to lean away, nearly trying to crawl away once more, giving him pause, taking the step back again. Toby stood, small braids decorating around his hair, but none tied shut, the ends fraying and coming undone. He handed the needle back over and glanced at me. All their eyes were sad, not just his, and even the eyeless demon looked sad.

"Thanks." I pulled my shirt back down, fixing it, the dried blood in it scratching against my skin.

"I'll get Jane-"

"Did you forget how she

just

reacted to her? No way." The man with the sideburns spoke, interrupting the demon. He then turned to the little girl, leaning down, placing his hands on his knees, smiling to her.

"Hey, Sally, wanna play dress up?" She beamed, jumping off the bed and running full force at him.

"Yeah! I getta choose?"

"Of course, but we're gonna have to follow some rules, okay? Don't worry, it'll still be fun!"

"Okay!" He knelt down fully, getting almost eye level with her, Sally, as he called her.

"Alright, we need to dress up (Y/n), but we can't do it, and neither can Jane, so you gotta go find a big, comfy shirt for her and make sure that she doesn't hurt herself, got it?" She nodded vigorously, rushing past him and to another door in the room, ripping it open and rummaging through the many clothes inside. She was quick to return, holding a lilac-colored t-shirt. It was quite large and baggy, but it looked incredibly soft and comfortable.

"Sweet, looks great kiddo. Now, we gotta leave the room, and make sure (Y/n) doesn't hurt herself, if she needs help, please help her, okay? And if you can't, then we can help-"

"Yeah, yeah! Now out!" Watching the small child shoo the men out of the room was comical, and even pulled a chuckle from me before she slammed the door shut. She skipped back over, holding the shirt up to me.

"I'll turn away so I don't see, but tell me if anything hurts!" She was back to using her demanding and strict voice. I just smiled at her and nodded. She layed the shirt in my lap before turning away, holding her tiny hands up to her eyes and covering her face, back to humming her song. I was careful with my movement. Pulling the short sleeve over what was left of my left arm, managing the shimmy the shirt off, staring at the back of it, blood-soaked and large, just something to tell me almost what my back looked like. A mess.

I pulled the shirt over my head, constantly adjusting and fixing it until it was fully on, pulling the sleeves over my arms and in place, smoothing out the front of any wrinkles.

"Alright, all done." Sally turned, peeking through her fingers before smiling.

"Purple's a pretty color on you!" She clasped her hands together, beaming before calling out.

"All done! Come in!" There was a pause before the door softly clicked, slowly opening a head peaking in, the man from the chair, his yellow hood pulled up over his head.

"Any trouble?"

"Nope!" He nodded, stepping back into the room, alone this time, shutting the door behind him. He stared at the ground for a while, kicking the tip of his shoe into the wooden floorboards.

"I'm sorry." He finally spoke, but still didn't look up at me.

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry. I should have stopped you, stopped all of us from going."

"What are you talking about? I don't even know who you are." His shoulders tensed up and his eyes looked glossy.

"I know, I can feel it." He lifted a hand to tap his temple.

"We felt it all, actually. Everything. We have our own regrets, we all blame ourselves, but I can't speak for them, only myself. And I'm sorry." I turned to face him more head-on, cocking my head to the side and raising an eyebrow.

"Seriously, who are you?" His frown deepened.

"I'm Brian, I helped you and everyone escape, but you don't remember, do you?" I scrunched my face up, trying to think, but the only response was a pounding headache, and he seemed to wince.

"No."

"I thought so," He paused, taking a deep breath, lifting his head and finally looking back at me.

"I messed up, I know that, but I'll help you as much as I can now. I know it means nothing to you now, I know it's too late to fix my mistake, but I'll help make up as much as I can."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"What do you mean you felt it all?" I glared at him, suspicion rising steadily. He tilted his head, thinking for a moment.

"Ah, right. Your hand," He pointed to my right arm.

"There's a symbol in it, it connects us. It kinda acts like a built-in compass, but it points you in our direction, and because it's a connection, we all share in pain and other feelings. Sadness, anger, fear, that stuff."

"Who're the others?"

"Tim and Toby, the other two who were in here, and our boss, but, uh, I don't think you like him, not anymore." I could only stare.

"You don't believe me."

"Why would I?" He lightly chuckled though his eyes were still sad, shrugging his shoulders.

"I mean you saw Jack and Jane, and the boss. They're not human, you know that, why is this one so hard to believe?" I had no answer, so to respond for me, he lifted his hand, pinching the back of it, and like magic, I felt the pinch in my own hand, causing me to jump.

"Huh." We fell into silence. I looked my hand over, flipping it back and forth, moving my fingers into a fist, then splaying them out again.

"Where is it?" He took a hesitant step closer, glancing at my hand.

"It depends on you, if you wanna see it or not if it needs to protect you. But mostly it just stays invisible." I slowly nodded, cautiously keeping my gaze on him. He took a step back.

"What...what do you remember?" I stayed silent for a moment, thinking carefully, my head was still pounding.

"I remember my mom and SPARK, and being in her...lab? Home? Whatever that place was. I remember the pain, and seeing my insides. After the third or fourth time she opened my head, it gets blurry. I remember a disk, it had a light on it, and she stuck it in my...brain. I can't remember really anything after that, not, uh, visually anyways.

"It felt like a switch was flipped and

I

was turned off. I couldn't think or feel happy or sad or scared. But my body was always hurting. I know that, I remember that. I remember...shadows. Things staring at me, it's faint, but it feels like monsters and creatures were stalking me, hunting me, trying to

kill

me." I turned to look up at him.

"I remember being scared." He swallowed hard, his face ridden with guilt.

"I can't imagine the real pain you went through. We only felt half of it."

"Lucky you." His eyes widened slightly, seeming shocked at me words laced with venom. My glare must have been just as icy cold as my demeanor.

"Oh..."

"(Y/n)! That's not nice! He's saying sorry, you need to be nice!" A small hand patted my shoulder, scolding me with her words once more. But I couldn't find any forgiveness or sympathy, I couldn't find the warmth in me that Sally had, I couldn't find anything but bitterness, hatred, dread, agony, apathy. The only warmth I could find was just a drop in a raging, stormy ocean, only enough for Sally, to protect her, to keep her safe. It was the only thing inside me I could find for others.

"Why should I? He's saying it's his fault,

he

did this to me then."

"No!

You

wanted to go back!"

"Why would I want to go back?"

"Because you couldn't remember then either. You wanted to know about yourself, about your life." The man interrupted. His voice sounded weak.

"Even if I believe you, why wouldn't you stop me?" It was his turn to pause, hesitant to speak.

"We were all trapped, we didn't want to stoop to that level, making you feel like you had no freedom here."

"Mm-hmm. Well, look where that got me." I lifted my left arm, the shirt sleeve pulling down with gravity, wrapped stub high in the air. He closed his eyes tightly, turning his head away.

"I know."

"No, you don't. You don't know. You weren't there, you didn't get to see what I saw, feeling everything

truly

." The room was struck with silence, even Sally couldn't scold me, a child shouldn't have to do such a thing, but even with something like this, she knew not to speak, that it wasn't the time or place.

"Anything else?" He shook his head.

"Good, you can leave now." He just turned, swiftly exiting the room, pulling his hood further over his face. The door was shut behind him, leaving me and Sally left in the room. She walked across the bed, closer to me, sitting at my side and resting her head on my shoulder.

"(Y/n)?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you remember me?"

"No." I looked down, watching as silent tears streamed down her cheeks, biting her lip, trying to hold back her sobs.
 
Brian stood in the hallway in front of his companions and boss. He was fighting back the hurt he felt. They had heard it all, but above all else, they felt your

abhorrence

. Your

fear

of them. You were so disgusted, you felt so betrayed and hurt that it was just fueling your hate, a hate for them. And that feeling, that awful, vile, bitter feeling hurt them. It was in their chest, tight and squeezing, painful in its own right. Tim wrapped an arm around Brian, pulling his friend close as he finally cried. He pulled him away, leading him to the living room, muttering something about getting something to eat.

Toby and Slender remained. Both felt in shock. You were someone so loving and kind, so warm and heartfelt, but now, you of all people, were this bitter and cruel? It didn't feel real, it felt like the nightmare they hoped was over was still enduring on, never-ending in its misery.

"I...I should-"

"No..." It was Toby who stopped the leader. He could feel it. The confusion that Slender was feeling, the need for answers, needing to confront you head-on. He was always wanting to fix their problems, he always wanted to mediate and make what was wrong, right. But in this case? Toby knew not to. He knew that you needed to be left be, to rest and recuperate, to be well enough before you could confront anything else on. Slender looked down at him, his form already reverted back to his normal featureless face.

"But-" Toby just shook his head. He felt no fear doing this, their leader wasn't a sadistic ruler over them, no, he allowed them to voice their concerns and ideas without consequence from him, even if it was stopping what he wanted to do. Slender lowered his rising hand, letting it fall back limp to his side.

"Did I do the right thing?" Toby thought for a moment, staring at your door.

"I-I think s-s-s-sssso."

"I don't..." Hearing the calm and collected being beaten down to such a state, it was almost as gutwrenching as the sight of you. Toby wiped at his face, sniffing and thinking. But nothing came to mind.

"I don't k-k-know what to dddddd-do."

"I'm not sure myself." Silence again. Toby finally turned and started walking away, finding the other two proxies in the kitchen. Slender stayed, standing in the hallway, staring at your door. He felt frozen, he couldn't think of anything. His heart and mind were racing, but no tangible thoughts appeared. He felt stuck. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't think. It was that one feeling all over again.

That feeling of dread, of a building anxiety of a soul he couldn't save. That feeling of deep heartache when learning the world he lived in hated him and sneered down at him. When his realization hit that he hated humanity. That sickness had returned. It wasn't that he hated you. It was that your soul, as beautiful and shining as it was, was now holed up in a shell, dull and dingy, broken and rusted, and that you of all the kindest out there, hated

him

.

Everyone who walked by the hallway would glance at him but say nothing. It took him several minutes to try and compose himself before disappearing, warping into his own room, a dark place, large and imposing, sitting on his bed, head in his hands, claws digging into his scalp once more. That sour melancholic feeling was building, more and more until a tidal wave broke through, and he began to cry again.
 
Sally cried for a while, silent hiccups interrupting the silence. I wasn't sure how to comfort her, what to do at all. I couldn't even lift my hand to pat her head or comb her hair. She cried, clinging to my shirt sleeve, sobbing into my shoulder. At times she would calm down, but then it would hit her hard all over again, and the crying would start back. I wasn't sure how long had passed, I had no sense of time, but finally, she slowly lowered herself to the floor, dragging her feet as she walked to the door, cracking it open before giving me one last glance, eyes still full of tears, before turning and leaving.

I stayed sitting there, staring down at the back of my hand, searching for any sort of sign of a mark, but nothing but scars lingered. The silence was peaceful, but it didn't stop the pain in my chest. It didn't stop that weird pull I could feel in my hand, nor the headache or overwhelming sadness I felt. Everything hurt. Physically, emotionally, and mentally, all of it was hurting, it was painful, and I

hated

it.

I simply sat there. There was nothing else I could do, nothing for me to do, I couldn't move, couldn't leave. I felt useless, helpless, and it pissed me off. Anger was bubbling back up, gritting my teeth so hard they were aching, my chest was heaving again with uncontrolled breathing, I felt ready to explode. All my emotions were overflowing, swirling around in me, a typhoon ready to burst out and flood the world around me. I felt so suppressed that just now everything was finally catching up to me.

But I managed to hold it in. Through gritted teeth and my shaking hand, I tried to breathe and calm myself. I tried to regain control of my own body, and my mind, trying to real myself back in, and grounding to reality, but it was a struggle. Everything felt so new and fresh, like a newborn in the world, everything was so overwhelming.

A knock. Frantic and quick, something urgent and impatient. Whoever was on the other side didn't dare wait for a response. The door opened quickly, but not violently. The being was swift, shutting the door and darting across the room, white eyes staring into mine. A black and white thing, monochrome head to toe, a mocking image of a clown. With wide eyes and clawed hands gripping my shoulders, frantic words began spilling from his mouth, and an endless barrage of questions and sentences I couldn't piece together.

But I couldn't care less. Fear took hold of my heart again. Pure adrenaline-filled panic. A scream ripped from my throat, my hand flying up to push at his face, trying desperately to push him away from me. His piercing eyes peaked through my splayed fingers, still shouting, eyes somehow wider than before. I fell back, screaming and flailing, trying desperately to fight the thing off, but it didn't relent. Pushing what was left of my legs at its stomach, trying to push him off, away from me, but he didn't budge, hovering over me like a statue, screaming words and pleads at me.

"No! No! You can't forget! You were

there!

I told you everything!

Please!

" Tears welled in his eyes and threatened to spill, but none did. He shook my shoulders, claws digging into my skin but not breaking it. His voice was cracking, pleading as if his life were on the line. But I could only shriek, no words entering my mind, only fear and panic taking hold, a primal survival instinct.

"Jack!"

"What the fuck!?"

"Get out! Now!"

"What are you doing!?"

Shouts. Screams. Multiple. Hands grabbing at the both of us, trying desperately to pull us away, but the strength of the monster knew no bounds, and he didn't dare budge. I could only wail with a wide eye of my own, terror striking the deepest fear in my heart, burning the image in my mind of this horrifying beast, pitch black hair, stark white skin, and striking eyes, my fingers splayed across his face, an open mouth full of sharp teeth threatening to rip a finger off.

"I told you about my home! Remember!? Please!"

"Jack, you're going to hurt her!"

"She has new stitches!"

"Let her go!"

"Fucking psycho, get off her!"

The screaming words and curses all disappeared in a puff of smoke, engulfing me and the terrifying face. My screams persisted, only with pauses to breathe deeply. A sudden cold wind bit at my skin, stinging my cheeks and nose, and I found myself cradled in the warm arms of the monster, still pleading to me.

"See? Remember this? Up here, the stars, my home!?" I was held in the crook of his arm while his free one was desperately pointing to the bright stars above.

"There! See!?" Once again we were enveloped in a cloud of smoke, and the sudden cold got more bitter, the wind whipping all around us, my hair whipping at my face, the stinging air biting all it could. Falling. My stomach twisted. I was falling.

Somehow, we were suddenly so high in the sky, that I couldn't even tell how high up, but I knew it was far too high. We were plummeting back to the Earth, and my heart was twisting. I could barely hear him over the screaming wind passing by, but being so close to my ear, I could still hear his pleading.

"See? Please!? Touch the stars, you need to remember!" I was breathless by now, my throat hoarse and sore from screaming, and the air was knocked from my lungs at the equally breathtaking and terrifying view. My eye slowly gazed over to his face. That terrifying, chilly face. Ghostly white skin and eyes, wide and pulled into an expression of shock and sorrow, black lips pulled into a bared-tooth frown, sharp teeth intertwining with one another. His shouting had died down with mine, now just a voice pleading still in disbelief. His eyes were glossy, and not from the nipping wind.

"I wanted to show you the stars up close. They are so pretty. You would've liked 'em. Please...please remember?" I could only stare back, feeling as if bile was rising in my throat. My empty expression spoke a thousand words, and his pleading expression fell into one of anguish and despair. Finally, the tears began to spill down his cheeks, but we continued to fall. His arms tightened around me, and he pulled me closer into a tight hug, burying his face in the top of my head, sobs echoing around my skull as his shoulders shook. His whole body was curled around me, like a child holding their teddy bear as they cried.

Another cloud of smoke and the shouting voices appeared all over again. The cold floorboards felt so much warmer than the air outside. He was kneeling on the floor, still clinging to me, arms wrapped around my back, holding me close to his chest. He was heaving, seemingly barely able to breathe. His arms tightened just a little more, and with a sharp breath, he disappeared, leaving me on the floor, back leaning against the bed behind me.

I sat there in shock. So much, too much. All horrifying. My ears were ringing, my head spun, and my body felt numb. I couldn't think, and the figures moving around me were a blur. I could feel small, warm hands cupping my cheeks, and something big, warm, fluffy, curling into my lap, a distant, soft whine crying out past the ringing. Another fuzzy thing pawing at the top of my skull, small vibrations echoing out as it rubbed against my now messy hair.

A blurring face was making its way visible in my vision. Those pretty green eyes with a worried expression, another face behind the small one, next to it, staring back at me with wide brown eyes, a scar decorating their cheek. Then heavy, my body, my mind, it all felt heavy, something in my hand began tingling, my eyes rolled back, and my heavy body fell limp.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

I sat on a small island, surrounded by a large, infinite lake. The water was almost crystal clear, it held the faint hue of sky blue to it. It was still and calm, gentle ripples moving outward from where I sat, though nothing was moving to cause them. I could peer through the water, down into the farthest depths. Pink and white sand coated the bottom of the lake, with invisible currents pulling and drifting the particles, revealing a crystalline bottom, smooth, flat edges like that of a diamond. Hues of blues, greens, and purples swirled through the gems, small shards jutting out here and there, shining, shifting, swirling. A single stream of warm orange light shone down from the abyss above, right on the small smooth stone island I sat on.

All around the lake was nothing. No trees, no grass, no scenery. It was just an empty black void in all directions but down. High above into the sky, not even a single star shone through the darkness, only the small stream of gentle light raining down above me.

Island was a generous word. I was sat on my knees, and the stone below was only as wide as the length of my arms stretched out. There was no room to move, around, I could only stand or sit, or turn, but not walk anywhere.

Placing my hands on the stone below, I leaned over the lake, staring down into the water. It looked so deep, no normal human eyes could see the bottom, yet I could. I stared into my reflection, one shining eye staring at me, the other, an empty socket, wide open. But I could see still. I lifted a hand, fingers brushed across my cheek under the empty socket, too scared to touch it. My vision refocused, past my reflection and deeper into the water. Faint figures, swirling and swimming past. Dancing and resting all alike. Men and women, children and adults, but all faint, all barely visible.

My eyes drifted to my hands. Both of them. I had my arm back, and on the top of my right hand was an inky black mark, like a fresh tattoo, a perfect circle with a crisp 'x' through it. I could feel the weight of my body sitting on my heels, my calves flexing instinctively from the kneeling position. I had my limbs here. Here, I was whole. At least, almost, physically, I was whole. My gaze fell back to the water below, down at my reflection, moving with the soft waves and ripples.

My reflection shifted, cocking its head up at me. I watched it carefully, cautiously, staring as it began to move and change. It blinked, and it had both its eyes, both bright and sparkling now. Its sullen cheeks were full again, pale face now flushed and lively. All of the bruises and scars had faded with the blink, and what stared back at me was a vague memory of what I once was.

"What's wrong?" The reflection spoke, its voice faint and underwater, and I watched carefully as it seemed to become more corporeal, real. Until the mirage shifted and my eyes refocused and floating under the water was another version of me, real, and staring back up at me. Her hands were pressed against the surface of the water as if it were unable to break, and it was something solid.

"Wha-?"

"What's wrong? Why do you look like that?" She lifted a hand, pointing to her face.

"What happened to us?"

"You don't know?" She shook her head, staring back at me with those eyes. I could only stare back but couldn't bring myself to speak. But her eyes shifted, and she seemed to comb through my mind and memories, what little I had left. She read me like a book, plucking through the pages, reading over each word carefully.

"So you don't remember anything?"

"No, do you?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell me?"

"No."

"Why?" I sounded angrier than I meant to, but she looked unfazed.

"I can't. I promise you I would if I could, but I can't."

"Fine, then what is this place?"

"A source for all the connections." I raised an eyebrow, but she didn't elaborate.

"Can you help me?"

"Depends."

"Oh just stop being cryptic. Can you help me?" She grinned, not something evil or cruel, it was sweet but sly.

"Maybe. What would you like to know?" I opened my mouth, then closed it again. I paused, thinking, going over the events through my mind.

"Who are you?"

"I'm you."

"Be more specific."

"I'm the past of you. I have

all

of our memories, but I can't tell you them, I'm being prevented from doing so. Something is stopping me."

"What stopping you? Do you know?"

"Yes. You are stopping me." I furrowed my brows, leaning back, looking away from the image below the surface. I stared out across the lake, thinking hard, then turned back to her.

"How? I want to know."

"Wanting is not the same as needing. So much has happened, your mind won't be able to handle it all, you may not wake up." I scrunched my nose up.

"Why would that happen if they were

my

memories?" She hummed, ripples spreading out across the water's surface.

"They may have been yours once, but they've been lost, and I hold them safely for you. You are broke, so, so broken. You have fallen so far, and now you're at the very bottom. You need to rebuild, to grow, and climb back up. You need to open up again, you need to become stronger to reclaim those memories. You need to heal before you can remember."

"Then what about this place? Is this where I heal?" She tilted her head, closing her eyes and thinking for a moment.

"In a way. This place won't heal you, but it gives you a place to rest, to think, and recuperate your mind and body. It will allow you to reflect on yourself,

that

will allow you to heal."

"How long will it take me?"

"That's up to you." She offered a smile, gentle and caring. The water began to ripple again before the image of the girl on the other side turned into misty waves, washing away with the currents, leaving behind my dull-eyed reflection.
 
Sally watched mortified as your terrified expression became lax, your eyes rolling back and body falling limp. Toby's arms shot past her, holding your head and keeping it from hitting the sharp corner of the nightstand. He awkwardly moved around Sally, fixing your position to lay more comfortable back against the bed, he was too afraid to pick you up and ruin the stitches in your back. He kept a hand on your shoulder, ensuring you wouldn't fall over. He felt the looming presence long before he even spoke.

"I couldn't handle it." Slender's voice sounded so weak. It sounded pained. Toby only nodded.

"It was too much...it hurt so much. How...how can

anyone

feel like this?" Toby turned his head, looking up at his boss. Everyone else had left the room, the door shut tight, and Slender was gripping at his chest. He looked disheveled, and despite the lack of face, so tired. His hands were shaking.

"You just put her to sleep?" Slender shook his head. It took him a moment to find his voice again.

"She's asleep, but she's at the lake. I...I didn't know what else to do. I've never..." He trailed off, unable to properly think, his words failing him. For a being so refined and eloquent, so graceful and clever, it was bizarre to see him like this. And on the rare occasion he was like this, few saw him, only his brothers and proxies. This was the first time Sally ever saw him like this, heard him like this, and it broke her tiny heart even more.

"Why there?"

"It was all I could think to do."

"Can she wake up on her own?"

"No...I'll have to." Toby nodded again, looking back to you. You looked so peaceful, but the image of your terrified face was still burned in his mind. Your screams, your terror, it was etched into his very neurons.

"Sally, get Jack, he should check her back." The child couldn't even speak, she just weakly hummed and turned, dragging her feet as she slowly left the room, closing the door gently and wandering down the hallway to go in search of Jack. She walked passed closed doors, locked from the inside, a few held weeping beings, but most were silent.

The two stayed in the room with you. Toby could feel it deep in his heart, that wrenching, squeezing pain. He could feel Brian, how lost he felt, how hopeless Tim felt, how useless his boss felt. He felt it all himself too, but his mind just couldn't think of anything to do.

"Do you have a-a-any ideas?" It took a few moments for Slender to reply.

"I can't think...no...just, that she needs to rest. She needs to be comfortable." Toby hummed, shifting and moving to sit next to you, letting your body rest against his side. It was more comfortable and safer for you, and it let him sit comfortably. There was little else he could do. He was too worried to move you, so all he could do was make sure you didn't fall and hit your head, pulling out even more staples and stitches. 
 
Despite the visage now gone, I remained sitting on my little stone in the middle of the lake. I felt equally stressed and relaxed. The place was calm and beautiful. The water shone with iridescent reflections of the gemstone bottom. The light shining down on me was warm like the sun, the sandy color tinting the surrounding water like liquid gold. The view of it all was breathtaking, but my mind was lost elsewhere.

Where specifically was this place? Was it just another dream that I would wake up from at any moment? It couldn't be, it all felt far too real, it was too detailed, and it was taking far too long to wake up from. No doubt this was all somehow real. But there was something else eating away at the back of my mind...

Something about this place was simply so alluring...compelling. It felt like it was creating some sort of deep hunger in my stomach, something empty and hollow. It left me feeling dizzy and sick but salivating for something more. It was this growing ball inside me, tight and hungry for

something

. I felt...thirsty. My throat felt dry and tight. My tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth. My mouth tasted stale.

I leaned back over the water, staring down at it. It looked so cool and refreshing, and I was just so thirsty. I gripped the edge of the stone, leaning down, laying down flat on the pedestal. I leaned closer and closer to the water until my lips and chin were dipped into the cool liquid. I only took a sip before the burning took over. I couldn't even swallow the water. It was sickly sweet and burned horribly, like a raging fire. I tried to spit it out, but it felt as if it had turned solid, and was stuck in my mouth. I tried to pull away from the water, but something was holding me in place. I tried breathing through my nose, suffocating with the water choking in my throat, but I just couldn't bring in any air.

Hands made of water erupted from the water, grabbing at my face, my hair, my neck, and the back of my head. Transparent and waving, reflecting the beautiful rainbow of colors, I was held in place, unable to move, unable to spit out the burning water, unable to do anything. Hot tears pricked at my eye, dripping down onto the water's surface. But it didn't join the body of water, no, it landed on the surface, as if a sheet of glass separated the two. The tears rolled around on the surface, like balls of oil lolling around in the ocean.

More and more hands emerged, grabbing at my arms and legs, grabbing at my shoulders and sides, covering my whole body, covering the entire stone platform. Let, the hands begin to lift my face, something following with me. An unrecognizable face, its features wavy, constantly changing, morphing, shifting. I couldn't make out if it was male or female, with no distinct features staying for longer than a second before switching to the next indistinguishable face. Its 'eyes' were open but lidded, and its watery, boiling lips were pressed to mine. I couldn't move, couldn't pull away, couldn't think. It felt like the water in my mouth was enough to make me drunk. Then thousands and thousands of voices began to speak. Echoing all around the cavern, soft and luring like a siren song.

"Drink if you must, but know there is no turning back.

"Drink your fill, lose yourself to the ecstasy, but here you will stay.

"Drink until you no longer can, but know this, once you swallow even a drop, you will never be the same again."

The formless body connected to the face contorted, bending at impossible angles, pressing its chest to mine as it tried to pull me into the water. My hands were clawed, digging into the stone, trying to stay on the surface. I wanted to vomit, my throat was burning, but something much deeper down wanted so badly to swallow.

The lips pressed harder into mine, moving softly, trying to lure me deeper into whatever spell it was trying to hypnotize me with. The hands caressing my body were soft and gentle, caring but demanding. They tried desperately to pull me into the water. The water itself was boiling, angry bubbles popping on the surface, splashing across my skin, but not scolding me, just leaving behind a hot splatter that cooled quickly. The temperature against my skin was constantly fluctuating, but one thing remained consistent. The hot water and the burning hot sensation in my throat and stomach. I lifted a hand, trying to push at the chest of the thing, but my hand simply passed through the water, unable to move the creature desperately kissing me as if it needed me to live.

Something in my mind ticked as I tried clawing at its chest. It wasn't aggressive, it wasn't trying to hurt me, but it was acting that if it didn't have me, it would wither away or evaporate. It was desperate to touch me, hold me, kiss me. It felt so frantic for my lips that it was beginning to bruise them.

"Won't you drink?" The voices returned, all around, echoing out in anguish and pleading. I tried to spit the water out again, and finally, the thing relinquished. It pulled away, the vague expression looking sad. The hands slowly released, the last one pulling back from my neck, faint feelings of nails tickling across my skin before the water fell from my mouth as I coughed and heaved. All the hands disappeared back into the water first, and the face slowly sank back into the depths, fat bubbles of watery tears flowing down its cheeks. The boiling lake calmed until all was still again, returning back to the faint phantom movements deep within the water.

I coughed and sputtered, wiping my mouth, fingers lingering on my sore lips for a few seconds. There was so much heat pressing against my body, it felt so needy and desperate for me. It made me feel...wanted. Needed. Like I was so important I had become the reason for it to exist. It was so oddly comforting. It was...passionate.

I sat back up on the stone, the surface of it was completely dry despite the water covering it. My body too, and despite being bare, I felt warm. Whether it was from the bubbling water or the warm light above, I was being kept warm. I regained my breathing, staring down at the water still. Whatever the feeling in my stomach was, it was still there, even intensified at the temptation to try and drink again. My mouth still felt so dry, that I was almost ready to try and drink again, but I stopped myself.

It felt so wrong, but so, so fucking

right

.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

They all felt it. Not just Slender, not just the connected proxies, no, every single last one of them felt it. Your presence, swimming around in the very core of the thing that truly connected all of them. That pool of life and power. That beautiful lake of immortality. They could feel you there. They had no clue why, they weren't sure what you were doing, but you were creating a disturbance. The calm water was becoming a rippling angry typhoon. The waters lashing all about, and the serenity of it all was being stirred up. But only Slender could hone in on the specifics, and he was trying his hardest to ignore it.

He could see it, your outlined form in the middle of it all, just how the liquid life itself was reacting to your presence. They had all been there before, there was a process, a ritual, and any who lived here, who was considered one of them, they had been at that lake. But all had to convince and prove their worth to drink, but you? The lake wasn't demanding or pushing you away, no, it was

craving

to taste your flesh, it

wanted

you,

willingly

. All the others had to convince it, but not you.

He saw it, the culmination of all the lives and residents in one amorphous form, a representation of most if not all of them clinging to you, that desperate kiss trying to get you to drink it up. He had known that something about you was unique and rare, not all humans were as kind as you, but even something as inhumane, as ambiguous as the lake, it

yearned

for you.

"Boss, what did you do?" Tim's voice echoed in Slender's mind. It took him a moment to think of the words, all the while trying to regain his composure, though it was still flimsy. He just felt so unsure of everything.

"I sent her to the lake."

"I can feel that, by why?" Another short pause.

"It was all I could think to do...I-she...we needed to rest. She needs to rest her mind." No response came back, just in time for Sally and Jack to reenter the room. Toby helped Jack lift your limp body up and back onto the bed, rolling you carefully to the side, examining your back closely. Toby's stitches were messy, but they got the job done, and thankfully Jack's little stunt hadn't torn anything else open, your skin was just extremely red and irritated. Jack gently laid you back on your back, pulling the covers over your body and turning to the others in the room, but no one said a thing. There was nothing to be said. Instead, Jack pulled the wooden chair closer to the bed and took a seat. Toby raised an eyebrow.

"Everyone else is acting incompetent right now." Toby just nodded and shrugged, agreeing with the sentiment. The atmosphere became awkward and tense. Everyone was so unsure that they were acting on instinct. And Jack's current instinct was to make sure you didn't need any more stitches or staples than necessary. Sally climbed up onto the bed, sitting at the end where your feet should be. She made it clear she wouldn't leave your side. Toby left, stopping at his boss's side.

"Y-y-you should rest, s-s-sir." The being slowly craned his neck, looking down at Toby.

"Yeah... you're right." He nodded, turning, glancing over his shoulder back at you before leaving with Toby, each heading their own ways. Slender normally would have teleported, but he had no energy to focus, so he just walked to his office, his once polished shoes now scuffing along the floorboards, his once long, prideful strides now slow and meek. 
 
Jeff was restless. So much was happening and it felt like there was nothing he could do. His friend was silently suffering with some fucking

thing

invading his body. All his housemates were living through their own struggles, he could hear Sally and Jack weeping through the hallways, he could feel your presence in that hidden place. He felt useless, weak, angry.

Another hole in the wall. More bloody, scraped knuckles. More splinters already being pushed out the skin. The pain felt like nothing at this point. His tolerance was high for it. After being burned alive, even as the entity he was now, his nerves were fried, and pain barely stung anymore. Now when he had his arm ripped off, now

that

hurt.

His teeth were bared and gritted together. The corners of his lips stretched so far in an angry grimace that the edges of his scarred smile were ripping back open, bleeding and dripping down his jaw and chin. His fiery glare drifted to the punching bag in the corner of his room, chain broken off from the ceiling, long fallen into a lump on the floor, countless stabs and slashes through the thick material, densely padded fluff spilling out like guts. A gift given to him, to be angry at and to let it all out without punching the walls. But there it sat, a sad discarded thing, just lying on the cold floor. He couldn't bear to look at it, couldn't stand to let out his frustrations on it. Not until Ben was rid of the bug inside his head.

He paced up and down the halls when he wasn't in his own room. Constantly checking on Ben. Knocking, waiting for an answer, offering food or water, being denied, then leaving again. He just couldn't wrap his mind around it. Around all of it. Everyone was acting so stupid. Why would Ben do this? Why would Slender do this? Why was everyone acting so stupid and irrational!? It was pissing him off. He trudged back to his room, fists balled up tight, wounds already healed, ready to punch something again.
 
Tim and Brian sat across from one another at the dining room table. Each had a small plate of leftovers sat in front of them, but the reheated food had long since cooled. Neither particularly had the stomach for food at the moment. There was a pit, not a hunger, but a gnawing anxiety. Up until the initial kidnapping, both had felt invisible. They knew they weren't, both men were down to earth and thought realistically, but they were well aware of what type of strengths and powers they had over any normal person. But the last few months, in culmination with the past couple of years, it left them beaten down. They felt so weak and helpless, they felt that despite all their strengths, despite being immortal and having their connections, they felt weaker than any of their victims.

There was nothing they could do. Absolutely nothing. Tim held it together well while Brian had his heart on his sleeve. Both of their eyes were red and raw from frustrated tears. Tim poked and stabbed at the food on his plate, but never ate. He just pushed it around his plate. Brian couldn't even try to pick up his fork. Elbows on the tables, hands running through his hair, he was hunched over, staring down at the cold plate, going over in his head any possible thing he could do. Over and over and over again. But nothing came to mind, nothing could be done.

Then, together, they both felt that sensation. That phantom feeling of fingers brushing against the back of their necks. That cold feeling washed through their veins like freezing water. That calm serenity that filled their minds. Your presence, hidden away in a pocket away from the world. You. You were at the lake. For what reason, they didn't know. Tim was quick to ask their boss, but Brian felt frozen. Why put you there? What was the purpose, the reason? It wasn't some magical fix-all cure, no, he knew that, everyone knew that, Slender knew that. So why? You were hysterical, manic, panicked with a gut-wrenching fear that made even him sick.

Slender's response had no reason, he too was just acting on instinct. He too didn't know what to do. It didn't help ease either of them. It wasn't comforting that even Slender didn't know what to do or say. Everything was purely just...hopeless. There were no other words, no other feelings besides hopelessness and anger. Tim spun his fork between his fingers, thinking, brows furrowing, hand shaking and knuckles white from how tight he was holding the fork. Then he stabbed it into the wood of the table. It startled Brian, too deep in his own thoughts and being ripped back to reality. Brian looked up at Tim, eyes carefully looking over his expression, watching the growing anger. Gritting teeth, a tense jaw, furious eyes. He didn't have to speak, Tim started all on his own.

"What the

fuck

are we doing!? Nothing! Why are we so fucking useless? We practically control the fucking world! Look at us! This is one fucking person and we can't even handle that! What's the whole fucking point of this shitty life if we can't even do what we want to! What we need!" He yanked the fork from the table, throwing it back down, standing up so violently that his chair fell back onto the floor.

"All we can do is wait? Is that really it? There has to be fucking

something!

Right?" He looked over to Brian, desperate for an answer. But the defacto leader for the proxy trio had no words. He was silent, just staring back at Tim.

"What can we do?" The anger slowly faded into a plea. He was never one to just sit back and watch, he was never an observer, no, he always acted, whether it was primal instinct or stupid impulse, he always reacted and did

something

. This whole situation was a mess, and beyond that, it was uncomfortable, it was painful, it was horrible.

"Do we tell her everything? From the start? Will that make her remember? Do we set up a fucking stage and reenact everything!? What do we do..?" His voice fell away into a mumble. He knew it was stupid and that it wouldn't work. Hell, even with Jack's stupid stunt they had

some

hope that his screaming and begging would have reminded you of anything, but even that failed. He turned, picking his chair up off the ground, setting it back upright, then sitting again, leaning over. He sighed shakily, hands to his face, shaking. Brian understood the feeling well. He was supposed to know what to do, he had the most responsibilities held on his shoulders, but this? This was all new, unexpected, nothing in a million years could have prepared him for this situation. It was so unusual that his mind only fell blank. 
 
Ben sat in his chair still, both hands wrapped around the white collar on his neck, eyes closed in deep concentration. He had to be careful, one wrong move could spell disaster. If SPARK was possessing him and he entered an electronic, he could unleash her onto the world, or, she could decide not to leave, and keep him prisoner inside the collar, essentially erasing his existence. He had to be beyond cautious. At this point, there were no more deals to be made, SPARK was smart, she would never allow herself to be tricked again.

So he sat, focusing the small electrical pulses from the tips of his fingers into the collar. Small changes, adjusting the slight glimpses of code he could see, all the while SPARK was screaming in his mind, a blaring, horrible, shrieking noise that made his sensitive ears ring. But he used it to his advantage.

He knew SPARK was still attempting to adjust to physical sensations. To hearing, seeing, smelling, all of his. And all of it was painful for a being like her. With his eyes closed, not only was he limiting external distractions for himself, but it was blinding to SPARK. Staying completely still left her disorientated. And, with each small electrical pulse, he was simultaneously creating her new prison, chaining her up, and sending the smallest of pieces of her into the collar.

Her rage, her pain, she was so far gone in the overwhelming sensations of the world that she couldn't notice that with each passing minute, she was growing smaller, quieter, weaker. But he still had to be careful. One wrong move, and she would notice, she would start to fight back, try to take control, try to distract and mess with his work. It was slow, he knew it would take hours and hours, and at some point, the process would get extremely difficult.

A ghost made of electricity and code, somehow made corporeal and physical, his mind was lines of ones and zeros, and he was slowly braiding those lines into strong chains, carefully stringing them up and all around SPARK. Loose, not too close, forming an inescapable prison of intertwining webs, slowly, very slowly, tightening, growing closer, the gaps so small that she couldn't escape or slip through. Weaving through her fingers, across her palms and around her wrists, across her chest and back, around her waist and hips and neck, completely entrapping the entity little by little.

With each captured part, a section of a finger, a small chuck of the leg, he carefully, painlessly cut it off from her body and sent it away into the collar. Dismembering her, all unknowing to SPARK, who still shrieked that ear-piercing harpies lament of pain of wrath. 
 
I stared up into the void above, trying to find where the light was coming from. It was diffused, it wasn't emanating from a single blinding point. Everything about this place was so gentle and soft. Nothing was harsh or sharp, nothing was biting cold or sweltering hot, well, except for the water when I tried to drink. But that might have just been the exception. It all felt like the pinnacle of everything. The beauty of nature, the graceful mercy of it all, the serenity of just being alive. Of feeling every sensation in the most comfortable type of way. Thirsty, but not uncomfortable, naked, but not cold, confused, but not disorientated.

And I still felt tempted. Tempted to drink, to reach out and touch the water. But a whole other part of me simply wanted to crawl into the water. To submerge my whole body, to swim to the bottom of the lake, to explore its depths. And each passing second made it harder and harder to resist. I peered over the edge again, staring at my still reflection.

"Are you there?" A few moments passed before my reflection became solid once more, with two intact eyes staring back, a playful grin drawn across her face.

"Yes? You called."

"What happened? With the water?" She grinned and winked, holding a finger up to her lips.

"Well, that might be a bit much to explain, quite a lot happened there. Hmm, let's see...Think of it as a representation of all of those who care about you so deeply."

"The thing that kissed me?"

"Yup!" She made a 'pop' sound.

"Why did it do that?"

"Easy! It's such a loving, caring gesture!" I cringed.

"Couldn't it have, like, held my hands? Or hugged me? Wouldn't that have gotten the point across?"

"They could have, but that wouldn't be nearly enough to prove their care. Think about it; a kiss is so intimate, so full of passion! It's such an intense and private moment, anyone can hold hands or share a hug, but a kiss? A kiss of life, they

want

you to live, they

need

you to remember, to come back to them as you were. You are so incredibly special to them, all of them, and it's painful to see you in such a state. A kiss is such a wonderful way to show what you mean to them. That kiss is their love, yes, but it's an apology too." I felt breathless.

"An apology?" She nodded and hummed, her expression softened, still smiling, but her eyes looked sad.

"They're all sorry. They blame themselves for putting you through all this. They wish they could help, but they are so limited in what they can do. Honestly, what's left to be done is all up to you."

"Why me though? Why does it have to be up to me? I don't know these people!"

"Yes, you do!" Her kind voice flipped in an instant, furious.

"You do know them! You know all of them! Why can't you see that? You call them monsters now, but you never did before! They haven't even laid a finger on you! They helped us! Saved us! And now you do this!?" She was practically spitting the words out, she was disgusted with me. I couldn't find my voice.

"Fine, let me show you

something.

I can't show you too much, you'll break, but I'll show you the small moments. That should be enough." Her gaze was icy cold, and she held out a hand, though it didn't break through the water, hovering just below the surface. I lifted my hand, but hesitated.

"What now?"

"Will it come back?" Her disgusted look deepened.

"

They

will not push your boundaries, even so, I'll ensure your safety. Now come." I swallowed hard, still pausing for a few moments before finally giving in. I lowered my hand to the water. It rested on the top of the water, not passing through. It was like a tough film covering the surface, hard to break through, resistant to the pressure until finally my hand popped through and into the cool water below, pressing against my double's own hand. She laced her fingers with mine, and with a shark tug, dragged me into the watery depths.

I held my breath and closed my eyes tight on instinct, feeling the water covering my entire body, flooding through my hair, brushing through my scalp and down my back, and goosebumps rising all over my body.

"You can breathe." Her voice was crystal clear under the water, not muffled or distorted. I slowly opened my eyes, looking all around within the water. It was even more beautiful. I could see the ghostly shapes of people even more clearly now, moving all about. I opened my mouth, the water spilling in once more, but this time, it didn't burn, and it tasted so delicately sweet, like a delectable nectar or ambrosia. I sucked in a breath, feeling the water fill my lungs, but it didn't choke me, didn't drown me. It was like air, breathing just fine, but not daring to swallow a drop. I closed my mouth, pushing the water out, deciding to instead breathe through my nose.

My reflection was translucent but solid, and I watched as she dragged me through the water, deeper and deeper, but never getting darker. She swam with me to the very bottom, towards the crystalline floor faintly covered with fine sand. I could feel a hand on my back, just between my shoulders, and glancing back was the faint image of the watery being, face constantly shifting and changing, but it did nothing but help escort me to the bottom of the lake.

Once there, I was mesmerized by the shifting hues in the gems. Deep blues paired with pastel pinks, a sunset array of oranges and dandelions and roses and magentas, and lilacs dancing with emeralds, it was truly so beautiful.

My reflection brushed away particles of sand, clearing a section of the crystal bottom before gesturing towards it.

"Go ahead, take a look." The hand on my back helped guide me closer down, gently pushing me closer to the crystal. I placed my hands on the surface, peering into the crystal. There was nothing but swirling shapes and colors. Not until another hand placed on the back of my head pushed my face into the gems. Instead of smushing flat against the structure, my face fazed through, and when I opened my eyes, I was in a room.

A plain white room, empty and void of much besides a cold, sad cot. Then a woman, guiding me out the room and down a maze of halls, all the way to another room, a larger room, with a desk and chair. The wall in front shifted, becoming crystal clear glass. A large turning cylinder covered in cubes, everything was a blinding white. I watched as a cube aligned with the glass, moving and pushing forward, its own wall fading to glass.

Then a girl. Small and frail, scared and shivering, covered head to toe in dirt and blood, clutching a teddy bear close to her, tight in her arms. It was the same little girl I saw when I woke up. With the same sad green eyes, dull with hopelessness. She spoke first.

"Hello?" She sounded so quiet, weak, terrified. I spoke too, but it wasn't

me

speaking, it was the body I was viewing through, but it was my voice.

"Oh, um, hi. Is your name..." My eyes drifted to a black bar above the glass, reading the name 'Sally'.

"Sally?" I watched the memory play out, the child talking with me, I watched as she slowly opened up, her eyes shifting from sad to bright, happy, and relieved. We played games, laughed and conversed. Her smile was genuine, she was slowly opening up to me, showing me her trust.

It was all so heartwarming but gut-wrenching. I

did

know her. But I couldn't remember, only viewing the memory was bringing back a sense of familiarity. Then, something clicked. This wasn't the same girl in the room before. The one I saw was sad, like how she was before. Was she sad because of me? Watching her, seeing how happy she was, she was just a

child

. She should be playing with toys, outside having fun, basking in the sun, and playing in the snow, she should be living the life of a child, not locked up in some room void of color and life. I was pulled out of the structure, my vision fading back to the crystal and water surrounding me.

"See? You know them, all of them."

"Why are my memories here?"

"Because they are shared with them, but, there's also a connection," She pointed down to my hand with the black mark.

"You are connected to them, through that, and of your own will, mentally, so all of your memories have been stored in here." Silence fell as I thought, slowly nodding, then speaking.

"Let me see more."

"I can't-"

"I don't care! I don't care what you say, if I can't handle it, let me see

more

." It was my turn to look at her with disgust and a cold glare. Instead, she smiled a knowing grin.

"Hah, there you are, getting your spunk back, huh? Good." I was roughly pushed back into the crystal before I could speak again, a new memory flooding my vision. A man also in a room like Sally, his name tag stating 'Tim'. Grumpy and volatile, keeping his distance, keeping to himself. When he too began to open up, it was less one of trust, and more to distress me, but through the fear, I felt a determination. Something to push back and prove something.

Again and again, flashes flooding my mind. People, beings, creatures, animals, entities, and strange faces becoming familiar all over again. Relishing in their smiles and laughter, it felt satisfying to see their happiness, it felt like it was feeding me, fueling my drive. To give them a chance to escape, live, and thrive, it was fulfilling enough for me, even if I would die. But I didn't die. I survived too. They took me with them, brought me to a home, gave me all the freedoms I could ever ask for, fed me, clothed me, housed me. I was given my own decision to stay or leave. I was given friends, I was given so much, but I got greedy.

I got greedy and suffered for it. I watched horrified as Toby screamed, reaching out for me as I fell to the floor, watching as hands shot out of the computer screen and drug him back in before it all faded to black. How I was kidnapped by SPARK and my own mother, how I was nothing but a guinea pig to be experimented on, cut open time and time again, forced to watch.

I watched through it all again, memories flooding my mind. I felt so sick, and dizzy, hot tears pricking at my eyes, stinging but not falling. My mind was flooding with so much it hurt, my head was pounding. My heart was racing and aching, it felt ready to explode. My whole body felt like it was burning up from all the realization, all the gruesome sights, all of it. It was so much, too much. Overwhelming.

I was pulled out, breathing heavy and hard, a hand gripped in my hair still from ripping me out of the crystal.

"See? It's still too much."

"N-no...put...put me back. I...I need to remember, I need to see it all."

"No, I cannot permit that. You need to rest more first, but, I'll give you this; you got so much farther than I thought you would." My reflection smiled at me as a pair of ghostly arms wrapped around me from behind, a faint weeping voice pressing into my hair.

"Come, let's get you back to the surface. Rest yourself, think, go over everything that you now know." I could only nod, my right hand resting on the arms around my waist, patting them, trying to comfort the sobbing being. It held onto me the whole time we swam back up to the surface, they held on until I climbed out of the water and back onto the stone pedestal. I turned to look back at them, at my reflection, but both were gone, and I was alone with my thoughts once more.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

I wanted so badly to dive back into the water, to swim back down to see more. I had just a taste, but I craved more. I needed to know more. I needed to remember. But I decided to listen, to have patience, and think it all over.

I laid across the stone, one arm tucked under my chin, the other outstretched, a single finger tracing patterns across the top of the water. I watched carefully as the watery being below the surface followed my finger with its own, tracing the same patterns, seeming entranced. It was so odd. Only minutes before, I was so angry. So disgusted, full of terror, surrounded by monsters and things that shouldn't exist, but now? Now, I felt at ease, and calmer, but full of sadness. A deep hole carved right from the middle of my chest, hollow and yearning to be whole again. Separated from my own mind, betrayed by my own thoughts and emotions. Nothing made sense anymore.

I could remember their names and faces now, but I couldn't only remember the bits and snippets of things they told me and what we talked about. I wasn't shown the entirety of everything. The memories jumped all around, cut off and jumbled. Now it was just a matter of piecing it all back together like some distorted puzzle. I splayed my fingers out, pressing my hand flat to the water, the being underneath following suit, pressing their own hand against mine.

A deep sigh, and I closed my eyes, basking in the warm light against my back, feeling the coolness of the water and being against my hand. Piece by piece, I was stitching together a patchwork quilt of my memories. There wasn't anything before the facility before I woke up in that empty white room. Seeing Sally, meeting the first of the large group, then Tim, then Slender, just how terrifying he first was before his comforting presence melted away the fear. How open he was with me, how kind yet straightforward he was. Toby and Jane, both hesitant but still kind. Jack first ignored me, having to fish him to speak with the promise of food. Jeff's rage, Smile and Grinny both wild cards on their own, Jack cackling and sudden shifts, and Ben, confused and on guard.

No one should have to have been caged like that, and no one should be confused by kindness, or cautious of care, it was all heartbreaking. My chest was tight and aching. At the sound of gentle splashing I reopened my eyes, the face of the being peaking out at me. Looking at it now, I could see the shifting faces of almost all of them. Their hand was still pressed against mine. The pressure was steady, pushing against my palm and fingers, slowly moving our hands back and forth, as if never having felt another living thing before. It was testing, feeling how my hand felt against theirs, how it moved and turned, feeling the moving muscles and tendons under my skin.

I watched carefully as their fingers moved and intertwined with mine, holding my hand softly in theirs. It was a warm feeling, comforting and caring. Curious and needy. Then, they dipped back down under the water, hand still holding mine all the while. My hand was pulled into the water, but that was it, they were hiding back under the water, still holding, but not pulling me into the depths.

