Creepypasta Boyfriend Scenarios - veilsan13 - Creepypasta (2024)

Chapter 1: First Encounter ❖

Chapter Text

Jeff the Killer

"Y/N you do know that the essay is due next week right?", your friend asked cautiously.

You turned your head quickly and gasped. "You're kidding right?", you asked.

Your friend shook her head, earning a small scream from you. "AHHH! After I stayed up all night working on it!", you did your best not to cry, your voice betraying you.

Your friend sighed and patted your head. "Y/N, as least you got it out of the way. Please don't stress out", your friend pleaded with you. "I know you got enough on your plate with school and work, so it wouldn't hurt you to relax."

As much as you hated to admit it, your friend was right. You have been stressing way above what you are used to and losing sleep in the process. You are even starting to mix your due dates. You sighed and nodded. "I guess you're right Angie", you agreed. Angie smiled and rolled her eyes. "I am always right Y/N."

Arriving home, you decided to take Angie's advice and take a break. You know damn well you need it. Considering you have a day off, you relish in jumping onto your bed. The pillows were soft and lulling you to sleep.

A small ding sounded off and you looked at your phone to see Angie's text message of "make sure to get some rest!! You looked dead tbh xD".

You chuckled and set the phone aside after sending a reply. You breathed in and out softly, relaxing for once. Maybe I have been overworking, you thought to yourself. You close your eyes and decide to give into the temptation of sleep. You were fast asleep, not noticing how the window in your small living room was wide open.

THUMP!

You abruptly wake up from your peaceful and needed slumber. You struggled to open your eyes as the need for sleep was winning you over. It had been a very busy week for you; work was hell and school was challenging and well, let's just say you don't know what sleep is anymore. With stress taking over, it was rather difficult to maintain a good sleeping schedule. You almost forget about the noise when you hear it again.

THUMP!

"Ugh" was your only response.

You reluctantly get up and almost as if in a trance, start walking towards the small hallway of your apartment. Now under regular circ*mstances, you would have never gone to check noises. You knew better than that. You were not going to be that typical character in a horror movie that dies first. In this case, however, something disturbed your sleep. Nothing. Nothing is intimidating to you when you are stripped of your precious sleep.

You turn on the small lamp at the counter and you lazily look around your living room and everything seems to be in place.

The TV was where it was supposed to be, your pile of books that cost more than your rent are there too, the figure of a man standing at the open windo- WAIT WHAT!

Your eyes widen in shock and realization.

First of all, there is someone in your home.

Second, there is no way you're gonna be able to sleep after this.

The figure stayed still as if stalking you. You couldn't move. Is this seriously how I am going to die, you couldn't help the thought. Both of you were still, waiting for the other to react.

Time was slowed down as the intruder ran to you and tackled you. You screamed and tried to fight back. I can't die here. I can't. You reached for a conveniently placed glass decorative plate and smashed it onto his head.

He grunted in pain and you pushed him off you and straddled his lap, trying your best to hold him down.

"OH HELL NO! I am not gonna let you kill me! I didn't stay up all night to finish that essay in vain!", you shouted.

Your shouts ceased as you gave a good look at the intruder.

It was something of a nightmare. His unblinking eyes, his charred black messy hair and his pale complexion alarmed you. His smile, that smile was cut into his face. He took the opportunity to push back and the roles were reversed; he was on top now and he looked pissed. "Go to sleep", he raised his knife. You let tears escape your eyes.

That's what I have been trying to do.

Then everything went black.

"Y/N!!" You gasped and your eyes shot open. You looked around your surroundings and noticed you were still in your living room. And you were alive. The room was a mess. You noticed Angie at the door and she rushed towards you. "What the hell happened here?!"

You couldn't help it. You laughed shakily.

"I couldn't sleep."

Eyeless Jack

You could not believe your eyes.

What. The. Hell. Was. He. Doing?

You rolled your eyes and called out your friend. "ABE!! Stop doing that!" Abe scoffed but listened. "I was just getting this guy's number. No need to get mad", his small smile led you to believe he was successful.

You laughed softly. "I am aware, but please, you're only in town for a few days before you go back home", you gave him your signature puppy eyes.

He picked you up in a warm hug. "I'm sorry, I can't help it when I see cute guys. I promise today it'll be just us", he promised.

You knew he meant well. Both of you headed back to your apartment to have yourselves a well deserved movie night. Since Abe was visiting for the weekend, you had planned out day beforehand to have fun. You couldn't wait; but first you had to go rent the movies. And where else would you go but your lovely BlockVuster, the best place for movies galore!

"Alright, three movies: one horror, one comedy and one romance. Got it?", you set the terms as you finished setting up the blanket fort.

The floor of your living room was now covered with blankets and pillows, snacks were spread out as well. Abe gave you a thumbs up.

"Sounds good. I just have one question", he thought for a moment, pursued his lips and gave a mouth pop. You raised an eyebrow. "Why do you insist on going to the BlockVuster that has been rumored to be the in the vicinity of kidnappings and murders?"

"Ahh. Yes. The popcorn taste better there. More selection in movies as well" was your answer.

Abe gave you a deadpanned look. "You are going to get kidnapped if you're not careful."

At the BlockVuster, you scavenged through the rows of films, trying to find one that suited your taste. Abe had taken it upon himself to search for the romance film as he "knows the best sh*t that pulls the heartstrings just right".

Hmmm we already saw most of these, you let your thoughts wander, failing to notice a figure standing close by. You were busy looking for a horror film. But you have seen most of the classics and decided to give something new a chance. Your finger touched a particular movie box.

"Ooo some horror documentary dramatization about a cannibalistic serial killer to satisfy the viewers? Hell yes", you picked the movie off the shelf.

"You like serial killers?", a cool voice spoke next to you. You jumped a bit and turned to see a man wearing a black hoodie and black jeans. You couldn't really see his face due to his hoodie covering.

You gave a shrug.

"I was just looking for some horror and this seems pretty interesting."

He gave a small nod to your answer. The man nodded his head towards the back. "I know some DVDs over there that go in depth of the minds of serial killers."

Your interest was peaked. "I am down", you egged him into taking you to the back.

You couldn't see the malicious smile he wore as another human easily fell prey.

You followed him to the back and you began to notice the lights dimming. Now, this is starting to feel like a bad idea.You guys have already passed the so called section he mentioned. He led you towards a hall, too dark for your security.

"A little bit more", he said. You realized he lead you outside the store into the alley. The cold breeze nipped at your nose and only then you begin to rethink your choices.

"Hey..uh..I think I shou-" you couldn't finish your sentence as he suddenly turned to face you.

Your breath was caught in your throat as you saw his mask. A blue mask with two black eye holes, a black tar like substance was dripping from them. If you weren't scared yet, you'd be more scared when he started to play with a scalpel.

A rusty scalpel.

You started to back away, slowly as he started to approach you.

Why do I do this to myself? Why do I follow strangers into dark places?

"Y/N! Where did ya go?!" Abe's voice broke you out of whatever trance you were in and you tried to run but was stopped by the man's strong grip on your shirt.

You have no idea what happened. Adrenaline? Secret human strength? A will to live?

But you raised your arm, turned and landed a hit on the man's mask. He did stumble back and you made a run for it. As you ran back into the store, you gave a glance back to see no one. Your breathing was uneven and you felt tears stinging at your eyes.

Suddenly, you felt arms snake around your waist and you gave a scream of surprise. You were let go and you came face to face with your friend.

"Y/N, are you alright? You look like you saw a ghost", Abe's worried voice made you want to cry. You sniffled and jumped into his arms. He wrapped them securely around you.

"I don't think horror would be a good idea for today."

BEN Drowned

You stood as tall as you could to scan the crowd looking for your friend. You had just arrived to the airport to pick up your friend who was coming to visit. You had taken the favor of your friend's mother to pick her up and bring her home. You glanced to your phone in which the time read 3:20 pm. She is late, you thought. You couldn't help the smile that spread on your face; she has not changed in the slightest.

"Y/N!!!", your friend screamed as she tackled you to the floor.

You let out a small "ow" and you began to laugh. You patted her back.

"I know you missed me but please, I do prefer standing hah." The both of you rose and you gave her a proper hug.

Your friend, Anna, smiled. "I know but it honestly felt like a part of me was missing! Plus, I have been dying to give you something!"

"Aw, you didn't hav-" Anna quickly shoved the carefully wrapped item into your face. You grabbed the item and felt it was quite hard. You looked to Anna and she just egged you on to open it. Once you did, you were confused.

"So let me get this straight", you started. "You decide to give me a Legend of Zelda game? Something I am unfamiliar with? Knowing I don't play video games?"

Anna laughed sheepishly. "Well, when you put it like that, it sounds like I suck at giving gifts." You sighed. "I'm not saying I don't like it. I just don't understand why you would give me this."

Anna pouted. "I just thought something unexpected would be a good gift."

You smiled and looked back the game. You were not too familiar with video games. You were more of a book worm. You hadn't played video games in years; you were pretty young when you would play. Times change and new interests arise. Still, holding the game felt nostalgic for some reason.

"Plus, you always did have a crush on Link so its a win really", she gave you a sly smile accompanied with a wink.

You rolled your eyes. "I'm sorry Anna, I actually do like the gift. It's just something...unique", you apologized to her. Anna gave a small "yay", raising her hands in victory.

"To be fair, you did give me weirder gifts" Anna reasoned; she was right.

You had given her five pineapples with exactly only seven leaves left just to mess with her; to be fair, it was for your friendship anniversary. You laughed at the memory.

"Alright friend, let's get you home."

After dropping off Anna, you made your way to your home. Entering through the thrshold, you felt a bit of uneasiness. You figured it was due to the fact that you were up down and this whole past week. You dropped your bag on your bed and you let the game rest in your hand.

"Majora's Mask?"

You traced your fingers over the game. It almost felt surreal holding it.

You put it aside to the counter and open your laptop instead. When it does turn on, the page is automatically set to...Cleverbot? You raised an eyebrow at this.

Huh, this is weird.

You brush it off as a glitch of some sort.

Technology is rather odd.

What was more odd was when you heard the small clicks coming from your laptop.

Your eyes widen at the message.

Cleverbot: Hi there!

You were taken aback and against your better judgement, you replied.

You: Hi

To your amazement, you saw the bot 'thinking'.

Cleverbot: I had a quick question

You: Like what?

Cleverbot: wasn't a bit mean to say you didn't like your friend's gift?

"What the hell", was your only response as you stared at the message. It seemed like time stopped.

What the actual flying duck.

Feeling like your little dose of adventure was quenched, you decided to close the laptop. You pushed the laptop away from you and you began to recollect your thoughts over what happened.

And then it happened.

Lights began to flicker and your TV was turned on, revealing only static.

You whipped your head towards the screen. You rose and turned off the screen or at least tried to. It would not turn off. You smacked the TV.

"Turn off, my gosh".

The screen went black. You slowly fell to the floor when you saw words being typed on the screen.

"YoU sHouLdN't HaVe dONe tHaT."

You picked up your phone and dialed Anna.

"Hey..uh..I'm sorry for not being thankful for the gift. But since we're on the topic...uhhh..WHAT THE FUUU DID YOU GIVE ME?"

Laughing Jack

This wasn't exactly how you planned your weekend to go. You were supposed to be at home, eating junk food and binge watching your favorite tv show. But alas, you were here standing at your aunt's home; you were asked to babysit your six-year old cousin. You didn't particularly mind though, you loved that kid like if they were your own close sibling.

You knocked on the door and it was swung open.

"Y/N!", your aunt shouted in glee. "My favorite child!"

You snickered. "I'm not a child. Plus I distinctly remember you saying I was at least second best", you pointed out, in a teasing manner to which you were shushed. You aunt gave you a wink.

"Oh! Before I forget, I need to talk to you about Fiore", she ushered you inside.

You raised an eyebrow. "Are they okay?", you asked, worry tracing the words.

Your aunt sighed. "Fiore has been struggling with school, you know making friends and the like. Their teacher has mentioned how Fiore tends to drift away from the other students", your aunt seemed heartbroken. "I don't know if it's because I leave so often for business trips but I feel like an awful mother. I am trying to talk to my boss about the non-stop traveling; I miss spending time with Fiore."

You almost seemed shock. It was true your aunt traveled a lot for work. Because of that, the small family always moved around, ever since Fiore was young; Currently, they moved near you, so it was easier to babysit and visit your family. Despite that, she always did try her best with Fiore.

You nodded in understatement. "It'll work out, I just know it", you hugged your aunt.

She smiled and patted your head. "Always the optimist. Well, I should be going. Please do keep an eye on Fiore, I'll be back in time for Monday."

Once your aunt left, you called out for Fiore. You heard small steps coming down the stairs and you saw your cousin, running towards you, jumping into your arms. "Ah Fiore! I missed ya kid!", you returned the embrace.

Fiore responded with a tighter embrace. You rubbed their head. Once your parted, you led them into the kitchen.

"Alright kiddo, spill the tea while I make some food. Sound good? And I'll let you know the juicy details of my coworker's escapades" you winked at them.

Fiore didn't really seem to respond but they followed after you, sitting down at the dining table.

"How's school going? I know you guys moved recently. Any kids I gotta beat up?", you asked.

Fiore only stared at their hands, their head down. You stopped what you were doing and you sat next to them.

"You know you can trust me kiddo, I won't tell your mom if that's what got you worried."

Suddenly, you heard sniffles. You cradled the child without question. You rubbed their back as they laid their head on your shoulder. You heard a whisper.

"What was that Fiore?"

"...they think I'm strange."

You furrowed your eyebrows.

"..they don't talk to me cause my eyes are different", was emitted from the sibling.

You held on them like your life depended on it. It was true. Fiore had heterochromia which gave them two different eye colors. It was usually harmless but it did seem to affect whatever Fiore was going through. Usually, the eyes weren't always an issue hence why your aunt did not mention it to you; sometimes, kids were just mean.

"Well, I think your eyes are magical", you spoke up. "Those kids are wack if they can't see that."

"...Someone else said they were magical too."

"Ah, is that so? Who did?"

"It's a secret..." You hugged Fiore a little harder. "You can trust me with your secret." Fiore was silent for what seemed like an eternity.

"...he's a friend."

"Ahh"

"His name is Jack."

"Ah, is he in your class?"

"...." Fiore pulled away from you and gave you a stern look. "Follow me."

Fiore took off running upstairs to their room. You were taken aback but decided to follow as being a kid is pretty difficult; it's hard to make friends. When you met Fiore upstairs, you saw them kneeling on their bed, holding a small box?

"This is where Jack lives." Everything was suddenly clear. Jack was an imaginary friend. It was pretty normal for kids to conjure up imaginary friends. You gave a closer to the box. It looked rather old, its colors were already chipped off. The small handle also seemed worn out. Fiore looked up to you and beckoned you closer.

"Jack visits me and gives me candy. He told me my eyes are special."

You gave them a smile. "That's nice. I'm sure Jack is a great friend." The answer seemed to satisfy Fiore as a small smile spread on their face.

"Jack likes you. He thinks you're pretty." You smiled.

"Well, let Jack know I'm single", you winked. Fiore giggled and put the box aside.

"Can we make cookies?", Fiore gave you puppy eyes.

You nodded and bowed. "Anything for you, my liege."

Fiore jumped off the bed and ran downstairs, you fast on their trail. You smiled to yourself, happy to see your cousin back to their regular self. Now the fun will begin!

Soft music was playing in the background as you laid Fiore on the couch. They had fallen asleep after the sugar rush they induced after eating most of the cookies. Okay, that was actually you but you had made enough and you wanted to spoil them. You covered them with the blanket and you wandered into the kitchen. As you began to clean up whatever mess you made, you noticed a small colorful wrapped candy near the sink. You noticed there was a small note attached to it. You picked it up and almost felt your heart stop once you finished reading it.

Heard you were single ;) - J

You whipped your head around the kitchen. You rushed to the living room to find Fiore sleeping soundly. You shook your head. Everything seemed normal. Nothing seemed out of place. "Relax Y/N, you're just being paranoid."

"Yeah, you're probably just being paranoid hah", a voice teased. You turned and came face to face with the small box. The same box that was in Fiore's room. No way it could've teleported to the room you were currently standing in. You slowly made your way to it and grabbed it. This was really weird and kinda spooky.

"You're easily scared? This is going to be so much fun ~."

That was the last thing you heard before black smoke suddenly appeared. And you fell unconscious to the floor.

Chapter 2: Frights and Paranoia ❖

Chapter Text

Jeff the Killer

You were sitting on a hard bench at the police station. You sipped on a cup of warm tea. It helped soothe your nerves.

That's a lie. You just felt more anxious.

You escaped a serial killer.

But the cops did not know that.

You simply had answered it was a burglar that you got caught up fighting with when you were questioned by the police. How were you even supposed to explain the incident? The killer looked like he came out of a horror movie!

You gave a soft sigh and let the scent of the tea calm you. One of the policemen came into your vision. "Alright, you are free to go. If anything does happen again, do call us for assistance." was all they said.

It's been a few days since the incident. You have been plagued with nightmares ever since that night. You would wake up, drenched in sweat, your heart racing. You cried. Angie had offered you to stay in her home in the meantime but you refused. You cannot run away and hide; whatever that thing was, was your problem. It was your burden to carry. You did however, invest in a metal baton for your safety.

"Alright, you're sure you good? I can stay out a little longer", Angie sat on your couch. She had been at a constant checking in on you and making sure you were at ease. You appreciated the sentiment but you shook your head.

"It's fine. I got my baton at my side and it's getting late anyway", you reasoned with her. You knew she was worried for you but you could handle it. You smashed a plate on that psycho!Kudos to you.

Angie sighed and got up, walking to the door. "Well, if you insist. Just call me if you need anything", she gave you a hug and you patted her back.

"I promise."

After Angie left, the apartment seemed...quiet. A sudden noise made your heart stop as you turned and pulled out the baton, ready to fight.

You find nothing.

The fire alarm you have does its scheduled settings redone to be sure it is in working condition. You calmly walk to the window and make sure it's locked. You do the same for the door. You check the other room, although it was empty, you couldn't help but feel like you could be attacked at any given moment. No matter where you turned, your eyes made figments of that killer. You saw him at every corner. In the shadows. Rear view vision. It was terrifying.

Why me of all people? I thought this type of stuff happens like..anywhere but here, You thought bitterly. Once you entered your room, you turned on your lamp by your bedside and sat on your bed. You wrapped your arms around yourself, curling into a ball and falling into the soft covers. You were scared. I can't even stretch my legs either, it's like he can grab my legs and drag me away.

The thought sent chills down your spine.

You felt a heavy weight on your heart. Despite the fear, you knew you had to be strong.

You couldn't let some Joker reject get to you. You could do this.

"I can do this", you whispered in reassurance. For now though, you needed to sleep. You held the baton tightly in your hand under the pillow.

Sleeping seemed like a good option.

Tomorrow will be a new day.

Eyeless Jack

"Yes Abe, I'm fine. Don't worry", you spoke into the phone. After your small run in, you and Abe had made it a rule to call him whenever you went out, before and after.

Were you scared? Yeah. But it's been a week since.

"Yes, I'll call ya later. Bye bye love", you said your goodbye and hung up. You threw your phone onto the couch and you marched to your room. Ever since that run in, you felt your anxiety come back. You had problems with anxiety when you were younger and through some help with friends and family, it lessened greatly.

Now it was back.

"Ahh", you groaned flopping onto your bed. You needed to go shopping. Your small get together with Abe was spent prepping food for you; whenever you had anxiety attacks, you would become a recluse and did nothing which resulted in too anxious to function. Abe had made sure to have meals set for you for the week.

Due to that, although it was helpful, you had no more food anymore-you had to go shopping.

"This is gonna be pretty hard...but I gotta", you reasoned with yourself.

You have had improvements with yourself as of late but you couldn't help fear...into running into that stranger again. You shook your head at those thoughts. You reluctantly rose from your bed, put on your jacket and headed out to the store.

As you walked down the familiar path you have grown used to, you could not help as you were being watched. Small noises triggered you as of late. A small crack of a branch sent you whipping your head back.

There was nothing.

You quicken your pace towards the store. Luckily, the store was only two blocks away, so it was not far from your apartment. Entering the store, you felt safe. There was more people inside as well; if anything were to happen, there would be witnesses. You made your way to the frozen dinner foods aisle and picked out a few plates to have. You usually preferred to cook but you knew you would not have the strength to do so. Frozen dinners will have to do.

You walked towards the desserts aisle and you contemplated buying your favorite snacks. You felt a presence near you.

"Excuse me ma'am" was what you heard.

You jumped and turned to face an old woman, who seemed a bit embarrassed. "I'm sorry dear. I didn't mean to frighten you. I just wanted those little cakes", she apologized.

You mumbled an apology before moving away. You didn't get your snacks. That was fine. You didn't need to binge eat. The last time you did that...you did not feel too well.

Again, you felt someone's eye bore into you.

You turned again and saw no one in particular. Everyone was in their own world, walking their path. You sighed and walked to the register. Once you payed for your items, you headed home.

I don't think it's possible to run into him again, you thought. You lived in a relatively safe community. There were no mentions of danger when you had moved into the neighborhood. If I stay near home, I should be fine. After all, I only encountered him at the shady place of town. Surely, he forgot about me, you let your thoughts wander as you opened your door.

You locked it and set the groceries in their rightful place. You shouldn't worry. You'll be fine. The likelihood of running into him again was low after all.

BEN Drowned

"Um..I'm not too sure what you meant", Anna stared at the TV.

You had tried to explain the mishaps and it looked like she didn't believe you. "Y/N, you know technology is a messed up thing. I'm sure it was just a glitch", she patted the TV.

You felt irritated. You knew what you saw. But she won't believe you.

"Maybe you need to sleep."

There's no point.

She doesn't believe me, you resigned and gave her a smile. "Yeah...maybe I need to sleep."

Anna left after an hour or so and you were left in your home. Alone. You couldn't help but feel as if you weren't really alone. You walked around your home, securing the windows and locking the door. You made your way to the living room and flopped on the couch.

This was just insane. There had to be an explanation for the mishaps that have happened. You always paid the light bill on time so that can't be the reason why the lights seemed funky. Viruses are prone to infect your computer but it does not make sense. You are absolutely sure you installed the antivirus on it.

"AHHH I KNOW WHAT I SAW!", you shouted in frustration.

You laced your fingers in your hair and sighed. Getting all worked up won't do anything.

Ding!

You took a break from your breakdown and turned to the door.

Who must that be? You peered at the peephole and saw nothing. You began to feel uneasy. Another ding. You peered again and saw nothing.

"Oh..my...gosh", you shook your head. "I am not dealing with this." You were not going to become the first five minutes of Supernatural.

A week has passed since then. You have grown accustomed to the little things that began to happen in your home. The lights will flicker on and off. It does disturb you. The TV will only provide channels with static. Your computer only ever seems to connect to the Cleverbot website. You were exasperated. So you did what was naturally expected.

You disconnect everything. Anything that had an outlet was disconnected. Your computer was hid away in the closet so you avoided any technology you can. The only times life seemed to be alright was whenever you showered.

It's as if time stopped.

It is also why you have been more open to baths rather showers. Once you turned off the faucet and the tub was filled with water, you added a bath bomb. It's soothing scent relaxed you. You dipped in and relaxed.

You shouldn't have done that? Done what?, you couldn't help but recall the encounter. The game has been long forgotten in your drawer. When Anna had come over, she gave you the device to play the game.

After your bath, you felt oddly calm. No lights were flickering. You noticed the device was connected to your TV and the game was beside it.

You raised an eyebrow.

Maybe Anna was the one that set it up?

You sat down in front of the TV and turned on the console. You added the game and it took a moment before sending you to the main menu screen.

I guess...I can give this a try...what's the worst that can happen?, you thought as you pressed begin on the screen.

Laughing Jack

You woke up to small sniffles. You groaned as you got up, a small weight on you. You look to see Fiore latching onto you.

"Fiore?", you spoke. Their head snapped towards you and tackled you back on the floor.

"...You were...on the ...floor..I thought...something bad happened", they spoke between the small sobs. You rubbed their back. "I'm fine...I guess I was just tired."

Fiore seemed a bit wary to accept that answer but did not do anything to question you. You both rose from the floor and you checked the time. It was 7:03 am.

Wow, you must have been out for awhile.

After the two of you cleaned the dishes and the kitchen, you began to make breakfast.

You felt strange.

You could have sworn there was someone else in the house last night. Your train of thought was interrupted by the sound of your cell phone ringing. You looked at the caller ID and smiled. "Morning Aunt", you spoke into the phone.

Your aunt's warm voice surely made you feel better. "Oh! Y/N! Morning! You doing good? Fiore? Are they okay?", she asked.

"Yeah, they're fine. They are in their room at the moment."

"Oh okay. Umm..Y/N..I have a huge favor to ask of you. Do you think you can stay longer babysitting? Unfortunately, I won't be back for...awhile.."

You raised an eyebrow.

This is was..really uncommon. You wanted to ask why but decided not to. "Yeah, I don't mind staying a little longer." You really didn't have anything planned. Winter break for college started in a day or two and Fiore was already out for break. Plus, you'd be spending more time with your favorite cousin. Your aunt seemed relieved on the other end.

"Y/N...please watch over Fiore. I'll try to be back as soon as I can. This job...is a hassle to say the least." You never really what she worked in but what you did know was that she was extremely exhausted whenever she returned from those trips.

"Oh..one more thing. No candy. Try and avoid any sweets please Y/N. I feel like candy will bring some unsettling...things" You felt yourself die a little. The flashback of the many cookies and candies you had brought for Fiore flashed through your mind.

You and Fiore will have to keep that little secret to yourselves.

You agreed to the terms. She said a goodbye and hung up.

You turned to set your phone down and met with a piece of candy.

With a note attached.

Your eyes widen. It was all coming back to you now.

This is exactly what you saw before you fainted last night.

"Y/N..is it true we can't eat candy anymore?", Fiore's voice was heard behind you. You turned and you felt...shock? How could they possibly know that.

"Jack said my mom told you that", they answered your question. Jack? Oh..the imaginary friend. That's weird...and creepy.

"Yeah kiddo. For now at least. Rules are rules", you replied. Fiore only gave you nod before sitting at the table. When you finally remembered of the candy, you turn to see it was gone and replaced with a small chocolate kiss.

What the hell is going on?

Did this scare you? A little.

But you were sure it's not something to worry about.

Right?

Chapter 3: Reaching Out ❖

Chapter Text

Jeff the Killer

You gasped awake.

You sat up in your bed and groaned. Nightmare again. You can't seem to recall anything that happens in them anymore. You used to dream pleasantly but all you could see was darkness whenever you slept.

All because of that Joker knockoff.

You felt anger and fear. This killer was literally going to be the death of you. You never were able to take a nap without something happening. And now, it got worse. Subconsciously, you reach for your phone to message Angie but decide not to when you notice the time.

3:15 am. Ah great. The witching hour, was all you can think of.

You decide to try and sleep again.

No harm done. You let yourself fall to the pillows and you curl yourself in a ball, sheets up to your lips. You close your eyes, trying to imagine what your life could have been if you lived anywhere but your current location. Maybe then there wouldn't be a killer out for your head. Maybe you could sleep all you want without the fear of someone breaking into your home. Maybe you could have a cute German Shepard to keep you safe at night.

Yeah, that would be a nice thought.

You relax before letting slumber take you away.

All you saw was darkness.

Again.

You looked everywhere, it was empty. It felt off; you felt somewhat on edge but also relaxed for some reason. You turned once again. You saw a red string? You noticed it was wrapped around your pinky finger. "What the hell?", you asked aloud. You knew of the red string and its myth; frankly, you were just confused.

You touched the string and it radiated a warmth glow. You suddenly saw it being pulled. You lifted your eyes and they widen in shock when you saw him.

He pulled the red string as if taunting you. You backed away and tried to run but your feet stayed still. He walked closer; his unblinking eyes never leaving yours.

"Ya know, I never leave a...person alive when I'm out killing. You must think you're pretty special huh?", his voice was raspy and it chilled you to the bone. "You're alive and I can't have that. My boss isn't okay with that and that puts me into an awkward situation."

He got closer. He lifted his hand to emphasize the string on his finger. "This doesn't mean anything doll. This ain't some lovey dovey sh*t. Fate has brought me to rid you from this world."

He grabbed your chin forcefully. He laughed almost maniacally.

Well not almost.

He laughed maniacally.

"I can't wait to kill you. So do me a favor doll. Wake up."

You screamed awake only to be met with warm sunlight. The rays of the sun always bothered you whenever you woke up.

Not today. Today they were appreciated.

You almost feel glad you woke up. You feel beads of sweat on your forehead and you heart rate was going a mile a minute. You reach for your phone when you notice a small paper. You feel a breath get caught in your throat.

You reluctantly open it and almost groaned in frustration.

Hey there doll, you looked peaceful, whimpering and shaking. I'll drop by later to finish this ;) - JTK

"He actually came back to my house...and saw me sleep...while I was having a nightmare", you spoke aloud in your room. This guy was out of his mind. You look around your room and a dark reddish color catches your eye. You jump out of bed to see closer what it is.

It's a fuc-

"Bloody footprint?!", you felt your fear dissipate only for it to be replaced by annoyance and anger. Taking dirt out of carpet was something you can handle...but BLOOD?!

I mean..I know he's a relentless killer but my gosh. Does he have no care for cleanliness?!, Your thought was answered with the obvious footprint. When he does show up later, you were going to give him a piece of your mind.

Were you scared? Yeah...cause he was a serial killer that probably stalks you.

Were you determined? Hell yeah.

Eyeless Jack

It seemed like ages ago when you were almost kidnapped by that freak in the mask and since then, life seemed to go back to normal. You felt safer walking out of your apartment and picking up various items. It almost seemed too peaceful. You would get the feeling someone was watching you but you figured that was due to the paranoia.

Currently, you were lazing around in your home. Wearing your favorite sweatshirt and joggers, you laid on the couch with the TV on, showcasing one of your favorite shows. You eyes followed the colorful humor that one of the characters were depicting and you really could not pay attention. Your usual binge worthy show was now background noise to you as the only thing in your head was that stranger. That blue mask with that black oozing liquid dripping from the eye holes was an image burned into your brain.

You turned your attention to the TV that was now playing Urban Legends. You turned off the TV and looked over to your phone.

You raised an eyebrow. You had a few messages from Abe and an unknown number.

You clicked quickly on Abe's and read them. You smiled softly. He was such a mother hen. He was making sure you were okay and eating at your required times. You sent a quick reply before clicking on the unknown number.

Unknown Number: Hey there Y/N

You didn't recognize the number but you figured it wouldn't hurt to answer.

If anything goes south, block the number.

You: Uhh..hi. Do I know you?

Unknown Number: We met a bit informally actually.

You co*cked your head to the side. Had you met anyone recently? You can't recall anyone in particular. You were not too social but you would remember giving someone your number. Unless Abe was the one that gave them the number as a way to play "matchmaker".

You clicked on Abe's thread and wrote out your question.

You: Yo Abe, I told you about giving people my number. Breach of privacy my boy ):

While you were typing up the message, you noticed the unknown number send you another message. It seemed like a picture?

When you tapped the unknown thread, a pop out of Abe's message appeared.

Abe: I don't do that anymore tbh cause you don't like it

The picture was loaded and you felt chills down your spine. The blue mask was uncanny. Those eye holes seemed to stare deep into your soul. You could not believe it.

Was he taking a selfie?

Attached to the picture was small writing that read: 'Remember me?'

This stranger...had your number. And he even knew your name.

You were beyond irritated.

You had finally settled back into a regular day by day basis and now it was going to be screwed up by him.

You: How did you get this number?

Unknown Caller: A little bird told me. Well a little elf. Off topic though.

You: What do you want?

Unknown Number: A little snack

You: I don't got any. So buzz off

Unknown Number: Dear Y/N, I can't do that. I don't usually stalk my...acquaintances this long.

You scoffed. Acquaintances? Didn't this guy try to kidnap you? Kill even?

Unknown Number: So don't try and run and hide. I will find you and I'll get what I want from you. Of course, only after killing you. I'll see ya later.

You could not believe this. This guy was a treat.

For a killer.

You ran your fingers through your hair in frustration. You just wanted to be normal and have an uneventful life. But apparently, that was not going to happen. You felt anxiety at the back of your mind but you bested through. You had to be strong to face this guy. He was going to show up sooner or later.

You felt determination. Determined to give him a piece of your mind.

BEN Drowned

You just died again. You groaned. "Come on!", you shout at the screen.

The game was pretty chill. Except for this specific level that was extremely difficult.

And unfair.

You set the controller aside and took a deep breath. There was no point in getting worked up over a game. You decided that this is where you were going to stop.

At least for now. You were starving.

Maybe some Taco Bell would help? Or maybe some pizza?

You picked up your phone and called for a pizza instead. The line rang for a few times before someone answered.

"H e l l O", the voice spoke into the receiving end. It sounded glitchy? You sighed inwardly. Does this mean you'll have to get a new phone soon? Ignoring your inner turmoil over a new phone, you replied.

"Oh hey there, can I order a large pepperoni pizza, a cookie pizza and that brownie platter you guys have? Oh, also some chicken Alfredo please", you spoke your order.

"Y o U G o t iT. A n y T H i N g e L s E ?"

You pursed your lips before replying. "No, that will be all. How much will it be?"

"Y O u r o R d E R w i L L b e t H E r E S O o N", the person ignored your question and the line went dead. You stared at your phone in slight shock. That was weird but hopefully they'll get here soon so you can eat. You flop on the floor of your bedroom, the TV facing you, still showing the main menu screen of the game that Anna had bought you. You grabbed the remote and turned off the TV and you turned off the console as well.

The "haunted" antics that plagued your home has lessened but it was still present. Anna didn't believe you and being honest, you feel maybe you were just a tad bit tired?

But your stubbornness prevailed. You know you saw something. The lights flickered as if reading your mind. You had thought it was something with the generator but alas it wasn't. A knock at the door caught your attention.

Pizza here already?

That was fast.

You opened the front door to come face to face with a young man that looked around your age. He had scruffy yellow straw hair. It was pushed back with the cap he was wearing. Through his hair, you could see the small silver stud pierced on his ear. His smile looked almost mischievous as he carried your order. His eyes were playful and such a pretty blue color; blue does it no justice, his eyes were stunning.

"You like what ya see or is it just the food that you're staring at?", he winked at you.

You felt a blush rise to your cheeks. "I'm sorry. Heh, how much is it again?"

Your only response was only a sly smile as he handed you the order.

"Consider it 'on the house' as you people call it. Plus your flustered face was really a good trade." He handed you your order and let his fingers cross yours.

"Almost better than your rage face when you lose the game ten times in a roll."

You raised an eyebrow but all he does is give you a smile before tuning to take his leave.

"Uh..thanks?", you say. You close your door and feel...weird. That was weird.

You shrug and carry your food back to your room.

Free food? You really can't complain.

You set the food down your small table next to the TV. With this food, a movie is in order. You quickly go to the kitchen to grab your favorite soda when you hear static?

It's more likely than you think.

You turned off your TV right?

You're sure you did. You cautiously take steps to your room.

What you see is a shock to say the least.

Do you scream? Run? Smack the hand is literally coming out your TV to grab a slice of pizza? Considering you love food, you know what choice you choose.

"GET YO HANDS OFF MAH PIZZA!", you raised your leg and landed a good hit on the arm. It retracted itself back into the TV. Your breaths came out rapidly. Adrenaline was coursing through your veins. This can't get any weirder right?

"YoU sHouLdN't HaVe dONe tHaT." was glowing on the screen.

You were wrong.

The image disappeared and it was replaced with a small Link sprite. Speech bubbles appeared.

"That was a bit dumb of you to do. I don't appreciate the gesture. Sharing is caring </3."

You were pretty shaken up to comprehend what was happening. So it did happen. You weren't crazy. You almost laugh. Almost.

"You are an interesting one. Cute too. I don't usually play this long with a victim of mine. It's been fun messing around your apartment."

Those words suddenly pierced your head in realization. Whatever that thing was, that was reason why your apartment seemed off the fritz. This thing was making your life rather difficult to say the least. Your thoughts were interrupted with the speech bubbles that showed up.

"You actually did some damage to me. I can't go through the screen properly thanks to you", you could read the sarcasm. "So, while I heal up, I'll leave ya alone for a while. But I will be seeing you Y/N".

The TV turned off. Leaving you alone, confused and angry.

You couldn't really catch a break. What the actual flying firetruck. You thought you can have a normal life. But you can't. A sigh escaped you and you grabbed a slice of pizza before biting into it.

This little glitch? Ghost? A glostich? You've no idea anymore. They want to play like that.

Fine.

Two can play at that game was the only thought in your head as you felt determination to come up with a plan.

After you laughed at your incidental pun and wordplay.

Laughing Jack

Unfortunately for Fiore, candy was eliminated from the snack menu.

Their puppy eyes almost made you cave but you held strong. The last mysterious candy you had seen disappeared without a trace. It was as if there was no strange occurrences happening. Also, due to that strange conversation with your Aunt, you decided to take Fiore and babysit them in the comfort of your apartment.

The only thing that seemed to throw you off was the fact that Fiore wanted to bring along the faded Jack in the Box toy. You didn't question it. A bit creeped out but you shook it off.

When you arrived at the apartment, Fiore ran, box in hand, into your room, jumping onto your queen size bed.

You chuckled softly as you set their belongings on the countertop. You figured take out would be a good thing to accompany the binge watching that was to come.

"Fiore! When you're done jumping on my bed, come to the kitchen."

You heard a thud and small steps running to you. You smiled and ruffled their hair as they hugged your leg. "Okay kid, we gonna have some Chinese food later and we gonna watch your favorite movie."

They beamed at the notion. It was then you noticed something in their mouths. "Fiore? What are ya eatin' there?", you poke curiously on their cheek.

Fiore only tightened their lips and shook their head.

You faked a nod and turned your attention to the countertop. Once you saw their guard down, you scooped them up. They giggled in your arms and you playfully threw them on the couch.

"The tickle monster is here and I won't leave until I see what ya got punk!", you feigned a deep voice that caused them to laugh.

In their mouth, you saw a...black jawbreaker? Your fun demeanor changed to a more serious one.

"Kid, what did I tell ya about candy? Your mom is a little eccentric and I certainly don't want that wrong end of the stick again", you told Fiore who only stared at the floor in return. That last time you messed up was near the birth of your small cousin. It was an event that you won't soon forget. Before you can dwell into that flashback, Fiore caught your attention.

"Jack gave it to me" was their only response.

You gave a small 'mhm'. "Well if it is Jack, then I owe him a good talking to."

Fiore suddenly looked up to you and their bright eyes and smile was not expected. "Really?! He really wants to meet you!", they jumped out of your arms and ran to your room, still clamoring how their two favorite people are going to meet. All you could do was slump on the couch. This was getting a little weird but you'd have to play along. Fiore returned with the Jack in the box. They sat on the opposite end of the couch, setting the small box slightly in front of them. They clasped their hands together.

"Jack! She's here now! You can say hi!", they spoke to the box. The box was as still as when Fiore first showed it to you.

A few minutes passed and nothing happened.

Fiore gave a disspointed sigh. You ruffled their hair. "Don't worry kid, I'm sure I'll meet Jack sooner or later", you reassured them. They gave a small nod and yawned.

"Come on kid. Take a small nap and then we can order Chinese", you gesture them to your room. Fiore shakes their head. "I'm not tired", they yawned and gave you their best wide awake face.

It didn't work.

You chuckled before picking them up and carrying them to your room where you tucked them in and closed the door, making your way to the kitchen.

A small yelp escaped you when you saw the Jack in the box sitting on the stove. You could've sworn it was in the living room? As you reached to grab it, a small paper escaped the box.

There was a little voice that was telling you this is a bad idea or it can lead to something abnormal.

But then you had an even louder voice that was telling you the same thing.

You ignore the alarms in your head and picked up the paper.

It read: Hey gumdrop~ I do apologize for not coming out, I get a bit shy ~

Huh. This was weird.

You were about to turn away to get some rest but it got weirder when another small paper was thrown at you. You could only stare, your mouth agape. You reluctantly picked it up and read it.

Candy I do not appreciate being ignored. Brings back bad memories

"What the firetruck is this?" you asked aloud, scared for an answer. Too bad you got one.

A small paper came out of the box with one name.

Jack.

You grabbed the box and were about to open it when a clawed hand smacked your hand. You gave off a scream and fell to the floor. A piece of black paper was dropped on your lap. It was blank.

"Oh candycane, I really wish you hadn't done that!~ Lucky for you I don't hold grudges", a male voice echoed in your head.

To say you were freaking out was an understatement. You heard the voice again.

"Okie doke lollipop, this is what is gonna happen. You want to see me bad?~ I'll properly introduce myself and rid of you when I take the little kid. I don't like to get attached. It gets messy~"

You grew alarmed. Take Fiore? Not on your watch. "Expect me back soon Y/N. I can't honestly wait~" was the last thing you heard from the voice.

You immediately rose and ran to your room. You opened the door to see Fiore still sleeping soundly. You let out a breath of relief. You closed the door softly and let your body fall on the door. You slid down to the floor and your thoughts were everywhere. Whatever that thing was, you know you had made contact with it before.

You were going to protect Fiore if its the last thing you do. You were determined to have Fiore safe in their mother's arms when she returned.

What mess did you exactly get yourself into?

Chapter 4: Catch these Hands ❖

Chapter Text

Jeff the Killer

You sat on your floor, sweat decorating your brows as you finally finished cleaning that awful blood stain. It has been two days since you were graced with his presence. All you could do now was stay in a contemplative state as you thought on what you were going to do if and when he shows up. Nothing came to mind. You were not going to bring in Angie or the cops into this mess. You let your mind wander again. The thought of seeing that psycho was not welcoming but it seemed inevitable.

You groaned loudly and threw the rag you were holding in a tight grip towards the wall. No use in wallowing here, you mused, deciding to get up and walking to the living room. You flopped on the couch and turned on the TV. The familiar chime of Home Alone filled the room and you smiled softly. The scene that played before you was nearing the end when Kevin was protecting his house from the burglars with those awesome traps. You always wanted to do that when you were a kid.

That was when you had an idea.

Your eyes widen and you can't help the hopeful feeling in your chest. The idea seemed reckless but it can work. You really got nothing to lose.

You jumped up and ran to your closet to find anything that can be used.

You let out a laugh when you find rope and...handcuffs?

How could you forget?! The last time Angie was over was an adventure to remember.

That was a story for another time.

"This guy is gonna regret messing with me."

You get to work on your DIY Home Alone edition trap in your home. It was simple and if you were going to die, you were going to die trying.

A few hours later...

You let yourself fall onto the covers of your bed. The trap was set. All you could do now was wait. But thinking it now, it seemed rather dumb. Why set the trap now? You could not know for sure when the freak will show up. You really did not want to risk anything. In a way, you felt better. It was sense of reassurance.

You sighed and reached for your phone. You sent out a few messages to your parents and Angie.

A simple goodnight that felt a little heavy on your heart. You slowly let your eyelids drop and try your best to fall into a slumber.

That didn't happen as you heard a string of curses and a thud.

Any thought of sleep was whisked away as you threw the covers off. You grabbed your metal baton and made your way through the small hallway. You stopped when you saw a figure caught in your trap.

You felt happiness? Relief? Whatever it was, it was good. You had caught this killer.

"WHAT THE ACTUAL f*ck?!" interrupted your small victory.

His voice was raspy.

Just like in your dream.

You released the baton and without warning, swung at his head. You heard a sickening crack and you saw his body fall limp. You poke him as if to test out movement. Once satisfied, you checked for a pulse...and to your surprise, you found one. You let out a breath you were not aware you were holding. Well, at least he was unconscious. Despite him being a killer, you really did not want to partake in that lifestyle. You grabbed the handcuffs and cuffed him.

Now he was hanging from the ceiling and his weapon was off to the side. You grabbed the knife and cut the rope holding him off the floor. His body fell to the carpet floor. Now was your chance. You grabbed whatever remaining rope was left and tied him up.

Now he was restrained. You sit him up, a part of you felt some type of concern over his posture. So now you had a tied up killer in your living room.

Weren't you just the luckiest?

You grabbed the knife and inspected it. It was a simple knife. Black handle with a small J engraved into and the gleam it shone against the light was a bit chilling. The thought of the many innocent people whose blood stained the blade was something impossible to comprehend.

You lazily threw it on the couch, far from him. Now you can actually take a good look at him.

Curiously, you reach for his hair. It was a tangled mess like you expected but the softness caught you off guard. It was a decent length and you couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

How did he end up like this?

His skin seemed like leather like if he burned? The Glasgow smile was what gave you a weird feeling. The fact that it looked like he was awake also was scary. It almost seemed as if there was a fog on the eyes. But it really did seem he was unconscious.

You checked the time and it couldn't be later than midnight. The open window let in a small chilly breeze and you let yourself savor the moment.

You were alive.

Suddenly, you hear small groans.

You jumped away from him.

It's almost as if he jerks awake. His unblinking eyes come alive and they land on you. Then they look to himself. His glare lands on you again. You serve him a glare yourself.

"So nice to see you wanna hang out with me but I think you're a bit tied up at the moment", escaped your lips and a smirk is plastered on your face. The killer lets out a soft chuckle. You feel caught off guard. "That was a sh*tty pun" was all he said. You didn't expect a reaction.

"It's not sh*tty" was your reply.

"That was a pretty good trap you set up there. Also I didn't expect you to have a weapon. I honestly thought this was an easy kill", his words gave you a sense of satisfaction.

But there was one thing that irked you.

"How are you alive? I could've sworn I broke your skull", you inquired. His smile seemed to stretch as he grinned?

"Gonna have to try harder than that to kill me, doll", he laughed. That didn't answer your question but it will have to do.

Silence filled the room as the two of you met eyes.

"Are you gonna call the cops?"

You were taken aback. You really didn't think you were going to make it alive. You slumped on the couch and you gave a shrug.

He laughed at your predicament. "Are you serious? Wow, this is good", he chuckled to himself. "Alright Y/N, this is what's gonna go happen."

He made sure you met his eyes again before starting. "You're gonna let me go. As a peace offering, I won't kill ya ,doll. My boss ain't that keen on me being captured by the authorities."

"How do I know you'll keep your promise?" You were very skeptical and you weren't sure what to believe.

"I may be a killer but there's one thing I was taught: Abide by your promises." His eyes never left your own. You felt conflicted.

On one hand, you could be rid of him but then again, his boss sounds a force to be reckon with. A sane part of you wanted to call the cops. Another part was already taking control as you cut off the restraints and removed the handcuffs. You moved away from him, the baton ready to be used in any case.

He didn't seem to notice you on guard as he grabbed his knife.

"Name's Jeff the Killer. Don't wear it out." was the last thing you heard before he appeared in front of you and knocked you out.

Eyeless Jack

This guy sure was taking his time to come finish you off. It has only been a few days since those text messages plagued your unfortunate life. You hadn't mention this ordeal to anyone. You felt stuck. There was this deranged killer after you and all you could was sit on your bed, your phone in your hand as your fingers over the unknown caller thread. Some part of you wanted to message him and call him out on his threats. But you knew better than that. This guy meant serious business if he managed to acquire your number.

A small ting breaks your inner turmoil and you see a new notification from the stranger.

Unknown Number: Hey there Y/N, just checking in on you

You opened the message but being the petty person you are, left him on read.

Another notification came in. And another. And another.

Unknown Number: Leaving me on read?

Unknown Number: Quite mature.

Unknown Number: You know, it's pretty easy to walk through your front door when you forget to lock it.

At this, you jumped to your feet. With no real weapon, you decided to grab the closest thing to you.

Your stuffed elephant that Abe had given you a year back.

You take a deep breath and brace yourself as you walk into the small living room. Everything appears to be in order. You make a dash to the front door and to your surprise, you find the door is locked. Did this guy trick me...? was your only thought. Irritation burned within you.

A small ting is all it takes for the irritation to go away.

Unknown Number: You're cute when you're scared. I left a little surprise in your pantry. Enjoy.

And all of that turned into fear.

The door to your pantry seemed simple enough but there is a sudden vibe that leaves you stuck in place. You slowly break out of the trance and you walk towards the pantry door. Your hand gripped the handle and like a band aid, ripped the door open. There was no scream or pop out. You felt small relief until your eyes land on a box of your favorite snacks and a small note.

You reluctantly grabbed the sheet and read it.

Y/N Last time I had an eye on you...I noticed you stared at these snacks for a long time. I figured you like them. You might as well enjoy them since you're going to die soon. -J

So he really did stalk you.

This was insane!

You could not fathom the amount of frustration you are feeling. This whole time you thought he couldn't have had followed you around but alas, he did. How the heck were you going to get out of this mess?

You grabbed the box of snacks and opened it. If you were going to die, you were gonna fight this guy off. As you bit into the sweet cake, nothing came to mind.

Maybe you can trap him somehow? But how? This was getting tiring. How were you going to trap a killer?! You let out a cry of frustration. Your hands tangled up in your hair as you scratched your brain to come up with an idea.

That was when it hit you.

You're supposed to trap him.

Him.

A guy!

Who better on how to ambush guys than ABE! You whipped out your phone and texted your oh so famous best friend.

You: ABE!!! I NEEED YOUR GUIDANCE!!!

You didn't receive a fast enough response like you wanted but he responded after a few minutes.

Abe: What's up buttercup??? help with what??

You: How do I...catch a guy?

Abe: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° )

You: don't give me that face! just tell me how? please

Abe: Food (˵¯͒〰¯͒˵) That's how I get my men.

You stared dumbfoundedly at the screen. Food? How was food gonna trap a killer? Well, if you're gonna die, might as well die trying.

You: like what type of food?

Abe: Meat (๑◕ฺ‿ฺ◕ฺ๑) medium rare works for me. Brings those boys right in lol they really love the juiciness of the steak ;)

You: Thanks for that Abe :) I'll try my best

Abe: Details later okay! ((유∀유|||))

And now you were at the store looking for any type of meat that can satisfy this "J" guy. You stared at the variety laid before you.

What were you going to buy exactly? Why should you spend so much time in debating what meat to buy when you can just pick whatever? You made your decision in choosing the go-to steak, a T-bone.

Once you were home, the sun was already set. You were barely adding the seasoned steak onto the pan when you realized what you were doing.

"Why the hell am I doing this? OH MAH GASH!"

You could have gone to the police! You could have done something about this and now here you are in your kitchen, close to midnight and cooking a steak for a killer who might not even like the stuff! You hands dug into your hair and you screamed out in frustration.

"I get you're having a breakdown but I am on a schedule to kill you so can you cut it?" a new voice joined your apartment.

In the midst of your breakdown, you didn't realize this psycho enter your apartment. You slowly let your hands fall to your sides. He looked exactly like the selfie he sent. Now though, you could see loose strands of chestnut brown hair that looked like it had been colored darker.

He didn't move.

You stayed still, only the sound of the steak cooking filling the silence.

It was when he made a move towards you that you snapped out of the trance and grabbed the closest thing to you.

And threw it.

To his face.

The raw steak met his mask in a splatter. He stopped in place.

Was he mad? Impressed? You could not know for the life of you.

It was only when he grabbed the piece of meat and lifted his mask enough to reveal his mouth. Grey skin and sharp teeth. And disgust crossed your face when he bit into it.

After he swallowed his piece, he turned attention towards you. Again, you couldn't move.

"I'll be honest. You're far different than what I usually hunt" he started, his mask in place once again. His voice sent chills down your spine. He walked towards you and you closed your eyes in fear. You felt a soft touch on your cheek and you opened them to find him.

Close. To you. Very close. You jumped and backed away. "Well this has been enjoyable. Y/N, my name is Eyeless Jack. I think we will be seeing each other soon."

And then he was gone.

You slumped to the floor and you felt tears sting at your eyes. You could not stop crying. Was it due to fear?

Not really, it was more relief than anything.

And also those steaks cost you money you didn't have.

BEN Drowned

To say you were alright was so far from true. You were shocked and still trying to comprehend what had happened. You aimlessly stared at your cup of coffee. Getting out of the apartment seemed like a good idea. An arm had actually came out the TV. That meant that there was a body attached to the arm.

Oh dear. You really got yourself into something weird.

This was like the cliche adventure of a fanfic you would read at midnight when you told yourself just one more chapter before inevitably reading the whole story. This was not like you had envisioned it. This was impossible. You rose from your seat, leaving a few dollar bills on the table.

As soon as you walked out of the cafe, you were met with a nice breeze. You strolled calmly to your home. You were taking this better than you thought. One thing you knew for sure.

He was hurt. You did damage to him? Of course you did. He was touching your food. You knew you had to get back at him. But first.

Once you opened the door, you slammed it shut, locking it at the end. You let yourself fall on the couch as you decided that you needed answers.

Now.

You grabbed your cell phone and called your dear sweet friend Anna. When she picked up, you let out a scream into the speaker.

"Y/N, what the heck was that for?!", her scream pierced through the receiver.

"Sorry friend. I just needed to get your attention", you spoke. You could feel her eyes roll. "Where did you get that game you gave me?"

"Game? OH! The Legend of Zelda one right?" You responded with a noise of affirmation.

"Really funny story actually. I didn't want to tell you cause if I did, you'd probably not want it", Anna started. "But this old man was selling some stuff near that dark alley and I saw the game. He told me he'd basically give it to me for free as long as I didn't bring it back."

"....Anna....that sounds sketchy as hell" was all that could leave your lips. How does her mind work? Anna laughs on the other end.

"I know! But he told me that it was an experience like no other when you play this game and I thought of you." It was a sweet gesture but now you had a crazy sprite Link after you.

"Why the sudden interest?", she asked. You did debate whether or not to tell her. You decided not to. You were going to clean this mess up yourself. "No reason. I was just curious. Well, I got some stuff to do. I'll call ya later", you wished her a goodbye and that was the end of it.

Alright. So how were you going to handle this?

You'd have to come up with a foolproof plan that won't bite you in the end. If that little sprite was indeed going to cross into your world, you can welcome it! How? Brainstorming, you grab a sheet of paper and start writing down ideas, small sketches here and there on the corners of the page. Something that can affect it? Water? It was electricity oriented no? So if there was water, maybe you could get rid of it. Piece by piece, a small smirk made its way on your face as you thought of a perfect plan. Now you had to call someone to help you.

"Is that all, ma'am?", the burly gingered man asked. You had decided to call your neighbor to help you fix your TV up. Literally. The TV in your bedroom was no longer on the small stand that it was originally on. Now it was attached to your wall, four feet above you. It looked innovated and in your case, a good payback.

You smiled at Gerald. "Yes sir! Thank you so much." Gerald smiled and ruffled your hair. "No problem. It's what I do best for the community. I'll leave you be now." He began walking out of your room.

"I'll forward the money by tomorrow!" you called out, receiving a "Alrighty kiddo" from the man. Now all you had to do was wait.

So you did. It almost seemed like it never happened until a few days later when you decided to have a movie night by yourself. Despite everything, you didn't break down. You deserved a reward for your grand achievement. The TV was still high up near the ceiling and honestly, it was a good decision. It felt like you were at the movies. You had rearranged your room as the days passed. Your bed was now against the wall, horizontally, giving you more leverage to watch the screen. Snacks surrounded your bed and you wouldn't have it any other way. You grabbed the remote and changed the channel that is connected to the console to play Netflix. You sat on your bed, finding a comfortable position before turning your attention to the screen.

And screen was now black.

And now had the small sprite of Link.

Small little text bubbles began to appear as well. "Did you miss me?"

You laughed aloud. "I was wondering where you run off to. Didn't think a kick to the arm would incapacitate you."

"You're really going to regret that."

You smirked. "Try me elf."

It was the same as last time. An arm popped out of the screen and this time, another arm popped out as well. A head began appearing. It was a young man. He looked exactly like Link except his eyes. The sclera was ,instead of a white color, black as night. The irises burned a bright red. Small streak of blood stained his face resembling trails of tears. He looked terrifying.

The expression that he wore when he realized he had no footing and fell straight out of the TV was a moment to remember.

He landed face first to the floor and you couldn't help but snicker.

"So nice of you to drop in." You laugh.

Your victory was cut short when you see him stand to his feet. He was tall. And built. If he wasn't trying to kill you, you'd fall for him.

You could see his face...glitch? It was as if pixels were glitching in and out of reality. Time stops as he glitches out of your view. What the heck? You look around and he's nowhere to be found. The lights begin to turn on and off. Almost on instinct, you ducked and evaded his fist as he aimed for you. You meet his irises that seem to have an actual flame burning within.

"Oh, Y/N. This is fun but I really do have to move on to the next one." He glitches out again and suddenly appears in front of you. He grabs a hold of you and throws you to the floor. You let out a yelp of pain.

Wow. This dude.

Just as he was about to attack, you grabbed a gun and aimed it him. He stops and laughs. "You really think that a toy gun will hurt me? Real cute."

You only smirked as you fired it at him. Water landed on him and it was like...it shocked him. He falls to his knees as you aimed once again at him. It appears you are the winner.

And then he begins to laugh, first chuckles that then turn into uncontrollable laughter.

"If you think a little water is going to hurt me, you're in for a fun trip", he meets your gaze. "This has been fun. A lot of fun. I'll catch you later."

And then he's gone.

You look around the room and yeah, he's gone. A small ping is heard from your TV. You see the speech bubbles again.

"My name is BEN Drowned. And I will be seeing you." You simply turn off the TV and opt to go to the cafe to ease your headache.

And maybe pass by the pharmacy to grab some pain medication.

That guy was sure strong; also, you can feel the soreness from the impact.

You really could not wait for what was to be in store for you.

Laughing Jack

Feeling a sudden pain in your neck, you awake from your slumber. You yawned as you stretched your arms. You are disoriented for a moment before you can place your surroundings. It looked like you fell asleep.

That was weird. You feel like something happened. But you cannot place a finger on it. It's only when your eyes land on the Jack in the box that you are quickly up to date with the current situation. You almost trip trying to run to your room. You opened the door a bit too harshly and your eyes scan around until they land on the small body of your cousin. It would appear everything was fine.

Except it wasn't.

Fiore was laying in your bed. But it did not look like Fiore. Their skin was pale. It was as if death had visited in the night. Their soft hair tousled and dull, not the usual color it was.

You felt tears roll down your cheeks. Your throat tighten as you held Fiore in your arms. "Please...wake up."

No use.

You tapped their small cheek carefully but to no avail.

Oh gosh. What the heck happened?!

Is Fiore..-No. They can't be.

You let your tears damp the blankets as you laid Fiore's body back on the bed.

What can you do now? What would you tell your Aunt? Oh gosh...what would you tell your Aunt?! Your thoughts were in a whirlwind. And then you heard it.

A music box. Or at least the tune one would play. It sounded eerie.

And something that you haven't heard in years.

You leave the safety of your room, reluctantly leaving behind Fiore's body. You walked into the kitchen where the tune was slowly getting louder. You turn to every corner of the room to locate the sound. Taking more cautious steps, your eyes land on the Jack in the box. The music was now accompanied by the lyrics.

♪All around the mulberry bush

The monkey chased the weasel♪

♪The monkey thought 'twas all in fun

The song stopped suddenly. The music box looked brand new; it was as if it was refurnished. The bright colors were not comforting at all, it almost seemed a bit unnerving.

A small piece of paper was thrown at you. Your breath was caught in your throat.

The paper read "Wanna play too?"

♪ Pop! Goes the Weasel ♪

The starting of the music scared you but it was the small clown jumping out that really gave you a fright. The toy clown was colorful and as you reached to touch it, the color was diminished.

The toy transformed into a life size clown and before you can even react, it smiled wickedly at you.

"Heya gumdrop! Won't you play this game with me?" The voice was male and it was laced with madness. Large black claws grabbed your shoulders harshly and pulled you into the box.

Your screams were silenced as you were dragged. The impact to the floor was pretty hard. You coughed and you take in your surroundings.

It was dark. That was all you saw. And then you were tackled to the floor.

You felt your heart flutter.

You could recognize those heterochromatic eyes anywhere. "Fiore?"

Your cousin gave you a smile despite the tears falling down their cheeks. They pushed into you as they hugged you. You obliged with returning the gesture. "Where are we?" Fiore pulled away from you.

"We're in the Jack in the box." You raised an eyebrow at that. "Jack wanted to play and I knew you would get mad because it was time to sleep", Fiore spoke softly but concise. "But I think he got mad."

Footsteps are heard and you unconsciously pull Fiore close to you. Your eyes scan the darkness until they land on a figure that was walking towards you. And you see this so called Jack.

It was a clown. Instead of a colorful persona, he bore colors deprived of joy. Blacks and whites decorated his frame. The pointy nose looked like it can stab someone. His evil cackling smile bared sharp teeth.

"Why Y/N, so nice of you to join us. I don't usually play pretend this long but you", he stopped his words before his grin turned wider. "Make things so interesting."

Jack stopped in his tracks and co*cked his head to the side. "See, whenever a child is lonely and in need of a friend, I stand in to fill that position. Play along with the kid and take what's mine in the end. This lucky kid has something that not every other child had however. You." You hugged Fiore closer to you.

Jack giggled to himself as he raised his hand and snapped his fingers. In an instant, Fiore disappeared from your hold and you let out a scream as you saw something appear in Jack's hand.

It was a small piece of candy. It glowed a vibrant red. You sat helplessly, not knowing what to do. Jack laughed aloud at your reaction. He toyed with the small object in his hands.

"See here? This is Fiore's soul. Red are the most rare and personally, the most delicious." Jack stared at awe at the small object.

You were at a loss. How can you even stand up to him?

"Y/N, you're really cute and I'll let ya go. My area is children after all. I"ll send you back to your world and that will be the end of it. My name is Laughing Jack and it was nice meeting you." Jack raised his hand.

No.

You could not let this happen.

You felt as if your soul was being dragged.

NO!

NO!

You are not leaving without Fiore!

You felt your body move on it's own as you ran towards Jack. You slammed your body into his, reaching for the small candy that held Fiore. His surprised eyes spoke for themselves. You kicked him away and brought the small object to your chest.

"I am not letting you take Fiore." Your eyes burned into his. Jack only laughed as he shrugged. His eyes held a mischievous glint in them. "Well ya got me there. Okie doke, I'll see ya soon~." He snapped his fingers and smoke surrounded you.

Next thing you know, you are in your room next to Fiore who was waking up. They stared at you for a moment before they laughed. You couldn't help but laugh yourself. Fiore wrapped their arms around you.

You were safe. Fiore was safe. You couldn't help but feel like it was far from over.

You laid a kiss on their cheek before falling back onto the mattress, letting sleep take over.

Chapter 5: How Dare You ❖

Chapter Text

Jeff the Killer

It was dark.

That's all you saw.

What happened? It seems like you can't remember. Your memory seems like a blur, a variety of things compromise your mind and it hurts like hell.

And then it all came back!

That. Jerk!

You sat up in your bed and screamed in frustration. You could not believe it. You could have saved yourself a whole lot of trouble if you had called the cops in the first place. But no, being the good person you are, you decided to let him go. A killer? Set free? You could feel yourself cry as your eyes burn.Why were you such an idiot?!

He had even knocked you out! Again!

You were getting a little tired of knocking out; it isn't like sleep at all. All that ends up happening is that you wake up with a headache.

Letting out a cry of frustration, you let your body fall onto the comforter. Wait...what? You feel suddenly very confused. Last thing you remember for sure, besides getting knocked out, you were in your living room. How the hell did you get on your bed? Did he...You didn't know what to believe anymore. The fact that you're alive or the fact that it is a Monday morning. And you have class. In 10 minutes.

You jumped off your bed and ran into the bathroom. A shower was going to take life so you decided to just shower yourself with your favorite perfume. A small ring alerted your ears. You recognize the familiar tune of the Tardis. It was Angie calling you. You quickly grabbed your phone and your backpack and exited your apartment. You did not bother answering the phone as you were now running to the car in which Angie was waiting for you. You were taken aback she didn't knock on your door like other times but you couldn't afford to care at the moment. She only gave you a small smirk before she suddenly got a good look on you and her eyes widen a bit.

"Uh..Y/N, are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?", she reached for your face when you shuffled in the car. You could barely register her movement on your forehead and you jerked away in pain. Pulling down the mirror in her car, you aren't that shocked to see a small purple bruise on your forehead.

That. Piece. OF. sh*t!

You could only roll your eyes and fall back on the seat in frustration. You hear some shuffling and you turn to see Angie taking out a handy concealer from her purse.

"Angie...We're gonna be late."

"Correction. We are already late. Let me help you."

You blocked her helping hand and you gave her a pleading look. She reluctantly obliged.

"It's fine...Let's just go. I'll add the concealer myself", you sighed reaching for the wand. Angie rubbed your shoulder. And then you were off to class.

Class was a bore as usual. Sitting in the big room with over a hundred students, all either sleeping or typing away at their laptops, was the usual scene. Your attention was somewhere else as you could only scribble in your journal. Small doodles decorated the corners of the page as you started a new page. You can't help it. Maybe you should take a break. Miss a few days of class to catch up on sleep maybe. Or maybe move somewhere else. With that killer you set free loose, who knows what could happen.

Well, he spared you after all. That must count for something. Better to not think on it too much.

Your class ended and you closed your journal in defeat. You met up with Angie who bought you a meal to "ease your nerves" according to her. It was a pretty easy day. You felt tired though, well more so than usual. But some part of you hopes now, maybe now, you can be able to sleep soundly.

"Y/N", Angie caught your attention. You raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

You sighed and smiled at her. "I've been just losing sleep but I'll be okay." And you were right. You didn't want to worry Angie with this Jeff character. The thought of her being subjected to the horror you have been through. You couldn't bare to do that to your best friend. Better to leave it alone. Angie pursued her lips and nodded softly as the two of you ate your meal in a comfortable silence.

Timeskip

Entering your home, you dropped your backpack to the floor. You locked the door before walking to your room.

Huh. That's weird. Did you leave your TV on?

You walk to your bedroom where you are met with a sight.

There he was.

Jeff the Killer as he proclaimed. He was laying nonchalantly on your bed, eating some of your snacks and flipping through the channels. It felt like ages before he turned to acknowledge your presence.

"Oh, hey Y/N. Don't mind me."

He resumed and fixated his eyes to the TV.

Anger? Fear?? You did not know what emotion was in command but all you could feel was annoyance. You disregarded the voice in your head telling you he is a killer and you simply hopped on the bed next to him.

And pushed him off.

He landed with a thud and he rose, anger evident in his eyes. "What was that for?!", he yelled at you.

You could only scoff. "Are you freaking kidding me? Look what you did to my face?!", you retorted, pointing to your bruise.

Jeff shrugged. "At least I didn't kill you."

Your eye twitch and you threw the remote control at him, hitting his forehead. He fell back but he laughed it off. "Why are you here?", you asked, confusion setting in.

"Cause I think you're pretty cool. And well, I need a break once in a while from all this killing." Jeff rose and sat on the bed once again. "Also, you're like the first person I decided to spare. You got guts. I like that."

You really have had a long day. "Look dude. I really want to sleep cause you've been a constant plague in my dream."

At this Jeff's smile seemed to widen. "Aw shucks, you dreaming of me doll?"

You rolled your eyes. You fell back to your bed. "If you're gonna stick around, no noise."

Jeff scoffed and mumbled under his breath. "You're not the boss of me."

Regardless of the comment, he lowered the volume on the TV before finding a comfortable position on your bed.

And so you fell asleep.

It was the best sleep you've had in years.

Eyeless Jack

Breath in and out.

In and out.

In and out.

Your anxiety attacks were usually common but they have increased as of late. And it was getting harder to control it. Laying in your bed, you covered yourself with the blankets and hoped the warmth would relax you. It did. You took a deep breath in and out. You can feel your heart beat slow down as you lulled yourself to sleep.

A knock on your door disturbed your sleep. You chose to ignore it. Another knock insisted at the door. It was louder this time. You rolled out of your bed, feeling exhausted. Eyeless Jack ,as he called himself, has not bothered you since your confrontation. It has been a few days at most. The whole experience was draining and your anxiety attacks were not getting any better. In fact, you had not left the house in those few days.

Did you feel safe? Give or take, it was pretty okay.

The knocking was a little harder now. You groaned and checked your phone. The time read 3:45 am. You suddenly feel your chest heavy. It is late and it is dark and you are alone. The door handle began to jiggle. There was someone deliberately trying to come into the comfort of your home and you felt trapped.

You backed away from the door. Feeling your back against the wall, you slowly slip to the floor. You wrap your arms around yourself, trying to find comfort within yourself.

Relax...

Relax.....

RELAX

"Hey...you seem on edge." His voice was the last thing you wanted to hear. You raise your head and his head is co*cked to the side. You can see fresh stains of blood on his jacket. You gulped, nervous at his next move. He followed your concentrated gaze to his clothing.

"Oh yeah. That guy. The one that was bothering you at this outrageous hour is gone now. I took care of him", Jack nodded to you and he lent you his hand. You stare at him for a moment, hesitating.

You can tell he was agitated by the shift of his shoulders. "I'm not going to hurt you. In fact, let's start this all over again", he lowered himself to meet your gaze. "I'm Eyeless Jack and I apologize for trying to kidnap you."

What the hell am I doing?, you thought as you slipped your hand into his and gave a firm shake. "I'm Y/N and I will ignore the fact you just killed someone outside my door."

Jack released your hand and chuckled. "Please. I am not an amateur like some people", he appeared almost offended. "I despise leaving a mess."

Some people huh? So there's more of him? You thought curiously. Your eyes trailed over his jacket. "A mess huh? Hah, says the one with the blood on your jacket."

Jack gave a shrug and stood up. You followed his lead and you both stood there, a bit awkward.

"Uh...so why are you here?", you asked, breaking the silence.

He appeared to appreciate the question as his posture relaxed. "Oh yeah. Well, I was in the area scavenging for food when I saw that nice young man trying to break into your apartment and I thought to myself 'lunch' and so he did. Become my lunch."

His explanation was straight to the point and the one thing you were really bothered by surprised you.

"Wait, you're a cannibal?"

"Seems like an obvious question but yeah", he replied, sitting down on your couch.

You immediately moved over to him and gave him a hard stare. "No blood on my couch. You wanna stay? Let me clean your jacket", you offered. You really could not see his eyes due to his mask but you knew he was staring intently at you. Jack let out an annoyed sighed but agreed. He removed his jacket without warning to reveal his simple tee shirt under. Just like his face from the last time you saw him, his skin was grey as well. The man was not strongly built but you could see some definition of muscles. You felt yourself blush.

"Checking me out huh? Hah, haven't gotten that look since.."he trailed off, his head turning to the side. You were curious and you wanted to ask but decided against it. Despite how laid back he appears now, he is a killer and could turn on you. At the moment though, he seemed pretty okay with you. You just need to earn his trust. It would be in your benefit to not piss him off.

You gave a soft nod and went to the laundry room to set the jacket to wash. You returned and you saw him in the same place, it appeared he was lost in thought.

You sat next to him and let out a breath of relief. He didn't turn to meet you but you decided to give him one of your special jokes. This uncomfortable silence was rather awkward.

"Hey Jack?" He hummed in response. "How do you define a cannibal?", you asked. Jack co*cked his head. "Someone who is fed up with people."

It took him a bit before he let out a small laugh. Okay, you don't fall easily (that's a lie) but his laugh was...so human-like? Like if you heard it anywhere else, it wouldn't occur to you he was a cannibalistic killer.

And so you told him another.

"What do cannibals use to freshen their teeth? Men toes."

"What does a cannibal call a person on a wheelchair? Meal on wheels."

"What's a cannibal's favorite restaurant? Five Guys."

Joke after joke, he laughed. It was earnest and you felt pride swell up. He let himself relax on the couch. You were to the side and you relaxed as well. By the time you knew it, time had flown by.

It was already going to be 6:00 am and the sunrise was to happen only a half hour later. You gave Jack his jacket back and he didn't hide the fact how he reveled in the warmth and cleanliness of the article of clothing. It really makes you wonder how long he has had it unclean.

"So..uh, if you ever need a sweater cleaned or whatever, you can just come back", you said, anxiety swelling in your chest waiting for his response. You felt his hand on your shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Is this what people felt when they had no anxiety?

"Thanks Y/N. I will come back. I needed this", his words were sincere and you replied with a smile.

And with that, he was gone.

You made it back to your room and you let yourself fall on your bed.

Make friends with a cannibal killer? Truly, it could be the start of an interesting friendship.

BEN Drowned

You know that saying, "Expect the unexpected?"

Well, you really did not expect this. You did not. Never in your right mind would this ever occur.

You were sure you were not high. Albeit, you do not like the stuff.

The digitized grass, it felt like real grass.The wind danced with your hair. The warmth of the variety of colors. The peace in the environment really eased your nerves. The squared sun shone bright in the sky above you. The background music was subtle but it was there.

Yup.

You were in the game Minecraft.

Ah? But how did this happen?

Well, let's go back a few hours ago.

A few hours ago...

After that amazing stunt you pulled, the so called Ben character hasn't bothered you of as of yet. You felt victory despite the small injury you had gotten.

That showed him!

And so you had your TV removed from the wall and back to your stand. You had decided to leave the game cartridge on your bedside table. It seemed like life was back to normal.

You jumped on your bed and laughed.

Life was good. Too good. Really suspiciously good.

It felt like an unease but you shook the feeling away. Maybe a nap will help? Or a movie? You decided to turn on your TV and log into your Netflix account. Scrolling through the various movies before deciding on watching the Hunchback of Notre Dame. The musical score of this Disney film cannot be topped by any other movie.

You clicked play and you let the beginning of the film entertain you. Sitting comfortably on your bed, you let yourself indulge in the relaxation. It has been good so far and you really felt you could take a breather.

"No, Quasi! He's lying to you", you shout at the screen, munching on the cheesy goldfish crackers, the duet between Quasimodo and Frodo at the beginning of the film where the latter is telling Quasimodo that outside is a bad place. You hummed along to the song; the voice was just nice to hear.

"Yeah dude! He a big fat liar! He killed your mom!" You simply nodded at the other voice.

Realization hit you as you whipped your head to meet Ben, sitting by your side, his hand munching on the snacks you had. You pause the movie and Ben turns his attention to you.

"Why'd you do that for?" Ben asked, chocolates in his mouth. You stared at him for a moment before grabbing your remote and slamming it on his head. The guy probably knew you were going to do that because the remote never made contact with his head. He glitched in front of you and appeared to your other side.

"Hey, hey! I come in peace", he raised his hands up. "I actually came by to hang with you." You eyed the elf warily. The last time you saw him, he did try to kill you. You argued endlessly in your head.

Ben could take notice of your uneasiness. "Okay...so how about this?", he gestured to the screen and with a flick of his hand, the screen turned black. You were about to snap at him when he raised his hand towards you.

You fell into a silence and your eyes widen in curiosity when the screen turned into a light blue color.

Ben chuckled at your reaction. "Trust me. I think this can make up what I did", he reached out his hand to you. You did think twice about this. And then thrice and finally you decided.

You shrugged and went against your better judgement. Your hand slowly slid into his and his smile widen. "Alright then. Hold on!", he held your hand tighter as he jumped towards the TV screen.

Before you can make any comment, you were surprised to go through the screen. It felt like jumping into a pool of water; the fluidity of the imaginary portal felt so surreal. With Ben as your guide, you let yourself take a look around you; it was pitch black—the only source of color and light was only from you and Ben. From ahead of Ben, you can catch a glimpse of a light, appearing like a tunnel. Ben turned to you and gave you a suspicious smile.

"Have fun! I'll see ya in a bit!", he pulled you closer to his person and swung you towards the light. The last thing you saw was his smirk glitching out of existence.

Present Time

You weren't mad. You really were not. At least he didn't kill you. You walked around the encasem*nt before deciding to explore what was outside of the tutorial environment of the game. You giggled to yourself as you passed the doorway to the outside world and you couldn't help but feel giddy.

"Y/N!", Ben's voice rang in your head. You flinched and turned. He was nowhere to be found. "Come over here." Almost like as if you knew where to go, you jogged to where Ben would be. You found him sitting down in a small rowing boat.

The sloshing of the water set your nerves to ease. Ben gestured you to hop in the boat. And you did. Once you were settled, the boat moved. A silence fell between the two of you.

"So...does this make up for trying to kill you?", Ben asked. You could only chuckle in response.

"Damn, well you got me here dude. This is rad." Ben have a resounding humph. While the two of you continued in your small adventure, you really couldn't help but wonder why he had originally wanted to kill you.

Maybe you can ask him. Later though.

Right now, you wanted to enjoy this.

Laughing Jack

Now you were usually accustomed to be waken up by the sun hitting your face. Or incoming snot that is not allowing you to breath.

But to the smell of burning food? Not a chance.

You jumped out of bed and ran to the kitchen, slamming the bedroom door. You hadn't realize that Fiore had woken up as well. Entering the kitchen, you were shocked to see the one person you wish you would never see again.

That. Damn. Clown.

Laughing Jack was wearing a "Kiss the Clown" apron and there was a cascade of food everywhere. The various pots and pans were burned with the 'food' on it. There were visible spills on the walls. Was that green slime boiling?

Your anger was subdued when Fiore pulled on your shirt. "What happened?", their eyes widen at the scene before them. Their eyes land on the clown. "Jack! You're back!", Fiore jumped up in glee and was about to run to him when you grabbed the child.

There was a solemn face on Jack. You met his dark eyes. His small frown transformed into that grin.

"Oh..what's-a matter gumdrop? Miss little old me?", he laughed, head falling back.

You could only glare at him. "No, I don't. And you know why", your eyes wandered down to Fiore, who was unaware of the conversation. Jack pursued his lips before giggling.

"Of course. But I realized something after our encounter. You're only the second adult that is able to see me and you have guts. I like that", Jack began. "And I like little Fiore, they're so funny! So I won't be hurting anyone if that's what you want to hear."

You were a bit skeptical. I mean, who wouldn't? This strange being kidnapped your cousin and almost killed you?! Were you really going to give this clown a chance?

You felt Fiore pull on your shirt again. "Is Jack leaving?", their small voice averted your attention to them. You felt that tiny voice speak against your better judgement. Jack was also awaiting your response as his tall lanky figure stood awkwardly in the kitchen.

"No. He isn't leaving. Not without telling me what he was doing while we were asleep", your answer perked a smile in both Fiore and Jack. You turned your attention to Jack and gestured to the kitchen. "So? What happened here?"

Jack laughed before settling into chuckles. "I wanted to apologize to you by making a breakfast to be eaten by kings and queens!", he posed for this statement. A snort escaped you. "Alas, I do not know how to cook."

You let out a sigh before tying up your hair and looking down to Fiore. "Come on kid, lets clean and then we can teach this clown how to make a good breakfast." Fiore smiled and nodded.

And that is how the rest of the morning went; the three of you cleaned the kitchen to its former glory. Fiore fell onto the couch, tired of the cleaning. You laughed at your cousin as you walked into the kitchen. You pulled out the pans and you pulled out some pancake batter and eggs. "Laughing Jack, come help me. I'm going to teach you how to make a killer breakfast." Jack appeared in a puff of smoke next to you.

"Can you take out the bacon? I'll show you some better way of cooking it." The bacon was set aside to the other ingredients.

And the cooking lesson began.

While Fiore was taking a nap in the living room, you were teaching Jack the art of cooking. You had his undivided attention; it looked like he actually was keeping in mind the information you were relaying. You handed him an egg to crack in the frying pan. He did mess up a few times, smashing the eggs instead. You demonstrated and he followed your example. Now there was about five sunny side up eggs ready to eat. The batter for the pancakes was set and you were dropping spoonfuls into the hot skillet; a stack of pancakes were done by the time Jack had cooked the bacon, listening to your instructions. You separated the food into three plates and you called out to Fiore who woke up at the mention of breakfast. While you and Jack did not have conversation, you felt that he really did mean what he said. He cooked with you and that is an experience not many have. You felt that cooking was the best conversation for individuals to have.