My mind wandered back to the moment, leaving my scattered memories behind for the time being. I stared at the ring of water around my wrist, how the gentle waves of water swayed and rocked gently back and forth, brushing across my skin, then dipping back away again. My eyes felt heavy, my mind sleepy. It was all so calm and serene, warm and relaxing. I felt so at ease, free of any pain or soreness. There was no discomfort, only amenity. Listening to the gentle stir of the water, easing me into such a wonderful, warm sleep.
 
A sudden calm and stillness. Not death, but a wonderful sleep. A sleep free of pain or worry. They all felt it, calming their pounding hearts. A collective sigh of relief. A moment to rest the overwhelming panic and confusion they could sense, enough to distress them as well. But now all was calm.

Jack was still huddled on the floor of it room, staring up at the plastic stars and moons stuck to his ceiling. They used to be green and blue, but now they had long since grayed. Faint streams of light filtered through the gap in the black curtains, white light streaming in, highlighting the floating dust in the air.

His room, once a colorful rainbow of colors, was now nothing but monotone blacks and whites. He loved all the color, something he himself had lost, but seeing it draining around him, it broke his heart even more. But what was so much worse was the life lost in your fearful eye. Once bright and glowing, it now only looked dull and dead to him. He hated it. And he hated the feeling of what felt like you floating behind his back, haunting the back of his mind. He tried to turn to look at you, but of course, you weren't there, he knew that, but the feeling was chilling.

He felt broken all over again. Fallen far from the heavens, plummeting past the stars and back down to the earth, feathers burning up and disintegrating, leaving behind only burnt tufts barely hanging on. It felt like he was dying, the pain was unreal. The loss of a home was one thing, but the loss of a friend? Of someone he could finally open up to? To open up his heart and spill his guts. It was such a hard thing for him. Born an angel, there was no empathy or sympathy, there was no guilt or compassion, there was only the drunken happiness of delusions and ecstasy. There was no pain, no material possessions, no love or care, no family or friends, just a systematic order of hierarchy and ruling over what you could.

Earth was so much different. Apathy and empathy ran rampant. Love and care, ecstasy for so much more than the high of commanding, no, here, ecstasy what intimate, it was an adrenaline high, it was sex, it was a thrill of jumping off cliffs and skydiving, ecstasy was alcohol and smoking, drugs and drinking. It wasn't just one thing, no, nothing here was

just

one thing. There was so much to learn, and through all the years he soaked it all in, learning what he could and using what he had.

Then you, the embodiment of so many good things, came along. True happiness, true pain, true fear, true care. It was all so confusing to him and yet he was drawn back to you. He wanted to learn all about you, he wanted to watch you closely, he wanted to read you like a book. So fascinating you were, and it was killing him that it was all wiped away in an instant.

Even with the serene feeling, knowing you were peacefully sleeping, it didn't help him feel any better. The way you screamed, god it was awful. It was fun to startle his friends, but actually

scaring

them? No, he didn't want to do that to you. His pranks were always a hair too far, too much, but he would have never done that to you, you were only human still, so fragile, he didn't want to break you, hurt you.

But seeing your distress at him, God above he felt like he was

dying.

Burning up alive, that pain so tight and suffocating in his chest, the tears burned painfully, and his throat was so sore from crying. God, it

hurt

so bad!
 
Jane switched with Jack, taking her turn to sit and watch over you. He walked not to his room but to the makeshift operating room. He was still in the middle of fully cleaning and sanitizing the room, making sure to be thorough. He couldn't admit it, not ever, and especially not now. But, he couldn't stop salivating. A deep pit of hunger balled up in his stomach. A wave of sickly sweet nausea. The smell of your blood still lingered in the room, it smelt so enticing, yet so rotten. He felt so hungry, but he needed to clean first, rid the room of the smell.

Cutting you open, he so badly wanted a bite. Razor-sharp teeth slicing flesh and muscle, feeling the blood coating his tongue, biting down on bone to reveal the precious marrow inside. He wanted to rip you open entirely, watch the blood drip from your insides, watch your organs spill across the ground. He wanted to butcher you apart and hang you from meat hooks, bleeding you dry before digging in with tooth and claw. But he didn't. He stopped himself, he held control over his instincts. But still...now your presence persisted, paired with the smell of your blood. It was driving him insane, he hated it, and he felt so disgusted with himself. He hated it so much, the hunger that followed him like a starving dog at his heels, begging and whining for scraps. He didn't want to hurt you, didn't want to fucking

eat

you, but that animalistic instinct to hunt the weak was gnawing at him.

He was back to scrubbing the chair, the stains long gone but the scent still remained, mingling with the smell of bleach and alcohol. But it still wouldn't go away. He had to keep swallowing down the culminating pool of saliva in his mouth. Scrubbing the chair harder and harder, suds and bubbles foaming and falling to the floor, yet the smell lingered, and his hunger deepened further. He threw down the rag in frustration, teeth bared, drool dripping down his chin. He ripped his gloves off, letting them fall to the floor. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve, storming out of the room and towards the front door, hand covering his mouth.

It was a struggle. A being, humanoid in appearance, speech, and knowledge, but a demon with the urges of a predator, it was always a fight to stay in control of his hunger. It took him years to control himself. He ripped open the front doors, a harsh cold wind blasting into the house, bringing snow with it. He turned, slamming the doors shut once outside before running off into the surrounding woods. He needed to eat, needed to

hunt

.
 
Jane looked towards the door as the sound of distant slamming echoed down the hallways. Nothing else followed, so she turned back to you. Sally had fallen asleep at the foot of the bed, Jack already having placed a pillow under her head and a blanket over her. There wasn't much to do, you wouldn't wake up, not until Slender permitted it. But that was probably for the best. If you woke up now, you would freak out all over again and more than likely rip open your back again.

Jane sighed, leaning forward, and elbow to the bed, resting her chin in her palm. She stared down at you, so peacefully asleep as if nothing in the world were wrong. Beautifully tranquil. She brushed a strand of your hair to the side. You breathed slowly, a steady rhythm, stomaching gently rising and falling with every breath. She wished you were this calm awake, but until there was a solution, nothing could be done.

She had felt that she had grown so close to you, and it was painful to watch you be erased and left as just...this. A terrified and scarred girl left beaten and battered, torn apart to nothing. You radiated warmth before, but now your skin was cool to the touch, she would have thought you dead if not for the breathing. You didn't move, didn't stir, even your eyelids didn't flutter or move. But it was expected, this wasn't any normal sleep. Your body lived, but your soul was elsewhere, resting and healing the deepest parts of you and allowing your body to rest.

She knew it would take a while, and it wouldn't be long until you would need an I.V. and feeding tube. But she was hoping all to hell they could get you awake before the day ended. But there was so little hope for that, she knew it was near impossible. But she could daydream.
 
Toby aimlessly paced through the house. Up and down the stairs, through winding hallways, reaching dead ends, turning, then doing it all again. He felt restless, and he didn't want to board himself up in his room like the others. He just needed to move, think, get the energy out. But there was nothing to do.

Even if there was, he wouldn't be able to sit still and focus on the task at hand. He was just focused on his friends, his family, you, all of it. He had tried to find Tim and Brian, but they felt so far away, out collecting more lives, and their boss was also far away, much, much further. He had been left behind, but he didn't care, he wouldn't be able to focus either way.

Up and down, back and forth, pacing, ticking, cracking his fingers and neck, vocalizing some tics. He was stressed, scratching at his palms and neck, picking at the skin around his fingernails. He had wandered down a hall and stopped, looking back at your door. He lifted his hand, but stopped, putting it back down, then lifting again. He couldn't decide, but the voice on the other side made the decision for him.

"Come in." Jane's voice. He swallowed hard and slowly opened the door, peaking in.

"S-s-s-sorry."

"All good. You okay?" He could only shake his head.

"Wanna talk 'bout it?" He shrugged, walking into the room, looking anywhere but at you.

"I d-d-dunno." He sat on the floor, back pressed to the bed, knees pulled up to his chest.

"I feel s-s-ssssss-so usel-l-less."

"We all do."

"I kn-ow. B-b-but I was

right

t-t-there! I...I c-could've grabbed h-h-her." Jane nodded, deciding to just let him talk.

"A-and now? I-I-I can't even s-s-s-say ssss-sorry! I'm ffffffff-fucking awful! I shouldve tried har-r-rder! She was right th-there!

"And now all t-t-the useful people can't even be aro-und her or she'll hurt herself! I d-d-d-d-didn't even know how to stitch some-someone together until now! Jack knows-s-s this sss-stuff, not me! I could've hurt her more!" Jane only looked on, watching as he buried his face in his knees, a balled fist pushed into his forehead.

"I d-dunno...s-s-sorry." Jane shook her head.

"If you're sorry, don't say it to me, say it to (Y/n) when she wakes up."

"I don't th-th-think I can-"

"Bullshit, if you feel like you gotta say it then you're gonna say it to the right person. You blame yourself so much but can't even tell her yourself? Toby, you're better than this." He didn't speak, didn't look up at her. He couldn't bear it all, it was so much, too much.

He stayed sitting there, in silence with Jane. His mind was jumbled, he didn't know why this all was happening. He failed to save you, so why didn't you hate him? Why were you so afraid and angry of Jane and Jack? They were the ones who could help you, not him, and yet, you singled him out to stitch you back up, there was no other option. It made him feel sick, he didn't deserve to be trusted, he deserved your ire, your anger, and rage, your disappointment. 
 
He always felt the calmest out in nature. Going back to his roots, feeling the flow of life under his feet, the rush of wind carrying whispers of dreams upon it, the leaves changing and shifting hue, signaling the changing of seasons. Feeling the push and pull of tides, the newfound life in fauna, the withering of ancient trees, all a perfect balance of harmony, nature in its rawest form.

But even this wasn't enough. It had changed so much, and grown smaller over time as humans invaded, conquered, tore apart, and rebuilt. Nature now was just a glimpse through foggy glass of what it once was. Sometimes, he wished he could go back and experience it all again, time seemed to move far too fast, and now it was all gone. He missed the trees as tall as mountains, the animals that used to be doubled or even tripled in size, the large rolling hills full of long-extinct wildflowers that now seemed alien, flowers so big he could lounge in them and nap in the warm sunlight. Mountains unmoving, with perfectly crisp snow-capped tops, fresh spring water melting and cascading down them into clear, refreshing rivers and lakes. Just how full of life the ocean was, massive coral reefs full of so many colors, plant life booming and expanding, large, scaley fish now no longer alive.

But now? It was all gone. Wiped out. The essence of nature, of the earth itself, it was dying. Walking through the trees now did little to calm him. So, to reminisce, he reverted. A quadrupedal thing with white fleshy skin stretched over a bony frame, a maw full of pearly teeth, something akin to a jackal or dire wolf, only hairless. Large, stalking, thin, almost a cousin to The Rake. But not quite. He blended in skillfully into the snow, but the further away he traveled, to different forests all connected through those hidden doorways all across the globe, the snow faded into tall green grass, morphed into a large farm of corn, tall and hiding him well.

Weaving through bushes, claws digging in and climbing high into the trees, perching upon branches, head lowered, gaze landing upon a lone deer, sickly, resting. Shoulder blades rolled, claws clenching and unclenching. He slowly climbed down, hunching low into the tall grass, circling around, closer and closer.

But he never pounced. He slowly creeped out the grass, the deer's wide eyes calming looking on at him. There was no panic or fear like a human would. That was the distinct difference. Animals knew balance, animals didn't know time, but they knew when theirs was at an end. Humans didn't care for balance and only cared to count the hours, trying to extend their own time, find more of it, and greedily hogging it all to themselves.

"Wolf." Its voice was tired and elderly, an acknowledgment of him.

"No. Would you mind company?" The deer bowed its head.

"If you wish. I am tired." He circled around the deer before sitting, watching over it carefully. It wasn't often, he was usually busy, but when he had time, he would seek out the sickly and weak and comfort them until they passed. It reminded him of the kindness ages ago.

He waited patiently, watching as the deer laid back down, relaxed, breathing slowing further and further until one last deep breath, then fully out, and then he was still. The faint heartbeat through the ground ceased. He stood, bowed his head to the deer, then turned and began to run again.

He found a few more animals; an ailing rabbit, an elderly owl, and a small finch with a broken wing. He accompanied each until they passed, comforting and respecting them until the last moments before moving once more. It was a feeling he missed. Freedom, fresh air, clean water, the mutual laws of nature and animals, kill only when hungry, not for malice or fun, eat when hungry, but now when content. Live to the fullest, and enjoy the small moments.

He watched the house from a distance, observing carefully. He was always best at watching, finding the smallest details, and dissecting them in his mind. He watched Jack run out of the house, a hand covering his mouth, but his keen nose could smell the hunger haunting him. He felt Tim's anger, Brian's hopelessness, and Toby's confusion and pain. His tall ears twitched at the sounds of stomping footsteps, silent weeping, slow, sleepy breathing, and the concentrated hum of electricity. Everyone was trying so hard to figure something out, either already doing their own jobs or waiting.

His form began to change again, morphing back into his bipedal humanoid form, slinking out from the shadows and back towards the house, straightening out his back, rolling his shoulders, stretching his neck, and regaining composure. His maw melted shut, back into a smooth, mouthless face, teeth hiding away once again, his wet white canine nose flattening back out. He strode up to the front door, turning to look back out at the ever-expanding forest. It was the closest thing to the world of old, his haven, protecting what he could, keeping safe the secrets of the trees and wind, where animals could hide away and rest and feel what the world was once like again, an ancient instinct flowing through their veins, knowing the truth of what it all once was.

He entered back into the warm house, though it was still just as cold as outside. It was missing the warmth of laughter and happiness, of jokes and pranks being played, of discussion and casual chatter. It missed the warmth of life, the only heat was just the air, nothing more. He fixed his tie, straightening it out, smoothing it down flat, and making sure it was secure and tight. He felt calmer, if only slightly, not much, but enough. He brushed his hands across his suit, smoothing out any wrinkles and dusting off debris of dead twigs and leaves. Deep breath in, out slowly, and he was back to how he should be, to the outside world at least. His mind was still rolling with turmoil.

He tried so hard to distract his mind, but it couldn't stop peaking back at you. It felt wrong to look, but his worry had him frantic, needing to check on you, make sure that you were

safe

. It wasn't the safest place to be, far from it, but it was better than nothing, and it may just help you. He tried not to look until it was driving him mad, so he only caught glimpses of it all. He kept his gaze only to your face. In his peripheral, your body was intact, but your eye? Why was it still missing? At the lake your soul reflects the whole of you, so what was missing so badly that your eye was gone? It couldn't have

just

been your memories, could it? It was another heartbreaking realization, one he wouldn't tell the others about.

He remembered back to when each one of them was at the lake. Toby, his cheek unscarred, able to speak calmly without the stutter that he hated so much about himself, his fingers healed from the constant picking. Jeff, with bright, full-of-life skin, not white, unburned, unbleached, his cheeks not carved up, able to blink and breathe without the searing pain of soot-filled lungs. Jane, with her beautiful brown eyes, and sunkissed skin, not needing to wear the lifelike mask that covered her scarred face, something she never took off, that she hid well, something that hardly anyone noticed as by now it had become her knew face, moved like a human face should, it smiled and scowled and moved its lips and cheeks.

Ben, his eyes unbleeding, the blue undertone gone from his skin. Jack, a colorful prism once more, his beautiful red and orange and yellow wings spread out largely, dipping into the surrounding waters. Sally, unscarred, every drop of blood washed away, her mind clear of pain and trauma, it was the first time he saw her not crying, and afterward, she slowly began to heal in her own ways. How Jack looked like the boy he once was before dying and being sacrificed, bright-eyed and with his whole life ahead of him. Tim, not falling into fits of seizures. Brian, able to calm his whirlwind mind and to sleep peacefully.

All of them had their scars, but their souls healed without them. They were only skin deep after all. He helped them as much as he could, and they healed their hearts, their minds, and their souls. But you were such an enigma. Even without memories, both of your eyes should still be there, but no, you only had the one. So why? What was so

important

that you were incomplete? His mind was reeling with possibilities, but none fit.

He watched as you lay there asleep, holding the hand of the Guardian. He had never seen it so friendly before. All had to prove their worth to it, but it clung to you with such need. An amalgamation of the most powerful and prolific of them all. None of the children lived within the Guardian, it was not their responsibility, and it was far too draining. The Guardian was almost always either hostile or elusive. The reflection was the guide of the lake while the Guardian was the protector. They kept the lake, the source of power and life, safe, they kept all who entered safe and at bay, but if they dared cross a line or break the rules, their safety was the least of its concerns. He had watched before he the Guardian killed and consumed other potential residents. It was a violent and hungry thing, but it was still refined.

The Guardian was connected to the most powerful, those connected to it could mildly feel it, its thoughts and feelings, but it was somewhat its own entity, so whatever could be felt from it was confusing and hard to decipher. But the others were more connected to it than it was to them. It acted out the will of the others for them in the lake. Distributing life to those who need it, pushing more healing forces to those in dire need of them. The feeling of rage turned the lake into a stormy typhoon, turned happiness into a flourishing habitat, phantom fauna and plants taking root and growing inside, it turned calm into a sleepy lullaby. Such strong, prominent emotions, even from just one person would greatly influence the Guardian. Perhaps it was Sally? No, she was a child, she had no influence. Then maybe Jane? She seemed the closest to you, sticking by your side constantly, brushing aside your hair, keeping close watch over you. But it could have equally been Jack as well, his desperation for you to remember, opening up to you about his story only to have it all wiped away. It could have been any of them, but he would never know. The Guardian was such an interesting being, unpredictable.

You looked so calm and peaceful, and with how docile the Guardian was, he decided it best to let you stay there, it seemed to be the best answer for the meantime. If only to let you rest and heal. He refocused back to reality, looking around the desolate house. He found himself walking to his office, refusing to walk back to your room.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

My eyes fluttered open, the gentle sway of water tempting to lull my back to sleep.

"Awake?" A soft hush, many voices speaking together. Tilting my head to the side, I found the watery face of the thing staring at me, only the upper part of its face peering from the water, from the middle of its cheeks and up was visible.

"Hello."

"Hello." It echoed back, still speaking softly. I stared at it for a few moments, still trying to wake up and gain my bearings. I wiggled my fingers, finding my hand still held tightly in the beings. I groaned, stretching before shifting, trying to sit up, but it didn't let go of my hand, so sitting up was slightly awkward. It wouldn't let go.

"How long was I asleep for?" It didn't answer, just continued to stare.

"Can I see more memories?" Again, no answer, just staring. I scrunched up my face, deciding to look into the water below at my reflection.

"You there? Can I go see more?" Nothing.

My

reflection was there, but not the mirror me. She didn't appear. I sighed, stretching again and deciding to lay on my back, staring up into the empty sky.

"Sleep?"

"No, I'm awake now."

"See?" I turned my head. It was closer now, peering over the edge of the stone, but still seeming to try and hide itself.

"Huh? See what?" Its head bobbed slightly up and down with the waves. Then, a hand snaked up the ledge of the stone, gripping and then pulling. I watched as the being crawled out of the water and onto the stone. The way it moved was odd. As if it wasn't sure of its own body or how it worked, like it didn't know how to properly move. It was hunched on all fours, one hand still intertwined with my right, its own free one clawed and arched on the stone, only the fingers actually flat against the stone with its palm in the air. One leg was crouched under it, heel up and toes on the stone, like its hand, the other leg splayed out to the side, foot bent awkwardly and entirely flat to the stone. It was like an animal hiding in the form of a human.

Something about it suddenly struck me. It was dangerous. This thing was a hunter. Before, it didn't seem as so, but now, the way it was hunched, shoulder blades pocking from its back, rolling like a cat ready to pounce, it was so strange, it was scary, but its face was calm, and eased me slightly. Its movements were slow and careful, not stalking, but cautious. It never once looked away from my face. It slowly crawled over me, bringing its face right to mine, staring down at me, but it avoided touching me, the only touch still being our holding hands. It shifted its weight back on its legs, balancing oddly as it raised its free hand to its eye, the same eye that I was missing.

"See?"

"I don't understand?" It was more of a question than a statement, I was so confused by it. Then, it lowered its hand, covering my eye with it, leaving my empty one open. Only darkness engulfed my vision.

"Can you see?"

"No, of course not." I furrowed my brows, feeling the cool water against my skin, feeling the waves moving through the hand.

"What's missing?"

"You spoke a lot before, can you please be more specific?" It hummed, a wavering sound that traveled through its whole body like a purr, vibrating through its hand, ringing in my ears.

"You should be whole. Something is missing."

"My memories?-"

"No, more." It lifted the hand again, allowing me to blink my eye back open. It rested on the flat of my upper chest, directly in the middle.

"This."

"Huh?" It lowered its head, pressing an ear to my chest, seeming to listen.

"Sad. Alone. Starved." It slowly laid its body down, laying across me, pinning me to the stone. Its body was cool to the touch, not boiling like when it had kissed me.

"What are you talking about?" It didn't move this time, ear still pressed between my breasts, listening intently.

"Your heart is missing. Your mind is set to one thing, but your heart another. You are not in balance, you are torn." My face felt hot from the closeness of it all.

"You have been starved your whole life. You have never been shown love or kindness. You were never allowed to smile or laugh. You were never held or loved. You are missing so much of yourself, you are unsure of happiness, and when given a drop of it, you ate it down eagerly." It shifted, eyes looking up to me, but head still pressed to my chest.

"You are empty, and what should have been special was stolen away. You are broken and feel hopeless. Deep down, you think you will never find that happiness. Deep down, you think you are undeserving." It moved again, legs intertwining with mine, its free arm wrapping under my lower back, pressing its torso closer to mine. Their head lifted from my chest, chin softly resting against my sternum, staring up at me with sad, empty eyes.

"W-what are you doing?"

"Holding. You never were held before, not with softness, not with care, not with warmth or love. I wish to help. I wish to heal." It squeezed my hand tighter, pulling my hand close to its face, nuzzling its mouth into my hand, rubbing its cheek on my knuckles, all the while staring at me.

"I will stop if wished." My face was flushed hot, and my words failed me. Its movements stopped, waiting for a reply, but being held like this, it was so tantalizingly lovely.

"No, i-its okay." It gently kissed my knuckles. It began to move again, lying on its side next to me on the small stone platform, pulling me close, arms wrapping around my sides and fingers gently digging into my back. Legs still intertwined with mine, slightly curling into a ball, keeping me close and warm. Their face was pressed into the crook between my neck and shoulder. While their body felt solid, I could feel the gentle waves of water moving through them, like the lulling waves gently lapping at a beach's shore.

They gently rubbed small circles in my lower back while their other hand gently scratched back and forth on my upper back, the water feeling like delicate nails. Its chest was pressed tight to mine, and while they did not breathe, I could feel the pulses of multiple heartbeats, invisible through their transparent body, yet still there as phantoms. Ghostly lips fluttered butterfly kisses across my skin, across my shoulder, up my neck, then down again. Every touch was soft, caring, loving, it was slow but each action spoke a thousand words of affection. Their arms tightened slowly, never once hurting me, but pulling me as close as physically possible.

I tried to relax into the touch. It felt so foreign, dangerous. I couldn't remember the last time I was ever touched so lovingly, whether it be a hug, a kiss, my hand being held, all of it. I couldn't remember. There were the vague glimpses of memory, a black-eyed woman combing her fingers through my hair, Sally, with a big smile running at me and hugging me tight, but that was it. A few blurry figures picked me up, but only to help me move, but it was only face value, there was no affection behind it. But this? This was so soft, and it scared me.

My whole body felt tense as I lay in their arms. I tried to calm myself, but my mind was racing. I was hesitant as I lifted my arms and wrapped them around the being. My nerves felt on fire. Regardless, the being still held me, kept brushing its hands across my back, kissing my shoulder, it seemed to try to comfort me, even if it was something so intimate.

"What has you worried?" The voices spoke once more, surrounding all around me, it almost felt disorienting. They were still curling our mingled forms into a comforting ball, legs bending in and upward, its form seemingly growing large to curve its back around me, holding me closer.

"I...I'm not sure." Another tender kiss on the front of my throat, lips lingering.

"Then just speak, let your words flow, and you'll soon understand yourself." I slowly took in a shaky breath, further trying to force myself to relax in their arms.

"Go on then, you are safe here, I will keep you safe, and you may speak freely without consequence." It tried again, leaving an open-ended option for me to either speak or keep quiet. I was safe?

I was safe.

"I feel...scared..."

"Mm-hmm." It hummed but didn't speak. I swallowed the forming lump in my throat. I felt thirsty again.

"I'm afraid. I think...I feel like this isn't real? Like it's a lie. That I'll wake up and I'll be in pain again...I'll wake up and my body will be mangled again." Kisses were peppered across my shoulder, then, a hand lifted from the water, splashing softly among the waves, lifting my head to a comfortable degree, the being moving its head to the other side of my neck, unrelinquishing in the affection.

"I-I...I've never had this before, I don't think so at least. No, I'm

sure

I've never had this before. It's new, it feels weird. I...it makes my heart race, my stomach feels like it's tying itself in knots. I feel sick, I feel scared, it feels wrong, but...but I want

more

." Another hum, then a hot, warm tongue dragged up the front of my throat, ending with a kiss, lips lingering once more. I shivered.

"It feels dangerous I think. My throat...it's...important...vital, having y-your mouth so close, teeth, its scary, but it feels...exciting? But it reminds me of something...I can't think specifically...but it scares me, more than just worry, no, I'm

terrified

...it feels so...distant? But bad, really, really

bad

." There was a pause, and I could feel its gaze boring through me.

"Bad?" I swallowed again, my mouth felt so dry.

"Y-yeah. I can't pinpoint it, but I think I remember pain. A lot of pain. Teeth, biting, hands leaving bruises on me, my stomach hurting, everything hurting."

"What if I promise not to hurt you? Does it bring any comfort?"

"I want to believe you, but I don't think I can. I'm still scared. Why?" Another hum, low and vibrating through my neck, then, a small, gentle nip. Enough to startle me, make me jump, but no pain. Oddly, it felt...good.

"Did it hurt?"

"N-no."

"Did it scare you?"

"Yes."

"The words of another might ring true to you, 'you may not remember, but your heart remembers, your soul. Trauma leaves scars behind, even if you may not see them.' When you remember, I wish to bring comfort and healing. Not pain, not worry, not fear, not feelings of disgust."

"But what if it doesn't help?"

"There is always help, it is up to you whether you take that help or refuse it. It will always take time, and that is alright, there is no shame in healing, no shame in taking all the time you need. And there is no shame in hesitating, no shame in refusing the help. Everyone has their own methods, their own ways, only you know what is best for you." Another gentle nibble, then a long slow lick across my throat, back to the other side of my neck, kissing again.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No." The answer came almost instantly, I didn't even hesitate. Something about this felt so...addictive. Like a drug. It felt like I was so empty and hollow, so void of devotion that all the years of neglect and isolation were rushing up on me all at once, a tidal wave flooding through my aching heart, filling my yearning mind with thoughts of all that I missed in my life.

My lip quivered and my eyes burned. Fresh hot tears were running down my face, my breathing quickly spiraling out of control, panicked breaths and hiccups taking over. A flood of emotions swirled inside my chest, squeezing tight. My arms wrapped around the being, pulling it closer, my hands gripping into its back, interrupting its barrage of kisses by burring my face in its chest, sobbing into it, crying as the pain of everything set in suddenly. I yearned to be loved, to be cared for, to have silky sweet words of nothing whispered in my ears, to be lovingly kissed and held, to just have

some

sort of connection to another being. To be treated like an actual

person

, not a pet, not an experiment. I wanted to be

loved

in its purest form.

The being stopped moving, stopped kissing. Instead, it returned the embrace. While already holding me, its hands stopped rubbing my back, instead, wrapping even more around me, not around my waist, but raising to right below my arms, holding me close like a child would their stuffed animal. I cried and wailed into it, letting my sorrows sing to it, my story being written with tears and sobs, and it listened carefully. No words were spoken, but just my cries were enough to write a novel.

Its head rested on top of mine. One hand planted on my upper back, the other on my lower back, holding me as close as possible, chest pressed tight together. Its own hearts were beating faster, all out of sync now, a cacophony of disharmony.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry-"

"Do not apologize. Cry as you need, you are safe. I will protect you." Those simple words made me cry harder, nearly screaming out from the pain in my chest. But, through glimpses of tears, blinking through wet lashes, and wiping at my face, my vision seemed to be fading in and out. The being somehow looked more...real? No, there was

depth

now. And it now seemed as if my vision was piecing back together, the entire right side fading from black to the world around me. I could see more through the blur of tears. Glances of the being's face leaned back and staring down at me, and now, finally, it held an expression. A gentle smile, eyes softened and lidded, though its features still shifted through many different faces, the expression stayed.

"Can you see?" I nodded, my voice failing to find words. It leaned down, planting a long, delicate kiss on my forehead. A hand slid across my skin, from my back, over my shoulder, and landing on my cheek, holding my face, a thumb stroking across my skin, wiping away at tears.

I wasn't sure how long passed, a decent amount of time I figured, but eventually, the tears waned and cleared, and my breathing slowed back to a calm pace, though still interrupted by occasional hiccups. I wiped the last few tears from my face, my skin felt raw from all the rubbing. The being stayed silent, giving me the time I needed to collect myself, letting me speak first when I finally could.

"W-why did I f-feel l-l-like that?"

"It was your scars remembering. It was your heart realizing. You are finally free, you are finally safe, and now, you can finally be selfish for yourself. You no longer need to worry about pleasing others and placing your needs last. You can finally feel what it is like to be important, what it means to be loved and cared about." I nodded, hiccupping again, but it was slowly dying down.

"Wh-what now?"

"That is up to you. You may stay if you wish, you may view more memories, you may rest and sleep, anything

you

want to do, you can. Your life is your own, your decisions are your own, you have no need to ask permission or be led on a leash." Another nod.

"Can we stay h-here a bit more? It feels nice."

"Of course." The hand on my cheek dragged to my chin, tilting my head back, and finally, it dipped its head down, lips planted to mine for the second time. It felt just as desperate and needy as the first time, but this time, I could breathe and enjoy it. I closed my eyes and fell into the kiss, pressing my lips back to its, finally feeling the greed of want and need.
 
There was a collective confusion but no one spoke of it. A wave of calm, of a wave of discomfort and fear and sickness, then a deep, heartbreaking sadness. So deep that it forced every single one of them to cry, even if they didn't want to. Tears running down cheeks, dripping down chins. Even while hunting, Jack cried, even in his deep concentration, Ben cried, even through all his rage and frustration, Jeff cried. Every last one of them. They could practically

hear

your wailing screams.

Then, relief. Such a relaxing relief of calm, of realization. The pang in their hearts was released, and a tidal wave of happiness and calm rushed through their veins. Tears dried, aching hearts wavered, and racing minds found peace. A sudden burst of energy. A spark of hope ignited and quickly engulfed their bodies like a wildfire out of control. It felt like life was breathed back into the house.

Jane couldn't help it. She rushed out of the room, eyes alight with a new sparkle. She ran barefoot through the hallways until she finally ran into someone, anyone. It was Jack, his smile wiped gone, but his expression wasn't sad either. He was confused and shocked, but he too had that spark of hope.

"You feel it!?" He only nodded. He didn't want to believe it, if it did and it wasn't true, the pain would start all over again. A pair of footsteps approached them, Tim and Toby, with identical expressions to Jane and Jack. Mummering began to spread through the home. A whisper gaining volume until the whole house was alive once again, something it hadn't seen in months and months.

All had congregated in the living room, all except Ben. Jeff had made it clear to not disturb him, but he just

knew

his friend was grinning ear to ear, a smile to rival Jeff's own. Jack returned, blood smeared across his mouth. That pit of hunger filled, but not the hole of

need

. He cleaned his face, joining the group in the living room, listening intently but staying silent.

Ben was smiling. He couldn't help it. In a way, he found it all so funny. They were killers, they weren't meant to be cold and heartless, unyielding in their cruelty. But in reality, they all had their soft spots, they all still cared for one another, and they still had their own human desires and needs from their past lives. And now, ironically, it was

them

scared. They were scared for you, scared you wouldn't remember, terrified you'd hate them, afraid you would never come back to them. But these feelings, stirring and kicking up, not theirs, but

yours

, washing through them, pulses of all these different emotions, quickly shifting from one to the next, it was refreshing in a way. This life seemed to have grown stale. Some were content with it, but being kidnapped, and tortured, it ignited a wrathful fire, but it was smothered when hope was lost.

Then you. This odd little thing that seemed to have no fear, no care for herself. You, who had been so deeply hurt that you no longer cared for your own safety or life, and continued to put others before you, even if they were immortal bloodthirsty creatures. But the second he saw you, he saw right through that bright-eyed smile. He saw past the kindness. He saw that sadness thinly veiled, even if you didn't remember. He saw it. He saw the pain and carelessness. Buried in a hole so deep the only way out was up, but a hole so deep not even light could reach you. Even then you had already given up on yourself, but still knew you didn't want others to suffer your fate. You wanted to set them free, even if it meant setting the world on fire and watching it burn in rubble and gore as they ran through the streets, free and full of murderous rage.

You were ready to sacrifice everything, your own life, your own freedom, the world all around that you never got to touch if it meant to see no more suffering. Another spark arched from his fingertips to the collar, brows furrowing deeper. he felt so tired. But he couldn't stop the light chuckle. If anything, you might have just been the insane one amongst them all. It was ironic. Someone human, mortal, so uncaring about their safety, so reckless and bold, even if timid.

SPARK had shrunk a great amount now, but her tantrum was only ramping up as time passed. Screeching to yowling, clawing to mangling. The chains around her tightening, slicing, dismembering, bit but bit, sent off to her new prison. At first, it was so insignificant that she hadn't noticed, but by now, she had, and she was starting to fight back.

"No! We had a

deal!

What are you doing!? You slimy

snake

!" Insults, questions, rage, ear-shattering screams.

The chains were barely holding her, only staying intact due to just how small and weak she was now, but it didn't deter her wrath, and it truly displayed her power. Ben never responded to her, he would give her the satisfaction of distracting him.

A sudden jolt shot through him. Up his spine and across his mind. An icy cold electric shock followed by more shrieking. He grimaced, taking a much larger chunk off SPARK and sending it away, causing screams of pain to echo from the entity. By now she was just a head and torso, with 3 arms left and a single leg, a large chunk removed from the side of her head, right eye missing with it. He found some semblance of justice in the action.

A white-clawed hand was wrapped around one of the translucent green chains, small cracks shattering through the metallic coding. What should have been an expressionless face, a being only able to mock and pretend emotion, now so deeply exposed to sentiment and sensation, was one of ferocious, carnal wrath. Teeth bared with black gums, cyan eyes glowing hotly, lips curled up into an animalistic snarl. Her whole body was a tense mess, contorted, back arched, leg bent under her as if ready to jump, a hand trying to rip at the chains, with one planted on the floor and the other bent in half and pinned behind her back, her shoulder protruding awkwardly.

"Insolent pest! You wretched

thing

!" A larger chunk was squeezed until it was sliced off from her side, through half her chest, down her abdomen, and curved back out at her hip. It faded into particles, sweeping away along invisible wind into the collar. More screaming. She was experiencing pain, and it was miserable for her.

Feeling his happiness, it was overwhelming, feeling the fear and calm and sadness and rage, it was breaking her mind, knowing deep down that you were safe and being cared for, it made her even angrier, made her writhe in pain like salt on a slug. She twisted and squirmed, hissing, snarling, growling, howling. His ears were ringing, it was painful for him too, and it only increased her pain. A perpetual self-feeding cycle. Anything he felt, she felt tenfold, and he felt it back. The feeling just kept growing, more intense, more unbearable. For Ben, by now, it felt as if his mind was numb, nerves set ablaze, his lungs begging for air as if he were drowning all over again. His fingers burned, his legs felt full of pins and needles, his stomach was tied in tight knots, and his chest was squeezing tight. He couldn't breathe, everything hurt so horrible, all his muscles tensing up, unable to relax, constricting more and more, painful cramps all through his legs and back.

For SPARK, dear god, it was the most excruciating thing. It made iron maidens and brazen bulls look like heaven. It made waterboarding look like a cakewalk, made scalping look like a spa treatment, it made iron chairs and whips look like a pleasing vacation compared to all the pain she was feeling. Stabbing knives in her leg, her arms weren't burning, they were searing and boiling with invisible fire. Her mind wasn't just impassive, it was like a white noise static constantly building, like noise torture, it was so intense it blurred her vision, made her hearing sound like distant echoes. If she could, she would be drooling and foaming at the mouth from the mind-numbing torture.

He took a moment to peer into the collar. A blinding white box inside, not an infinite void, but a small prison. Chunks of SPARK's body were strewn about the floor, slowly sliding across it and back together. She was weak, it was a slow process, her body melting back together into a form, but it would take at least an hour for it to be completed. He had some time. But time out here moved much faster than time inside the electric world, so he had to be fast, yet still careful.

Chipping away at SPARK was both exhausting and invigorating. Watching her being torn apart was like delicious karma, but the amount of energy and focus it was taking was draining on him; mentally, emotionally, physically. It was mouthwateringly delicious watching her wither away in agony, but he was ready to pass out and sleep for days. Another sharp zap to his skull, another laceration taking a chunk from SPARK's body.

It was becoming a standoff. One would make a move, and the other would retaliate. Again and again. More chains dragging her down, more icy cold shocks to hurt him. Lashing out at one another. Pain, agony, lines of codes, glowing green chains, some tightening, others snapping into shattering pixels.

SPARK was finally just a chunk of growling mouth. Everything above her nose was like cracked marble, broken off, gone. Only a small section of her neck remained, cracks from the severed part crawling up and over her chin, through her lips. She was still screaming, still growling and cursing out. A chain wrapped around her jaw, clamping between her gnashing teeth like a muzzle on a dog. The chain tightening, then finally cutting her jaw in half, and both pieces were finally shoved into the collar.

He stayed sitting, waiting, focusing. The last echoes of her screams faded away. A sudden relief and silence, not even a pixel of dust left behind. Her presence was finally wiped from his mind.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, vision quickly adjusting to the pitch-black room. The only light was the faint red glow produced from his eyes, not a hint of cyan to be seen. His fingers still gripped the collar, shocking a few arcs of electricity through it. It hissed, then clicked open. He ripped the collar off and snapped it shut again, the seam sealing shut into one solid white loop again.

A small LED light under the material slowly blinked in and out, a solid white, then, a small beep, the light shifting to cyan. A small teased the corner of his mouth, then shifting into a sly grin. Then a chuckle, small, but quickly growing into laughter. Relief was an understatement. He was so fucking

happy

that SPARK was gone, so delighted that he could cause her so much pain before sending her to an endless zone of isolation and leaving her powerless.

He stood up, knees wobbling slightly, regaining his balance, body sore from the constant muscle constriction. He stretched, rubbed his neck, and threw the collar on his desk. He paused. On instinct, he wanted to travel through the computer screens right in front of him, but he stopped. He smiled to himself, deciding to just walk downstairs instead. Maybe feeling time passing around him wasn't

too

bad.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Slender sat at his desk. Hands folded together under his chin, elbows rested on the wooden desk. He was trying to think, but his mind was fuzzy. He could sense everyone in the living room just down the hall from him. He could hear the quiet chatter, excited and hopeful. He couldn't bring himself to glimpse you again. Every time he did he just felt more guilty that he didn't stop you to begin with. The guilt was eating him alive. He was supposed to protect them, all of them. This clearing, this house, his residents. He was the protector of the forests, and yet, he couldn't protect them when kidnapped, he couldn't protect you from your own past.

He could feel it all. The deep melancholic sadness, the hot tears running down his face, the overwhelming sense of relief, of cool calm washing through him, happiness, as if he had found a prized possession once long lost to time. You were so happy, but he refused to look. He couldn't. He just couldn't bear to see you as you were now. But, at the very least, he knew you were healing, and he found comfort in that. That he

finally

made a good choice, sending you to the lake, even if it was a decision made in a panicked moment of pain and sorrow.

Ben had soon joined the group, Jeff patting his shoulder before smacking the backside of his head and scolding him. But his smile betrayed his perceived frustration, he was just happy to see his friend safe and collar-free. The whispering discussion was hushed and vague, but they were all thinking, hoping, the same thing.

That you would be okay, that you would remember, and that you would soon come back to them.
 
I pulled away from the kiss, feeling breathless, but at peace. The being began to move again, this time sitting up, bringing me with them, still holding me warmly in their arms. I was sat on their lap, my legs wrapped around their waist, both our arms still wrapped around one another. Gentle fingers combed through my hair, water hands, and long arms reaching out from the water, rubbing circles on my back, massaging my shoulders, tracings every curve and dip of my sides and hips and thighs. It was curious.

"Would you like to go see more memories?" I hummed, head resting against their chest.

"Yeah, I think so." The arms around me squeezed tighter, and the being tipped back, pulling me with it, falling into the surrounding water and diving deep, straight down to the bottom, gentle hands still caressing my body. Instinctively, I held my breath, but once my lungs began to strain, I breathed out, then in through my nose. It still felt odd, water filling my lungs, but it never came with the sting of water in my nose or at the back of my throat, it was smooth, just like breathing air. I was turned around in its arms, its chest now pressing to my back, arms around my waist, and I was brought to the crystalline bottom once more. I brushed away the pink and white sand, watching it drift along the currents of the water.

I watched the beautiful prism of colors shifting within the crystal, shapes, geometric and patterns forming. One last deep breath and I lowered my face to the crystal floor. Unlike the first time, when my head face was shoved into the crystal, this time, I slowly pressed against it. It almost felt like stiff jelly, giving slightly with pressure, but needing enough to finally break through the surface. And surrounding my vision, once more a passenger in my mind, memories flooded through.

This time, it was starting from the beginning. My earliest memories. Playing with dull, unpainted wooden blocks, watching has over time they were taken away and replaced with puzzles, tests, word crosses, and mazes, each time getting more and more complex. I could remember never being held, not hugged or high-fived, never even a pat on the head. Never told 'good job' or 'I love you,' only expected to do more, push harder, keep going and never slow down.

I watched as my room, the one thing I could

sometimes

call mine was only ever a bed, dresser, and blinds, all white or cream colored. There was never any hue or life to anything. I watched as my schooling was always private and strict, rulers slapping my inner wrist with every wrong answer, from at-home tutoring to large schools, looming and cold, uncaring and cruel in their motivations.

I lived through everything all over again. Years passing, growing older and older, until finally, I started to break away. Sneaking out at night, roaming the empty streets, and staring in awe at the towering trees tall above me. Then, the first amnesia dose. A gray creature, hissing and snarling, but not threatening, just startled, but still gracious, then darts, guns, bullets flying, and I was knocked unconscious. Waking up, not remembering anything the night before, being screamed at and told I was found drinking myself into a blackout stupor.

Going to college, lying to her about which one I chose, getting away, being free, finally living in the

world

, living life in color and happiness, only to have it stripped away. Every time I thought I got away, and was free, she was right there, watching from the shadows. Tightening that invisible leash she had knotted around my throat until I realized I could no longer breathe.

Waking up, mind empty, surrounded by a perfect, colorless nothing. An empty white room, with a cold white cot. Smooth, white, precision-angled, and cut walls, all perfect in design. An obsession brought to reality. Twisting hallways again, back to that room, my new prison cell, just to act as an interrogator for her. She wanted me to manipulate, torture, rip the information from them. But even without my memories, I still knew right from wrong, my intentions from her own, I knew how hopeless my life had become that if I could, I would give others the chance to survive, even if I couldn't.

Meeting them all. Watching tired, sollowed, bloodied faces get cleaned up, turning into kind smiles, cocky glances, bright-eyed hope light anew. I remember the conversations, proving my truth, dedicating myself to strangers, and murderers. Immortal beings capable of killing me without a second thought. But they didn't. We escaped, I was shot, I hurt my mother, I was carried away to my new home, given the choice to stay or leave as I wished. I was helped, patched up, given clothes, a room to truly call my own. Bathing, cleaning, and washing away down the drain the stains of my past. My life, once dull and lifeless, was now full of color, of smiles and laughter, of tight hugs and warm faces.

To have it ripped away again. Tortured endlessly for months. Leaving me a hollow husk of myself, my mind locked away inside itself, making me into a vessel for SPARK, trapped in the fog of my brain. Unable to feel or think for myself. I felt disgusted all over again relieving it. SPARK's cold face staring down at me as she bit into my flesh, violated me, had control of my mind as she destroyed every last piece of me.

I felt rage again at Charlotte's manipulation. Forcing me to think I loved her, that she loved me, cared for me, that she was doing all of it for my best interest. But it was all a lie, and I could see it now. I could see everything, and remember my whole life, unfolding before me. Little to no friends, no family besides her, I had no social life, no life outside of her plans for me. And that was it.

All my memories flooded my mind, heart pounding and throat tightening, but I persisted until I drank every last drop of who I once was. Until I got every last bit back. Feeling the puzzle finally completing together, the pieces sliding into place perfectly, laser-cut precision now fixing itself whole in my heart. I finally,

finally

, felt free, alive, and happy. I finally felt like

myself

.

I pulled my face from the crystal, inhaling sharply, then breathing out slowly. A gentle hand was on the front of my throat, thumb stroking the side of my neck, the other arm still wrapped around my waist, holding my body close to theirs.

"Do you remember it all now?"

"Yeah."

"And how do you feel?" I thought for a few seconds, breathing slowly, eyes closed, feeling my heart beating hard in my chest, with the new distinct feeling of actual

blood

pumping through my veins. Something changed, I just felt

more alive

.

"Better. A

lot

better."

"Good. Come now." The being began to swim upwards again, pulling me to the surface with it. Reaching the stone platform, the being picked me up out of the water with ease, setting me on the stone, my legs still dangling off the edge and in the water. Its arms snaked around my waist, head resting in my lap, hands digging into my hips and back.

"Are you alright?" It hummed, and I finally spoke first.

"I will miss you."

"What if I promise to come and visit you?" It perked up, wide eyes staring up at me.

"You will? Why do such a thing?" A soft smile tugged at my lips.

"Why not? You seem lonely here, and everyone deserves company. Besides, you've been so kind to me, it's the least I could do." It moved in a flash, pushing its body up into mine once more, kissing all over my face. Across my cheeks, the tip of my nose, my forehead, above my eyes, down my neck, back up, and planting one last kiss below my right eye before pulling away, a large, giddy grin adorning their face.

"Then I will be waiting! Please, remember to take care of yourself."

"I will." I pulled the being in for a tight hug, and they too quickly returned the gesture, holding me tightly, face buried in the crook of my neck.

"I hope next time you drink." I didn't get a chance to respond, I was pulled back into the water, deep, deep down, the currents now a typhoon rushing all around me, whipping my hair around, unable to breathe. Pulled down to the depths, to the crystalline floor. I was turned around to face the being one last time, hands on my shoulders before my back was pressed to the floor, the floor giving like jelly, starting to engulf my body entirely. A cold feeling sinking deep into my bones, my chest squeezing tight for air, the water stinging my nose.

Then, with one harsh shove, I was cemented into the floor, unable to move, vision blinking in and out of darkness, a sinking, heavy feeling taking over my mind with a thick fog. I felt dizzy like the world around me was spinning, my lungs burned for air, my body felt sore. Finally, I forced a breath out, and my eyes fluttered shut, sinking deeper into the floor.
 
Three days had passed. It was the middle of the night now, the far early morning hours creeping up. Some were asleep, but most were still awake, milling about. Dinner had been made, but it had long grown cold, very few actually eating it. Their appetites were gone, they could only think and worry. With each new wave of feeling came their own wave of confusion. It was all perplexing. They couldn't quite make it all out, but they could make out the base and simple emotions, but anything more complex than that, and they were left back in the dark. There was one whole day of peace, like a gentle slumber, but other than that, there was always some sort of chaos happening in your mind.

"Whaddya think's happening?" Jeff was staring up at the ceiling, arms splayed on the back of the couch. Ben was sat next to him, legs crossed and tapping away at his phone mindlessly.

"Dunno, even

I'm

struggling to make sense of it." Jeff snorted at his response.

"Ya cocky shit, no one can." The two lightly laughed, but it was hard to relax with such a daunting uncertainty hanging in the air. The others sat around the couch, either on it or on the floor in front of it, back pressed to the cushions.

"I don't think he wanted an

actual

answer, just, what do

you

think?" Tim exhaled a long drag of smoke, gray tendrils curling through the air before evaporating. Ben shrugged, looking up from his phone, and staring at the black mirror reflection of the TV.

"Ya said she was freaking out earlier? Maybe now she's just taking a sec to rest from that, especially Jeff's ugly mug."

"She didn't even

see

me, dipshit!" He smacked the back of the blonde's head, earning a backhand to his forehead in turn.

"Anyone else? With

useful

input?" Tim lolled his head to the side away from the two.

"I think I agree with Ben. Maybe she is just relaxing? She was screaming...a lot." Jane cringed, arms folded and one leg crossed over the other, black nails slightly digging into her upper arms. Jack sadly hummed in agreement, white eyes downcast.

"But all these feelings? I don't think it's resting." Brian spoke, voice soft and distant, he sounded tired.

"Yeah..." Tim sighed, taking another long drag of his cigarette before snubbing it out in a nearby ashtray.

"That's a point, if she's asleep or somethin', then why all the feelin's?"

"Dreams, m-m-maybe?" Toby was huddled in the corner of the couch, arms wrapped around his legs, head resting on the cushions, staring out at his friends.

"Can anyone dream there? Had anyone even fallen asleep there before?" Jack fiddled with his mask in his hands, staring down at the empty eyes that looked back at him, black stains decorating the cheeks.

"I don't think anyone has." He set the mask on the coffee table, looking across all the faces, but no response came. The room fell back into silence.

"I just wish I knew what was happening-"

"I don't." The monochrome clown cut off Tim, all eyes turning to him, no one had ever seen the sadistic clown like this.