After eating breakfast at noon, you sent Fiore to take a shower. As you cleaned up, you felt Jack's presence behind you. You turned and were met with a lollipop. It was cherry red and it looked so tempting.

"Take it. This one isn't poisoned." You reached for it and you smiled up at him.

"Thanks Laughing Jack."

"You can call me LJ for short, it's easier." You gave him a nod before popping the candy in your mouth and you melted at the sweetness.

"Today was rather enjoyable. Next time we can visit my carnival." LJ grabbed a strand of your hair, and let it slip through his long fingers. You felt yourself smile.

"I'd like that."

And with a puff of smoke, he disappeared. Your suspicions were correct after all.

It really was far from over.

But you feel like this will be an adventure you'll be glad to have went on.

Chapter 6: Just a small Recollection ❖

Chapter Text

You never thought your life would be exciting. You always dreamed of an adventure. You always thought you would live a normal life and go to college, graduate and enter the workforce. You figured you would eventually get married, have a kid or two and die in a peaceful sleep. Never in your life would you have imagine yourself living the life you have now.

Your strange friend has made quite an impact in your life.

They might just be the greatest thing to happen to you. There were a few downsides. Nothing major.

Albeit, they did try to kill you. Which would be considered major. And then you tried to get back at them. Oh, what a brave soldier you are!

But they did not kill you, even afterwards. You were easy prey after and they did not lay a hand on you. They could have easily killed you. You knew this. They had a massive advantage to you; they are like nothing you have ever seen, only heard about in movies and television series. They could have wiped you off the planet, your existence only a memory.

But they did not.

Instead they seemed rather impressed with you.

They mentioned it to you. Late night talks would happen and they always make a point in mentioning this to you. The fierceness in your eyes. The determination coursing through your veins as you decided to fight back. The fighting spirit that they don't quite see often.

They found it...quite strange.

Never in their lives have they come to meet an individual such as yourself. Maybe that's why they decided to spare you. A good way to pass the time.

Like a small hobby.

Killing people does get tiring time to time. But what can there really done about it when the only thing you know is to kill?

They are fully aware they cannot escape it; the need to kill sometimes is too great and cannot be ignored.

But they know.

It is dangerous to let humans know of them and more specifically, let those victims live. There can be dangerous consequences because of this fact. They know it is dangerous, risking every night to talk to you. Sometimes, there aren't any words spoken in these talks but it is your humane presence that reminds them of a time where they were still human. Those times when insanity did not run through their minds, times when they could still be called a human. A time where each of them could have turned out different.

If the big boss ever found out...you would be dead.

Luckily, these particular killers know how to stay under the radar even with the most impressive of proxies. Years of practice does sharpen the skills needed to perform.

Besides, once they have their fun with you, they're going to kill you. There is no way there can be any repercussions of this 'friendship'. For now, they are enjoying the time with you.

The clock is ticking now.

It will only be a matter of time before this will end.

Chapter 7: Oh Golly! ❖

Chapter Text

Jeff the Killer

A groan of frustration rang in the room. Open books surrounded your figure on your bed. Topics that consisted of Shakespeare and the classics of literature scattered the floor below you. In simple terms, it was a complete mess in your room.

“Y/N, can you just relax? It’ll be fine!”, Angie’s voice spoke from the phone, the image of the two of you smiling lighting up.

You wish you can relax. But you cannot. Why? Cause this essay is going to be the death of you. A ten-page paper is usually an easy task for you. If you had started around the time it was assigned; not starting three days before the due date. On top of that, there were a dozen more things that you also had to do. You also had to go grocery shopping. Having Jeff as a friend cost you food; the groceries you usually bought sustained for at least two people, but Jeff had an unreal metabolism. He basically eats for four! And with that, your money also ran out. To say you were stressed was an understatement.

Weren’t you just the luckiest being alive?

Currently, you were on the phone with Angie; you considered her to be a solace of moral support, but it really was not working. You could only sigh and stare at the laptop. All that was there was a plain blank document. You roll your eyes at Angie’s words, irritated only by the fact you procrastinated, as she scolded you for leaving everything at the last minute.

She was right. You did leave everything to the last minute.

All you wanted to do now was die.

***

Jeff sat on his bed. He had the dream again. This time though, it was only him. He slumped on the mattress in annoyance.

He did not know what was more annoying: the damn string or the dreams. Albeit, the two were of the same thread. All the killer could do was lay on his bed, his hand raised to the ceiling as the image of the red glowing string was wrapped around his finger. His hand balled into a fist and he slammed the cushion.

This was stupid. The string was stupid. The dream was stupid. These damn premonitions were stupid.

Your face flashed in his head.

Maybe he should get rid of you already. You were pretty fun in his opinion. There was always food and entertainment whenever he crashed your place. Despite your complaints when he enters your home so late, he does not miss the small smile that appears on your face.

It made him feel…weird. But he can’t risk his job for some friendship. Or for some petty feelings. You had to die sooner or later.

Maybe with you dead, the dreams can stop.

He rose to his feet and grabbed his trusty blade. It is going to bathe in blood tonight.

***

You stared at the laptop screen in defeat, your face scrunched in disgust. Your call with Angie already over. Maybe you should drop out. Becoming a sheep herder in Iceland could be better than this mess.

Your laptop was closed suddenly, and you were surprised to see a foot on top of it. Your eyes met with the unblinking eyes of Jeff.

“Stop making that damn face. It’ll get stuck” was all he said.

You roll your eyes and motioned for him to step off the laptop. You opened it again and he proceeded to close it again. “Stop that Jeff. I need to do this essay”, you retaliated. “I already procrastinated enough.”

Jeff only stared at you with what looked like a scowl. “How about…you take a break?” He closed the laptop once again and threw it away from you.

“Jeff! What the heck?!”, you shout, jumping off your bed to grab your very expensive laptop.

“You are obviously annoyed, so a break is in order.”

You knew he was right but if you didn’t work on the paper soon then when would you have time?

Before you can lay a hand on your laptop, a knife was thrown your way. You jumped in surprise. You turned to see Jeff’s smile grow.

“Okay…since you’re so stubborn, how about we play a game?”

Your interest was piqued. He chuckled at your face. “If you can successfully throw my knife to this target, you can work on your paper and I’ll leave ya to it.”

You grabbed the knife and you obliged. “Fine. Deal.”

The two of you moved to the living room where Jeff set up a piece of paper with a bullseye on it. Jeff sat on the couch, finding a comfortable position and waited for you to shoot.

You held the knife in a tight grip and you aimed.

And shoot.

It did not land on the target but instead landed on the floor.

You hear Jeff erupt in laughter. “Man, you suck.”

Similar attempts were done and each time, you failed. Albeit, you did not possess the knife wielding skills but still. Seeing Jeff laugh every time made you mad. You wanted to show him you can make that target. Spite seemed to be your only fuel. You grabbed the knife and aimed.

“Okay, stop that”, Jeff rose from his seat on the couch. You raised an eyebrow. He moved closer to you and wrapped his arms around you, grabbing your hand with the knife. You felt yourself stiffen due to the close contact. You could feel his breath on your ear.

“Relax. Focus. Keep your eyes forward. Don’t be scared to let loose. Aim and shoot.”

His words did their job and you followed suit. He slowly lifted his arm from yours and you swung your arm. The knife hit the bullseye right on the dot. You were awestruck, and you turned to Jeff who looked impressed.

“Hah I did it!”, you jumped in glee. Jeff laughed with you and picked you up from the waist, spinning around the room. Your smile was genuine, and your eyes closed shut in bliss. Jeff could only stare at he felt his chest tighten. He set you down and you laid your hands on his chest.

You smiled up at him.

“Thanks Jeff. That was awesome!”, you spun around and grabbed the knife.

Oh no, Jeff thought. This is getting dangerous.

Jeff can’t tear his look away from the excitement from your face.

So much for killing you.

Eyeless Jack

Biting into the kidney, Jack munched softly as he pondered over his new friend. He can’t remember the last time he had any human interaction.

That was a lie. He gets enough interaction when hunting for his meals.

But actual contact with a human that did not involve killing them or salvaging them for their kidneys? Yeah no.

He found you interesting. You were far different from any human he has ever met. From the times he has been over at your apartment, he had come to learn more of you. Moving far from home and being a first-generation college student studying for their dream career, you were an exceptional student as well as individual. You had commented you wanted to be a doctor; the specialty was still undecided, but you had a good idea of what you wanted to do. You wanted to help others; you felt more inclined to help those in need. Because of this, you tend to forget about yourself. You had told Jack of the panic attacks and the breakdowns you would have.

He doesn’t remember the last time he had one.

But despite everything, you were entertainment. Your small quirks and your laugh and your scolding whenever he came through the window with a blood splattered jacket always made him chuckle. He always got a weird feeling whenever you laughed.

It wasn’t unwanted, but he knew for a fact that he could not afford the emotion.

You had to die sooner or, later right?

Finishing off the last bit of kidney, Jack rose from the couch. He tossed the corpse to the side to make way to the door. He had to kill you.

Cause if Jack didn’t, then he would.

***

Jack stood at the corner of the street, a few blocks down is your apartment. The nighttime was his favorable time of day―also cause if he walked in the daylight, sh*t will hit the fan. Holding the scalpel in his palm, he felt uneasy. But he knew he had to do it.

When Jack arrived at your building, scaling the two stories to sit at the ledge, the window that he usually uses to enter was locked.

Which was strange.

He co*cked his head to the side and tried to peek inside. It appeared empty to his understanding. Were you not home? His suspicions were incorrect as he saw you walk into the room wearing loose joggers and a simple t shirt. You appeared distressed as you walked back and forth in the room. Jack perked an eyebrow at this.

Were those tears in your eyes?

A strange innate emotion filled his chest. He knocked on the glass window, catching your attention. You wiped your eyes and walked up to the window. You unhinged the lock and in came Jack.

“Hey Jack, wasn’t expecting you tonight”, you spoke, your voice strained.

Jack kept his hands in his pockets, the one that was holding the scalpel now releasing the hold on the blade. The killing tool sat unused in his pocket.

“What’s wrong?” Jack asked, breaking the silence. “Are you okay?”

You felt tears burn at your eyes. Jack moved closer to you, the smell of copper fresh on his clothes. You didn’t care. You let yourself collapse into his arms which were luckily prepared to catch you. Usually, Abe would be the one to comfort you.

But he wasn’t here.

Jack was.

And you really could not help it. Jack did feel a bit awkward but more so because he had blood on him. It did not seem to phase you as you cried into his jacket. He slowly moved the two of you to be seated on the bed.

Comfort was never his strong suit. Even before he became this.

Jack slowly caressed your hair. He let his fingers comb through the strands and your cries boiled down to sniffles.

“Tell me what’s wrong” sounded more like an order but you disregarded his monotone voice.

You let go of Jack and you wiped your tears away. “What if…I’m not smart enough to become a doctor?”

Jack only stayed quiet as you continued.

“All my life, I felt that becoming a physician would be the right path. But now, I feel so dumb,” you kept your eyes at the floor. “So dumb that I can’t even ace these tests anymore. I used to get better grades and now all I can achieve is an average grade.” You fell back to your bed, tears softly rolling down your cheek. “No matter how hard I study, I can never be good enough.”

“I think you’re wrong.” You sat up in surprise. “Everyone has their own learning capabilities. Some have it easy, but others must work hard for it. I think that you are doing your best and you should not think less of yourself”, Jack spoke, turning in your direction.

You felt your throat tighten.

“I..”, Jack trailed off before continuing. “Before I became this, I was getting ready to apply to medical school. My grades were exceptional but because I dedicated time to study. I was never that smart. I studied nonstop to make sure my grades didn’t drop.”

You stared in awe. Was he opening up to you?

“So, I guess you shouldn’t sell yourself short. You’re brighter than you look”, he chuckled.

You rolled your eyes, but you couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped you. “You were going to go to medical school?”, you asked, just a tad cautious.

Jack nodded. “Yeah, I wanted to be a surgeon.”

That was all he said before a small silence fell between the two of you.

You did not expect the pep talk from Jack, but it was appreciated.

“What happened to you?”

Jack tensed at the question and you could see how uncomfortable he appeared to be. He didn’t like this feeling. He felt cornered. He felt like his little bubble was breached and he could not do anything about it. He was freaking out. He could feel his heart beat erratically. He feels his pulse. The last time he felt like this…he was surrounded by them. By her. He should kill you. Now. Kill. Now.

“Jack?”

He whipped his head towards you. The tears were gone, and the sullen look was replaced with a small smile.

Your eyes shone with gratitude. Jack’s eyes caught a book in your hand.

“Can you help me with my anatomy homework?”, you asked, changing the subject.

Jack felt sudden relief, being caught off guard. He was suddenly bombarded by an anatomy textbook.

“This is the reason I was crying heh”, you lowered the book, chuckling sheepishly, embarrassed to be seen a mess by the killer.

Jack was given the book and it felt like he was walking on memory lane.

“So, what do ya say? Help a pal out?”, you offer. Jack shrugs and moves closer to you.

“If memory serves me right, this is actually really easy”, he teased. You lightly smacked his shoulder. “Stop that you! Just help me”, you plead, focusing all your attention on him. He was glad you couldn’t see his face. He felt hot.

Oh no.

This was getting dangerous.

BEN Drowned

You have had weird friends.

One time you had a friend that ate soap.

There was one that would jump you, pretending to be a tiger.

And the weirdest one that got them beat was Anna who you cherished deeply. What made her weird was the ability to put up with you. To be fair, you were just as weird as her. You have the best memories with her; you almost died!

But sadly, she cannot match up to the latest friend you have.

This friend is a ghost? Dude basically controls electricity and can jump into games! He glitches out and teleports to random places and he has even hacked your phone to play pranks on unsuspecting victims. Ben was the weirdest friend of all.

Appearing just like the character Link from Legend of Zelda with some modifications―blood dripping from the eyes to be more exact. He tried to kill you but apparently, he thought you were pretty chill and decided to spare you. Now he will show up every once in a while, and play games with you. Literal games. Some days you’re shooting zombies in Left 4 Dead and other days you’re building a castle in Minecraft.

It is a blast with him.

Right now, though, you were too preoccupied with this group assignment that was assigned to you. Your job was to look for citations for the project.

Pretty easy no?

Well wrong.

You had been at this search for over four hours and you have found nothing! You were at your wits end.

Closing the laptop shut, you stretched. You had been hunched over that screen for a few hours and your body was suffering. You groaned in delight as you felt your bones pop. You let out a sigh of relief as you fell back to the bed.

“I will never get over how gross that sounds”, Ben spoke, coming out of the TV.

You laughed. “How is it gross?”

He scoffed. “It’s like disgusting.”

You rolled your eyes and popped your arms. You could see Ben cringe. “Sorry guy.” Ben waved it off. He strolled lightly and hopped onto your bed, closing his eyes. You jumped off the bed and set up the game console. Ben’s ears perked at the startup noise.

“Ooo we gonna play a game?”

You nodded. “Yeah. I am thinking we can play”, you stop to look at the variety of games. You ponder in thought. You really had to work on that project. Maybe you shouldn’t play. You let out a sigh. You turn off the gaming system, taking the step to be a responsible adult. “Yeah, no game tonight Ben. I gotta do my work for school.”

Ben propped himself on the bed, his elbows kneading the bed. “So, I guess you can count me out”, you say. This project is going to be the death of you. The sooner you can finish it, the sooner you can relax.

Through his eyes, you can see disappointment.

“Fine. I’ll leave ya be”, Ben stood up and shrugged.

You found this quite odd. The last time you had rejected to play, he wreaked havoc for the next day when you went to school. Having the song Babyshark blast through your phone was pretty bad especially during exams.

You raised an eyebrow and opened up your laptop to find the sources you needed.

Ben turned to look at you. You really were something else. Like someone who was not paying attention to him.

An idea formed in the elf’s brain as a small smirk grew on his face. Just as he was about to step into the TV, he glitched out of existence.

You did not do anything regarding the matter. You figured he just wanted to be dramatic. Now it did catch you off guard when he appeared behind you, wrapping his arms around your body. You try to fight back but when you raise your hand to smack him, you see your own body glitch.

This was new.

In an instant, he picked you up and jumped into the TV.

A few minutes later, you are laying on a bed. There was soft music playing in the background and you recognize the setting. Minecraft. You sit up in bed and you find no trace of Ben. You see a small desk with your laptop on it. A small piece of paper was attached to it. Grabbing the note, you smile at the message.

Y/N

I figured you can focus here. :)

And so, you began your work. For the first time in forever, you feel yourself capable of finishing this assignment.

Outside the small cabin, Ben sits near a green hill top. He picks off the petals of a flower he snatched from the ground. With each petal he picks off, his mind ponders over you, a very strange individual but fun as well. He doesn’t usually play with a victim this long but something about you just couldn’t make him capable of killing you off. Your fiery attitude as well as your reflexes were only a tad bit of what he found intriguing about you.

But he knows better. He can’t afford to keep you alive for so long.

Other beings like himself exist and if you ever met with any one of them or worse, the big boss, you would be a goner.

The thought makes his stomach churn.

Well. if he had one.

Ben drops the stem of the flower and he stands up, seeing the sunset. It was beautiful, but it could never compare to you.

Ben sighs and realizes he is royally screwed.

There is no way he can kill you.

Laughing Jack

You had to be quiet. If you made any noise, they’ll find you. You can feel your heart beat fast. You hear the steps. You see the door. If you can run now, you could live. It was all or nothing now.

3. 2. 1.

You ran towards the door, your feet feeling heavy. As soon as you were about to grab the handle, two hands grabbed you and pulled you back. You gasped as you were brought to the floor where you erupted into giggles.

Your new friend, Laughing Jack, was holding you hostage now.

And he was merciless. Guy would not stop tickling you. You couldn’t breath anymore.

“AHH! Help me!”, you shouted, your laughs betraying the words. Smaller footsteps were heard, and Fiore jumped on the couch. The child was wearing their blue blanket as a cape and they held high a wooden stick.

“Let my people go!”

Jack stopped tickling you and instead used his claws to hold you down. His large frame made you look tiny in comparison. You could only play the helpless victim as you awaited Fiore to save you. The young child aimed his stick at the clown who only smiled in anticipation. The silence fell between the two duelists.

And then they were off.

Or more specifically, Fiore was off.

They ran towards Jack who easily scooped them up with his other hand and he did the same to you. His strength was out of this world as he began to juggle the two of you.

Fiore, battle long forgotten, laughed in glee as they were thrust into the air.

You couldn’t believe it. Being juggled by a killer clown? You bet you can cross that off your checklist. Your laugh brought a wider smile to Jack’s face as he slowed down and set you and Fiore down.

“Jack, that was awesome!”, you jumped, feeling like a little kid again. Jack only winked in response.

A familiar tune began to play, and you recognized it as your cell phone. “Behave boys” was all that was said as you left the living room to your bedroom.

The picture of your aunt with Fiore was flashing on the screen. Your aunt was calling? It has been a few days since you have heard from her. Answering the phone, you raise it to your ear. You are met with static noises. “Uh hello?” More static is heard and then you hear your aunt.

“Oh Y/N, I am so sorry for not calling sooner. I lost service on the trip”, her whispers seemed out of place, but you disregarded that. You were about to reply when she interrupted you.

“Is Fiore okay?”

“Yeah. They’re fine. We’re just here at my apartment, having a good time”, you tell her, not mentioning Jack.

“Has anything strange happened?” You are thrown off guard by the question.

Memories of the past few days that consisted of being knocked unconscious, being sucked into a jack in the box and almost dying seemed strange.

But would she even believe you?

“Uh nope. Nothing strange”, you lied. You could her mumbling on the other end. And the line goes quiet. You feel a bit alarmed as you found that quite odd.

Then you hear it.

Sobbing. Incoherent babbling. And then a scream. A blood curdling scream.

You felt chills run down your spine.

You hear gunshots?

You don’t notice Jack enter the room.

You call out for your Aunt, feeling defenseless. Then you hear her voice.

“Keep Fiore safe.”

And the line goes dead.

You feel the phone being taken from your hand. You see Jack hovering over you. You were about to protest when Jack shushed you. “Fiore is asleep now. Best not to wake them up.” You, despite hearing what could be your Aunt’s last words, obliged to listen. He grabbed your hand and led you out of the room. You were far more surprised when he kept walking, past the living room, past the kitchen. You followed suit and only bumped into him when he stopped at the front door.

“Jack, what exactly are you doing?”

“It’s a little trick I can do. I kinda need your help gumdrop”, he turned to you, a devious smile on his face. He gestured to the door. “I can open up portals of sorts but you’re going to have to say the magic password for it to work.”

You did not know the magic password. So what do you say?

“Abracadabra?”

The clown lets out a small chuckle and he grabs your hand tightly before using his free hand to open the door to reveal total darkness. Nervously, you let Jack lead the way. While it may appear like a void, it felt like you were walking on a steady path. There was no light. Pitch black was all you could see. You tighten the hold on Jack’s hand and you feel a reassurance.

“Where are we?”

“It’s just the darkness surrounding us. Call it what you like. I call it a shortcut”, Jack’s response was simple and straight to the point. You looked around more. This was interesting. But all you could think now was about your Aunt. Jack seemed to notice your tension. He pulls you lightly and he gestures you to look forward. And when you do, you saw the bright lights of the carnival.

Your mouth hung in awe. Bright and colorful spectral lights decorated the carnival. The site itself was bare, only you and Jack the inhabitants. The smell of cotton candy and sweet funnel cakes filled your nostrils. The Ferris wheel caught your attention as the spiral and circular lights performed for your eyes.

Moments later, you are both sitting down in the cart for the Ferris wheel. As it begins to move, you slide to the side to see the carnival in whole.

“This is my carnival. This is where I would bring Fiore whenever they wanted to vent. It always helped them”, Jack spoke suddenly. You turned to him and sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“My aunt seemed to have an issue and I am honestly really scared for Fiore and what if something happened and―” you trailed off, ranting in worry and you could feel tears at your eyes.

Usually, Jack relishes in seeing tears. The scared cries and the fear in the victim’s eyes were always to die for. The last ray of hope that was always relinquished when he slit their throats. Oh, how he loved doing that. In this case, he felt a strange tug in his chest. Somehow, seeing you cry, he didn’t like it.

He poked your arm and your eyes met his…funny face? The clown began making incredible funny and weird faces to make you laugh. Unsurprisingly, it was working.

A small smile broke out on your face before it turned into chuckles and then into laughter.

Seeing your smile and hearing your laugh made him feel instantly better. You bow your head in gratitude.

“Whenever my kid used to cry, I would make funny faces to make him stop. It always worked”, Jack spoke. You let a small smile rest on your face. “Fiore reminds me of him. But Fiore is so different than him too. Fiore is strong and stubborn and really funny”, Jack had a small spark that lit up as he spoke.

You couldn’t agree more. You did feel better and honestly, you wanted to ask more of the little boy Jack was talking about, but you decided not to.

At least, not yet.

Jack took one look at you and seeing the colorful lights shine on you was all it took.

He was planning on killing Fiore and yourself soon but how could he do that now?

He hasn’t talked about Isaac in forever it seemed.

Somehow, he did feel a bit better.

Oh, dear. This was not good.

Not good at all.

Chapter 8: Author's Note

Chapter Text

So first of all, I would love to say that I am grateful for the kudos and the comments and the hits!! I did not think this story was gonna be good hah. I really just wrote and I wanted to share with it y'all. I know I haven't updated and I apologize but writing the next chapters are taking a bit; I genuinely want the best for you guys and it is gonna be good!! So, the next few chapters will be a bit on the lengthy side :D
For the next few chapters, it will be in a different format. Instead of having all four of the characters, each CP will have their own chapters. And I am almost done with one and you can expect an update sooner than you think ;) I really do hope you guys like what I got in store. After these set of chapters, the format will go back to normal with all of the CPs together.
If you have any comments to make, by all means, do it. I love to talk to y'all and hear your opinions :)

Chapter 9: Jeffrey 🖤

Chapter Text

Soulmates was such a strange concept. A person that was created just for you? Huh, it sounded something straight from a fairy tale. Except it was true. Connected by a single red thread, people are born with a soulmate. Most are not aware of this information and people live their lives on a regular basis. Most people cannot see their string and therefore, heartbreak ensues.

And having discovered he had a soulmate, Jeff the Killer was anything but happy. The thought enraged him; how can he, Jeff the f*cking Killer, have a soulmate?! From what he researched though, a surprising discovery was made.

Only humans were able to have soulmates.

As a Creepypasta, Jeff did not think it would be possible; although, he was human once. But how would that explain the predicament that is him possessing a soulmate? He had heard of other CPs with the news of having a human soulmate. It never ended well for them. Big Boss had a particular distaste with that of the human population. So, when Jeff woke up from that dream with the red string, he made sure to not tell a soul. Albeit, he is a killer and he should care less of what happens to the other person but he felt a sudden guilt whenever he tried to say anything regarding on the subject. Maybe it was the effect the string had on him? An underlying desire to protect their significant other?

Jeff hated the feeling.

He hated waking up from the dreams turned nightmares; scenes played out the same every time.

It was a pitch dark setting, the only light illuminated from the red string that was wrapped around his pinky. The string appeared to be tugged into a direction and Jeff obliged, following to see what was at the other end of the thread. It always seemed like an eternity whenever he made this small journey. Except when he did arrive at the destination, he did not expect to find blood. It unnerved him. The crimson liquid was all over the floor; his unlidded eyes followed a small trail of blood that belonged to a person. They were obviously dead, the typical fate of a human. And attached to the human’s hand, a thin fragment of the red string; at first glance, at first glance, the string appeared to have been cut. The young killer felt his body move on its own as he crept closer to the corpse. Before he can lay a hand on it, the body twitches and caused him to stop in his tracks. Slowly, the corpse rises up, head hung. When it does raise its head to meet Jeff’s eyes, the killer felt whatever was left of his heart stop. Morose eyes bore into him. The articles of clothing were slightly torn with patches of dried blood. Lips slightly ajar, blood dripping down the chin; it was a sight.

“Your...fault.”

And then he would wake up, gasping and feeling his heart rate go beyond human limit. His fault? He hated this whole situation.

There was only one thing to do.

Kill his soulmate.

Stretched out on his bed, Jeff had no idea how the hell he was going to execute this job. First of all, he had no idea where to find them. Irritated and pissed off, he decided to let out some steam.

If he can’t kill his soulmate, he can kill other people.

And that is how he went on about his days that slowly turned into weeks; the same dream plagued him and all he can do to ease his mind is through killing. Needless to say, his boss was just a tad curious at this abrupt increase in kills for Jeff; at the end, he deemed it irrelevant and went about his own business.

Jeff, on other hand, was drove insane. Hah.

After all these years since he murdered his family, he has had control over himself; he felt like a constraint animal whose chains were broken loose. He showed no mercy.

Until that one night.

Seeing the idle apartment, still and quiet, Jeff scaled the building and hopped on the small ledge. He saw the retreating figure walking into a hallway, assuming into their bedroom. When he inspected the window, he had found no lock on it. Slowly, he opened the window screen and he took a quick inspection of the living room before he entered.

The moment his foot touches the floor, he heard it.

THUMP!

What was that noise? Jeff tightened the grip on his blade and fully stepped inside the living room. He was on full guard.

THUMP!

He looked around his surroundings and notice not one thing out of place; he had broken into other houses just fine. All those years really do sharpen those skills. That is when Jeff heard a door creak. And he saw a figure enter the living room.

f*ck.

He couldn’t be caught. Boss would have his head. Literally.

So, the young killer decided to do what he knows best: tackle.

Most victims are usually pretty weak; they don’t usually fight back. But this one. Oh my. Those with the fiery spirit and the ones that cannot keep quiet; those were the most satisfying kills.

Being distracted sucks because then you end up in the predicament of having your back hit the floor and having that victim straddle your hips and holding you in place, with the addition of getting a glass plate smashed on your head.

Jeff would have been beyond angry at the person’s screaming words; he was getting a headache. All that shouting ceased when he made eye contact with that person.

And so did his heart.

THUMP!

Oh f*ck.

Now he knew where that sound was coming from.

Without the tattered clothes and blood on their face, Jeff recognized the same individual from his dream/nightmare.

He had found his soulmate.

When conducting research over the concept of soulmates, he found that a sound will be heard when the soulmates finally meet; the noise usually died out once the meeting was complete. This sound was generally described as a thump and it was supposed to signify the connecting strings pulsating. As far as he knew, only Jeff can be able to hear it and only he is able to see the string.

Seeing his soulmate distracted, he used his strength to reverse the roles and he sat on top, their face still in shock. They looked terrified, small tears escaped their eyes as he raised his knife.

“Go to sleep.”

But he couldn’t kill them.

He used the handle of the blade to knock them out cold. Their body went limp and Jeff let out a breath he was not aware he was holding. He steps away from the body and falls to the floor, his knees giving up on him. His eyes trail over the body; it was a sight for sore eyes. His eyes. He tried to finish his soulmate off but to no avail.

That damn connection would not let him.

So what he did next was to mess up the living room. He threw tables and ripped up the curtains. Venting his anger through destruction of property was a way to cool down; also, it would be better to give off the illusion that there was a break in rather than a Creepypasta such as himself. Boss would have burnt out a fuse if Jeff was caught so easily by humans.

Before he left, he had given one more glance to the person on the floor.

And now he finds himself in his room, contemplating over the blossoming friendship he has made with his so called soulmate. He did not think you were aware of the fact though; in that shared dream, he tried his best to threaten you and make up some crude excuse over having to kill you instead.

Oh, look how that turned out!

Now, he was falling head over heels for you; he knew this was dangerous. And he knew he was on thin ice.

Masky has been keeping a close eye on Jeff.

How did he know?

Masky is sneaky but Jeff is sneakier; he blames those habits whenever he snuck out to be a rebel against his parents.

So, Jeff is fully aware whenever someone enters his room. Especially when someone goes scavenging through your belongings, looking for something; looking for what? Hell if he knew.

All Jeff could do know was to be extra careful from now on.

Looking outside the window, he saw that the sun was setting. And that meant going to hang with you.

A knock suddenly rang from the door. Jeff rolled his eyes and opened the door slightly to meet with Masky’s...mask.

“Slenderman requests your presence in his office now.”

With that, the proxy left.

Jeff felt a bit nervous.

Slenderman was considered an eerie and terrifying being and not to mention, his boss. He rarely ever talks to his other ‘workers’ with the exception of his close proxies such as Masky, Hoodie and Toby. He was one of the original CPs that has existed for a really long time; tales of him are told through generations, truly not a force to be reckoned with.

Wonder why he wants to talk to me.

Jeff exited his room and traveled the unnecessary long hallway towards the big doors at the end. As he strolled the hallway, his eyes casually swept over the other rooms. Every CP lived here; it was a hotel of sorts, a place where they could call home, considering the one they knew was gone.

Jeff shook his head and he continued his walk.

There’s no way he knows, right?

Because if Slenderman knows anything, he is royally f*cked.

Facing the tall mahogany doors, Jeff took a breath in and raised his hand to knock. Then the door opens.

Slenderman sits at his desk, looking over what appear to be reports. Donned with a suit and a menacing aura, this being looks harmless at the moment. But when he is unhinged, all hell breaks loose and even the demons run for cover.

Inside the room, Masky is already inside, and by his side, Hoodie and Toby stand obediently and quietly. The room fills with a heavy tension.

Jeff is fully aware that he cannot show fear. If he does, it is the end of him.

Slenderman is a very tricky creature that tortures with fear and the last time he experience something of that caliber was at that fateful party.

The tall being rises from his seat and walks towards Jeff. “You seem nervous Jeffrey. Any particular reason why?”

Jeff winces at the name; the last person who called him by that name was his mother. And that was not a fond memory of his.

The eldritch being stalked around Jeff, acting as a predator that was cornering its prey; Jeff felt not that great. “You called for me, sir?”, Jeff spoke, trying to steer the conversation in any other direction.

Slenderman nodded and walked back to his desk. He leaned on the table and gestured Jeff to grab the file he was offering. Quickly, Jeff grabbed the manila folder.

Opening it, he saw it was a picture of a girl. He would raise an eyebrow if he had any.

“I usually assign these cases to my close proxies but I felt you should be the one to execute this mission. Are you up for it?”

Jeff glanced at the file closely. The girl lived in your area. This was the first thing he noticed. It would be an easy job also; right after the kill, he can swing by and hang out with you. It appears you have accepted the fact that he kills people, although as of late, he has decreased his kill count. Jeff gave a nod to his boss. “Consider it done, sir”, Jeff closed the file and made his way out of the office.

“Playing games like that is so unlike you,” Masky speaks, head turning to face Slenderman. Toby and Hoodie turn to face their boss as well, their confusion emanating from them.

If Slenderman had a mouth, it would be smirking. He prefers to not mess with the other CPs but the young man needs to have a reality check. And this was the perfect way.

“You’re right. It is unlike me. But I have been bored lately and I have been craving some entertainment.” Slenderman, although with no facial expression, turned to his proxies. They knew what they had to do now.

With a wave of his hand, the trio turned and left the room, leaving the eldritch being to his devices.

Jeff entered his room and threw the folder on his bed. He took notice of the window. It was dark.

Mhm, I can get this job done now and not worry, Jeff thought to himself. Grabbing his trusty blade, he walked out of the house and entered the woods.

“Hope it was a good life you lived Angie”, Jeff spoke to no one in particular, sprinting through the forest that slowly turned into the familiar streets near your apartment.

Pulling his hoodie over his head, Jeff the Killer slowly strolled towards Angie’s home.

Chapter 10: Jackson 🫀

Chapter Text

Darkness was all he could see. Where was he? What time was it? The last thing that he can remember was the fire, the insanity in those people’s eyes surrounding him and her. He remembered how she begged to be spared, about how she wanted to worship her god. It was disgusting. It was pitiful. He found great pleasure in killing her.

Wait, what?

The dark sky was the first thing he can see. And the putrid smell of human flesh. And a weird taste in his mouth. It felt like he had woken up from a bad dream except it was not.

His vision was a bit blurred but he could see the remains of the mess he made. Slowly, Jack sat up from the table he laid on. His vision became clear at his surroundings; there was blood everywhere, mangled bodies thrown to the sides. He could feel his breathing become heavy. It was a nightmare straight from a horror movie and it looked like he was the killer. He noticed his clothes were stained with blood. This whole situation felt surreal.

Tic. tic. Tic.

Jack looked around for the noise; he was on full alert. The forest around him was thick and dense but that sound was unmistakable. Maybe it was his imagination? It was like everything was clear. He could hear the crickets chirping and he could hear the soft brushes of the leaves dancing in the wind.

Tic. tic. Tic.

“Who’s there?”, Jack called out, his eyes trying to find the noise’s location. It was not his imagination; he heard something.

“Whoa! What a mess you made!” Another voice chimed from the forest. Jack took a defense stance.

“Hah! Hold on tough guy. I ain’t here to fight you”, the voice spoke in retaliation.

“What do you want?”

Out from the shadows, a young man donned with brown scruffy hair and wearing a typical hoodie and jeans. The yellow goggles were the eye catching article that the boy possessed. Jack could also see the young man had two hatchets hanging off by his belt. A mouth-guard covered the boy’s mouth. The stranger noticed Jack’s perceptiveness. “Oh? These babies?”, the stranger motioned to the weapons. “Don’t worry about these. They’re for work.”

“You didn’t answer my question. What do you want?”

“Rude. The name is Toby or Ticci Toby if you wanna be ‘professional’,” Toby motioned the emphasis on the word. “I’m here to recruit you.”

Tic. tic. Tic.

“What’s that noise? It’s getting on my nerves”, Jack asked, feeling a bit annoyed at how loud the sound was. Was this what overload sensory was?

He noticed Toby’s mannerisms closer now. He saw the small involuntary movements of the boy. “I don’t like it when people”, Toby stopped and suddenly, his whole demeanor changed. “Point out my tics.”

A hatchet was thrown at Jack who with the quick reflex was able to avoid it. Jack stared at the other in bewilderment. What the actual f*ck was going on?

Toby suddenly began to laugh and pulled out the other hatchet. “Boss did say if you didn’t cooperate, I can use these babies!”

Jack was about to run when he heard sirens. Police sirens. Oh gosh. If he was caught, he would be screwed. Toby, on the other hand, didn’t seem to care. In a flash, Jack was sprinting into the forest, away from everything and that lunatic. He could hear Toby’s voice from a distance. “JACK!! I”LL FIND YOU SOON~.”

Running, Jack felt strange. Did he always run this fast? He jumped and he was surprised to see himself really high up. Falling back down, he landed perfectly on his feet. His senses were all over the place. He turned in all directions until his eyes landed on a small little cabin.

“A cabin in the woods?”, Jack scoffed at the thought but decided to infiltrate to recover. Inside the small cabin, he found it to be empty. It looked rather old and for sure, it was abandoned. It looked like this place had seen better days. A bit on guard, Jack made his way searching for a restroom; least he can do is to clean himself up. He turned on the lights to the bathroom and felt peace for a second. That was before he turned to the mirror.

And he saw the horror that was reflected back to him.

What Jack saw in the mirror was indescribable.

Grey skin. Jack looked at his hands in horror; his mouth agape as he realized he was grey all around his body. It was a horrid color and it sent chills down his spine.

His teeth. They were razor sharp. He raised his finger to poke it and he felt the sharpness of the teeth; it was like these teeth can be used to bite into something. Or someone. There was also bits of flesh? Huh, so that’s what that weird taste was. Human flesh.

His eyes. Jack wanted to cry, he did. But seeing that black ooze and realizing that he ,in fact, had no eyes. Empty holes that seem to have no end. He felt a panic attack coming.

But it stopped.

Because of the hatchet that landed and smashed on the mirror.

Jack was taken aback. He turned to meet with Toby, who looked rather happy to see him. “So, you finally got a look at yourself?” Jack wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He wanted to breakdown and end it all. And then he felt a hand on his shoulder. “Sorry I lashed out hah. I’m a bit wonky when I don’t get my job done”, Toby started. “But you can come with me. And you’ll be okay.”

“But I’m a monster.”

Toby chuckled. “Not a monster. Well kinda hah.”

If Jack had eyes, he would roll them. This dude was pretty rude but somehow, Jack felt slightly better. Reaaaally better. Huh, was that a sharp pain in his neck. Jack reached for his neck and noticed it was a tranquilizer. And he was feeling really tired.

Toby smiled behind his mouth-guard. “Like I said, I get a little impatient when I don’t get sh*t done. You’ll be fine.”

And with that, Jack was out cold, falling to the floor. When he awoke, he found himself in a room. Toby was sitting in a chair next to the bed. “Ah, you’re awake. Good. My boss wants to talk to you”, he spoke in a serious tone as he stood from the chair. Jack, despite his body’s objections, rose as well.

The two exited the room and walked through a long hallway. Jack didn’t dare talk. He was able to deduce that Toby was a dick. And his demeanor can change in an instant. Before Jack, there were doors to an office. Toby entered and gestured Jack to do the same. Inside, Jack noticed another person? It emanated an aura so powerful and terrifying, Jack felt intimidated.

The faceless being turned in his direction. Toby moved to the side of the room and the attention was on Jack. “Your name is Jackson, correct?” The being spoke in a commanding tone.

Jack nodded.

“I’m sure you were acquainted with Tobias, have you not?”

Jack nodded once again.

“He did mention something about recruitment.”

It was not a question but a statement. Jack nodded.

“It is rather simple. I don’t usually do this. But I would like for you to join me. We are known as Creepypastas, mythical and scary beings that exist to wreak havoc in the human population. You were used to be a sacrifice to Chernabog, were you not?”

Jack didn’t answer; remembering that event caused him a surge of anger arise.

“You were granted power, powerful senses and incredible speed. With the addition of your anatomical knowledge, I know you will be a great asset to me. You can serve as a doctor of sorts for our kind.”

“No offense, but I didn’t graduate with my doctorate so being a doctor would be out of the question”, Jack snapped.

Behind the goggles, Toby’s eyes widen. To snap at the boss? Guy was literally asking to die.

“We can fix that. The library is filled with books to satisfy your needs and you’re technically not a human anymore Jackson.”

Jack stayed quiet for a moment. What did he have to lose now? Would it be sane to reject this offer?

“You don’t have anything anymore Jackson. So I say accept my offer or die where you stand.”

What else can he say?

“Alright. I’ll join you”, Jack finally spoke.

The eldritch being rose from his seat and walked over to Jack. “My name is Slenderman and you will be answering to me now. Tobias will make sure you are settled into your new room. Like every new creepypasta, you will need a name. Provide me with one by the end of the day.”

Toby led Jack to his new room. Inside was a simple bed and a plain dresser. Jack sat down on the bed, still wearing his dirty clothing. Toby had left for a moment but returned after a few minutes. In his hand, a mask. Toby reached out to Jack.

“Here, I was given a mask when I first came here. But I didn’t like masks so I improvised with my goggles and mouthguard. You can use it instead.”

Jack felt the notion to be kind. Jack grabbed the mask and nodded to Toby, who then exited room promptly. The mask was simple; it possessed the eye holes only. All he had to do was to add his personal touch. After asking Toby for some blue paint, the mask was complete. Putting it on, the black ooze began to pour out the mask. By the end of the day, he was no longer Jackson Hammerson; he was now Eyeless Jack.

And so began his life as a CP. He developed his new skills and became one of the most stealthiest of hunters that existed. EJ also found that he liked the taste of human flesh. Well, it was an experimental kill after all; the boy was hungry and the only thing in sight was the corpse. EJ discovered he loved the taste of kidneys most of all; some people had them lightly salted (his favorite). Other organs were okay but kidneys were by far the best. Sometimes, EJ wouldn’t kill his victim but take a kidney instead. He would then store it away for future use.

Out of all of the CPs, Toby surprisingly became one of his close ‘friends’. He was the first one to welcome him after all. Toby was a peculiar individual; he possessed a variety of disorders, one of which he deduced was Tourette’s Syndrome. The boy also experienced bipolar episodes but he was set to ease whenever EJ snatched medication from houses (he will never admit it but he tries his best to choose doctors as his victims for the sake of medications they might possess).

EJ’s method of killing was rather distinct from other CPs. He stalked and then struck at night, when the individual was asleep. Some might call him a merciful killer but EJ didn’t pay it no mind. If the victim wakes up, that’s their problem.

As of recent, Toby had recommended that EJ “expanded his horizons” when it comes to killing. "You gotta be on thin f*cking ice" were the correct choice of words that Toby had selected.

And that is how EJ found himself at a rundown movie rental location. He didn’t like this; he preferred his method but Toby would not shut up. He was dressed in his typical hunting clothing with the exception of no blood (visibly at least). His eyes looked through the potential victims and finally landed on a couple. A really tall boy and his short friend. The boy had turned on his heel and walked over to another rows of movies, leaving the friend all alone.

Perfect.

The individual stood scanning through the various horror movies, he observed. His new victim looked rather gullible and he was relishing in it. He couldn’t believe how easy it was to lead them to the back of the store. He couldn’t believe they didn’t acknowledge anything horrid was happening until he pulled out the scalpel.

But EJ underestimated this person; they were able to get away.

And so he stalked them.

From the supermarket and trailing them to their own apartment. And then he was able to acquire your number from the mischievous elf. He realized that scaring you was hilarious; and what was even more hilarious was when you threw that raw steak at him!

Gosh, he wanted to laugh but he had to keep his cool.

And then there was the consoling from the panic attacks and the teaching of the human anatomy and this all led to the one thing EJ tried to avoid.

He became friends with you and slowly but surely, he found himself falling for you.

And now he was fully aware of the consequences that could come with these newfound feelings.

And damn, he wanted to tell someone. But he didn’t really trust anyone with the exception of Toby but the guy was one of the main proxies that stands next to Slenderman so that was a bust.

So, he kept up the sneaking out game. And he was winning. After all, he is one of the most stealthiest of the CPs that exist. No one has caught on.

Except Toby.

The young boy may be a bit hyperactive and can be easily distracted but he is not dumb. He is fully aware that EJ is hiding something.

How does he know? EJ did not always come back with a clean jacket.

And so Toby follows him one night.

And he finds out.

From the shadows where Toby hides, he can tell from EJ’s movements and subtle gestures that there is more what meets the eye. He saw the two of you sitting on the couch, in close proximity, reading over what looks like an anatomy book. Toby furrowed his brows. This isn’t good. If Slenderman found out, EJ, would be dead. Toby considered EJ his close friend and he felt a sudden wave of responsibility.

Hands slowly grazing over his hatchets, he realized what he must do.

In order to save EJ, he would have to get rid of that person that will be EJ’s downfall.

Chapter 11: Benjamin Parker 🎮

Chapter Text

Water.

The water was cold and unforgiving. The underlying currents were no match for him. He could feel his last bubbles of oxygen leave his body as the water began to crush into his lungs. This was it. This was where he was going to die. You would think that the boy could swim. He could but he was unable to due to the restraints around both his ankles and wrists. His father made sure of it.

Ben did not want to die.

He couldn’t die.

His eyes remained opened despite the stain on them. Slowly, he felt himself close them.

No...no…...no….no..NO!

***Reload***

What the heck?

Ben sat up in his bed, sweating and coughing to the side of his bed; it felt like he had water in his lungs. Looking around his surroundings, he was met with the familiar setting of his bedroom. The TV screen showed the main menu screen of a video game with game disc scattered on the floor next to the console. The neutral walls that cornered him were decorated with a variety of posters, most of which were from video games.

The screeching noise gave him a spook. He breathed heavily as he turned off the alarm.

7:00 am.

He shook his head, his blond hair falling, covering his face and the small bruise near his eye. Ben relaxed and settled on his bed. He still had a few minutes before his father woke up. His father was a...bad man. He often came home drunk and always fell into violence towards his son. At first it was only words that hurt the boy but when the divorcee of his mother left town, everything took a turn for the worst.

Ben found solace in playing video games mainly Legend of Zelda; Ben always aspired to be like Link, strong and courageous. He found this fictional character to be a ray of sunshine in his sad life. The fact that he had also dyed his auburn hair to a dirty blond as homage to the character can relay how important Link was to Ben.

Loud bangs set off alarms in his head. It was his dad.

(*)

“Hey! Piece of sh*t! Make some damn breakfast!”

Ben literally jumped from his bed and donned himself with his slippers before exiting the room, head cowering and a soft “yes sir” coming out of his mouth, walking towards the kitchen. Ben began to take out the ingredients to make pancakes when he felt a presence behind him. Slowly he turned and if it wasn’t for his fast reflexes, he would have been stabbed by the knife.

“Dad?”

John, his father, had a malicious grin on his face, his hand holding a knife aimed at his son.

“You’re too slow kid.” He dashed towards Ben who was effectively trapped. Both fell to the floor, John aiming the knife and laughing maniacally. “Bye bye Ben” was all that was spoken before he stabbed Ben, eliciting a sharp scream of pain.

***Reload***

Gasping awake, Ben sat up in bed. He felt a strange wave of déjà vu wash over him. He was sure he had woken up before.

Right?

Strong bangs to the door send off warning signals in his head.

“Hey! Piece of sh*t! Make some damn breakfast!”

Ben stared in disbelief at the door. But...why is he awake?

The door suddenly broke down, Ben scrambling closer to the headstand of the bed to avoid his father’s glare. His father said nothing as he grabbed for Ben who did nothing but comply; he did not want another bruise. The young boy followed his father to the restroom where there was a tub full of water ready. Ben found this a bit unnerving. The boy could feel his father’s hold tightened on his shirt and the other hand on Ben’s head and he could certainly feel the water enter through his nasal cavity as he was pushed head first into the tub. Ben struggled against his hold, trying to breath but it was no use. Ben slowly felt his strength leave him.

***Reload***

This time, when Ben woke up, he was not in his room. He was standing behind his father who was too busy looking at the tub of water, failing to notice Ben.

Ben felt a surge of emotions at that moment. Blind but yet fully aware of what he was doing, the sounds of the gurgles that came from his father as he sunk his head in the water brought a sense of tranquility for the boy. The father’s struggles slowly diminished as his body fell limp. Ben let go of the corpse and he let out a sigh of relief.

***Saved***

(**)

Ben let himself fall on the tiled floor. It’s over.

Ben let a small chuckle escape him; he was finally free. Free of that monster’s hold. Free to be himself. Free...

“My, my, my. Look at what you’ve done~”, a voice called out, shaking Ben out of his newfound freedom. Turning he came face to face with...Link?

Ben stuttered out in gasps and his eyes were shaken.

“How are you…?” Ben trailed off as seeing his favorite fictional character witness the cruel action that had just occurred. Link looked exactly like in the game. His blond hair and striking blue eyes pierced Ben; he felt a bit intimidated. A small smirk was formed on Link’s face instead of the usual stoic facial expression he is known for. “Wow...what a mess kid. You’re gonna be fun.”

Ben raised an eyebrow at this. Fun? Link’s smirk grew before he raised his hand and snapped his fingers. In an instant, Ben was, along with Link, fell through the ground, Ben’s home long forgotten as they transported through a void where they eventually landed in a garden. The garden itself was embedded with a variety of flowers and it looked heavenly. The grass was green and welcoming. There were stark white pillars that stood tall; they looked rather old. The cracks within the granite held their secrets. Ben landed on his bottom and he groaned in pain.

He could hear Link laugh. “Dang kid, you suck at the landings.”

Ben hurried to his feet and turned to face Link who...looked different. He still wore his iconic outfit, but it was a shade darker, making it appear like he was wearing shadows. His eyes also changed. Instead of the warm blue they were, they were now a stunning shade of red. The same smirk across his face.

“Finally, I can breath!”, ‘Link’ raised his arms to stretch. Ben was beyond confused.

“Don’t worry kid, the boss will explain it to you right now”, ‘Link’ put Ben’s worries to ease. Not for long.

Ben could feel the ground beneath his feet begin to tremble. He began to take notice of the flowers as they began to wilt, their once vibrant colors turning a dark grey. The pillars began to crumble to the ground as a strong gust of wind pushed Ben to the ground.

“What a pretentious asshole, always making an entrance”, ‘Link’ muttered under his breath.

Ben stared at awe as a form began to appear. It was blocky. The familiar scheme of colors caught the boy.

Was that Herobrine? From Minecraft?

Ben felt like this was a whole weird dream. Like a really weird one.

The air around the Minecraft entity was heavy and Ben could feel the energy of that of a ruthless leader.

“Benjamin Parker, are you not?”

Ben winced at the name; his father always called him that. He never liked calling him Ben.

Ben gave a stiff nod.

“I have been watching you Parker. You hold great potential.” Herobrine walked closer to the alarmed boy.

A groan can be heard from the other party. “Herobrine, my guy, can you like stop being so cryptic and get to the point? I got my own stuff to do”, ‘Link’ said, exasperated.

Herobrine gave him a glare before complying.

“Parker, would you like to join us? We are an organization known as the Glitches and you are a recent inquiry of ours”, Herobrine began. Ben was confused as f*ck.

“Alright, walk with me”, Herobrine made a motion to Ben who followed after the entity. “I do not know if you have noticed but you are dead. You were killed by your father when he threw you into that cold river with restraints.”

His words fell like a huge chilly splash of water on Ben. He was dead? But then...what was..

“I see you are confused. I am sure you have noticed that you woke up in various occasions where you were killed, were you not?”

Ben’s silence was taken as an answer.

“You kept reliving those scenarios until you did what?” Herobrine knew the answer. He just needed to hear it from Ben.

“Un..Until..I killed my dad,'' Ben answered.

“Precisely! And because of that simple action, you SAVED!”

Ben raised an eyebrow. “Save? Like in a video game?”

Herobrine shook his head. “It has the same concept but it can be used in the real world just as it can be used in our world. No one within the Glitches possess such an ability, not even myself. You were not aware you were using the power of that SAVE until you killed your father. That is why I had Dark Link personally escort you to me.”

Dark Link raised a hand at Ben who was beginning to understand the whole premise of the situation.

“So you want me to do what exactly?”

“Oh, quite simple. Kill unsuspecting individuals who play our games. And I see that grimace on your face. You don’t have to kill these people yourself. You can make them do it”, Herobrine said.

Ben stared at the cryptid, thinking over the proposition. He was dead now. There would be no point in anything except what Herobrine was offering. It was a bit odd, yes, but Ben had nowhere else to go.

“If I say no?”, Ben asked.

Dark Link’s eyes glanced at the boy. Hah, Herobrine really disliked it when he was rejected.

“You will be trapped in an endless circle of a fate crueler than death.” This really put things in perspective for Ben.

As long as he doesn’t have to kill anyone, he can do this.

“I accept. So what am I gonna do?”, Ben affirmed.

“Every single Glitch is in charge of a game, whether it be a series or a specific game. In time, you will meet others of our kind. You seem to be affiliated with that of the Legend of Zelda series, no?”

Ben gave a nod, a bit sheepishly though; he was a fanboy after all.

“Hey Herobrine! No offense but Zelda is my territory! Don’t you go handing some newbie my sh*t”, Dark Link spoke up.

Herobrine rolled his squared eyes as best he could. “Then pray tell, what do you suggest?”

“The kid can have Majora’s mask, it’s the only game I can’t stand”, Dark Link answered firmly.

“That will work for now. Dark Link can check on you from time to time but that game will be yours. Do not mess lightly with your power. You can cause some unwanted attention to be averted towards yourself.”

Ben understood perfectly. And so began his life as a Glitch began and the whole premise of being a glitch was rather weird. He was literally attached to the game of Majora’s Mask, so he could not go anywhere that wasn’t the game’s settings. Like Herobrine said, he met others. Sonic EXE. for one; he is an asshole. Glitchy Red was a bit unbearable but overall a good guy? Everything was going well. Ben haunted the game of Majora’s Mask and it was rather fun; pulling pranks at the individuals was something he found extremely entertaining. Did he kill them?

No.

(*)

But with all of the haunts and scares, he drove them to insanity it appeared. He saw how the first victim he ever had, clawed at their eyes, screaming at the mirror. Ben felt a tinge of guilt when he saw the person hang themselves, their arms filled with cuts from the razorblade. Ben didn’t want them to end their life. He felt it in his empty chest where his soul might’ve been. He felt a strange warmth. He noticed his hands emiting a soft green energy. He felt just like when his father killed him.

(**)

Maybe…

He closed his eyes and focused.

***Reload***

Ben saw the victim alive and looking like from before, without scars on their face and no blood on their hands. Ben made sure to leave them alone.

Ben, despite everything, could not bare to kill someone. The only reason he went through with his father’s kill was because the bastard had it coming. He was pure evil; Ben never liked the beatings. And so, he refused to kill.

And the young glitch learned something. While he could RELOAD, he noticed that it only affected the individual that Ben was associated with. So he was unable to mess around with other people’s lives.

Until that one night.

While he was taunting his current victim, he noticed one night that there was a break in near the home of his victim and he could feel it in the air: someone was killed. Ben tried to go towards that new presence but was unable to as he is only able to move in close vicinity of the game. Despite this issue, he concentrated his entire energy on that individual that had just passed.

Come on, Ben, you can do this

He opened his eyes and they glowed a familiar soft emerald color. He raised his hands, which began to thrum with the same glow as his eyes. Finding the soul was like playing a game of PacMan; you just gotta find the right path before finding the soul. Ben could feel it; the hurt and fear of the soul that was once a living being.

Like turning a clock’s arms, time was stopped and began to reverse for the fallen individual.

***RELOAD***

***SAVE***

They were now alive again.

Ben wiped a metaphorical bead of sweat off his brow. The glow from his hands began to dim and he laughed, feeling rather pleased with himself. So what if he didn’t kill like was supposed to? Being honest, Ben was not afraid of Herobrine; he was all talk and no bite. But that didn’t stop the creepy feeling curling at Ben. He really should stop messing with life like this. He shouldn’t be one to play god (that’s Sonic EXE.’s gig). Herobrine had mentioned there were some individuals that were rather dangerous if they knew of the power.

And this caught someone’s attention. Very unwanted attention.

His name was Slenderman, from what Dark Link said. The latter had left as soon as the eldritch being walked into what he assumed was an office with Herobrine. Ben couldn’t blame him. The raw power that just oozed out of the tall faceless being was incredible. Ben stayed still, waiting outside in the hallway. This mansion was rather big and it appeared rather empty. It looked large enough to house a number of individuals. The only other individuals that Ben had seen when passing through with Herobrine was what resembled a trio of young men, each with a mask and their weapons to the side. This felt strange. It felt almost wrong being so far away from the game.

It was Slenderman that cut that connection.

Ben just wanted to leave. He wanted to leave and go back home. He missed his home as sad as it was. He wanted to go back to his game. Just anywhere but here.

“Benjamin Parker”, a clear and firm voice called out his name.

The boy turned his head towards the door. “Come in.”

Ben did not need to be told twice.

Crossing the threshold of the mahogany doors, Slenderman was sitting at his desk, a long table with beautiful carvings on the legs that kept it at bay. Herobrine was nowhere to be seen. Ben felt a sudden feeling of being watched. Taking a peek behind his shoulder, he saw the three young men but this time, they were “accompanied” by the rest of the glitches: Dark Link, Glitchy Red, Lost Silver, Sonic EXE. and a few more he didn’t recognize.

They all looked rather beaten up.

“Benjamin Parker” Ben turned quickly back to the being. “Do you recognize this individual?”

Ben was handed a file with a photograph of a young man. Ben did not recognize him at all.

“....I don’t”, Ben answered.

Slenderman rose from his swivel chair and stalked around the table to meet with Ben. “Such a shame. One would assume you would recognize the individual you saved?”

Ben felt his breath hitched. He couldn’t remember faces but he did save someone. It was the 1st person he saved that was not connected to him. All he could remember was the feeling of their soul, he was totally unaware that it was this guy!

“You see, this victim was killed by one of my proxies, Masky” Slenderman waved his hand in the direction of the masked individuals. “You essentially stole a kill from me, you see. I do not like it when people go against my wishes and I.”

Ben felt officially screwed. He felt nervous. What exactly was going to happen?

“Now, as much as I was...bothered..by this predicament, I do see the potential of that power you have. It is a rare power I have not seen in centuries” Slenderman started. “I would like for you to join me.”

Huh? Seriously? That was strange but then again, Herobrine had done the same thing at the beginning.

“I want all of you to join as well”, the faceless being gestured to the rest, who all took a small nod.

“What do you say, Benjamin Parker?”

Ben really did not want to. Where the hell was Herobrine in all of this? But the being looked rather impatient, considering the no-face feature he possesses.

“I accept.”

He could hear small snickers from behind him and then a small smack to the head, and a voice saying, “Shut up Toby.”

“Wonderful!”, Slenderman clapped his hands together. “Ah, but there is one more thing. Because you are all not creepypastas, you must become one.”

One of the masked young men walked up to Slenderman holding a small glass filled with a maroon colored liquid. Slenderman grabbed hold of the glass and swiveled it around, the viscosity of the liquid looked dense.

“This is my blood and you shall drink it. And I will be your savior”, he gave the glass to Ben, who gulped a little of his saliva.

“Now drink. You will become a creepypasta and your contract will begin.”

(*)

Ben took a deep breath before raising the cup to his lips and drinking the ominous liquid. Almost immediately, Ben’s eyes popped open and he fell to the floor, shattering the glass cup on the floor. The pain was indescribable. He felt a burning sensation throughout his whole body, his eyes were burning as if the gates of hell was present. His screams of pain and agony filled the room. Ben could feel tears coming out of his eyes, it hurt...it hurt so much.

(**)

“Now. I would like to make it clear. I don’t hold grudges but steal any kill from my proxies, which is by extension myself, you will pay dearly.” Slenderman raised his hand to the other glitches before snapping his fingers. The once glitches were now creepypastas, each with their own trademark.
Ben’s cries began to die out as all was left were small whimpers.

Dark Link stared at Ben in disbelief. The kid he knew was gone. The friend (though he will never admit it) that would join him in fun adventures in the games was gone. All that was left was a boy with black sclera and red piercing eyes. Streak of blood ran down his cheeks, almost permanently stained. Dark Link felt pity for his friend.

“You are all under new management. Herobrine will no longer be with us. He was dealt with accordingly as will you all if you fall out of tune with your contracts. You will all live here now. Masky will lead you to your rooms and your designated missions from now on” The eldritch being kneeled in front of Ben, who had stopped crying. The being waved his hand and the rest exited the room. Dark Link gave one more glance to his friend before exiting the room as well.

“Ben, can you hear me?”

The boy stared up at the being. “...I’m sorry...I didn’t mean..to..” his voice trailed off as Slenderman laid his hand on the boy’s head.

“Do not fear, my child. I will teach you to harness your power and grant you new abilities. But tell me, what is it that you crave now at this very moment?”

Silence.

“Blood...suffering...torture”, Ben felt a smile form on his face. Slenderman looked rather pleased with himself.

“And you shall receive”, he spoke as if he was a doting father.

The life of a creepypasta for Ben began. He began to enjoy killing. He enjoyed seeing those people become insane in the membrane. Every once in a while, he RELOADed to see the torture again. It was fun! Slenderman became a teacher of sorts and taught Ben various methods of torture that Ben implicated into his own killings.

He was no longer Benjamin Parker, he was now BEN Drowned.

The boy grew into a teen and matured through the various kills; he developed a sick sense of humor and every once in a while, he would visit Slenderman to practice with his power.

Ben has not SAVEd since the stolen victim.

And like Slenderman had said, he was granted a new set of abilities. Ben could now use electricity as a method of manipulation. He could visit any games but still had to return to his original game. He could also shape shift in a sense; he could take the form of a human if need be.The other glitches were also granted more liberties.

Another typical day in an alleyway. The cartridge for the game was being sold. Again. Ben couldn’t wait to see his next victim. And look! There she is!

She was a young woman with tan skin and soft brown eyes to match. She was rambling about buying a game for an old friend. The old man quickly gave the girl Ben’s game. The girl was ecstatic.

And then he saw you.

The game was a gift for you apparently. And you looked rather...unhappy with the game. Ben didn’t like that. How dare you not be grateful!

So he told you so through Cleverbot, a useful way to communicate with the victims. Your reactions whenever he messed around with the lights and everything in general was hilarious! You were fun.

And then he hacked your phone line to take your ‘order’, hah! Transforming into a human was rather energy consuming but seeing your flustered face made it worth it. And then he decided to see you officially as BEN Drowned.

He did not expect a fight. You kicked him when he tried to grab a slice of pizza! He earned that slice damnit, he was the one who brought it after all!

And when you placed the TV a few feet on the wall and then he fell!! You were asking to be killed. But he had to admit one thing. You were a fiery spirit. You were feisty and stubborn and determined. He couldn’t help but not kill you. He wanted to have fun.

How wrong he was. He didn’t want to admit it.

He hadn’t felt anything in years. And now...it was a hurricane of emotions. He couldn’t disobey Slenderman but he also didn’t want to kill you.

Seeing you take a nap in those beds of Minecraft was the moment he realized he was screwed. You looked so peaceful and he was head over heels for you.

This was getting dangerous.

Dark Link had appeared after a while. He hadn’t really spoken to him in ages. You were back in your room.

Ben sat in the Minecraft game, sloshing the water that ran next to him.

He was a little scared of water...but he was getting better at confronting it. He felt a presence sit next to him.

“Dark Link, what a rarity. What’s up?”

Dark Link frowned. “Just checking in on you, can’t do that or what?” The two stared at each other with piercing glares before one cracked and laughed.

Dark Link ruffled Ben’s hair who retreated, glitching to the other side of Dark.

“I told you to stop doing that,'' Ben whined, fixing his hair once again.

Dark chuckled. “So, if you don’t mind me asking, who’s that person you keep bringing into the game?”

Ben froze. But answered firmly. “My next victim.”

“Ah, victim. Is playing games and rowing in boats with them considered your method of killing?”

Ben stayed silent.

“Ben, I hope you know what you’re doing. If Slenderman finds-” He was cut off by Ben.

“He won’t find out. And this does not concern you, Dark Link. So stay out of it”, Ben disappeared within a span of a second.

Dark Link sighed. “You leave me no choice Ben.” He didn’t want to lose him. He lost Herobrine, who he considered a great teacher. If he lost Ben…
The Link look-alike shook his head. If he has to kill you himself, he will.

And he has the perfect way to go about it.

Chapter 12: Laughing Jack in the Box! 🃏

Chapter Text

Issac Grossman lived a rather horrid life, with his alcoholic father and his hateful mother. The boy had no friends and longed for someone to confide in.

And he set out to do exactly that.

Isaac believed in the supernatural and thought to himself to summon a creature to be his friend. Despite his young age, he was sure of the world around him and what lies beyond that boundary humankind had set. That night, when his parents left to whatever they were doing, he used strawberry jam to draw the pentagram. (Best idea? Probably not). He opened the book of occult he hid in his room and began to speak into the existence of the world. What seemed like a few minutes felt like an eternity to the boy; nothing happened. Exasperated and dejected, he cleaned the small setting of his room and threw the occult book to the side. He really was alone in this. Hopping onto his bed, Isaac could hear the front door open wildly, a hard slam on the floor was heard. His father was at it again. Huddling closer to himself, Isaac did his best to fall asleep.

What a surprise he found when he awoke.

The ritual had worked! Kind of.

Rubbing his eyes softly, he found a Laughing Jack in the Box, a small idle colorful metallic box with a chain on the side, sitting on the edge of his bed.

Grabbing the box softly, he smiled as he began to turn the chain on the side. A small tune began to play and as it began to reach its climax, Isaac could hear...humming. A puff of smoke, colorful and vibrant, was released from the box. The child shielded their eyes and coughed at the close proximity of the smoke that made its way to his lungs.

"Well! Well! Well! Look at what we have here~", a voice spoke from the smoke. Isaac stared in disbelief before a smile was formed on his face.

Laughing Jack, a clown that appeared out of the box humming the tune of ‘Pop! Goes the Weasel’, dressed in a typical clown outfit with bright and colorful feathers to his shoulder blades and bright red suspenders, holding his soft rainbow stained pants. They became the best of friends.

Laughing Jack cared for the young boy, taking him to his special carnival within the box, giving him candy all the time and playing around with the lonely child.

Then everything changed when Isaac’s father murdered his wife and then he was sentenced to death. All those years of abuse finally took a toll on the young boy, despite the friendship with Laughing Jack.

Laughing Jack was abandoned essentially. His box laid idle on a shelf, forgotten. The clown always figured that Isaac would return. Always waited for him. Then he witnessed the kills Isaac partook in.

Now, Laughing Jack was technically a demon. He was summoned after all. With some fruit jam albeit but being a demon can be so boring and he figured he could change his ways with Isaac. But seeing his former best friend murder and rip open these poor people were too horrible for Laughing Jack to see. He took matters into his own hands.

He remembers tying Isaac up, ripping out his tongue, bringing a sense of justice to those poor people the young adult had dealt with. The screams of the former friend brought nothing to Laughing Jack, he was ridding the world of a horrible human. He was doing good.

Right?

When Laughing Jack ripped open Isaac’s body and began to play with the intestines, he felt...happy. The last time he felt this happy was meeting Isaac in the beginning of their newly found friendship. Once Isaac was dead, Laughing Jack laughed. He laughed to his heart’s content.

And he feels tears strolling down his cheeks as he laughed, tears of laughter. Tears of sorrow. He lost his best friend. His laughs turn into sobs and the endless waterfall of tears begin to literally wash away his colors. No more rainbow stains, it was all black and white. As his tears stopped, he rose tall and looked at the remains of Isaac. It was over.

Never again.

Never again will Jack ever let anyone in.

Feeling empty, he found solace in the box where he resided. Closing his eyes, he decided to take a nap. Something to help him drift away from the horrible times.

Fast forward a century or so, (the Victorian era was rather dull in Jack’s opinion), the demonic clown found himself in a nicely lit home. It belonged to a small family of two, a young mother with her young girl, no older than eight. The child had been playing with his box when he appeared in front of her. The clown was well aware of the shades of black he was wearing; he was no longer a child’s companion. But the girl did not seem to care as she jumped in surprise and gave him a big smile.

Too bad for the young girl. And the young set of twins that followed. And that one orphan that strayed a little too far from the caretaker.

Jack really couldn't help it. He thought he could play the role of a best friend again, but there really isn’t anything like your first, huh?

Did he feel bad for killing the children? Not in the slightest.

The more you do it, the less emotion and regret you feel. Instead, he always had a high whenever they screamed in horror. Eating souls was something he had never done but after meeting small little Nancy Gellar, he wished he would have tried it sooner. A child’s soul was like a piece of candy; there were a variety of colors and each with their own different flavors. He loved red the best! Alas, that color rarely came across during his killings. As of yet, only Nancy Gellar had a red soul, the flavor of strawberries and cream, soft and delicious.

He yearned for that red color once again.

Years passed since then, many children disappeared through the years, all falling victim to the demonic clown.

He relished in it.

“Mommy! Daddy! Help!”, a young small child ran out their lit home, their parents nowhere to be found. They ran as fast as their small legs can carry them deep into the forest. The twigs snapped behind them as they turned their head to see whether the scary clown was following them or not. A sudden branch caused the youngling to fall flat on their face. They let out small cries when they heard footsteps closing in on them. Plucking up some courage, the child looked up to see two long legs, dressed with back slacks and polished shoes. A small spark of hope lit in the child as they looked up to see their savior only to scream at the faceless being.

Laughing Jack scowled, stalking through the crowded forest. It wasn’t every day a child was able to escape his grasp. But nonetheless, they always die in the end.

Jack turned at every corner for the child but found nothing. Then he heard a scream. A child’s scream. Jack ran towards the noise, disappearing into black smoke and landing where the supposed child was.

Instead of a child, Jack found himself in a small clearing. The trees surrounded him like shadows looming over him, serving as reminders of the souls he had taken. Through the years, Jack is able to pick up on certain things.

Things like when someone is eyeing you.

“May I help you? You do know it’s rude to stare?”, Jack spoke, his icy tone sounding dangerous. Out beside the tall pine trees, a being walked towards Jack. It’s height rivaled that of the surrounding pine trees and it was donned with a slick black suit and tie. Jack didn’t need to be told that this thing stole his kill.

But he was also smart. The being looked like nothing he has seen. Better to play it safe.

The being stalked closer and gave a stiff nod. “I am the Slenderman and I come here to recruit you to join my organization known as Creepypastas.” The eldritch being, through the various centuries he had existed, had learned to get straight to the point. That was how he was able to recruit the Rake. But that’s a story for another time.

Jack scoffed. “Thanks for the offer but no. I’m a bit of a lone wolf.”

Despite the loss of facial features, Jack could sense the irritation.

“I do not like when my offers are denied.”

“Tough luck, gumdrop. Get used to it”, Jack rolled his eyes and turned away, walking back to the small cottage, a few miles behind.

“Word of advice then”, Slenderman spoke. Jack stopped in his tracks. “There is a rising organization that aims to rid the world of creatures like us. They are known as the SCP Foundation. They are a troublesome bug. United, you can be granted more power and you can stay under my protection. Think about it. Be wary, Laughing Jack.”

The clown felt a sudden gust of wind and he found the faceless being gone. SCP? Huh, what a joke.

It wasn’t until the next child that Jack realized he was essentially f*cked.

It started out the same. A lonely kid finds the Jack in the Box and he comes out to become their ‘friend’. This child was rather peculiar. They seemed a bit wary of the clown at their first meeting but Jack quickly gained their trust when he offered them a red lollipop to which they received with a big smile. This child was rather talkative and asked Jack a variety of questions, trying to fill their curiosity. Deep down, Jack found it endearing.

Now, adults cannot see him. Isaac was the only exception and he didn’t count, after all, he was the one who summoned Jack. You would think as a demon anyone can see him? Wrong! Children are more adept at seeing things beyond what an adult can comprehend. It is easy to play the facade of an imaginary friend for that reason.

With a few weeks in, it was time to take the child’s soul. He loved the terrified look on their faces when he turned into a bloodthirsty killer he was. When he poofed in a cloud of smoke to appear in the child’s room, he did not expect to find the mother whose name he learned but could care less about.

Usually, if and when the parents are around when Jack poofs into the child’s room, they are unaware of his presence. The small gasp that was elicited from the woman and the way her shoulders seemed to lock did not go unnoticed by Jack. Time always passed like a blur to Jack but in this moment, he felt time stop as the woman turned slowly to face him; her eyes were focused on his tall figure, and then her own brown eyes met his dark shocked ones. The woman’s mouth opened slowly to release a scream but that never came. What did come was the sound of shattering glass from the window behind the woman.

He would’ve never guessed two masked figures come to his rescue. Quickly and stealthily, they grabbed the woman and killed her. Jack stood still, in shock to this new discovery.

“Hey, funny guy. We should leave now. The kid isn’t alone in the house”, one of them spoke, the one with the feminine mask.

Jack snapped out of his inner turmoil and nodded to the masked duo. The two lads jumped out the window and from behind him, Jack could hear the door open. He turned back to see the young child, eyes darting from Jack to the body of their mother. Another woman, the child’s aunt, also appeared, screaming at the corpse and shielding the child. The child gave him eyes that will forever haunt him.

Betrayal.

In a whirlwind of smoke, Jack disappeared and landed next to duo. “Was wondering when you were going to show up”, the same boy commented. The other masked individual stayed silent but gave a small nod. They called themselves Masky and Hoodie, proxies of Slenderman. Apparently, the eldritch being had his proxies keep an eye on him. They told the clown it would be best to join the faceless man. The SCP Foundation had apparently been keeping a tab on these many children disappearances and the child that Jack had made his current victim was actually a family member of one of the SCP’s fellow employees.

Jack obliged in becoming a creepypasta. Did he care that he can get killed? No. There is nothing that can kill a demon (holy water doesn’t work).

He joined because an adult can see him. That would be a bit dangerous. Becoming a creepypasta was not that hard; All Jack did was get essentially tattooed on his arm with the mark of Slenderman. After that little intro, Jack met with Slenderman to discuss some important information.

According to Slenderman, the SCP Foundation specializes in trainings that help adults become more aware of their surroundings; this causes a problem for the faceless being. For many centuries, Slenderman stayed under the radar and now humans have begun to hunt down the supernatural beings. This is why Slenderman aimed to recruit as many beings as he can and put under his protection.

As promised, Jack was granted more power. He was stealthier when it came to adults. He was able to change his shape and form at will now. He is one of the only other beings, besides the young elf boy, to cross an endless void, making entrances out of anywhere to enter. He was living the life.

Taking a child’s soul was bit more flexible. It was no erratic as Jack had been going about it before. Slenderman selected the children and gave Jack a proper schedule. He will never admit it aloud but it is extremely helpful. When Jack entered his room, courtesy of Slenderman to use whenever he needed, he found a note to go see the big boss.

Knocking on the tall mahogany doors of the mansion, the doors opened to reveal the eldritch being leaning over a file.

“You called for me?”, Jack asked, taking a seat in the leather chair.

“Yes. Disregard the child you have now and focus on this file instead”, Slenderman passed him the file he was browsing over.

Jack felt a little irritated but reached for the file, opening it and reading through the details.

“Fiore? Cute name”, Jack commented. He noticed the heterochromatic eyes and his interest was piqued.

“I see you find the eyes rather curious.”

Jack did not reply, he just stared. Their eyes. They were just like his.

“I think you’ll find this child rather peculiar. According to Masky’s observations, the child moves around quite often for their mother’s career. An easy catch. Take the child’s soul and continue on.”

Jack only nodded and exited the room.

Meeting Fiore was easy; all Jack had to do was make sure to leave the Jack in the Box right where the young child will see it. And it works!

They were extremely shy but Jack saw through that facade when he offered them a lollipop. The smile that grew on their face was super cute! Jack felt almost nostalgic. But he had to focus. Slowly, Fiore began to trust the clown, began to talk more. Jack would take them to his carnival and their eyes always lit up at the bright colors. Fiore was unlike any child. They were rather eloquent in their manner of speaking and they let on more than they show. They were extremely astute to minor details and shifts and this always caught Jack by surprise. Fiore would tell Jack about how their mother always seemed to put more focus into her work than them. Jack would feel a little peeved only because it reminded him of Isaac’s own situation. Nonetheless they would say, you make my days.

One night, Fiore was sitting in the living room with Jack when their mother walked in. She looked really familiar but Jack shook the feeling. She had announced they would be moving again but this time should be the last time. Fiore had a smile at that proclamation. Moving into a new town meant starting over for little Fiore. They were shunned from the groups at school due to their eyes. Jack was Fiore’s only friend.

And then came the news, Fiore’s mother was to go out of town for the weekend. Fiore was obviously bothered by the notion but apparently a relative of Fiore was going to show up to babysit them.

A week later, Fiore’s mother was set to go and arrived the famous relative that Fiore had been talking to Jack about.

When he did see you, he felt a familiar pang to his chest. Why did you look so familiar? Jack took note of this weird sensation and hid back in the box for now. Deciding to play the part, Jack took great pleasure in scaring you a bit. It was fun! You were a college student that just got off break and you seem to be one of the only people Fiore can smile and joke around with. It was obvious you cared a great deal for your cousin. You were also different. The night Jack decided to take Fiore’s red candy soul, you fought to make sure that didn’t happen. An obvious hint at your strong character was the fact you could see him. You were the second ‘adult’ to see him, even through the transparency he went about. So, he let Fiore go.

And annoying you became a new goal.

Cooking is not a clown’s strong suit but he tried. The face you made when you saw the mess made Jack’s day. Talking to you he wasn’t able to do since you were showing him how to prepare a breakfast but it was nice. He felt a nostalgic pull in his nonexistent heart. Then the fateful phone call that your aunt had scared you sh*tless. Usually, he relishes in seeing fear but for some reason, it bothered him seeing you scared. And so he took it upon himself to take you to his carnival where your smile was lit up at his expense of jokes and funny faces. He mentioned Isaac to you; he hadn’t referred to him aloud in a long time.

That's when he knew he was in too deep. It had already been a good two weeks making friends with Fiore and about a few days becoming your friend. This was getting dangerous. He was taking too long with this mission. Slenderman will sure have his ass handed to him. But he also couldn’t risk anything happening to both you and Fiore.

At the moment, though, Jack played happily with Fiore as you sat on the couch, watching the two with amusem*nt.

Unbeknownst to the small happy trio, trouble was beginning to unfold.

Jack could feel impending doom but he could care less as Fiore tackled the clown and the two laughed. Jack took one look at you laughing and that is all it took.

The eyes that held betrayal now held compassion and friendship and maybe even something more.

After all, it is not everyday that you get to see your so called victim grow into a young adult.

Chapter 13: Small Perspective

Chapter Text

“Careful! Watch your back!”

But she knew what she was doing. A gunshot to the head made the creature immobile. Especially with the bullets made specifically for that reason.

“You were careless again, Rose.”

Rose, not her actual name keep in mind, rolled her eyes. “I got it, didn’t I?”

Her superior officer was called 'Knight’, also not his real name, which was total overkill, at least in her opinion. He was a stickler for the rules and she loved to play with them.

It was needed after all. Especially with the job they are in.

“You should know better though! As part of the SCP Foundation, you are to uphold certain degrees of honor and you fail to every time!”, Knight lectured the woman who was too busy looking over the latest creature hunted. It was no Rake but it was something causing some trouble for the nearby human village.