"Hmm?" He curled in on himself tighter, claws digging into his shoulders, eyes wide.

"Those screams...I

hated

them."

"Thought ya liked scaring people?" Jack's lips pulled back into a snarling grimace, but he never looked at Tim.

"Not hers. Hers are

horrible

. She was so...so

fucking

terrified!" His voice fell away into a pained whisper, and although no one said anything, they understood. Countless times they had seen victims screaming and fighting for their lives, terrified eyes staring back into theirs, seeing nothing but bloodthirsty monsters. But for you to act like that, it was so much worse. Someone who treated them with such kindness from the very beginning just to forget it all and to fall into hysterics at just the

sight

of them alone, not even threatening you. It was horrible.

Silence engulfed the room. No one knew what to say, to continue the conversation or start a new one. Everyone felt helpless, clueless, that there was nothing to be done. So instead, Jane stood, smoothing out her clothes.

"I'll go check on her." There were no arguments, but instead, Jack too slowly stood, fidgeting with his hands. Jane raised an eyebrow but didn't protest. She led the way, walking to your room, Jack following a few steps behind, his usual looming figure hunched over and shrinking.

Down the creaking hallway, getting closer to your room, the air felt colder and colder, a feeling of despair lingering just behind your door. The two came to a stop, just staring at the wooden grain of your door. Jane lifted a hand, placing it on the stinging icy cold handle. Every time she came to check on you, every time she touched the handle, it felt like a whole new pain of being burned alive again. It hurt just to try and confront the reality of it all. She sighed shakily, then pushed the door wide open, a familiar icy cold feeling washing through their bodies, but now, something so much more intense.

You looked ethereal in the moonlight streaming through the window, highlighting your face as if you were a ghost. They almost thought you were. You were sat up, smiling gently, your hand resting in your lap, looking out the window at the falling snow. At the door creaking open, you turned to look at them, and seeing not a trace of fear in your eyes brought Jane to her knees, shock eating her alive.

"Hi, been a while, hasn't it?" Your voice was like a warm spring breeze, and Jack rushed past Jane, pulling you into a tight hug, a pained wail ripping from his throat, one arm around your back, the other holding your head close to his chest as he sobbed into your hair.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The cold air stung my lungs, but it wasn't unwelcome. It was the sting of feeling alive. There was something about that ethereal world that was free of pain and discomfort, I wasn't quite sure if I was alive or dead, but feeling the frigid air pricking my throat? I was

alive

. I lay there, indulging in the sensations surrounding me. Slowly forcing myself to breathe in and out, deeply, feeling my chest and belly rise and fall with each inhale and exhale, wiggling my fingers, feeling the soft blankets cushioning below me, gripping them, then releasing.

I slowly opened my eye, staring up at the cream-colored ceiling adorned with those wonderfully familiar green stars, softly glowing in the dim light. The room was mostly dark, except for the stream of silver light drifting in through the window, dark curtains drawn back and tied in place with silky ribbons. My head was pounding, and my back ached, but I still couldn't deny that the pain was unwelcome after all the months of feeling nothing but numbness.

I could hear the distant mumble of chatter, though it was muffled through the walls. I tried hard to listen, but it was far too hushed to make out any distinct voices, much less the actual words of the conversation, all I could tell was that there were multiple voices.

I felt tired and my body ached with soreness. I felt stiff like I had been lying down for days on end. And even though I had just woken up, it didn't feel like restful sleep, it was draining, but maybe being in that place was draining enough? I wasn't sure, I was just happy to be awake now, conscious again, in control of my own mind and body, able to feel and think for myself again, finally being able to remember everything, even if the memories were bad, even if they hurt, I was happy to have them.

It was a struggle to sit up, my back hurt horribly, having to roll to my side, splaying what was left of my legs out, and using my remaining hand to push myself up. My muscles ached, my body was shaky, not from the cold, but from soreness, from not being used for god knows how long. But even so, I couldn't help but smile, I just felt so happy, a calm sort of happy. I turned, folding a blanket over my lap, resting my hand in it, and stared out the window. The view was breathtaking. It had been so long since I last saw snow, I remember I used to sneak out to play in it, even if I got caught. But it was just so beautiful.

Charlotte had tried so hard her whole life to make something a perfect, colorless white, but the only thing that could ever be that was snow. It was beautiful, sparkling in the faint light as if made from billions of tiny shimmering diamonds. It was entirely colorless, only reflecting light from its surroundings, and it was truly perfect. Falling into a soft blanket across the landscape, smooth and beautiful, it looked so soft, I just wanted to run out and play in it like a little kid again.

But I couldn't, and that was okay. I was okay. Nothing could be done, that was my life, and I could finally accept that. I was in control of my life now, and every decision I would make from here on out would be my own, not Charlotte's, not SPARK's, mine.

A soft creak and gasp drew my attention away from the window and to the door. Jaws slack and hung open, eyes wide in disbelief and shock, stood Jane and Jack, both of their eyes immediately becoming glossy.

"Hi, been a while, hasn't it?" It was all I could think to say, my throat sore, voice hoarse and rough. Jane, with a hand still on the door handle, fell to her knees, mouth still agape, just staring in shock, globby tears running down her face. Jack stumbled forward a few steps before rushing at me, tears of his own spilling over as he grasped me into a tight hug. A strangled wail ripped from his throat, a hand holding the back of my head, fingers tangled through my hair, holding me close and secure.

He sobbed and wailed into me, holding me close, his own knees soon giving out under him, hands moving to hold my shoulders as he buried his face in the blankets, muffling his anguished and relieved sobs. I ran my fingers through his tangled, fluffy hair, trying to calm him down. It wasn't long after his first outcry that loud footsteps came running down the hallway. Figures shoved their way into the room, past Jane still sitting in the doorway, now sobbing into her hands.

"What the hell is-" Jeff, a mix of anger and worry lacing his voice, yelled, but cut himself off. Everyone was there in the room, all eyes landing on me with the same shocked expressions. No one moved. No one spoke. There was a tense waiting, waiting to see my reaction, waiting to see if I would scream again, but it never came. In fact, watching me comforting Jack, combing my fingers through his hair seemed to speak a thousand words to them.

I was back. I remembered.

Brian said nothing, he turned and ran out of the room, so frantic that his half slammed into the doorframe running out.

"Holy shit." Tim didn't even glance at Brian, he just stared. They all did. Only a few seconds passed before the air in the middle of the room began to warp and waver like that of a mirage, and in a split second, there was Slender, standing there, staring down at me. Despite his featureless face, the dips and curves of vague facial features showed something of shock, wide sunken sockets where eyes should be.

"You... you're awake."

"Mm-hmm." I nodded, still smiling.

"How?"

"What do you mean?" I raised an eyebrow, confused.

"How did you wake up? You shouldn't have been able to...I...only I could've woken you up?" It was more of a question than a statement, questioning himself and what he thought he knew. I could only shrug.

"The water creature helped me I guess."

"The Guardian?"

"Is that their name?"

"...I suppose." His voice sounded breathy as if he were struggling to breathe, still in shock, unable to believe his vision.

"They woke you up? How?"

"They took me to the bottom of the lake and pushed me into the ground. It kinda looks like crystals, but it wasn't really solid."

"Wait, it didn't try to keep you

out

of the water?"

"It didn't try to

kill

you?!"

"That thing tried to bite me!"

"The water was boiling, I couldn't touch it!" They all spoke, questions and statements, confusion about just what the Guardian's deal was.

"But...you didn't drink the water?" Slender spoke again, and everyone else fell silent.

"No, they wanted me to, but I didn't." Another uproar was silenced by Slender holding up his hand.

"It's... it's fine. The Guardian is their own entity, they have just as much a reason for their actions as anyone else does. This is just...something new. But, the good news, is that you are back now, and it seems you have your memories too?" I nodded, beaming up at him.

"All of 'em! Even before the facility."

"Ah, now that is wonderful to hear! It's good to have you back, dear." His face relaxed, head tilted slightly to the side, a soft and tender action, I could imagine him smiling.

"I'm happy to be back, it's good to see everyone again." I looked across everyone again, still smiling. Slender clasped his hands together, his tense shoulders falling, and the air around him seemed to soothe itself.

"Well then! I'm sure you're hungry? It's rather late, but no one should starve, let's get you something to eat." He sounded so happy, unbelievably delighted. The sound of someone being so happy to have me around, to know that I am alive and safe, it felt wonderful, I felt so cared for, so wanted, so needed.

"That sounds amazing!" I patted Jack's head, drawing his attention.

"Mind if I ask for your help?" He sniffed but grinned up at me, eyes still welling with tears.

"Of course." He stood up, and in one swift motion, scooped me up, a single blanket still clinging around me, keeping me warm from the biting air.

"I'll go get the chair." Jack, with his wide empty eye sockets, still looked shocked, while for most everyone else it had long worn off. He turned and left the room, followed by everyone else slowly filing out, lowly mumbling to themselves, exchanging glances, confusion swirling in the air. Jack began following everyone, Slender staying behind us. Through the hallway and halfway through the living room, where Jack stood, hands on the bars of a wheelchair, one that looked like Sally had gotten her hands on it. Pink pillows and blankets covered the chair, silk ribbons tied around the handles, and rhinestones glued to the silver spokes of the wheels. I couldn't help but giggle at the sight, the still teary-eyed clown setting me down onto the comfy chair, fixing the blanket around me. The chair felt as if Sally intended to make something fit for a princess.

I was wheeled through the kitchen and into the large dining room, a chair already pulled out and pushed off to the side, leaving enough room for my wheelchair to be pushed into the spot at the table.

"Thank you." I turned and smiled at Jack, but he just nodded with a slight hum before wandering off to find his own seat. Jane sat next to me, wiping away the last stray tears that still escaped.

"It's good to have you b-back, hun." I reached forward, grabbing one of her hands, rubbing my thumb across the back of it.

"I'm happy to be back, but please don't cry, okay?" She just smiled and nodded.

"It's hard not to, but I'll try." The light 'clink' of porcelain against the wooden table drew my attention down, a bowl, a hot, steaming liquid gently swaying in it. A soup, with a lovely golden brown broth, chunks of potatoes, and veggies floating in it. Bowtie noodles and chunks of chicken swirled through it, small little blobs of oil floating on top of the surface.

"That was fast."

"I mmm-m-made it earlier, b-but no one was really hung-ry."

"Well, it smells delicious!"

"T-thanks." A silvery spoon was already dipped into the soup, the rolling steam fogging up the shiny surface. I lifted my hand, gently grabbing the warm spoon, stirring the soup a bit before lifting a bite to my lips, blowing away puffs of steam before eating. Bursts of flavor. Tender chicken meat, salty broth, soft potatoes, and perfect noodles with the right amount of chew. It was an explosion of taste and texture, melding together wonderfully, all deliciously perfect, even if it burned my mouth a bit. Perhaps it was indulging in all the sensations around me again, taste and warmth. I could only close my eyes and hum happily. I chewed carefully before swallowing, eager to eat more, but not before looking up at Toby and grinning.

"It's amazing!" I took another bite, then another, and another. A delightfully warm feeling spread through my abdomen and chest, hunger starting to fully set in now.

All the others sat at the chairs around the table, each with their own bowl of soup sat in front of them, but none ate. No one even picked up their spoons. They only stared at me or down at the table. It was awkward, the air thick with tension. I slowed my eating, my content smile fading, looking across all the faces. Shock seemed to have worn off, but now the majority of expressions were that of sadness or guilt, or some mix. Even Slender, despite being faceless, wore his heart on his sleeve. I gently set my spoon back in the bowl, lowering my hand to rest in my lap.

"Is...there something we need to talk about?" I was hesitant to ask, I knew the answer, but the tension felt like it was squeezing my throat shut. No one responded at first, it was just silence. Finally, it was Slender who spoke up, head downturned, staring at his folded hands on the dark wood table.

"There is...You said you remember everything, correct?"

"Yes." I nodded.

"And so you remember the facility? Going back and..."

"Yeah, I remember it all." He swallowed, very slightly nodding, I almost missed the gesture. He seemed to be struggling to find words, he couldn't speak properly, and the refined being was torn down to rubble. It was Brian who spoke up in turn.

"I'm...We're

so

sorry. We should have never let you go back, we should have stopped you...if

I

tried harder, none of this would've happened-"

"Please stop." I cut him off, I didn't want to hear it, I didn't want to hear

any

of it. Anxiety gnawed at my stomach, but a small spark of confidence watered it down, remember what the Guardian had told me, how safe they made me feel, telling me to live my life, to not bow down to the whim or will of others. Brian closed his mouth, looking a bit shocked at getting cut off, but stayed silent. I continued.

"I don't want apologies, no saying sorry or that it was anyone's fault but my own.

I

alone wanted to go back. You guys only came with me because Slender wouldn't let me go alone, but even still, I don't blame

anyone

.

"I was the one who wanted to go back, I was the one who wanted to know about my life before all this, all the fault and blame lies

only

with me. So instead, I'm sorry for putting you all through this. Every last one of you. None of you should have been pulled into my problems, and none of you

had

to find me or save me, but you still did, and put your lives at risk again. Thank you for saving me, thank you for helping me and keeping me safe, but I am sorry you ever had to go through any of what you had to.

"I don't know everyone's story, but I know enough to know that you all have been through so much shit that this whole situation is just unfair to put on your shoulders. Please, don't feel like

you

are the ones who have to apologize, just me." Deafening silence followed. Their guilt-ridden faces only looked worse, my words weren't comforting nor freeing them of their remorse, it seemed to have to opposite effect. A few seconds ticked by before a loud '

slam

' echoed deafeningly through the room. I jumped, and all eyes turned to the end of the table, Jeff standing, a fist in the wall, plaster crumbling down, small droplets of blood leaking from his hand already. No one said anything to him, we just waited. He finally turned, piercing blue eyes ablaze with fury.

"You're fucking joking, right?!" It wasn't a shout, it was a low growl, but full of such anger and force, teeth bared and gritting.

"Wha-"

"We worked our asses off tryin' find ya! And

that's

what you have to say?! You're fucking

jokin

'!" He moved fast, faster than I expected. He was in my face, hands on the armrest of the chair, I could feel his fiery breath on my face.

"Remember

you

were the one spouting that fuckin' nonsense about

us

gettin' to live! So why not you!? Fuck man, those four could feel the

entire fuckin' thing

! We

know

what you went through. You're gonna look

me

in the fuckin' eyes and tell me why we

don't

get to say sorry! Why!? Because you're gonna ignore yer own problems!? Yeah right, ya don't get to fuckin' do that, not after all this shit! Do you even know what

we

did?!

"Ben put his fuckin' life on the line! Hours spent tryin' get that fucking

thing

out of you! Fucking

months

tryna find you! The whole time we

knew

what was happening because of what those four could

feel

! Fuck! Slender could feel it worse, the closest to what you were

actually

going through, and you tell us we

can't

say sorry?" There was a shift, his voice getting quieter, a crack in his yelling, his wide eyes slowly softening, but he still bared his teeth. Those eyes, those cold, piercing blue eyes, they looked just like hers.

"I..." I felt breathless, I couldn't find the words I wanted. His shoulders were heaving, he no longer glared, but it was an unrecognizable, intense stare. I could almost imagine a fire burning behind his pupils.

"No, no! You...you don't

get

to do this. You

don't

get to be selfish and keep all the blame...you don't get to

be

like this." Another crack in his voice. He was angry, but he was more

sad

than anything. Something was eating him up from the inside, and it showed.

"Jeff-"

"Fuck off." Jane tried to reach out to him, but he smacked her hand away, huffing before turning and trudging out of the room, around the corner, and out of my sight. In the end, he sounded so weak, so hurt. I couldn't wrap my mind around it. Was this not my responsibility? My fault? Was I no different than before? I slowly looked back around at everyone, but no one looked at me.

"Do...do you all feel the same?" A few nodded, but most didn't react at all.

"Please talk to me...someone? Jane?" I turned to face her, but she didn't meet my gaze. My eyes drifted across the table to the mess of wavering blonde hair, eyes closed, yet still dripping blood.

"Ben?" His ear twitched, and his shoulders raised and stiffened, but didn't move otherwise.

"He said you put your life on the line? What did you

do

?" A sliver of horror weaved through my voice. I watched him carefully; slowly breathing in deep before shakily breathing out, shoulders still raised, arms crossed, fingers digging into exposed skin, knuckles white from the tension. Finally, he opened his eyes, daring a glance at me before looking away again.

"I...did something stupid to save you, it was all I could think of..." I waited for him to continue. He cleared his throat, leaning forward in his chair, breathing deep again, then finally facing me, not looking away.

"Remember that creepy chick, all white, robotic? She was...in your body. There were these implants in your spine and head, she was

in

them. Like when I travel through computers, she was using those things to control you, she wanted to make you a

vessel

for her to control. So I...kinda made a deal with her." Another long pause.

"I let her possess me...no, more like

infect

. My body isn't human anymore, so she directly inhabited my body. Fuck, just how much she

screamed

, it was so

loud

, it was all inside my head but I could

hear

her still, so much that my ears bled." The shock was clearly written across my face, a mix of horror and awe. He grimaced, a flash of more guilt setting in.

"She was in there...a while. She's out now, I trapped her in the collar that was originally on you. I fixed it and turned it into a sort of prison for her. She can't get out now, but...when she was in me, I could feel her pain, it was

fucking agony

. I felt on

fire

. It hurt to breathe, hurt to move, and even just wearing my clothes

stung

,

everything

was

pain

. She never stopped screaming, she could still hurt me inside my own head, and she could still

control

parts of me. She...she tried to hurt Jeff, she tried to do

everything

she could think of." He turned away finally, expression shifting from guilt to pain, remembering the torture he endured, pointed ears lowering down.

"It...it was all I could think to do, but I don't regret it. It hurt so fucking much, but it saved you, so I'm happy with my decision. I think...it feels like karma, I guess? I...I-I didn't save you...you were

right

there, I could have reached out, but I didn't...I was scared, I didn't want to be trapped again...so much time, it passed so fast, years gone, it was

horrible

, I didn't want to go through it all again..." His voice trailed off into silence, eyes closing again, turned away from me, ears lowered fully. I could only stare, mortified at what I just heard. I couldn't respond before someone else started talking, drawing my eyes to them.

"We

all

blame ourselves, we're not just gonna magically stop because you said so." It was Tim, pulling out a new cigarette and fiddling with it between his fingers, but not lighting it.

"You might be saying it from a place of kindness, but honestly, it sounds selfish. You can't just erase those months of what we went through, and we can't erase what you went through, it goes both ways. Yeah, you went through some shit, no one will deny that, you went through some of the worst shit, you can't heal like us, pain isn't numbed to you like it is to us. But still, we have feelings too, ya know?" Dark eyes drifted from the cigarette up to me, not a glare, but it was a hard stare.

"So let us at least say sorry, we fucked up. I could have waited around longer."

"I could h-h-have grabb-ed y-y-you. I-I-I-I was

right

ttt-there!" Toby couldn't even look at me.

"I was responsible for all of you, I should have stopped you, shouldn't have agreed to go." Brian had his head in his hands, staring down at the table, his voice sounded so weak.

"I should have never allowed you to go back, under

any

conditions." Slender tried to sit straight, tried to act like his usual refined self, but it was a thinly veiled façade.

"I wish I never took you there in the first place." Ben finished the chain. A gentle hand rested on my shoulder, Jane gently squeezing me.

"I wish I talked you out of it, I wish I tried harder to keep you here, but I didn't." Her eyes were glossy, a few stray tears already falling again. It felt like barbed wire was squeezing around my throat. I woke up happy, but why? Nothing could undo the months of gut-wrenching heartache or trauma. I couldn't ignore my own feelings, I couldn't ignore theirs. Looking across their faces, I could catch glimpses of the Guardian's features. The ever-shifting faces, it was made up of all of

them

. That hug, that kiss, it was to show the desperation of them

needing

me back, needing me to be safe, but needing to apologize and make up for their faults.

But the sick twisting in my stomach fought back against those thoughts. It

wasn't

their fault though. It was

mine

. I

chose

to go there. I

asked

them to go with me. I put them in

danger

by having them go with me. So why? Why were they blaming themselves

so

much!?

My own tears pricked at my eye, and my empty right socket ached and pounded. The corners of my mouth forcefully pulled back, my nose strung, and my throat felt like it was closing shut. I felt so sick. I felt

disgusted

with myself. I didn't know what to do. I felt just as lost and helpless as ever. I didn't just magically grow up or heal in that place, I only realized I needed to be better, and that would take time.

"I-" My voice cracked, tears threatening to spill.

"I'm sorry." It was a breathless whisper, barely even audible. I bent over, pushing my hand into my face, trying to hide myself from their eyes. I felt so ashamed, embarrassed of my brash confidence. I wasn't comforting them, I was making them only feel worse by ignoring what

they

went through. I silently cried, barely able to breathe, Jane gently patting my back as I sobbed into my hand.

No one spoke, but a pair of warm arms pulled me into a hug at my side, holding me close as I sobbed harder. The arms wrapped around me tightly, Jane still rubbing my upper back. It was a vague similarity to the Guardian, how they held me, tight and comforting, how the multitude of hands appeared to rub my back, to support me, to help me through it.

The feeling of soft feathers brushed against my ears, the large hands also rubbing small circles on my back as Jane was. Every action was an attempt to comfort me, something I couldn't do for them, and it only made my heart hurt more, forcing more tears to spill. Jack finally spoke, his voice hoarse from crying and wailing earlier.

"We don't blame you, don't think that...we're just happy you're back. We all care about each other, and you too. We'll keep you safe." My hand moved from my face to grab at his shirt, my hand balling into a tight fist. I finally let the guttural wail I was holding back out. A strained, animalist sound of sorrow and pain. Something hit me like a tidal wave crashing down on me.

All the pain, all the suffering, the pounding ache of my limbs, my eye, my back, the realization setting in that this was all real, it all happened, and there was no going back. But I was safe here. I had friends, a family, something I could call mine. I had a home, a bed, a room, I had my life back, but I still had so much to heal from. I was safe with them, but in turn, all I did was hurt them more. My hand tingled, a faint static feeling, and something in my mind honed in on it.

A feeling, overwhelming and great, squeezing around my heart. A pull in four directions. A tug, the gates opening, and a mixing of flooding waters crashing together. Someone else began to sob, then another. Emotions shared and flooded together, feeling just what the others felt, wordlessly begging to know just

what

they went through, and receiving the answers. Four minds melding into mine, each with their own experiences. Months of pain, of crying and screaming and writhing sleepless nights spent shivering under piles of blankets, painful migraines keeping them awake. Journals, entries of each day going by with little to no hope. The pain of being cut open, torn apart, my insides played with and rewiring my mind into an emotionless husk. The abuse at SPARK's wicked hands, that horrible, wretched pain of being forcefully invaded, my body becoming nothing but a plaything for her to experiment with, no matter how much I cried, no matter how much I begged her to stop, no matter the blood and pain, she only continued until I could just lay there, helpless, broken, shut down. It was something that was burned in my mind, yet I couldn't confront it myself. It was so...deplorable. Pathetic. Disgusting. Wretched.

In turn, my mind mingled with theirs. They saw it all from my perspective. I couldn't hold it back, I couldn't hold a single memory back. From my earliest memories to this very moment flooded into their minds. All the abuse and neglect, the years of verbal and physical torment. The years of isolation, lonely, friendless, without a warm or loving family, having no support or sympathy, being treated only as a pet groomed to take her place one day, nothing more, nothing less. The high standards that ate away at me and began to self-destruct and destroy me. The sleepless late nights, unscrewing pencil sharpeners to find that tiny little razor to carve and decorate my flesh with. Hiding under layers of bandages and modest clothing. Curled up and crying in burning hot showers. Sneaking out into the middle of the snowy night just to lay down and stare up at the sky, just trying to feel free from my chains for once.

The white, hairless beings, like a humanoid dog, curious, but not aggressive, getting shot down by my mother and her hired goons following me around. Taking me home, beating me then dosing me with her drugs to make me forget all over again. So fed up with me fighting back that I was taken to the facility, meeting them all for the first time, escaping through all the gore, finding some spark of happiness and warmth here with them all, just for my life to fall into all that turmoil all over again.

Being in that place, the peaceful calm waters that began to boil as that watery being pressed its body hard against mine, kissing me deep, begging me to drink the water. Intense and desperate, but finally showing me care of gentleness. Hearing its words echoing around my mind all over again, the words of comfort, of change, of confidence, of reassurance.

I only cried harder, and the other two sobbing did so as well, and a third began to sniff and gasp to breathe properly, trying to hold back their own tears. I could hear faint shuffling movement, gentle steps against the wooden floor, before a large, thin hand rested atop my head, softly petting through my hair.

"My dear, please...please don't leave us again. You have a home here, you are welcomed here with open arms...you are beyond loved and cared for here, you

belong

here, and we will never harm nor neglect you." I nearly fell over from how lightheaded I felt, and from how hard I was crying. I was wheezing, sobbing, wailing, still gripping Jack's shirt as if my life depended on it. A second hand held my shoulder, trying to keep me upright. It was overwhelming. All the warmth, the comfort, the love, it was so much, something I wasn't used to, something I had never had before until now, I had never been held so gently, I had never felt safe in the touch of another. Every time I had ever been touched was to strike my face or hold me down with horrible intentions. But now? Now I was safe, and it only forced me to cry more, desperation finally setting in to be loved and cared for, desperation to never let go. Years of neglect rushed into me, and the greed of

needing

to be held overtook my mind.

I could only push my face into Jack's chest, and in turn, he held me tighter. I couldn't speak, but my actions spoke a thousand words.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Jack held me for such a long time. He didn't try to pull away or let go, not until I was ready. Jane and Slender kept comforting me with soothing hands on my back and head. But the gate's connection through the mark on my hand stayed open. I could feel the heartache of the proxies, I could feel the deep sorrow of Slender from eons ago. And they could feel my lifetime of abuse and pain. I wasn't sure how long had passed, but I could no longer cry. I could only wheeze and hiccup, trying to regulate my breathing again, trying to regain my composure, but I felt safe enough to be vulnerable, even if it was uncomfortable and embarrassing. Crying for so long, as much as I had, it left me feeling weak. My hand was shaking but my grip was now a feeble grasp, my forehead pressed into his chest still, but not as harshly, not my whole face. He felt so warm, and it was so comforting. Finally, I managed to pull back, Jack hesitating but helping me sit properly back in the wheelchair, having almost slid out from how far forward I was leaning in it. Slender stood at my side, holding out a small box of tissues to me. I gratefully took some, cleaning my face up, mumbling out hoarse apologies for my disheveled display. I just felt so pathetic."Do not apologize, dear. You are allowed to cry if you must." I could almost imagine the soft smile on his face, and it made me want to cry all over again. "Feel better?" Jane's voice was so soft, her hand still on my back. I could only nod, still trying to find my voice. Jack stayed silent."You..." Brian spoke, brown bloodshot eyes weakly looking up at me."How?" My silent confusion was loud enough without words, he spoke again."How could you have been so nice to any of us? After all that? After everything..." I didn't have an answer, even though I didn't know. It just felt natural to be polite and kind, even if we were locked up, even if they were killers or looked scary. I could only manage a meager shrug, using a new tissue to wipe at my face. My empty eye socket burned as I dabbed away my tears. "(Y/n)," The one silent man finally spoke, drawing my attention from my lap up to the gray face across the table, empty black eyes staring back."You're bleeding." I tapped a finger under his eye. I lifted my hand, feeling the wetness still on my cheek, warm and sticky. Pulling my fingers back, sure enough, blood. I wasn't even shocked at this point, it was such a common thing. "Sorry." My voice was hoarse, and even I couldn't explain why my only response was to apologize. I wiped the tissue on my cheek, under my eye, trying to clean the blood the best I could."Stop, you're just gonna hurt yourself. I'll be back." Jack stood as Jane grabbed my hand, stopping me from possibly making the bleeding worse. Jack left the room, and Jane offered a gentle smile."Don't say sorry, hun, it's okay, besides, you didn't ask for any of this." I opened my mouth, the ghostly words of another apology forming, but I closed my lips, stopping myself. I could only swallow and nod. Jack was quick, back in only a few seconds with a small metal box with a red cross on it. Jane pulled a chair out for the surgeon while the clown at my side helped turn my own chair around to face him. He scooted close, and opened the box across his lap, hands already gloved.He picked up a small black flashlight, lifting it but not yet flicking it on. There was a slight shake in his hands, something I almost missed, but barely managed to notice. He lifted both hands, his right holding the light, his left thumb gently pressing against my eyelid, lifting it and exposing the empty socket to the icy cold air, sending a shiver through my body. He clicked the light on, staring intently at my missing eye, looking around at different angles, moving the light closer at times."Looks like it's just from crying, You're fine.""Thanks." He nodded, the light switching off and dropping it back in the metal box, scooting back quickly and snapping the first aid kit shut, but he didn't move away, not yet."How's your back feel?" I thought for a moment, just now taking note of the dull ache across my whole spine."Sore." He nodded again then stood."Just be careful, you're still healing." "Yeah." He looked ready to speak again but didn't. His brows were furrowed, and despite being eyeless, I could only imagine him looking across my face, searching for  something , but I wasn't sure. He put the chair back and left to return the box. A gentle hand on my chin tilted my head to the side, Jane with a warm, damp towel in her other hand cleaned the drying blood from my cheek. It was soothing, and just the touch alone left me starving for more.The room was silent, but not nearly as awkward or tense as before, there was something peaceful about it. There was a silent understanding, a calm acceptance, and a gentle realization of the trials ahead. But we were all stubborn, no a single one of us would give up, no matter how difficult things may get."Jane, take (Y/n) back to her room please, and help clean her up if she'll allow, I'm sure a soothing bath would do wonders." Jane stood, acknowledging her boss before grabbing the handles of the wheelchair and taking me away from the table, but I couldn't help but look back, eyes staring back at me. I managed a small smile, not one of blind confidence, but a gentle reassurance to try harder.Pushing me down the winding hallways all the way back to my room, there was a breath of fresh air, almost a nostalgic feeling for a moment that I never experienced before. Being in the moment, I looked across the walls. Pictures, framed and hung with care. Photos of large groups in front of the house, pictures held at an arm's distance away of smaller groups. A few stood out.A cute photo of Smile and Grinny cuddling together on the couch. Another picture of Sally sat at a small blue plastic table in a poofy and sparkly pink dress, Jack sat across from her wearing a silver crown with pink fluff across the rim, both smiling big and happy, cheering two plastic purple tea cups. The frame was painted pink with little dots of the rainbow dotted across it. One of Ben and Jeff sat in beanbags in front of a TV, Ben with his arms in the air cheering, Jeff caught mid-throw, the picture taken at the perfect moment, the middle of the TV had a controller planted in it perfectly, white cracks caught in time as they began to shatter across the screen, dying pixels fizzling in and out through reds and greens and blues. A couple of portraits were framed together in a neat diamond formation. All four had glossy black frames, and the center of each photo looked eerily similar, yet different. At the very bottom was Slender, pristine suit and tie free of any wrinkles or lint. Above his portrait, at equal level and side to side were two beings that looked almost identical to him, almost. The one on the right side wore glasses despite also being faceless, a tan hat, and a coat with a white undershirt. The left picture was defaced and scribbled on horribly, but under smears and smudges, I could make out another white being, this time, with a mouth, grinning something wicked, full of sharp teeth, wearing a black hat and coat, but seemingly no shirt. And at the top, above them all, another being, wearing black clothing decorated with colorful polka dots. Its face held a simple expression, a black mouth, and two black eyes, they almost looked painted on, but the smile he wore was something heartfelt and genuine. He looked familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. "Who're they?" Jane stopped, looking at the pictures I was staring at."Oh! Those are Slender's brothers," She lifted a finger, pointing to each one, naming them."Slender's actually the youngest, this one is Trender, the second oldest, that's Offender, names explanatory, stay away from the prick, and the oldest is Splendor, he's really nice, I think you two would get along." She offered a kind smile. A small chuckle escaped me despite trying to hold it back."Similar in face and name." She grinned down at me."Yeah, I guess they weren't so creative that long ago, but don't tell them that." She winked and held a finger up to her lips. She started pushing me again, but a lot slower this time, letting me fully take in the view of more photos.A few looked professional, but most were everyday moments caught at perfect times. Spring, summer, fall, and winter, seasons passing by in each moment. Tim, Toby, and Brian having a snowball fight while Ben hovered above them unknowingly with a massive snowball. Sally building a snowman, Jack burying Jeff in the snow, both almost blending in with all the white, Jane and Jack sitting on the porch, smiling and chatting, all wrapped up in warm coats and gloves. Candid moments, moments of peace and calm. Seeing their smiling faces, it made me smile. But there was something sad stirring in me, something aching and longing. I imagined myself in those pictures with them. Building forts with Sally, playing games with Ben, cooking with Tim, reading quietly with Jane, and throwing snowballs with Jeff. All those little moments, I  craved  to be a part of them. I had never been in photos before, only ones for school. But I never had any family photos, no pictures with friends, no moments caught in time of happy moments. I wanted so  badly  to experience those things.My gaze drifted down to my legs, rather, what was left of them. I would never get to run through the grass again. I would never get to learn to swim. I couldn't run around, couldn't even care for myself. I wouldn't be able to throw snowballs or feel like a pretty princess at one of Sally's tea parties. I would always just be...this.My door was left wide open, so Jane just pushed me in, shutting it softly behind her. The room was dim, but not dark, enough moonlight shone through the window to light up plenty. And in the moonlight, I couldn't help but admire the woman before me. Beautiful and ethereal, elegant and kind, a soft smile adorning her face. The way the moonlight danced across her skin and through her silky black hair, it was breathtaking."You look so pretty." It seemed to startle her, eyes growing wide slightly."Oh?" Realization hit me. Shit, I didn't mean to say it aloud!"Ah! Oh, um, sorry! No, I just meant, you just, um, you just look really pretty, I never really thought about it before-I-I mean you're always pretty! I just never stared! No-" Her laughter cut me off, my face flushing hot in embarrassment."Oh shush! You're fine hun, I think you're pretty too." She playfully winked at me. I tried to smile, but it was weak. Words that I would never believe in. She pushed me to the bathroom, flicking the light on. Instead of a bright blinding white, it was a warm, yellowish white, dim, but bright enough. It was calming. It was nice. "So how do you wanna do this, hun? I know you've been through...a lot. Whatever is gonna make you the most comfortable, we'll do, but you really  do  need a bath. Did you ever get washed at all when you were...gone?" "Oh...no. No, they only cleaned me to prep me for surgery. Otherwise I just kinda laid in a room most of the time." She didn't look surprised, but a sadness crept through her eyes."I'm sorry. We'll get you all nice and pampered then, I think a spa day will make you feel a hell of a lot better." She tried to hide behind that smile, but her eyes betrayed that growing sadness. She moved past me, plugging the tub and starting to fill it with steaming warm water. Not too hot, but perfectly warm. She collected a few items from beneath the sink counters, pouring small amounts of white sand-like powder into the tub, the sweet smell of lavender, chamomile, and orange wafting through the air. A few drops of soap and bubbles began quickly forming across the surface."While that fills, how comfortable do you feel getting in? I can get you a bathing suit so you're covered if that makes you feel better?" There was a wave of relief that washed over me. The ignored knot of anxiety building in my stomach released, and I quickly nodded." Please ." I probably sounded too desperate, but I couldn't stand being left bare for wandering eyes to stare at again. I just wanted to cover myself and hide away from it all, I wanted to hide my body, hide myself from the possibility of SPARK's prying eyes. She wasn't here, I knew that, but in the depths of my mind, I could only imagine her hiding around the corner, ready to pounce and take me again.Jane read the fear across my face plain as day, and the sadness was switched in a flash with rage. She said nothing, instead, she pulled me into a tight hug, gently kissing my forehead, one hand on the back of my head, the other around my shoulders. It was quick, but it was something sympathetic."I wish you never had to go through that.""Me too." My voice cracked and shook, but I had no more tears to cry. So instead, Jane let me go, walking around me to go find something to help me cover myself while she helped me bathe. Sitting there by myself, in that deafening silence, watching the water rise higher and higher in the tub, my smile dropped, and I slumped back in the chair. I felt so drained, I felt so broken and lost. I felt like there was nothing left to live for. I would never be able to do anything without the help of another. I just felt like a burden. "Here, this is all I have, heh. I know it's not much, but it's better than nothing, right?" I turned, looking back at Jane standing behind me, holding up a two-piece, something that looked mostly like string."Jane-" Her pale cheeks flushed."I said it was all I had!" I tried to hold back a laugh."It's just string!""It is a  bikini !" I snorted, trying harder to not laugh. "I think that would be worse than just being naked!""It is not!" "Is so!" Her cheeks were bright red and I couldn't help but laugh aloud now. The moment took away my worries, drifting them away like leaves in the ocean."Fine! I can try to find something else." She huffed, and I couldn't help but jab at her."If you wanted to see me in that, you coulda just asked-""(Y/n)!" I was a giggling mess at her red face, but her growing smirk went unnoticed."Ya know what then? Fine, how about I show you what 'just  string'  can look like?" I was still giggling, wiping a stray tear from my eye, but looked at her confused."Heh, ha, w-wha-?" Her evil grin had my laughing fit silenced instantly."Jane? Jane, what do you mean?" I called at her as she turned and left the room again, her footsteps soft and barely even audible."Jane?" I tried to yell louder, but no response came. I could only sit in that wretched chair, waiting for whatever karma I had just brought upon myself. She was gone for a lot longer this time, finally showing back up, holding a black bag in one hand, still grinning, but not opening the bag."Ah, the baths plenty full! Let's get you  really  pampered." Her eyes were narrowed and her smile was comparable to Jeff's. She turned off the water, pushing the chair further into the bathroom, closing the door, and setting the bag on the sink counter."Since you have such  refined  taste, maybe that measly little thing just wouldn't cut it for you, so how about this instead?" Somehow her smile got even bigger as she pulled out a complicated tangle of black silky strings and lace. It took a few moments for my mind to register that rather lewd undergarment held between her fingers."Oh my god!" "Nu-uh, not yet," She leaned down close to my face, whispering in my ear, hot breath tickling across my cheeks."I'll have you screaming that later." It was my turn for my face to burn hot and bright."O-Oh!" I was lost for words and her grin was still just as evil and cocky as ever. "Now, honey, what will it be? String or this lovely lingerie set?" I couldn't even speak, my brain felt like it was malfunctioning, my stomach tying itself in knots."I'll take that as you want the bikini? Good, it would be a shame to ruin this, can't exactly get them  that  wet-""Jane!" She held up her hands, laughing, and shoved the garment back in the bag, instead bringing out the bikini."Sorry, sorry! I'll stop now, but you started it." I was patting my cheek, trying to rid my face of the flushing."And I learned that there are apparently consequences to that!" She laughed harder, leaning against the counter, trying to regain her composure."At least it was me! Jeez, I dunno how far some of the boys would have taken that-" "I would rather not know!" My face flushed hotter, I felt like I was burning up, and Jane almost fell over in her fits of laughter. A knock came from the other side of the door, followed by a voice, refined as ever."Ladies, is everything alright?" Jane only laughed harder, cackling and now actually lying on the floor."I'm fine!" "Are you sure?""Yes!" My embarrassment was loud and clear, and thankfully Slender didn't push, but he didn't leave either, instead, he had more horrifying words to speak."Ah, (Y/n), dear? You should perhaps close your mind now, it is still quite...open." I nearly shrieked as Jane began a mix of screaming and laughing, any words she tried to speak were nothing but a jumbled mess of failing English."Sorry! Fuck! Sorry! How?!" "Simply will it, remember? If you do not want anyone in, they will not be permitted in. The mark is a bit more difficult to control, but the same rules apply. I thought I should remind you though, as we can still see through your eyes currently...and hear."  We! ?I wanted to fucking scream. I buried my face in my head, focusing so hard that a faint headache began to pound in my skull, repeating in my mind 'out, out, out!" An odd feeling faded away, something I hadn't noticed before, but it felt like the looming presence of four beings standing right over my shoulders, eyes staring down at me with hungry eyes. "I fucking hate you-""Awe, love ya too, hun!" Jane began to calm down, her boisterous laughter calming into occasional giggles. She sat on the floor for a minute, regaining control of her breathing and finding her composure. But the smile that remained was something much more wholesome and kind."God, I haven't laughed like that since...I dunno, a while. I've missed you." The air finally calmed, and I felt my own smile tug at my lips, though my cheeks still burned red."I've missed you too. All of you guys." We shared that kind smile for a moment before she pushed herself up and stood, picking the discarded bikini off the floor and laying it on the counter."Alright, let's  actually  get you cleaned now. We can try to finagle the top on under your shirt so I don't see anything, but the bottoms might be a bit more difficult. Let's start one step at a time." She picked up the top piece, making sure it was correct then placed it in my lap."Are you comfortable lifting your shirt? Not a whole lot, but a bit." I nodded, lifting the bottom of my shirt up a bit, a sliver of my stomach exposed. She tied a string from the top piece around my back and began to pull it up, her hands snaking under my shirt, blinding guessing where to place the top while trying to keep me comfortable. "Does that feel right?""I think so? I'm not sure, I never wore this before.""Oh? Did you only wear one-pieces then?" She fiddled around with the garment some more, tying a few more strings, and lifting a few over my shoulders."Actually...no. I've never swam before..." She stopped. Glancing in the mirror I could see her shocked reflection."You  never  swam? Ever?" I shook my head."Do you know how to swim at  all ?" I felt ashamed but shook my head again."No. My mo-Charlotte always said it was a waste of time and energy. She never let me." Jane hummed, continuing to finish tying the top and adjusting it until she thought it was right enough."Well, I guess that's something to put on a bucket list.""...how?" Another pause. She didn't have a response this time, just grimaced."Right, sorry. Well, let's see how this looks, that okay?" "Yeah." She moved around to stand in front of me, helping me to take the shirt off, and exposing the black bikini top. She adjusted a few of the straps, even retying a few to ensure they were secure."Hey, this looks really good on you! Not bad, not bad." She took a step back and smiled."Could definitely do a poolside photoshoot.~" There was a purr in her voice, but she quickly stopped after the comment. The bottom piece was much more difficult, but after about 5 minutes of struggling awkwardly, I managed to hide myself from her eyes and got the bottoms on, something akin to skimpy underwear with a few extra straps across my hips and thighs. "You should show off that body more, hun, You're fucking adorable!" She was gushing over me, every few seconds a new compliment spilled from her lips. It felt good, but at the same time made me feel so sick. I couldn't believe it, I just couldn't. I could only stare down at myself and find every imperfection that made me an ugly thing. She added a few more things to the steaming bathwater, wonderful fragrances filling the air, the mirror beginning to steam up."Alrighty, let's get ya in." She pulled the chair closer to the tub, and wrapped an arm under my legs and the other across my back and under my arms."Can you even lif-" My question was cut off as she picked me up with ease, not even huffing or whining with strain, as if I weighed nothing to her."Holy shit.""Perks of being one of us, get pretty strong." She slowly lowered me into the hot bath, the water engulfing my body, lulling me into comfort and relaxation. "Not too hot?""It's perfect." I leaned back, lowering myself slightly. The bath wasn't entirely full, after all, I didn't have legs to properly keep me above the water or in place, so it was a pretty shallow bath. She sat on the floor next to the bath, rested her arm on the side of the tub, laying her head on her arm, and closing her eyes, a gentle smile adorning her face."What's got you all smiley?""What do  you  think?" "Hmm, I think...that you're thinking of something dirty to say again." She lightly laughed and opened her eyes."No, I'm just happy. Everything felt so...dead without you. I didn't realize how much life and color we were missing out on until I met you. Having you taken away like that, god, it fucking  destroyed  me. All of us. You just have this air about you, I dunno. It's nice though. I've missed it so much." I wanted to smile, but the dumbfounded surprise overtook my expression. A soft blush dusted across my cheeks at the sweet words. She sat back up, scooting a bit closer to the tub."Enough sentimental bullshit, I'm gonna teach you the  proper  way to pamper yourself!"  Only those four could see your memories when you opened your mind to them, none of the others saw. So they were doing just that, showing them what you showed. All the years of everything building up until it finally all broke apart. No one spoke about it, they shared the information wordlessly and left it at that. Each had their own thoughts and questions, but they kept them to themselves.However, they all shared the same confusion and curiosity of the Guardian. Hearing it was one thing, but  seeing  it was another. It left all of them flushed as if viewing something they shouldn't be. They were just glad it was from your perspective and not further away, even glimpses of your reflection showed enough collarbone to know that you most definitely weren't wearing anything.But even now, those particular three were getting ready to head out, but the current conversation they could hear was clear as day in their ears, see in crystal clarity in their vision, they didn't know  what  to do. It was embarrassing and awkward, something they knew they shouldn't be seeing. Toby was sat on the edge of the couch, hands covering his face, only one shoe tied. Brian was desperately trying to find Slender, he wasn't responding to his calling voice, and Tim, despite his red face, was trying his best not to laugh. It was funny, all three of them would admit that, but the teasing was something they  definitely  did not need to know."Oh my god!" "I'll have you screaming that later.""O-Oh!""It would be a shame to ruin this, can't exactly get them  that  wet-""I dunno how far some of the boys would have taken that-" Yeah, they should  not  be witnessing this. It seemed that the last few statements  finally  got Slender's attention. They could hear a knocking down the hallway, and through you, they could hear the interaction, realizing that they were unwillingly listening. They were forced out quickly, it was disorientating. After a few minutes, they finally collected themselves, although Tim still was trying not to laugh as he pulled his mask over his face. Toby finished tying his shoe, pulling his goggles down and mouthpiece up around his mouth and jaw. Brian waited at the door, mask pulled up just above his mouth."Ready?" The two nodded, and together the trio headed out, ready to hunt, but minds still preoccupied. Jane gently scrubbed shampoo through my scalp, washing away the built-up oil and sweat. It was like a calming massage, her nails gently raking through my hair, scratching circles across my head, it felt amazing, and would have nearly lulled me to sleep if not for my flustered state. She was gently humming along to music that was quietly playing from her phone set on the counter. Something to prevent the silence, but calming music, my own little personal spa treatment. With a hand on my back, she helped me lean back into the water, using her free hand to massage through my hair, washing away the suds and bubbles and grime, then helping me to sit up again. She was gentle and careful, softly washing my back, careful of my stitches and the deep incision.Hair treatments, sugar scrubs and body washes, face scrubs and masks, washing my face, patting it dry, applying a thin layer of a cool gel mask, I felt like royalty. All the wonderful scents mingling with the soothing hot water, it was like heaven. It soothed the ache in my back and limbs, it relaxed my tense muscles, and eased my mind of relentless thoughts and worries. A full body pamper, Jane turning away and letting me clean more sensitive areas; my inner thighs, chest, anywhere intimate. Finally, I was all cleaned up and refreshed. I pulled the drain up, watching as a small vortex formed, the water draining down, dragging down the last remaining frothy bubbles. The last bit of water was sucked down the drain as Jane helped me out of the bath, a towel already laid across the seat of the wheelchair, and a few others folded on the counter. She wrapped one around me, taking the final one to gently dry my hair, squeezing the water out, but still being cautious of the healing stitches. "How ya feeling?""A  lot  better. That was so nice.""See? Baths help everything! Now you're all nice and clean, relaxed too I hope?""Mm-hmm." I hummed, nodding slightly."Good. We'll get you in something warm and comfy, then we could find something to do? Maybe finish eating?" "Sounds good to me! That soup was really good, but I didn't really get to eat a whole lot..." She combed her fingers through my hair, working out any knots she could find."That's alright, things happen, but you'll never be denied food, got it hun?" She pulled me out of the bathroom and pushed me over to the bed, leaving me bundled up in the towels as she went into the closet, rummaging through all the clothes before finding exactly what she wanted. Folded in her arms was a matching set of fluffy pajamas, two pieces were a dark purple and the third piece was black, along with black underwear on top of the pile. She set the clothes on the bed before turning to me."A bra might be a bit too tight right now for your back, so we're not gonna put one on, that alright hun?" "Yeah, I get that. This top is rubbing on my back a bit too much-""Oh shit! Sorry, here, let's get that off then." She took the towel from around my shoulders and placed it in front of my chest, making sure I held it there before she began untying the multitude of straps, the garment becoming loose and falling slack. She pulled off of me, leaving only the towel to keep me covered. She grabbed the fuzzy black piece of clothing, unfolding it to show a fleece tank top, with a deep v-neck and cropped. It was a bit of a struggle to get it on, trying to keep the towel covering my chest, but with only one arm, I couldn't hold it against me to put the top on. Jane sighed."I think you'll need to let the towel go, hun, I'll stand behind you so I don't see anything, I promise I won't look at you, but this is kinda difficult." She sounded apologetic, but a knot began to twist in my stomach, anxiety building again, the dull ache of long-healed bite marks left scarred into my flesh. What if she saw them?"I...you promise you won't look?" "I promise, hun. I want you to feel safe and comfy, I  will not  look at you if you don't want me to." I swallowed the forming lump in my throat but slowly nodded."O-okay." She looked across my face for a moment before moving behind me, sitting on the bed so she couldn't glance over my shoulders. She waited quietly and patiently for me. I was hesitant, staring down at the towel pressed tight to my chest, but finally, I slowly pulled it away, revealing more and more skin, raised scars in the form of deep, sharp bite marks, large and overtaking sections of my breasts and stomach. It felt unreal seeing it, reminding me just how  real  what I went through was. I could only stare down at my body, at the raised, dark scars. It made me feel sick, flashes of SPARK pinning me down flashing through my mind. "You okay?" "No..." My voice cracked. She didn't press, she simply waited, whether for me to speak more or to help put the top on. Instead, I could only lift my hand, tracing the scars, feeling each bump below my fingertips. "Hun..?" I stayed silent, swallowing back the rising anxiety. My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth, and my mouth felt dry. "Sorry, can we put the shirt on now?""Of course." She carefully pulled the top over my head, stretching it awkwardly from where she sat, pulling it over my arms, and adjusting the thick straps to sit on my shoulders. I fixed the front, pulling it down and adjusting it over my chest, trying to cover as much of my stomach as I could with it, but plenty of my midriff still showed, scars peeking out. The soft fleece felt warm, and it didn't rub or irritate my back like the bikini top had started to do."Comfortable?""Yeah.""Can I look now?" I only nodded in response, lifting the neckline up a bit more, trying to still cover the showing scars. Jane stood and walked around me again, looking the top over and smiling."Looks good! Here," She grabbed one of the dark purple garments, showing a cardigan, made of the same material, with long sleeves. She pulled it over my shoulders, pulling my arms through the sleeves, well, what was left of my left arm, tying the sleeve at the end. She fixed the rest of it, pulling the sides forward and over my front, folding one side over the other."There, it'll help keep you warm, but we still need easy access to your back, so this should be a good compromise." She smiled at me but faltered when I couldn't grin back. I just pulled the piece tighter over my chest, trying to cover more skin. She stared, biting her bottom lip, but continued on, not saying anything. "If you cover your lap with the towel, it'll help keep you covered." I did so immediately, spreading the damp towel across my lap, covering the entirety of my thighs and hips. I already began wiggling around in the chair, using my hand to try and pull the bikini down, but the wet cloth stuck to my skin snuggly. Jane saw my struggle but didn't try to grab at the garment or my legs, she knew better."Need help?" I nodded, huffing in frustration, trying to hold back to pricking tears. I was so frustrated. So angry at myself. I felt so useless, so helpless, I felt ashamed and disgusted with myself. Jane only gave me a sympathetic look, kneeling down in front of me, looking up at my face again, trying to find anything that told her to continue or stock, but I simply rubbed at my eye and nodded again. She was cautious with every movement, hands snaking under the towel, following up the sides of my thighs and to my hips, grabbing the straps, then pulling down. She had to shimmy the garment back and forth, the wet fabric sticking to my skin and the towel below me, but finally, she pulled the bottoms free, setting them to the side and grabbing the fresh, dry underwear. Again, she looked at me for confirmation, then proceeded to pull the cloth over and up my thighs, up to my hips, letting me adjust them on my own as I needed.It was the same process for the final garment, dark purple fleece shorts, stretchy like the top and cardigan, but with a silk string strung through the waistband. She pulled them up my legs, adjusting the waistband, then tying a loose bow with the string. I watched as she grabbed the discarded towels and bikini, walking towards the door before turning back to me with a small smile."I'll be right back." And once more she disappeared down the hallway, closing the door behind her. I was left in silence, mindlessly tracing a scar on my leg, poking out from underneath the shorts. Something thin and only surface deep, etched into my skin from long ago, faded with time, but one that would never disappear. The thin line told a story of its own, agony and melancholy, a feeling of desolation sinking bone deep. It was one of those things that I don't think I would ever forget. My gaze drifted back to the window, snow still falling, a thick blanket forming across the ground, coating the distant trees. It was beautiful, something I would take a picture of if I could. But it reminded me so much of her. White, colorless, cold, beautiful from a distance, but up close, it could kill you quickly, for no other reason than boredom. There was a quick knock at the door, nothing soft or gentle, it was a bit harsh, pulling me from my thoughts, startling me badly. "Come in." I called out, raising my voice even slightly sounded hoarse. The door was pushed open, Jeff quickly walking in and shutting it behind him. He shoved his hands in his pockets, trudging over towards me. He turned and plopped down on the bed, sitting only a foot away from me, staying silent, leaning forward, staring down at the floor. I turned in my chair, trying to face him a bit more, raising an eyebrow at him. He stayed silent for a few moments before looking up at me, those cold, icy eyes nearly glowing in the dim light."Sorry for yellin'. I was just really  pissed ." "It's fine, I was being stupid, I guess I needed it." He grunted, rolling his eyes."Do you  ever  get angry?" "Not really...I did yell at you once-""Yeah,  once . Have you ever yelled at anyone before?""No, not really, I wasn't allowed to." A look of guilt flashed across his face, but it was gone in an instant."That's stupid.""Yeah, it is." Silence ticked by for a few seconds, his icy blue eyes never looked away from me, and the longer I stared, the more his face seemed to morph and shift in the dark, I could almost see Charlotte or SPARK staring back at me, the shadows obscuring his face only made the visions worse."But you've been angry before, right?" I nodded and the corners of his mouth pulled up slightly."I wanna see that. I wanna see you  angry. ""Why?""You're too nice, too understanding. I wanna see the sweet lil (Y/n) get pissed off, I wanna see you get fuckin'  angry . I think it'd be good for ya. Sometimes bein' angry just...helps." I could barely tell his expression anymore. He shifted, back facing the window, the moonlight only highlighting his silhouette, leaving nothing but those  eyes  visible. I could almost see a dance of fiery curiosity in them, a stark contrast to the cold blue. He leaned forward, closer to me, eyes wide, a faint grin visible in the dark, something sinister and inquisitive. He reached forward, grabbing the chair, pulling me closer."I wonder what'd you do, what'd ya say? Do you scream? Or do ya get really quiet and dangerous? Do you break anything? Punch, scratch,  bite ? What  really  gets under your skin? What makes you  fucking furious ?" There was a breathy chuckle in his words, and the eyes staring back at me were those of an animal, a monster, something dangerous, the glowing eyes of SPARK, hungry and ready to taste my blood again. The icy cold blue of Charlotte, ready to slice me open again, forcing me to watch all over again as she pulled out my innards. Fear .