The SCP Foundation was founded in order to make a distinct line between that of the human population and the supernatural world. There were too many supernatural occurrences that begun to plague the human society and so a few people decided to form this organization. Rose had joined along with her older sister at a young age. Both were trained to look past the human boundary of what can be seen. Only her older sister was able to see beyond. But not anymore.

She was killed by that...damn clown.

It was a night like any other.

Rose and her sister, along with her young child and Rose’s own newborn, were going to go out for the night, a stroll in the nearby park. Her sister, Violet (her codename), had simply jogged upstairs to grab her child’s stuffed animal. It had already been a few minutes and that was apparently too long and too late. The child ran up towards the room when there was a sound of shattering glass. Rose’s training instinctively had her following the young child. Entering the room, Rose let out a scream, looking at her sister’s body on the ground. Quickly, she grabbed the child and guarded them from that gruesome sight. Her eyes trailed to the window where she saw a blur of black and white before disappearing with a cloud of smoke. She knows she was able to see something. This something killed her sister.

When she reported this to her superior officers of the SCP Foundation, they turned to the child of her deceased sister for any clues. And oh, did they talk about their imaginary friend, a clown dressed in black and white and always gave them candy whenever their mother turned around. This is when the foundation took notice of child disappearances dating back as far as the 20th century. Every child that had disappeared always talked of an imaginary friend.

A clown of black and white.

Finally, Rose knew who killed her sister. She was going to get revenge.

And so they fought to track down this killer clown and they almost got him too! But the killing pattern had changed and made it almost impossible to track down.

Almost like the clown had fallen under new management.

Rose was happy working with the foundation. Great benefits honestly but it pained to be apart from her child, Fiore. Just when she thought after moving to a new location would be okay, she was called out for a…’cleaning’. At the actual foundation, any supernatural creature that has been caught must be either eradicated if too dangerous or tranquilize to study. This was for the latter option. She was one of the best of the associates.

So she had to go.

But her favorite relative and Fiore’s favorite cousin (you’re the only cousin) was doing the gracious favor to watch over the child.

It was only supposed to take a day or two. But alas, nothing ever goes her way. SCP-096 had killed one of her group members and escaped its holding room. So, a SCP lock down was occurring. She really wished she had better timing to call you. How was she going to explain this phone call now?

Also, was it her imagination or did you seem a bit off? Mhm, curious indeed.

Ah, you’re a strong individual. You’ll be okay.

What’s the worst that can happen?

Chapter 14: All is Fair in Love & War Part 1 🖤

Chapter Text

Jeff the Killer

Now, whenever you had an issue or anything that may be plaguing your mind, you would go to Angie for help. She was helpful when it came to most things and deep down, you knew she was the person to see.

The dream that you had currently woke you up from your slumber, your face slightly warm and you heart was beating erratically. You have had your share of cute dreams with crushes and the likes but why is it that when the object of your affection turned out to be Jeff?

Oh, dear.

How can you even face him now?

In the dream, both of you were standing on a cliff side. The small blades of grass were soft to the touch against your bare feet. There was a slight breeze that had gently played with your hair as well as Jeff’s. You remember you were holding hands, the reason for it long forgotten. But it felt nice and safe. In the dream, you could feel Jeff turn to you except he wasn’t himself. Instead of his charred black hair, it was replaced with chocolate colored hair. His whole face was a fair complexion instead of the white burn. His glasgow smile was gone and all he had was a small smile with pearly whites, softly smiling at you. His eyes were a dazzling cerulean. They looked like they were waiting for some type of validation. You remember him saying, “I can be this way for you, if it makes you happy.” But it didn’t.

Because that isn’t who you fell in love with.

In the dream, you let go of his hand and cradles his head in your hands. “I like you for you, killer and all. So please..be you,” you had said, leaning closer to his face. Before you reached his lips, the killer that stole your heart was back and he leaned in to meet you halfway.

“AHHH!” You shook your head. You could feel your face heat up. Oh gosh...you should really call Angie.

Speaking of the devil, you heard the familiar tune of the Tardis and you answer automatically with a groan.

“Whoa sweetheart, I don’t swing that way hah. Well I do but you’re my best friend and like there has to be a line drawn somewhere”, you could hear the teasing tone.

“Angieeeee! Stop that. I need help, I...um...ah..feeling”, you struggle to complete your sentences. You are a hot mess. You could hear Angie hum in response.

“Come over then, I got some of your favorite cake to wallow a bit and you can come vent to mama Angie, okay?”

You didn’t need to be told twice. Once you slipped into something more comfortable, you drove to Angie’s cozy apartment. Though it was close to your home, it was getting dark and there’s weirdos and such about. There, arriving, Angie opened the door and pulled you into a hug. “Now, come on Y/N, what’s got your feelings all in a jumble”, she asked, patting your head.

Well, now you are kinda screwed. How the heck do you explain to your best friend that you kinda have a crush on a guy who has an insatiable lust for killing people?

Okay, so first tell her it’s a guy.

“Okay, so uh...it’s just..uh there..is this guy” You were interrupted by Angie’s loud gasp and squeal.

“You met someone? Is he cute? Is he from school? Is he tall?” A variety of questions were thrown at you. Of course, you could not spare any details but realizing that it is a killer that you are going to gush over seemed bad. You felt a knot in your throat and you could suddenly feel like you can’t breathe.

Oh gosh, was this a panic attack?

Angie noticed this small change and she jumped up from the comfortable couch to take a dive in her kitchen. You could hear some pots and pans and you’re sure she is doing that on purpose. A few minutes pass and she returns accompanied with a cup of what you assume must be tea. She gently hands you the cup and the warmth radiating from the tea almost sets you at ease.

“Okay, sorry first of all. I did not mean to overwhelm you with the interrogation hah”, she lightly pats your shoulder. You give a nod.

“It’s alright. It’s just..” You trail off, feeling your eyes well up. You can’t tell her anything about him.

So you secede in telling her vague details, more specifically your feelings over the killer.

“It’s kinda complicated”, you start. “But I genuinely like him...he is so strange and that catches my attention, now that I’m being honest.”

It really is surprising how you have come to like this serial killer. But you do. Spending time with him and laughing with him eases your nerves and you always find yourself wanting the time you spend to never end.

“Y/N, it looks like you must really like this guy. You got the same look whenever you see the waiter bring your favorite dish to the table”, Angie took a few seconds before asking her next question. “How long have you been talking with this mysterious guy?”

You tense up a bit. How long have you been enjoying his company?

“I honestly think it’s been a month or so, but it feels like I have known him forever”, you partly tell the truth.

Angie made an ‘O’ motion with her mouth. You were her best friend. She felt a tad hurt you didn’t come talk to her prior but she pushed that thought out of the way.

“And what’s got ya so stressed then?”

You ponder for a moment. Well, first of all, he’s a killer. He likes to kill people, innocent mind you. He has a short temper but never with you. He was almost a fountain of patience when it came to you. After he taught you to throw knives, he wanted you to learn a bit of self defense. But he’s a killer. He did help you though; he has been more of an impact on your life in comparison to other people you've talked to. But he is a killer!

“Okay friend, stop that. I can see you’re fighting with your mind”, Angie said. You sighed and slumped on the sofa.

“Y/N, don’t worry hun, I’ll help ya in anyway I can. But I need your help too, ok?”

But you can’t. You can’t tell her that you have got it hot for a f*cking killer! Gosh.

“I...can’t,” you finally said. You bowed your head. “I’m sorry, I just can’t..”

You felt a hand on your head and you looked up to see Angie, a smile on her face.

“When you’re ready to tell me more, I’ll be here. You’re my best friend and I want to be there for you, ok?”

You nod softly and she pulls you into a hug.

As she lets go, she motions for you to follow her. Walking through the apartment brought warm memories with this girl. You had lived with Angie for a few weeks when you finally left home and she was there every step of the way. Entering her room, you let yourself fall on the bed. You marveled at the soft covers with the design of space and the small tardis somewhere in a corner. She really loved that show.

“Now, I think we need a girl’s night, don’t ya think?”, she asked, pulling out some movies that varied from Disney to horror to romance. You chuckled and nodded.

“It has been a long time coming,'' you said.

“And it’ll be a long time coming”, Angie made a suggestive eye motion and winked at you. A laugh escaped your lips and you smacked playfully at her.

“Stop that, oh my gosh!”, you laughed at her dumb innuendos. Angie laughed too.

“Well you’re laughing so it worked!”

You browsed through the DVDs and you came across a comedy in which a sister pretends to be her twin brother and falls in love with a jock. “Alright, set up the movie and I’ll be right back. Momma needs some wine!” Angie hopped happily to the kitchen.

You laughed softly and you let yourself relax for once. Man, what a mess you got yourself into huh? But really, truly, there is no place you would rather be than where you are now. And in the end, these feelings you have for Jeff are most likely one sided anyway.

It’s not like he has feelings for you.

You’re just...you.

You let out a sigh and you close your eyes. A small nap won’t hurt. Angie can just wake you up right now. And so you do. You slip into unconsciousness.

Jeff the Killer looked around the streets. Empty as usual. Hoodie up, his eyes landed on the apartment complex that belonged to this so called ‘Angie’. Your face popped up in his head and his smile seemed to stretch. He can’t wait to go spend some time with you after this kill. As the young killer took note of the building and its ridges, he couldn’t help but feel rather off about this assignment.

He doesn’t mind killing. He likes it.

But he never gets told by Slenderman himself to kill someone. It usually lands on Masky to hand him the set of people to kill off.

Oh well, he thought as he began to scale the building with the agility of a gibbon (cute animals btw).

Landing on the iron ladder held to the side of the building, he quietly made his way to the fourth window to the right.

“Damn, Masky sure made some really detailed observations for just one victim”, he mumbled to himself as he recalled the specific details that were made on the file.

Stopping at the window, he saw it was locked. Ah, some common sense!

Something that his soulmate didn’t have.

He tensed up a bit at the thought.

He really shouldn’t be calling you his but you are, no? You’re his soulmate but you’re not his. A weird feeling tugged at Jeff’s own mind.

Why did he get the feeling something bad was going to happen?

Well, he kills people. That’s something bad bound to happen.

His train of thought is interrupted by a noise behind the window. In the living room, he could see Angie, just like how she appeared in the picture. She was kinda short and a bit on the heavy side but it was an easy kill.

Now he just had to get in.

But how?

From what Jeff could see, Angie poured wine into a glass cup that resembled a beaker used in chemistry labs. Huh. Funny.

And an opening! It looked like she was taking out the trash! And the girl left the door unlocked! Oh gosh, how easy was this? Jeff can answer that. Very Easy!

Slipping into the apartment, he made no noise. He looked around the living room ignoring the picture frames that laid on the small tabletop. He could hear footsteps close in and he got into position.

Just a strike to the chest should do it.

Now there has only ever been three occasions in which Jeff has been pleasantly surprised. The first being when he was younger and his brother Lui tried to balance on a tightrope and succeeded, albeit he fell afterwards onto the large net. The second time was when, after living a few months in the mansion with the others, was sucked into playing with the youngest tenant known as Sally who was surprisingly strong in dragging him to her room to have a tea party. That was fine though, the elf and Masky were dragged as well. The third time was meeting you and your fiery spirit when you fought back. It was exhilarating and a change of pace, for a lot of reasons.

Now this is one of those events in which he can name as pleasantly surprised. Because you see, Jeff hid right next to the door to just finish the job as he proclaims. What happens in the scenario should be Angie walking in and he stabs her, thus killing her. What actually happens is when he lunges the knife, a pair of hands stops him and he is flipped over, landing abruptly to the carpeted floor. He groans but his quick reflexes saved him by mere centimeters of a foot being kicked towards him. He rolls to the side and gets up, taking a fighting stance.

He could see Angie eye him, he could see her shaking a bit. He is a sight to behold after all. But he could also see her courage being worn on her sleeves despite the fear he senses.

He lunges forward and misses when Angie jumps out of the way and lands a punch to his back which he falls down again.

What the file did not state on Angie (done on purpose, keep mind) was that Angie routinely visits the gym at the university to work out as well as boxing classes and karate to help her develop her self defense and healthy lifestyle.

Jeff growls and just like he sees in the movies (as well as practiced with Masky and Hoodie) uses his legs to make the young woman collapse to the ground.

She lets out a yelp and tries her best to kick him away. Which works.

Jeff feels like he is losing his streak.

Just when he thinks he has the upper hand, she grabs a very expensive looking vase that was coincidentally within her reach and grabbed it, throwing it to the killer to which he dodged by a centimeter or so.

Huh, so it appeared he did have the upper hand. This left Angie feeling rather shocked and immobile.

The huge crash of the vase would wake anyone up.

Jeff used this opportunity to quickly jump and straddle the young woman. Before she can even react, Jeff raised his trusty blade.

Angie gasped as the knife was stabbed into her stomach. She coughed up blood and she groaned in pain. Jeff raised the knife once again, ready to end her life.

“Go to sleep.”

“Jeff…?”

That voice was unmistakable. Jeff didn’t finish off Angie. He was a little too preoccupied with the fact that you were standing in the hallway, your eyes wide and your lips trembling. The gloss of your eyes did not go unnoticed.

“Y/N..” Jeff looked at you. He felt a harsh pulse in his chest. He lets out a strained gasp. “What..are you..doing here?”

Jeff stood up, forgetting the reason why he came and he walked towards you. He saw the one thing in your eyes he definitely never wanted to see. It was fear.

You were scared of him. He saw you step away from him, small tears streaming down your face as your eyes darted from the blood on his hoodie, the blood dripping from the knife you had used to practice and to the body of your best friend.

“Y/N..”

He reached for you and you pulled away, backing up further into the hall.

“Leave! Get out of here! How could you do this!?”, you were feeling a variety of emotions. Sadness, betrayal, grief, heartbreak. You didn’t want to see Jeff right now. Or maybe never. You cried out, telling him to leave. You failed to notice the crestfallen look on his face.

“I hate you Jeff! Just leave me alone!”

Is this just you or did you feel a really bad pain in your chest as you said this?

If his eyes could widen, they would. For once in his life, since he became a creepypasta, he felt...hurt. Heartbreak. Pain. Anguish. He had to leave. He had to. He spared you one more glance before he ran as fast as his inhuman strength can.

You let out a sob as you ran over to Angie’s body. You couldn’t believe it. How stupid can you be? Falling for a killer.

“Y/N..”

Your eyes widen and you gently cradle Angie’s head on your knees. “Hey friend...you’ll be okay..I’ll call the ambulance and we’ll get you fixed up okay?”, You spoke only words of encouragement for your friend.

Angie looked up at you, eyes swollen from the tears. “I’m so sleepy..”

“Please don’t...Angie..Please stay awake...Please...Pleas- Angie….ANGIE!”

Chapter 15: All is Fair in Love & War Part 2 🫀

Chapter Text

Eyeless Jack

Another great way to end the night. Currently, Jack and yourself were having a horror movie night. Right now, the two of you were watching Friday the 13th to which Jack was criticizing to an extreme.

“I’m just saying that what if the real reason all these teenagers that are about to have sex die because its the government’s way to brainwash the young society that sex will lead to death”, Jack theorized. “It would make sense!”

You couldn’t help but let out a laugh but then falling silent when you realize he has somewhat of a concrete point.

Your legs were stretched out to where they laid on his lap. The two of you were sitting normally before but seeing since you two seemed to become friends and have at least some boundaries, you wanted to try to go a little beyond that. So while Jack cracked a joke, you fit yourself into a new position, all the while laughing.

You had felt Jack tense and you were about to apologize and move your legs but he kept a hand on your calf.

“It’s fine,” he had said. And you felt yourself flush. You were grateful that the lights were dimmed dark enough for the movie.

Now, you were feeling more relaxed and you had noticed Jack had as well. His posture relaxed a bit more. The mask stayed on though.

Mhmm what if, you thought to yourself. You removed your legs and sat next to him, facing towards his direction, kneeling. He turned to meet you. You slowly laid your hand on his mask.

Jack froze.

Were you gonna ask to remove his mask? Were you going to remove it by force?

There were a dozen questions running through his mind but you easily put his mind to ease when you asked a question.

“Is this okay? You want me to remove my hand?”

Oh wow. That felt nice. For once, no one was pulling at him to remove the mask to see what was underneath. He was also pretty sure you had a bit of curiosity but he was grateful that you were not pushing it.

Seeing you got no answer, you were about to remove your hand when his own hand landed on top of yours, on his mask.

This time, you froze.

“It’s okay. I don’t mind it”, Jack finally answered. You gave a soft nod and kept your hand there.

The movie was long forgotten as you plucked up whatever courage you had and locked away whatever anxiety was threatening to come out. You leaned in.

You could see him also lean in. Being honest, you just wanted to see his face. But you were very sure he did not want that. At least not yet.

Before the two of you can get any closer, a phone rang causing you to step away from each other, unbeknownst to one another how flushed they were.

You hear Jack make an audible groan.

“What is it?”

“It’s uh..work business. I think I gotta go”, Jack rose from the sofa and made his way to the window. “I’ll see you later Y/N.” And he was gone.

Once he was gone, you fell back to your couch, your hands in your hair as you felt yourself blush. Omgomgomgomgomgomg was the only thing racing in your head.

Did he feel the same way…

You have come to terms you liked this masked killer a little more than what you’re supposed to like a friend. Maybe...just maybe..he likes you too?

Or maybe he was just feeling sorry for you, that nagging voice known as your anxiety crept in. Other times you listen and sulk. Not today though.

You let yourself smile and your heart beating fast for Eyeless Jack.

Toby sat in the same tree where he had discovered Jack’s little secret. He saw how comfortable you were with him and he saw how relaxed his friend was with you. Observing the two of you made Toby feel very conflicted. After the many years with Jack, the young man can easily read Jack’s mannerisms.

And whatever Jack was feeling towards you would be bad.

It was when he saw how close the two of you began to be that he called his best buddy. It gave him a good laugh seeing how fast the two of you jumped apart, obviously scared and surprised at both actions on both parts.

Toby saw Jack didn’t pick up. But that was fine. As long as he knew he called, Jack would know where to go. Speaking of that, Toby should really go back to the mansion before Jack gets there.

“So what did you need Toby?”, Jack asked the young man who was waiting in Jack’s room, sprawled on the bed.

“Aw...Am I not allowed to want to spend some time with my best bud?”, Toby asked. Jack scoffed.

“You could’ve sent a text. I was in the middle of a kill”, Jack lied easily. Because of the goggles, seeing the hurt in Toby’s eyes was not possible.

“Oh sorry about that”, Toby dismisses the lie.

“Did you just apologize?”

“Sometimes we gotta grow Jack. And that means apologizing for disturbing your friend’s kills. Sorry.”

Toby could see that Jack was taken aback, despite the mask.

“Have you taken your medication I got you?”

“Yes Jack. I’m fine.”

Jack could only give a curt nod before sitting on his bed, Toby sitting up allowing him space to do so. They sit in silence for a moment.

“Jack, can I ask you something?” He took the silence as a yes. “If you were...hiding something, you would trust me enough to tell me right?”

Jack stayed silent. And so Toby continued.

“You know, I consider you a good friend. I know that term isn’t really used here but uh, it’s not like the friendship I have with Masky and Hoodie...I mean, I was the one to recruit you and I consider you someone close enough that resembles family and I just want you to know that.”

Jack let his hand land on Toby’s head.

“I know that Toby. I consider you a good friend as well”, Jack said, genuine honesty laced in his words.

Then why aren’t you telling me the truth?, Toby thought as he responded with a knuckle bump.

“Alright Jack, I’ll leave ya to it. Oh, actually, that reminds me, are you going out later this week?”, Toby knew the answer to the question. Jack always saw you at least twice a week.

“Yeah. Why?”

“Oh it’s cause I’m kinda running low on some medicine. I was hoping if you went out for a kill, you could maybe…”, Toby made a gesture with his hand. “Get me some?”

“I’ll see if I can” was the reply. But that translated to a yes in Jack’s dictionary.

“Alright I’ll see you later.” And Toby left the room. As he closed the door behind him, his mind was made up. You were going to die.

Eyeless Jack was anything but a flustered mess. But for some reason, every time he thought about you just turned him into a flustered mess.

He let out a cry of frustration as he flicked his mask off and flopped onto his bed. This sucked. He felt like he was a teenager all over again.

His usual gray skin burned a darker shade of black across his cheeks.

Gosh, feeling all giddy really made him hungry. Sitting up and jumping to his feet, he strolled to the small refrigerator in the corner of his room. In it was the usual snack: the kidneys he had collected. Grabbing one of the jars, he opened it and took a swig of the liquid embodying the jar. Taking a bite of the kidney was almost too perfect. Like when he ate his favorite meal when he was human, he relished in the taste.

Wonder what your kidneys taste like

Jack snapped his eyes open and shook his head. What the heck? He can’t be serious He can’t bear the thought of using you and killing you. Maybe in the beginning yes, but now? He was too far in with you. He cannot kill you.

He can’t wait to see you again.

And like that the days pass but there is still one more thing to do.

“Ticci Toby! What do ya need pal? S’not everyday you come to for help with a mission”, the small elf sat in his desk, random papers scattered around the floor beneath him.

Toby idly hopped on the desk.

“Yeah. They say you’re the person to come to for shape shifts and stuff?”

“What do ya need?”

“I want to play a joke on EJ. I need you to help me with the shapeshift”, Toby began. “I wanna have some fun.”

The smile on Ben’s face stretched and he nodded. “Sounds fun indeed. Sure dude, I’ll transform ya into EJ, but I gotta say that the illusion will wear off if you get hurt, so ya know, careful.”

Toby nodded.

Ben’s eyes began to glow a bright red and Toby was surrounded in a warm glow. The light dissipated and Ben marveled at his work.

“Okay, Jack , how do you feel?”

Toby stared at the mirror and saw his best friend. He looked exactly like Jack, from the hair to the mask to the blue hoodie.

“Wow, thanks Ben”, Toby spoke in his own voice.

“Ah yeah, couldn’t get you the voice but just stay quiet and the prank will be perfect!”

Toby nodded and after a small salute, walked out of the room, grabbed his hatchets from his room and ran out the mansion, towards your home.

Jack was also on his way to your home for the hangout. But first he at another house, a doctor with a good reputation as well as an addiction for taking medications home with him. He just has to get Toby the meds he needs and then Jack can meet you in a few hours.

“It’s not like I’m trying to impress him,'' you say as you dabbed a bit of a blush to your cheeks. Makeup was never your forte but ignoring society’s implications and such, you liked to wear makeup for you; it made you feel amazing sometimes and so you wore it. And the reason for wearing it tonight was not to impress some guy.

Obviously not.

You look in the mirror and you like what you see for once. You are a bit insecure after all, but since meeting Jack, you have come to love yourself, little by little. A small bit of blush really gave you a nice glow.

Maybe next time, a bit of highlighter or maybe some eyeshadow..

Oh my gosh! It’s not like this is a date, your thoughts were in shambles. You couldn’t help it though. You really liked him.

Despite the who killer thing he had going on and him being a cannibal, you couldn’t help but be attracted to him.

You hear a knock on your door and your heart races. Maybe it’s him? Which is a bit unusual, he usually comes in through the window.

Still, you pushed down whatever anxiety was rising up and you walked to your door. Opening it, you thought to see Jack.

Oh the look on your face when you realized it was Abe before you donned in a slim black suit, hair combed to the side which emphasizes the sharp yet warm eyes he bears.

“Abe? What are you doing here?”

“Oh Y/N! My darling friend!”, he scooped you into a hug. “Ooo is that makeup you’re wearing! Do let me know what you like, I can basically get you anything.”

Your mind was racing. Wasn’t Abe back home? Like...hundreds of miles away?

“Abe, what are you doing here?”

“Oh..it's some business on my part for my dad’s company. You know how he wants me to take over the family business.” The sullen look passes on his face as he turns it into a smile. You gave a soft nod and let him in, closing the door behind you.

“So, I see you got some snacks and ooo is that some romcom flick?”, the small smirk played on his face as he stared at you.

“Uh..yeah..I uh..”

“Y/N, do you have a date tonight?” His mischievous eyes played a small game with your own. They were teasing but meant well.

You began to stammer as you begun flush red. “Oh this is great!” Abe smiled and hugged you again. “I am so glad you’re seeing someone!”

“Well I guess I should leave ya to it then. I really wanted to check in on you, sweetheart”, Abe gave you a small peck on your forehead.

“Duty calls so maybe if I am still in town, we can hang, yeah? Obvi after your date cause I waaaant all the juicy details”, he winked at you, causing you to erupt in a fervent blush. You were sure you were burning red but it felt nice though. Despite the teasing, Abe was right. Maybe it was time you found someone to talk to.

After Abe left, you sit on your couch and waited for your masked friend. Maybe you should tell him how you feel. Or maybe not.

You haven't enjoyed anyone’s company in forever and you would rather avoid causing any issues and losing said friendship.

Still, there was a bit of hope. Hope that maybe he did feel the same way. You let yourself smile a bit.

Off in the distance of your small apartment, you could hear noise. Other times, you would be scared. Not as of late. It simply means Jack is back.

You could hear footsteps coming near you.

“Hey Jack, got some cool movies and loads of snacks, hope you brought your kidneys cause I can’t really find those at the store”, you say, turning your head to see the familiar figure that is Jack.

He stayed quiet.

This was a bit odd. Cause for one, Jack always lets you know with a certain phrase he would say, announcing his presence. For some reason, he didn’t do it this time.

Maybe he forgot.

“Jack, you’re kinda quiet, everything okay?” you asked, unaware of what was about to unfold.

You could see him holding two hatchets that seemed to magically appear in his hands. You could only gasp and jump in surprise as he lunged at you, slicing through the air to cut you.

You let out a scream as one of the blades make contact with your arm.

“Jack what the hell is wrong with you?!”, you scream, cradling your arm, tears threatening to pour out. You leaned against the wall, facing the killer.

What was happening? Why is Jack doing this? Weren’t the two of you friends?

You could feel your heart break. But you couldn’t focus on feeling sad because Jack had other plans. A thrown hatchet made contact with the wall next to you and broke you out of your thoughts.

You ran to your room quickly and closed the door, locking it. You began to cry and you could feel your heart race. You feel your breathing becomes heavy. Oh no.

A panic attack.

The last thing you needed.

Loud bangs from the door snapped you out of the trance and you braced yourself as the door was broken down.

Jack walked over the broken door and it’s torn hinges, stepping into your room.

“Jack...please..”, you cried. Whenever you had felt a panic attack coming, Jack would help you. He had learnt to deal with them due to other inhabitants of the mansion. He served as a medic after all.

But this time, it seemed Jack was at the other end of the metaphorical gun. This time, he was the one causing you to have a panic attack.

Jack neared you as you were cornered to the wall. You felt yourself slide down, trying to hide, your sobs now evident and breaking out your throat. You felt rough hands grasp your hair and pull you up rather harshly. You let out a cry of pain.

You stare helplessly at the mask before you. To think you were friends...to think you could have...even loved him..gosh..

How stupid could I be..

Your eyes widen and your mouth opens, only a small croak of pain can come out. You could feel the hatchet cut deep in your stomach. You shakily look down at your shirt that has begun to soak in blood. You could feel unconsciousness take you.

Should you let it? You were about to when another voice called out your name.

“Y/N! Get away from them!”

Suddenly, the hatchet was gone from your abdomen and the hand grasping your hair was gone. Through your half closed lidded eyes, you could see Abe? His once nice hair was now all over the place, unkempt. The suit he was wearing when you saw him earlier now was dirtied. Weird.

Just as you were about to fall to the floor, you felt arms pick you up. “Don’t worry, I got you. Stay awake Y/N”, Abe’s voice was clearly worried and a bit shaken. You try your best to listen to him. You pass the hallway of your apartment and suddenly you are outside and Abe is setting you carefully in his car. Retrieving some towels inside the car’s side, he helped you put pressure on the wound. It hurt but at least the bleeding will stop.

He quickly jumped in the driver’s seat and off the car went.

“God, I am so sorry Y/N. I shouldn’t have left you alone”, Abe began. You could only hold onto the towels. What did he mean?

“I’ll explain everything when we get to the facility. Don’t worry Y/N, I got you okay?”

You couldn’t find the strength to answer. All you could feel was betrayal. By someone you had grown to care about a great deal. Gosh, this sucked.

Back at your apartment, Toby slowly got up from the floor. What the hell? He looked around the room and he cursed. He looked at himself and realized the illusion worn off.

f*ck.

You were gone.

That young man that had appeared. And next thing you know, the killer was knocked out.

Toby growled.

How did he not notice him? The boy moved like a swift river. Almost like he had been trained. And the obvious necklace wrapped around his neck was a major sign.

“f*ck..Slender is gonna be pissed”, he spoke aloud. If the SCP is close by, that meant big trouble for his boss. And for everyone else.

Outside the apartment, Eyeless Jack had arrived. He saw the window open and jumped in the room.

And he felt anger surge through him.

Your room was an utter mess. The door was broken down. it looked like a hurricane had passed through. Wait.

Where are you?

Jack ran through the broken door and called out your name. Oh gosh...what if..what if they found out about you?

Where were you?!

His eyes ran rapidly as they scanned the complex for anything. It was when he entered the living room he saw someone he was not expecting.

What the heck was Toby doing here?

“Toby…” Jack called out. The aforementioned gave a hand gesture to the other.

“What happened here?”

Jack scanned Toby for anything and that is when his eyes landed on the blood that was still stained on the hatchet.

In a flash, Jack had Toby pinned to the wall.

“What did you do ?” Jack growled, the black ooze pouring out of his eye sockets.

Toby chuckled. “I didn’t do anything Jack. Some SCP agent knocked me out and when I woke up, they were gone.”

Jack tightened his hold on Toby.

“Geez, Jacky, what’s got you so riled up? We got some more pressing matters to attend to, liar”, Toby snapped at him.

Toby could tell Jack was confused.

“You lied to me...I could have helped you but no. You kept secrets..from me..I thought we were friends..best friends even. But I was wrong..you care more about some damn human. But it’s okay. We’re even now..” Toby said before using his leg to kick Jack away, just like he was taught to when caught in a compromising position. Once the hold was broken, Toby used the wooden parts of his hatchets to smack Jack down to the ground. He let out a groan as Toby walked over him towards the door.

As if any other creepypasta can hold one of Slenderman’s top proxies.

“Don’t worry about your friend. I made sure to give them your regards”, Ticci Toby spoke as he disappeared into the night.

Eyeless Jack looked around the living room, hoping this was all just one big prank, hoping to see you walk out of the kitchen, smiling carefree or a small shy giggle let out whenever he brings up conspiracy theories.

He growled as he ripped off his mask, reveling in the moonlight shining in through the windows of the living room. His grey skin was more stained with the black ooze; he began to scream. He shouted angrily at whoever was to blame.

Damn Toby.

Damn Slenderman.

Damn that stupid SCP.

He was going to find you.

Chapter 16: All is Fair in Love & War Part 3 🎮

Chapter Text

BEN Drowned

“Wait, so you’re telling me that you were the one who delivered that pizza? For free?”, you stared in disbelief at the elf in front of you.

Currently, the two of you were in the nightmarish world of ‘Little Nightmares’; you had suggested a horror game rather than going into the ‘Minecraft’ world again. You had wanted to have some fun.

In the game, the main character is still present but is set into an automatic mode; the character Six plays as if someone is playing them.

The two of you were reduced to the same height as Six and were following the gameplay, hiding from the villains of the game.

“Yeah, I was the one that got you free pizza”, Ben gave you a small wink.”And don’t think I didn’t notice how flushed you were. You can be honest, I am hot as f*ck.”

You playfully punched his shoulder and rolled your eyes.

“Sure dude, whatever you say”, you laughed softly at him.

As the two of you snuck around the ship, Ben couldn’t help but admire you. You were unlike anyone he has ever met. You’re pretty stubborn and always thrive to succeed. He found that endearing.

Coming to terms with his feelings towards you was something rather challenging. The main reason for it was because you were a human above all things and he was a creepypasta.

Creepypasta’s aren’t allowed to have happy endings.

So he knows that his time with you can be destroyed in a matter of time. It is why he avoided horror games; who knows what other individuals reside there. Luckily, Ben, being a ‘favorite’ of Slenderman, has some liberties that he abuses. Whenever Ben enters a game, no other thing can enter due to the elf’s presence. Once he leaves, the game is free to use as one wishes. It is why Ben is being extra careful with you.

No way in hell can anyone find out about you. Oh gosh, just imagining if Slenderman found out send chills down his spine. The physical and emotional torture that the being would release upon the elf scared him. The one and only time Ben lashed out at Slenderman was the day he became a creepypasta.

“Ben? Hey Benny boy”, you were waving your hand at his face. It looked like he was in a trance, lost in thought. His blood red irises made contact with your own dull ones and it looked like he was back to reality.

“You okay?”, you asked, genuinely concerned for your friend.

The elf nodded and despite getting a really weird feeling, you didn’t comment on anything. The two of you continued the game and finally finished it after a few hours.

You flopped on your bed, feeling dead tired.

“I will never get used to that,'' you say.

Ben laughs. “Coming through the TV? I thought you had gotten used to it haha.” Ben stayed near the TV. Usually he joins you to watch a movie after a game night but it appeared the creepypasta had other plans.

“I have to go. Same time tomorrow?”, the young boy’s nonexistent heart jumped as you gave him a smile and a thumbs up.

“You know it! Maybe we can go into Silent Hill! I wanna see Pyramid Head!”

The last thing Ben sees is your face as he falls back into the screen, the portal connecting him to the TV in his room at the mansion.

“f*ck” came out as a whisper as Ben fell down on his wooden floor. You were too cute for your own good. How was it possible for a human to be so damn cute?! Hell if he knew.

A knock on his bedroom door broke him out of his small existential crisis.

“Oh, hey Hoodie. What’s up?”

The hooded figure stood still only raising his hands to sign something to Ben.

“Slenderman requires your attendance.”

Ben gave a nod and proceeded to follow the proxy down the long hallway. It was a strange infrastructure but Ben felt that it suited well for all of the inhabitants of the mansion. Each room had its own tenant and depending on the individual, the room shaped to their heart’s desire. For example, Sally, the youngest tenant, had a room that resembled a bit of a garden, with a small round table in the middle where she hosts her famous tea parties. The rooms reflect the innermost feelings of the tenants. Also note, no one is allowed in Jeff’s room. Ben was sure it was because whatever was behind that door was only for Jeff to see.

It was almost kind for Slenderman.

Sitting in his office, Slenderman stared at the results for the month. Everyone has been doing well thus far in their assignments. Except one individual.

BEN Drowned.

It appeared that the young creepypasta was still stuck on this one victim.

Mhm, very peculiar was all the eldritch being could think.

The door opens with a creak and enters Ben. Hoodie bowed his head and left the room. Ben walked towards the desk.

“You called for me, sir?”

“Yes. It has come to my attention that you have not gotten through with your victim yet. Any particular reason why?”

Now, it is safe to say that Slenderman is a master of deception; he is a cunning creature that can detect any lies and such can be easily said through his own mouth.

It is also safe to say that Ben is not a good liar. When he was alive, living with his father, he was an even worse liar. The boy is too honest for his own good. And now, Ben was f*cked. He knows he can’t lie. He is also fully aware that Slenderman knows he can’t lie for sh*t.

Well, here goes nothing.

“Oh! About that! Actually, I am extremely close to killing them. I’m just buttering them up, you know,” Ben partly told the truth. He was close to killing them. But they sparked his interest.

“Is that so?” Slenderman arose from his chair and snapped his fingers. The doors behind Ben opened and entered the three proxies.

Masky, Hoodie and Ticci Toby.

Ben felt Hoodie and Toby grab him by the shoulders rather roughly. While he wanted to fight them off, he knows he can’t. Shouldn’t.

Masky walks around to face Ben, waiting for a signal.

“We just need to remind you what happens when you don’t complete your duties to my service.”

Ben’s eyes widen as he was dragged by the two proxies to a door that laid to the left of the office.

Oh no. not this, anything but this, Ben’s thoughts were in shambles. He could feel anxiety creeping on him.

The door opened, by Masky, and in the middle of the room, lay a single pool filled with water. Ben has been here before.

The first time he tried to lie to Slenderman.

“I am aware you do not like this method but you need to be reprimanded as such. You will stay here for an hour and then you have three files waiting for you to catch up on your kills. You can stay with your current victim but I will only give you five more days. If the mission is not completed, your task will be passed to Hoodie.”

Ben suddenly felt chains wrapped around him. His breath was caught in his chest as he saw his hands being tied together by Toby. Hoodie restrained him all the while the young man was put into more chains. Ben tried to shout, to reason, but all he was met was with Slenderman walking out of the room. And so he was thrown into the pool.

Cold water met his burning face.

He knows he can’t drown. He knows he can’t die. But that doesn’t stop the anxiety of the whole situation.

After all, that is how he had originally died.

He felt lost and cold and forgotten.

An hour passed but it felt like an eternity for Ben.

He was fished out and dropped to the side of the pool. Ben coughed up the water and hugged himself the best he could. A towel was thrown to him as well as the files as Slenderman had mentioned.

“Get it done. Slenderman is going rather easy on you, I hope you know that.” Masky’s voice was long forgotten though. Right now, Ben’s state of mind was anxious and terrified. He didn’t say anything as he ran from the room, files in hand as he jumped through an outlet, on his way to get rid of these victims.

One by one, he killed them quickly. He usually toyed with his victims but not today. His mind was all over the place. He needed to be somewhere with no judgement. Somewhere he can feel peace. He jumped into the TV screen of the last victim and surfed through the internet to land in your room.

He usually has a good landing but not this time. He dropped to the floor and stayed there, curling up into a fetal position.

“Ben? That you? You know it’s like 3 am right?”, you ask, a little groggily as you had just woken up. Turning on the lamp, you are surprised to see Ben...shaking? And is he wet?

Your instincts made you jump from your bed to the floor beside him. You didn’t know what to do. Do you hold him? Can you? You would like to think the two of you are close but that close? To ensure some emotional support?

You were at a bit of a loss. So you just had your hand slightly above his shoulder, not touching him directly but still letting him know you are here. Small sniffles reached your ears and you desperately wanted to do something.

So you did.

“Hey...um..Ben…it might sound a bit strong but if you need someone to talk to..I’m here”, you softly lay your hand on his head, the blond hair was drying now under your touch. The sniffles stopped and time was still. “If you want, I can leave you alone.”

“No.'' You could hear the hurt in his voice. “Please just..stay. I usually get through it...I just need someone here.”

Kneeling was a bit hard on your knees but that discomfort was thrown to the side when you realized your friend needed you. You gently moved him on to your lap where you laid your hand on his back, as if to keep him steady. It appeared Ben knocked out. You weren’t even aware he could sleep. You stared at him with nothing but care and concern in your eyes. Did he say that he usually braces himself for these panic attacks? How many times has he had one and with no one to back him up? Your heart broke for him. You sighed softly as you came to a conclusion.

You were in love with Ben.

You thought at first it was feelings of friendship but that soon grew. At least for you, it seemed. Ben was naturally flirtatious so you never know when he is serious but you secretly enjoy it when he does wink at you or make a suggestive comment from time to time. You have learned to not let it show on your face.

Looking down at Ben, you wanted to pull him into a hug and rid of his fears and insecurities (as much as he says he doesn't have any, we all know the truth).

You wanted to be there for him.

You wanted to ease whatever pain he has inside. You are no therapist but you are someone he can count on. At least in that aspect.

Without realizing it, you started to fall sleepy and so you let it.

When you awoke, your eyes opened to the calm sight of Ben’s sleeping face. You smile softly as you stare. He seems at peace now. You were so caught up at looking at the guy that you did not notice his own eyes open.

Seeing you smile, your hair a bit messy and the close proximity caused his eyes to widen and a small gasp to emit from his lips. Caught totally off guard, the two of you literally jumped away from each other, faces flushed red.

“Uh..hey..Uh...hah”, Ben coughed and looked to your opposite direction.

“Yeah..uh..hey..sleep well?” You asked, nervousness suddenly flooding into you.