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Fear struck hold of my heart, a clawed hand gripping the organ, squeezing tighter and tighter. I could feel it pounding in my chest. The breath was sucked from the lungs, and all I could do was stare back into those eyes. Flashes of memories, again and again. Hands holding me down, tracing my skin, exploring my body, taking what they wanted despite every tear, despite every scream, and plead to stop. Those eyes stared down at me with such apathy and contempt, a sadistic joy in bringing me the most vile sort of pain. I felt sick, instinctively holding my hand over my mouth, covering the scream that wanted to escape.

The silver moonlight must have been bright on my face, showing my fear clear as day in my wide eye, glossy with tears of terrified anticipation to be plunged into that hell all over again. He backed up,

fast,

smile disappearing, holding his hands up and leaning back.

"Shit, sorry-" He cut himself off at the strained sob that caught in my throat, but I still sat frozen, immobile like a statue, so scared I couldn't even move. A mix of confusion, sadness, and a hidden anger overtook his face. His brows furrowed, hands slowly lowering, staring back at me, closely watching my face.

"What...

happened

to ya?" He tried to scoot forward an inch, but another sob stopped him. I was so scared, those eyes, they

were

Charlotte's, they were SPARK's, they were the eyes that followed me my whole life, puppeteering me on invisible strings, wrapping around my throat, choking me until I obeyed every command. Nothing but a toy to be played with, defiled, ruined, and destroyed. I could still feel that painful ache between my legs. Something in his mind seemed to click, realization and fury filling his eyes.

"No. No, no, no! I am

not

them! Don't fuckin'-I would

never

-don't fuckin' think that! Please." There was a slight panic in his voice.

"Please believe me? I wouldn't! I'm not...I'm not

that

." A strained sadness began to settle in, his shoulders falling, wide eyes turning from anger to pleading.

"No, please, don't see

them

in

me

. Not me,

please

..." He kept trying to reach out with his hands, pulling them back, then trying again. Every moment was unsure and worried, the normally confident, hot-headed man was now a doubtful mess. Watching the display, the shadows seemed to lift and shift away from his face, watching Charlotte and SPARK melt away into the shade, watching as nothing but Jeff remained. Those eyes were cruel or apathetic, they held care and worry to them, something neither of those two could ever wish to feel.

But it didn't ease my shaking body, my pounding heart, my racing mind. I tried so hard to calm myself and find the rational parts of me, but the scared me, the tiny thing huddled into a ball, was crying to be saved, screaming to be free of this pain and trauma, of all the memories that kept replaying in my mind. I tried to lower my hand from my mouth, but it was as if I couldn't even control my own body. My nails were digging into my cheek, scared to make a single noise, scared that they would appear and beat me again for even whimpering.

But there he sat in front of me. Not Charlotte. Not SPARK. Jeff. Trying to talk to me, trying to apologize,

trying

. My eye burned, my throat stung, and my heart was pounding so hard I thought it might explode right out of my chest. Finally, despite my shaking, I carefully lowered my hand from my mouth, hesitant fear still etched into my face. Still scared, I slowly tried to reach my hand forward, drawing Jeff's attention away from his pleading. There was no hesitation, he grabbed my hand between both of his, patting the top of my hand, trying to smile, but still so frantic that it was a faltered half grin.

"See? I'm not hurtin' you, I'm not gonna, please,

please

, don't think I'm them, I'm not." I swallowed the barbed wire in my throat, finally sucking in a sharp breath, straining lungs filling eagerly. I nodded, small, barely noticeable, but enough that Jeff could see. A half laugh escaped him, relief. He tried to scoot forward again, waiting, gauging my reaction before scooting closer again. Then, in one quick movement, I was pulled forward, arms wrapping around me tightly. It was more shocking than anything, I would have never imagined him to hug me. But here he was, still mumbling to himself, holding me tightly in his arms.

The memories of SPARK and Charlotte blew away like dust in the breeze, being replaced by my interactions with Jeff. Meeting him, jabbing at each other, trying to gain his trust, cursing at one another, joking, and flipping one another off. Yelling at him in the stairwell, showing my scarred back, partying together, laughing and joking. But never once did I ever feel afraid of him. That wasn't him. He wasn't scary, no, not to me. He was a jokester, high energy and always looking for a laugh.

Slowly, I lifted my arm, wrapping it across his back, squeezing. He only pulled me closer, face buried in my shoulder, still murmuring. He was holding onto me desperately, almost as if he let go I would crumble into nothing in his hands. I gently patted his back, trying to reassure him, trying to find some comfort for the both of us. But I was still shaking, and with him holding me, he could feel it, with how close he was, I was certain he could hear my racing heart.

"Not you...anyone but you...not me, don't be scared of me...please...you were never scared of me...not now...please..." The words made my chest ache for him. He pulled me closer, knees pressed into the sides of my legs. Heat radiated off of him, something much hotter than anyone else, not Jane, not Jack, not Sally, it was like holding someone with a raging fire living inside them. Hot, but not burning. I finally managed to find my voice.

"I'm sorry, I'm not scared of you, promise...just...I couldn't see you well in the dark...your eyes, they're the same color-they look just like them. I'm sorry, I'm fine now, it's okay, I promise." His murmuring stopped, but he didn't pull away, instead, turning his face slightly, staring up at me out of the corner of my eye.

"What did they

do?

You were never scared of me..." Another flash of SPARK, mouth opening, sharp teeth ready to pierce the soft skin of my inner thigh.

"A lot..." He finally pulled away from the hug, but stayed close, hands gripping the armrests, forehead resting on my shoulder still.

"I'd fuckin' kill her again if I could."

"I know. I don't blame you." I couldn't see his face, his hair cascading down like a black curtain, hiding any expression from me.

"Never again... you'll

never

be hurt again, I won't let

anyone

..." He sounded breathless, trying not to explode in anger. Heat radiated off of him even hotter now, I could almost see curls of black smoke rolling off his back.

"Jeff?"

"I won't let them, no one'll even

think

'bout hurtin' ya-"

"Jeff!" He finally stopped, turning to look up at me. His pupil looked red against the icy blue of his iris. My skin felt hot from the heat, it felt like now it was starting to burn, I had to take my arm off his back, it was scalding.

"Why are you so hot?" He looked confused, brow furrowing, and I quickly corrected myself.

"There's smoke coming off you, you're so hot it's starting to burn me." He sat up quickly, letting go of the chair, handprints burned into the black leather cushions, smoke rolling off the prints.

"Shit! Sorry-"

"Are you okay? What's happening?" It was my turn to be concerned, my fear finally subsiding, overtaking with worry for him. He looked down at his hand, smoke emitting from his palms, he looked more panicked now.

"I gotta go, this is bad, sorry, just, overwhelmed." He nearly flew out of the room, leaving behind trails of black smoke, not giving me a chance to respond, only leaving me to worry about his wellbeing. The door was left wide open, staring down the empty hallway as he disappeared around a corner. I could only continue to stare, looking for any sign of life. But soon came Jane a minute or two later, a confused look drawn across her face.

"Sorry, had to talk with Slender for a sec, everything okay?" I shrugged.

"I don't know, Jeff came by to say sorry but then he started...burning? I think? Smoke was coming off of him, and he was getting really hot like he was on fire." I looked down at my hand, palm red.

"Oh jeez, that's not good."

"Is he gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, he'll be fine, it happens sometimes, not often, but sometimes." I could only frown, still worried.

"Anyway," She waved her hand in the air, dismissing the subject and facing me.

"Wanna watch a movie? Could help you relax and forget about everything."

"Sure." She smiled wide, humming happily as she grabbed my chair and began to push me down the hallway, but paused in the doorway, leaning over my shoulder, staring down.

"How'd that happen?" I followed her gaze to the handprints burned into the chair.

"Jeff." She clicked her tongue.

"What, he was in your face yelling?"

"No, he said sorry and I kinda got scared, he got pretty upset and hugged me." She hummed, not in a singsong way, but curious.

"Can I see?" I almost forgot about the link, I could still share with them all. I focused hard, letting

only

Jane in, showing her the memory of what happened, the thoughts and fears that gripped my soul, Jeff's frantic reaction, and the desperation of not wanting me to be afraid of him.

"Ah, I see." Jane nodded, but there was something else in her expression. She continued on, pushing me down the hallway towards the living room. She pulled my chair to the side before walking around and lifting me up once more with ease.

"Where would you like to sit, hun? The corner might be comfy."

"That'd be nice, oh! Can I get a blanket?"

"Of course." She helped me settle in the corner of the couch, fixing my clothes before once more leaving me to my own devices, stopping just before she turned the corner.

"Some of the others might join us, is that okay?" I nodded.

"Alright, I'll get some snacks too for everyone, shouldn't be gone too long." And she was gone. I leaned back into the cushions, sinking in comfortably into the couch, pulling a nearby pillow into my lap. I felt so small now. I stared up at the high ceiling, noticing a banister that overlooked the living room, a figure obscured in shadow standing over it, looking down. It sent a chill up my spine, looking away from the figure.

"Mrrp." Looking down, staring up at me with big golden eyes, pupils dialed, was a familiar black and red cat, and I couldn't help but smile, sitting up and looking down at her.

"Hey there, I've missed ya." She jumped up onto the couch, crawling onto the pillow in my lap, front paws on my chest as she started rubbing her face against mine, fur and whiskers tickling my nose, pulling giggles from my lips. I lifted my hand, scratching her chin and cheeks, loud purrs emitting from the soft feline.

"Remember me? I'm glad to see you again. Where's Smile?" She paused, turning her head to the side, letting out a rather loud chirp. There was a moment of silence before loud running could be heard down a hallway, claws frantically clawing for traction on the wooden floors. In seconds, a large ball of fur came barreling around the corner, whining and crying as he jumped onto the couch, tail wagging happily, licking all over my face, whimpering all the while. Grinny was back to rubbing her face on my cheek, purring, and I couldn't help but laugh happily, taking turns to pet each one.

"Oh, I've missed you two so much!" Smile only whined louder, rolling over onto his back, using his front paws to swing in the air at me, mouth open wide in a smile, tongue lolling out to the side. I rubbed his chest and belly, pushing my head into Grinny's face, giving them as much love as they wanted.

"They helped look for ya too, ya know." I jumped at the voice, looking around, but seeing no one.

"Up here." Tilting my head up again, there he was, floating about a foot above me, bleeding eyes staring down at me.

"Oh, they did?"

"Mm-hmm, everyone did." He twisted around in the air, arms crossed, hat floating around as always. I looked back down at the two animals, kissing Grinny on her head and scratching Smile's chin.

"How long was I actually gone for?" Ben hummed, slowly floating down, sitting on the couch next to and facing me, one arm laid across the back cushions, head leaning against it.

"Five months." It felt different hearing just how long I was gone for rather than just knowing I was gone for a while. I could only nod.

"How did you put up with it?" I looked at him, grimacing slightly.

"I really didn't..."

"No, I meant that

...thing,

living inside you. Couldn't you hear her?"

"No, she wasn't in my head yet," I furrowed my brows, trying to remember the fuzzy parts.

"It was actually like I was taking a back seat in my head to what was happening, I didn't feel anything really, and didn't really think for myself either." He nodded, ear twitching, but listening closely. He was curious.

"I only interacted with her when she was in the robot, but I never heard her actually

in

my head, not like you said." I shifted slightly, facing towards him, Grinny curling up on the pillow in my lap, Smile moving to curl into a ball in my side.

"You said she made your ears bleed?" It was his turn to grimace.

"Yeah, I guess with you she was in those devices, but I basically used myself as a vessel for her, it was the only way to get her out. He shifted around, expression softening.

"It was weird honestly, it was kinda like when we talk using our minds, I couldn't hear her normally, she was fully in my head, but she was still so loud it made my ears bleed."

"I'm sorr-"

"Nah, don't be, I chose to do that." He shook his head.

"It sucks, but it's over, it is what it is, and I don't regret it." I leaned my head against the cushion like him, offering a smile.

"Well then, thank you for saving me." He smiled back, but in that instant, there was a flash in my mind. His body slumped against the wall as Charlotte pushed me down the hallway, blood and brain matter splattered everywhere, hat covering his face as blood poured from his head like a waterfall. A horrifying image.

"I..." I couldn't find words, my mind fell blank, and the only thing I could see was his body.

"Hmm?" I tried to blink away the image.

"Nothing...did she say anything? Like what they wanted?" He raised a brow, red pinpricks moving back and forth slightly, searching.

"What were you gonna say?"

"Its nothing-"

"Tell me." It was odd hearing him serious.

"I just...I remembered that day, I saw you...what...what happened? Did everyone get hurt?" There was a pause. Then he sighed.

"Yeah, everyone got hurt. That robot was fast, and I don't have many advantages without tech. I didn't even see her, I was the first one to see you, I found you, I tried to get the others, I didn't even hear her, she shot me. Honestly, I didn't even feel the pain, it was just really hot for a sec, the cold and wet." He closed his eyes, remembering the day.

"But she was distracted by the others, it gave me enough time to heal and get into the walls, that whole place was made of the same stuff, it was weird, the insides were just...hollow." He opened his eyes again, staring back at me.

"Don't think anything of it, 'kay? It's nothing new for us." I could only frown.

"Doesn't mean I don't like it."

"I get it, being shot isn't very fun either." He chuckled softly, but his eyes looked sad. It was the same for everyone, they tried to hide their feelings, but all their eyes were just...sad.

"What now?"

"Hmm?" I looked down at my hand, balling it into a fist, then relaxing again.

"What do we do now? What do I do?"

"Whatever ya want." I shook my head.

"I can't do what I want. Look at me, I can't even walk anymore. I'm half blind, missing most of my body, I can't even do basic things for myself. What do I do? I can't cook, I was never taught, I never got the chance to learn how to. I never got to play in the snow or go swimming, and now, I

can't

." It spilled out of me. I couldn't help it. I knew most wouldn't have an answer, but I knew he was clever, it was a hope he would have

some

sort of idea. He hummed, sitting up and crossing his arms, thinking, eyes drifting to the TV across the room.

"I could...maybe?" He mumbled under his breath, stuck in thought, then turned to me, smiling.

"It's not permanent, but I think I have an idea if you're up for it?" Something in my chest ached, a yearning for

anything

. I eagerly nodded, leaning forward.

"Please!" His grin widened and he held out a hand. I grabbed it, and in a swift movement, we both hovered above the couch, Grinny flipped over onto her back, confused at what just happened, Smile staring up at us, head tilted to the side. He pulled me closer, hovering over to the TV, shouting down the hall before we disappeared into the device.

"I'm stealing (Y/n) for a min, be back later!" I could hear Jane start yelling back, but being pulled into the TV cut her voice off before I could even make out any words. Being pulled through the screen was like having a cool wave wash over me, light static pricking at my skin, but it didn't hurt. The air seemed to wave around us like water, pushing and pulling with an invisible current, images and colors flying past us in a blur, swirling together in a distant mirage.

"Now, let's see," He hummed, swiping his hand through the air, an array of flat images appearing, each different and colorful in their own right. He tapped his chin, looking through them, still holding me at his side as he thought. Finally, he smiled, tapping one of the images. I watched in awe as the image expanded and warped, stretching far and wide, engulfing and surrounding us, morphing and twisting until the flat image became a real thing.

Surrounding us was a snowy forest, peaceful and beautiful, with a full moon hanging high in the sky, silver light cast around the whole area. It was all perfect, undisturbed and untouched. Too perfect.

We still hovered above the ground, looking around. Ben seemed satisfied with the display before looking down at me, a mischievous shine in his eyes.

"Now close your eye, I've got a surprise." I looked confused, but he simply waited, smirking and waiting for me to do so. Rolling my eye, I did so. He let go of me, but still delicately had the palm of his hand pressed to mine. There was a gentle swirl of air, a faint tingling, but nothing different. It only lasted a few seconds.

"Alright, now open!" I opened my eyes. Both of them. I could see. I blinked, surprised settling in. I looked around, the snow was still untouched. I looked down, Ben was standing, his fingertips being the only thing keeping me floating, but looking further, legs. Green and transparent, horizontal and vertical intersecting lines moving through the limbs. I looked from my legs to my arm, the same thing. I lifted it, turning my hand around, opening and closing my fingers. I couldn't feel anything, but it moved just how I wanted it to. Slowly, I began to float down to the ground, Ben moving to grab both my hands until my feet touched the ground. Almost immediately, I fell, legs splaying out underneath me, but I didn't hit the ground as hard if he hadn't been holding me.

"Whoa, careful! They're not perfect, I've never done this before, so if I need to fix or adjust anything just let me know, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." I nodded, looking across my body. I felt just a little more complete now. I moved my ankles, rolling them in circles before trying to stand again, Ben helping me the whole time. One leg pulled under my body, then pushing the other in front of me, foot planted firm to the snowy ground, then using the one under me to push myself up. Again, I wobbled, unstable and trying desperately to balance. I fell forward, Ben catching me and laughing. I felt awkward and probably looked just as stupid trying to learn how to walk all over again. Not having any feeling made it more difficult than I would've ever thought.

"Sorry."

"Hey, it's all good! Just take your time."

"But what about-"

"Time moves differently here, you've got all the time in the world. Here, let me see something?" I nodded, and he helped me to sit down, my new legs in front of me. He knelt at my side, looking them over, tapping an area now and again, ripples of green wavering through the new limbs, making small, unseen adjustments here and there.

"See if you can see move them." He leaned back, waiting for me to move, but as I tried, nothing happened. He hummed, leaning in close again, tapping my knee twice then pulling a line down the shin, light and dark green waves moving through the one he was adjusting.

"Maybe now?" I lifted my leg with ease into the air, I could

almost

feel it, and I couldn't help but smile.

"Sweet, let me fix the other one too, then we can try again." He repeated the gesture, and I could move both legs now, happily swinging them out of sync, back and forth in the air.

"I can almost

feel

them!" I leaned forward, brushing my hand down my calf, barely able to feel the phantom touch, but there was a tingle. He seemed unable to contain his own grin. He stood back up, hands held out to me, and I eagerly took them, once more pushing myself up off the ground. I wobbled again, but this time, I found my balance, standing upright, if not a bit awkward with my knees bent inward.

"There we go, that's a start!" He took a step back, gently pulling at my arms. Carefully, I took a shallow step forward, dragging my foot across the ground, scared to lift it and fall back down. He took another step back, and I took another forward.

"How's it feel?" I couldn't wipe the beaming smile from my face, my cheeks were hurting from the constant grin.

"I-I'm walking! Hah, this is

awesome

!" My words were breathless.

"Wanna try it on your own? I'll still be right here if ya fall." I swallowed but nodded, nervous but still just so excited! Slowly he let go of my hands, though still hovered them below my arms, ready to catch me if I fell again. I wobbled again, my own arms still held out, trying to keep my balance. I was standing on my own! I was standing again!

"Holy shit!" It was a mix of a gasp and laugh, I just couldn't believe it. I was cautious when taking my next step, slowly lifting my foot and placing it in front of the other, but slipping still and once more falling to the ground. Ben quickly tried to grab my arms, but in the panic to try and not fall I was already flailing my arms out to grab him, pulling him down into the snow with me, all the while we both couldn't help but laugh.

"Dork, I said I got ya! Why'd you grab me?" He wiped snow from his hat, grinning and turning to look at me, stuck in my own giggling fit, lying down in a deep part of snow.

"It was an accident! What, you don't try to grab anything when

you

fall?" He sat up, leaning over me and grinning.

"I just float when I fall, I don't try to grab others and drag 'em down." He flicked some snow on my face, I just couldn't stop giggling.

"Yeah right, you would grab at

anything

if you couldn't float!"

"Well I can, so I don't."

"But you would!" My smile was beaming, his own was happy and content, a lot calmer than me. We sat there for a moment, still laughing and chuckling until I could finally calm down enough. I pushed myself up in the snow, rubbing my hands through my hair, and shaking the snow out.

"Alright, again!" I was already trying to push myself back up before Ben could get up himself.

"Careful!-" Down I went again, more snow flinging up into the air as I fell down once more. Now lying on my stomach I pushed myself up and out the snow.

"Fuck, this is hard! Hah!"

"Well if you'd be patient maybe it'd be a bit easier." He laughed and rolled his eyes, standing up and holding out a hand.

"C'mon, we're not leaving until you can walk without falling on your face." I grinned, taking his hand and pulling myself up. Much more stable this time, and listening to his advice, I took my time. Finding the proper placement for my feet, trying to keep my knees straight and not inward like an awkward bird. Step by step, I was slowly walking again, Ben by my side the whole time.

I went from wobbly shuffling to taking small, shallow steps, to much a much more confident stride. Ben now stood much further away, arms crossed, watching closely as I walked through the snow, arms barely held out for balance now, happily kicking up snow without falling, my smile never once faltering. Turning the snow from a perfect blanket into a messy pile was relieving in a way, making a mess, playing around, smiling and laughing, and having fun, it was like experiencing something I missed out on my whole life.

Carefully, I knelt down, cupping a ball of snow in my hands, patting it down, then placing it in the snow. Then another ball, smaller than the first, then a third tiny one. Ben had appeared quickly at my side, looking down at what I was doing.

"A snowman?"

"Mm-hmm! I never made one before, it's pretty cute!" I looked down at the tiny thing, three tiers of stacked snowballs progressively getting smaller. I watched as Ben held out a hand, two small twigs in his palm, with two small black beads. I carefully picked them up, sticking them into the snowman. Two twig arms and two glossy black eyes. I folded my arms over my knees, resting my chin on my forearms and smiling.

"Perfect."

"Ya know, snowmen are usually a lot bigger." I shrugged.

"Well, it's perfect to me, even if it's not how you're supposed to do it." There was a pause before Ben sat next to me, starting to build his own mini-snowman. I leaned back, plopping down into the snow, watching him. While mine was a bit wonky and uneven, his was much more stable and rounded, popping into existence a tiny black top hat, a baby carrot, and a handful of black beads, decorating his up as he pleased. It was a bit bigger than mine, but it made me happy.

"Can we take pictures in here?"

"Hmm? What for?" I pointed to the two snowmen.

"I wanna remember this." There was a flash of wide eyes before his expression softened again, leaning back and pulling his phone out of his pocket.

"Here, sit behind them." Joy filled my body as I scrambled through the snow to sit behind the two little snowmen, grinning still just as big as ever. Ben held the phone up, getting the perfect shot before he let it go, the device floating still perfectly in the air. I watched as he joined me at my side, knelt next to me, flashing a bright grin at the phone, and I couldn't help but giggle again. Just overwhelming joy, my heart felt so light and happy, free of any worry or heartache. I held up my hands by my face, trying to pose a bit, then a bright flash and the photo was taken.

"There we go, now you'll never forget." He stood, grabbing my arm and helping me up with him.

"Thank you, really. I mean it." He nudged my shoulder with his, pushing me slightly.

"Nah, it's the least I could do. Now," His happy smile turned into a dark grin.

"What was that about snowball fights?" He was faster than I could react, scooping up a handful of snow and flinging it up, a curtain of white blinding me, and when it fell, he was gone, but I could still hear his giggles, echoing all around.

"Oh, you sneaky bitch!" I cackled, scooping up snow, patting it into a ball, looking around, searching for any hint of green among all the white snow. A puff of white hit me from the back, but as soon as I turned around, another hit the back of my head. Every time I thought I might get a chance, he was already somewhere else, snow flying, forming large curtains in the sky surrounding me.

Hit after hit, anyone would be frustrated, but I just couldn't stop laughing. A constant joy bubbling up from deep in me. I tried to throw, but never having thrown a single thing before, they only landed a few feet from me, but I couldn't care less. I was laughing so hard I ended up falling over in the snow, limbs spread out, getting covered in snow. The constant fire of snow stopped, and a familiar face peeked down at me from above, grinning.

"Had enough?"

"That wasn't fair!"

"Was so! In a snowball fight, you gotta use anything you can to win!"

"Oh yeah? Then what do

I

have to win? I just learned to walk again dude!" He laughed and winked down at me, sticking his tongue out.

"Sounds like a you problem." I laughed, reaching up and grabbing his shirt, rolling to my side, and pulling him into the snow with me again.

"Again!?"

"Yeah, again! You fucker!" I sat up, grabbing a fist full of snow, and tossing it right in his face, laughing all the while.

"There!" He wiped the snow away, doing the exact same and throwing more snow in my own face. Back and forth, swiping hands through the snow, throwing it up into the air and at one another. Through the blankets of snow, hands shot through the air, grabbing my shoulders and pushing me down into the snow, the rest of the snow in the air falling all around, settling calmly to the ground.

We were both panting from how hard we were laughing, finally taking a moment to catch our breath. He stared down at me, puffs of white air escaping us, the simulated cold environment just felt so real. Cold, pricking at my skin, sending shivers down my back, burning my nose and lungs, clouds of steam forming in the air with every breath, noses and cheeks flushed red.

"Okay, heh, okay, I give up, you win." I held my hands up, an occasional giggle still escaping me through breaths. He stayed there a moment, staring still before pulling me up, both of us just sitting in the snow.

"Ya know, it's good to have ya back." I smiled at him, brushing snow off my shoulders.

"I'm glad to be back, god, I've never had fun like this!" I pushed myself off, dusting snow from my legs, trying to hide the mischievous grin pulling at my lips.

"You all done?-" I snatched his hat and started running. Running as fast as my artificial legs could push me, feeling the wind blowing through my hair and stinging my face, breathing hard and holding back even more building laughter as I ran for the treeline.

"Get back here!" His voice sounded a lot closer than I expected, but I didn't dare turn back, my heart was pounding, not just from sprinting, but from the exhilaration of being chased. It was scary in all the best ways, trying to outrun someone who I knew I couldn't.

"(Y/n)." It was like a whisper in my ear, causing me to swivel around, looking behind me, but he was nowhere to be seen. I turned back around, running, only a few feet from the thick forest edge.

"Got ya." Another breathy whisper, and in a blink, I was no longer running, back pinned to a tree, staring up at those black and red eyes, that beautiful blood red glowing brightly within the darkness. I clutched the green hat tight in my hands, holding it close to my chest, staring up at Ben, hands against the tree and either side of my head, cornering me with no escape. I was breathing hard, trying to catch my breath, but Ben was as still as a statue, staring intently down at me, hair wavering around.

"Now why'd you do that?" His tone was low, almost dangerous. Almost.

"Why not? It's fun." I moved the hat, hiding it behind my back. He leaned in closer. Nervousness began to set in.

"Gonna give it back?"

"Hmm...I don't think I will." I could hear scratching against the tree, his hands sliding down the tree, stopping and either side of my shoulders.

"Give it." I shook my head, grin faltering.

"Why not?"

"I said it was fun. Plus you don't scare me, so why

should

I give it back?" His blank expression shifted, a smirk spreading across his face.

"Not scared, huh? Do you

want

to be scared?" My stomach flipped as he grabbed me, and in seconds, we shot into the sky. One arm wrapped around my waist, the only thing holding me up.

"What about heights? Scared of that?" I shook my head, forcing nothing but false confidence forward, not letting a single hint of fear leak through.

"Really? So you wouldn't mind if I just let go?" There was no hesitation as I began to plummet down, the cold wind rushing past me and nipping at my skin. I couldn't even scream, shock overtook my mind. Did he just..?

Before I could even hit the ground, he caught me, floating above me, face inches from my own, arms around my waist once more.

"You didn't even screa-hey? You okay?" The cold expression wiped away quickly from his face, replaced with concern.

"Shit, too far? I'm sorry." He gently lowered me to the ground, helping me sit upright. I was frozen, heart pounding hard, the rush of falling was still lingering in my mind. He carefully shook my shoulder.

"Did I hurt something? (Y/n)?" All at once it hit me, the rush of running away, the thrill of falling, I wasn't hurt, I wasn't dead, it was euphoric! I exhaled sharply, a small smile twitching at the corners of my mouth.

"Holy shit, that was...that was fun!?" He looked just as confused as I felt.

"So, you're

not

hurt?"

"No, but that was really fun! Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why was it fun? I could've gotten really hurt, maybe even died! But it was

fun

!" I looked up at him, leaning closer,

needing

an answer, but he just shrugged.

"Some people are thrill chasers and do crazy stuff like that all the time, guess if you feel safe enough then it's fun?"

"Can I do that again?"

"Uhh-"

"

Please

? Please, Ben! That was so much fun! One more time! Or I'll just keep your hat." He rolled his eyes, a playful grin once more reappearing.

"You're fucking crazy, c'mon." With an arm still around me, he floated us back high into the sky.

"Ready?"

"Mm-hmm!" I still clutched the hat in my hands, holding it close, careful not to let him snatch it back, excitement already rushing through my veins. And once more, he let go, letting me plummet down like a shooting star. Time almost seemed to slow down, feeling the rush of everything, the excitement and joy, the fear of death, the rush of adrenaline fueling my mind. All the while, I laughed with such joy, spreading my arms out, imagining just for a moment that I was truly free, flying through the sky, diving towards the earth, talons outstretched for my next meal. The rush of animalistic instincts flowed through. I twisted around, staring down at the ground rushing closer and closer. I closed my eyes, still beaming, my hair whipping all around. And once more it all came to a gentle stop. Arms wrapped around me tight, warm breath tickling my ear. I could feel his chest pressed to my back.

"You really do belong with us, huh? You are just a

treat

to learn about." He lowered me to the ground, making sure I had my footing before letting go, holding his hand out, waiting for his hat back. I was hesitant but gave it back regardless.

"Alright, alright, here." I smiled, handing the hat back over to him.

"Do I need to attach this to my head when you're around? If this is a pattern then I think I need to

hide

my hat from ya." I couldn't help but giggle.

"Well you're always wearing it, I thought it'd be fun, and it is! Plus the first time I was curious if it kept floating around if you weren't wearing it, guess not." I shrugged but it was his turn to laugh.

"It

can

, you were just too busy to notice." Before he could put it back on, instead he pulled it over my hair, crossing his arms and stepping back.

"See? It always floats." With how long it was, I could see the end of it wavering around, flowing gently. I fixed the hat on my head and grinned.

"Bet I pull this look off better than you." I put my hands on my hips and stuck my tongue out, earning a light chuckle.

"You wish." He plucked it back from me, finally adorning it back on before looking up into the sky.

"We should probably head back now."

"Oh..." My lips faltered and I looked down at my legs, the transparent green still wavering. Ben sighed softly, reaching forward and pulling me into a hug, something soft and caring. I didn't hesitate to wrap my arms around his back.

"We'll figure something out, I promise." I could only hum. We stood there for a moment, and I indulged in the comfort. With every hug, every gentle touch, from everyone, I was left craving more and more. It was warm, and it was comfortable, but it left me starving for more.

Slowly, we began to float away from the ground, the scenery around us folding away back into a flat image, Ben still holding me all the while, letting me take the time I needed before I was brought back to reality, the reality of relying on a chair and not my own two legs. Finally, I let go, pulling back, eyes downcast, staring at my arm.

"Ready?"

"I guess." I closed my eyes, feeling as the static world around me melted away, as I was pulled from the cool screen of the TV, and the slight tingle of my electronic limbs faded away back into pixels. Ben brought me back over to the couch, helping me settle back into the corner, all while Jane was in the hallway, halfway through her sentence she never got to finish.

"-swear to fucking god if you hurt her I'm going to stick this rolling pin so far up your- god dammit, you already left didn't you?" Ben grinned, settling on the couch next to me.

"Dunno what you're talking about, we never left anywhere." She smacked the rolling pin against her open hand, glaring back at the blonde.

"You're full of shit and we both know it. (Y/n), hun, you okay?" Her voice softened when addressing me, gaining my attention.

"Hmm? Oh! Yeah, I'm fine." She stared at me for a moment before sighing and turning away, waving the wooden tool in the air.

"You're off the hook this time." Ben chuckled and leaned back, glancing over at me and winking, holding a finger to his lips. He barely spoke above a whisper.

"She'll be pissed when she finds out I dropped ya...twice." I couldn't help but lightly laugh, winking back.

"I won't tell if you don't."

"Sounds good to me." He sprawled out on the couch, laying on his stomach and closing his eyes, chin resting on his forearms, hat still floating around in the air hypnotically.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

I couldn’t tell if he had fallen asleep or not, but judging by the small smile that never left his face, I was sure he was still awake, but I decided to leave him be. I would steal his hat again, and nothing would stop me. But for now, I’d leave him be. Grinny and Smile were still on the couch, cuddled up and sleeping. I couldn’t help but reach over, trying to stroke the two, but only my right hand landed on Smile, my left nowhere in sight. Right, how could I forget so quickly?

I gently stroke both the animal’s backs before leaning back, taking in the silence. Jane moved back and forth, from one room to the next. Bringing me a blanket, setting down an assortment of snacks and drinks on the coffee table, and even handing me the phone they had given to me. I tried to mess around with it, but quickly gave up and let it fall to the cushions below. I just sat in silence, falling lost in my thoughts, a winding maze, each path taking me in different directions, but I never knew just where I would end up.

Down the winding paths of my mind, tracing every crevice of built-up walls, small memories jumped out, random moments. Sally and Jane excitedly picking out clothes for me, Jack doing my makeup and dressing me up, dancing with everyone, each silly moment, and everything beforehand.

Staying up late at night, memorizing every creaking floorboard, sneaking to the window and staring up at the moon, praying to any god that just

might

exist to free me, to let me be happy, to give me just a

single day

to be

content

. Finally, having an unrestricted library, reading every book I could get my hands on; novels and fantasies, mysteries and romances, and everything outside and in between. Gorging myself on any knowledge I could consume, learning how to memorize each page I left on for the multitude of books I read all at once. Blushing at even the softest implied romances, never reading anything more, terrified of what those pages held, scared that my mother would ever find out.

Growing up, I never kissed another person, held anyone's hand, or experienced being held. I never had any sort of relationship. She made sure of that. She kept me on a tight leash, scheduling out my days and nights, but under the watch of the moon, I kept my secrets. That was until she caught me slipping out into the night. That’s when the cameras and locks and sensors were installed, and when the first version of SPARK was introduced.

An uncanny mannequin, repainted fully white, without eyes or ears, just a plastic mold stuck onto a metal skeleton. Set up right outside my door, monitoring and tracking my coming and going. I grew up with her. Watching the years as she changed, got upgraded, how all the love and care I should have received was all shoved into SPARK.

Growing up alongside that thing. Watching my mother and colleagues gush over SPARK, all while ignoring me, pushing me to the side. Any awards won in school were tossed into a box under my bed, but all awards she got were placed in an elaborate crystal display, polished, and dusted twice daily.

Then, that one magical moment. That beautiful letter that welcomed me with open arms to a new school, a dream college for anyone. Someone

wanted

me, even if it was just a school. It spelled freedom and growth for me. I remember that night, looking out the window to the waning moon, clasping my hands together, and thanking the moon for that chance, any hope of god long washed away by then, my only company was the moon and the stars.

I was only there a month, and it was the best month of my life until that point. I could walk around without an escort, without being scolded for every little thing. My shirts could be wrinkled and no one would care, my notes could be messy and unorganized, and no one yelled at me for it. I could be imperfect with the rest of the world and feel

normal

for once. I didn’t stick out like a sore thumb, I could wear colors, I could wear whatever I wanted, do my makeup, and wear jewelry, even if it was cheap and rubbed off green on my skin. But I didn’t care, I was still just as fascinated by it rather than annoyed. I

loved

the imperfect, I loved the life and color that thrived and surrounded me.

I adored having my own room I could make my own, being able to watch any movies or shows I wanted, not even caring to read warnings, although a sudden sex scene or two left me disoriented for hours after, even only seeing just a few seconds of it. Health classes were far worse, I couldn’t just turn the teachers off or walk away, I needed to learn. It was important, that’s what I had to tell myself. It wasn’t pleasurable or for gratitude, it was modest honesty of the human body, so I sat and I learned. It didn’t ease my flushed face though. I struggled to make friends but had a handful of acquaintances I would occasionally greet or ask for notes from. But even having those interactions was a lovely change.

The fear of waking up in the middle of the night to slight noises was something I would never forget. All alone, with nothing to protect or defend myself with, I was left small and vulnerable, huddled in a ball on my bed as my mother’s awful voice called out for me through the room.

“Oh, (Y/n)? Time to wake up, there’s been a change in your schedule.” I didn’t have to look at her to hear that vile grin she wore. Dragged from my bed and drugged, the night guards paid off in triple their pay to turn a blind eye and keep quiet. SPARK dealt with the cameras. The last thing I saw that night was being shoved into a white car, my mother’s face staring down at me with cold, uncaring eyes, yet somehow still smiling.

“(Y/n)?” I blinked back to reality, turning to Jane, holding out a small bowl to me.

“Popcorn?” A wonderful smell hit my nose, something warm and buttery.

“What is it?” I leaned forward, staring at the pale yellow lumps in the bowl, breathing in deeply more of the delicious smell.

“Just try it.” Ben reached up, grabbing a piece and popping it in his mouth. I carefully grabbed one, still warm, and sniffed it again before carefully eating it. It almost instantly melted in my mouth, sweet and salty, buttery and warm, it was delightful!

“Mmm!” I couldn’t help but hum. Jane only smiled and set the bowl at my side, making sure it wouldn’t tip over before leaving again. I grabbed another piece, happily eating it, smiling to myself. I nibbled on a few pieces happily until a whine at my side drew my attention. Smile had lifted his head up, staring back at me with wide, begging eyes. Another whine followed by a silent bark, snapping his teeth at me.

“Want some?” His tail began to wag, thumping against the couch cushions. I grabbed a few pieces and held them out in my palm to him, watching him gently take and eat them from my hand before I pat his head.

“Good boy.” He gave my hand a quick lick before licking the top of Grinny’s head, the small cat mewing at the disturbance to her slumber, stretching out, claws extending, before curling back up, Smile curling around her and laying back down.

“Cute lil sweeties.” I tilted my head at them, unable to help but fawn over them.

“Only when they wanna be.” Ben chuckled at my side, stealing more popcorn from the bowl.

“Well, I think they’re adorable.”

“Yeah, until they work together to steal your dinner, ain’t so cute then.”

“You probably deserved it.”

“I was actively feeding them.” I shrugged and laughed lightly.

“Should’ve fed them faster then.”

“Would

not

have made a difference, those two are

thieves

.” He chuckled as he rolled over onto his back, pulling his hat forward and covering his face. At that moment, I could hear the sound of a loud door opening, blasting wind hissing into the house before it slammed shut, and multiple, heavy footsteps trudging down the hall.

“Might wanna close your eyes.”

“Why?” I got my answer quickly. Three men, soaked in blood and covered in bits of gore and innards turned the corner. They looked like looming shadows in the dark, their silhouettes only highlighted by silver moonlight, they looked haunting. It made my stomach churn. One turned, orange goggles reflecting light like demonic glowing eyes in the dark.

“Shit!”

“That’s why.” I slapped a hand over my eyes, feeling sick. Running through a hallway of blood and guts should have desensitized me for a lifetime, mutilating my own mother should have, but something finally caught up to me. Seeing my own brain and spine, images burned into my mind of claws hands pulling apart layers of fat and muscles, sewing cables and wires through my core like a machine, knowing the feeling of being ripped open, it made me nauseous.

“God fucking dammit! Ben!-“ I immediately recognized the voice as Tim. It was so loud, booming through the room, echoing down the nearby hallways.

“I didn’t do shit, don’t yell at me!” He held his hands up, hat still covering his face. The footsteps started again, much more sped up this time, but I didn’t dare look until I couldn’t hear them at all anymore. I carefully peeked through my fingers, only seeing a drail of dark blood and a few chunks of something pink and wet. I tried not to look at it. I lowered my hand to my mouth. I squeezed my eye shut again. I was salivating, my stomach twisting, the feeling of rising bile burning my esophagus. I swallowed it down, trying to breathe calmly. I couldn’t stop but imagine that those fleshy pink chucks were shredded away from my own back, strewn across the floor in a bloody display.

“You okay?” I carefully nodded, eye watering from my burning throat.

“I’ll get ya something to drink.” I felt the couch shift at my side as Ben got up, and I could only assume he was floating at the lack of footsteps. Only a few seconds passed before I could hear distant mumbling, Ben and Jane, but I couldn’t make out the words.

“Dammit!” Jane yelled, followed by the slam of something metal. Carefully, I opened my eye, swallowing again, moving my hand away from my mouth and down, resting on the front of my neck and breathing deeply. I could faintly smell something metallic and sickly sweet. The sight of moving shadows drew my attention up, Jane and Ben coming around the corner.

“Hey, hun, you okay?” I could only nod, hand still holding the front of my throat. Ben leaned forward, holding out a glass of cold water to me. I was careful to grab it, not wanting to drop it from my shaking hand. I took small sips, letting the coolness wash down the burning sensation stuck in my throat.

“I just can’t seem to leave your side without something happening, huh?” She chuckled nervously, fidgeting with her fingers. I just shook my head, finally finding my voice.

“N-no, it’s fine, just... wasn’t expecting it.” Both Jane and Ben nodded.

“It’s expected, after what you went through, I think you handled it better than most.” Ben shrugged his shoulders, floating back to settle on the couch, sitting up this time and pulling out his phone, fiddling with it.

“I’ll tell them to come clean their mess up.”

“Good, and let them know if I see them I’m beating their asses.” Jane huffed and Ben chuckled with a nod. She turned to look back down at me, crossing her arms and cocking a brow.

“If I leave again, you are

not

allowed to get any more traumatized than you

already

are, got it?” It brought a small smile to my face.

“I’ll try not to.”

“Good, just...five minutes of nothing happening, please?

Both

of you.” She glared over at Ben.

“Again! I did nothing!” I managed a giggle at the exchange, it just felt so...normal. I needed that, I needed normal. Jane huffed and turned, walking away, stepping over the trail of blood and back into the kitchen. My phone buzzed from its spot on the couch, drawing my attention down to the black screen lighting up, a gray bar with a green icon showing up. Confused, I leaned forward, placing the glass of water on the table before I picked up the phone and opened the notification, watching as the messages app opened to a new conversation, a mass group text, a bunch of bubble icons at the top of the screen, and the first and only message was a picture, it was me.

Smiling wide, arms spread as I was falling from high above, transparent green limbs visible, and one glowing solid green eye taking over my right socket, casting a faint glow across my beaming face. I hadn’t even noticed he took a photo of that moment too. His chuckle drew my attention over, watching him float up from the couch and towards the TV, giving a short wave.

“I need to go do some stuff, but tell Jane I said ‘bye’.” With that, he melted into the black screen just as Jane began to yell once more from the kitchen.

“You lying

fuck

!” She didn’t even come back into the room, she already knew he was gone, so instead, she began texting the chat rapidly.

“Ben!”

“I’m going to fucking kill you!”

“I TOLD you!”

“Actually going to fucking strangle you, you little elf bastard!” There was a single instant reply, the first photo taken, both of us grinning, knelt in front of the two little snowmen we built, followed with the text,

“First snowman.”

He didn’t reply after that, Jane sent a few more threats before addressing me.

“You said you were okay!?” I struggled to text, but I managed, just starting to learn the ropes of it all.

“I am OK :) “

“I hate you both so much.”

“:0” I giggled to myself, making little faces out of all the little symbols and numbers. Nothing else came through, but I watched as small icons appeared next to each message, icons building up on one another, all next to the word ‘read’ as the others saw the new text chain, but no one replied. I placed the phone back down, stomach finally settling and feeling a little more relieved. Movement from the corner of my eye set me slightly back on edge, not sure if it would be another gore-covered figure or not, but to my pleasant surprise, it wasn’t. A face peaking around the corner, giving a small wave when I spotted them.

“Oh, hi, uh, sorry about that.” Brian scratched his neck, smiling nervously, throwing a towel on the trail of blood, covering it for the time being.

“It’s fine, I probably should’ve listened to Ben’s warning.”

“Honestly we probably shouldn’t walk through the house like that, the Boss gets kinda mad at the mess, but we were a bit tired.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” I leaned forward, grabbing the glass of water and taking another sip before setting it back down. He stood there a bit awkwardly, kicking at the towel on the ground.

“First snowman, huh? Never made one before?”

“No, I wasn’t really allowed to.” He nodded, seeming to instantly regret the question.

“Oh, right...was it fun?” I smiled softly, he seemed to want to talk but just didn’t know what about.

“Yeah, it was a lot of fun, maybe next time we can all go together? I think that’d be pretty fun!” He too now had a small smile.

“Yeah, that’d be nice I think. It’d probably be good for you too, ya know?”

“Hmm? Whatcha mean?” He walked over, sitting on the opposite side of the couch from me.

“You get to run around and have fun, you can forget all your worries and just…enjoy the moment. That’s a world where you’re free from any pain, you won’t get hurt unless you

really

try.” There was a hint of sadness in his voice, he didn’t look at me.

“But then where’s the point in that?”

“What?” He dared a glance with furrowed brows, but his deep brown eyes fell back to staring at the floor.

“A world free of any pain? Then what’s the point in living? There’s always gonna be pain, and that’s okay for me. I don’t like it, but I can’t change that, and…I’m not running away from it. I’m tired, I really am. I’m tired of trying to hide and pretend that things are okay when they’re not. Why would I try to hide from it even more?” He opened his mouth, but hesitated, instead closing it and just nodding. He was bouncing his knee, hands folded together, he was nervous.

“Sorry.”

“Why?”

“I…I just don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to talk about or say. I really haven’t gotten to know you like everyone else, and I guess…I guess I just feel kinda shitty?” He frowned deeply, closing his eyes and sighing, lifting a hand to rub at the bridge of his nose. I felt a pang, shifting in my seat, facing towards him, gesturing my hand out.

“Okay, let’s get to know each other then.” I offered a bigger smile, trying to make him feel more open and comfortable. I felt bad, I had so much time to learn about and get along with the others, but not him, it didn’t feel fair. He looked tired, eyes flashing between my hand and face, waiting for me to backtrack, but when I didn’t, he only sighed again.

“What do I even do? Or say?”

“I can start? Here, I’m (Y/n), I had forced amnesia, but just recently got to remember all my memories. I remember that I love animals, even if they’re dangerous, furry, or scaley. I’m a bit scared of the dark, I always feel nervous, but I still try my best, even if I am scared. I guess I also learned I like thrills? Falling was pretty fun, and running.” I tried putting out some ideas, fears and likes, interests and activities, trying to open a multitude of doors for him to choose from. He hummed, seeing to think for a moment, a small smile finally pulling at his lips.

“I guess that’s a start…I’m Brian, but I also go by Hoodie, I like the color yellow, and I like being outside too. I tend to keep to myself, but I still enjoy company. Hmm…I don’t think I’m scared of much, not anymore at least, but I guess if I was scared of anything now…hmm…what would it be?” He thought for a moment, humming to himself.

“I guess snakes? There’s some pretty painful ones in the forests, and whenever I have to go out there’s always a chance to get bit.”

“Have you been bitten before?”

“Oh yeah, a handful of times now, some weren’t as bad as others, I can never see them in the dark, but there was one that

really

hurt. That one made me

actually

think I was going to die from the pain, heh, lasted a couple of days before the venom wore off.” I sucked in a sharp breath, cringing at the thought.

“That sounds horrible.”

“It was, but now I’m more careful, and wear thicker boots so most can’t bite through them now.”

“I guess you learned a lesson from that.” He shrugged but still nodded.

“I guess, but I don’t blame them, they’re just snakes, they don’t know any better than to protect themselves.”

“I think anyone would, snakes, humans, dogs, everything’s just tryna survive.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” Silence fell over us, and I tried desperately to think of more.

“Oh, hobbies! What do you like to do?” Another hum as he thought.

“I like to read, hiking is pretty fun…I’m not too sure actually. I guess I just kinda hang around until I need to do a job.”

“Is there anything that you wanted to do?” He furrowed his brows now, shoulders relaxing as he leaned back on the couch.

“I haven’t thought of that in a long time…I guess I wanna go see the ocean again? It’s not a hobby, but I used to go with my parents when I was younger. I haven’t been to a beach or seen the ocean in years now…God, how long has it been? I don’t even remember. I liked to collect any seashells I could find though, those were always nice.” He smiled at the memory.

“Why don’t you go now? Can’t you go anywhere?”

“Yeah, I could, but I never thought much about it. I’m usually busy tryna keep Toby and Tim from destroying shit or killing each other.”

“They don’t get along?”

“Nah, they do, but they’ll argue about anything, they just butt heads a lot.” I laughed to myself, it was hard to imagine quiet, brooding Tim fighting with kind, gentle Toby. It was a funny image.

“Well they’re grown, they don’t need a babysitter, you should totally go see the ocean again! Find some seashells and keep them.” He just shrugged again, scratching at his neck.

“I know, but still…everyone kinda relies on me to keep those two in line…besides, there’s no point in keeping seashells.” I hummed, crossing my arm over my shoulder.

“Okay then, what if

I

wanted to go see the ocean? I’ve never seen it before, I think it’d look pretty. And I can’t really find seashells for myself, soo…would you help me?” His expression shifted from blank to confused then to a lopsided, goofy smile.

“You’re not gonna let this go, huh?”

“Nope!” I popped my lips, grinning right back, he held up his hands, laughing lightly.

“Fine, fine, we can visit the beach someday and collect seashells.”

“Good! And

you

can take a vacation day!” Another chuckle.

“You’re stubborn.”

“Until the day I die.”

“Great.” We both laughed, but it was cut off by the sound of distant arguing, Brian instantly rolled his eyes, gesturing a hand out towards the hallway the voices were coming from.

“And may I present, the dumbass number one, and dumbass number two.” On cue, Tim and Toby walked in, arguing about which breakfast food was better, waffles or pancakes.

“P-p-pancakes are always g-g-gross and soggy! Waffles st-st-stay crunchy!”

“Not if you drown them in syrup! They turn to mush! Pancakes at least have

some

structure, and are

way

more filling!” Yeah, I laughed aloud at the two, arguing about something so small, it was just silly, and I loved it.

“Point proven.”

“I didn’t doubt you, but now I

really

believe you!” Brian just gave me a ‘told you so’ look before turning to the other two men.

“Would you two quit for five

fucking

minutes?”

“He started it!”

“He started it!” They each held an accusatory finger up at the other. So similar yet so different, it was entertaining watching it play out.

“I literally don’t care, just shut up.” Toby just threw his hands up, mouth open with a look of annoyed disbelief while Tim groaned, rolling his eyes, crossing his arms with a huff. He glanced towards me, nodding his head and speaking.

“Okay, what do

you

think then? Pancakes or waffles?” Gazes drifted to me, waiting for an answer, but I could only shrug, smiling nervously.

“I don’t really know-”

“You aint gonna hurt anyone’s feelings-”

“No, really, I

actually

don’t know, I’ve never had either.” Tim made an ‘oh’ face, giving a curt nod.

“Nevermind…I still think pancakes are better.” Toby was ready to say something, but a quick glare from Brian shut up any further argument.

“F-f-fine, I’m gonna ask s-s-s-some-one else!” Toby swiveled on his heel, stomping away, Tim following close behind, ready to hunt down the next poor soul they see to interrogate them about the superiority of the breakfast foods. Brian held up a hand, gesturing at the two’s backs, raising an eyebrow, and sharing an expression that read clear as day. ‘This is what I deal with every day.’

“You really are a glorified babysitter, huh?”

“Tsk, I guess so!” He sighed, rubbing at his temple, looking annoyed with an oncoming headache.

“What about you? Have any favorite foods?” He looked back over at me, a kind smile returning.

“Nothing in particular, but I do like sweets.”

“Ohh! Anything you’d recommend? I’ve always wanted to try cake!” Oh, and chocolate!" My grin was huge, and I managed to earn a chuckle in response.

“Guess you’ve got a

lot

to catch up on, huh? Hmm, what would I recommend..? Ya know what, don’t move, wait here a sec, I actually think we have something.” I laughed to myself, waiting for the realization to dawn on him that, I, in fact, could not move, and had no choice

but

to wait here. He stood up, cringing slightly, walking down the hallway towards the kitchen, no conversation could be heard, but the distant rustle of metal and plastic paused for a moment before it continued. Only a few moments passed before he was back, holding a plate in his hand, a silver fork placed next to a triangular piece of what looked like cake. It was a creamy color, with a thin brown crust that was already crumbling away.

He sat next to me now, handing me the plate carefully, making sure I didn’t drop it. I carefully balanced it on the pillow in my lap, looking at the piece of food over, it looked rather...plain. I looked back at him with a questioning look, but he only gestured back to the plate.

“Just try it, trust me.” What was the worst that could happen? I picked up the fork and stabbed it into the thing. It was extremely creamy, and it was easy to cut through and stab pieces off. It had a faint smell to it, something sweet but savory. Maybe a bit of honey? I took a bite, almost immediately humming in delight, a sort of squeal. It was delicious! Sweet, but not too much, with the slightest flavor of honey from the crust, the main part was soft and silky, almost melting in my mouth, slightly tangy. I was quick to take another bite, and I could almost imagine how I looked, I probably had stars in my eye. Brian only laughed at my side.

“See? It’s good! Cheesecake, not the sweetest thing, but I think it’s pretty great. And it's not so overwhelming too. Good start if you’ve never had anything sweet before.” I could only nod, finding myself unable to speak, simply just enjoying the treat. The slice of cheesecake was gone quickly, I just couldn't get enough of it! It was something so new and alluring, I wanted more, but a burn in my throat stopped me asking for more. Perhaps too much sugar? I licked some crumbs from my lips, leaning forward and gently placing the plate on the edge of the table.

"So whatcha think?" I couldn't help but grin, still savoring the lingering taste coating my mouth.

"It's

so

good! Not what I expected cake to taste like though." I trailed off, humming, looking at the smears of filling on the plate, a thin film coating the ceramic. Brian only chuckled.

"Actually it's not

really

a cake, it's kinda like...like a

mix

between a cake and pie actually."

"Huh. But aren't pies made of fruit? And have dough on top?"

"Depends honestly," He shrugged.

"Most can be, but not all of them. Some pies aren't desserts either, like a shepherd's pie or chicken pot pie."

"Ohh! What are

those

?" His smile faltered slightly.

"Well, a shepherd's pie is meat mixed with some veggies with mashed potatoes on top, not my cup of tea, but some people like it. Chicken pie has a crust on top of it and the filling is chicken and gravy and more vegetables. Mainly peas and carrots." I listened intently. To most, it would have been a boring and mundane subject, learning about various pies, but I was enamored. With all the different types of recipes that existed, the shear magnitude of mixing and matching different ingredients for a whole new variety of meals and flavors, I couldn't help but imagine a table full of all those foods, still piping hot, sweet and savory, desserts and dishes served for dinner, I could almost

smell

the spices in the air just from the vivid images that danced across my mind.

"Well, I guess I've gotta add that to my bucket list! Try everything I've never been able to!" Brian laughed, not at me, but at the idea.

"Well, you'll be busy for a while, there's

way

too many foods to try them

all

!"

"I can at least try! Besides, who

knows

what I'm missing out on! Just cheesecake was

that

good! And there's so much more out there!"

"Ya knows there's more than

one

type of cheesecake, right?"

"What?"

"Yeah, that's just a classic one," He pointed to the remnant crumbs on the empty plate.

"There's chocolate, berry, mixed, all kinds." I lit up, earning another lighthearted chuckle.

"That's it! We gotta go to the beach

and

have a picnic! With all sorts of treats!" I had set my mind to it, and nothing would discourage me. The fire in my eye must of been bright, because there was no argument, he only held his hands up in mock surrender, not attempting to even fight back on the plan.

"Alright, alright, we'll go someday, and I'll make sure we

definitely

have cheesecake." We both could only laugh, his hands falling back to resting on the couch. The silence was comfortable and calming, erasing the gruesome sight from earlier and easing my mind, though the faint scent of metal lingered. Though the calm didn't last very long, after all, there's always another storm brewing in the ocean. A cold chill ran through my spine, something felt looming above me, casting a dark shadow over my form, Brian only turned his head at the sight above me, unamused.

"Awe, havin' fun without me? How rude!"

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The air rushed with a coolness, seeming to suck the warmth from around us. There was a slight rolling fog that cascaded over my shoulders, dispersing off in swirling wisps. I tilted my head back, seeing the grinning face hanging above me. He was contorted oddly, bending his body to balance on the back of the couch. Clawed hands digging into the fabric, hooked around the edge of the sofa, knees bowed out to his sides as he crouched like an animal. He was leaning over, hovering above my head, just staring down at me.

"Oh! Hi." I was a bit startled at the sudden appearance but smiled and gave a small wave of my hand. The corners of his mouth only pulled tighter, sharp teeth gleaming in the dim light.

"You're gonna break the couch standing on it like that." Brian was unfazed by the sudden appearance, simply pointing out his manners. Jack only rolled his eyes, leaning to the side, slinking around like a cat, moving from the back of the couch onto the cushion at my other side, lanky legs crossed and placing a hand under his chin, elbow leaning on a knee.

"Hope ya don't mind, but I couldn't help but hear you've never had sweets before?" Brian scoffed but I nodded.

"No, well, not until now, Brian gave me some cheesecake-" Jack waved a hand, making a 'tsk' sound, still grinning.

"That's a dessert, but it's nothing like

candy!" He held a hand up, palm faced towards me, fingers spread apart, and in a quick, smooth motion, he turned his hand around, fingers curling in briefly before holding a small sphere between his thumb and middle finger, adding a small bit of flare to the action. The sphere was wrapped in a shiny, metallic blue foil, and at either end of it, the wrapping spouted off, twisted into tight curls, the blue fading off into silver at the ends. I watched as he unwrapped the thing, revealing a dark ball hidden within the wrapping before holding it out to me. I lifted my hand, ready to take it.

"Ya sure that's not one of the

poisoned

ones?" Brian's tone had turned from kind and lighthearted to dark and irritated. Jack only scowled at the man, baring his teeth at him.

"Of course, it's not! I know which ones are and aren't!" I turned to look back at Brian, his once bright brown eyes now dark and clouded, brows knit tight, his change in expression and demeanor made him seem like a whole other person. It sent a chill down my spine. I looked back down at the candy in Jack's palm, now hesitant to take it, Brian's words echoing around my mind.

Poison.

I slowly reached for the candy, but pulled my hand back before reaching again. There was a slight tremor in my fingers, and I repeated the action. Jack was quick to see my hesitation, sneering once more at Brian before pulling his hand back, splitting the candy down the middle in two, holding one of the halves out to me, and lifting the other to his mouth. The middle of the dark brown, nearly black ball, was golden. It wasn't quite solid either, very slightly drooping with gravity.

"I know it ain't poisoned, see, I'll eat some too."

"But you can't die, none of you can-"

"Doesn't me it won't hurt like hell. I

know

it's a good one." He popped the piece in his mouth, barely chewing before swallowing. There was some comfort in the action, whether it was the shared risk of pain, or the confidence in knowing it was safe, I took the other half and ate.

It melted in my mouth, a mix of wonderfully sweet and surprisingly, bitter, making a perfect mix. The middle had a very slight nutty and salty taste but was pure sweetness. While the outside shell melted away, the middle lingered, needing to chew thoroughly before swallowing the candy. It was almost an entirely different type of sweetness from the cheesecake, and I hummed in delight, earning a cheeky grin from the clown.

"See? Not poisoned!~" He almost said it in a sing-song voice, eyes flashing over to Brian for a split second before back to me. There was another scoff before the weight of the couch shifted as Brian stood, giving me a quick nod before slinking out of the room without a word, hands shoved in his pockets. I felt bad, but my attention was redirected right back to the new visitor at my side.

"So? Whatcha think?" I hummed again, thinking about the treat as the sweetness lingered on my tongue.

"It's really good actually! I wasn't expecting it to be bitter, but it tastes good!"

"It's dark chocolate, one of my favorites! Oh, with a salted caramel middle! It's splendid!" Whatever tension had filled the room with his sudden appearance and Brian's...distaste? It was gone. Melted away into a lighthearted bubbliness. With another flourishing hand wave, there was a whole pile of assorted candies in his palm, somehow, as if by magic, stacked neatly into a pyramid. The very top candy was triangular in shape, with a circular base pulled up into a rounded point, with silver wrapped and a small, thin piece of paper trailing out the top. I pointed to it, tapping it slightly.

"What this one?" He plucked it up with his free hand, holding it out to me.

"Milk chocolate, not bitter like dark, a lot sweeter too." He held it by a corner of the foil and paper, and as I grabbed it, he pulled, helping unwrap the chocolate piece for me. And he was right, it was much sweeter than the first chocolate, and lacked any resemblance to the first in every way, except that they both melted away into a wonderfully smooth taste. Another happy hum and he crumbled up the foil, setting it aside. He waved his free hand across the pile of candies, and they were all gone as if never existing in the first place. His happy grin shifted, only slightly, but it was noticeable enough to see it turn from cheerful to mischievous, eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

"If I remember right, you said you haven't done a whole lot of anything, right?" I furrowed my brows at him.

"You've never been to the beach you said? What about an amusement park? A carnival?" Still confused, I shook my head, and his grin only stretched further. He held out a clawed hand to me, giving no further explanation. There was a new wave of hesitation, but not out of fear, no, it was anxiety, not knowing what awaited me. But I didn't let it falter me again. I placed my hand in his palm, and within the split second of doing so, I was engulfed in swirling smoke and fog, so thick I couldn't even see the being sitting only a foot in front of me. My vision was so obscured that all I could see was white, with only faint shadows moving throughout.

It lasted only a few seconds, but the anticipation made it feel like much longer. With a strong gust of air, the fog was wiped away, disappearing in the wind and revealing a whole new sight. I no longer sat on the couch in the living room, but now was on a wooden bench in the middle of a wide-open area. Stretched out as far as I could see was something I only ever saw in pictures or in a glimpse of a TV screen.

Tall rails with empty carts speeding across them, over hills and through loops, rollercoasters of all shapes and sizes, each one running with empty trollies. A merry-go-round was only about 20 feet away, slowly spinning, the animal statues raising up and down, mimicking a strolling pack of creatures. A large Ferris wheel overtook the farthest sight, impossibly large, it would have a perfect view of the entire park. The ground was grassy with cobbled paths leading from various attractions to others, popup food stalls were scattered about, abandoned with flashing lights displaying the signs of each one and what they sold.

And somehow, even more breathtaking, was the sky. A patchwork of stripes and polka dots, like a quilt, all sewn together with different patterns. Paisley and chevron, plaid and checkered, all tapering together into a single point at the very top, in the middle of the sky. It was a tent. Absolutely massive, somehow able to stretch and hold all the amusements within it, and not a single pillar of support stood to keep it up.

I could only stare in amazement, eye darting and whipping my head around, taking it all in, overwhelmed and breathless. All the sights left me in such awe that it took a while before I even realized it was all black and white. Jack stood behind me, hands on the back of the bench, leaning over slightly, past my shoulder, looking around at the sights with me.

"Sooo?" It took me a moment to finally look at him, not wanting to tear my eye away from it all. He wore a large grin, eagerly waiting to hear my input, he was rocking back and forth, the excitement nearly boiling over. My jaw hung open in awe, and when I finally found my words, I couldn't help but smile back at the clown.

"It's...wow! I... it's amazing! Where are we? Are we in a tent? What's holding it up?" Questions started spilling out of my But I trailed off, gaze drifting back to the sights before me. He only chuckled, moving to walk around the bench, pushing a wheelchair in front of him, gesturing his hand out dramatically. After helping me into the chair, we were already making our way down the winding pathway. Past stall after stall, smells familiar and foreign wafting through the air. Buttery popcorn, something sweet, something savory, each new scent was a new allure of what hid behind each counter. Jack hummed a soft tune, a melody that lingered in the air, a distant sound of what sounded like something from a music box. Higher-pitched tones mixing with the soft tap of piano keys. It seemed to echo all around, coming from no particular direction. It was soothing, but there was an underlying chill to the tune.

"Where to first?" Jack's voice cut through the silence, pulling my attention back to him. I looked around, humming in thought. My eye drifted from rollercoasters to stalls, across the area to different buildings, tents small and big, smaller attractions and massive ones pushed far in the distance. I finally spotted something, far off to the right, almost hidden away. Fog spilled from the pitch-black opening, the empty doorway shaped like that of a large mouth, pointed teeth lining the top and the sides of the bottom of the doorway, a massive face sculpted into the structure, lips pulled into a screaming grin, eyes wide and wild, swirling into pinprick pupils. I couldn't help my curiosity, pointing to the distant building.

"What that one?" Jack hummed, cleaning past my shoulder to find exactly what I was looking at, but once his eyes found it, his breath seemed to get caught.

"Ah, I wouldn't choose that one-"

"Why not?"

"It might be an itty bitty, teeny tiny bit too scary for you." The warning only made me feel more drawn in.

"Oh, c'mon! I wanna see it!" He only grimaced, conflicted about what to do. But at my persistent begging, he finally seemed to cave.

"Fine, fine! But I decide when we leave, I ain't getting my ass kicked by

anyone

'cause

you

wanted to get spooked." I just chuckled as he began pushing me down the path toward the direction of the building. With each step closer and closer, the air seemed to cool further, and the distant music seemed to fade away, replaced with a more dark, melodic tune emitting from the building. It was something slow, with plucking strings and creaking wooden instruments. It sounded old, a tired song weary with age, ready to die out any moment, but unable to stop playing. It was an odd tune, it sounded like nothing I'd ever heard before, otherworldly.

When finally sitting in front of the building, it felt like ice was sinking into my bones, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. The building was dark monotone shades of black and dark gray, there was a few lighter accents, but nothing strikingly white. The face molded around the doorway and sculpted out of the building was surprisingly detailed up close, with deep wrinkles in the face around the stretched open mouth and across the forehead from the raised eyebrows. Its cheeks were sunken in, and up close, the face was one of terror. Around the massive main face, all around it molded into the walls were other faces, life-sized, all with varying emotions. Some looked like they were crying, others screaming in fear or pain. None were smiling, none laughed or grinned, it was all full of torment.

"Still wanna go in?" There was something hidden in his voice, something that said 'I told you so,' and it only pushed me further in wanting to explore. I swallowed down the forming bubble of anxiety and nodded my head as confidently as I could, humming and staring ahead. He seemed to hesitate, pausing for only a few seconds before he pushed me forward, through the mouth, sharp teeth hanging above my head, threatening to fall and skewer me.

Pitch blackness engulfed me, and inside was even colder than sitting outside the entrance. The air felt damp and smelled stagnant. It was faint, but there was the faintest scent of rust and metal lingering in the air, barely hidden behind the smell of dust and mold. There was a faint mechanical clicking sound, the more it droned on, the more it seemed to strain, slowing down, something winding up tightly.

Silence. It stopped. My ears strained for something to hear, only picking up on the sound of dripping water. It was sudden. Everything exploded to life around me. Bright lights flashed on and blinded me before dimming to near darkness again, bulbs flickering in and out with age, humming to try and stay alive. Cackling voices all around faces and figures laughing and screaming, jerky movements with creaky metal bones.

A face was only a couple inches from mine, one eye wide and staring into mine with a dead stare, the other rolled up, black iris barely visible beneath the hooded eyelid. Its grin was stretched and forced, the corners of the mouth painfully sewn up with black thread, tied into neat little bows on the cheeks. Its head cocked to the side, creaking and sudden movements. It jerked back, something snapped loudly, and its upper half fell awkwardly to the side, arms hanging limply as its legs still held strong beneath it.

Chains and spider webs covered the ceiling, dirt and dust was laid thick across the floor, only wiped away and brushed aside from the bare metallic feet of the figures jerking around. Splatters of dark black liquid splashed across the floors and walls, droplets even reaching the ceiling. There was an oily sheen to it. All sorts of figures shambled around like mechanical demons.

Fear gripped his icy claws around my throat, my heart jumping and pounding in my chest, that loud music now blaring in my ears. It was making a mess of all my senses. There was so much, too much. So much to see, so much noise in my ears, whispers and screams and cackles and creaking and that blasting music. All I could do was gasp, jumping slightly and pushing myself as far back in my chair as I could.

A gentle hand on my shoulder seemed to immediately bring me comfort. I wasn't alone. I wasn't in danger. I was safe. Though the fear stayed, the feeling of Jack behind me brought ease to my racing heart. We didn't move for a long while. I was still in shock, just staring at everything around me with a wide eye, still tense, and pushing my back into the chair, pushing the fabric out.

"We can lea-"

"No, no, it's fine, I'm fine." The words rushed out of my, barely even audible through the piercing noises. I was wheeled back slightly, only a few inches, the chair gently rocking back and forth, weighing his decisions, thinking carefully.

"Ya sure?" He sounded uncertain. I only nodded. He waited a moment, waiting for my answer to change, but when it didn't he was pushing me forward once more, deeper into the horror house.

The inside made no sense to the outside of the building. It felt bigger inside, with asymmetrical, uneven rooms, and twisting and jagged hallways. The ceiling stretched tall in some areas, dark and hiding glowing eyes above, and sometimes it was so low I was sure Jack had to hunch over to keep moving. Corners that lead to nowhere, hiding huddled figures covered in that black iridescent liquid.

Figures would drop down from above out of the darkness, covered in spiderwebs, screaming and shrieking, black ick dripping from their open mouths, arms outstretched with tensed fingers, ready to grab at me. Legs were broken, twisted around awkwardly, some missing feet, others missing entire sides of their faces.

With each new scare, each new turn, there was another surprise. Not one single mechanical creature looked the same as any other. They were all unique, and all oh-so terrifying, crawling along the walls and floor, hiding in the ceiling corners, running at me, screaming, hissing, growling only inches away from my face.

The blaring noises never ceased. It would fall eerily silent before a new cacophony of chaos would start up once again. Untuned instruments, screeching strings being plucked, and old, groaning pianos with slamming keys. It left my ears ringing.

It was horrible. It was scary, threatening, basking in my fear, the rusty, groaning creatures seemed to feed off my adrenaline and fright. But underneath that fear was excitement. My heart still racing, but it was like falling from the sky all over again. The threat of danger, the

possibility

of being hurt, there was little to no comfort to cling to to keep me grounded in reality, it all felt so real, and it was

exciting

.

A few giggles escaped me, breathy and barely audible, mostly in shock. It was strange, loving the feeling of being scared, it felt familiar, and there was comfort in that familiarity.

After quite a few minutes, I went from leaning back and as far away from the things as possible to leaning forward, eagerly awaiting the next scare, the next new fright. And even when I expected it, I still jumped, still gasped out, and leaned away, only to giggle at the thrill I was feeling. It was exhilarating!

Jack would laugh along too, but not often, and it sounded more like a nervous laugh than anything else, hesitant, worried. He would continuously check on me, asking if I was okay again and again, asking if I wanted to leave, if it was all too much, but my grin and giggles seemed to deter the questions as the time passed.

Time didn't feel real inside the attraction, I was so enthralled with all that was happening around me that nothing else mattered, nothing else but that moment existed, only me, Jack, and that building full of thrills. But finally, we reached the end of a long hallway, dark and cramped, flickering lights highlighting slumped bodies against the walls, some twitching, others completely still. And at the very end, a doorway, blindingly bright, I couldn't see past the light to the outside. We had finally reached the end, and something in me felt disappointed. I didn't want to leave, not quite yet, I was having fun, and I didn't want it to end. Not yet.

But we were already walking through the doorway, warmth washing over my freezing skin, the smell of fresh air and carnival food swarmed my nose, bright light assaulting my eye. I squinted, blinking rapidly to adjust to the sudden change in brightness, but the warmth of the outside was welcome compared to the icebox that the building was. However, it only seemed to add to the thrill, leaving me only wanting more, to go back in and escape once more.

Jack chuckled from behind me, something much more relaxed now, amused and surprised almost. We made our way down the path, stopping next to a stall, the smell of sweetness filling the air as a large circular machine sat in the middle of the counter. Fluffy threads resembling spiderwebs spinning up in clouds of pink and blue, turning into a large fluffy cloud-like ball.

"I'm actually surprised by ya!" Jack stepped up to the stall, messing around with the ball as magic seemed to hover it in the air, spinning and only getting bigger.

"Why?" His black lips only stretched further, teeth glinting in the flashing lights of the sign above his head.

"Never thought you'd ever even

willingly

go in a haunted house, much less make it through! Most don't even get past tha' first room." I raised an eyebrow, leaning forward in my chair, watching him carefully. He pulled at parts of the ball, at times hovering a single clawed finger above the circular device, pink threads latching to his hand, catching enough of the stuff before he shaped it and added it to the much larger mass.

"Most? Like the others?" He laughed, shaking his head.

"Nah, that ain't nothing for them. I mean

people

. Normal people don't normally see shit like we do, so it ain't no cakewalk for them. But I guess we've seen enough, huh?" He finally glanced at me, that grin morphing into a more soft smile, something sad but grateful.

"Especially you." He turned back to his creation, skillfully working before grabbing the white paper cone at the bottom of the ball and holding it out to me. Looking back at me was a half-pink, half-light blue face, a cute bear, with ears, a muzzle, dot eyes, and mismatched cheeks. It was adorable and smelled of sugary sweetness. I gently grabbed the cone and was surprised that it weighed nothing. I looked it over, smiling at just how cute it was.

"Well? Go one, take a bite."

"Huh? I

eat

this? But it's too cute!" I was almost appalled at the idea of even destroying it, much less taking a

bite

. He just cackled, plucking off one of the ears and eating it himself.

"There, now

you

try some." I puffed out my cheeks, staring back at the now one-eared bear, a small idea popping into my mind. I grinned, lifting the bear to my mouth, and biting down on one of its eyes. Sugar filled my mouth and instantly melted into a sweet syrup that coated my tongue and throat. It was delicious! I turned the bear around, showing it to Jack, unable to stop my growing smile.

"Look, now we match! Pretty accurate too, I'd say." For a second his face fell, almost mortified at the dark joke, but within an instant, he was cackling, holding his stomach, leaning back against the counter of the stall with his other hand holding the edge, smile wide and eyes squeezed shut.

"What the fuck?! Hah! Jesus, that was dark, You're crazy now, huh?" He spoke between wheezes, mockingly pretending to wipe away a tear from his eye. I laughed with him, proud of my joke, though I didn't think it would have been that funny. I took another bite out of the bear's head, the candy once more melting away the second it touched my tongue. There wasn't really a flavor to it besides just being sweet. Jack just shook his head as his laughter faded into occasional chuckles, still leaning against the counter, crossing his legs out in front of him, balancing on his heels.

"You are just full of surprises, ain'tcha?" I only shrugged, still mischievously smiling.

"Maybe, who knows?"

"Guess I'll have to find out then." He made it sound like a challenge, and I was all the more ready to stand my ground. Loud, echoing knocking sounds interrupted the competitiveness brewing, catching us both off guard. I jumped while Jack rolled his eyes, leaning his head back and dramatically groaning, arms falling limping to his sides as he hunched forward. His gestures and movements were always overly animated and dramatic, but it fit him so well that it just seemed so natural. There was another set of knocks, resounding all around the park, and Jack only groaned louder, almost a half yell at the knocks.

"What

is

that?"

"Someone with

no

manners, that's what!" He huffed, taking a step forward towards me once more, fog seeming to spill from his body. From beneath layers of black hair and slipping through the fluffy feathers adorning his shoulders, cascading down and all around us rapidly, engulfing us once more before a soft gust blew it all away, and I was once more sat on the couch, Jack still sitting in front of me, a small wooden box sat on his lap. It was old and wooden, worn with scratches and chipped paint. Once painted a beautiful bright assortment of rainbows was now dull and faded, any pattern it once had now indistinguishable with age. A rusty, silver hand crank slowly spun on the side of the box as Jack closed the lid, only open a crack, faint light shining from inside.

Not a word was spoken as our attention was immediately drawn to the figures standing at our sides. Jane with crossed arms, a wooden rolling pin held in one hand. Next to her, Slender, and beside him, one of the other beings from the portraits I had seen on the wall.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The towering beings standing over me made me feel so small and meek. Their silent gazes felt piercing. It felt as if I had done something wrong and was about to be scolded like a child. Instead, Jane gestured with her head for Jack to follow her. He grumbled, but followed without any argument, slinking off the couch and dragging his feet down the hallway, leaving me alone with the two beings. My sight fell back to the new figure.

Only briefly seen in the portraits, it was much stranger to see him in person. He looked far taller than Slender, but I couldn’t tell if it was the top hat he wore or not. His cartoonish face was both friendly and eerily creepy, those two, blank dot eyes staring down at me with a thin smile. It looked drawn onto his face, and there was very little structure, similar to Slender. No nose or lips, just slight curves and dips and hollows of an underlying structure.

“Pardon the interruption, but may we borrow you for a moment?” Slender spoke while the other stayed entirely silent. I only nodded. I couldn’t find my voice, the new being was daunting, and I couldn’t tell if he was dangerous or not. My wheelchair had already been set up in the corner of the couch, and with a little help, I was able to scoot onto it. The smiling being was already walking away as now Slender pushed my chair to follow, down the nearby hallway to his office doors, already open with the waiting entity.

I was wheeled up to the desk, across from the large chair on the other side. My ears pricked at the sound of the door shutting and the lock clicking in place. The air was chilly and bumps raised along my skin. I felt like a cornered animal. Slender stood next to his chair across the table from him, not moving to sit. The new being stood on the other side, smiling face never turning away from me once. Neither spoke. The only interruption to the silence was the grandfather clock in the room slowly ticking away the seconds with precise, mechanical clicks. It ticked away, feeling like minutes were passing by when really, it must have only been at most ten seconds. Slender shifted while the grinning being stood as still as a statue.

“I do apologize for taking you away, (Y/n), however, my brother here wanted to have a discussion with you. (Y/n), this is Splendor, the eldest of my brothers, but please do not feel afraid or nervous, he is quite kind and respectful. Splendor, this is (Y/n), a wonderful human who has shown us all endless empathy and compassion.” He turned and gestured to each of us through the introductions, seeming to try and ease the tension, though it felt stiff and awkward. He didn’t seem too happy about this. Splendor nodded to me, though the painted expression didn’t shift or change to convey anything other than the empty smile he wore. I nodded back. A few more seconds of silence proceeded before Splendor finally turned to the younger brother, Slender giving a single, curt nod to him.

“Well then, I shall leave you two to discuss. If there are any issues, please reach out to me.” He looked at me with the last sentence. I couldn’t answer before the air around him wavered like heat above asphalt, like watery air as reality warped and folded around him, and within an instant, it was done, and he was gone, leaving me alone with the new being.

My gaze drifted back to him, already once more staring down at me, but now, there was something ever so slightly different. That hollow smile now looked softer, kinder, there was a slight shine to his eyes now, drawn on, flat, not

actually

glossy. His oval, dot eyes were now slightly slanted, downturned, pleasant, and gentle. His shoulders dropped slightly, an unseen tension finally leaving him, and he seemed to visibly relax now.

“My, my. I finally get to meet you, what a pleasure!” He moved carefully, from behind the desk to my side, holding a hand out to me, palm up, finger splayed and relaxed, black gloves covering them. I hesitated but lifted my hand, gaze darting between his face and hand before finally placing mine in his. The stark size difference between our hands was jarring, it was with some of the others, and it was something I still couldn’t quite get used to. He bent down slightly, lifting the back of my hand up to his face, mimicking a kiss, but never actually touched my skin to his. He lowered his hand once more and I took mine back, hand falling to rest in my lap as I continued to stare on, wordless.

“Pardon if this is a bit awkward, but I’ve been dying to meet you. It’s a bit stuffy in here, how about we go outside? It is a beautiful day today, why waste it?” I didn’t get a chance to respond before that odd, dizzying feeling swept over me, the room distorting in a blur of shapes and colors before morphing into greens and browns, warm yellows and oranges, the ticking clock fading out, replaced with birds and swaying grass.

When my vision refocused, I found myself outside, in a forest without a single trace of snow or ice. The sun filtering through the leaves above left speckles spots of warmth across my face and arm, and a gentle breeze swept my hair back. I was still in my chair, being wheeled down a smooth cobbled path, stones rising from the dirt and grass below as I was moved forward. Glancing back, I found Splendor pushing my chair, and just behind him, the stones sinking back down into the earth, disappearing without a trace. His smile was now content, humming softly as he looked up into the tall trees.

“Ah, much better. Fresh air does wonders for the mind and soul, you know.” He tilted his head back down to look at me, holding my gaze for a second before looking up, gesturing with his chin in front of me. I turned, watching closely in front of me. We came to a stop and watched as a deer emerged from the brush, an elderly-looking doe, brown fur greying in patches around her face, tired eyes looked on at us, unamused, uncaring. She stared for a moment, nostrils flaring before taking soft, tentative steps forward, hooves clicking against the stones as she strode closer and closer. Up close, she was much taller than I had expected. She lowered her head, sniffing my hair and face, glossy black eyes revealing my reflection momentarily. Then, with the softness of a mother to her child, she nuzzled her head into my neck, chuffing lightly, a soft noise, happy. Her bristly fur was short, prickly, yet soft, rubbing against my cheek and neck.

“Go on.” His voice spoke softly from above me, and carefully, I lifted my hand, brushing my fingers across the doe’s neck, feeling her skin twitch under my hand before relaxing. I pet her slowly, and carefully, awe engulfing my mind in the moment. The deer lifted her head, shaking quickly before kneeling, laying on the stones, and resting her head in my lap, eyes fluttering closed as I gently raked my fingers across her forehead, breathing slowing down to a soft, relaxed pace.

“She’s beautiful...” I spoke barely above a whisper, still in utter shock. Admired from a distance, but rarely ever would anyone get the chance to pet a deer, let alone a deer approach them and make the first interaction. A wild beast, with strong legs and swift movements, they were just as deadly as any other animal, and yet here I was, stroking its soft fur.

“Yes, she is. An old soul too. She’s been out here for many years now, she’s very strong to have survived this long, but even she needs rest and care at times. A gentle touch, or even words, can be enough to ease anyone.” He spoke softly, but as if hinting at something a little deeper. I ignored it, I didn’t want to spoil this moment, this once-in-a-lifetime moment.

The doe opened her eyes, staring up at my face. There was a pause, almost in time itself. There was a silent, mutual agreement, a sort of understanding that no language needed to translate. She had spent a lifetime surviving, and I had been doing the same. My eyes drifted past her gentle face to her neck and body, patches of fur denting in or missing, revealing dozens and dozens of scars. Across her legs, her sides and belly, and even more littering across her back. I couldn’t help but smile sadly when my eye drifted to the marks across her back. It was a flash of a memory, staring into that mirror at my own skin, fingers reaching around my sides, feeling along each raised scar, panic and disgust overwhelming my mind.

That seemed like years ago now, but it really had only been months. I could only wonder just how long this deer had lived, how new the freshest scar was, how old she was when she got her first ever one. Her nostrils flared again, huffing. She pushed her head into my hand, rubbing her cheek into my palm before shifting and lifting herself off the ground, standing in front of me once more. She stared into my eye for a moment longer, my own one-eyed reflection staring back at me, before turning. Finally, I saw the other side of her. Four large, jagged scars marked her body, from halfway up her neck, all the way down to her thigh, the fur completely gone, only exposing the pink skin. I could only stare on sadly as she slowly walked away, a faint limp in her hind right leg, disappearing once more into the brush. We only started moving again when the last sounds of her died away.

He began pushing me again without another word, letting the distant birds fill the silence with their song. Neither of us spoke for a long time. We both simply enjoyed the calm and serenity. The path seemed to continue on in a straight line, trees and bushes seeming to shift out of the way, letting us through and hiding our previous path from the world.

“I prefer not to waste anyone’s time, so I hope this isn’t bothersome to you?” It took me a few seconds to register that he had even spoken. I shook my head.

“Ah, good. I assume you’re smart enough to know I didn’t bring you out here just to go on some leisurely stroll then, hmm?” I nodded. I watched as the trees parted into a clearing. It was massive, far bigger than the clearing the house sat on. The majority of it was occupied by a lake, a few trees dotted about on the banks of the water, roots tangling through the mud and reaching deep and far out into the ground below. He pushed me up to only a few feet away from the water, an almost unreal shade of bright blue under the bright sun, almost reflecting back a blinding white into my eye. A tree was right by us, branches far outstretching, shading us from the direct sunlight.

“Comfortable?”

“Mm-hmm.” I nodded again, staring out into the still water before me. Almost out of thin air, a bench materialized next to me, wooden and pristine. I watched as the being took a seat on the bench, not in the middle or the farthest point from me, but not suffocatingly close. He crossed one leg over the other, folding his hands and resting them outward on his knee, smiling as he too stared out into the water.

“As the eldest of my brothers, even though by just mere milliseconds, that small, absolute minute amount of time existing for just a little longer, it has given me as little as a million more years of thought and experience than anyone else.” My eye had drifted back to the water, any small movement grabbing my attention, but I listened carefully to him.

“Time is an odd thing. For you humans, it goes by so fast. But for us, for me, it tends to drag on at times, but it also goes by incredibly fast, but not in the same way as it does for you. You have such a short lifespan, humans consider it a miracle to live to 100, but for us, that is still just a child, an infant. It is so young. But our lives stretch on for so long that 100 years feels like mere minutes. It is nothing to us, yet it is a lifetime for you.” There was a pause with a soft sigh.

“I cherish my brothers, and I cherish the families we have found and made. I cherish every moment I can, but I cannot cherish the same as you humans do. You are all so deeply aware of your own mortality that you hold even the smallest of things so close to your heart. That is sadly something we will never get to have.” A hint of sadness seeped into his words.

“However,” He turned to face me, drawing my attention back to him. His smile was gone, now just a thin line slightly downturned.

“I have rarely, if ever, seen such feverish concern and care shown for anyone until you. Even though he is the youngest, Slendy-

Slender

has always been one to keep his composure and maturity. It has been decades since he last lost his temper in such a way he did when

you

were taken. So far to the point that he even began to revert back to the animalistic forms we were created with.

“I will not tell you all the gory details, but suffice to say, you have left such an impact on my brother and his residents that even the blindest of us can

still

see it. The way they speak of you, think of you, you have become such an enigma to me that I

must

know too. How have you, as a simple mortal human, caused such a disturbance in the most sophisticated and civilized of all our homes? My brother acts with such poise and composure, and yet it was

you

who broke him when ripped away.” He sounded so confused, so enamored and curious like he was the first in the world to discover something brand new, an allure to the mysteries before him. He leaned down slightly, a little closer.

“If you will permit me, I wish to see

all

of your memories. Every single moment. No gaps, no pauses. I want to see what has made you into the person you are now. I wish to see what your life was like before and what it is like now. I wish to feel all the emotions you have ever felt, think all of the thoughts you thought, view all of your dreams and nightmares, the nights you spent awake, and the days you spent daydreaming the hours away. I wish to see the world from your eyes, what it was exactly like for

you

.” He was eager to know. There was a primal, carnal thirst to know every last inch of my mind, from the deepest depths of despair and darkness to my brightest and happiest moments. He was ready to drink up every last moment I had ever lived, down to the very seconds of breathing. He held a deadly curiosity to him, something hungry for all the knowledge in the world, not just from books, not science or math, he wanted to know all the secrets of everything that had ever lived, breathed, and thought. He

craved

to know as if it were the only thing keeping him alive.

I was a bit taken aback. Slender had once asked me something similar, but there was a stark difference. Slender only wanted a peak, a quick once over without relishing in the details, but his brother? No, he

wanted

the details. He wanted to be in my skin, to feel every last bit of pain and sorrow, the moments of feeling high off of adrenaline and basking in the glory of joy. Every possibility flooded into my mind. Just what would he see that I had forgotten? Surely there were no embarrassing moments that would leave my face burning red, right? No, I had never had the chance in my life. No, with all the surveillance and timers and cameras set up everywhere. Not with SPARK following me around like a shadow. I had never even experienced any sort of intimacy, innocent or not, with another person, and most certainly not by my lonesome.

Except for what SPARK did. But it was no secret. The realization was sudden, but not new or surprising. I was still connected to them, to Slender, to Tim and Brian and Toby. They knew, and the others probably knew too. They would have felt it, that searing, sickening pain. It was nothing favorable or kind, it wasn’t gentle or loving or warm, it was pain, it was sick and disgusting, it was just more abuse on top of the rest.

And yet, still, I was hesitant. What if there

was

something I forgot? Would I want him to see it? Of course not. But rational left me without an excuse. I didn’t like to lie, and I had no excuse. It was just curiosity. After all, it wouldn’t hurt or kill me. I was curious too, and knowing just how irresistible that curiosity could be, I understood.

“Alright, fine.” He clasped his hands together, a sudden shift, looking ready to explode with glee. I merely blinked, and his grin was wide, overtaking the lower half of his face.

“Thank you! I really do appreciate it! But, of course, I imagine you would want something in return? This is a massive favor. After all, I will be seeing your

entire

life.” I was confused. I didn’t even consider wanting something in exchange. I just figured he would look and be done with it. But a trade?

“Oh, um... sorry, I can’t really think of anything I would want-“

“Nonsense! Everyone wants something! Even I! That’s the one thing that truly ties us all together, we all have wants and needs. So what is it

I

can do for

you

? What do you want? Need? What does your precious little human heart desire most in this

entire

universe? With something as priceless as a lifetime, there is no limit on what you can wish for.” He leaned an elbow against the bench arm, chin in his palm, leaning forward, eager to hear what I wanted. I could only stare down at my lap, frowning deeply, and sinking into my thoughts once more.

What does my heart desire most? I guess I just wanted to be cared for, something I never had, but that was something intangible, and I couldn’t

force

anyone to care about me. I couldn’t ask for a family, I practically already had one, at least, it seemed like that. I had a home, my own room, and privacy, I had a phone and food available whenever I was hungry, whenever I wanted. I got treats and got to try candy and snacks. Everything I could ask for was already willingly being given to me. Being scared, dreaming of the future, making plans, and having fun. Running through the snow-

My head shot up, eye wide as I stared out into the water again. But it wasn’t possible...but it was still a wish. ‘Anything in the universe’, huh? I looked back to Splendor, grinning down at me cheekily as if he already knew what I wanted, what I was going to say.

“My legs.”

“Oh?

Just

your legs?” I blinked and his smirk was even wider, he was pushing me in the direction I

needed

.

“My legs...my arm, my eye. All of it, I want my body back, I want to be

whole

again.” He hummed, tilting his head back and forth, he was waiting for more, and a flash of something hot ignited in my chest. A tight, longing feeling. Something angry, but not at him, not at myself, not at anyone. Just a determined anger, a heart wrenching longing, something irritated with the cards I’ve been dealt until now. It was my turn to lean in towards him.

“I want my

life

to be my

own

. I want to

live

and

thrive

. I want to be

happy

and find a place where I belong, where I am wanted and needed. I want to be useful, I want to be

me

. I want to live a

long

life, I want to be here, and I don’t want to be taken away ever again unless

I

want to leave. I don’t want

anyone

to ever control or hurt me again, I want to be in control of my own life.” There was a low chuckle, rumbling and almost dark.

“Well then deary, I will see what I can do.” He tilted his hat quickly twice, flashing a wink at me from under the brim before sliding his fingers across the brim, fixing it back in place before holding his hand out to me. I was almost eager, nearly slapping my hand into his. His spindly fingers wrapped across my palm and wrist, and I watched as that black symbol made its appearance on my skin, deep and saturated, edges crisp and clean. It began to tingle, light at first, but in only a second the pins and needles rushed through my body, filling my mind, my eye rolling back as years of my life flashed before me.

Every detail. Every breath I ever took, every single paper cut and scraped knee from tripping and falling. Every time I got scolded or yelled at, beat with a belt or shoe or wooden spoon, held down by SPARK as they each took turns beating me, berating me, breaking me down until I had nothing left to stand on.

The moments of bravery, managing to somehow sneak away into the night, even if for only a moment. Staring out my window, staying away until the early morning, wishing and praying to the moon, the only concept of a god or deity that I had ever known most of my life.

Finally going to school, getting away from those two demons, trying to find friends, trying to interact. Learning new concepts, being exposed to new people, and new ways of thinking and speaking. New everything.

Every emotion and thought refilled my skull. Moments of deep depression, contemplating death, and how I would go about it, but always feeling the fear of death. There was no comfort in an afterlife, the concept had never even been spoken to me, and when I finally learned of religion, of course, I couldn’t believe it, not with all the pain and abuse I had endured until that moment. Every single time I felt genuinely happy, where I couldn’t help but smile no matter how hard I tried not to, the times I would laugh with joy.

Every single time I felt a new curiosity. Seeing a library for the first time, remembering the intense smell of books, old and new. Enjoying the calm silence of the building, browsing through books of all kinds. Reading about new subjects, learning new ideas. The first time I had ever felt a crush, seeing an absolutely stunning person, feeling the want to go over and talk to them, but a familiar anxiety carving a pit in my stomach, forcing me to leave. The first moment I had ever thought about sex or intimacy, the immediate embarrassment wiping any feeling or emotions away quickly, replacing them with the fear of another beating. It was a rare thought, and always brief, happening only a handful of times, so ordinary that it was never memorable, but something new was uncovered in remembering. The constant curiosity to just know what it was like. Wanting to hug someone, to kiss them, and hold their hand. To feel that unique type of love.

Waking up in the facility. Meeting each of them for the first time. The awe and fear and inquisitiveness that I first felt, and continued to fester inside me, growing more and more, craving to get to know them, wishing to learn more about them each. How I so desperately needed to know them, who they were, and how to help them. That it wasn’t fair. How, even though I had forgotten my memories at that point, how the invisible scars and traumas lingered on in my body and soul, how it made me feel responsible to help them in any way I could so that they didn't suffer the same fate as me.

Every last single second that led up to now, to sitting in front of the lake, to the conversation held just beforehand, my thought process, my hopes, dreams, aspirations, and desires. All of it was laid bare for him to feel, to see, and to feast on. My entire life had flashed before me in just mere seconds. All the feelings remained, a lingering mix of ups and downs, and positives and negatives. The aching squeeze in my chest, yearning for love and hope and care, to rid myself of all the pain. My mind was dizzy with a euphoric high, of being alive, of surviving through it all to finally get to

live

, feeling cared for by those who found me, saved me, cared enough to search for months to find me, risking themselves just to bring me back. A pit in my stomach swirling with anxiety and nerves. New emotions and thoughts and curiosities were brought back to the surface, bubbling up and eating away at my mind.