“Oh yea..uh..thanks for that...Sorry if I was a bother”, Ben replied to you, finally turning to face you, a small blush evident on his face.

You wanted to faint at the sight He looked so cute! “Yeah, no problem. Anytime”, you finger gunned at him, your cheeks certainly burning.

“Uh..I have to go now. But I’ll see ya later”, Ben said to you before jumping into the TV screen. You only gave a nod before falling to your knees.

“OhmygoshIcan’tbelieveitIwasactinglikeatotalcreepstaringathim!” You screamed at yourself, embarrassed. But you couldn’t help the smile that formed on your face.

Back at his room, Ben couldn’t stop smiling. He spun around a few times before falling onto his bed. Gosh, he felt so giddy.

“Whoa lover boy, who’s got you all smiley and sh*t?”

Ben gave a yelp of surprise upon seeing Dark Link, who was sitting on the chair near the desktop.

“Me? Smiley, whatever dude”, Ben lied through his teeth, his eyes focusing on other objects rather than Dark Link.

“Is it because of that person? The current victim that you haven’t been able to kill?”

Ben’s eyes darkened. “Leave them out of this Dark. I told you, I know what I’m doing”, Ben snapped at him.

“Do you now? I don’t know Ben, you seem rather smitten to me”, Dark retorts, venom evident in his eyes as well as worry.

“And if I am, what are you gonna do about it?”

Dark Link, though with a blank face, had a whirlwind inside him. He knew what must be done. He cannot have anyone else find out about this person. Herobrine was wiped off by Slenderman. He didn’t want the same thing to happen to Ben.

“Well, I’m going to do something. Just don’t need you pestering about”, Dark Link finally speaks and he snaps his fingers. In an instant, Ben was immobilized on the floor, handcuffs on his wrists. Despite this, Ben started to laugh.

“You know I can just reload right?”

Dark Link gave a soft chuckle. “Yeah, I expected that. But those handcuffs are made specifically to essentially put a pause on creepypasta’s powers such as yours. Don’t you remember when we had to use these handcuffs on Sonic Exe.? Dude was out of control until we were able to ‘sedate’ him.”

“So, while I go clean up your mess, you’ll be a good elf and stay here.”

“Dark! Don’t you dare! Leave them alone”, Ben growled, his eyes only serving an aggressive look.

“I’m doing this for your own good Ben”, Dark Link said, sparing him one last glance before jumping through the TV screen, leaving behind a furious screaming Ben.

By the time midnight was coming around, you decided to call it a night. Ben usually gets here an hour or so before but it looks like he won’t this time. Maybe it would be for the better. Both of you were incredibly awkward after waking up.

After you walked into your room, changed into comfy pajamas and curled up in bed, did you notice that the TV was on, except it was flashing static instead of the usual, you know, off screen.

You raised an eyebrow. Was Ben showing up after all?

You raise your head to see...not Ben...but Link? Like, Legend of Zelda’s hero Link?

Your mouth dropped at the sight. It looked like the real thing.

“Hey there Y/N! Ben wasn’t able to show up tonight but he sent me in place to show you a good time”, Link spoke, giving you a thumbs up.

You were a bit confused. Ben never mentioned he was friends with Link. You didn’t even know Link could even appear out the screen!

You learn something new everyday, huh?

“Uh..sure. I’m down! Are we gonna play Breath of the Wild? Ben has been showing me that game and its places and it is amazing!”

“Uh..actually..better idea! Why don’t we play a horror game?”, Link offered. Your eyes sparkled with glee.

“Uh yes please! Which one? Resident Evil? Ooo or Silent Hill?”, you asked, jumping excitedly.

“I was thinking...Amnesia: The Dark Descent.”

“Sounds creepy….let’s do it!”

Link reached out his hand. “Come on then. Let’s go.” You smile, unaware of the horror that was to come. You let him grab your hand and off the two of you went through the screen, scouring through the internet.

Inside the game, it was dark and broody. When you landed, you realized your feet were wet. Or more like half your body. You were at least a foot of murky water. There were boxes scattered through the place. Yellow brick walls covered what appeared to be a labyrinth. There were gooey like forms stuck to the wall, acting like decorations of sort. You gazed around in awe. This was cool!

“What do you think, Y/N?”

You turned to face Link. Who had red eyes? Didn’t he have blue eyes at the start?

“Uh..it’s pretty cool.” You answer short and sweet. You are starting to feel a bit wary.

Suddenly, despite the lighting of the game, you can distinguish the colors that Link wore fade to those of gray and black. Something was wrong.

“Man, you are so gullible!”, Link laughed at your confused face. “Sorry. Ben actually sent me to kill you in his place. You see, he’s a bit tied up at the moment and he asked me, his dear friend, Dark Link, to get rid of you.”

You feel a heavy weight in your heart.

Did Ben really do that?

“You’re lying! Ben wouldn’t…”

Dark Link chuckled...darkly. “Oh, you really think Ben would care about you? He was just playing a game. A game you lost. Now, I don’t really like getting my hands dirty, so I’ll let the monster take care of it. In this level, you have to run away from the water monster, so good luck. Well, you’ll be dead soon. Not like you’ll need any luck...”

You hear a roar somewhere beyond Dark Link and you, despite the water, do your best to run through the labyrinth. Door after door, you ran. Tears streamed down your face. How could you be so stupid? Gosh...your heart ached.

“You can run! But ya can’t hide!”, Dark Link’s voice echoed through the halls.

You were going to die.

Ben could not move. His shouts had ceased and now there was nothing he could do.

f*ck. f*ck. f*ck!!

Reload

Reload

Reload

...failed..

Damn Dark Link.

“Can you please wipe off that mopey face? It’s a little annoying”, Dark Link’s voice rang in the room.

Ben’s eyes snapped towards the evil doppelganger.

“Where are they?”

Dark Link chuckled. “Just left them playing a little game of Amnesia, nothing new. Oh, come on! Ben, you were just gonna get in trouble if anyone else found out. I took the liberty in helpi-”

“Helping me?! You just f*cked everything Dark!”, Ben interrupted, rage evident in his eyes. “Let me go now or I’m going to really get mad.”

Dark Link rolled his eyes. “I would love to see you try.”

Ben, besides being Slenderman’s ‘favorite’, was also someone rather powerful. He possessed something no one has ever had in a few thousand years, according to Slenderman. It is the reason why Slenderman is so easy on the boy. And it is also the reason why Ben was recruited. Is Slenderman scared of Ben? Of course not. It is just that the power Ben can unlock at full yield can be immense and so, Slenderman offers him ways to call out that power. Ben has only ever used it once. When he ran away from Jeff who had been walked in while he was applying eyeliner. His speed was incredible. His powers enhance to a limit that even the Boss is still unaware of. And now he has to call out to it. He has to force the breaking of this hold on him. He has to do it.

For you.

Focusing his energy, he tried to break the hold.

“Ben, it is useless!”

His eyes then began to slowly glow green. It was a soft yet bold emerald glow. Dark Link could only stare in shock as Ben finally was able to stand and break the handcuffs.

That’s...impossible..Dark Link thought to himself. It was incredible. But then Dark Link began to laugh. It started with a snicker, then a chuckle and then full blown out laughter.

“Oh, Ben. So you broke the handcuffs? Big deal. There’s no way you can save your friend. You would have to face your greatest fear. Water. You get an attack if a single drop lands on you. How are you going to do it in a level made specifically for water?”

There’s no way right? That he would risk his own fear for some..human?, Dark Link thought.

But Ben was no longer in the room. He was gone.

Dark link could only stare at the forgotten broken handcuffs. He grabbed them and let them hang idly in his hand.

“Oh, Ben. Please understand, this was for the best.”

Ben had never traveled so fast in his life. He had to get to you. And fast. He had to. You couldn’t die here in a game, no less.

Dark Link was not wrong. There was water in this level of Amnesia. But Ben could fly so he didn’t worry about that issue. He had to find you.

He heard you scream.

You ran as fast you could. You were only barely able to escape the monster that was chasing you. Opening another door, you slammed it shut once inside. Looking around your surroundings, it looked exactly like the hallways except the water was a tad higher. It now reached your waist. Scared was an understatement, you were terrified. You were feeling such a range of emotions, you didn’t know which one to dwell upon longest. It felt too quiet to your liking. You walked closer to the middle of the room. The water was cold and made you shiver.

It was then you saw bubbles near the entrance of the room. It appeared to be closing in on you until it suddenly vanished. You felt your heart stop.

You felt something suddenly grab you from your legs and pull you harshly under the water, only eliciting an ear screeching scream.

Being pulled under the water was horrible. It was dark, murky and freezing. You could feel your breath withering away.

This was it. You were going to die.

Ben was able to catch your head as it was pulled under the water. He floated above wondering how he could save you. There was only one way though. Ben took a deep breath. He has to get through this. For you.

Slowly, he began to fall towards the water, closing his eyes and meeting the cold splash of the water.

FOCUS!

Using his speed, he hurled towards you. It looked like you were on the verge of entering an unconscious stage. With a snap, the monster broke its hold on you and Ben took the opportunity to grab you carefully from the waist and flew back up, exiting the game and entering your room.

He did it.

He thought he would have a breakdown but here he is. Intact.

He set your body on the floor and gently shook you awake. “Y/N, wake up.”

Your eyes began to open and you sat up, throwing up the water that had clogged your lungs. Ben gave you small reassuring pats on the back.

“You’re okay now, don’t worry”, Ben offered some solace.

Now fully awake, Ben smiled at you. He expected a hug, or maybe some happy tears or even a smile. But no.

All he got was a hurt look and the way you backed away from him, wrapping your arms around your knees.

“Y/N?”

“...Go away..”

Ben was confused. What?

“What..no..Y/N, you’re okay now, I was able to save you.”

“Go away Ben! I don’t want to ever see you”, you cried out, letting the tears run down your cheeks. You could see the hurt flash across his face but you didn’t care. It was all a lie anyway. He was a good actor.

“Just leave me alone, Ben. I can’t believe I trusted you..” was a whisper but he heard.

He wanted to talk to you, he did. But it appears you were not going to listen. Ben felt his own chest grow heavy. He stared at you as you looked away and rubbed your tears away with your wet shirt sleeve.

“Leave already, damnit!”

Ben didn’t hesitate. He didn’t let you see his own tears and anguish. He jumped through the screen and landed into the warm world of Legend of Zelda. He sat down on a ledge that was the perfect view of the sunset. This was the place he was going to bring you next.

He was going to confess.

He was in love with you.

But now, he did not know what to do.

As the stars began to greet the newly dark sky, Ben let himself cry.

Chapter 17: All is Fair in Love & War Part 4 🃏

Chapter Text

Laughing Jack

Rose was pissed. Actually, that was an understatement. She was furious. Whenever there is a breach in the SCP Foundation lab, it is quite easy to capture said creature wandering around and lock it back into its holding. For some reason, this particular creature, dubbed “The Shy Guy”, is a f*cking nightmare. First, it kills one of her teammates and second, she can’t go home to her kid. This is causing a swirl of emotions.

And what’s worse is that Knight guy won’t stop talking about the greater good.

“Knight, I really don’t wanna hear your damn voice right now”, Rose muttered, causing him to shut up quickly.

Rose was going to finish this job soon.

She wanted to see Fiore again.

The red light that began to shine above her made her co*ck the gun she had and shoot at the wall. That light was a red alert. Wherever that SCP that escaped is, it just set free another SCP. Oh, this was just going great. And as if fate was playing a trick on her, her wrist began to beep.

What was Dr. Riis calling her for?

You were only a small child at the time. You could barely remember what just happened. There was broken glass and your mom was on the floor of your bedroom. Your friend was there too but he looked sad.

What you could remember distinctly was your aunt. You didn’t see your baby cousin anywhere. Maybe she left the baby with someone else to watch over? You wouldn’t know. The car ride was rather long and a little harsh, due to the turns and bumps. Right now, you had just arrived at a building. It was tall. There was also forest surrounding the area. You stood up on the backseat to see through the back window. There was a huge wall. It was tall as well but it was decorated with pointy knives at the top. There were also little hubs at every end of the wall. You could see people stationed there.

Mhm. You wonder why.

When the car comes to a stop, your aunt is climbing out of the car. You follow suit when your door is opened. You reach for her hand and you walk with her towards a huge door. It was metal and cold and dark. It had an encryption written on the door. It looked like a hexagon? With letters inside it?

You cannot recall the words.

She was holding what looked like an ID card. Your small hand was holding on to hers as she walked through a maze of doors. In the distance, you swear you hear screams. You squeezed your aunt’s hand tighter. You felt a reassuring squeeze. Another long hallway and the two of you reached a door. You hear a swipe and a small ding.

“Is this the child? The one you spoke of about the mention of the imaginary friend?” a man’s voice rang through the dark room you and your aunt entered.

“Yes sir. That thing terminated my sister” was her reply.

You felt a sudden uneasiness when you heard footsteps come near you. The lights turned on in the room and it felt like you were at a doctor’s office. There was a range of tools you assumed, with the limited connections, were for doctors. There was a huge bed in the middle of the room. It had straps on it.

The man was tall. He had short blond hair with a pair of glasses donning his face. They were thick rimmed. When he kneeled down to meet you, you noticed a small scar near his eye. It looked like it must have hurt him. He gave you a smile, a bit forced in your opinion.

“Hi there Y/N. You don’t know me but I am Dr. Riis. I work with your mommy and aunty to help people in need. Now, please follow me, okay?” He reached out his hand to you and you were very hesitant. You felt your aunt let go of your hand.

“It’ll be okay, Y/N. The doctor will take care of you.”

You were grabbed. You were screaming. Screaming for help. For your mom. For your aunt who only gave one last glance before leaving the room. You screamed...for Jack. For your best friend to help you. To do anything to help you.

But nobody came.

You were strapped to the bed, cold leather hurting your skin as they were tighten around you. There were also some other assistants. They all wore lab coats. You felt a sharp pain on your left arm. You see Dr. Riis give a smile as he injects whatever liquid into your body.

“Relax Y/N. This is just to calm you down”, he starts. He motions to another individual with a lab coat. It was a dark shade though. Nothing like a typical doctor would wear. This man was clearly young and he had piercing green eyes. He was holding a very big needle. It was when the other people strapped your head to the bed, you began to piece it together.

Your eyes widen in fear as the needle was lodged into your head.

You gasped awake. You massaged your forehead. That dream was too real this time. So weird though. You haven’t had that dream for a good portion of your life. Suddenly, you are plagued with the nightmare. You are sure it because of your aunt’s missing presence.

So yeah, it’s been a month. Or so. A month you had received that chilling call from your aunt. And you haven’t heard from her since. It was scaring you to say the least. You stay sitting in your bed before getting up. Walking into the living room, Fiore who was sitting beside Jack; the two were watching a movie of sorts, the whole theme of it forgotten by your worry.

You wonder how Fiore has been holding up.

In the meantime, your break from school was over.

It was time to go back actually. Luckily, you were able to explain the situation at your university (with a few white lies) to help you take your semester online. Fiore, on the other hand, was required to go to class.

Right now, it was Saturday.

And Fiore was enjoying their weekend off, watching movies with Jack.

“Hey there, gumdrop”, Jack turned to you with a cheeky smile, Fiore gave you a small salute before returning to the film. You reply with a small smile of your own. He really has no filter, huh. It made your heart feel things whenever he calls you by a pet name. You feel yourself blush as you turn towards the kitchen. Gosh. You can’t help it. You really like the guy.

While you were cooking up some breakfast, you felt another presence to the side of you.

“How’s Fiore doing?”

Jack cast a glance to the young child. “So far okay. I’m doing my best to keep them distracted from you know”, he wiggled his eyebrows to make emphasis. You nodded.

“Thank you for that. Now, if only, I can keep Fiore at home at least until my aunt arrives”, you sigh, dejected.

“Well, I’m sure you can come up with something, no? Unless you want me to do something about it”, Jack asked. You raised an eyebrow.

“What exactly can you do?”

The grin on his face seemed to widen. “I can do lots of things!”

You chuckle before laying your hand on his shoulder. “Thank you but no. I’ll go to the school and explain the situation thoroughly.”

Jack stared at your hand on his shoulder and your face flushed. “Hah sorry”, you said as you removed it. “But everything will be okay. Just be there for Fiore please.”

You continued to make breakfast while Jack stared after you.

Your small movements captivated him. The small smile that formed on your lips when you taste tested the dishes was endearing. The furrowing of your brows when you are thinking of what spices to use make his heart leap. Jack, reluctantly, broke his view and turned to Fiore who was looking at the pair, eyes wide and filled with mischief and recognition. Jack felt a small blush form on his face. He made subtle hand movements to the young child to stay quiet about what they saw. Fiore only giggled and winked before sitting back on the couch.

“Well, I have to be going now. I gotta go clean up my carnival before I can have my precious guests show up again.”

Fiore jumped from the couch. “Can we go later?! It’s fun at the carnival!”

Laughing Jack gave the kid a thumbs up. “Of course! So, I’ll be seeing you candies later~”

And with a swirl of black smoke, he was gone.

You rolled your eyes. He is a bit of a dramatic queen but it’s one of the things you have grown to lov- WAIT! No. You have come to like about him.

“Y/N and Jack sitting in a tree~”, you could hear Fiore sing. You scoffed, a blush betraying your supposed disgust. “As if.”

Fiore rolled their eyes. “You look at him the same way I look at my favorite chocolate.”

You rolled your eyes.

Fiore turned off the TV and patted the seat next to them. “Come and let Dr. Fiore help you”, they spoke in a calm voice, obviously imitating one of their favorite characters from Hannibal. You rolled your eyes again but listened. You plopped down on the seat and you let your back fall on the soft cushion of the couch.

“So, tell me Doc, is it terminal?” You lay your hand on your forehead in a dramatic fashion. Fiore giggles but then clears their throat.

“Yes. I am sorry. You are in love with Jack.”

You narrow your eyes at them. “No, I am not”, you close your eyes to avoid seeing the smug look on their face.

You felt a finger poke your cheek. “Yes you are~”

You took the chance to tackler your cousin and pull them into a hug, to which they did not protest. They love hugs after all, especially from their favorite person.

“Alright Cap, if I say yes, will ya keep it a secret?”

Fiore gave you a toothy grin. “Cross my heart!”

“Fine. I do...like him..I don’t know if it's love yet but I really care about him, kid”, you couldn’t believe you were confessing to your little cousin. You didn’t have any particular close friends; you usually kept to yourself. People were too dramatic with too many issues and when you realized the most dramatic thing Fiore has done (not including the kidnapping by Jack) was jumping on your back when you ate the last reese’s candy. Thinking of this clearly, you should be telling Jack this, but a part of you feels like it is all one sided, on your part. He’s fun and hilarious and great with Fiore which was a great check for you.

“I think you should tell Jack. He likes you too”, Fiore tells you, their eyes big and their smile wide. Can you imagine, their best friend and their cousin together!? It made Fiore all happy.

“I’m sure he likes me as a friend, kid”, You ruffled their hair. “But thanks. Maybe I will. Not yet though. I like how things are.”

That was the end of the conversation. They ate breakfast together and it was off to the shower for Fiore.

As the child sat in their tub, the rubber duck at their side (their second in command), a smile grew on their face. They were gonna make sure that you and Jack confessed to each other! Jack loves you, he told Fiore one night at the carnival. He looked utterly helpless. But Fiore is no dumb child. They could see the struggle in Jack’s eyes, they knew that something was going to try and keep them apart.

Laughing Jack sat down in his circus tent. He stared idly at the trapeze set hanging high near the ceiling.

So it was you. It is funny how fate play these games. Who would’ve thought he would cross paths with you again. But one thing bothered him.

You had no memory of him at all. Like at all! It took him a while to remember you but he did in the end. So, why is it that you didn’t?

It was you. He made sure of it. While you were doing what you do, he took it upon himself to sneak around your apartment. Not to his surprise, he found a photograph with two familiar looking women, a child and a small bundle carried by one of the women. He had instantly recognized one of the ladies as the human adult that saw him that night. The night where those proxies came and killed her and the night Laughing Jack came to work under Slenderman.

Rising from the seat, Jack knew where he had to go if he needed answers. He had to go to the man himself, the one responsible for recruiting him.

The Big Boss himself, big ol’ Slendy.

“Wonder if the old man will have time to chat with me?”, Jack asked himself, muttering about the little things he needed to prepare for next time you and Fiore would join him at his little circus act. As he walked towards the Magic House, Jack remembered your small blush from earlier. Despite his funny act, he was actually very observant. It made him feel all tingly whenever you got flustered. He wonders…

Shaking his head, he sighs. “No way in hell that can happen. Slenderman would have my head. Literally.”

It was no lie. Laughing Jack was in love. He hadn’t told anyone.

Except for Fiore.

But hey! It was not his fault; he was a tad drunk...just a little and Jack poured out his feelings to the kid, who knowingly smiled and nodded.

Jack reached a door in the magic house and opened it to reveal the void. Once he stepped in, he took patient steps towards the other door at the end. He already knew where he needed to be so, easy work.

“Jack, it is good to see you again. It has been a few months has it not?” Slenderman spoke, not looking up from the reports he was scouring over.

Jack bowed slightly. Jack was the only creepypasta in which Slenderman used his name rather than the ‘work’ name. The demonic clown appreciated it.

“Yeah. It’s been a long time since we've chatted, no?”

Slenderman put down his reports and in a snap, summoned two wine glasses. A bottle of vintage wine floated down and served the two cups. Slenderman gestured for Jack to have the second cup.

“So, what is it, as the youth call it, picking at your head?” Slenderman sipped at his wine while Jack downed his in one sip. Slenderman raised an eyebrow but said nothing of it.

“Yeah. Something has been bothering me for a while. Do you remember the night you recruited me?”

The eldritch being nodded, swirling the red wine in his cup.

“Do you happen to know anything of that family I was with before you had your proxies sent out for me? I can’t seem to remember the tiny details regarding that family.” Jack can play the ignorant part rather well, it can almost fool Slenderman.

Keyword almost.

“Jack, I do hate playing games. What is it that you want to know?”

The clown sighed. “Well, that kid I was supposed to kill?” He stopped to see if Slenderman was following him. “That kid grew up to be an adult. And they’re Fiore’s cousin.”

Slenderman loosened the tie around his neck.

“I don’t see why you’re worried Jack. Adults can’t see you”, Slenderman let a small chuckle escape.

Jack considered telling him the truth. But that might bring some very unwanted consequences.

“Yeah. They can’t. But I noticed something. Who is their family?”

Slenderman snapped his fingers and entered Masky.

“Masky, do recall the night you recruited Laughing Jack. Any details that you can recall from that child’s family?”

Masky cleared his throat before speaking. “Yes. The child’s family, mother and aunt, were members of the SCP Foundation. They were trained very young to hunt down and develop the ability to see beyond what humans can normally see. One of them however, Violet, had always been able to see beyond barriers. It only developed greater when they joined the foundation. It appears the ability is hereditary.”

“Does that mean the adult can see Laughing Jack now?”, Slenderman asked.

Masky shook his head. “No sir. This individual would have had to have contact with Laughing Jack first. For example, entering Laughing Jack’s realm.”

“There. Nothing to worry about. After all, your focus is on the child and you should be wrapping up this whole ordeal. It is better to avoid the SCP agents. They are becoming rather persistent. Do be careful, Laughing Jack.”

The clown gave a small curtsey before disappearing.

“”Sir, if you don’t mind me saying. You did know that minor detail from the start when you gave him the assignment.”

Slenderman nodded.

“Yes. I was fully aware. While I could have assigned it to you or Hoodie or Ticci Toby, I do trust Laughing Jack. I consider him an old friend and I know he won’t disappoint.”

Masky gave a small nod. He retrieved a file from his jacket and tossed it to the wooden desk.

Slenderman slowly laid his hand on the file. It was labeled “LJ”.

“And what is it this supposed to be?”

“Just some small reports on what your friend has been up to.”

Back at Fiore’s home, a slick black car stopped in front. The door opened and out came a man donned with a suit like the car, fit to his figure. With a hat and sunglasses, the man walked towards the front door. He looked around the house, near the windows and near the back entrance of the home. It looked rather lonely. He knocked on the front door, his gloved hand making contact with the door.

No answer.

Another knock, more persistent.

No answer.

The man cautiously looked around for any spying neighbors before returning his attention to the door. Inone swift kick, the door was thrown down. The man wiped a bit of debris that fell on his suit and walked in. After looking through the house, he found nothing.

Pulling out an iphone, he dialed a single number.

“They’re not here.”

There was angry screaming on the other end. The man only nodded before hanging up the phone. He took out a small bottle from his inner pocket, hidden in his linen suit. He began to carelessly pour it all over the floor. Once that was satisfied, taking out a lighter, he stood at the entrance of the home. With a flick, he threw the open flame and he saw the roar of the fire take flight as it began to spread through the home.

The man walked back towards the car and shifted the gear into drive, his emerald eyes sharp and ready.

Now the hunt begins.

Dr. Riis threw the phone across the room, angry that the task of retrieving the child was a fail. Well, not to worry. He has his best agent on the field looking for them. A bonus if he brings back the eldest as well. The search for any of the creepypastas have been scarce. The child should be about the right age for an imaginary friend. If they can just bring the child forth and perform similar tests that was done to the eldest, maybe they can find Laughing Jack and from there, the rest of those monsters.

Ah. That reminds him. He has to check in with Rose or rather, tell her about what he was planning.

“Hello Rose. Just checking in on your status on the SCP creature that escaped?”

On speaker, Rose was heard. “It’s getting there, sir.”

The doctor nodded. “Alright, do your best. Oh and Rose, quick thing I’d like to mention about the child, Fiore.”

“What about them, sir?”

“I think they’re at that age, don’t you think so? I think it would be best to have them brought here to the facility for questioning”, Dr. Riis spoke, as if it was nothing to him.

“I could bring them later once I am done with this cleanup.”

“Oh, no need. I sent Orion to retrieve the child, so that you can focus on your mission.”

“Dr. Riis! I don’t think that was necessary, I can finish up quickly and do it myself!” Hushes were heard through the speaker.

Dr. Riis giggled. “Don’t worry, dear. Everything will be fine. Orion is one of the top agents of the SCP Foundation after all.”

With that, he hung up the phone, most likely leaving a fuming Rose on the other end.

“Okay, come on kid. Lead me towards your teacher’s classroom please”, You say as you get dragged by the young child through the main entrance of the elementary school.

“You think they’ll let me stay home with you?”, Fiore turned back to you, their eyes shining bright. You could only give them a smile.

“We’ll try our best to convince your teacher and the principal.”

It was now monday morning and the hallways were buzzing with students. Fiore had good luck in not bumping into anyone while they dragged you towards their classroom. After much consideration and Fiore’s puppy dog eyes, you decided it would be best for your cousin to stay home with you until further notice. Or at least until your aunt comes back. Your train of thought was sent off course when you came to an abrupt stop.

“You good kid?”

Fiore nodded and opened the door.

The classroom was like any other 1st grade classroom. The wooden desks were aligned and each adorned with a name maker, decorated to the student's content. You noticed Fiore’s name marker on a desk which had a variety of star, candy and sword stickers attached to it. You smiled. How cute.

“Jack gave them to me”, Fiore said, eyeing you smiling at the stickers. You chuckled.

“Did he now?” You couldn’t help but smile, you felt your cheeks hurting. Jack was literally the guy of your dreams.

If in your dreams, it was a monochromatic clown with a lust for killing, then yeah.

“Oh! Fiore! How nice to see you”, a warm voice called out from behind you.

Turning, you came face to face with a young woman, in between her late twenties and early thirties. Strong brown curls adorned her face as her smile revealed her pearly whites.

“Oh, you must be Y/N? Am I right?” She giggled. You nod at her assumption.

“I’m Ms. Martinez and I’m so happy to meet you. And to think the father also showed up!”, she giggled.

You raised an eyebrow.

“Father?”

Ms. Martinez smiled. “Yes. He told me that Fiore’s mother was out for a while and he’ll be attending to Fiore’s needs. He did here earlier than usual to pick up young Fiore but I told him that he could find them at their house. I gave him the address and phone number.”

You couldn’t believe what you were hearing.

Fiore’s father. He was nonexistent in the child’s life. The man was dead as far as you knew.

You only nodded.

“Did he say anything else?”, you asked.

The teacher nodded. “He did! He had told me that he was going to pick up Fiore to take care of them at home in the meantime.” With that, the teacher shimmied and walked away to another student whose mother was expecting her.

You met Fiore’s stare. You both were thinking the same thing.

That teacher was a tad irresponsible.

“Does this mean we could leave?”

You take quiet steps back, holding Fiore’s hand. “Yeah. Let’s get outta here.”

As you climbed in your car, you made sure to look around your surroundings for any suspicious activity. Once that was done, you drove back to your apartment. You were incredibly grateful that the school had no info on you. So your place was safe. For now.

“Y/N?”

“Yeah, what’s up kid?”

“There’s someone following us.” It sent a shiver down your spine. In the rear view mirror, you saw a black car, indeed trailing you. Was it that guy or was it a coincidence? You really did not want to find out.

“f*ck”, you cursed under your breath. Okay, okay. Everything is fine. Just relax. Let’s lose the guy first.

“Fiore. Hold on tight. What I’m going to do is not really legal.”

You heard a small ‘yes captain’ before you hit the gas and sped up. Sharp turns and wide turns were all supplied. You were honked at by other civilians but you didn’t care. Taking a look into the mirror, the car was gone.

Once home, you locked up the place. Fiore helped you move small pieces of furniture as you closed all of the curtains. When everything was good to go, you sat with the child on the couch. What exactly are you getting into?

How were you going to keep Fiore safe?

Your mind was going a mile a minute.

“Y/N, are we going to die?” The small voice quivered. You immediately took them into your arms.

You hushed them softly. “No, hun. It’ll be okay. We just gotta call your mom and figure out what’s happening.” You laid a small kiss on their forehead. And so the day went. Fiore didn’t go to school and you opted to avoid leaving the house also. You hadn’t seen Jack either which is weird because he always seems to pop up. He’ll turn up soon.

Night soon rolled by and you were sitting on the sofa, Fiore curled up in your arms. Everything was okay until you heard a knock at the door. You instinctively pulled Fiore closer.

Another knock at the door.

You let go of the child who stayed on the sofa. As you neared the door, you grabbed a hammer and held it tight in your hand. You softly peeked into the eye hole.

It was a man. He was donned in a suit; it looked expensive. He was incredibly young. His eyes were what caught you.

They were a piercing green.

Why did the man strike you so...familiar? It’s like you’ve seen him before but cannot recall when. You stepped back from the door and gestured Fiore to go hide in your room when the door was broken down. Fiore gasped as you screamed, you jumped away from the fallen door.

The man laughed.

“Man, what a chase you gave me. I gotta admit, you have guts kid”, he spoke in a calming voice. “But not enough guts to lead me astray.” He gave you a co*cky grin that sent a shiver down your spine.

“Fiore run!”

The man ran towards the child and you jumped to tackle the man to the ground. “Leave them alone!”

The man easily overpowered you. A shout of pain escaped you as he grabbed your arms and slammed you against the floor. You felt you were going to faint from the shock and pain coursing through your veins.

“My, my. Look at how much you’ve grown! Your eyes reminds me of that time. How fun!”, the man cackled, his words lost to you as you had no idea what he was going on about.

“Don’t worry Y/N. I’m not going to kill you. We need you alive after all. Just gonna put you to sleep for-” He was interrupted by a scream that rang from your bedroom.

Tears began to fall from your eyes. Oh, gosh. Fiore..no..

The weight of the man was suddenly off of you and you felt yourself being lifted into someone’s arms.

“I got them. Did you get the child? And his box?” the voice belonging to the stranger carrying you spoke. You tried to get a glimpse but you were far gone in pain.

“Yup Masky! Hoodie got the kid and the box. He’s already left. We should too, you didn’t knock out that agent correctly,” another voice spoke.

“Knock him out then Toby. I’ll see you back at the rendezvous point.”

Cold air met your skin and you shivered. “Better if you sleep.” The stranger spoke to you. You didn’t want to disagree and so you fell into an unwanted sleep.

“Masky! I did it! I knocked him out super well! I wanted to kill him so bad”, Ticci Toby whined next to the masked figure, jumping from the trees.

“You know why we can’t kill off SCP agents, Toby. Slenderman would just get pissed”, Masky said, carefully jumping from the top of the branches and landing on the plush grass of the familiar territory, all the while keeping you close to him.

He looked down at you. What is so special about you?

When the man came to, he slammed his fist against the wall. Damn.

He rubbed his head and he saw blood on his hands. He scoffed and reached for his cell phone.

Dialing a number, he waited for the other end to answer.

“Yes, Dr. Riis? There may have been unforeseen changes. They’re gone. Both of them.” He braced the screaming of the other end.

“But I do have some good news. I was able to see before I was knocked out, the proxies you spoke of. The masked ones. They were here. It seems they have an interest in these subjects as well.”

Laughing Jack smiled to himself as he looked around his carnival. Everything was set! He had decided to confess to you. Whether or not you returned his feelings didn’t matter. He had to tell you. At the end of the day, he wanted you in his life, platonic or romantic. So, yeah, he’s a creepypasta and he’s technically immortal and he’ll outlive you but whatever time you may have left, he wanted to share that with you.

That means he also has to go get you. He can keep Fiore busy on the merry go round while the two of you climb on the ferris wheel.

Looking back at his creation, he clapped his hands together.

There’s no way nothing can ruin this!

When he poofs and appears in your apartment, he is incredibly surprised to find it burned to the ground. Flames were hungry and they were eating away at the walls. Screams of anguis filled the room as black smoke was released from his hands, hitting everywhere the fires struck. The flames extinguished and slowly died off. Looking all around the crashed apartment, he made one assumption.

Someone has you and Fiore.

His gut feeling told him it was someone dangerous. And it was someone who is going to be really pissed at him.

You awoke with a gasp. You looked around the unfamiliar room. A sudden creak of the door surprised you. A young man with dark brown hair and adorned with the same colored eyes entered the room. He was wearing dark blue jeans with a patterned yellow flannel over his black t-shirt.

He was cute, you admitted to yourself. But he also looked dangerous.

“Y/N, right? Please follow me. My boss wants to have a word with you.” With that, he left the room.

You stared in shock. What the hell was going on?? Just a few days ago, everything was normal with the exception of Jack but nonetheless, everything was alright. Maybe he’ll know where Fiore is.

Rising from the bed, you walk towards the door. The young man was waiting for just outside. Once you stepped out into the hallway, he began to walk. You followed closely behind. The corridor was long and was filled with a variety of doors. Were there people living here?
“I’d recommend keeping your eyes to yourself. Some of the tenants here are a bit aggressive.”

You only nod, despite him not seeing you.

You bumped into him and mumbled an apology. Before you were huge doors, scaling a good height as it was taller than you.

The young man knocked once and a voice spoke to enter.

You were pushed inside first and the stranger stood behind you as if guarding the door.

“Ah, Y/N. So wonderful to meet you. Please sit.”

There was someone sitting in the revolving chair behind the desk. There were scattered papers, some with odd writing. You didn’t let your eyes settle on there for too long. The person in the chair looked like a classic mobster. The suit was exquisite and the aura this individual held was powerful.

As you were about to sit, the man turned and you gasped to realize the man had no face. It was a clean slate, white and unnerving.

Hands were clasped on your shoulders and you were forced to sit down. You let out a small yelp but stayed shut about anything else.

“That is all, Timothy. I’ll handle this”, the faceless man waved off the young man. You spared a glance at Timothy who met your eyes and left the room.

“You can talk, Y/N. I don’t bite”, he spoke. I don’t bite hard.

“Uh..where am I? Where’s Fiore...my cousin..?”

The man nodded. “Ah yes. The infamous child. Do not worry, they are safe and no harm will come to them as long as you listen to what I have to say.”

You felt your throat tighten. You were always one to speak up about a variety of stuff but not now.

“Do forgive my manners. I am Slenderman and you, dear Y/N, are in my mansion, my home.”

“I am a supernatural entity that has existed since the beginning of time. What I do is recruit a variety of individuals with skills and the caliber of a killer such as myself. Some individuals are also common to come up in myth videos, like the Rake. We are known as Creepypastas and we live to kill. Are you following me?”

Once you gave a nod, he continued.

“Now, I am aware of your ‘friendship’ with a colleague of mine. You known him as Laughing Jack, correct? Well, I regret to inform you that he is not the man you think he is.”

“He is a bloodthirsty killer who has slayed counteless children, of all ages. No remorse and no mercy.”

“You’re lying.” You didn’t know whether or not to believe him. Truthfully, all you knew from Jack is that he serves as an imaginary friend. Albeit, he did try to kill you and Fiore, but you overlooked that because you seen a different side to him.

Slenderman made a noise of affirmation. “Such loyalty and faith to believe Jack is a kind person. Fine. Let me just show you the person he really is.”

In a blur, your body was wrapped in what appeared like black tentacles. You were stuck, no use in trying to escape.

“Prepare yourself Y/N. What you are about to see will be rather shocking.” There a tone of amusem*nt in his voice.

In a flash, you were in awe as your mind was taken over with flashbacks. Memories of Jack. Memories of him meeting children and then seeing the horror of the aftermath. You felt tears run down your face as you helplessly saw what Jack did to that first child who then was a man. So much pain and suffering, so much blood. The thing that hurt most was the evil glint in Jack’s eyes; it was nothing at all whenever he told a bad joke and you still laughed or whenever Fiore is able to trick him and his eyes shine with mischievous fun.

Your eyes finally settled into the view of the carpet floor beneath you. The tendrils let go of you and set you down on the chair.

“When you are done speaking with Laughing Jack, Fiore and yourself will return back to the human world, outside this barrier. It was a pleasure meeting you, Y/N.”

You were in shock.

Slenderman was long gone and you stayed still in the office. The door opened from behind you and you didn’t need to guess who it was. He smelled of strawberries and chocolates.

“Y/N! Are you okay?” Jack rushed to your side. He kneeled down and gently grabbed your hands. You stayed still, your eyes on your hands being cradled by his. Images of his hands covered in blood made you jerk away from him.

“Y/N?”

You couldn’t meet his eyes.

His clawed hand slowly lifted your head to meet him. His eyes were dark but they were confused, hurt and alarmed.

“Y/N, did they do anything to you?”

You couldn’t answer him. You didn’t want to. You just wanted to leave. Away from him and this whole fiasco.

“You killed those children...didn’t you?”

Jack opened his mouth but no sound came out.

“You killed those children! Didn’t you?! I saw it all Jack...I saw everything...everything you did”, you felt yourself scream at him, Jack cowering on the floor.

“You lied to Fiore and you lied to me!!”

You were angry and heartbroken.

Jack reached out to you and you pulled away. “Don’t touch me...I wish we’d never met Jack..”

With one last glance, you disappeared from his view.

It felt like you were falling into a vortex of darkness. You couldn’t find it in yourself to scream. You just wanted to be home.

Softly, you landed on a patch of grass. It appeared you landed in a field of tall grass. The sun was barely setting.

You looked around, trying to find any type of life when you were tackled to the ground.

Small cries were heard and small hands were curled into your shirt. The familiar bob of hair came into view and you felt your arms wrap around Fiore. Oh gosh, they were safe. You thanked whoever silently that the two of you were safe and sound. Far from home.

But the two of you were reunited.

“Y/N...where’s Jack?”

You didn’t answer as you let more tears fall down your cheeks. Fiore didn’t ask again either. They were a little lost as to why you cried so loud but they knew better than to ask.

Long claws struck at the tents in the carnival. Laughing Jack screamed in frustration, in anger as he broke the mirrors from the fun house where he was planning to write small messages for you. He ripped up the flowers in shreds. He destroyed the place he took to fix up for his confession.

And now, he never will.

You wanted nothing to do with him.

His eyes burned black and white swirls, a dangerous look that only means pure rage. However, through the eyes, he felt his eyes burn at the tears falling from them. He was devastated.