I was left breathless, blinking rapidly, but the lingering thoughts persisted as the memories faded. I breathed in deeply, focusing in, hyper-aware of how my lungs felt expanding in my chest, how it made my shoulders rise and my abdomen expand. My heart was beating hard in my chest, my ears ringing from the blood rushing through my veins, and my vision felt blurred.

"My, my! Now I see, you really are something quite unique! Selfless, caring, meek, but aggressive and firm when you need to be. Easy to fluster and always happy to have fun. You lose yourself in the moment, and nothing else exists outside of

just

that moment. When you are focused on someone, you give them your undivided attention, you listen carefully, so considerate of what they like and hate. You are a treasure to find. I see now

why

there was such an uproar about you!" He chuckled, and my vision finally cleared enough to look back at him, though I still felt high off it all.

"There's so much there, too much to spill all out to you, but I'm sure in due time you'll learn your own mind. Now then, shall we head back? I do believe my brother's residents were just

craving

to watch a movie with you." His tone was teasing, but I still felt far too dizzy to even realize it at the moment. The distorting environment didn't help, but once more sitting in Slender's office, the fog finally seemed to lift from my mind as Splendor patted the top of my head, wheeling me out of the room and back down the hallway to the living room, a few new figures lounging about, the table now full of bowls and plates and colorful open bags. My spot in the corner was still open for me, blanket and pillows untouched, with two figures on either side, eyes already drifting to me.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

There was idle chatter in the room when we reentered
, the
 lights were on but dimmed. The voices only faltered slightly but quickly picked back up. Splendor has pushed me off to the side, black tendrils covered in rainbow spots protruded from his back, and I watched in a mix of wonder and silent horror as they slithered under me, lifting me carefully from the chair, extending and reaching over the lounging bodies to place me back in my corner spot, moving to once more wrap my blanket around me, setting the pillows up in my lap and around my sides for stability. 
All the while 
he
 moved the wheelchair off to the side and out of the way. He acted almost fatherly, tender and caring, ensuring my comfort before giving me a silent nod and disappearing, once more flashing a wink 
to me
 before he was entirely gone.

I wasn't dizzy anymore, but I certainly felt dazed. Instead of dwelling on what just happened, I decided to snuggle deeper into my blanket, leaning back into the 
couch,
 and getting 
comfortable once more
. But as much as I wanted to ignore it, my mind kept drifting back to all those memories, the good and the bad. It was all just so baffling. They were my own thoughts, my own feelings, I knew 
that,
 I could feel it, but it all felt...foreign. I couldn't wrap my mind around some of them. Thankfully, a distraction came sooner rather than later.

"What was that about?" I jumped, the whisper near my ear causing a chill to run down my spine. I turned, seeing Tim leaning over 
and
 with a confused expression, a brow raised. I shifted, turning to face him.

"He just wanted to get to know me, just talked for a bit." It wasn't a 
lie,
 it was the truth, but I opted to omit him reading my entire life like an entertaining novel. Tim still looked 
rather
 confused, probably more now than before.

"Really? That's it?" I nodded, humming lightly.

"Yeah, why?" He only shrugged, 
also
 shifting and partially laying down as most others were.

"Jus' curious
, he's
 not really one to get to know anyone unless he's gotta. We're not his responsibility." Now 
it
 was my turn to be confused. But that was drawn to my other side, something tapping the side of my arm. Once more turning, a bowl piled high with buttery popcorn was being held out to me. I wiggled my arm free of the blanket, carefully balancing the bottom of the bowl on my palm.

"Ya sure ya got it?" It wasn't a snarky remark, an unusual tonal change from the hot-headed man, but it was a genuine question from Jeff. I nodded and smiled at him, carefully moving the bowl to rest on the pillow in my lap, taking my time to 
make sure
 it was stable before picking a piece off the top and eating it. A few more figures entered the room, scattering about, grabbing snacks and treats off 
of
 the table, laying back, and getting comfortable. Jane was the last to enter, looking over all the faces, giving me a soft smile and 
nod,
 before turning the lights off completely. 
She found her 
own
 spot on the couch, grabbing her 
own
 bowl of popcorn and a black remote, switching on the TV, and fiddling with it for a moment.

A hand reached into my bowl, grabbing a few pieces of popcorn, Tim staring ahead at the TV, slowly eating the handful he stole, one piece at a time. Jeff did the same, grabbing his own handful. I watched as the TV flickered to a black screen, though it still had a faint glow 
to it
. After a few seconds, images began to appear, people milling about, talking and joking in a house, a zooming-in shot from the dark night outside to the warm glow of the kitchen lights with a lively party taking up the space. Speakers sat around the room, deep bass vibrating through the floor and walls, even through the 
cushions of the couch
 and through my back. The chattering of people sounded like it was all around me, like I was there too, at the party with the people.

My attention was immediately held by the screen
, finally being able to watch a movie, something I had never thought of 
before,
 but 
that
 I was finally feeling an excitement about.
 Focusing on anything else was impossible
, my
 full attention was on the actors, smiling and laughing, alcohol flowing as music boomed throughout the house.

I slowly snacked on the popcorn in my lap, 
at times
 forgetting it was even there. One piece at a time, savoring each buttery and salty bite, gaze glued to the unfolding story. I watched as the party continued 
on
, people 
lounging,
 across furniture, sitting on tables, sprawled on their stomachs on the floor, chatting and drinking, laughing and sharing stories and gossip. The camera drifted from group to group. An assorted group of mostly sober people playing with cards at a table, drifting to a group of girls on the floor, talking about their favorite one-night stands, then finally to the last group. A living room with men and women, drinks in hands, smiling faces with flushed cheeks, and an empty bottle sat on the coffee table in the middle of the circle they made.

After downing her drink, a brunette woman leaned forward 
and spun
 the empty bottle, the camera following it spinning as it began to slow until finally landing on a man sitting in an armchair, looking bored with his cheek resting on a closed fist. The people in the group cheered while the man seemed unwilling, rolling his eyes and standing up from the chair, the brunette woman clinging to his arm and dragging him away to a staircase. 
The group continued to cheer and laugh as the camera followed the 
duo
,
 
up the stairs
, the woman stumbling
 before she dragged him into an open bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

There was an instant shift, the man pinning her to the door, the two kissing hard, arms wrapping around each other, fingers clawing and pulling at hair. My stomach flipped 
and
 my face flushed hot. Instantly
 I 
found myself looking
 away, unable to escape the muffled giggles and noises from the speakers around the room. I just stared down at the bowl in my lap, embarrassment flooding 
through
 my body. I felt so flustered just seeing people kiss, but hearing it was 
just as bad
. Pressing my cold hand against my cheek, I was hoping to cool my red cheeks, but all it did was make my hand warm up 
too
, I
 could feel the tips of my ears tingling and burning. My eye darted around the bowl, counting the individual pieces of popcorn, trying to distract my mind.

A loud gasp drew my gaze up, a mistake I quickly regretted. The man's face was buried in the woman's neck, sucking and biting at the skin, his hands under her shirt, lifted up enough to see her stomach
, but the
 movement under the 
shirt
 was 
obvious
 enough to know what he was doing. I quickly looked back down, swallowing hard. This was certainly one way to start off a movie. A pale white hand was once more grabbing popcorn from my bowl, pausing 
for a moment
 before pulling back, Jeff leaning into my peripheral.

"You good?" He looked a mix of confused and concerned, brows furrowed deeply. I just nodded, avoiding looking him directly in the face. I didn't feel like I could look at anyone right now.

A muffled scream pierced through the air, leaving me to gasp out and startle, head whipping up to the screen, seeing the man plunging a knife into the woman's neck, ripping it out before stabbing again, deep red blood spattering across the white walls. He held a hand over her mouth, one leg pushed between hers, bodies pressed hard together, blood gushing from her neck and streaming down her body, soaking into her white shirt and staining her skin red. The man was shushing her, smiling and kissing her forehead, stabbing her neck again and again. She made no more noise as her body began to fall limp, her hands clawing at his chest 
falling
 to her sides, eyes fluttering shut. I could only stare in shock, mouth slightly agape.

The scene was a mix of gore and sexual implications
, the
 two didn't seem to mix, they shouldn't, but the display was something else. It was quickly trying to lure me back into watching. The man rubbed the dead woman's side, kissing her face still as he finally ripped the knife from her neck one last time, backing away and letting her limp body fall to the floor with a thud. A demented smile danced across his face as he licked the blood from the blade, red smearing across his lips. The room was dark
, light
 seeping through the window caused an eeries shine in his eyes, like an animal in the dark, turning to face the door, stalking back closer to it.

"What, never seen a horror movie before?" Tim whispered, only loud enough to grab my attention. I closed my mouth finally, swallowing and shaking my head.

"I've never seen

any

movie before! I didn't think this was even horror!" There was enough confusion in my voice to make him chuckle, crunching 
down
 on some popcorn before whispering again.

"Then you'll be shocked with anything you watch." 
I looked back up to the screen, watching as it showed the house 
once more
, all the lights flickering and cutting out to pitch blackness, a few people screaming or gasping, others 
just
 groaning in annoyance.
 Lights from phones appeared, scanning 
across
 the room, the party of people grouping up in the living room, talking about a power outage or popped breakers. Another man stepped up, volunteering to turn the breakers back on, and another man offered to join him. 
The two separated from the group, walking to a door 
that led down a staircase to the basement
.

Each step was creaky as they carefully walked down, snaking their way through a maze of boxes and knickknacks 
strewn about
, finding a metal box on the wall. Opening it 
only
 showed the inside destroyed and gutted out
, glancing
 around to find the mess of internals thrown into a corner, torn to pieces. One man walked closer to the pile, crouching 
down
 to look at the mess. A loud bang rang out, and the man by the box collapsed to the ground, most of his head missing. The second man barely turned around before a second bullet was fired, brains and blood exploding into the air and across the boxes.

The man holding the gun was new, not the same as the knife-wielding killer. He wasn't grinning
, he
 looked cold and uncaring, with the same odd, animalistic glow to his eyes in the darkness. Voices coming from the staircase drew his attention away from the bodies. The camera panned to the stairs, three more people venturing down, another 
man,
 and two women.

I watched as the same fate befell the three partygoers, two shot in the head, one in the leg, managing to escape upstairs as the killer reloaded his weapon. She was screaming and crying in hysterics, blood covering the floor, unseen in the dark 
until
 phone lights drifted across her leg and to the floor, just in time for the gunman to reappear, opening fire openly on the group of people. When it came time to reload, the first killer appeared, hiding amongst the group in the dark, grabbing one man and stabbing him in the stomach, gutting the victim and turning to others, slashing his knife around wildly, slashing throats and faces. A gorefest unfolded before my eyes. Bullets and blades rushed through the air, and though they never went for each other, the two killers looked as if they were in a competition.

Treats and snacks were being passed around the couch, but when Tim held a plate out to me, I just passed it along to Jeff, the display in front of me too gruesome to eat anything 
too
. I didn't feel sick, but I did feel shocked. After so intimately viewing my own insides, I could tell just how fake the gore was, but it didn't make it any more uneasy. Jeff took the plate but leaned over once more, whispering.

"Seriously, are you okay? Ya look paler than me!" He tried to crack a joke, and while I smiled, I could only nod.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine, just...a lot." I chuckled nervously, taking the bowl from my lap and trying to reach forward to place it on the table in front of me
, the
 smell of it was beginning to make me nauseous. I couldn't quite 
reach
 it, but simultaneously, both Tim and Jeff reached forward, grabbing the bowl to try and help 
me
,
 but instead
, they just held it from opposite sides of me, neither letting go, just silently glaring at one another. I tried to take the bowl back, but neither budged. Another ear-piercing shriek left me jumping, hitting the bowl by accident, and both 
then
 fumbled to try and not drop it, which failed considering how it was being held. Popcorn spilled all across the floor, the bowl hitting the corner of the table, a loud hollow noise echoing out, drawing eyes to stare over at us, but it more felt like I was being stared at, eyes reflecting light in the darkness, just like the killers in the movie, the hair on the back of my neck raising.

"S-sorry!" I blurted it out before I could think, and instinct kicked in, reaching forward, wanting to clean the mess before Mother-

"Hey, careful!"

"Shit! Stop!"

Memories flooded my mind, ones I thought I had forgotten but that had resurfaced. Spilling a bowl of bland cornflakes and getting slapped across the face, accidentally dropping a glass of water, being bent over a chair and whipped with a belt until the welts along my back, bottom, and thighs were bleeding, bright red dripping down onto stark white. 
Any small mistake, any 
sort of
 mess
, I was beaten for
, and the fear was reignited when I relived those moments all over again.
 By 8 years old, whenever I made a mess, I was quick to get on my hands and knees and clean up what I could by hand, cutting my hands up with the glass shards before I could get beat again.

Reaching forward with little to no balance, everyone but me saw just how unstable I really was, and I began to tilt too far forward. All my mind could think was to clean the mess, no matter what. I hadn't even registered anything else. Hands and arms quickly flew about. 
On my shoulder, across my stomach, 
grabbing
 the back of my shirt
, covering
 the corner of the table that would have hit close to my eye.
 Jeff was grabbing the back of my shirt, hand on my shoulder, pulling my back onto the couch 
while
 Tim had fallen halfway off the 
couch
, one arm across my stomach to push me back further, the other on the corner of the table to protect my head. It was so fast that I hadn't even realized 
fully
 what happened. Lights turning on were blinding me
, the
 movie paused on a still image of the knifeman holding his blade to a woman's throat as he licked blood off her cheek.

I felt shocked. My body had reacted on its own. I had made a mess and caused a commotion, and now embarrassment was flooding 
through me once more
. My face burned so hot it made tears prick in my eye.

"Sorry, sorry," I kept mumbling 
sorry
, panic rising, moving from Jeff to Tim to the popcorn on the ground to the others for interrupting the movie, apologizing for it all. Panic, guilt, humiliation, it was all rising and flooding my veins. And yet, I still reached out with my arm, desperate to clean, 
to help, to
 correct my behavior.

Tim managed to push himself back up fine while Jeff still held the back of my shirt like one would 
hold
 an animal by the scruff. My arm was partially outreached still, moving slightly, hand opening and closing, not sure what to do 
at this point
. Help Tim up? Clean up the mess? Make sure Jeff didn't get hurt reaching forward like he had to? What if Tim was hurt 
too
? I ruined the movie
, why
 couldn't I 
just
 stay still?

"(Y/n)." My eye snapped to the voice, Jane leaning forward from the opposite side of the couch. She gave me a soft smile.

"You're okay, hun
, stop
 saying sorry. We'll get it cleaned up, but you can't go getting yourself hurt, okay?"

"I-" My voice failed me. My heart was pounding 
and
 shock was still flooding through me
, the
 last fading memories of a belt whipping across my back left my hand shaking. Jeff patted my shoulder, letting go of the back of my shirt as Tim picked up the bowl from the floor.

"You're fine, just... don't do

that

again, 'kay?" I 
just
 slowly nodded, swallowing hard, guilt eating me alive as Tim cleaned the spilled food. During the pause, a few of the others got up and left momentarily before returning, some with more snacks, others with drinks, and the rest empty-handed. 
No one stared
, no one
 made any comments, they all seemed 
fine
 with it, uncaring, but it didn't change how I felt.
 I felt like I was being judged, loathed, and hated for disturbing the moment. 
I just sank back into the couch, staring down at my lap
, at my
 trembling hand.
 It didn't take Tim long to finish picking up the food, taking the bowl away before returning quickly, switching the light off, and 
once more
 finding his spot next to me.

The movie started 
up
 
again,
 no one spoke, but I couldn't 
even
 look up.
 I could feel the phantom stings of welts along my arms and back, the ghostly trickle of blood running down my skin. Screams continued to echo out, gunshots and violent, wet 
stabbing
 noises. With the gush of blood spilling to the floor and splattering walls, I could only imagine Charlotte or SPARK beating me all over again. A gentle hand rested on my shoulder, patting gently, comforting. It took me a moment to look at 
Tim,
 he offered a kind smile and nod, and I heard his voice echo in my mind.

"It's fine
, stop
 worrying about it
, it's
 no big deal." I tried to smile back, but it was weak, my lips falling 
once more
. He frowned, hand lingering on my shoulder a few moments longer before pulling away. His gaze hesitated a moment longer, searching my face for anything else, but finally turned back to the TV. I 
too
 
found
 myself looking back up at the actors, watching as the knifeman grabbed a man by the throat, not hard, just holding, kissing the corner of his mouth, lips smeared in blood as he sliced his knife across the man's belly, intestines and guts spilling out and onto the floor. The camera panned to the gunman, stomping the heel of his foot into a person's skull, face so mangled it was impossible to tell who they even were at one point.

The movie continued on, blood and guts littered about as the two men slaughtered the house full of people. How the gunman was cold and uncaring in his violence, a stark contrast to the 
knifeman
 
would
 seemed to find a sick pleasure and thrill from the murder, kissing, licking, holding his victims indiscriminately, smiling and giggling all the while. Neither killer spoke, but their actions spoke volumes to their characters. I could only focus momentarily before drifting off, mentally cursing myself for the embarrassment I had caused. My cheeks still felt warm.

The camera zoomed out, showing the destruction and chaos wrought by the two men. 
Bodies littered the house, inside and out, strewn about the staircase and the yard, but as the camera continued outward, it revealed a secluded cabin, far away from any other civilization, an isolated attack that spelled out hopelessness.
 The screen faded to black before 
coming back
 in, revealing a bustling cafe on a bright, sunny day. Passing by the windows to the two unnamed killers sitting at a table in the corner, the grinning knifeman holding a cup of coffee while the still stoic gunman was looking down at his phone. Finally, for the first time, the two began to speak.

"What's the score this time?"

"Eh, 'nother tie."

"Oh?~ Well then, 
looks
 like we need

another

tiebreaker. Hmm~" The knifeman almost had a singsong tune to his voice, sadistic and cunning. His eyes drifted across the cafe, grin growing as he spotted a group of girls with messy, ratty hair, hungover and chugging coffee, still wearing the previous night's party clothes from bar hopping.

"How about them?" The gunman lolled his head to the side, humming in thought, looking across the girls.

"Really? Can't we have a challenge this time? The drunk party types just too easy."

"Oh c'mon, you can't say you

don't

wanna hear how they

scream

?" The man just shrugged, sighing and waving the other off.

"Fine, go do your thing." 
The way the light filtered through the windows
, how it
 hit their pupils, that sicking, greenish animal glow was back to their eyes, the thrill of the hunt reigniting.
 The knifeman stood, making his way to the group of girls as the camera faded to black once more, music fading in as credits began to scroll across the screen. There was a collective displeased groan as someone turned the lights back on, people standing and stretching, each complaining.

"That was shit."

"They just can't make good movies anymore, can they?"

"What was the story even

supposed

to be?"

"I guess a game? Dunno, it was fuckin' stupid 
though
."

"I'm choosing the movie next time."

"I thought it would be good! It had good reviews!"

"
Yeah
 well, next time

you're

not picking the movie. And learn to watch the trailers, dumbass!"

I watched as they all began to mill about, still talking about the movie, picking up plates and bowls from the table, cleaning up, and tidying up pillows on the couch. Yet, all I could do was watch on. I couldn't help. I just shifted around in my blanket cocoon, eye drifting from one person to the next, across the table and back to the screen with rolling credits. 
Someone pushed the coffee table away from the couch, back to the middle where it should have been, and as 
one by one
 they filtered out of the room, I found my chair being pushed up to me, the walkway now open enough for it to fit in.

"Need any help?" Jeff offered a grin from behind the chair, waiting for an answer.

"Oh, uh, I think I got it." I unwrapped the blanket from around me, scooting forward awkwardly, managing to crawl into the chair, pulling the blanket onto my lap, and covering my legs with it. He waited until I was situated before pulling the chair back, turning, and pushing me down the hallway 
once more
 to my room.

"Whadya think?"

"Hmm?"

"The movie."

"Oh, uh, it was fine? I guess? I'm not sure." He only chuckled, reaching past me to 
push the door open
 before entering the room. The wheelchair wobbled slightly, pushing over the 
threshold of the doorway
, a small bump of wood separating the room from the hall, something I only just now noticed.

"You can say it was bad, ya know? It was a pretty shit movie." His voice was lighthearted, a gentle chuckle echoing through his words. It was odd, hearing him so calm and 
quiet,
 his usual loud, boisterous self, 
normally
 a raging fire, was nothing but a gentle candle flame, a soft flicker of light. Strange, but not unwelcome. It felt comfortable. Silence followed as the chair was pushed up next to the bed, a much different height difference compared to the couch
, and with
 only one arm, climbing would 
just
 lead to me falling and hurting myself. An image flashed through my mind of what would happen, trying to awkwardly climb, making a fool of myself, the sheets slipping and losing my grip, falling to the side, bashing my temple against the sharp corner of the nightstand. 
Just a thought
, 
a flash, but it was enough to send goosebumps 
rising
 across my skin.

I didn't need to say a word, not even a shared glance
, I
 was already being hoisted up, an arm under my legs, the other behind my back. It was swift yet still gentle, careful. 
He
 still kept the blanket wrapped around my legs, a subtle respectfulness that resounded too loud to me, but 
he
 didn't seem bothered by 
a single 
thing
,
 or even noticed 
his
 own caring actions
, 
he
 moved as if on pure instinct.

"Thank you."

"Yeah, no problem." Another pause as he pulled back, moving the chair off to the 
side,
 but not too far from me where it would be inaccessible. He tapped his foot, crossing his arms, staring at the chair for a moment longer, lips pursed.

"Sorry 'bout that..."

"Hmm?" I furrowed my brows. He pointed to the chair, and my eyes fell to the armrests, handprints burned into the cushioning, melted and dented downward.

"Oh."

"Yeah, I, uh, didn't mean to. Guess I'm just stressed." Another pause, him humming slightly, still staring at the burns, mouth stretching downward into a frown, pulling at the scars carved into his cheeks, the skin creasing as it pulled awkwardly. It looked painful, but he didn't show it, if it did hurt.

"Also..." He hesitated, fidgeting where he stood. 
His face showed him weighing his thoughts, debating 
on
 whether he should speak 
or not
.
 He finally turned to look at me.

"I think you should practice keeping your thoughts to yourself...you panicked and..." He cringed, eyes drifting away from me, fingers digging into his arms.

"We ain't gonna hurt you like

she

did, what either of those sick fucks did. Shit happens, it's fine...you've been through some shit, I get it, but...I-we aren't gonna 
just
 flip out on ya, okay?" His icy gaze finally drifted back to me, tone serious, all the lighthearted calmness gone, but he wasn't angry or frustrated. He was worried and showing his care. I felt embarrassed all over 
again,
 the memories flashed through my brain all over again, now with the knowledge that in my frantic state, I had opened up my mind, and they all saw what I did, what I remembered, what I went through. Another image flashed in my mind, staring at myself in the mirror, scars covering my back and legs, not just surgical, but from all the beatings 
too
. Memories of late nights silently sobbing as I cleaned my wounds with a bloodied rag and peroxide, wrapping up my own back and legs, twisting my body every which way, awkwardly to care for my injuries.

Images of standing in a burning hot shower, crying and gasping at the deep stinging in my skin as blood ran down the drain, staining the water a cloudy red. Cleaning with soap and hot water, praying to avoid infection. 
I tried to blink the thoughts away
, tried to
 close my mind off again, but I couldn't.
 I could feel the eyes staring at me, at my past, full of pity. 
I didn't want it, but no matter how hard I tried
, how hard I
 struggled to shut myself away, I couldn't.
 The floodgates had opened, and the pouring memories came rushing 
out,
 so harshly that I could never even hope of closing them again until the storm had calmed. A mental battle against myself, and it only made me more desperate.

My face burned hot, rushing up my ears and down my neck
, my
 heart was racing, pounding so hard I swear the whole house could hear it. My ears rang with rushing blood 
and
 my breathing only got faster. Panic. All the heightened feelings left me useless and unable to stop my racing mind. More and more flooded through 
and
 the man 
in front of
 me bore witness to it all. A front-row seat with crystal clear clarity to my misery and abuse. Lashing belts, wooden spoons, and hard slaps, being thrown down to the floor and kicked hard, all leading right back up to the very moment that wretched collar was wrapped around my throat and locked into place.

A whirlwind was eating me alive from the inside out, projecting every last frantic thought, every single horrific memory
, all
 of it was a culmination of all my stress and worries finally bursting open for all to see and hear. In my state, nothing else existed. A gentle hand on my shoulder tried to pull me back, but I barely even realized it was there. A soft shake, 
then
 a little 
harder
, and finally, a face came into my blurry vision.

"-n), (Y/n)! Hey, c'mon, it's okay!" He sounded distressed, unsure of what to do. He wasn't the comforting type.

"I-I can't-" I was 
wheezing
 through strained breaths, my eyes stung 
and
 my cheeks buzzed with pins and needles.

"No, no, no! It's okay!" His eyes seemed 
wider
 than usual, 
kneeled
 down in front of me, trying to grab my attention and distract me. I was clawing at my chest, shirt held tight in my fist, struggling to breathe through my squeezing lungs.

In a flash, I was being held tightly, arms squeezing around me, gently rocking me back and forth, a hand gently patting my back.

"It's okay, it's okay! Please don't worry! It's fine, it's all fine! No ones mad, no ones judging ya!" He was sputtering, trying to say anything that would comfort me, repetitive words, trying his best
, but the
 shock of the embrace left my mind freezing and reeling. It took a few seconds to process what was happening, and the screaming of my mind fell silent, calm. I breathed deeply, inhaling the warming air. I was still carefully being rocked side to side, word vomit sputtering comfort to try to reel me back to reality.

I lifted my arm, hesitating before gently wrapping it around him, returning the embrace. I felt him tense up, finally cutting off his words and bringing everything to a halt. The rocking 
stopped, the
 gentle patting stopped, and it all fell silent and still. I breathed deep again, and finally, my shoulders 
fell
, and I relaxed, my eye fluttering closed, leaning my forehead to his shoulder. He was more hesitant, but the tightness of the hug finally loosened, and he relaxed 
too
. It was less worried and stressed and was now something soothing. He was so warm, and a new flood opened up. I didn't want to let go. It felt the same as when Sally would hug me
, it
 filled my heart with such a deep 
warmth,
 it left me craving more. I felt cold, empty, hollow, but with such a kind and genuine gesture, a simple hug, it left me feeling ready to cry 
once more
.

Touch starved. It finally registered in my mind. All the years of neglect and abuse, of harsh hands causing nothing but pain and scars, to finally be touched without the sting of hurt, to instead be treated with kindness and gentleness, it made me feel sick and happy all at once, it left me needing more. A simple hug was all it was, but it gave me such a high.

Neither of us moved, neither pulled away
, instead
, I only held him tighter. 
The air began to cool once more 
and
 he 
too
 
held
 me just a little tighter.
 Not a single word spoke, but I was sure he could still see what I was feeling and thinking
, I
 could still feel the eyes, but only a single pair now. A pair that saw just how badly I needed to be shown care. How desperately a single hug could calm my mind and heal my soul, and he indulged me.

He only moved to sit next to me, now gently rubbing a soft circle in my upper back, his other arm held tight across my lower back, the side of his head pressed to mine, his hair tickling my nose slightly. The air felt normal 
once more
, the only warmth emitting from his 
body,
 keeping me warm in the hug. It would have lulled me to sleep if not for how awake I felt from the chaos of everything. Finally, he broke the silence.

"You okay?" His voice was soft but sounded hoarse and raspy with how quiet and close he was, rumbling through his chest, sending a chill through my skin. It took me a moment to find my own voice. I had to stop myself from saying I was fine, deciding to finally be open of my own feelings, knowing that if I hid all over 
again
 it would only lead to more breakdowns.

"
I...no...no
 I'm not." He nodded.

"That's fine...wanna talk about it?" I swallowed hard, weighing the idea in my head. He spoke before I could answer.

"You don't have to, but if you want 
to
 you can. Remember, we...

I

won't judge you. Plus 
there's
 not a lot we all already don't know about. I'm here to listen if ya need it." I opened my mouth and 
then
 closed it again, thinking carefully about his words. I hadn't been talking much about any of it
, I
 just kept using my mind to show 
them,
 but never actually

talked

myself. They saw what 
happened,
 but never heard 
from me
 what I felt or thought. I sighed, finally pulling away, Jeff hesitating but letting me go, waiting to 
hear
 me speak. I gathered my thoughts for a moment, staring down at my lap, at the palm of my hand.

"I...I 
just
 don't know. 
I don't know what I feel
, 
but
 I 
can't stop thinking.
 
My 
own
 mind feels so loud 
and
 I can't make it
 shut up...
I feel so
...

empty

, and I
 don't know what to do.
 I don't know what to say or think or feel. 
I think I feel sad, but I'm 
not even sure
 if I know the difference between happy

or

sad.
 I...I never got to do

anything

, it
 all feels so overwhelming, too much! I don't know what to do
, I
 don't know how to react or what to say. I 
just
 don't know."

I looked up at him, and everything seemed to freeze. He stared back at me with a soft expression, something I couldn't read or discern. It wasn't pity
, it
 wasn't anger or happy or sad. Everything all around suddenly felt all so

real,

hitting me all at once, a train slamming into my chest
, and almost
 
instantly
 tears pricked at my eye and came flooding out, my mouth pulling at the corners and my bottom lip quivering. A rush of emotions pulled at my heart, squeezing tight like a clawed hand around my beating organs. But he only leaned forward, nodding gently, still letting me finally speak, eager to listen to

me

.

"I want to be happy, I-I want to be

free.

She's
 fucking

dead

, SPARK is

gone

, but I

still

f-feel trapped! I can't get rid of them! I still f-f-feel like I have that

fucking

thing around my

neck

! They're gone 
but
 I s-still can't move on! I'm so worried they'll show back up and hurt me again! Beat me! O-open me up and fuck around with my insides! H-h-hurt me, touch me-" My voice cracked 
and
 I
 broke down in loud, guttural sobs, finally unleashing it all, leaning forward, pressing my face into the bed, sobbing and nearly screaming my cries out, the pain flooding back to me. What SPARK had done, taking something so 
special
 and precious to me, ripping it away from me...

Jeff placed a gentle hand on my back once more, softly rubbing, letting me cry out as I needed, but I couldn't stop talking
, more
 and more spilled from me.

"I couldn't hav-have friends, I didn't have a-any family, I had

no one

but them! I couldn't even get away! I was trapped, my own fucking

mom

! No one hugged me or 
held
 me 
or
 g-g-gave me love! I was lock-locked in my own f-f-fucking room! Th-they would take food away, take away my bed! I'm covered in so many fucking scars, I look fucking hideous, and then they take my-my arm, my legs, my eye! I can't even fucking bathe myself, Jane has to fucking help me! I'm so fucking useless! I can't do anything!" I was clawing the bed sheets, ripping my hand down, anger flooding my veins. I was clenching my jaw hard, teeth grinding together harshly.

"I'm so fucking useless now, but I was always beaten for it! For being useless! I was made 
just
 to be her toy! A p-p-puppet...I have no purpose
, I
 wouldn't fucking be

alive

if she d-didn't want a successor! My life isn't my own, but I want it to be! I-I-I want to control my o-own life, but I'm still on a fuck-fucking leash! I-I...I 
just
 want to be

happy

." I looked back up at him, still sobbing, silently begging for an answer, a solution, anything. And finally, it clicked, and I understood his expression. Sympathy. He didn't understand every last thing I had gone through
, but he
 still understood the pain, the hurt, the suffering, the emotional toll it took on me, having gone through his own traumas. I fell back into the blanket below, weeping harder, wheezing through each hiccup and stuttering word.

I wasn't alone here, with him, with all of them. I wasn't alone
, I
 was safe, I was understood, and it was okay to express my sorrows and anger. I couldn't speak anymore
, all
 I could do was cry, feeling the comforting hand on my back, gently rubbing between my shoulder blades, soothing and careful. There was still an intense ache in my back, something I had been trying so hard to ignore. It was just another reminder of Charlotte, of SPARK, of everything I had gone through. It just made me feel angrier. But the gentle hand soothed me. Hands had only ever been cruel to me, sharp and dangerous, ready to strike like a snake at any given reason. It was uncomfortable, but I craved the gentle touch, ripping even more cries from me, 
pained
, a wail for all the things I had missed out on until now. Just a simple hug felt like God's gift to me.

I cried in front of him, but I no longer cared. 
It felt good to talk, 
to
 cry, and not be judged, 
to be
 understood,

seen

.
 I was being recognized for me, for who I am, my feelings, my thoughts, my life laid bare for them all to see, and yet, even still, I was treated with such gentle kindness that it still stung. Time felt unreal, paused in this moment, 
feeling
 as if an eternity had passed before my breathing slowed and calmed, my hiccups subsided, my tears drying up, leaving my cheeks damp and cold and my eye stinging. I sniffled, rubbing my face in the blanket, trying to wipe away the mess. I felt his hand leave my back, leaving the skin under my shirt cold and prickling at the lack of touch
, listening
 carefully to the shifting, the footsteps walking away as the bed sprung back up, now empty from where Jeff sat before.

Only a few seconds passed before he returned, hand once more on my back, now patting, pulling my attention up to him, carefully peaking out from the blanket below. 
With a soft smile,
 he held out a box of tissues 
to me
.
 I couldn't help but grin back at the kind gesture. I grabbed a few, wiping my face, drying my eye and cheeks, wiping my nose, and cleaning my face 
as a whole
. I was a mess, but I was grateful 
nonetheless
 to be a mess without judgment.

He sat back down
, the
 silence was comfortable, simply waiting for me. Time was mine at that moment. Mine to control and decide, mine to wait out or to change how I wished. I was being given control. No matter how small it may have been, it was far more enough than I had before, and I was thankful. So, I took my time, thinking, recollecting myself, organizing my thoughts, thinking them over carefully, combing through my emotions, and figuring out why I felt the way I did.

I couldn't stop myself from laughing lightly. It was funny. I would have never expected any of this from Jeff. From Jane, for sure. Sally, definitely. Slender, the ever self-reflective and observant being he was, of course. But Jeff? Hot-headed, violent, erratic, always seemingly angry Jeff? The same man 
who
 when I first 
met
 had thrown a chair at the glass at me? The same one who screamed profanities and curses at me any chance he could until he tired himself out? The same exact man who I had fought with on the staircase? The one who I watched brutalize Charlotte so violently until the stab wounds turned her skin and organs into nothing but mush?

It was ironic. The one person in this house who was 
easily
 one of the most dangerous, the coldest, and most 
unstable,
 was the one bringing me endless comfort and self-reflection. And I couldn't help but laugh at that. It was 
unexpected,
 but not unwanted. I felt 
endless
 appreciation for him, for his care.

"What's so funny?" Even his voice lacked snark
, a
 smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. I shook my head, wiping away the last stray tears.

"It's nothing, just thinking."

"Awe c'mon now, ya can't go spilling your guts like that and then

stop

telling me what yer thinkin'!" 
It was a teasing whine
, and it
 only pulled another chuckle from me.
 We both were grinning
, my
 cheeks and nose rubbed raw and red, but the stinging pain felt numb to the waves of relief washing over me. The storm of sorrow drifting away, leaving behind a bright, sunny sky, filling my chest with such a deep warmth.

An arm wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me close into a side hug, squeezing my shoulder reassuringly. 
He
 still smiled, but it was once more soft and gentle, not the goofy 
lopsided
 grin 
that 
he
 had a few moments before. I leaned into the hug, offering back my 
own
 smile, sniffling still.

"Feelin' better?" I nodded.

"Yeah...thank you."

"Why?"

"Just for being here, I appreciate it." He tsked, shaking me slightly and squeezing me a little tighter.

"Stop that sappy shit, it's too sweet!..But it's no problem." I smiled to myself, taking a deep, shaky 
breath,
 and finally feeling much calmer 
than before
. I enjoyed the silence, closing my eye and leaning 
my head
 on his shoulder, feeling the warmth at my side, relaxing my tense shoulders, and
 
finally letting myself feel at ease.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Finally, after a long while, Jeff stood, stretching his arms out above his head before planting his hands on his 
hips,
 looking back down at me for a moment.

"Now," He clicked his tongue, sass and venom dripping from his voice.

"Speak a word of this to

anyone

, and I'll for sure kill ya." His smile gave him away, earning yet another chuckle from me, dragging my finger across my chest one way, then the other.

"Cross my heart
, no
 a soul will know that

the

cold, heartless Jeff could be," I dramatically gasped, feigning a look of shock.

"Caring?! How absurd!" He playfully punched my shoulder, only lightly tapping me.

"You ass!" We both laughed again before he turned, giving a curt wave, walking to the door.

"Get some rest 
ya
 crazy bitch, see ya." I flipped him off, still grinning all the while, and without even looking, his still held-up hand turned into the same action, middle finger raised at me. I watched as he left, closing the door rather gently behind him
, the
 light from the hallway filtering through the crack of the door behind it 
was finally cut off
, plunging me back into the darkness of my room, though it didn't seem nearly as dark as before. It was calm and relaxing, a serene peacefulness that descended through my whole room.

I sat there, gaze turning to 
once more
 look out the dark, snowy window. The falling snow seemed to have lightened up, but not much. Frosty patterns etched themselves into the corners of the glass, sharp 
edges,
 and geometric shapes. I watched on, seeing the distant moon, bright and full, hanging low in the sky, dark clouds dancing through the air, trying to obscure the celestial body. I turned to look down at my hand, flipping it over to the back, focusing hard until that familiar tingle began to appear. Slowly, I watched as the black mark 
made itself
 known, wavering across my skin before settling in deeply, like the blackest tattoo ink imaginable. Smooth and perfect, symmetrical in every way, crisp, clean edges, sharp and 
smooth
 all at once. 
I felt the pulling, tugging in different directions, each 
one
 an invisible string with 
each of
 their names etched into it.
 I knew who was who.

My stomach 
growled,
 loudly in the empty room. 
Snacks of popcorn and chocolate were delicious, but I never actually ate
, 
and
 I 
was starving.
 So much had happened all in one night that I completely forgot that I was 
even
 hungry until it hit me hard. It was like being punched in the stomach, twisting and hollow. I groaned to myself, focus leaving my hand and shifting to my appetite. I could only think about that soup
, its
 rich, salty flavors sounded 
amazing
 after all 
the sweets I had
. I reached toward the nightstand but stopped short when I realized that what I was reaching for wasn't even there. Fuck.

My phone 
was left
 on the couch, I couldn't text or call anyone, and calling out telepathically 
just
 felt
...
invasive. I didn't want to bother anyone, especially if 
they
 were busy or resting. My stomach growled again, cramping up with pain.

It was deeply uncomfortable, even leaving me feeling nauseous. I shifted around, now trying to reach out for the wheelchair. But of course, just my luck, it was just a fingertip length out of reach. Fuck you, Jeff.

I groaned, trying my best to reach out to it without falling off the bed, but it was just barely out of reach. Huffing, I fixed my position on the bed, sitting there as if I were a pouting child, thinking over my options carefully as my stomach continued to gurgle and twist with ravenous hunger. I licked my dry lips, tapping my fingers along my upper left arm. A gentle knocking startled me, whipping my head up towards the door. But it didn't open
, the
 person on the other side waited patiently, so finally, I called out, telling them to come in.

Pushing the door open was a soft face
, one that always seemed to look
 nervous, but he offered a smile, messy brown hair falling across his eyes.
 In his other hand, he held up a familiar, shiny black object, my phone, shaking it back and forth slightly.

"F-forget this?" I smiled back, watching as he finally walked into the room.

"Oh, I was just thinking about it! Thanks!" I happily took it from him, making sure to put it in my pocket so I wouldn't lose it again
, I
 was thankful Jane had chosen pajamas that even had pockets 
to begin with
.

"N-n-need help?" I furrowed my brows.

"With what?"

"For one, you're r-r-really hungry, and t-two," He pointed to the chair.

"You can't even r-reach th-that."

"How can you even tell that?" He shrugged, pushing the chair up to the side of the bed for me, holding the handles so it wouldn't slip.

"J-j-just can. I learned to look for s-s-s-small details like that." He moved to the front of the chair, waiting for my 
response of confirmation
 before 
easily
 lifting me down from the bed and to the chair. The sheer strength 
that each of them
 displayed still startled me each time I 
was picked up
 
as
 if I were simply a feather on the wind. I quickly grabbed my blanket, draping it once more across my legs before Toby began to push me. It seemed like everyone wanted a turn 
to 
just
 hang out
, but I wouldn't complain. I enjoyed the company, and despite the time, I 
just
 didn't feel tired yet. I gripped at my cardigan, moving it to try to wrap it over my chest again.

"Whatcha w-w-wanna eat?" I grinned 
to myself
 as we moved from the hallway through the living room and into the 
desolate
 kitchen.

"I would love some more of that soup you made! It was heavenly!" He chuckled lightly, pushing me back into the still-empty spot at the table, rolling up his sleeves, and walking into the adjacent kitchen, still talking with ease to one another.

"You sh-sh-sure? I can make-" His head twitched violently to the side with a loud crack, a muffled 'mm' sounded before he rolled his shoulders and continued on.

"I can make something 
else,
 we h-h-have lots of food, and I don't mm-mind cooking." I watched him move about in the kitchen
, he
 seemed a bit more relaxed, as if in his element, doing something he enjoyed.

"You like to cook?"

"Yeah, its f-fun."

"Guess you'll have to teach me then." I spoke playfully, but he looked over his shoulder at me, offering a genuine smile.

"Why n-not learn now?" I was confused but watched as he continued milling about, gathering a few things before bringing them over to the table, laying them out, and organizing them 
out
 in front of me.

"H-h-here, I'll get ya some food, and you c-c-can mix this batter." 
He measured 
out
 each ingredient for 
me,
 but let me pour each 
one
 into the large mixing bowls.
 
Eggs 
and sugar
 in one large bowl, and flour, baking powder, and salt in a smaller bowl.
 He handed me a whisk, twitching 
ever so often
, and helped me along. He went back and 
forth,
 from the kitchen 
back
 to the table, helping me when I needed it. It was hard whisking the bowl on the table.

The angle was awkward 
and
 the bowl kept slipping along the surface, so finally, after a few minutes, I was fed up. I pushed the chair back a bit from the 
table,
 and let my blanket fall from my legs to the ground. I carefully placed the bowl in my lap, using my thigh to hold it in place before I began to whisk again, finally 
able 
to properly mix
 the two simple ingredients without much hassle
. All went unnoticed for a 
few moments
 before Toby finally walked back over, laughing to himself.

"N-n-n-eed help?" I just shook my head, a bit happy to have something to do without anyone's help
, admittedly
, I was being stubborn.

"No, I've got it, thank you though." 
He watched for a moment longer, 
making sure that I actually

did

have
 it and wouldn't spill the mixture everywhere.
 The sugar and egg blend was a light cream color, and the more I whisked, the lighter and fluffier it started to get. Toby only hummed, picking up the smaller bowl full of the dry ingredients and hovering it above the bowl in my lap.

"Keep-keep mixing, but not t-t-too aggressive, it-it-it'll spill flour everywhere." I nodded, slowing my whisking, and now moved slightly off to the side of the bowl, watching as it slowly poured some of the powder into the bowl in small batches, letting me mix the slurry each time before it was 
all just
 barely incorporated.

"Okay, s-s-top there, we don't wanna-wanna ov-ov-overmix it."

"Alright...what happens if you overmix?" He took the whisk from me, letting the excess batter drip off before setting it in the now empty small bowl, leaving them on the table in front of me, still in 
reach,
 but minimizing any mess. 
A light dusting of white powders 
were
 already smeared across the dark wood
, however
.

"It won't turn o-out good, could be-be dense or tough, a-a-and what we're making, it-it-it'll 
be deflated
." I made an 'oh' face, nodding 
slightly
 as I stared down into the pale batter, watching small blobs of flour stick to the sides of the bowl and the surface. I wanted to mix them in, but 
listened
 carefully, not wanting to ruin whatever it was. Toby moved quickly and fluidly
, there
 was no hesitation
, he
 knew what he was doing, seemingly having done this dozens of times before
, 
everything
 was already prepared
. Retrieving a small metal pot from the stove and bringing it over, steam rolling off its surface. He took the bowl from my lap, setting it on the table, not risking pouring boiling liquid on me. Picking up the whisk, he poured small amounts of batter into the pot, mixing vigorously, minuscule portions at a time 
until
 he seemed content with it. Setting the bowl back down, he 
then
 grabbed the pot once more, repeating his actions, pouring such small amounts of the hot liquid into the batter, mixing well until it was all incorporated into the big bowl once more.

"T-th-there, all mixed. I'll finish it up w-w-while you eat." He gave me a beaming smile, taking the bowl and other tools away back into the kitchen, only returning with a bowl of that 
wonderful
, golden broth, heavenly smells wafting up and steam curling through the air as if dancing in joy.

"Ah, thank you!" I was delighted. Nothing new, 
nothing
 overly complex, just a nice, simple soup, something hot to keep me warm, and plenty filling. I eagerly picked up the spoon, softly blowing on the liquid before eating. It was piping hot, but I couldn't complain
, it
 was just about the best damn thing I've ever eaten. My face said it 
all,
 pure heavenly bliss. Toby only chuckled again.

I was 
too
 busy enjoying the meal that I had 
completely forgotten
 about the batter and what I had been helping 
to
 make.
 
I could hear 
him
 in the kitchen, but I didn't even bother to look up, just happy to get some 
food in me, proper 
food
.
 Yeah, the sweets were 
nice
, but the savory soup 
just
 felt more
...
satisfying. Or maybe it was just because I was so hungry? 
I couldn't tell
, 
and
 I 
didn't care to figure it out.

I only looked up as Toby 
took a seat
 across the table from me, crossing his arms and laying his head down on the table, eyes closed, chin resting on his forearms. His hair was 
as messy as ever
, fluffed out and flying in every direction. Throughout the mess were small braids coming undone, splitting at the ends. Sally seemed to love braiding small pieces of his hair, and he left them there, not bothering to brush them out or re-fluff his hair.

He looked tired
, I
 could've sworn the bags under his eyes weren't

this

bad before. But, despite looking drained, he also looked peaceful
, a
 small, almost invisible smile graced his features. 
Relief.
 I slowed my eating, taking in the serene moment and enjoying it. I listened to the soft, distant sounds coming from the kitchen, the gentle sound of fans whirring, an occasional click echoing out from the oven, waves of heat emitting from it, slowing snaking 
their way
 into the dining room.

Finally, he opened his eyes, staring across the table at me, eyes moving around slightly, looking across my face. His expression shifted 
slightly
, that small smile fading away. He almost looked in pain but tried his damnest to hide it. He didn't speak, and neither did I. I took another bite before cocking my head to the side at him. He mimicked the action, twitching slightly 
and
 I just smiled.

"You okay?" I broke the silence first.

"J-just thinking."

"Hmm? 'Bout what?" Another bite 
and
 he cracked his neck to the side, rolling his shoulder before relaxing again. He hummed back, eyes drifting away in thought. There was a moment's pause before he 
spoke,
 carefully, hesitant.

"W-w-why...why d-d-did you ch-ch-ch-choose me? T-to stitch your b-b-b-ba-back." His stutter sounded worse than before, nervous and cautious 
to even bring it
 up, but 
it was something
 clearly bothering him. I closed my mouth, pulling the next spoonful away from my mouth and setting it back into the bowl, ripples dancing across the surface. I had to think hard, remembering the panicked and painful moment, trying to remember my 
thoughts,
 my reasons. It was hard to think 
about,
 I didn't want them to remember that part of me, and I never wanted to see any of them as monsters. Silence filled the room while I thought.

"I...well, I guess you just looked the nicest." I cleared my throat, trying to choose my words carefully.

"Not that any of you don't look nice, but, uh, I guess 
with my brain
 all messed up, you looked the most...

human

? 
Tim and Brian look human, but 
honestly,
 they're a bit intimidating?"
 I looked up at the ceiling, thinking back to that moment, trying to remember that mental state.

"But you were just really calm, even when you were worried and 
panicked,
 and even hesitating because you didn't want to hurt me
, I
 think it just made me feel safer? You cared so much to try and help me
...
I dunno..." I trailed off, eye drifting back down to him. He had a mix of shock and gentle happiness drawn across his face. 
I guess he was so used to being seen as anything but 
that,
 that it was a change of pace.
 He only shook his head, laughing lightly.

"Well, th-th-that's the first time I've h-h-heard that!" He rested his head to the side, cheek pressing into his arms.

"B-b-but it's nice...thanks."

"Don't thank me
, it's
 just how it is!" I finally took another bite, humming once more at the wonderous taste.

"No, th-th-thanks for

trusting

me. I a-a-a-appreciate it." He was smiling once more, content, and it was infectious.

"Of course I trust you, why wouldn't I?" 
In an 
instant
 that smile faded again 
and
 he was back to staring at me.
 A flash echoed through my mind. I saw myself, an approaching white figure blending into the white everything 
only
 noticed at the very last moment. An arm flying up, reaching out towards me before our bodies dropped, vision disappearing.

"Oh." He grimaced 
but
 I shook it away.

"Toby, we didn't know,

you

didn't know. I don't blame you. We didn't know what they were capable of, especially SPARK
, the
 odds 
were stacked
 against us." I set the spoon down again, pushing the bowl to the side and resting my arm on the table, resting my cheek against my arm, copying him. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it, closing his eyes, and instead, his voice echoed through my mind, free of any stutters, free of the audible clicking he would make, free to speak what his mind meant.

"It's hard

not

to blame myself. I was right there, right

fucking

there! I should have reacted faster
, it's
 my job. 
I'm meant
 to see those small 
details
,
 
I'm meant
 to
 react fast, but I didn't.
 I messed up." His voice sounded strained 
even
 telepathically. I returned the gesture, the silent conversation continuing between us.

"Again, there was so much against us. 
She
 blended in with everything, and we were so sure 
that
 it 
was abandoned
, so why

would

you be 
on the lookout
 for someone or something we didn't think was even there?"
 There was no response for a few seconds.