Laughing Jack fell to his knees, surrounded by the destruction of his carnival. He screamed out in agony and heartbreak.

Chapter 18: The Aftermath Part 1 🖤

Chapter Text

Jeff the Killer

“So, will she be okay?”, you asked the doctor coming out of the room, into the hallway of the hospital where you waited.

“Yes, Y/N. Angie will be just fine. Good thing you called when you did, if you had waited, she would have died.” The man gave you a small pat on your back. “If you’d like to see her, you can in a half hour. She just needs to be transferred to the room. The nurse will let you know when to go in.” With that, the doctor gave you a sympathetic smile and walked away, attending to other patients.

It has been a few hours since Jeff tried to kill Angie. It has been a few hours since you cried into your friend’s chest, thinking she had died. It has been a few hours since you realized she still had a pulse.

Now, you were at the hospital waiting for your friend. Apparently, Jeff had made the cut rather deep. Any more stabbing would have resulted in blood loss. Well, more blood loss. You had thought Angie was a goner for sure. You couldn’t bare the thought of losing her. She was your best friend.

So now, you sat in the uncomfortable chair, posture slumped and head in a tumble. You stared at the carpet floor beneath you but you cannot understand what Jeff had done. You were confused. Did he not care at all then? You think back to moments where you caught his stare lingering more than usual and then pushing it aside because he has no eyelids. You can remember when he taught you to throw knives and how pleased he looked when you succeeded in hitting the target.

Your heart hurt at the thought of the way he began to slowly cross your personal space. It had started with small touches on your shoulder. You hadn’t questioned until one day your hand was next to his and you could feel his finger slowly curl around your pinky; your heart was racing that day. You had slowly linked your pinky with his and he had stayed still, paying attention to the movie. You did not want to say anything, you would rather enjoy the moment.

But now, you were confused.

You did not know what to feel. You could feel your throat tighten. You wanted to cry but you held fortitude. This guy tried to kill your friend and you feel heartbroken?!

You are aware there are more important matters at hand but you couldn’t shake the feeling of something.

Seeing Jeff, your crush, holding a bloody knife as he towered your friend’s body sent fear through your body. It was terrifying, it was something out of nightmares.

After a good hour, a nurse had come out from the emergency room. She asked if you were ready to see your friend.

While you were happy to see your friend, you couldn’t help but feel like it was your fault that this happened to her.

As you walked down the hallway, you braced yourself for the incoming.

Walking into the room, you feel your breath hitch at the sight of your friend. She looked rather peaceful laying down but there was an IV attached to her arm, various bags hanging on the stand.

You see her stir and she opens her eyes. Her face brightens up at the sight of you.

“Y/N...it’s you..I missed you.”

You broke out in tears and ran to her side. She tries her best to sit up but to no avail. All she does is pat your head as you cry next to her.

“It’s okay, Y/N. I’m okay…”

Her words were meant to be reassuring but they were anything but. All you could do is cry.

I’m sorry..i’m sorry...I’m so sorry Angie

Slenderman was never usually caught off guard. While he didn’t possess to see the future, he had a brilliant mind that can deduct what will happen for the most part. It can go unsaid when the door burst open and an angry Jeff entered caught the eldritch being off guard, causing him to drop the books he was holding.

“Jeffrey, I thought I had made it clear that I find it rather annoying when you come into my office unattended”, Slenderman had started to scold the killer when said killer ignored his boss and went towards the desk.

“Yeah, yeah. I know. I’m going to take care of these files, got an itch to kill”, Jeff said, grabbing whatever files he found on the desk and left the room, leaving Slenderman with what one would assume is an amused expression.

“Maybe the lesson worked...good. Nothing comes out of being with a human”, Slenderman spoke, words obviously meant for Jeff, with an underlying feeling of resentment.

Your words rang in his head. It hurt. The fact that it was his own soulmate that also screamed those words as well may have just as well killed him.

He doesn’t remember feeling so much rage. So much sadness. So much regret.

Killing these strangers was helping him not dwell on the thought of your scared expression. Blood splattered on the walls as he finished the last kill.

He is not usually messy; usually a quick deep stab finishes off the victim but for tonight, he found it quite needed to make multiple stab wounds.

Jumping out on the terrace, he sat still for a moment. It was dark and the sky was a gorgeous sight.

Not for tonight though.

Within the span of a few hours, he almost killed someone important to you and he was taking out his frustrations with the killings he did.

He just lost you.

These past few months of warming up to you and the development of your friendship which he hoped would turn into a relationship of sorts was a lost cause.

Growling, Jeff pulls at his hair.

He cannot get so sentimental over you. He is a killer for crying out loud. He kills for fun, for sport. It is an adrenaline rush whenever he stabs a person or when he hears them scream. He is insane. He killed his parents! He is a walking grenade with a fragile state of mind; he shouldn’t be feeling like this.

But alas.

He fell in love.

Is this what love is? Jeff pulled at his chest. This feeling sucked. Everything sucked! He wanted to forget everything. But forgetting you would be painful.

You were one of the only things that felt right in his life.

And now, he lost you.

His hands formed fists as he felt his own anger take over. He needed more, he needed to kill more. He wanted to forget these damn feelings, even if it was just for a bit.

It has been a month since then.

Angie was out of the hospital within a few days after the incident and the two of you settle into your apartment in the meantime. Despite the minor injury, Angie found the strength to attend class. You had also attended class more often. Was it to learn more? Of course not.

You couldn’t bare the thought of being alone in your apartment. Were you scared? Yes, you were. But despite that feeling, there was underlying emotion that seemed to outgrow the others.

You missed Jeff. You missed the jokes and laughs, or whenever he threw his hoodie at you and while you always stuck at your tongue at him, you’d put it on and you had to resist snuggling into it; after all, it smelled just like him: like an ashy smell mixed with what you assumed was your lilac shampoo. You had convinced him to use your shower whenever he arrived covered with anything that looked like it could stain and he found that he liked the lilac shampoo on his hair; he would always say ‘f*ck masculinity’.

Being alone in your home brought too many memories back of Jeff. You wanted to forget about him but you found that nearly impossible.

Every corner you looked, you saw him.

He wasn’t there physically but it felt like your brain had made mental notes on his design and added him into anything you were looking at.

You had noticed one thing too.

You had stopped dreaming.

After becoming friends with Jeff, your nightmares turned into dreams of delight. Once the incident happened, you just stopped. You really didn’t know why but you did. Now, when you fell asleep, all you were met with was an empty void, dark and cold. It was unfamiliar.

“Y/N, are you listening to me?”

You looked up to meet Angie’s eyes, filled with concern. “You have been zoning out a lot in class, maybe you should head home?”

You shrugged. “I don’t know. I have to study for the upcoming exam, I have to be here”, you argued.

Angie huffed and flicked your forehead, eliciting an ‘ouch’ from you.

“What you are going to do is go home and rest up...please? For me?”, she gave you her best puppy eyes and while that doesn’t work, her stubbornness does. You could sigh and nod. “You’ll be okay...call me in you need anything? I’ll be staying late on campus tonight but please call me if you need me”, she gave you a small smile and wrapped you into a much needed hug, although from the person.

Grabbing your backpack, you slung it over your shoulder and began to walk across campus to your car. Once in, you sped away to your apartment.

Walking inside what used to be familiar seemed so wrong. It was still and quiet. You ponder vaguely what Jeff has been up to. Is he mad? You guessed he was. He hasn’t shown up to your doorstep since. Well, you did scream at his face to leave you alone; albeit, he almost killed your best friend.

As you fell on the soft cushion of your bed, you are reminded of the night he slept over. It was late and you had offered the place for him to stay but you hadn’t thought he was going to say yes. And what made matters worse, he slept on your bed. While you could’ve gotten mad at him, he looked rather peaceful (he was wearing his own sleeping mask to avoid anything falling into his lidless eyes).

But being honest, did you really want to see him? How would that even go? Would he be mad? Would he kill you?

You let your mind ponder as you turned on the TV, wanting to fill the room with noise. The channel was playing a news report about a series of murders that have been happening near your city. Your interest was piqued.

“Yes, Donna, thank you for that. Now we have Nathan telling us about the gruesome tragedy that has befallen our precious city.”

The camera moved into a closer view of Nathan. “Yes, a sad tragedy here in our own home. As you can see, these victims were brutally murdered, no remorse was shown here. The images you are about to see are vivid and we recommend to avoid letting young children see it.” Nathan was right.

You gasped as the images were shown on the screen. There was blood everywhere, a real mess of the room as well.

“There is no suspect at this time as well as no evidence as to point fingers too. There is also no specific group the killer is targeting, no one is at their mercy.”

For some reason, you couldn’t help but shake the feeling that...Jeff may have been at fault. A weird feeling pulled at your chest as you continued to watch the news. There was no specific clues as to who the murderer could have been. The most recent murder was actually half an hour away from where you lived.

Now, you didn’t believe in reason. You have been known to jump headfirst in situations; this was one of those times. It can be dangerous but the thought of knowing anything about Jeff brought a bit of closure.

Grabbing your car keys, and in a half hour, you were at the crime scene. There were still cops digging around the small house. You got out of your car and you made yourself scarce and snuck pass the yellow tape surrounding the home. There had to be some evidence right? You felt it pulsing in your soul. A sudden pull dragged you towards the backyard; there was no one in sight. It looked like a typical backyard with your standard grass and occasional dead spots. There was a nice tree with a swing attached to it. It looked almost ominous.

Taking small steps, you walked deeper into the yard. Right when you were about to turn away, you felt a strong tug in the opposite direction. It felt like you were punched out of breath. You turn and there, in a small patch of tall weeds was the black handle of something rather familiar.

You would recognize Jeff’s knife from anywhere. On the side of the handle was a letter ‘J’ engraved into it; the blade was not stained and instead reflected your eyes upon nearing it to your face. It was clean.

Holding it, you felt a sudden wave of peace. You raised the blade, admiring it. Yup, it was his. Looking back from your shoulder, you decide to make your leave; you can’t afford to be caught with the knife.

When you arrived home, you locked the door and settled into your room. You stared at the blade before you.

One thing does not seem to make sense.

Why would Jeff leave behind his knife?

From what you remember, he adored the thing; it was his solace in this crazy world. Thoughts of seeing the blade covered in Angie’s blood sent shivers down your spine.

Gosh, the blade looked so different, idly still on your bed and not in anyone’s hands.

Maybe you should throw it away? But then again, maybe he’ll be looking for it? A small ray of hope formed within you; maybe you can see him again…!

Just maybe…

But would that be okay? You felt you were at a battle at wits with yourself; you wanted to win but also wanted to lose.

You sighed as you looked back to the engraving on the handle.

You wonder to yourself what Jeff would have to say about this.

“Okay. I’ll ask again. Where the f*ck is my knife?!”, Jeff the Killer roared at the masked proxy. Masky rolled his eyes under the mask.

“Why do you assume that I have it? Have you forgotten maybe? You have been killing a lot more than, perhaps a mishap on your part. You should take after your own actions rather than blaming me.”

Jeff scoffed and was about to throw a punch when Hoodie appeared, Ticci Toby by his side.

“Jeeeeeff, you know Slenderman doesn’t like it when you cause a scene”, Toby sang a small little tune. The killer scoffed.

“Look, the sooner I get my knife back, the better everyone will be. But as you can see Toby”, Jeff stopped for emphasis. “I have no damn knife!”

“Maybe you should retrace your steps, Jeff. Go back to the place you last had a victim. That is better use of your time than screaming at Masky and Toby”, Hoodie signed. Jeff co*cked his head to the side.

“Yeah. Fine. Whatever”, Jeff waved off the trio and left the room.

“Wow Hoodie! He actually listened!”, Toby looked rather amazed. Hoodie shrugged.

“He just needed some reason and you’re not the best person suitable for that.”

Before Toby can make any retort, Masky cleared his throat. “While on the subject, you did put the knife there at the location right? And the human already has it in their possession?”

Hoodie nodded. “Yes, I made sure of it.”

Masky gives a small nod and walks towards the office. “Come on. Slenderman will want us to report this new detail.

Slenderman glared at the board in front of him. Nothing is making sense! Scattered on the board were pictures of Jeff and you, ‘consorting’ with another. They were simple pictures, nothing seemed to appear out of the ordinary. He had figured severing the connection between Jeff and yourself would help. He thought he knew what was right for his proxies.

It looked like he was wrong.

Jeff had been killing almost without reason, simply for the need to kill. Albeit, they are a hoard of killers but there is always a sense of order. It is why Slenderman created his ‘family’ for a lack of a better term.

In the meantime, he had been trying to find a more deeper connection between the two of you. But no such luck.

A knock on the door alerted him.

“Come in.”

The three proxies entered and gave a slight bow to their boss.

“Ah, yes. Just who I needed to see. Any information regarding your new mission?”

“Hoodie has already left the knife at the crime scene and it has been picked up by the human. Ticci Toby has been keep tabs on the human while Hoodie and I are keeping tabs on Jeff, as far as we know, it may just be that they were friends before the attempted murder incident.”

Slenderman was at a loss. He usually had knowledge prior to confirm whatever suspicions he may have had but this was a tough one. There had to be a connection. Staring at the photographs once again, Jeff and the human appeared, like Masky said, friends. Soft glances on your part and Jeff reciprocating yours as well...wait…

Oh dear. He can recognize that glance anywhere.

“Jeffrey has gone to scout out for his weapon, correct?”

Masky nodded.

“Alright. While I thought the reconciliation of the two can bring Jeffrey a balanced mind, I think there is a greater danger. The human must be eliminated. I need you three to dispose of the human and retrieve the weapon before Jeffrey does. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal.” And the three proxies were off.

Slenderman sighed and loosened his tie. If his suspicion is correct, the only way to ensure Jeff goes back to the way he was is to make sure you are nonexistent.

Love is a tricky emotion, he knows personally how that can be your downfall.

Night time soon rolled in and Jeff was stalking the house of his latest kill. He searched every inch of the house and no knife was found. He was agitated to say the least He stepped out to the backyard and suddenly, he felt a…

THUMP!

He feels is heart stop. That felt..like you. As he scanned the area, there was no one else besides him there at the location. The cops that were investigating the murder were long gone. He feels an invisible tug towards the same place where the knife had been. And he knows this.

One thing about Creepypastas that is rather unique to them is their weapon choice; each member has a ‘relationship’ with said weapon. For Jeff, it was the knife that made him into the killer he was today, it was his beginning into the life of a creepypasta.

And he knows something else is brewing.

He may be a blind idiot but he is not dumb. Whatever was here before, he knew it was you. You're his soulmate after all. But as he stared at the ground, he couldn’t help but wonder.

Why would you be in possession of his knife? That is rather odd-

sh*t. sh*t. sh*t. sh*t. sh*t. sh*t. sh*t. sh*t. sh*t.

How could he be so blind?! How did he not feel the sensation in his core?

He needed to get to you and fast.

Chapter 19: The Aftermath Part 2 🫀

Chapter Text

Eyeless Jack

Eyeless Jack stood still, a dangerous aura surrounding him. He clenched his fists as he stares at the remnants of your home. Without thinking, he rushed out the window and into the night. Maybe he can try and find you. Maybe he can try and explain what actually happened. He couldn’t lose you.

He didn’t want to lose you.

With his quick speed, he jumped from the rooftops of buildings, just a shadow in the night. He stopped at one point to try and sniff the air. One of the ‘advantages’ of becoming a creepypasta for Slenderman, his human senses had ceased to exist only to make room for more advanced senses; these helped in picking the right kidney and other organs.

Taking a deep breath, he let his senses take over. It was like a maze. Each distinct smell belongs to a specific individual and all he had to do was to find yours.

Your specific scent was unique. It was like vanilla with a hint of a smoky scent; it was an odd combination but he found he liked it. It was different and out of the ordinary for the usual suspects he would hunt.

Facing various directions of the city came at a loss.

He couldn’t find you.

At all.

What the hell?! Why couldn’t he find you?! It was then when the comment Toby had made over the SCP agent being involved crossed his mind. f*ck. Were they hiding you?

He tried again, desperation evident in his black eyes. He could feel his own breathing increase at an alarming rate and he could feel himself shrinking.

Oh gosh.

Jack dropped to his knees, his hands shaking as he wrapped his arms around himself, his hands clutching at his hoodie.

Is this a panic attack?

Jack hasn’t had one of these since...he was human. He was prone to a reasonable amount of anxiety attacks especially with the career he was pursuing; late nights he would end up crying himself to sleep, there really wasn’t anyone there to help him through it.

And now, it is just the same. He was alone; you were gone and he was sure Toby was more than pissed off at him.

Jack almost wanted to laugh. As black ooze dripped down his face, he cried out.

“Gosh stop, please stop...please stop..gosh make it stop”, he clutched at his head, praying for the uneasy feelings to go away. But nothing happened. Jack stayed on top of that lone building until the first ray of light woke him up. He knew he looked terrible, he didn’t need to be told by Ben who had teased him walking through the mansion. The killer ignored the elf’s bullying and walked towards his room. Before he did though, he entered quickly to Toby’s room.

It was empty. It looked like he was out on a mission with the other proxies.

Jack reached into his pocket and laid the small prescription bottle of pills on the dresser. He had retrieved them before the whole fiasco and while Jack wanted to feel mad towards Toby, he knew better. The guy was only looking out for him, albeit a little drastic but the thought counted. He lets out a sigh and exited the room; Toby might be a little on edge, he noticed it when the boy dropped the ‘innocent ’ character.

Back in his room, Jack fell on his bed, his mask long forgotten on the floor. As an immortal being, he didn’t need to sleep. Despite this notion, the thought of just laying in his bed and forgetting the world was extremely tempting. He was a little hungry but he ignored that. He can survive a bit without food; he has a few kidneys stored anyway. For the first time in a long time, he let the lull of sleep take him into a world he hoped you were in.

You hadn’t realized you had fallen asleep. By the time you woke up, you were in a bed. Your abdomen felt incredibly sore. You didn’t dare move. Once your eyes adjusted to the room, you came to the conclusion you were at a hospital of sorts. On your arm, you could see the IV attached. You feel a bit confused until your eyes land on Abe. He was sitting rather uncomfortably on the small couch; he looked like a mess, distraught hair and...was that blood on his shirt?

Suddenly, the memories come crashing down on you like waves crashing against the sediment.

Jack. Your friend, your crush, had tried to kill you.

You felt your throat tighten as you began to cry, softly and slowly turning into sobs.

“Y/N? Oh gosh”, you could hear Abe shuffling and in a flash, he is next to you, crawling onto the bed and carefully wrapping his arms around you.

You let yourself be held, his hand rubbing small circles on your back.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay sweetheart. Shh, I got you”, he whispered words of comfort to you. “Breath in and out, darling. You’re going to have a panic attack if you don’t try and breath, please.”

You already felt you were on the point of hyperventilating but luckily, listening to his words helped.

“It just hurts Abe”, you say, through your trembling voice.

“I know it must. The wound was rather deep but luckily the doctors were able to patch it up, so you’ll be okay now.”

But it’s my heart that hurts.

You didn’t say that aloud. Abe would probably think you are either kinky or an idiot for falling for a killer.

“Y/N, I need you to talk to me. Do you have any idea who the assailant was?”

You debated to tell him the truth but you decided against it, after all, it seemed like Jack didn’t give a damn about you. So what did it matter?

You shake your head.

“Well, this is going to be a lot to explain but I need you to stay with me, okay?”

You give another nod.

“So, I really wanted to tell you from the beginning when we met but do you remember how my father wants me to take over the company? The big business I was trying to avoid?”

Of course you remembered; he would always come to you and drape himself on your couch, complaining about how his father wanted him to run the family business. Whatever that business was, you had no idea whatsoever.

“Well, currently, we are in one of their facilities, medical as you can see”, he gestured to the room. “The organization is known as the SCP Foundation, Secure, Contain and Protect.”

He stopped to meet your eyes. “You okay so far?” A nod was given.

“But what exactly is it that you do?”

“Please hear me out. We specialize in the supernatural” Abe started. Your expression made him chuckle.

“I know it sounds crazy but it’s true. This organization was formed by an ancestor of mine who decided that enough was enough with supernatural entities preying on the human population.”

Supernatural entities? Did that mean Jack is one of them? You just assumed he was a cannibal in the end.

“This included creatures that exist out of a fairytale stories. There is a good amount of them already secured back at the main facility.”

“Okay, but what does that have to do with me?” You were just a tad confused. Okay, so Abe hunts vampires and the like? Is that what you’re supposed to be getting from that?

“According to records that actually date back decades, the individual who attacked you is actually a part of a special class of supernatural beings. There is no actual name for them but they are known to appear human and yet, their abilities are that of a powerful monster.”

Wow, that is news to you. So that is what Jack is?

“From these records, there is a common detail that surfaces and that is that every victim is missing at least one of their kidneys. Other organs would be missing too but the kidney was the targeted organ.”

“And from what the doctor told me, you have both of your kidneys intact. So it doesn’t make sense.”

You only feign the confusion with him. You knew exactly why Jack didn’t take your kidneys; he just didn't. He had told you that he considered you a friend and thus, he found no need in taking your kidneys. This made the whole situation more infuriating because you felt used by him. Was he only trying to warm up to you then? All those late night talks and those comforting hugs meant nothing to him?

“I wouldn’t know Abe. I’m as lost as you are,” You spoke the truth this time.

“But you’re okay now. So let’s forget about this for a little bit. Some good news though”, Abe had slowly let go of you and jumped off the bed. He shrugged off his suit and he gave you a smile. “You have the green light to be released tomorrow! These past few days have been hell for me hah.”

You sigh a breath of relief and smile. Then the expression drops when you realize what Abe said. “I have been out cold for a few days?”

Your friend nodded. “Yeah, sad to say. It was scary when you didn’t wanna wake up. According to the results run on you, whatever stabbed you had a poison laced on it. So besides the stabbing, the poison would’ve finished you off if I hadn’t arrived in time.”

You nod, solemnly.

“Oh yeah, before I go. You’re not going back to your apartment. For safety purposes, you’ll be staying with me.”

Before you can give your opinion, Abe pressed a kiss on your forehead. “You can tell me sh*t later. I care about your safety, okay?”

You pouted but nodded. He gave you a thumbs up and a wink before exiting the room. You fell back on the mattress and closed your eyes. This felt like a nightmare. It was almost like living a horror movie plot and it was only a matter of time before something happens. There were some things that were a bit confusing though. Why was Abe around that night? How did he know when to show up when he did? You didn’t want to ask now, you were pretty preoccupied with other thoughts.

These thoughts were more heartbreaking than anything. You really miss Jack, despite everything. Maybe you should try and get over him? That is going to be hard; you haven’t opened up to anyone since Abe (he didn’t count though). You sighed and stared out the window. It was night time.

You wonder vaguely if he ever really did care.

“Hey Toby! I think the guy’s dead. You can stop stabbing him, you’re making a mess”, Masky said, obviously annoyed by the young man’s actions.

One last stab and Toby rose up to his feet. To say he was angry was an understatement. He usually did not hold grudges but Jack really hurt him. He was only looking out for his friend. Toby rolled his eyes under the goggles.

Two weeks have passed since then. Currently, Toby was with Masky and Hoodie taking care of an assignment for Slenderman. Apparently, there was an SCP bunker in the nearby forest and so the boss took it upon himself to assign his three proxies to get rid of the agents there. Unfortunately, what should’ve been a short mission turned into a two week excursion of killing off every single personnel at the facility. Besides that, there was a good amount of recorded documents that were in need of being destroyed.

Two weeks of Toby holding the grudge against Jack as well. The young proxy did not tell his fellow partners of the situation because that was business between himself and Jack.

Masky eyed the goggled boy. He knew something was off. Toby had been losing his temper more often than usual. His tics were slightly on an increase as well. He, however, did not comment on it. Toby was rather a secretive person despite his usual demeanor. Everyone at the mansion had their secrets; it was only fair to respect that.

“Alright boys, we’re done here. Let’s get back home.”

Masky nodded to the two before him. Hoodie and Toby followed after him as they ran across the forest. Jumping from tree to tree until they could see their beloved home.

While Masky went to report to Slenderman, Hoodie went off to his own room and Toby stayed in the kitchen where he began to rummage for food.

A small voice caught his attention.

“What do you want Sally?”

The young girl wore her tattered pink dress, her teddy bear by her side. She looked rather worried despite the blood on her face.

“Toby, I think Jack is sick”, she said, her eyes darting away from Toby, scared from the snapping.

Toby ruffled her hair. “Sorry Sally. But which Jack?”

Sally pulled away from his hand, annoyed as she had to fix her hair. “It’s Eyeless Jack.”

Toby removed his goggles. That was odd.

“I’m sure he’s okay. He is a drama queen remember?”

Sally didn’t look too convinced but she didn’t say anything. She only nodded before walking away to her room.

Toby ticked and he shook his head. Damn. Opening the fridge, he raised an eyebrow. Whoa, it looks like Jack hasn’t gone hunting. There weren’t any kidneys in the fridge. Jack usually labels a piece of Tupperware for his meals specifically. The one time he didn’t was a huge surprise for Ben.

Toby didn’t think anything of this. Grabbing a chocolate bar, he walked to his own room. Once inside, his eyes land on a bottle of pills. These weren’t here when he left. Did Jack leave them for him?

In his hands, the bottle felt awful. Toby was overcome with an emotion he found rather disgusting. Guilt.

Did this mean that after that human fiasco, he still bothered to bring Toby his pills?

Well, maybe he should go thank him.

Taking a quick walk, Toby stood outside Jack’s door. He knocked.

No answer.

Knocking again, this time a little harder, Toby waited.

No answer.

“Hey Jack, it’s me”, Toby began, his hands fiddling. “I just want to say thanks for the pills, you really didn’t have to after you know.”

No answer.

This was really odd. A grunt or a hum is the usual response when Jack doesn’t want to speak. Toby pressed his ear to the door and he could only make out a small noise. A very odd feeling began to set over Toby.

“I’m coming in Jack.”

The door was unlocked. He walked in and the room was dark. So that part was normal. Feeling the wall, he finally found the light switch and flicked it on.

He was not prepared for the sight before him. Eyeless Jack laid idly on his bed, short raspy breaths coming from the killer.

Toby rushed to his side. “Jack, are you okay?”

Now, Eyeless Jack was formed through that horrendous Chernabog sacrifice that had backfired on those dumb excuses of cultists. Through this transformation, Jack had enhanced his human senses which only enhanced more when he became a proxy for Slenderman. One main attribution to this was the taste for human flesh, or really, kidneys. Because of this, his diet had changed drastically; he has to eat at least a kidney daily. It helps regulate his system and it is why he doesn’t kill often and stores away the organs for future use. If and when he does not follow his eating schedule, Jack turns into something rather sinister. As a creepypasta, sinister is what he is already; it is heightened on his end when he does not feed his ‘demons’.

From Toby’s perspective, he can already tell from the eyes that something was wrong. There was no ooze anymore flowing out of his eye sockets. It was a clean gray face, the eyeholes a dark abyss. Jack’s hair was messier than usual, as if he hadn’t combed it in a while. His teeth were also sharper, slightly bigger.

Eyeless Jack becomes the true embodiment of the demon Chernabog.

“Jack...what happened?”

Raspy chuckles came out from the killer. “Ah, Toby, I see you’re back. How was your trip?”

Ignoring his question, Toby looked around the room before his eyes landed on the mini fridge. Rushing over, he opened it to find nothing in it.

“Have you eaten anything Jack?”

“Define eating.”

f*ck. Toby ran his hand through his hair. f*ck. f*ck. f*ck!

“Jack, you need to eat. You know what happens when you don’t. Damn it. When was the last time you ate?”

Jack rolled over to his side, facing away from Toby. “A week ago”, he mumbled.

“Jack, that’s dangerous!”

In a flash, Toby was sent to the floor. Jack pounced and sat on top of him, his teeth bared. Toby’s collar was held tightly in Jack’s hands.

“What do you f*cking care? You made it very clear that you want nothing to do with me. Because of you, I lost the one thing I felt kept me sane in this damn world," Jack growled, sharp teeth bared.

Slowly, Jack let go of the boy and picked himself up and sitting on his bed. “They were my friend. I care for them. I love them. And you took that away…” Jack stared sullenly at the floor.

Toby stayed still, sitting up.

“I know it was getting dangerous but I didn’t care. They made me feel human for the first time ever again. And now they’re gone and I don’t know…”, he trailed off, letting his head fall on his hands.

Wow...f*ck, now I feel like an asshole, Toby thought to himself.I was right that he was in love.

Tic.

Idea!

“I’m going out hunting. I’ll bring you back some kidneys for you to eat.”

Despite the time that had passed, you stayed in the guest room, sulking and thinking of Jack. You missed him so much. Is this what it was like to be in love with someone? Cause if it was, it sucked.

Just like Abe had said, you were taken to his apartment. In the meantime, you were not allowed to go back to your apartment for security purposes. It was not that you did not appreciate what your friend did for you but you missed your home.

Changing channels again before turning off the TV, you stretch out your arms. You were bored. You usually spend time alone. Abe was gone for the majority of the days; for what reasons? You had no idea.

Today was another night alone. Abe had shown up early in the morning to prepare you a nice breakfast when he got a call. The color on his face seemed to give away something bad happened. You did not find it in yourself to ask him any details.

Maybe you can sleep. Maybe you can have a dream or two. Maybe there you can see Jack.

A harsh slam of a door disturbed your attempted slumber. You hear a voice.

Ah! It’s Abe! Finally some entertainment!

You jumped off the bed and you were about to open the door when you hear another voice, slightly muffled.

Was he on speaker? Maybe you shouldn’t bother Abe. You were about to retreat to the bed when you heard him say your name.

Now, you were interested. Slowly, you opened the door. Through the small crack of the door, you see Abe pacing back and forth, his phone on speaker as you had suspected. He looked like he was stressed. He usually made sure his appearance was up to standard but tonight, he looked like an utter mess.

“So everyone at the bunker?” Abe asked, his facial expression droops when you hear the phone reply.

“Yeah. All gone, wiped clean. It was insane. You better stay put where you are.”

Abe can only nod. “Any information on that monster that hurt my friend?”

“Nope. This killer is untraceable, almost like he doesn’t exist.”

Abe growls. “Damn.”

“And your friend hasn’t realized anything yet?”

This piqued your attention. What did that mean?

“No. I’m planning on keeping it like that.”

A chuckle was heard through the speaker. “Good idea. I don’t think I would like it if I knew my friend basically set me up as bait haha.”

You pushed the door open harshly. You saw Abe’s expression change from stressed to shock. He quickly said goodbye and hung up.

“Y/N..I didn’t know you were awake..”

“Wait...you knew he was after me? Are you saying you knew I was going to be the next victim? Since when?!” Whatever feelings you held towards Jack dissipated. All you could focus was what you were feeling towards your close friend; was he actually saying that he could have prevented this whole fiasco? Did he know you had awful panic attacks? Was he willing to get you killed if it meant to capture Jack?!

“Look, I know you might be mad but you have to understand. There was a news report about a dead body being found, kidneys missing, in a dumpster near your apartment. It was a few months back. So I staked out the area but found noth-”

You interrupted him with raising your hand to him. “Stop talking. I don’t wanna hear this. I can’t believe you Abe.”

Abe reached for your shoulder and you jerked away. “Don’t touch me please.”

You couldn’t help but think of that time when Jack reintroduced himself to you. You wanted to scoff. Mr. I don’t like making a mess.

“Y/N…”

“So that night...when you swung by my home?” You wanted to cry. Oh gosh, how could your friend do this to you.

“I was attending to some business actually when I stopped by your apartment. I then recieved a call that there was something going on near your home and I was worried. When I did arrive to your apartment is when I saw that guy almost kill you.”

You laughed, halfheartedly.

“Gosh, I just keep getting my heart broken.” You couldn’t help but feel anxiety crawl on your shoulder. First, Jack. Now it was your best friend. What else can go possibly wrong?

Abe knew better than to comfort you, especially if he was the one to set off your anxiety.

“Y/N..I’m-”

Unfortunately Abe was not able to complete his sentence because the window that was next to him was shattered.

Abe was pushed to the floor due to the force exerted and you braced yourself, covering yourself with your arms.

“Man. Finding you was quite a challenge~” a new voice joined in.

Your eyes widen in surprise at the new person.

Abe let out a gasp.

The orange goggled boy with the mouth-guard stood in between the two of you, hatchets in hand.

Tic. Tic. Tic.

“Now...let’s get down to business.”

Chapter 20: The Aftermath Part 3 🎮

Chapter Text

BEN Drowned

For the first time in his immortal life, Ben has never felt so alive. These feelings, the same emotions that brought him happiness and tranquility were the ones causing so much fear and sorrow. How can that be possible? How are such feelings able to do that?

Your words hurt him deep in his core of what used to be his soul. It hurt so much; the one moment where Ben would have loved to see your smile or congratulate him in standing up to his deathly fear of water. Instead, you pushed him away, you were angry and it broke his heart.

He sat idly on the patch of grass, his feet hanging off the edge of the cliff. He had stopped crying, only dried tear streaks laid on his face, in addition of the permanent blood streaks. He stared off at the ocean. The waves clashed against the rocks at the bottom and a part of Ben wanted to jump right down.

You would have loved this location.

He chuckled softly. Small fits of giggles turned into full blown laughter. He fell back to the soft grass and he clutched at his stomach.

Despite everything, he couldn’t help but think of you.

He stopped laughing and his eyes met the sky. You probably hated him. It was a bit unanticipated in his opinion but who knew.

He wanted to see how you were doing. Were you crying too? Were you done with him?

Maybe he should give you some space…? Maybe it’s better off for you to just go on…

Maybe it would be better for you to live your life without him.

But see, that was the thing, he didn’t want that. He yearned to be a part of your life; he wanted to give you all of him.

Shaking head, he sat up again. He needed to clear his head. He needed to go somewhere no one will bother him.

How much time has passed? You felt like an eternity had passed. You’re not too sure over the concept time but you can conclude a while because your clothes are dried. You almost died.

You feel a burning in your eyes and you gasped, finally breaking down.

Ben had sent someone to kill you? Oh gosh.

So all of this was a lie?
You shout in frustration. You sob, shaky breaths coming out, curled up on your bed. You could not believe this!

“Why...am I such an idiot..?”

You can’t believe it...Ben never cared for you and then to have the audacity to save you? Wow.

You slowly get up from the floor to head to the restroom. You reach for the shower handle when you suddenly felt yourself shake. Your hand hovered above the handle, unable to move. You couldn’t turn on the shower. Is water…?

You ignore the need to wash away the remnants of the water where you almost drowned and instead, changed out of the clothes and pulled a hoodie over your figure. You walked back to your bedroom where your eyes met the screen. It was black, obviously turned off. You walked towards the back of it and disconnected everything; you didn't want to risk seeing Ben.

Once that was done, you slipped under your covers and stayed awake, at least for a few hours before you let sleep take over you.

Why did you feel warm? Maybe it was because of the covers? Or maybe because you didn’t shower. You are usually susceptible to getting sick whenever you are wet from the rain but this was no rain. You almost died. It probably doesn’t have anything to do with whatever you’re feeling. Everything will be okay.

It felt like you were floating on air. It felt nice.

You open your eyes to come face to face with the ceiling of your room. Huh, since was it that close?

You try to get comfortable when you realize that you are no longer on your bed. You wake up fully to realize that you are, in fact, floating!

“What the fu-”, you don’t finish your sentence as gravity meets you and your body falls on your bed.

You were confused as hell. You sat up, feeling sore. That’s weird.

Loud knocking brought you back into reality. Despite your body’s protests, you walked towards the front door. To your surprise, you see Anna.

“Hey girl, what’s up?”
Anna looked at frantically, pushing you inside your home, closing the door behind her. She checks you thoroughly, grabbing your arms and hands. It looked like she was crying.

“Y/N, I’m so glad you’re okay”, she spoke, her voice croaky. So she had been crying.

You smile softly at her.
“Crying over me? It’s not like I disappeared Anna”, you say, grabbing her hand. Anna suddenly lifted her eyes to meet yours.

“Y/N...you haven’t answered my calls for the past two days! I was incredibly worried!”

You raised an eyebrow. Two days? Didn’t you just fall asleep yesterday? You could have sworn that...You rush over to your laptop that laid idly on the table. On it, the date was correct like Anna had said. It has been two days. These past 48 hours you were knocked out.

“Gosh, I am so sorry Anna...I didn’t realize”, you trailed off, glancing back to your friend. Suddenly, you feel a wave of dizziness come over you.

“Whoa, Y/N, you good?” Anna quickly made her way over to you, grabbing you softly. She raised her hand to your forehead. “Oh, gosh, you have a fever.”

She helped you towards the restroom. “Let’s put you in some nice water so your body can cool down.” She turned on the faucet and plugged the tub. This time, you didn’t feel weird towards the water.

“Okay, I’ll be right back. Just get out of that hoodie and get in the water.”

Anna left and you shrugged off your hoodie, tossing it to the side. You were left in your undergarments. You decide to get in like that. As you try your best to lift your foot to cross into the tub, the strangest thing happens.

You glitched.

You rub your eyes, thinking it is your imagination. Was that real? This time, you use your hand. As you close in the water, your hand...glitches..like little pixels being dusturbed.

What the f*ck?

“Y/N, you’re not in the water?” Anna had come back with a change of clothes and a towel. You didn’t feel shy in letting her see you like this; you were close friends after all. But how can you explain to your dear friend that you are glitching like a video game sprite?

“I don’t feel like water will do me any good”, you laugh, a bit nervous. Anna raises an eyebrow at you but does not comment on it. She only nods and walks past you to turn off the faucet and drain the tub. Her hand is wet when it lands on your shoulder. Before she can say anything, your body reacts by itself and falls towards the floor. Your senses feel like they shut off; it is a void of sorts. You could feel Anna help you towards your bed.

What was happening to you?

He had three days left. He knows that too well. If he doesn’t kill you by the fifth day, Hoodie will. Ben sat still, head in the clouds as he watched the actual clouds roll by. He had decided to visit the mystical world of Sonic and he found himself on one of the floating islands of Glyphic Canyon. Usually Sonic.EXE would be a bother but they had come to a truce a while back and now Ben can visit this world whenever he needed to recollect his thoughts. It is also one of the places Dark Link can’t get to him.

His thoughts wander towards the shadow Link impersonation; he hasn’t seen him since he locked him up. That was weird.

Ben could care less though. He ruined everything. His nose scrunches up in annoyance. He really wanted to see you. It has been two days since he last saw you. Maybe it would be okay to talk now?

Only one way to find out.

He should stop by his room to get some games; maybe you’d be down to play with him if he can talk to you.

Ben rose from the grass and stretched. He started to walk which then turned into a light jog and finally he was running towards the edge of the island. He jumped, feeling the wind as he fell through the open sky. In a flash, a green light enveloped him and he was back in his room.

He landed on the wooden floor gently. The light dissipated as he walked over his small desk. On top, there was a small box. He had carved it himself when he visited his own game. The etchings were smooth and looked ethereal. Ben worked too hard on it; The small handlebar on the side took a good amount of strength. As a mythical being himself, he can probably conjure up the item in a snap. Ben felt he needed to actually build something; he wanted to see your smile when he gives it to you. It played a soft melody, more commonly known as the main theme for the Legend of Zelda franchise. You had mentioned it to him that you found the tune peaceful and relaxing. The music box was hand sized and perfect to take anywhere. That way, you could always remember him.

Grabbing a bag, he filled it with game he thinks you’ll like along with some traditional gamer snacks. He can’t wait to see you again.

You were able to convince Anna to not using water. Your fever, however, had gotten worse. Your friend had not left your side. She was struck with worry.

“You don’t remember anything that might have have to do with you getting sick?”, Anna asked, lifting a bowl of chicken soup to your lips. As you opened your mouth and swallowed the noodles, you considered telling her about Ben and the incident, but you were sure you were going to sound crazy, so better not.