"It still doesn't feel fair. All that 
time,
 gone. All that pain
...
it was torture." I cringed at the memories.

"Stitching you up was the

least

I could do, but even after all that, you still trust me, even when you forget. So thank you. I swear I'll do whatever it takes to make up for it-"

"You've done plenty 
though
, you
 don't need to-"

"But I

want

to. Please, just let me?" I wanted to fight back and argue on it
, but remembering
 the earlier conversation at the table, Jeff snapping, Tim and Brian and Slender conveying the feelings, what Ben went through, Toby connected to it all, I stopped myself. 
I went through it
, yes
, but he could feel it all too, on top of the guilt of not reacting fast enough, not saving me.

"Alright."

"Thank you." Silence engulfed us once more. My gaze flickered across his face carefully, 
trying to look
 for anything else hiding, trying to search for any 
small

hint

of anything else. I wasn't sure what exactly I was looking for. His eyes stayed closed 
and
 my own drifted back to the braids in his hair.

"When Sally braided your hair when you had to stitch my back back up, she said it could help?" I wanted to change the conversation but didn't 
quite
 know 
how,
 or
 
what to turn it towards, and all I could think about were those 
small
, cute braids. Another smile pulled at his mouth, eyes still shut, mind speaking for him.

"Yeah, it's soothing. 
She'll
 braid my hair to help me calm down or if my tics 
start getting worse
. My
...
my older sister used to braid my hair too. I dealt with a lot as a kid, so she'd brush my hair and braid parts 
of it
 to help me. Sally does it for me now." I nodded to myself, humming lightly.

"Can..." I hesitated, and he peeked an eye open to look at me.

"Can I ask about your sister?" He smiled something sad, eyes softening, brows furrowing slightly.

"Yeah. 
She
 was awesome. She was just about one of the nicest people I've ever known. No matter what happened to her, what was done or said, she acted with so much grace and kindness
, 
she
 held her head high and always faced everything head-on. She was stubborn. Actually, you kinda act like her sometimes." He softly chuckled, still with an underlying sadness.

"I think you two would've gotten along. I can almost imagine it, you two being inseparable. But you're also so different from each other, too. You don't take shit from anyone, but 
she
...
she
 would quietly take the beatings and verbal abuse. She was 
passive,
 but tried so hard to shield me from as much of it as 
she could
." His voice drifted off, smile slowly fading away.

"She's what kept me stable for so long...but she passed, and not longer after..." He didn't continue, just shaking his head, hair waving around.

"It's been years now, but so much still reminds me of her
, she
 didn't deserve all what happened to her." 
I nodded, listening closely, but when he didn't continue
, I decided to speak
.

"She sounds lovely
, I
 would have loved to meet her." He only nodded curtly, staring down at the table. I pursed my lips.

"What else was she like?" His gaze returned to me, a small glimmer in his deep brown eyes.

"She was kind, but she did love to play pranks. She wouldn't pull many on me, but we would plot together to pull something on the other kids. She always tried to include me. I remember her telling me that she loved the idea of 
dancing,
 and how someday she would join a group and learn. 
She would practice in the backyard or out in the street, even with others 
sometimes
.
 She would try to spin but never could do it right, it pissed her off." Another soft chuckle, that soft smile returning, remembering all the good times.

"She always tried to make the holidays and my birthdays special. She'd shower me with gifts and treats. 
She worked so hard and saved up to get herself a car
, 
and 
she
 got me a bike, too.
 
She was 
so
 determined to live her life to the fullest, but she never drank
, never
 touched a cigarette or anything like that."
 There was a slight pause as he thought.

"I always looked up to her, still do now. Whenever I can, I try to think what she would do, and I try to follow. It's hard, especially here, but when I can, I do try. 
I want to be kind 
like she was
, understanding and hard-working, but..."
 
He cringed to himself, seeming to weigh 
if
 he wanted to say what he thought 
or not
.

"But I don't want 
to just roll over
 and take shit like she did. 
I don't blame 
her
,
 I don't
 think bad of her for it, but I don't want to go through it again, and I won't."
 Silence fell. Seconds slowly ticked by, Toby occasionally twitching, popping his fingers, or clicking his tongue.

"I get that." 
Despite it being in my head,
 it was still a quiet, meek answer.

"
I think
 I can understand your sister, but I understand you too." I offered a gentle smile, and he returned it, humming and nodding 
his head
.

"It's never too late to stick up for yourself."

"I think I'm learning that." 
Another
 gap of silence before the oven beeped loudly, once, 
then
 twice, then a third time. Toby sighed, pushing himself up from the table, and 
walked back into
 the kitchen. I watched as he opened the oven and grabbed 
out
 two circular pans, waves of intense heat washing through my 
hand,
 and almost a phantom touch through my left hand. Bare-handed, grabbing burning hot metal out of the oven, I couldn't help but be shocked. It didn't hurt, but the heat was fierce in my own palms. He set them on 
top of
 the stove, turning the oven off and leaving the two pans to cool. He turned to look at me, taking only a few seconds before my shock registered to him.

"Oh! Sorry! You o-o-okay?"

"Y-yeah! Sorry, that just
...
how does that not hurt?" He shrugged, looking down at his hands momentarily.

"When you-youre one of us, pain dulls significantly. Or maybe it's j-j-just asbestos hand." He laughed, clapping his hands together and rolling his shoulders.

"A-a-a lot of us have burns, fun-funnily enough." While he found it amusing, I more so found it worrying.

"I did set m-m-my house on fire...then the neighborhood...a-a-and part of the f-f-forest." 
As he slowly listed off his past of 
arsony
 I just 
continued to stare
 dumbfounded at him, brows raised.
 He only chuckled at my expression once more.

"At least I w-w-wont set our home-home on fire!" His grin was wide and 
lopsided
, goofy and playful. 
I finally shook off my shock, surprised that I was still
, well,
 surprised.
 I finally laughed lightly, resting my chin 
in my palm
 on the table.

"You've lived here for how long now? If this place hasn't burned down yet, I doubt you'll set it on fire anytime soon." We shared a small laugh, Toby walking back over, but instead of sitting across the table from me, he found a seat next to me, still grinning 
all the while
.

"C-c-could I braid your hair, maybe?" It was a polite request, an offer to see how soothing it could be. Both our cheeks dusted lightly 
but
 I eagerly nodded, maybe too quickly, but he didn't seem to care, scooting his chair closer and leaning forward. Though his hands shook and twitched from his tics, the action was still gentle and soothing, taking small strands of my hair at a time, weaving one over the other, finding a soothing repetition in the patterns
, and as
 he braided small chunks of my hair, it seemed to soothe him too, his hands shaking less, his tics becoming less frequent, almost 
to a point of
 dying down completely.

I closed my eye, humming contently
, the
 feeling was pleasant and calming, fingers coming through my scalp, smoothing separating more strands, braids slowly decorating all across my head, already coming undone at the end, but neither of us cared. Time didn't feel real
, all
 felt calm and still as he braided my hair, even at times just coming it through with his fingers, gently working knots out of strands, smoothing out what he could, and he too hummed, pleased.

"I see why this helps... it's so nice." My sigh is one of relaxed bliss, instinctively leaning into his touch.

"It is nice, even b-b-being the one to braid. Guess it's g-g-good for both of us, h-huh?" I 
simply
 hum and nod
 in agreement, and the room fell back into a 
wonderful
, comfortable silence. His hands eventually pulled away, and despite wanting to protest, I kept my mouth shut, opening my eye once 
again,
 and
 
blinking before turning to look at him, smiling softly.

"I'd offer to braid yours too, but I'm 
a bit
 short-handed." I lifted my left arm, grinning, trying to make a joke, hoping that it would land. And when I got a chuckle from me, it only further grew my own smile.

"J-Jesus! Didn't expect something l-l-like that from you-mm-you!" He laughed through his tics, shaking his head and leaning back in his chair, wiping an imaginary tear from his cheek.

"Jack said y-y-you said something like th-th-that, but I didn't believe him!" I shrugged, lowering my arm at my side 
once more
, still grinning.

"Guess I'm full of surprises?" He nodded, standing from the table, ruffling a hand through my hair.

"Oh, without a d-d-doubt." There was a momentary pause, staring at each other for a moment before the sound of distant steps caught our attention
, turning
 and staring at the doorway for a few seconds before the figure strode in, head already turned in our direction, staring as he walked into the kitchen, hands shoved into pockets.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

His cold brown eyes flickered between me and Toby, a brow cocking before his gaze drifted to my hair, a ruffled mess of half-undone braids and other little hairstyles. Tim stared momentarily, eye flickering about, seeming to think carefully. Out of the trio, Tim certainly was the most intimidating. He was unreadable, unlike Brian or Toby. It was harder to tell what was going on in his head.

"Hmm? Whatcha two doin'?" He spoke in a drawl, sauntering over to the kitchen, peering down at the two circular pans still cooling on the countertop.

"What's this?" There was a long silence, Toby crossing his arms and moving to stand more in front of me, almost trying to hide me from Tim. It seemed a bit silly. The two were definitely standoffish with one another.
With the prolonged silence and their odd movements, I assumed there was an ongoing conversation
,
or
rather,
an argument using the link to communicate.
Tim tilted his head this way and that, eyes looking from the
pans,
to Toby, to me, then back to the pans. Finally, there was a shift in the air, a cold chill, the two finally staring at one another, eyes glaring for a prolonged time, Tim breaking the silence first.

"Anyways, 'you-know-who' is showin' up. I'll be watching (Y/n) 'till he leaves." Tim spoke with a low tone, something dangerous and irritated, and Toby glared only hardened.

"W-w-why's he showing u-u-up? Fuckin' p-p-prick." Tim only shrugged
and
with heavy footsteps, he slowly moved from the kitchen to the dining room, stalking around the table before ending up behind me, leaning his forearms on the
handles of the wheelchair
.

"
Hell
if I know why, but I'm
gonna
watch over her until he's gone
, got it?
Besides, we haven't really had a chance to hang out, huh? The rest of
y'all
have been all buddy-buddy,
'bout
time it's my turn." He gave a lopsided grin, patting my shoulder before standing straight again, pulling my chair away from Toby and maneuvering around him. A glance over my shoulder showed Tim with a
rather
victorious
expression,
and Toby with an annoyed one, rolling his eyes and scoffing, but there was no further argument.

Leaving the dining room once more, Tim hummed, tapping his fingers along the handles in thought, pausing at the base of the stairs for a moment, looking up them, thinking. The pause only lasted a few moments, turning to look from the
stairs,
down the hall to my
room,
and the front door. He glanced down at me before nodding his head towards the front door.

"Hope
ya
don't mind
but
we'll
be going
to a safe house. It's hidden pretty well and sealed off from the boss's brothers. You'll be safe there." It didn't seem like I was
being given
much
of a
choice, so I
simply
nodded.
Just like
all the others, he moved unnaturally fast, a smooth and fluid motion that showed years of training at word, scooping me
up,
and pushing the chair with his foot off to the side into a nearby wall.
It startled me every time, though
by
now
I should be used to being picked up.
But it still surprised me,
especially
how each and every one of them acted like I weighed nothing.

"We'll be goin' on foot
, it'll
be harder for him to track us. Besides, once he
gets of whiff
that

you're

here, he'll go nuts tearing this place apart to find
ya
." The way elusively spoke of this mysterious 'him' left my stomach churning. So
instead
of asking questions that might further my fear, I
simply
looked towards the door and pressed closer to him, trying to feel some
semblance of
safety.

"Yeah, let's get going then."
It was all I could
manage to
say, but Tim seemed satisfied
enough
with the answer.
Holding me with ease in one arm, he opened the door, slamming it shut behind him and walking with long strides through the high piles of snow. With a free hand, he rummaged through his pockets, pulling out a pack of cigarettes, flipping the lid up and pushing one up with his thumb, lifting the box to his mouth to grab it before putting the box away and pulling out a lighter. The whole routine was quick and smooth, finally lighting the cigarette and taking a long drag, blowing the smoke away from me. I watched the thick gray clouds dissipate into the cold wind, blowing away into nothing. Plucking it from his lips, he held it out to me.

"Wanna try?" I just shook my head but offered a kind smile.

"Ah, no
thank
you." With a
shrug
he took another drag, flicking away some ash before holding it between his lips again. He walked for a while.
He never seemed to turn
and
yet
the trees around us twisted and unfurled, moving aside with writhing roots, clearing a path through the snow until, eventually,
there was
a small wooden cabin.
It looked old and rustic but well taken care of
. Dusty
windows with dark red curtains obscuring the inside, with deep black metal frames. The wood was dark and beautifully stained, with an ever so slightly red tint
to it
.

He paused on the porch, fumbling around with a key ring attached to his belt, pulling out an ornate iron key, unlocking the door, and quickly huddling in, locking it behind him and shaking the handle,
making sure
it was secure. The inside was much warmer than the outside, but there was still a chill
in the air
. He moved with confidence, already having worked out a plan in his mind
. Setting
me down in a chair in front of an old brick fireplace,
moving
aside from me and leaning down to the pile of wood already inside, pulling out his lighter again and starting a kindling.

It quickly caught and spread, and
with that,
a cozy fire was lit, rapidly warming the inside to a much more comfortable temperature.
Sitting in front of it felt much better
too
, feeling the waves of heat hitting my face and arms, holding my hand out to warm my palm near the flickering flame. Tim grabbed a nearby ashtray, smothering the butt of his cigarette out in it before standing and moving to the kitchen behind us. I
watched
carefully
as he filled a metal teakettle with water, setting it on the stove and lighting it. Waiting for the water to boil, he grabbed two mugs, filling each with a spoonful of sugar and a tea bag.

"Whatcha staring for? Don't trust me?" It wasn't accusatory
, it
was a playful tone, a
small
chuckle lacing through his words.

"No, just watching. Sorry." I turned to look back down at the fire, closing my eyes and basking in its
warmth,
in the peaceful quiet of the cabin. It was nice and calm
, it
was enjoyable.

A few minutes passed before a small blue mug was
being held out
in front of me, a deep brown liquid inside, steam rolling off the surface. I gratefully took it, making sure
to securely hold the handle
.
The head emitting from the cup helped
to
warm my cold fingers further, and I smiled at the man, pulling up his own chair and sitting beside me, sipping at his
own
drink.

"Thanks."
"No problem, can't have ya freezing, or the others showing me up." He grinned at me before taking another sip, eyes returning to the fire. We fell into silence, finding a silent comfort with the crackling fire. I thought for a moment, sipping at the hot tea, feeling it warm my belly. My mind wandered by to earlier interactions, more specifically between Tim and Toby. Bickering or arguing, always seeming to be stuck in a standoff. I glance at Tim, thinking carefully before speaking.
"Do...do you and Toby fight a lot? You don't seem to like each other." My voice was quiet, trailing off, unsure if I
just
crossed a line. But instead of the reaction I expected, Tim only hummed, taking another sip of his tea, setting the mug down, and scratching at his temple.
"Nah, it's not really fighting...sure we disagree a lot, but it's more...like when siblings fight? I guess? I don't see him like a brother, but he's my teammate, so we spend a lot of time together, regardless. Just friendly teasing. There's a lot we don't agree on, but we still get along." He shrugged, lighting up a new cigarette and taking a few short puffs.
"Why
you
ask?" It was my turn to shrug, taking a long sip of tea.

"Dunno, it was just something I noticed. I guess
...
it made me worry? It's not fun living with someone you don't like. But I'm glad to hear it
not
hatred." Tim only chuckled, shaking his head, eyes finally
turning back
to me.

"You worry way too much...but
thanks,
for caring." He chuckled briefly, pausing for another sip before continuing.

"It's nice.
Weird
, but nice. You've heard it all before, but we only have each other, and not all of us get along, so it's nice to have someone who cares. Plus, you're different. You're not
being forced
to be here or entertain
us,
you actually care, and I only know that
for a fact
because I can

feel

how much you care." His usual cold eyes seemed to soften, gain a warmth to them I had yet to really see from the man, gaze falling back to me, softly smiling. He looked so calm and happy, yet somber.

"You've gotten the hang of the whole telepathy thing mostly. But you're pretty bad at keeping your feelings to yourself
, it's
even making me a softy." He chuckled again, and realization set in.
Well
shit, I guess the link we share
truly
shares

everything

. I was at a loss of what to say, so he continued on. I felt something in my chest loosen, a new, foreign warmth spreading through me, the tension leaving Tim's
shoulders,
and closing his eyes.

"It's...been a long while since I've trusted someone new, but you are so
truly
kind and honest, and you
really do
care about us, so I know I can trust you.
You have an empathy most people would never understand, but it hasn't twisted you like us. I
...
I hope it stays that way." His voice trailed off, opening his eyes again, and that spreading warmth
quickly
retracted, closing off once more, leaving my ribs feeling cold within my body. There was something else behind his voice, something hiding away
, he
knew something. I carefully leaned forward, just enough to not fall off the chair.

"Wanna talk about it?" He only shook his head, instead drinking
down
the rest of his tea before leaning back in his chair, smothering out his neglected cigarette in the nearby ashtray.

"Nah, it's fine. But we're
gonna
be here a while
, anything
you wanna do?" He pulled out his phone, the screen lighting up his face with a bright white light, contrasting the gentle orange glow of the fire. He fiddled with the phone
for a bit
, occasionally glancing up at me, waiting. I could only hum, looking around, trying to think of something. But there wasn't much to begin with
, the
cabin was mostly empty, just a place to hide
out
in, not live in.
"Not too sure, any ideas?" I turned the question back to him, hoping for something. He stared at his phone a while longer, his index idly tapping the side. He too looked around the cabin, looking annoyed at the lack of anything before his attention was once more on his phone.
"Damn, there really isn't much. Uhh
...
rock, paper, scissors? Thumb war?" He looked lost for what to do, staring up at the ceiling for a moment, brows furrowed deeply, wrinkling his nose. I smiled, shrugging my shoulders.

"Yeah, sure." With something to do in the meantime, he took my mug from me, setting it on the table before turning to
more face me
, placing one fist in the palm of his other hand. I
simply
balled my hand into a fit, hovering it in the air a few inches from his
own
hands.

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"

A simultaneous shout, throwing our hands out with our weapon of choice, a
tie of paper
.
Unlike when
me and Sally
played at the facility, this game
only lasted
a few rounds before it quickly fell boring and stagnant.
With the child, her excited cheers were infectious
and
not knowing the outcome left us both indulged in the game, but with Tim, we both had the same over-thinking thought process, leaving most of the games to end in a tie, which wasn't very fun.

"Alright, this is just gonna make time feel slower
, thumb
war?" I nodded, unfurling my hand into a half-open, cupped position, Tim copying the gesture, hooking our fingers together, leaving our thumbs free.

"You know how to play?"

"I think? Just hold the other's thumb down long enough?"

"Pretty much, yeah. Ready?"
I nodded again and watched as he started
out
the beginning of the game, something I had never seen or heard before
, copying his actions
.

"One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war." There was no mercy, not even a sliver of the thought. I didn't even have a chance to react before
my thumb was held down
, I
couldn't even wiggle it free before he had counted to five.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Despite my loss and protests, I still couldn't help the smile and giggle that escaped me.

"Reall now? How's it not fair?" He cocked an eyebrow, smirking back at me, thumbs switching one over the other, back and forth again, ready for the next round.

"Duh, you've got all that weird magic, powers, supernatural bullshit, with all the stupid speed and strength. Meanwhile, I've got one arm!" He laughed at my dramatic accusations, holding his thumb
all the way
back and up, leaving me unable to pin it.

"Fucker." I grumbled, straining my thumb before pulling it back fast enough before he could win again.
A seemed to have
a bit
more flexibility in my fingers than he did,
also
keeping my finger out of reach.
He hummed, grinning as he tilted his hand, pushing mine back, fumbling me enough to catch my thumb and win a second time. With another dramatic flare, I gasped loudly, glaring up at
him,
and pouting
out
my bottom lip.

"Cheater! Now that just fucking rude!"

"Hey now, there weren't any rules about that!"

"It's implied!"

"How?" He wore a cocky, shit-eating grin, leaning in ever so slightly, a challenging glint sparking behind his eyes. I wore my own grin, more mimicking a bared-fanged snarl, the corners of my mouth stretching up, eye squinting with that same challenge.

"
Well
if you knew how to play
games
then you'd know cheating isn't a

fair

,

earned

win. It just makes you look, hmm, oh! Like a

sad, sore loser

!" My top lip curled slightly, though my tone still was playful and teasing. His grin stretched just a little wider, eyes widening a bit, that
small
glint now sparking to life a fire, one to reflect the one keeping us warm from the winter air. His shoulders rose slightly, and his grip on my hand tightened. Challenging him
only
seemed to spark him back to life, something that hadn't returned to normalcy for him.

"You lil shit! Fine then, we'll play something fun,

and

I won't need to cheat to win." His voice took on a new tone, something between a purr and growl
, he
almost looked bloodthirsty, just without the murderous intent. He finally let my hand go, patting his pockets before finding what he was looking for, pulling out a pack of cards, and shaking the box
at me
with a cheeky grin.
"How 'bout a card game? I'll even be nice and let ya choose; Blackjack or B.S.?" He reached to the side of his chair, grabbing what looked to be an assembly of wooden planks, but soon unfolded the dark wood into a small table, scooting it between our two chairs, giving us a surface to place the cards. I hummed in thought, watching him closely as he opened the box and began to shuffle the deck, time and time again. My gaze followed closely, not spotting any sort of pattern or cheat, it was completely random.
"Explain them to me real quick?" He split the deck, thumbing the cards with practiced skill, folding one under the other within seconds before patting them back together.
"In Blackjack, you're trying to get as close to or reach a total of 21, but if you go over then you bust and lose. B.S., or Bullshit, is seeing who can lie the best and get rid of all or most of their cards. We deal with the whole deck and get rid of cards one by one, but the other can't see your deck. You put the cards facedown and say the color and suit. You can tell the truth or lie."
"What happens if I say I put down a 3 of Spades
that you're
holding?"

"I can call B.S. and flip the card. If you're lying, I win. If you weren't lying, then I lose." I hum, slowly nodding my head.

"Not just lying then, but memorizing?"

"Yeah, pretty much. That's what you wanna play?" I nodded, eye flickering from the cards back up at him. I felt a rush of excitement, a real game where there wasn't cheating, where lying was the whole point, play it safe or take a risk
, it
sounded much more fun than glorified math. A grin played at my lips, watching as he shuffled the deck one last time, splitting it and then folding it back together before dealing it into two equal piles, one at a time, alternating between his pile and mine.

Once the whole deck had
been divided
between the two of us
. Just
about to pick mine up,
he
held a hand over my deck, not touching the
cards,
but stopping me, grinning.

"It's not really fun if we
see what we have at all times
to call the liar out.
They're all shuffled, but we don't get to look at them. We draw the top card and place it down
, no
choosing in this game."
I hummed, placing my hand back
down
on my lap, leaning closer to the table, staring
down
at the complex patterns on the back of the cards.

"Ah, I guess you're right. Fair enough, dealer
first
then." He leaned back in his chair, drawing the first card from his pile, staring at the face, firelight flickering across his face.

"7 of clubs." He set it face down, gesturing towards me. I repeated the action, staring back at the card I had drawn before placing it on
top of
his.

"8 of diamonds."

"6 of clubs."

"Ace of spades."

"King of diamonds." So on and so forth. Card after card, intensely scrutinizing the other, searching for any sign of dishonesty.

"8 of clubs." My brow twitched, gaze flickering at the card he placed, fingers lingering for a moment longer. Was that card already played? It sounded familiar. No, 6 and 7 were called, not 8. Was he lying? Or just fucking with me? I hummed, tapping my fingers along my top card, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards ever so slightly.
Liar.

"4 of hearts."
I place my card on
top of his, my own
grin playing at my lips.
It was his turn to hum, a sudden tension filling the room, suspecting the other
of
lying or messing around.

"7 of hearts." We were down to just a handful of cards left, and I couldn't help but grin at him, remembering the red symbol I had hidden under the lie of being a spade.

"Bullshit."
Instead of being surprised
or shocked
or upset, his grin only widened, still holding the card and flipping it over, displaying a king of hearts instead.

"Ya got me." With only a few cards left, I decided to flip my remaining ones to show off what I had left.
An ace of diamonds, a 7 of spades, a 7 of hearts, and the queen of hearts.
He did the same, showing off a king of diamonds, a Jack of clubs, a 4 of diamonds, and a 3 of hearts
. A
few cards showing off earlier lies buried underneath the rest.

We played a few more times, each winning and losing some, but it was fun
all the same
.
It passed
the time
quickly, and before I knew it, the final game
had come to an end
with Tim calling my bluff, leaving me with
5
wins,
and him with 4.
Our tea had been long forgotten, cold and still, too engrossed in the game, basing in the warmth of the fire and the thrill of lying through our grinning teeth.

Finally, Tim collects the cards, stacking them together before returning them to their box, tapping it a few times before pocketing it once more, grabbing his forgotten tea, and drinking the rest of the cooled liquid. I yawned, reaching
my hand
out to the fire, warming my palm against the cool air, a small smile still on my face. I felt happy, calm, and content. A moment
in time
to pause and slow down, to breathe and
just
feel
...
normal
.

"You okay?" My gaze drifted back to Tim, a faint look of concern on his face. I nodded with a light hum, watching the flickering flames of the fire licking the air, softly crackling in the silent night air
. Watching
the light wavering off the furniture, leaving dancing shadows across the walls.

"Yeah,
yeah
I'm fine. It just feels nice."

"The fire?" I couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"Well
yeah
, but I meant just...

this

." I gestured around vaguely. Tim raised an eyebrow, looking around, turning in his chair, and examining the small cabin. He gave me another puzzled look.

"All of this. It just feels nice. It feels normal. There's no stress, no fear, nothing crazy happening. It's calm..." I closed my eye, still softly smiling, feeling the warmth of the fire on my face while the cold air bit my ears.
No screaming or yelling, no pain
, no
worry of being watched or scolded, just a calm, simple, nice moment.
Nothing more than just
...
nice
.

There was a long pause before Tim quietly chuckled, feeling a warm hand on my shoulder, a gentle pat, a comforting gesturing, letting me know that he was there, maybe not understanding fully, but there was still sympathy and care behind the soft gesture. With a gentle squeeze, his hand lingered for a moment longer before pulling back.

"I get that. Well, I'm glad I'm boring enough for it to seem normal."

"Hey! That's not what I said, you drama queen." We both snickered
, it
was lighthearted.

"But seriously, glad I could help, even if I didn't mean to. Sometimes even we need normalcy."
I nodded, leaning back in my chair, eye traveling from the fire down to my hand, honing in
once more
on that pulling sensation.
While the invisible string to Tim remained calm and steady, the other three were frantic, running about, struggling and straining against
...
something. I supposed my mind still wasn't quiet enough.

"I told ya there'd be a freak out...wanna see what's happening?" Multiple tones seeped through him
, his
eyes were mischievous, his grin curious, but his tone cautious and worried, unsure of his own question. My own curiosity got the best of me.
Yeah,
I liked the calm and normal, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to know what was happening.
I nodded a bit too eagerly, but he still hesitated
for a moment
. His eyes drifted away
for a moment
before turning back to me, holding his hand out to me, waiting patiently. I carefully placed mine in his palm, feeling a small shock jolt through my fingertips as the symbol on my hand pulsed rapidly before calming into a steady, deep black mark
, it
almost appeared to hum with energy, sucking away the light in the area, the opposite of glowing.
A static buzz set into my bones
and
my vision
began to blur and shift
.
I felt dizzy as my surroundings swirled and melted away,
shifting
and getting brighter, and suddenly
an
explosion of noises overtook my hearing.

I blinked rapidly, my senses overwhelmed with stimuli. I could hear everything so sharply, so clearly. With each breath anyone around me took, sharp inhales, I
swear I
could even hear the expanding and stretching of the flesh of their lunges, muscles tensing beneath skin, straining to hold as bones and joints creaked and groaned against their own bodies.

I could see through both my eyes now, like when I
was sent away
to that beautiful pool
, everything
was sharp and clear, focused and honed into every
small
detail. Every loose thread of a shirt caught my attention, every single strand of hair that fell out of place and swayed about, the texture of skin with sweat pooled in the pores and sectioned surfaces.
Thousands of needles stung my skin, and the clothes on my body felt almost painful, yet the pain was so significantly dulled that it was only an uncomfortable pressure despite how lightweight they were. Fibers grabbing and pulling at my skin, sticking to my flesh with sweat and blood. I felt claustrophobic in my own skin, I could feel my organs in my torso shifting and jolting around as my body leaped and jolted and twitched and thrashed around. My senses were so significantly heightened and dulled at the same time that it alone was disorientating. It took me a few moments to adjust to all the new sensations before I could even process what I was seeing and hearing. First, shouting, and screaming curses while trying to calm the being down. The smell of metallic blood and salty sweat assaulted my nose, along with something else, something so sickly sweet that it made my mouth water and my heart leaped into my throat. I wanted to vomit, yet I wanted to seek it out and devour whatever it was, wholey and entirely.
"Where!? Where is it!? I can

smell

her! How fucking

dare

you hide it from me!" It was a guttural, screeching roar
. Something
visceral and starving.

"F-f-f-f-fuck off!
This
is why w-w-w-we fffffffff-f-fucking hate you!"

"You need to calm down
, this
is

my

home
, how
dare

you

come in here and demand my family from me!"

"Hey! Watch out! Toby, behind you!" I felt a sharp
pain,
pulsing as I looked down, a large white appendage skewered through my abdomen. Blood poured from the massive hole now in my chest, watching as he yanked violently from my
body,
and continued to stare at the gaping wound
, I
watched with horrific curiosity as muscles writhed like worms, stretching and wiggling, connecting back together, hiding the reforming, pulsing organs. Intestines, a beating heart, part of a stomach reforming, watching as my own body stitched itself back together, skin reforming over the exposed, flayed muscles until there was no evidence left behind of the wound at all, minus the holes in my shirt, the frayed edges stained with a deep red blood.

I watched as my hands reached towards my hips, shaking and twitching, grabbing the two hatchets at my sides, ripping them from their holsters as my body flung around and flew forward
, I
was so fast I couldn't even process it until I was staring into a blank white face, the only features were a
large
maw lined with shark-like teeth, rows, and rows, held open in a roaring snarl as both of axe blades were buried into its face, one right across where its eyes would be, the other in the side of its jaw, cutting with such precision where the jaw bone would connect to the skull, connecting the side of the thing's mouth. I watched as the muscles and flesh ripped apart, half of its mouth falling with gravity, hanging on only by the unharmed other side.

I pushed off the thing's chest with my feet, violently ripping the hatchets from its skull as I jumped down and away, watching as it screeched and hissed, writhing and clawing at its face.

"Where is she!? I need her! I've been looking so long-!" He
was cut off
as multiple gunshots rang out, blasting more holes through his head and torso, blood spraying out in a fine mist, coating the floors and walls. Red and black stained everything
, it
was like a messy painting, splatters and speckles dancing through the air, dusting the ceilings and pouring onto the floor and thick, glossy puddles.

The being crumpled to the floor, giving the three men fighting it a moment to breathe, and gave me a moment longer to process. Brian and Slender stood apart from me, forming a
sort of
circle around the thing on the floor, wearing a black trench coat and hat. The two's clothing was torn and stained. Brian was panting, still pointing his gun at the body
, one
of his eyes was closed due to the blood on his face, trying to keep his vision clear.
And despite his visible exhaustion
, Slender still
stood stall and proper as always, black tentacle writhing from his back, whipping around like
how
an irritated cat would flick its tail.
I finally had the moment to realize that I wasn't actually
here,
but instead looking through Toby's eyes. I had no control
, I
was just a silent observer. He wiped blood from his face, panting hard and swallowing, the back of his hand now coated with a pooling mix of red and black, still holding his hatchets, and the mark on the back of his hand visible, faintingly glowing just as mine had. My vision glanced at it, and I felt a sudden wave of eyes wash over me.

"We g-g-got company." The other two seemed to pause before realizing too. I could almost sense Slender was ready to
speak,
despite not having a visible mouth to open, but Brian spoke first.

"Tim, you better have a damn good excuse to fucking show her

this

." His tone was
serious
and dangerous, like a snake warning before it strikes. There wasn't time for anything else to be said or done before the snapping of bones and
sinew
drew our attention right back to the body on the floor, limbs snapping back into places, spindly arms clawing at the floor as the thing rose up once more, howling as it twisted and charged at Brian, claws ripping at his stomach before he could react, intestines spilling onto the floor with a disgusting wet 'splat' as he cried out, falling back. Slender was just as fast
if
not faster, grabbing the being, pulling him back, and throwing him to the floor, those black appendages darting forward into the other being's limbs, pinning him to the floor by his wrists and
ankles,
through the elbows and knees, and two final ones through the neck and chest, the creature gargling out as blood poured from its mouth, body writhing against the floor.

"This ends now. Contain yourself
or
I

will

get the other involved
and
you will
be forbidden
from ever stepping
foot
on my land again." His warning
was only met
with screeching wails and curses, but after a few seconds of the standoff, the being stilled and paused.

"Why didn't you tell me? You

know

I've been searching for fuckin'

decades

!"

"Why? Because of

this

reaction, and because she is under

my

protection and care,

with

a blessing as well."

"Blessing!? Who-!? Wait, fuckin' Splendy?

He

gave you his

blessing

!?" Rage filled his voice.

"How!? Why!?"
"He spoke to her personally and saw her entire life unfold in front of his very eyes. He picked apart her mind and saw every truth and lie, saw her most vulnerable moments, he knows her better than she might even know herself, and he allowed her to stay. Now unless you wish to deal with him, you will leave and we will reschedule our meeting for later once you have calmed down. I will no longer host you as long as she exists." His only response was a snarl before his body wavered like water, disappearing into thin air, leaving behind Slender's tentacles still embedded into the wooden floor, black blood dripping from them.
Despite the threat now gone, the air was still tense and alight with rage and unease. Finally, I felt a pull on my back and
was thrown out
, everything
around me was fuzzy and dulling quickly, half my vision disappearing
and
my body felt suddenly weaker, and
I was once more sat
in the chair in front of the fireplace.

"Well, shit." It was all Tim could say, and he looked nervous.

"What just happened?" He tried to smile, but it was lopsided and fell quickly, he couldn't even pretend anything was okay.

"I can't really say...but we can go back home now." I pursed my lips, staring at him.

"Are we in trouble?"

"I sure as hell am, but not you." I could only nod, still looking at my hand in his. His hand was warm and comforting, holding onto mine gently, but I could still feel the strength that lay beneath his skin.
Nothing else was said
as he picked me up from the chair, wrapping my blanket around me once more, leaving our forgotten tea behind as we left the cabin, walking once more through the dark and snowy night towards the house. Despite the cold air, I felt warm inside
, I
felt happy that I
was given
a moment to relax and just be
...
normal.
Despite the last-minute display of gore and anger,
being able to relax and play
cards was enough to leave me contently happy.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The massive house finally came into view, a figure already stood waiting on the porch for our arrival. I felt Tim tense up, holding me `just a little tighter to his chest. His footsteps even seemed to slow down a bit, not yet wanting to hand me over. The crisp snow crunched under his heavy footsteps, the only sound besides the soft howling wind snaking through the trees around us. The moment felt like it lasted forever yet went by so fast, almost as if I blinked and we were on the porch, the wood creaking under our weight. Meeting the man on the porch, I felt my blood chill slightly."The Boss is having me take her, he wants you in his office. Now." He looked at us with disinterest but spoke with a stern, yet concerned, voice, his hollow eyes staring at us both coldly, his signature blue mask missing. Tim said nothing, he only inhaled sharply, hesitating slightly before holding me out somewhat to the taller man, Jack holding out his arms, trading me off with ease between the two. Jack stood there waiting for a few moments as he watched Tim walk into the house, leaving the door open behind him, hearing his footsteps walking further and further away before they disappeared. Jack was silent, finally turning and walking into the house too, shutting the door with his foot, looking around at the mess of broken furniture and cracks in the walls. Everything was slowly shifting with an invisible force, the house was mending and rebuilding itself, repairing the furniture, straightening out the crooked photo frames, healing the chipped paint and holes in the walls. He seemed to hesitate, looking around, at anything and everything, except down at me. Finally, he began to move again. Taking slow, careful strides, and with every creak of the floorboards beneath us, I could feel the muscles in his arms tense further and further, so much so I was surprised the tension in his muscles wasn't snapping like a rubber band under pressure. A trip back to the familiar infirmary. It was a private space, but neutral. He seemed to avoid my room, and all the others appeared to go in and out freely, but he always hesitated when he needed to enter. Maybe he just respected privacy and boundaries more? I wasn't sure. He was difficult to read, like Tim, but more so. "Why are we back here?" I couldn't stop the question, just wanting something to fill the silence and satiate my curiosity. He didn't say anything for a few moments as he, all too eagerly, set me on the chair and quickly backed away, the door to the room already shut, and this time, to prevent another intrusion, locked. "It's safer.""Safer? From who?" He didn't respond."Can't we hang out in my room? Or the living room? I think that'd be far more comfy." He only shook his head, mouth sealed shut as he aimlessly milled about the room. Opening cabinets, looking at glass jars and orange pill bottles before putting them back, opening drawers, and reorganizing the already pristinely perfect tools and medical instruments. Sure he was hard to read, but he was very clearly avoiding something and trying to distract himself. And it was starting to bother me."Is...is something wrong?" It was my turn to hesitate, worried that it was something I had done to upset him. I fidgeted where I sat, the air was uncomfortable and tense."No." The answer came too fast, rushed, and dishonest. I paused before trying again."Are you sure? You can talk to me-" I was cut off by him slamming down a glass jar, shattering it, and spilling the contents all across the counter, a clear, odorless liquid dripping onto the tile floor. An ear-piercing silence filled the room, and I kept my mouth shut. He slowly began to move again, gathering rags and a small handheld dustpan, cleaning up the glass and sopping up the mess, disposing of it all in the small trashcan. He moved almost...robotically. "I...I don't want to scare you...or hurt you." He stood at the counter once more, staring down at the white marble, not daring to look at me. I couldn't find any words, so instead I just let him speak at his own pace, letting him think through his words. He spoke slowly, long pauses broke up each sentence, but slowly, it came together. "I want to be careful. You are extremely fragile, you're just a human, it's so easy for you to die, and for any of us to kill you. But it's harder for me to not kill you... you're smart, you already know what I eat. I..." There was a long pause, his breath shaking as he spoke, his voice was strained, and his shoulders heaved. "I have never smelled someone so fucking disgustingly delicious before. You... you're something rare, everyone can smell it, but my sense of smell is so much more powerful, and it's intense. I don't want to be seen like this, but I don't want to attack you where no one can get to you, so it's safer in here. For both of us." I should have felt afraid, a small part of me did, but I honestly felt sympathetic. He was struggling against his own instincts, and despite how cold he acted, his small, hidden actions showed a cautious tenderness to him. "And that's also why that fucker freaked out," He vaguely gestured to the door, referring to the area outside."He smelled it too, and he only wants to devour, invade, infest, assault, and ravage. He takes what he wants with no regard for who or what he hurts. He's the worst of the worst, and we only associate with him because he's the Boss's brother and another protector, but the title doesn't fit him. He smelled you here, he smelled what we are constantly sensing, and he lost his fucking mind. He should have more restraint than any of us, but he still reacted like that. Can you even begin to imagine what I'm going through? Living in the same house as you? You're all I can smell, your scent is everywhere, this whole place reeks of you, and I've never felt so fucking hungry before." He lifted a hand, wiping at his mouth, still turned away from me, hiding from and avoiding me simultaneously. I could only stare at his back, listening carefully as the minutes ticked by, as he pieced together his own thoughts into words. There was another long, painful pause before he spoke again."I'm sorry...but, can I draw some blood..?" He sounded so hesitant, so unsure, and even scared of his own question. He finally peaked over his shoulder at me, his hollow eye staring at me wide and unblinking, and I swear in the darkness of them, there was an even darker, pitch-black pinprick of a pupil, shrunken into just a dot by his own fear and uncertainty of his hunger. "To...drink?" He only nodded slowly after a few seconds. Alarms blared in my mind, but I pushed the feeling away and instead gave him a gentle, reassuring smile with a nod of my head."Of course, but only a bit, okay?" He looked surprised by my answer before relief washed over his features, and he all too eagerly flew across the room with a purpose now. A needle, a long plastic tube, hooking it up an empty I.V. bag, clean hands now adorned with gloves, scooting his stool closer to where I sat. Now seeing his face, and so close, I could see the drool dripping from the corners of his mouth as sharp teeth bit into his lip in restraint. His hands shook and more black fluid leaked from his eyes like tears. His gray face and pointed ears were blushed with a deeply desaturated blue color and his breathing was heavy. He was holding back from taking a bite out of my arm or neck.He took a deep breath, trying to steady his trembling hands as he laid my arm on the armrest, palm up, cleaning the crook of my elbow before wrapping an elastic band around my upper arm."Are you sure this is okay?""Yeah, if it can help you, then I'm happy to spare some blood." He didn't need to be told twice, swiftly finding a vein and puncturing the needle into my flesh. We both watched as deep red blood flowed through the tube and began to fill the bag. He stared with such a deep hunger at the bag, that more drool dripped from his chin. One of his hands still rested on my forearm, tense and gripping my skin, claws digging in ever so slightly, broken through the gloves, fingers still shaking. We sat in silence, watching my blood flowing into the bag, and only when it was about a quarter, maybe a third, full, he pulled the needle from my arm, holding a cotton ball over the small puncture, wrapping gauze around my arm, sealing the small wound shut, and finally untying and removing the band. Despite his quick actions, he was still methodical and careful. I watched as he cleaned everything up, my vision slightly blurry, my head a bit dizzy, but I kept myself sitting upright and from tipping over. A quick glance at me and his features shifted slightly, his hollow eyes seeming to refocus from their hazy hunger into attentive concern. In only a few seconds, a small side table was rolled next to me, a juice box on top with the straw already punctured into it along with an open back of fruit snacks."Eat up, it'll help you feel better. With your missing limbs, your body isn't going to be producing nearly as much blood as someone who...still has their body intact. Your body is smaller now, there's not nearly as much blood as before." He tried to speak carefully, but he never sugarcoated anything before, so it was a bit difficult for him to do so. I just gave him a thankful smile and picked up the juice, slurping it down gratefully and quickly before turning my sights to the fruit gummies. He watched me for a few seconds before looking back to the blood bag he had just collected. With only a few gummies left, I watched him walk around me and back to the stand with the bag, the tube still attached. His movements were robotic all over again, erratic and jerky. There was a sense of excitement and apprehension to him, it was clear as day. Picking up the end of the tube, he stared at it for a few ticking seconds, weighing the option in his mind before lifting it to his lips, twisting a small, white plastic piece on the tube, letting blood flow out as he drank. He jerked his head back, coughing and hacking, spitting the blood out and splattering it across the white floor. He pinched the tube in half in his hand, stopping the flow of blood as his other hand slapped over his mouth, fingers digging into his cheeks. He was still for a few moments, heaving heavy into his palm, nose wrinkled, brows furrowed in confusion, with eyes wide and staring off at the wall. I could only watch, I had no words, and I couldn't think of anything to say or do. I was surprised when he took another sip. Smaller this time, hesitating, but this time he didn't spit it out. He swallowed the blood and licked his lips, then another sip, and another, before he began to eagerly drink until the bag was empty, stained with smeared blood stuck to the inside of the bag. He stood there, plastic tube still held tight in his hand, I could see him licking his teeth clean of any remaining blood, savoring the taste."Are, uh, are you okay..?" He didn't look at me, just nodded his head slowly. "I'm fine... it's...interesting.""Interesting bad or interesting good?" He hummed in thought, finally setting the tube down, crossing his arms, fingers tapping along his skin."Good...too good. It's so good it's bad in the best way. I... don't know how to describe it. But it makes the smell so much stronger." He trailed off, and his words left a cold shiver to crawl along my spine. I slowly ate my last gummy, staring at him, unsure if the danger I felt was real or just in my mind. So I waited. He was stuck in thought, mulling over god knows what in his mind silently, refusing to look at me. "Thanks." I raised a brow at him, and he finally glanced down at me, his expression unreadable."For letting me try. It gave me some answers to my questions, and helped my hunger, so thanks." I only nodded, unsure how to respond to being thanked for letting him drink my blood. There was another long pause, the air in the room shifting slightly, cold and tense. “Can…I try something else?” He sounded much more hesitant now, and he looked just as unsure as he sounded. His normally calm and collected demeanor was now replaced with avoidant glances and fidgeting hands. But all the same, I once more agreed.“Sure, if it helps.” Unlike when I agreed before, he didn't seem very eager, he now moved slowly and hesitantly, taking a seat on the stool again, scooting closer, and holding out a hand, a silent gesture to see mine. I rested my palm in his, watching as he flipped my hand over, palm up once more, one hand holding the back of mine while the other, with feather-light touches, traced the veins of my wrist. His black claws were delicate, tracing each vein as if admiring the branching roots of a tree, looking over each once as if expecting to find a rare flower or fruit. I could see his Adam’s apple move as he swallowed hard, looking as if he was holding back from losing his mind.“Are you sure this is okay?” He tore his gaze away from my wrist, looking up at my face, searching in my eye for any hint of hesitance or fear, but when he found none he looked back down at my limb.“I’m sure, Jack. It's okay, I promise.” With a final reassuring nod to him, I watched as he lifted my hand to his face, inhaling deeply, seeming to smell the blood pumping in my veins through my skin. Drool was already dribbling from his mouth again, but he did nothing to wipe it away this time. I was startled when something wet and hot slid across my wrist, and it took me a few seconds to understand it. A long black tongue, glossy with saliva, thick and radiating heat, lapping at my flesh, tasting my skin. I shivered, bumps raising along my skin at the sensation. But I didn't pull away, I had said it was okay, so I was standing by that. He licked my inner wrist a few times, long and slow, either savoring the flavor or trying to decipher just what it was he was tasting, maybe both, I couldn't tell. Then, without warning or hesitation, he pressed his lips to my wrist, almost like a kiss, sucking slightly, sharp teeth grazing my skin, not daring to break the flesh. I couldn't help but squirm in my chair, giving him pause for only a moment. I didn't pull away, didn't tell him to stop, and I was sure my expression conveyed that I was steadfast in my decision, and so he continued. The room was dead silent, the only exchange was between glances and expressions shifting. Finally, there was a light nip at my skin, a small pinch, enough to barely break the skin, fresh blood from the source, though just a few drops, but it seemed to make all the difference for him, humming a sort of animalistic pleased purr. His hands had moved slowly through the process, one tenderly holding the back of my hand still while the other moved to hold my elbow, keeping my arm still with steady hands, but he wasn’t gripping my flesh painfully or restricting me, no, it was all delicate. Despite his actions, despite how it may have looked to any outsider viewer, it was all done with such gentle care, conveying such tenderness that even if he was tasting my skin, feeding on my blood, eating a part of me, a part of me felt some sort of twisted sense of comfort, or perhaps it was belonging? I couldn't pinpoint that feeling, or what it may have been, but it made my chest feel warm and left a small smile on my lips. He repeated through the actions like a cycle. Licking, sucking, nipping, and drinking the drops of blood he drew, licking the small puncture clean before moving to a different spot on my wrist, all the while contently purring like some overgrown cat, a low, deep rumbling in his chest, I could feel the vibrations through his lips against my skin. Every time he moved to a new spot on my wrist he left behind a trail of red and purple spots, each with a small puncture in the middle, licked clean and no longer bleeding. His saliva seemed to seal the wound shut almost. Minutes ticked by and by the end of it, my entire wrist was painted in shades of purple, red, and pink. Deep bruises, though they looked more like a painting than anything vile or menacing, it was quite pretty really. Any smears of blood were licked clean, leaving behind nothing but those marks. Without speaking, he stared down at my wrist for a long while, examining or admiring those marks, it was hard to tell, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He hesitated letting go of my arm, but he slowly did, standing from his stool and retrieving a roll of fresh gauze from the counter, bringing it back over, and delicately wrapping up my wrist, hiding the evidence of what he had done. “If anyone asks, just say you sprained your wrist. My saliva should have it all healed in about a day.” His voice was shaky, but there was a small hint of satisfaction in his tone and fulfillment.“Your spit can heal?”“Mildly, it's not some super medicine. It can be acidic, cause hemorrhaging, and destroy blood cells, or, if I want, it can stop bleeding, seal minor wounds, and induce faster healing.” I hummed, nodding as I listened to him, watching him work on carefully wrapping up my wrist.“That's pretty neat, I’m guessing it helps you eat?” “Yeah, and if I get hurt, then I can stop the bleeding too. But it works in this case too.” He tore the end of the gauze, sticking it down to the rest and tucking the end of it into the rest of the folds.“There, not too tight?” “No, it's pretty comfy…is it supposed to tingle?” He only lightly chuckled, turning my hand over in his, fingers tracing light patterns over my skin and the wrappings.“Yeah, that's the healing properties, it doesn't hurt, but it does feel a little numb or ‘tingly’ sometimes. Just means it's working.”“Ohh, okay.” He slowly let my hand go again as I lifted it up to my face, closely examining it. Any sight of discolored skin was hidden expertly by the gauze, leaving no indication of what had happened just moments before. “I’ll go get you something proper to eat, just take a few minutes to rest, alright? I think I took a little more blood than I should have...” He trailed off, a look of guilt momentarily flashing across his face before dissipating. He stood, pausing for a moment, looking down at me before softly smiling, patting my head, and gently ruffling my hair before leaving the room quickly, leaving me alone in the silence. I couldn't hear anything outside the room, it was perfectly soundproofed, not a single noise slipping through into the room. It was so quiet that my ears began to lightly ring. I felt a bit dizzy, but it wasn’t terrible. Jack was only gone for a few minutes before returning, holding a small plate with a sandwich on it and holding a mug in his other hand, slow curls of steam rolling off the surface. He set the two items on the small table still at my side, offering me a kind smile. He seemed much more relaxed now, less standoffish and more open and peaceful.“Here, this should help, and be careful, the coffee's pretty hot.”“Thanks, Jack, I appreciate it.” I returned the smile before picking up the sandwich and taking an eager bite. It was simple, white bread with meat and cheese, a thin layer of sauce with some salt and pepper, but damn did it hit the spot. Even the simple dishes held so much flavor to them. I took a few bites, chewing and swallowing quickly, far too enthusiastic to get some proper food in my system, before picking up the mug, blowing gently on the surface, the steam billowing away and dissipating before I took a careful sip. It was hot but didn’t burn my tongue, and it was perfectly sweetened to my taste.He once more sat next to me, pulling out his phone, quietly buzzing with a constant strum of notifications, one after the other. At first, he looked confused, staring down at the screen, furrowing his brows. As he typed on the screen, his claws left satisfying ‘clicks’ to hang in the air, but slowly those calm, crisp clicks began to change into violent, fast taps, something aggressive and angry. A low growl strummed up deep within his chest, a low, deep sound that only got louder with each new buzz, his lips curling back, teeth barred in a snarl. “Is…everything okay?””It’s fine.” It didn't sound fine. He spoke a strained slur of words, teeth barely parting to let the words slip through. I watched him carefully, and at the sound of a new buzz, he shot up from his chair, that deep growl now loud and primal, no longer a warning, but something ready to attack.”Jack..? Are you?-“”No! No, it's not fine…” He snapped at me, but in whipping around and glaring down at me, that vicious look quickly wiped away from his face, replaced with something that looked…helpless. His tone softened and faded away. The device vibrated again, and glancing down at it once more brought back his anger, shoving his phone back into his pocket before he began to pace around the room. He was murmuring under his breath, so fast and quiet that I couldn't make out a single word, I wasn’t sure if it was even a human language he was speaking in to begin with. He paced around the room, once more repeating his actions of opening cabinets and drawers, counting items, picking them up, turning them over, putting them back down, and gently nudging them with his claws until they sat perfectly straight before moving on. The only thing I could tell was his tone, how it shifted from confusion to anger to sadness to hope and back to confusion. At times, it sounded like he was weighing options, other times it sounded like he was simply just counting, but I wasn’t even sure if I was hearing him right.I wanted so badly to try and help him, to comfort him, but I had no idea what to do or say, hell, I didn't even know what the issue was. How could I help if I didn't even know what to address? I was just as helpless as he was in the moment. “Jack?” I tried again, speaking softly, drawing his attention away from a scalpel he was holding and back over to me. I gestured with my hand, beckoning him to come back over to me. With a slight hesitance he did so, sitting back down next to me, his shoulders raised and tensed. “Can you tell me what's happening?” He only shook his head.”Because you don’t want to or you’re not allowed to?” I spoke carefully, keeping my voice subdued and steady, not trying to push or pry answers from him, but I needed to know something to try and help. He hesitated at my question, shifting in his seat, avoiding my gaze.”I can’t.” I nodded, humming softly.”Is there anything I can do to help?” He shook his head, biting at his lip, shaking his leg up and down, fidgeting with his hands, scratching at his palms, or rubbing his hands and fingers across his skin. He looked deeply uncomfortable. I carefully reached forward, grabbing one of his hands, causing him to freeze, muscles below his skin tensing up at my touch, but soon slowly releasing. I brought his hand closer to me, holding it softly, rubbing my thumb over the back of his hand, trying to soothe him. He eventually sighed, leaning over in his chair, hanging his head low, staring down at the floor, his hand limp in mine. I stayed quiet, letting the silence fill the room, giving him time to try and relax and think.”I…I’m sorry.””For what?” He paused, opening his mouth before closing it, thinking carefully before finally speaking.”For being so distant and cold to you…I haven't been the nicest to you but I just…I didn't want to hurt you.” His voice shook a little, and it broke my heart. I lightly squeezed his hand and gave a small tug, pulling more of his arm closer, grabbing his elbow gently with another tug until I managed to pull him into a hug. He looked confused at first, but softly smiled with a low chuckle, shifting in his seat, leaning forward and wrapping his arms around my waist, laying his head in my lap, staring at the wall with the door in front of us, still locked and shut tight. I gently ran my fingers through his hair, slow and careful, earning a low purr in turn, rumbling through my abdomen and across my legs.”Don’t apologize for anything, okay? There’s no need for it, besides, if you thought it was best, then why say sorry? Never say sorry for doing what you think is best, alright?” He hummed, squeezing his arms around me a little tighter.”I know, but still…I feel like I fucked up and now I can’t take it back.””What do you mean?” He tensed up again, fingers digging in slightly into my sides.”I…can’t…” “That's okay. Just try and relax then, okay?””I can’t.” He repeated, and I just stared down at him sadly. Even with his lack of eyes, his face showed so much emotion. He looked tired, guilty, sad. He looked so full of regret, regret that he couldn't express. The only thing he could express was to apologize and hold me tight. His arms were warm and strong, I felt protected by the way he held me, even if he was lying on my lap partially, I just felt safe. We sat in silence like that for a long while. I let him hold me for as long as he needed to, which was the entire time. A comfortable, yet unmistakenly sad, silence. One that was interrupted by a gentle knocking at the door. His pointed ears twitched, and a low, momentary growl echoed in his chest before he cut it off, clearing his throat and hesitantly letting go of me. He said nothing as he slowly stood, giving me a final glance before walking to the door, unlocking and opening it.There stood Slender, hunched down slightly to see through the doorframe, but he didn't enter the room. Instead, he looked between me and Jack before giving Jack a curt nod. His hands balled into fists, shaking slightly before walking back over to me, as gently as ever, picking me up into his arms, squeezing me close against his chest. He carried me out of the room, following his boss at a distance, walking much slower than normal, taking short strides, fingers digging into my side and hip. Being so close, my ear was pressed to his chest, and I could hear the thrum of heartbeats and that low, bassy growl. It was near silent, but it persisted. We slowly approached the office, the room empty of anyone else but the three of us. My wheelchair was already in the room, a blanket laid across it with a pillow against the back, and a second blanket laid across the armrest. Jack paused, giving me one last squeeze before delicately setting me in the chair, kneeling down to fix the blankets and pillow for me, taking the second blanket and carefully draping it over my legs, tucking the sides around my back to keep it in place. His movements were slow and deliberate, taking his time, making sure I was comfortable and fully in the chair, lowering himself to my level where I sat so he didn't tower over me. He didn't speak a word, but his actions spoke so loud, he moved me with such peaceful care. Slender did not rush him, instead, standing by the desk, facing away, staring at the ticking clock on the wall, almost as if giving us one last private moment. Once he ensured I was set, he gave me one last hug, a long tight squeeze, combing his fingers through my hair, his head pressed against my shoulder. His breath was trembling, but with one last deep inhale, he stood up, steeled his shaking, his expression once more falling into that all too familiar cold stare, and he turned away, leaving the room with the silent ‘click’ of the door falling shut behind him. After a few seconds, Slender finally turned, looking down at me, silent yet poised, hands folded behind his back, suit clean and tidy once more, no longer torn or blood-stained. But he didn't sit, he stayed standing, looking at me for a long while before I finally heard the reverb of his echoing voice in my skull.”My dear, I have a question for you.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

I stared at him, waiting for him to continue. He didn't for a few ticking moments, the clock sounding out each second that passed by.

Tick, tick, tick.

"If you could, what would you do to be complete again?" I raised an eyebrow. It was an oddly vague question, especially from him.

"If you were not limited by being mortal, by being human, if you could possess the power of a god, if you could do anything your heart desired, what would you do to become whole again? Would you sacrifice a piece of yourself? Another being? Would you give up all of your secrets?" He spoke as if distant, trying to put space between whatever bond we had grown together. He sounded cold and weary.

"You mean, like, get my legs back? My arm and eye?"

"Everything. Your body, your life, a family, a loving mother, a belonging in the world." I scrunched up my nose, tilting my head to the side.

"My body, I would do a hell of a lot to get it back, but my life? A family? My

mother

? I've already lived through life, and I don't want to change or replace any of that; the same goes for my family. That was the deck I was dealt, and so much has happened now that I don't think I could ever call anyone a mother again," I paused momentarily. "Why?"

He hummed, finally sitting in his chair. Folding his hands below his chin, he stared at me intently with his hidden eyes.

"Then indulge me; what would you do to complete your body?" It was my turn to hum, thinking over the question carefully, letting him hear my thought process in all open honesty.

"There's not a lot I wouldn't do. I miss running, walking, being able to hold things properly, being independent, and being able to move of my own free will without any assistance. I hate feeling so useless and weak like this. I would tell anything about myself that someone wanted to know, no matter how much I may not want to say it or how personal or embarrassing it may be. I would do as many favors as it took, give up years of my life just to be whole again.

"I know I wouldn't tell a soul about you all, though. Not where you live, who you all are, or where you came from. Not your stories or walks of life, not your hobbies or jobs, none of that. You've all given me so much trust that I would eternally repay that in a heartbeat, even if it meant my death. Not a single detail, not hair or eye color, not height or age, not even a name or nickname. "He nodded slowly.

"Then what about your humanity? Would you give that up?"

"Well, what would it mean to do that?" He drummed his fingers along the desk, shifting in his chair, leaning back, humming thoughtfully, thinking carefully.

"It would mean never going back to civilization. It means giving up a piece of you that makes you, you. It entails never integrating back into society. You cannot form any meaningful relationship with another human, you will be alone and isolated from the rest of humanity as it means you yourself will no longer be human."

"I would give it up." He seemed surprised by how fast I answered.

"Why?" I could only shrug before responding.

"Look what humanity has been like for me. A terrible mother, cruel creations meant for torture and abuse, it has been nothing but an endless cycle of trauma that I only got away from because of the lack of humanity, you all. I'd be okay with never returning if it meant I could be whole again."

"And if the process is painful?"

"I'd endure any pain all over again." He nodded once more, now staring down at the desk. He was starting to hesitate, the coldness slipping from his voice, turning into something sad and even a bit scared. A full ten seconds ticked by before he spoke again.

"What if I told you I could make you whole again?" It was my turn to be shocked.

"Wait, what? You can? How? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because…" His tapping stopped.

"It is a hazardous process, and nothing is guaranteed. Many have been lost to it, and the risk is extremely high. Many have fought against my decision for it. While, yes, it could mean you regain what you've lost, it also comes with the high risk of losing you completely. You could change far beyond anything recognizable, you could lose your mind and soul entirely."

"Is this the same process everyone else has gone through?" He simply nodded his head.

"But there's so many of them, surely the chance isn't

that

bad-"

"They are each

lucky

to be here. So, so many are lost that they fizzle out of existence, and those that don't need to be put down by my hand. I cannot count how many have died because of this process, and all of those who you have grown close to are the

exceptions

, rare, and incredibly lucky to still have control of their minds and bodies. What you see may seem like an easy, low chance of death for you, but trust me, I have seen it all, time and time again, and I assure you, it is not easy, it can be painful, and there is very little chance you survive." I purse my lips, thinking carefully.

"Is that why you said the others don't want you to do it? Is that…is that why Jack got so upset just now? Was…that him saying goodbye?" My voice broke slightly, the reality of words and actions sinking in, the dread of death seeping into my bones, the heartwarming, gut-wrenching care that the others had for me. God, it made me feel sick.

"Yes." Was his only answer. It answered all my questions with just one response.

"But the choice is ultimately yours, (Y/n). It is not mine, not Jack's, not Sally's, none of them. It is solely up to you. You can make the same decision as they did, or you can choose to stay exactly how you are."

"There's no other way..?
"

"Sadly, no.
"
Emotion began to seep back into his tone, replacing the cold, bitter distance with a depressed, warm sympathy.

"Can…c-can I think about it?
"

"Of course, my dear. How about a stroll through the forest? Would that bring you some peace?
"
I slowly nodded, and he stood from his chair, walked around the desk to me, and grabbed the bars of my chair before the all too familiar reality warping around us took hold. We were outside, still in the middle of the night, snow all around us, except on the path, where it seemed to melt and shift away, leaving a dry trail for us to travel along. The air was cold and nipped at my cheeks, but the blanket on my lap was warm and thick, so the chill didn't bother me too much. He walked slowly, unlike before when he walked with a peaceful stride, no, something about this was savoring the last few moments together as if we would never have this moment again. Well, I suppose that was the point. The chance was so great that this was his goodbye to me. A tranquil, final, sad walk through the woods together.

Neither of us spoke, just existing in our silence together. Through the twisting path, surrounded by protective, towering trees, we ventured deeper into the forest, deeper and deeper, until it opened into a small clearing. There was no lake, no water of any kind, just a small grassy patch from which to look up into the sky, and in the center of that grassy patch was a light brown easel, a blank white canvas already set in it.

"
If I may, I always make a portrait of someone before they go through the process. Like a memento, so I never forget who I've lost or who they might have been in their past life.
"
His voice trembled with heartache. It held such a deep sorrow and helplessness that he couldn't save those poor souls that were lost under his care. With a solemn nod, he continued forward, pushing me to the back of the easel, facing him as he stepped back to stare at the blank canvas. Wavering into existence from thin air was a small table with a segmented top, unfolded with a wide variety of pens, pencils, and paints inside, a whole row of brushes and all sorts of dyes, pallet knives, and more. It seemed like it had infinite compartments that continued to open to more surprises.

He drifted his hands over the supplies before picking up a black charcoal stick, holding it delicately in his spindly fingers. He held it to the canvas but stopped, pulling his hand back, staring between me and the canvas before setting the charcoal back down and walking back over to me. He kneeled down, lifting his hands, brushing fingers through my hair, tucking a loose piece behind my ear, untangling any knots, and styling it into something much more decent than the current mess that it was.

"Would you like me to add your eye to the painting?
"
I hummed but shook my head.

"No, it's okay."

"Are you sure? It's no bother to me, all the bruises and wounds too."

"Yeah, just how I look now is fine; it's how I am now.
"
He finished fixing my hair before standing up, once more behind the easel and canvas, picking up the charcoal and beginning to sketch. He worked with evident skill but unhurriedly. I was sure it was on purpose, taking his time to spend as much time as possible with me before I came to my answer. Every time he seemed to get into his element and start to speed up, he would slow down and pause again, taking a few moments before continuing again slowly. He picked up brushes carefully as if the slightest pressure would splinter the wooden handles, delicately sketched with pencils and chalk, and steeled his hands to paint thin, delicate lines. The cold almost felt like it didn't exist. I didn't want the moment to end. I sat still, smiling softly all the while he worked.

The moon in the sky didn't move or shift despite the passing of time. It hung high in the sky, a thin crescent, just a sliver of curved light in the darkness. But it provided enough light to illuminate the grassy patch, for him to work with, and to highlight me for the portrait. An ever-soft breeze gently ruffled through my hair, but it didn't bother either of us. It added to the moment and provided movement to his piece.

"You said you make portraits for everyone?
"
He hummed softly at my question, nodding his head.

"When we go back, can I see them?
"
He paused, pulling the paintbrush away from the canvas.

"Of course, dear. Though it is quite a collection at this point."

"I don't mind. I didn't know you painted. I'd like to see what everyone looked like.
"
I could almost imagine the sad smile he wore.

"If you wish then,
"
He continued to paint, swiping the bristles across the canvas slowly, using an incredibly thin brush that I could only imagine he used to paint individual hair strands with. He carefully chose a wide variety of colors, adding as much life into the painting as he could, small details that would breathe life into it. Reds and pinks, greens and purples, golden yellows and warm oranges, constraining to cold, dark blues. Mixing unique and different colors on a wooden pallet, small globs of paint here and there, mixing unique shades to the exact tones he needed. I watched him as he worked. It was so serene, though melancholic. The sound of rustling leaves in the gentle wind occupied the space. I had no words to say, and neither did he. It was calm but felt tense, like a building anticipation for the worst to come.

Despite my calm demeanor and soft smile, my thoughts raced, my heart pounding in my chest, a loud echo in my ears. With how silent it was, I was almost sure the supernatural being could hear it, but even if he did, he didn't mention it. He continued to paint, letting me stew in my thoughts and turmoil.

All this time with them, all of them, I didn't want it to end yet. I had just gotten back and was given a choice that would mean I could lose this all. All their hard work and excerpts to save me to begin with would have all been in vain if I died now because of my own selfish desires. But as much as it hurt to think about leaving them behind, leaving Sally and Jane, Toby and Ben and Jeff, every last one of them, it made my heart twist with aching pain. However, I still couldn't shake the hunger of wanting to be whole again. No matter how many reasons I ran through, trying to talk myself away from the decision, I craved to say yes so badly. 
It didn't help thinking about what they had all done for me. Ben giving me a moment to run again, Toby opening up to me about his sister and how Sally would braid his hair, Jack's lonely circus and needing a place to belong, Jeff's helplessness when he couldn't control his life or help those he cared for, Brian needing a moment to himself, to lose responsibility and relax, destress, be free to be himself for just a moment, Tim's hard-headedness and the scapegoat. All of them had slowly opened up to me and wanted to spend time with me and get to know me. They sacrificed and put so much at risk to save me, no matter the pain, no matter the sleepless nights, and here I was, debating if I should throw it all away or not.  I felt sick. I felt disgusted with myself. How could I be so horribly selfish when I owed them so much? But it was all too tempting. Is this what it meant to be human? To be so selfish? They were no longer human, even if they looked it, and they showed just how selfless they could be. Like some twisted paradox, it felt ironic to be selfish and human to want to lose your humanity and become selfless and caring. It would have been almost funny if the offer hadn't been so daunting. I could have laughed if I wasn't on the verge of tears. My hand rested on my lap, trembling, and not from the cold sinking deep into my fingers, no, from the sheer fear of upsetting them. I could imagine their sadness, their anger, their disappointment. I had seen Jack's anger; what about the others? I could almost hear Sally's pained wails, Jeff's screaming, Toby's helpless face, the disgust and betrayal of Tim and Brian, and Jack's despair all over again when he was begging and screaming for me to remember him. I could see Jane's tears all over again. Ben helplessly hurt at all he had gone through just for me to turn my back on them and choose this decision.  I could hear the shouts and see their faces, all so crystal clear in my mind, and it made my heart ache with such a deep-rooted pain that I wanted nothing more than to cease existing so that I wouldn't feel it anymore, so that all this weight wasn't held on my shoulders, so the stress and images in my mind would disappear and give me peace. So that I could be blissfully unaware of this choice, of existence, of life itself, and that none of this would have ever happened.
But I didn't actually want that. I loved every moment with them, and I adored them all in their own unique ways. I was glad to meet them, learn of them, get close to them, and grow those bonds. I was happy to have it all; I didn't want to lose any of it.

"Sir-Slender?"

"
Yes?"

"How much will I change?
"
He paused, looked over the canvas at me, and then took his hand away from the painting.

"I cannot say. I have no control over that part of the process. Do you remember the pond that I sent your soul to?"

"Yeah.
"
I nodded my head, watching him through blurred vision.

"You will go back there, and the Guardian will guide you. They make the choice of who can become one of us. However, just because it has an affinity for you does not ensure your safety. It is a being tied to ration and primal, raw emotion and thought. It has no filter. They might like you, but that does not mean they think you belong with us. The Guardian will test you, examine the deepest parts of you, and they will decide. They will change you as they see fit; they will make you into what they believe you need to be physically, mentally,
and
emotionally. The core of your very soul will be changed as they see fit. No one else has any control or say in what they choose.
"
I slowly nodded, feeling no comfort from his words. But I wasn't looking for comfort; I wanted to know what I was getting into and what would happen to me. I already knew my answer, but I wanted to delay it. A part of me knew that he already knew, too, but he was giving me the time I wanted before I had to leave, possibly forever. Even his painting seemed to slow more.

"What…what happens when someone changes too much? Is that how you lose them?"

"
Sometimes,
"
He nodded. "We have a few who are still with us who changed so drastically, they barely hold on by a thread, but there is still enough of them that they survived. Only one of them is under my care; however, the Rake, you've met him before. The others are under my brothers' care. They are all animalistic and barely able to communicate. Still, they understand the bare minimum of their existence and what they must do to survive and know not to attack their fellow residents. However, too many changes, overall, tend to leave a mess of flesh and bones only held together by loose sinew and muscles that involuntarily contract. They have no control over their minds or bodies. There is nothing left but a broken soul that I must release. Their minds are so far gone at that point that they do not understand the world around them. They are no longer conscious that they can't even feel the pain their body is in. It's merciful in a way, but it pains us to see them that way all the same."

I swallowed hard, seeing the vivid images he painted in my mind with his words. A shambling bag of flesh, groaning with hazy eyes, not a thought or idea behind them, just something with enough functioning organs to barely survive. It terrified me that I could turn into something like that, but there was still that slim chance…

I stayed silent, stuck in the whirlwind of my thoughts as he continued to paint. He finally stepped back, looking over the canvas with a satisfied nod and low hum, content yet sad. He turned the easel around, showing me the portrait, and I couldn't help the small gasp that left me.

It was gorgeous.

A dark night sky dotted with the gentle glow of distant stars, the silver sliver of the moon framed next to my face, following the contour of my cheek and chin, framing me with a halo that almost looked like an angel's. My hair held a subtle movement of wind, flowing gently to the side, silver and blue light reflecting off the strands in the moonlight, decades of rainbow colors reflecting off the lightest parts, pushing more color into the painting. Gentle flushing to my cheeks, capturing the bruises still decorating my skin, my chapped lips pulled into a soft, melancholy smile. My eyes were tired, with bags below them, my missing eye closed, the lid slightly sunken in. However, my remaining eye shone with so much light and beauty, flecks of color in my iris that I would have never thought to be there. Despite the bruises, scars, and imperfections, I finally got a glimpse into how he saw me. Perfect and beautiful in every way, no matter how I looked, what I had gone through, a quilt of stories sewn together into a perfect blanket of my life, speaking to who I was and what I was like, all shown through the beautiful portrait of my face. I had never looked in the mirror and seen myself like this. Still, in that moment, I saw what I meant to him and all the others, and the tears finally began to fall.
Streaming down my cold cheeks, I broke down into a mess of pained sobs, crumpling over in my chair, my head hanging low, nearly touching my legs, pressing my hand into my face to cover my eyes as my lips trembled and pulled back tight as I bared my teeth, trying to hold back, but I couldn't. My throat burned as I sobbed. It just made my decision all the more difficult. His arms were around me in an instant, holding me tight, kneeled down as I cried into his chest. Gently combing fingers through my hair, holding me tight, I could feel his own hands shaking. He was just as scared and heartbroken as I was, and it just hurt more and more. I didn't want to say goodbye; I didn't want to leave it all behind. But I knew I had to try. If it did work, I could help, be whole, be useful, and enjoy making my life my own for once. If it didn't…
"It will all be alright. They won't be angry with you. They all made the same choice as you are. They will understand (Y/n). I understand why you would want to go through this; I know it is difficult, but their anger will only fall on me for allowing it. They only have care and admiration for you.
"
I couldn't even ring myself to speak. I didn't want them to be mad at him; I wanted them to be mad at me. They had every right to be angry with me, but not him. I wanted this; this was the sole decision that I was making, so why wouldn't they be glad of me? They should be.

"No, they shouldn't." I only cried harder as he tried to comfort me. But he let me cry as I needed to. He didn't try to soothe my mind or speak words of comfort; no, he let me revel in my emotions, let me wail my sorrows and pain. I could only keep thinking of their faces and how much it hurt. I cried for a long while, held in his arms, giving in to the deep-rooted pain I had been trying to hold back until now. I had made my decision, but it didn't change the regret and selfishness I felt. I wasn't sure how long I cried; I only knew it was a long while until my tears finally dried up, though I still heaved with dry sobs before I calmed myself enough to breathe again. I wiped at my face, hiccupping in the aftermath of the deep wailing. But even when I calmed down, he still held me close, not wanting to let go, just as Jack had done. Taking his own time to experience his possible last moments with me.

"Have you come to your decision then?
"
I could only nod. He knew my answer. But even still, he sadly sighed before rising back to his feet, the easel and painting warping away, disappearing from the clearing. Instead of teleporting us back, he walked with me again, pushing my chair gently as we fell into silence. Back down the path we took, but it felt so much longer to leave than when we walked to the clearing. Walking through that winding path once more until we were at the edge of the forecast, looking back at the house. What typically looked daunting and haunted now just looked sad and decrepit, alone and mourning the future loss of another soul. Even the house was miserable. 
We waited at the edge together, not saying a word or moving, just staring at the place I had grown to call home. Any shadows that moved past the windows stopped and stilled, staring down at us, not menacing or threatening, but a silent understanding of what was to come. Eyes full of heartache. Jane was already waiting on the porch, holding Sally in her arms, and the small girl was already crying. 
"Are you ready?"

"
No.
"
He nodded but still began to push me forward again towards the house. My answer would always be no. I would never be ready for this, so it was now or never. As we finally reached the porch, Jane just gave me a sad smile with a soft nod of her head, understanding my decision, but she never looked at Slender. He picked me up carefully from my chair, the blanket falling off my lap, holding me gingerly in his arms. Jane walked into the house first, Sally still silently crying on her shoulder, refusing to look at me.

We walked through the house, bringing me to my room. Slender set me on my bed, leaving without a word. Sally and Jane stayed in the room with me, neither looking at me with their glossy eyes. No one said a thing. Sally was set down, the little girl barely able to stand on her wobbly legs, but even still, she stood firm, wiping at her still-falling tears, trying to be strong for herself and for me.

"Go on then, hun.
"
Jane knelt down to her height, comforting the girl and urging her on. With a shaky breath, the brunette turned to face me. Her emerald green eyes looked so bright, contrasting her red sclera from all her crying. She puffed out her cheeks, trying to hold back more tears, shakily stumbling over to me, reaching up to grab my hand in her two small ones.

"I love you, so you gotta come back, okay?
"
I nearly broke again, my throat tightening and straining, burning all over again as fresh tears stung my eyes,

"I love you too, Sally. I'll do my best-
"

"
No, promise me you'll come back! Please?
"
Her tiny voice was so full of despair that it was killing me to hear it, but I just nodded.

"Okay, I promise. I'll come back to you.
"
She nodded, more silent tears pouring from her eyes as she turned, looking at Jane before a strained choke escaped her throat, and before either of us could stop her, she bolted from the room, sobbing loudly, small hands rubbing at her face. Jane sighed her own shaky breath, standing back up, holding back her tears.

On the bed next to me was a white box with a glossy black bow on the top. Taking a few steps forward, she opened the box, pulling out a single black dress, one that looked similar to the ones she wore, although the sleeves were long and flowing.

"Let's get you ready, hun."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Jane was silent the entire time. She helped me wash up, get dressed, and pull the dress over my body. It was long enough to cover what remained of my legs, the sleeves falling over the palm of my hand. She didn't tie off the left sleeve, leaving it loose and falling at my side. She carefully brushed my hair out, sitting on the bed behind me, enjoying the moment with me. No one came to visit me. No one knocked on the door or entered the room. The entire house was silent and still. Once I was ready, she silently stood. She couldn't even bear to look at me, leaving the room, the door left open, her soft footsteps echoing down the hallway, stopping for a moment before returning with another set following her.She waited outside the door as Brian walked in. He tried to smile, but it was shaky and faded away quickly. He easily lifted me from the bed, ensuring I was comfortable in his hold, before taking me out of the room, down the hallway, through the living room, and once more out the front door. Slender waited for us there, looking down at me, nodding to himself. There was a routine with how quickly they moved, but it all felt so fast, giving me no time to breathe or process what was happening. We were warped to a familiar lake, the one that Slender's brother had taken me to but the bench we once sat on was gone, but the tree remained. The water was still, reflecting the crescent moon in the sky. The water looked black in the darkness, a void reflection with tiny dots of the night sky stars. Everyone else was already there, waiting, staring into the water with disdain and sadness. All eyes turned to us, sensing our presence, even without speaking a word or making a single sound. Brian handed me off to his boss, walking over to stand beside Tim and Toby, joining the group as they all watched on. Some stayed standing while others sat in the grass. They looked too tired or glum to remain standing. No one said a single thing, but their expressions spoke plenty. Slender walked to the lake's edge, looking out at the water before turning his head down to look at me." I hope to see you soon.""I hope so, too." My voice was barely above a whisper, but attuned ears all heard me, and someone finally let out a sob. Slender walked forward, wading into the water with no resistance, as if simply moving through the air, wading deeper and deeper until the water was to his waist. I felt slithering under my body as I was lifted from his arms by those familiar black tendrils that protruded from his back. His arms were outstretched, hesitating to let me go. Still, with his tendrils, he carried me further out into the lake to the very center. I could see everyone from where I hovered in the air, still watching me carefully. Yet, all I could do was offer an apologetic smile. With utmost care, I was lowered into the icy water, submerging my legs, my torso, my shoulders, and finally, my chin. I took a deep breath, and closed my eye as I was finally fully submerged. The water muffled all the small natural noises of the world, leaving me alone under the water. The tendrils retracted, leaving me to begin sinking to the bottom, unable to swim. My lungs began to strain, and my nose burned, but a familiar static began to fill my mind. It numbed my senses before I felt a pull deep within me, something deep within my chest that moved up into my throat and pressed against the back of my lips, pulling and pulling until whatever it was shot out of my mouth, and my mind fell blank. My vision distorted all around me until I was standing on an all too familiar stone platform surrounded by prismatic waters. The Guardian was already there, waiting for me. Its watery face peering up from the lake, staring up at me with blank eyes that constantly shifted, the same as its features, morphing from face to face. Knowing what I did now, staring back at the being, I could see everyone's faces in its: Jane, Ben, Jeff, Toby, Laughing Jack, Brian, Toby, Tim, Eyeless Jack. All of their features were in the being."Hey there." It stared at me silently, slithering from the water and onto the podium, ripples running through its body with each movement. It moved slowly, like a predator stalking its prey. It crawled closer to me until its face was only inches from mine."You're back." I nodded."I said I would." It hummed, the vibrations sending ripples along its throat. It slowly began to look over my body, once more naked in this realm. Hands gently feeling over my arms and legs, running across my back and shoulder blades, feeling along my spine and ribs and collarbones. They examined me closely, inspecting every last inch of my skin, memorizing the bones, muscles, and tendons beneath my flesh. Running hands through my hair, holding my cheeks, staring into my eyes, rubbing a thumb across my lips, light touches across my ears and down my neck. It was methodical and slow."You wish to change?" Their voices sounded different from when I first met them. They were still echoing, but now they sounded much louder and serious, authoritative and knowing, not curious or soft. "Yeah," I answered with a nod of my head. The Guardian stretched my arms high above my head, feeling the muscles in my upper arms and lightly pushing its thumbs into the crooks of my elbows."Do you think you belong?" I paused, thinking carefully."I hope I belong.""No, do you think you belong?" I hesitated."I think so-""Why?" They spoke sharply, catching me off guard. I spoke too quickly as if the answers were forced from me before I could think too long or try to change them."I'm like them, and they're like me. They know what I've gone through, they understand, they've been through it too. I feel like I have a place with them, and I feel welcomed and have a sense of belonging. I can feel the care they show for me, and I feel I owe them so much that this is the only way I can repay them for all they've done." It hummed again, laying me on my back, grabbing my hips, and twisting my lower half to the side, testing to see how far I could bend before I broke."Do you belong?""No." It paused, looking up to stare at my face."I don't think I deserve this; it's too good to be true, but I want it. I need this; I need to show them what they mean to me. Sometimes, I feel like I'm intruding, but I still feel that belonging. I want to be one of them and help them like they've helped me. I want to be useful, I want to have a purpose, and they've given me a purpose. They've given me my life back when it was never mine to begin with. I want to give back to them what they've gifted to me." The Guardian leaned down, inhaling the scent of my throat, a hand tilting my chin up, bending my head back awkwardly."You feel like you belong but that you don't as well?" I nodded."Curious." A long silence followed as it continued to move me around like a doll, bending me every which way, feeling muscles, and stretching my limbs to their limits."Your body is dying." I already knew. I could feel it. My body was sinking. To the bottom of the lake, water filling my nose and lungs. My body was dying, and I could feel it. But here, I didn't care, I just couldn't."Do you think you are worthy of this?""No.""Do you think you are owed this?" "No.""Then why are you here?""Because I'm selfish." Another soft hum with ripples across its neck. "A selfish little human, and you wish to rid yourself of that?""Yeah.""Such a human way of thinking.""I know." My voice felt caught in my throat for a moment."Are you seeking revenge?""No, not really." "You said you wish to be useful? Will you be? Can you be?""Yes. I will work myself to the bone to be useful." It grinned a sharp-toothed smile at me."Good. We like useful. Useless is trash to be removed." Its cold voice sent a shiver down my spine. Another period of silence followed. Pushing and pulling my body, bending and twisting, distorting me."You are adored.""Hmm?" I was caught off guard by the statement."They adore you. So much love, care, and admiration for your strength and kindness. Despite everything, you still smile and show understanding. Strange for a human. Unique. Delicious." An icy cold tongue ran along my shoulder and up my neck."Such a treat. Even if I change you, that wondrous scent will not be lost; it is so beautiful and delectable. I can smell you when you are near them; it causes such a deep hunger; it would be cruel to destroy you, rip you away; it would only lead to my own destruction." It finally pulled away from me, still holding onto my arms, grinning mischievously. Then, with all its strength, it flung its body back, yanking me violently into the water, and just as it had done before, the water began to rage like a storm, Waves crashing up, strong currents grabbing at my body, pulling me every which way in the water as the Guardian dragged me deeper into the depths. Water filled my nose, but unlike last time, it did burn. I couldn't breathe under the water. My lungs were burning, and immense pressure bared down on my body. I was being crushed under the weight of the water, drowning in its crystal-clear depths. It was excruciating. Dragged deeper until we were at the crystal bottom, the thing still grinning wickedly."I see you for who you are, little lamb of mine. You are something special, but you are small and lack confidence. You are perfect as you are; your choices are your own, and so is your life. I will give you the freedom you desire, from the deepest and darkest depths of your mind, soul, and body. You will be free to live with your decisions, and you will make them." I choked on water as it spoke, the words sinking into my mind without needing to listen. Before I could think, it darted forward through the water, mouth open, latching onto my exposed throat, razor teeth sinking deep into my flesh, drawing blood and making me scream in pain. Water filled my lungs and throat, air leaked from the punctures that cut straight through my throat, the clear water around me turning a murky red with my blood.I was spun through the water before I was roughly shoved into the crystal floor, bloody lips crashing into mine for a moment, giving me a breath of oxygen before pushing my shoulders hard, the crystal floor engulfing me into an inky sea of blackness.I hovered in that void, coughing and choking for air, hands gripping my throat. But I could breathe now; the burning was gone, and there was no blood, not even the raised bump of a scar on my neck from where it bit me. I stay there for a moment, my mind reeling. Then I felt the pain.It was slow and steady, only skin deep, before it started to sink in deeper, down to the bone. A mild discomfort that rapidly gained intensity into a violent, searing pain in my legs, my arm, and my eye. The screams were ripped from my throat. I couldn't hold them back. It was the worst thing I had ever felt, at least when I was ripped open there was some mild numbing from the adrenaline alone, but this? There was no wall or buffer, it was the deepest, realist, sharpest pain I had ever felt. It was so deeply clear in my mind that nothing could rid me of this pain until it naturally faded away on its own. It lingered for so long, a stretching, crunching, growing, aching pain. It was too much that I almost didn't hear the snapping of bones, the creaking of unused muscles unfolding, the elastic snap of tendons flicking into place, and the wet squelch of flesh regrowing and stretching to cover new limbs. The pain was so tremendous that I was sure I could have passed out, but the disconnect from my body left me conscious throughout the whole ordeal.Agonizingly slowly, it began to fade, and as it faded, I could feel my senses sharpening. My ears rang as my hearing seemed to hone in on more minor, specific sounds. The sound of rushing blood cells through my veins, the faint thrum of my heartbeat echoing in my chest, the sound of my lungs stretching with every breath. I could feel the prickle of air on my skin, like thousands and millions of tiny needles grabbing at my skin, pulling at it. Scents I had never smelled before, nothing I could ever compare to anything else. My vision sharpened even in the empty black void, and I felt crystal clarity through the darkness. My mind began to buzz and hum. Hundreds of thoughts rushed through my mind all at once. Ones that would typically make me feel guilty or selfish left me feeling nothing of the sort. No, they just filled me with curiosity or satisfaction. Ones I might regret were replaced with confidence in my decisions. It felt odd, but it was so incredibly freeing to feel. I could feel the smallest of shifting within my body and in my mind. Like a worm crawling through my very being, inspecting me closely, making small adjustments here and there. Through my legs and down my arms to the very tips of my fingers. Crawling through my nails and deep within my bones. I could feel it all too keenly. Within an instant, it felt like I was being swung around and slingshotted back into that icy cold water. No, it wasn't just cold now; millions of painful tiny arrows of icicles dug into my skin. It was so cold it was agonizing. Water filled my lungs and mouth, but the shock of it all left my lungs squeezing, pushing a current of water out of my orifices, my jaw clamping shut in self-preservation. My eyes shot open, seeing through the darkness of the water as if it were daytime. My body burned and ached, and the dress clinging to my body felt too tight. My legs kicked quickly, frantically, touching the sandy bottom of the lake. I found my footing and pushed myself up, perhaps with more strength than I meant, cutting through the water like a knife, splashing to the surface with a piercing gasp, inhaling gulps of oxygen.Everything was so loud. Screaming, cheering, curses of excitement. The splashing of the water sounded like thunder in my ears, the light wind rustling through tree leaves sounded like a stampede, and the distant sound of a critter miles away chewing at some grass was like an irritating itching in my mind. I gasped sharply, hungrily gulping in air, my wet hair clinging to my face, my hands cutting through the water with such strength it was as if there was no resistance anymore, like a ghost phasing through a wall.My own gasps were sharp to my hearing, like daggers. A whole new world of scents invaded my nose: mud, sweat, salty tears, stale air, and fresh oxygen leaking from trees, grass, and flowers. Pollen tickled my nose, and the smell of dust and dirt gave me a headache. I could smell the plant life that even lay below the water.I began to kick and swim, my limbs aching painfully, and my eye felt horribly uncomfortable in its socket, so I kept it squeezed shut. I swam with fever until my hands found purchase on the muddy bottom, my nails digging into the ground and pulling me forward like a tired animal, crawling on the ground until I was freed from the lake's icy grip, still coughing and sputtering, water still leaking from my nose and mouth as I hacked up what few drops remained in my lungs. I breathed deeply, my lungs expanding fully, painfully. My whole body shook, sharp black nails digging into the grass below me. The dress clung wet and heavy to my body, keeping me cold in the freezing night air. There was still cheering all around me; it was so loud that it made my head pound."Fuck yeah!""I knew it!""Holy shit!""She's still here!""Go tell Sally!""Oh, hell yes!""Holy shit, I need a fuckin' nap after this.""I'm goin' to throw the biggest party any of you bitches have ever seen!"I heard the words, but did not yet process them. It was too much. I felt so overwhelmed, so weary. Gentle static filled my mind, numbing my senses to what I thought was normal, relaxing my body to a gentle ease, and dulling the pain to a simple soreness. Then, my body felt weak, and my arms slowly gave out under me. Slowly lying down in the grass, panting until sleep overtook my mind, a gentle release from overwhelming reality. They all held their breath, staring unblinkingly at the water. They watched as you were slowly lowered into the cold depths before Slender let go. The water was still for a moment before bubbles began rising to the surface, a sudden slew of them, then nothing. They knew what was happening; they had seen it time and time again and had been through it themselves. You were now elsewhere while your body slowly drowned and sunk to the bottom of the lake. Ben shivered at the thought. He never liked the ritual.They didn't even speak amongst themselves, they stayed eerily silent, all watching. Jeff sat in the grass, arms resting on his knees, hands folded together with his chin resting on them, legs pulled up to his shoulders. He stared intensely, nothing could make him look away. His anger was contained for now, but it was every to see the man so…calm. Jane sat beside him, a rare moment when the two could peacefully exist within the same space. Toby, Tim, and Brian all stood together, sharing glances but keeping both their mouths and minds silent. Their glances were enough. Worry, hope, fear. Ben stood alone a distance away from the water, observing, eyes flickering across the surface at any slight movement. Eyeless Jack stood behind Jeff and Jane, arms crossed, mask hiding his face, staring into the distance, standing still as a statue. All the while, Slender and Laughing Jack stood at the very edge of the water; Jack knelt down as if ready to dive in after you. Despite their sharp senses, they had years to grow accustomed to them, so despite all the noises of the world living and existing around them, to them, it had become background noise, leaving the air so quiet it made their ears ring. While they could mostly see through the first few feet of the water in the darkness, your body soon sank below that, leaving them blind to where you would float and drift to, where you would sink. All they could do was wait. Wait as the seconds turned to minutes. Stretching on and on. A few seconds, 30 seconds, a minute, 5 minutes, then 10. Fear started to sink in at the 18-minute mark. The process was usually quick; the longest anyone had been under for was about 30 minutes, and you were getting dangerously close to that. The air grew quieter with the passing minutes as bated breaths were barely exhaled, too tense to breathe or blink. At the 40-minute mark, they all had the same thought; they were ready to jump in and retrieve you, though your body would have been long dead by now. Even Ben was prepared to dive into the water. But they didn't. They had been warned to never interrupt the process, if they did, the Guardian would burn the soul out of existence, never to be reborn again. A life can always reincarnate, but a burned soul was gone forever, and that was something they would never risk. Nearly to the exact moment of 55 minutes did the water began to move, small ripples that quickly burst up in a white frothy splash of water, and they all heard your gasping lungs like a piercing knife through their eardrums. The relief and excitement was overwhelming, they couldn't help but scream. Even the calmest of them shouted with their whole diaphragm and lungs, shouts, cheering, waves of exhaustion, and relief washing over them. Jane was screaming, shaking Jeff, who crumbled over on the ground, punching the grass and cheering out. Laughing Jack was cackling, throwing his arms into the air and hollering, cheering you on as you swam closer to the shoreline. Tim, Brian, and Toby were all shaking one another between half hugs and shouts of joy. Brian finally fell to his knees in relief, joining Jeff on the ground in shared mental exhaustion. Ben ran forward, finally joining the group. He, too, grabbed Jeff's shoulders and shook him, hovering above his friend's head, the biggest smile adorning his face. Eyeless Jack stumbled towards the edge of the lake, your all too familiar scent filling his nose. He finally breathed, his shoulders heaving, knees shaking, and he too began to shout, a deep guttural sound like that of an animal. They only cheered you on more the closer you got, too caught up in their excitement to remember just how sensitive your new senses were and just how overwhelming it all must have been for you; their minds were too clouded to think straight. They finally got a good look at you when you crawled out of the water. You looked so tired, panting hard. Your right eye was squeezed shut, but your left was wide open, pupil shrunken and shaking, overwhelmed and unfocused. You mainly looked unchanged, save for a few minor differences. Long black nails, like claws, sharp and robust. Your ears were now slightly more pointed, similar to Jack and Ben, and your canines were sharper, just like all of them. All of your limbs were back, somewhat more toned now, flexing with stronger muscles below your skin, shaking from the cold and soreness of rapid growth. Still, your body was nearly identical to what it was before, perfect in their eyes. All the scars remained, but the bruises were now healed and gone. Your back was arched up in pain, and they all became acutely aware of a singed, burning smell. Light curls of smoke rolled off your back, black with a purple sheen, like oil spill. Your breathing was getting heavier, your eye were growing wider, your ears twitching and flushed from the cold, and the tip of your nose wrinkled up with assaulting scents. You looked ready to scream, the heavy breathing an indication of such. But before anything could happen, Slender halved a hand over your head, not touching you. They watched as your body visibly relaxed, eye relaxing, pupil dilating, something similar to a cat, once small and slotted now round and large, before rolling back, your body weakening, slowly lowering to the grass before you were out cold, breathing slowing into a calmed, relaxed pace. The adrenaline finally wore off of them, quieting down, most now sitting in the grass all around you, looking you over for any sign of harm or anything new, but they saw nothing else. They didn't dare move or speak for a moment; instead, they were just processing the moment; you were here. You were still alive, and now, you were whole again, and one of them. Once a few peaceful moments passed, Slender carefully knelt down, scooping you up off the ground, the water from your hair and dress soaking into his suit, the mud of your limbs smearing across the grass and his sleeves, but he didn't care. He felt just as much relief as they did. You were okay, and that was all he cared about. You were safe.The trip home was fast, filled with excited chatter and curiosity if your mental state or personality had changed. They could only hope, but for now, they were left with a million and one questions. You were brought up and handed over to Jane, who would clean you up. She took you back to your room, your door now adorned with a placard with your name on it. At the same time, the rest waited in the living room, all smiling, excitedly chatting away, trying to stay awake, though a few passed out.As Jane carefully undressed you down to your undergarments, she saw all the lingering scars across your body. Still, instead of feeling sad, she was just simply too happy to have you home safe and sound. She carefully washed the mud from your body in the tub, washing the lake water off you and out of your hair, warming your body up too from the cold. Until she glanced at something along the back of your arm. A black line branched off on your skin and towards your back. She carefully turned you around, still limp and unconscious, and with wide eyes, called for Slender. He appeared within an instant, worry lacing his voice."What is it? Is she okay-" He cut himself off, staring down at your back. All the scars were still there, a massive fresh one still straying down along your spine, but all the rest had rearranged themselves, forming a sort of raised outline for the new thin black lines etched into your flesh, all across your back and down the backs of your arms. Feathers delicately drawn into your skin looked fluffy, forming a pair of wings. Intricate and detailed, just the outline. But they were large and strange. Smokey black shading filled the ends of each feather, gentle gradients that added layers and layers of depth to the wings.Even stranger, it was scarce for physical marks like these to appear. Tattoos, scars rearranging themselves, it wasn't the first time, but it was still a worrying sight. With anything like these, there was no pattern. The few times it had happened before had left one person completely normal, another spread like an inky black disease across his body until he was nothing but a puddle of melted goop, another had seen the mark on her body and went completely insane, far more than what they were already considered, and she had to be killed due to her aggression towards them. They had no clue what this entailed for you, and it worried them. Typically, Slender would want to hide this and keep it quiet, but he knew the possible danger this meant, so while Jane finished cleaning and dressing you, he informed the others of the discovery. Relief was brief as the chatter died down into a silent worry. There was nothing they could do except wait. Wait for you to rest, wake up, and see how you were.  Blackness faded away into a dull, hazy red, light shining through my eyelids, enough to wake me up. I felt groggy, tired enough to fall back asleep, but I couldn't. I felt rested. Too well rested, like my body was bursting with energy. I groaned, rolling over; my entire body ached. My legs, my arms, my head, my back, all of it was accompanied by a pounding ache and soreness. My mouth felt dry, and my stomach growled. I was starving. I carefully opened my eyes, blinking a few times, adjusting to the brightness of my room. My ears were ringing; I could hear the thrum of footsteps echoing all around me, idle chatter muffled by walls and floors above me. Doors opening and closing, the smell of something delicious cooking, the sound of thumping heartbeats, slow and steady. A flash flood of memories swelled into my mind, making my headache pound worse and earning a wince of pain from me. I licked my lips and ran my tongue across my teeth, feeling the slightly sharper, slightly longer canines in the corners of my mouth. I carefully sat up, groaning as pain radiated all through my body. I stared down at myself, taking in the sight of having my whole body intact again. It felt all too reliving to see. But the black nails…claws? Those were new. Glossy and smooth, but slightly thicker than usual, sturdy and strong. I no longer wore the dress Jane had given to me. Instead, I was dressed in a simple loose t-shirt and shorts, something loose and comfortable to sleep in. The non-restrictive clothing felt nice, too. I moved slowly and carefully, not wanting to feel any more pain than necessary. I gently swung my legs over the edge of the bed, hovering just a few inches away from the floor. I wiggled my toes, remembering the feeling of having limbs again. I rolled my ankles around, swung my legs back and forth slowly, and pointed my feet up and down. Moving and stretching what I could. Finally, I set my feet on the floor, planted firm, making sure I had my footing before slowly trying to stand. I wobbled and fell back on the bed, hissing slightly at the pain that filled my back and tailbone. I tried repeatedly, falling back several times before I finally found enough strength and balance to stand, wobbling back and forth slightly, holding my arms out like a toddler would to find my balance. I shuffled my feet forward, inch by inch, taking the smallest steps I could and managing to walk slowly. I carefully made my way around the room, getting used to the sensation of walking again and relearning what it was like. I quickly picked back up on it, finding my rhythm, walking circles around my room until I could take a step without stumbling. I couldn't help but smile down at my body, looking myself over. I was whole again. I could even see correctly!At the thought, I made my way to the bathroom, flipping the light on and looking at myself in the mirror. Not a single bruise in sight, nor scratch. A few scars remained, but I didn't mind. I had both eyes, almost normal, except for the slightly slitted pupils in the bright light. I opened my mouth and looked at my new canines, which were definitely sharper and longer than expected. I looked like a hunter. I stepped back, turning every which way in the mirror, looking over my body, trying to see if anything else changed. I didn't spot a single thing until the sleeve of my t-shirt lifted slightly, showing something black on the back of my arm. I first tried grabbing it, thinking it was a loose thread. But no, it was on my skin, smooth and flat. I rubbed at it, but nothing. Confused, I pulled the shirt up and over my head, letting it fall to the floor before turning around, my eyes growing wide at the sight of my back. A sort of tattoo or mark, like the one on my hand, a deep, almost impossible black, large wings that spanned my back and down my arms, stopping just an inch above my elbows. Feathers with gentle gradients at the tips. In the light, it almost looked metallic, shiny, and glossy, with a massive border made up of all the scars on my back. I could only stare with wide, shocked eyes, staring at my bare back, processing just what I was looking at.