“No, I don’t recall much”, you say, swallowing down the warm soup as best you could. Your throat was aching; it was also pretty hard to swallow. You hadn’t glitched so you were grateful for that.

You felt so weak, you wanted to sleep. Your body was off in a sense; you couldn’t really feel much.

“Y/N, I’m going to the store. You need anything?” Anna asked. You really couldn’t think either. You waved your hand the best you could and she gave you a nod, calling out she’ll be back later.

Your eyes grew heavy. A nap sounds just right.

Unbeknownst to you, a figure appeared in your room. He glanced around the room, almost in disgust before his red eyes landed on your body. You looked dreadful, not like when saw you two days prior.

Dark Link walked over to your body and he stared. How are you so special? Why was Ben willing to risk everything for you?

Is that what happens when you’re in love?
He wouldn’t know himself as he had never experienced it. You were just a regular human, gullible and naive. What did Ben see in you?

Without thinking, Dark Link moved a strand of hair from your face.

What he was not expecting was the pixels. Or the glitch your body did. He pulled away immediately, for once, scared. What is this?
Slowly, he leaned in his hand closer to your body and saw the little pixels reacting to his own. This could mean only one thing.

He should go find Ben-...his thoughts stopped for a moment. A part of him knew what was going to happen. Why did he want to tell Ben? The innate killer side of him wanted to kill you himself but another twisted part of himself knew he shouldn’t do that. He cared for his friend’s well-being, even if it meant feeling love for a human.

In a quick flash, Dark Link appeared in front of Ben’s door. He could barge in like he usually does but he is sure that is probably not smart on his part. He knocked on the door. From behind the door, he could hear what sounded like someone throwing something across the floor; he paid no mind to it.

Whatever positive feeling Ben may have had been feeling was gone when the door opened. Ben scowled at the figure before him and was about to slam the door shut when Dark Link stopped it with his foot.

“We need to talk.”

Ben scoffed. “We have nothing to talk about Dark. Just leave.”

“It’s about your friend.”

Dark Link would have thought he was being pulled by one of Slenderman’s tentacles into the room due to the fast movement. Alas, it was Ben, who was immediately piqued with interest.

“What did you do?” If Ben could kill with his eyes, Dark Link would have been dead where he stood.

The latter laughed, dryly. “It’s not what I did...but what you did”, Dark pushed at Ben with his finger. Ben pushed him away.

“What are you talking about?”

Dark Link rolled his eyes. “Your friend is sick with a virus.Not one of those petty human types but an actual virus, like from a video game. Humans aren’t supposed to be a constant in the world we live in Ben. You would bring them into the game world too often and their body is literally glitching out.”

Ben stared at him, whether it be in awe or confusion, before he burst out in laughter.

“That’s the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of Dark. HAH! A virus?! Man, where do you come up with this stuff”, Ben mocked him.

Dark Link growled. “I’m telling the truth, Ben. Your friend could die! Herobrine had warned me of this happening but since none of us ever actually made contact with humans, it was useless for us to know how to proceed with it! That cure died with Herobrine!”

Dark Link could not help it; he was angry he was not being taken seriously by him.

“Fine. Go and see your friend for yourself. I tried to warn you prior to finish them off and to not get attached but you didn’t listen. Good luck Ben”, Dark Link spoke, his eyes burning into the being before him. He was gone in a snap.

Ben scoffed. “What an ass.” Grabbing the bag and the small music box, he jumped through the TV screen in his room. When he did try to enter your room he found everything was disconnected. He chuckled to himself; he could just use the electricity from the outlets. Even though there was no actual connection, electricity will always be flowing. All Ben had to do was to enter that flow and voila!

He found himself in your room. It looked the same to him. He looked around to find you in bed. Did you always look this...sick?

He shook off the weird feeling and walked to your bedside. He laid the small music box on the side and the bag of games under the bed.

“Y/N, I’m here, I uh..wanted to talk to you..about..”, he couldn’t keep a coherent sentence going. To see you frail and softly panting, it made his heart hurt. He softly laid his hand on your forehead.
“Y/N…”

Suddenly, you were sitting upright, coughing harshly. Ben moved away and he could see, to his surprise, small pixels from your body.

You coughed hard into your hand and when you stopped, you breathed heavily as you saw that there was blood on your hand.

You felt hot tears begin to stream down your face, feeling horrified and incredibly worried.
“Oh, gosh...why is this happening…?”, you cried.

Ben stayed still and stayed hidden in plain sight.

“Y/N? Y/N!”, Anna, your friend he recognized, came running to your side. Whatever contents she was holding was long forgotten on the floor.

“Blood...Y/N, we need to get you to a hospital”, Anna said, trying her best to coax you out of the bed. You began to shake your head.

“No, no, no..please..” The doctors won’t know what’s wrong with you, hell, you didn’t even know as well.

Maybe Ben would know.

You continued to cough into your hand as you felt your chest hurt. Anna felt helpless.

“Just get me some medicine..please, no doctor”, you say, your voice weak. Anna gritted her teeth and nodded. She grabbed the bag she had dropped and walked to the kitchen to prepare the remedy.

You flopped back onto your pillow. You wished you can see Ben…

Maybe he did try to kill you, but you still cared for him. Your heart longed for something incredibly out of your reach.

“Ben...I wish you were here”, you say, your eyes filling with tears. You felt weak and pathetic and if Ben were here, you are sure he would laugh at you.

Ben stared at you in shock; his own heart swelled at the sound of your voice calling out for him. He took a deep breath in before materializing in front of you.

“Y/N..hey”, he spoke softly.

Your eyes widen. They held so much emotion; anger, pain, hope, love. His eyes were just as a chaotic storm as your own.

He gave you a smile, and his eyes closed and opened again to reveal blue ones. “Maybe this can help you...to you know, not look at a monster..”

You shook your head. “I like your eyes the way they are..”

Ben was taken aback but he nodded. He closed his eyes and when he opened them once again, the classic red eyes you have grown to love were there to meet your own eyes instead.

He couldn’t help it. He reached out to you and placed his hand on your cheek. You also could not help but nuzzle into it. The pixels from your body were reacting softly with his own. Both of you stayed quiet before you broke it.

“Ben...what’s happening to me?”

“I didn’t want to believe it but it is a virus”, Ben said. You raised an eyebrow.

“Not a human virus..but a game virus. Apparently, you entering the video game world has some after effects that are dangerous. Y/N, it appears the video game world is trying to claim you as theirs.”

This was a lot to take in. So you were becoming a video game character?

“It’s a lot more complicated Y/N...you could die.”

“How can I be cured?”

Ben removed his hand away from you. You did your best to not look too disappointed. He couldn’t tell you there was no cure. He could only imagine the horror you would feel in knowing the end result. If only there was a way to turn back time.

If only there was a way to reset the game.

Idea!

He can reload! Maybe like that, the virus will appear to have never existed!

“Y/N, I have an idea...and I think it might work”, Ben said, a smile growing on his face.

“I’m down to do anything Ben.”

And so Ben began to explain his power to you. It was a bit scary but you trusted this elf despite what had happened before.

“Okay..so how will this go?”

“Don’t worry. But before we do this, here”, Ben grabbed the small music box and laid it into your open palm. You looked at it, sweetly.

“It’s a small gift I made. Thought you might like it.”

You smile but then you cough again, this time more blood comes out. “Ben, we need to do it now.” The latter nodded.

A green light begin to surround the room. Ben had faith in himself. He was going to save you and you were going to be okay.

Maybe then, he can tell you how he feels.

You closed your eyes, not knowing what to expect.

***RELOAD***

You fell back on your bed, the music box falling to your side.

Ben stared at your body, hoping it worked. He carefully laid his hand on your cheek and to his relief, nothing happened.

It worked!

He did it!

You were slowly beginning to sit up. You rubbed your eyes when Anna came in the room, holding a small cup of tea.

Ben hid himself once again, at least from your friend. You should still be able to see him.

“Y/N, you okay?”

You stretch out your arms and your eyes landed on the music box. It was pretty cute in your opinion. You examined it carefully before asking.

“Where did this come from? Did you get it for me?” you asked Anna, who only shook her head in confusion.

Ben laughed. “Funny Y/N, stop playing around.” No answer, not even a spare glance. He floated in front of you. “Y/N?”

But you did not see him, instead you saw the box once again. Can you not see him? He was getting worried. The next words out your mouth sent chills down his spine.

“Hey, Anna? Who’s Ben?”

Chapter 21: The Aftermath Part 4 🃏

Chapter Text

Laughing Jack

Slenderman hunches over his desk, the human long gone, along with the child. He had expected the outcome of the situation; the human feeling betrayed by Laughing Jack once he showed them the cruel reality of what the demonic clown is. Being fair, this was him being nice.

Laughing Jack had not come into his office later and he feels he probably will not for a while. He can't blame him.

A sudden change in the air causes Slenderman to look out his tall window. It was a familiar yet dangerous addition to this whole fiasco.

“Don’t tell me…”, Slenderman felt his hold on his pen break. He could feel a headache coming on.

A knock on his door alerts him. He looks up to see Masky.

“What is it?”

Masky looks out towards the window.

“It appears there is a disturbance. I’m sure you have felt it as well, sir.”

Slenderman sighs. “Please tell me it’s not who I think it is.”

“I’m afraid not, sir. It’s her.”

Slenderman’s tendrils appeared and threw his desk at the wall. Masky stayed still as he watched his boss make a mess, probably out of anger and frustration.

“First those damn SCP and then this whole fiasco with Jack and now...we have her to worry about now”, Slenderman raised his hand to his temple. This was getting too annoying. So much happening and with such little resolvement.

The eldritch being fell back on his chair as he began to think. Why is she active now? He thought he had banished that anomaly long ago. His thoughts are dragged back to you and your cousin. No, there had to be a more concrete reason as why she wanted to appear now.

The last time he heard, she was causing mischief and going against his orders. It is why he banished her. She was no longer a Creepypasta under his reign; she was something entirely new. She had taken matters into her own hands and began to kill out of her own agenda. A gut feeling burned in him.

“Masky. Keep an eye on those humans. Now.” His boss ordered as so the proxy obeyed. Masky was gone in a flash, leaving Slenderman to his own devices.

“I wonder what your plan is…”

Black. There was nothing. That is all he could see. His eyes no longer held the anger or even the sadness, there was just numbness. He floated in what he assumed was the void. It was empty, just like him.

This is what he gets. Exactly what he deserves; after all of the horror he has thrusted upon humanity, it appeared karma finally caught up with him. He did not bother to even come into contact with Slenderman, he was sure he was pissed at him.

He can’t even remember how he ended up in the void. All he can remember was that you rejected him. There were tears in your eyes however, weren’t there? Were you hurt as well? Laughing Jack could not stop screaming once he had returned to his carnival; the plan he had was to confess to you but that did not work out.

Instead, he destroyed everything. He tore it to shreds, the lights were dimmed by the end of his episode. The carnival was in tatters. It resembled how the place originally looked, scary and desolate. The lost souls of children long gone since then; he had eaten them after all. All that stood there now was a painful reminder.

He was heartbroken.

“This is what I get...for letting someone in.” He hears his own voice crack. He just wanted to be okay.

“My, oh my~ isn’t this just sad~?”

Laughing Jack quickly looks up, alert. No one should be in the void. Ben doesn’t usually use it; he uses it only to escape from Jeff when a prank goes awry.

But that was a female voice he heard. He doesn’t know of anyone like that with the access to use the void.

“Oh dear~ Did I confuse you, Laughing Jack?” The voice was heard again, a taunting tone laced in her words.

Laughing Jack’s eyes narrowed. Whoever this intruder was, knew who he was. However, he didn’t.

“Show yourself”, his words were dripping with venom. At least he thought so.

The voice chuckled. “Aww, Jacky~ You can’t be threatening when you’re feeling so down, clown.”

Jack stayed silent.

“Hah what’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?”

“What do you want? I kinda wanna be alone right now”, Jack answers simply.

The voice giggles. “Alone? Because of that human right?”

“How did you-” Jack was interrupted with a sudden change in the void. He looks all around the place until his eyes land on a figure of a woman. She was thin yet carried a formidable aura. She wore a short black Victorian dress with puffy shoulder pads, donned with heels. Her legs were adorned with striped black and white leggings. Her hair was as black as his, charred but nicely kept into waves passing her shoulder. Everything about her appearance screamed his name. It was almost a female version of him. Even her pointy nose was similar to his.

“Look a little familiar~?” The woman winked and giggled, turning away.

Jack stayed silent.

Her own dark eyes narrowed. “Oh Jacky, I am so sorry. That human broke your cold heart, didn’t they?”

She closes in on Jack and gently grabs his head, pulling him closer to her laced bodice. She stroked his hair.

“What a tragedy.”

Laughing Jack did not meant to lower his guard but for some reason, he felt sleepy. He began to feel idle in her hold.

“It’s okay, Jacky, take a nap~”

His eyes closed almost on command. He felt weird...at peace? No. He felt like something was missing.

The woman slowly let him go, watching his body float in the void. In her black gloved hand was a closed fist. She opened it to reveal a small black orb. She smiled, revealing her sharp teeth.

“Rest easy Jacky, I’ll take care of that pesky human~”

“Y/N...where are we?” Fiore asks, holding onto your had as the two of you exit the field you had landed in. You didn’t know what to answer.

You had noticed for sure one thing. You were pretty far from home. Right now, you were walking along the road.

Beside you was the forest. Tall trees on both sides of the road. It was getting dark. The forest provided protection if anything, but you avoided it; you had a bad feeling about it. The clustered trees seemed to possess a terrifying vibe that screamed to stay away. Despite it, it also possessed an energy that seemed to attract you; you were able to disregard it however.

“I’m hungry, Y/N.”

You sighed. You were getting hungry too. “Let’s keep on going down the road, maybe we’ll find a place.”

You began to think over the past events.

You meet a killer clown. He tried to kill your cousin and by extension, you. Then you make up and you fall in love. Then you learn exactly what he is. You were angry. You grit your teeth. He looked so...heartbroken. At least that’s what you think it was as you began to disappear before you landed in the field.

You recall Slenderman’s words. Creepypastas? What a strange name for them…He did mention there were more than one of them. Was that young man who led you to the office also one? He looked so normal, you wouldn’t be able to tell if he was a killer or not.

Not to mention, that strange man who had followed Fiore and yourself back from the elementary school. It sounded like he knew you albeit, you did find him familiar. From where? Who knew. All you did know is that his intentions were not good.

Damn, you were getting scared of the situation now. When it’s dark, what will you do? You really didn’t have much on you.

“Don’t worry Fiore, we’ll be okay”, you reassure your cousin who only nods and looks towards the forest. You didn’t need them to tell you anything. You knew they missed Jack. You didn’t dare tell them what you saw. That would be damage to their perception of Jack, his best friend. In the back of your mind, you wished Jack would appear. He always showed up whenever you found yourself in trouble, whether it be coming up with a game for Fiore or making sweets, he was always there.

Man, now that you think about it, you said some hurtful things. But how can you not? He killed all those innocent children! He..was a killer clown.

A killer clown you fell in love with.

A sudden noise catches your attention. You quickly pull Fiore closer to you as you try and find where the noise came from. There were no lights to help you see, just the moonlight, although, even that wa scarce due to the covering of the trees.

“Y/N…?”

Fiore sounded scared. You were too, but you put on a brave face.

“Ooo, what’s that behind you~?”

A new voice joins you. Feeling the sudden rush of adrenaline, you spin around to find...nothing. You could Fiore clutch to your shirt and pull it to the other direction.

“Y/N…”

You look to the opposite direction to come face to face with a beautiful young woman. She looked straight out of the Victorian Era. She also looked like Jack? Her color scheme was almost the same as the clown.

A giggle interrupts your gawking.

“It’s rude to stare, ya know?” Her voice changes almost instantly. “Being honest, I didn’t think you would see me, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

You take your stand with Fiore behind you.

She sits on top of what appears to be a huge rock. Her eyes are dark as Jacks, although hers holds small swirls decorating them.

“Now, time to do what I wanna do~”

You were surprised at yourself for moving that fast but to be fair, playing all those games with Jack helped your speed.

Also, that was a chainsaw she literally pulled out of nowhere and aimed it at you two. You grabbed Fiore and pulled them in front of you.

“Run!”

Fiore dashes into the forest, you following after them. You don’t dare look behind you. You do hear her though.

“No use running, sweets~ I’ll will find you!”

As you run, you find yourself almost tripping over the rocks and dirt beneath you. You can hear Fiore pant as they run in front of you.

She looks so much like Laughing Jack, you wonder if those two are connected in some way. It would appear so; everything about her screams it. but Jack never mentioned anything about her! Maybe it was another lie?

“You really shouldn’t think when you’re running from me~” She suddenly appears next to you, a wide smile on her face as she reaches from behind her and swings the chainsaw. You are only barely to dodge it. You let out a scream as you felt pain in your arm.

You stop only for a moment, thinking your arm was done for when you see there is only a cut, simple and plain on it.

You hear her cackling in front of you, Fiore holding onto your shirt behind you.

“Did ya think I actually tore through your arm? Hahaha how funny! See, this is a special weapon given to me by my ex-boss.”

You notice her pull out the chainsaw in its glory. She was right, it didn’t look like a typical tool; like it had been modified to her use.

“It’s my baby~.”

“And it’s craving blood~”

Fiore pushes you away so the blade lands in between the two of you. You gasp in surprise as her eyes land on you.

“I’ll show you! For hurting him!”

You jumped out of the way, making the chainsaw land on the tree. The woman growls as she tries to take it out.

You scramble to your feet and grab Fiore, running deeper into the forest. You look down to see Fiore, pale and shaken up. You didn’t think this was going to happen and honestly, you wished you could be saved now.

You had a deep feeling that was not going to happen.

Just when you think you are in the clear, she appears in front of you. Her smile is anything but kind. Sharp teeth decorate her mouth as she opens it, most likely to taunt you. Her eyes slowly narrow and her mouth shuts.

“You got lucky this time” is all she says before she jumps into the darkness of the trees. You finally take a breather, kneeling down to Fiore’s level.

“You good, kid?”

Fiore, clearly shaken, nods and drapes onto you. You pull them into a hug. You were safe for now. The sudden crack of a tree branch causes you to whip your head in that direction. You were expecting to see anyone. That female clown, that faceless monster or even, in the back of your mind, Jack. Instead, you see someone that had not crossed your mind.

“Mommy!”, Fiore shouts, letting you go and running into your aunt who was shining a flashlight at you two. You sighed in relief. Your eyes scan over the sudden appearance of your aunt. She was wearing a pair of black cargo pants with heavy duty boots. A regular tank top donned her upper body with a plain jacket. You can see as she came closer that she had a holster on her leg and in it, a gun.

This was odd but you didn’t question it.

“Glad to see you. It has been an adventure”, you begin to say. Your aunt glances at you before she turns to Fiore who had clung to her leg, crying.

“Fiore. It is time to go. Let go now”, she sounded stoic instead of her usual doting self. Right when you were about to say something to Fiore to listen to their mother, you see your aunt grab them roughly causing a small cry of pain out of the child.

“Hey! They were going to listen!”, you shout at her. Fiore looked to you, wanting to go to you but she would not let them go.

“Fiore is my child. I know as a parent what I should do.”

Her words were cold.

“I can take care of Fiore”, you say, reaching for your cousin.

Time went by so fast. First, you were reaching for your cousin and now you were staring into the barrel of a gun.

You gasped.

Fiore began to shout at their mother to think clearly. She paid the child no mind. Her eyes were dead on you, finger on the trigger.

You back away slowly, your hands raised.

“Really, Rose? Pointing a gun? So funny” a male voice spoke from behind your aunt. You kept your guard up and when the figure appeared out from the trees, your eyes widen.

It was that man! The same man that had broken into your home!

“Orion, I know what I’m doing.”

You didn’t know what to do. What was that guy doing here? Why is your aunt pointing a gun at you?

“Mommy, don’t hurt Y/N!”, Fiore shouted at their mother who only brushed them aside.

“Rose, don’t be dumb. We need them too”, Orion spoke, lowering the gun. Rose only rolled her eyes before dragging Fiore away. You were about to run when Orion stopped you.

“Seems we can get even. You were a slippery one”, he laughed coldly. He grabbed your arm roughly and you did your best to fight him off. Alas, he was bigger than you and by that extension, stronger.

He raised his hand and slapped you across your face. You winced and hung your head, your hand on your cheek, feeling it burn.

“Stop acting up and maybe you won’t die after we’re done with you.” His voice sent chills down your spine.

You can hear Fiore up ahead, calling for you.

Orion proceeded to lead you out of the forest, following after Rose and Fiore.

“My, my, my. Raising your hand to a defenseless human? What manners you have.”

The four of you suddenly stop. Rose pulls out her gun, ready to fire. Fiore was confused but all they could do was to stay still.

Orion’s green eyes narrow at the setting.

Moving like wind and swift like a river, a masked individual suddenly appeared and threw Orion to the ground, his hold on you loose and you were barely able to stand due to the momentum. You wonder who this person was.

He was male and built. His masked was rather feminine with painted lips and black eyeholes. They were donned with a yellow jacket and typical jeans.

Rose aims her gun at anywhere. It looked like she could not sense the person. In a flash, her gun was slapped away. Her surprised eyes spoke for themselves.

The masked individual appeared and kicked her to the side, grabbing Fiore quickly. She groaned as she hit the bark of the tree.

You see as the mysterious person suddenly dodges Rose’s kicks and punches with ease, still keeping a firm on Fiore; it almost like he was juggling them, every time he dodged. Your eyes wander and you see Orion grabbing his own gun and aiming it at the stranger. His eyes were focused as an evil grin grew on his face.

You did not know what possessed you. But you felt you had to do something.

Everything happened so fast.

Masky knew he should’ve gotten Hoodie and Toby to tag along but it was just supposed to keep an eye on the humans. He was not expecting to fight SCP agents.

He was also not expecting to hear the gun go off. While he was technically immortal, it hurts like a bitch whenever he got hurt. Except, he never got the bullet. Instead, he turns and sees the human on the ground, blood staining on their shirt.

The same human that Laughing Jack had been hiding from everyone.

For the first time in his life, he let his guard down.

The kid was suddenly grabbed from him by the woman. The kid cried out for the human on the ground, he guessed. The other SCP agent had only growled and tried to reload but to no avail.

Masky took the chance for this small opening and quickly scooped you into his arms and he jumped from there, landing on the tree branches and running with his inhuman speed.

Orion shouted in frustration. “That proxy took them.”

Rose looked down to Fiore who couldn’t stop crying. In a split second, she knocked out the kid, Fiore falling limp into her arms.

“We don’t need the eldest. Let that proxy have them.” Rose spoke, with no tinge of regret.

Orion chuckled, darkly.

“Wow, Rose. You’d think you would be nicer to your own kid”, he said, gesturing to Fiore.

Rose only shrugged.

“I do what I want.”

Orion only nodded and followed after the agent.

In the trees, the female clown played with a lollipop.

“Wasn’t that a show~?”

She couldn’t help but smile.

Slenderman’s proxy and the SCP? Oh dear, this was getting so interesting.

“Oh Y/N...maybe there’s hope for you after all~”

Chapter 22

Chapter Text

Jeff the Killer original art by: 0ktavian on DevianArt! Please go and support their amazing work!

Eyeless Jack original art by: DeluCat on DevianArt! Go and support this beautiful artist!

BEN DROWNED original art by: satannael on Tumblr! Go and support this wonderful human being!

Laughing Jack original art by: Likesac on DevianArt! Go support this artist and their awesome work!

Chapter 23: Connection 🖤

Chapter Text

Jeff the Killer

Even now as you stared at the knife, you could not help but feel a warmth radiating from it. It almost felt like Jeff’s own warmth. Well, maybe it was; the knife was essentially an extension of him.

Laying it to your side, you sighed as you sat in your bed. You had no clue on what to do next. Should you try and contact Jeff? That would be rather difficult.

From the amount of time you were friends with him, he had made it clear that if you wanted to see him, he would know. Pretty weird now that you think about it.

You stare aimlessly at your nice colored wall.

Well? I want to see you, Jeff...where are you?, you thought to yourself, your hand reaching for the knife.

A few knocks from your front door echo in your apartment.

That was fast.

You almost trip trying to run towards the front door, the knife forgotten. You heart makes small leaps and your stomach is filled with butterflies. Can it be Jeff?

You can only hope so.

It is an unreasonable time after all:past midnight.

You walk to your front door and check through the peephole. All that you were greeted by was the lazy lighting from the lamp from the corner of the wall.

There was nothing.

Huh, that was strange but then again, people are a bit weird after hours so this was not much of a surprise to you. After making sure the door was locked, you turned and bumped into something. Or rather someone.

You fell the the floor rather roughly, a small groan of pain eliciting from you.

“You know, you should really lock your windows in the living room. You never know when stranger might pop in.”

You did not recognize this voice. You gasped as you saw before you, three young men. The first one held an intimidating aura. He was donned with a dirty blonde colored collared shirt with simple black jeans. He wore a mask which held a more feminine feature. The other man next to him wore an orange hoodie. His mask was a full on black display with a frowny face on it. The last of the trio looked rather hyper. He was jumping from side to side, as if he was getting impatient. He wore brown joggers with what looked like a striped long sleeve with a dull colored vest over it. He didn’t have a mask per se; instead, he wore orange goggles and a mouth-guard. The weapons did not go unnoticed by you.

“Who are you?” You ask.

The one with the orange hoodie co*cked his head at you.

“What do you want from me?”, your eyes are trained on who you assume is the leader of the trio, the one with the female mask..

The man laughs. It wasn’t like Jeff’s laugh which you considered sweet though a little rough. This man had no sweetness, in anything, it was bitter.

“Oooo can I tell them, Masky~?”, the other young man to the left of the leader begins to jump. The other man on the other side shakes his head, almost annoyed.

Masky nods. “Sure Toby, let them have it. But do anything more than that and Hoodie will intervene.”

Toby giggled a bit before he raises his two hatchets. “We are gonna kill you~.”

You feel yourself freeze in place. What? They were going to kill you? What did you ever do to have this fate thrown upon you?

“I can see you are a bit confused. You see, our boss was worried about one of his employees and he sent us to clean up the mess.”

Masky’s words stabbed you through your chest. It was getting hard to breath. You also couldn’t risk moving; you did not want to provoke them. The standoff continued between the four of you for a while longer. Your eyes scanned the three intruders: Toby, Masky and Hoodie, named respectively. Your mind couldn’t grasp the names but you figured that they were like an alias or something. Still, you needed to get your mind in order. These guys were killers. You have no idea how capable they can be with their skills but you assume exceedingly well considering you didn’t hear a single noise in your living room.

You could not think of a plan. You did not have a weapon on you. Your eyes suddenly widen at the thought of Jeff’s knife. It was in your room!

If you can just try and outrun these guys, you can get the knife at least to protect you. For now.

THUMP!

That noise! It didn’t sound like something was falling this time, like a fallen lamp. It was a sound that came from within you. Or somewhere nearby.

THUMP!

You eyed the three young men in front of you but you were sure they could not hear the noise. In fact, they were solely focused on you.

“Okay~ I am done waiting!”, Toby, the goggled man, jumped and ran towards you, hatchets raised.

You should have run but instead, you cowered down, unable to witness him. A small clunk noise sounds off in the room and then you hear someone thrown to the side, hitting your wall. You feel it.

It can’t be.

Staring at the floor, your eyes slowly move as you scan the person in front of you.

The converse shoes donned on his feet have seen better days (also they had small splatters of blood). His black jeans were ripped as usual and he was in a stance. His hoodie was still white as you can remember. Despite all his kills, the article of clothing remained stainless. You could see his arms raised in defense, his right arm holding the knife tightly. His black hair was still messy from what you could see.

“Are you okay?”

His voice was raspy. You could feel tears threatening to come out but you hold strong. You can’t bare to cry now.

You looked up to meet his unblinking eyes. It was so strange. You could swear you saw something in them. Was it worry? Or shame? You could not really pinpoint it but you knew one thing for sure; you could see relief in his eyes.

You nod, not trusting your voice.

“Jeff, what exactly do you think you’re doing?” Masky’s voice was anything but kind. The tone he used on the killer before him was of pure anger.

You suddenly felt very afraid for Jeff.

Jeff, however, scoffed. “What do you think I’m doing, Masky? I mean it’s kinda obvious.”

“Jeff, this is unacceptable.”

“You’re breaking the rules~”

The three proxies steadied themselves before taking a fighting stance. Toby spun his hatchets around in his hand with quick accuracy before taking a tight hold on them. Masky nodded to Hoodie who took out their own weapons, an axe and a metal pipe, respectively.

Jeff chuckled. “Who said I followed them anyway?”, he started. His eyes narrowed at the trio as he noticed how they stared at you through Jeff. He stood in front of you, protectively. “I’m not letting you near them.”

Masky laughs, almost maliciously.

“I don’t recall asking for your permission.”

In a flash, you did not notice how fast the trio moved. Each landed a blow on Jeff who had raised his arms to take the hits.

The three jumped back.

“3 on 1..seems a bit harsh, don’t ya think?” Jeff asked, chuckling to himself.

Masky swung his axe before setting it into an attack position. “You brought this onto yourself, Jeff.”

Toby giggled, his body making tics.

You stared at how fast the four of them fought. From anyone’s perspective, it might have looked like the fight was unfair but it looked like Jeff was holding himself well. You watched how Jeff kicked off Toby’s hatchet or the way Jeff ducked when Hoodie swung the metal pipe.

You really wished you can do something to help Jeff but there was nothing you can do.

You are just a human after all.

While Jeff was able to land a few slices on the trio, Hoodie swung his metal pipe with accuracy into Jeff’s abdomen.

Jeff let out a cough, stopping a bit to recollect himself but rapidly regains his composure when Masky swings his axe at the killer.

You suddenly wonder where Toby went; you had no clue where that boy ran off to.

And then you find him, almost sneaking up on Jeff who was too distracted handling the other two. You wished you can pull an Ex-machina and save Jeff but there’s nothing special about you.

Your inner self deprecation was interrupted when you saw Toby jump, aiming one of his hatchets to Jeff’s head.

You did not know what came over you. You shouted his name and reached your hand out. It was a strange feeling.

THUMP!

For a single moment, it felt like it was only you in the room. It was dark but you could see Jeff’s figure slowly coming into focus. Then, there was a strange light or rather a long strand of light that seemed to just emit warm light. Your eyes widen once you see a strand of the string wrapped securely around Jeff or rather, his hand. You look down at yourself and you see the string attached to your pinky finger as well. You raised your hand and tugged on the string; it felt soft. You vaguely recall Jeff saying in the beginning that the string does not mean anything; you beg to differ. The string was floating in the darkness, between you and Jeff. Grabbing onto the string, you suddenly felt it tighten and you pulled.

Now, out of that surreal world, it looked like you were back in your living room and right before Toby can land a hit on Jeff, the invisible string you held onto pulled him towards you.

Jeff let out a small yelp as he clashed with your body. Your arms find themselves wrapping around the killer’s body. Since his back was facing you, you had no idea what his expression was. But if anything helped, the vibe Masky was letting off seemed rather similar to Jeff.

Toby landed with a graceful footing on the floor. Hoodie looked over to Masky who had dropped his arm to his side.

Masky has had his share of supernatural entities and prophecies, but this...was something he had never encountered. He looked at you, his brown eyes hidden behind the mask. You were human, right? From the reports Slenderman provided, there was nothing ‘supernatural’ about you; you were just a regular human.

So then, what just happened?

A small tap on his shoulder had him come face to face with Hoodie. “ Let’s go. We need to report to Slenderman.” He signed quickly but Masky was able to catch it. Just as Toby was about to charge once again, Masky stopped him with his arm, causing the other boy to whine.

“Let’s go.”

The three proxies landed with anything but grace in Slenderman’s office. The eldritch being rose from his chair to walk around to meet his proxies.

“Were you able to complete the kill?”

Masky was the one to reply.

“No. Jeff got there in time.”

Slenderman only co*cks his head to the side. “Interesting. And he was able to hold his own against you three?”

Hoodie and Toby rose and looked to Masky to answer.

“Sir, there might have been a complication”, Masky started. “The human was able to save Jeff from Toby. It was unlike anything we’ve seen. We decided we should tell you what we saw instead of continuing the mission.”

Bold words and bold choice for these proxies to make, Slenderman thought to himself as he walked closer to the leader of the trio.

“Let me see for myself.”

With a single finger, Slenderman touched his forehead and he was immersed in the memory. He saw how Jeff was fighting to protect the human. He saw how Toby was sneaking up on Jeff to land a hit while Masky and Hoodie kept him busy. His interest was piqued when he saw the human stretch out their arm and almost like magic, pulled Jeff out of harm's way.

Slenderman removed his finger and he was lost in his thoughts.

“Sir, have you seen something like this?”

Slenderman wanted to laugh. Of course, he has seen something like this.

Soulmates are a tricky thing when it comes to Creepypastas; he would know, he had one too.

And just like that, they were gone. It was so fast you didn’t realize the slam of the window afterwards.

You held onto Jeff tightly, before you fell to your knees, bringing him along as well. You slowly loosen your arms and they fall right next to your body. You fail to notice Jeff turn around and his hands landing on your face.

You feel his forehead against yours.

You close your eyes and only then, you let the tears fall.

Your hand slowly find his wrists and you hold tightly. “Jeff..”

He makes no remark, only stays in that position and allows you to pour out your feelings. You were so thankful he did.

There was a lot to take in. Three new killers appear at your doorstep saying they were going to kill you. You remember them speaking about a boss.

After your small breakdown, you find yourself on your couch. Small clinks sounded from the kitchen. Jeff had taken it upon himself to make you some tea. You only nodded and awaited your cup.

“Here ya go. It’s hot, so careful.” He hands you the cup, gingerly and you grab it, accidentally touching his fingers.

Your heart jumps. You shake your head as you take a sip.

Geez, brain...calm down! Ouch that burned, you thought as you drink your tea. Right now, there were more important things to discuss. But it looked like Jeff won you to it.

“Finish your tea and I’ll answer your questions.”

You sipped your tea quietly as Jeff paced back and forth across your living room. The tea was a good call; your nerves were beginning to ease now. Once you did finish it, you set down the cup on the small table next to the couch. The small clink of the glass stopped Jeff in his pacing. He turned to you. Without breaking eye contact, he sat down next to you and only then, he turned his head down.

“Jeff?”

A small mumble came out of his lips. It was hard to hear.

“What did ya say?”

Jeff lets out a sigh before pulling his head up and facing you. “I’m sorry about your friend. If I had known she was something yours, I would’ve stopped..” He trailed off, looking away, unable to meet your eyes.

You raised your hand and laid it on his shoulder. He turned to you suddenly. His eyes, though dark, had no trace of malice nor deception.

He meant it.

“Thank you Jeff.” Simple and to the point. You didn’t want to be over done with your words and it looked like Jeff appreciated it.

“Now…” you began, your eyes narrowing.

“What is going on?”

If Jeff’s eyes could widen more than they usually are, they would. But alas.

He ran his hand through his messy hair. “Honestly, I don’t know. But let’s start small..what do you wanna know?”

“No lies. I want the truth, please”, you pleaded, your eyes focused on the killer. Jeff only gave you a curt nod.

“Who are you really Jeff? I know you kill people cause you’ve told me so but..”, you really did not know how to phrase the question plaguing your mind.

“It’s kinda of a long story..”, Jeff scratched his neck, looking off into the night. You get comfortable and pull your legs to the cushion.

“We got some time. So please, go on.”

Jeff did not know what possessed him to be so honest with you. Maybe it was the effect of the soulmate bond or maybe he just wanted to tell you the truth; at least, pined for the first option.

He told you of how he and his family moved to that new town. He told you about his bullies and how his parents seemed to not care about him or his brother. It has been years since he has even talked about his brother, Liu.

“Your brother, is he…?”, you ask, wondering.

Jeff then explained how the bullies ganged up on him and Liu and how heroic Jeff was in defending themselves against those teens. He also told you about how the town seemed to have turned their backs on him, even though he was innocent. His hands balled into fists.

“And then, Liu took the blame. And they took him away to a detention facility for a few weeks. I was so mad...I began to have thoughts..bad thoughts”, Jeff says, reminiscing.

He continued his story of how Jeff and his mother were invited to a party and how Randy, you learned his name, was there too and wanted to make amends with Jeff.

Jeff chuckled. “I was so damn gullible, thinking he was telling the truth. Next thing I know, Randy and his goonie got me cornered and I’m getting beat up. Then after that, all I can remember is the smell of gasoline. It was so strong Y/N…” he trailed off and then turned to you. “And there was fire. I was burned alive.”

Your eyes widen and you want to cry. How painful that whole ordeal was on Jeff. For someone so young as well. Your eyes glance at the white skin covering him now.

“After I was released from the hospital, my parents were afraid of me. They couldn’t stand to look me in the eyes...my thoughts began to darken.”

He mentions as well that Liu was released by the time Jeff was released from the hospital.

“It was such a strange night as well. I heard my mother say I was an abomination, about how she was scared of me..so I confronted her about it.”

You can feel the air around Jeff change as he stopped his story.

“I killed her..and then I killed my father. And I went to my brother’s room. He was asleep, he was always a heavy sleeper”, Jeff suddenly had an odd look in his eyes. “I didn’t want to kill him. So I didn’t. I just...Liu was always there for me. I think the sane part of me spared his life. After that, I cut ties with everyone in that town and I ran away.”

You listen intently and absorb everything being told to you. “Did your brother ever try to find you?”

Jeff co*cked his head to the side. “I wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t but knowing him, he probably would. No idea where he is though.”

Masky’s words suddenly came to mind. Something about a boss.

“Who’s your boss Jeff?”

And he explains to you who Slenderman is and who his proxies were. He does not mention the mansion as that is unnecessary in his opinion. He doesn’t give you details about every creepypasta but he gives you the gist of the whole business.

“Wow...so you’re like a hit man? But like for the supernatural?”

Jeff chuckles. “Not really. We’re just a group of killers. Slenderman just makes the work easier for us.”

“Are you in trouble?”

Jeff nods.

“Is it because of me?”

Jeff sighs. “We’re not really supposed to make contact with any humans unless they’re a potential kill.”

You only take in the rest of the information. This was a lot. Like, learning about the molecular compounds of organic chemistry, a lot. There was also that one thing you wanted to talk about when almost in a blink of an eye, Jeff fell to the floor, grabbing his stomach. You quickly rushed to his aid.

“Jeff...what’s wrong?”, you ask, worried.

Jeff begins to cough almost too roughly. It is when you see a splatter of blood, you begin to freak out.

“Damn..Hoodie is a sly one”, you hear him say through his coughing fit. You raise an eyebrow. Hoodie? One of the proxies?

Now, you didn’t have perfect eyesight because all four of them were moving incredibly fast but you were the hits that those three managed to land on Jeff were blocked.

“I’ll be okay, Y/N...it’s just a really bad bruise”, Jeff says before coughing again. Jeff pulls up his sweater and you can see a bruise forming as well as a prominent cut. You let out a small cry of worry.

WHAT THE f*ck?! How does a metal pipe do that?!

“Jeff! Either way! Not good!”, you shout at him, leaving him stunned on the floor. You quickly get up and run to your room where you found your keys. Coming back, you helped Jeff to his feet.

“Where are we going?” Jeff asked, clinging to your side. You ignore his question and do your best to place him in the passenger seat.

“My friend can help us. She’s first aid certified and she has a lot of cryptic medical knowledge, so she can help us.”

Jeff coughed before he grew silent. You pull out of the driveway when suddenly you hear Jeff place his hand on the steering wheel.

“Jeff, what the hell?”, you shout.

“You’re taking me to what friend? The one I tried to kill?”

You pursue your lips. It’s not your fault Angie was the one with aspirations to be a future doctor.

“Maybe?”

“Y/N. No. I can get through this fine”, he fought with you for control of the wheel. Scared of a crash, you slapped his hand away.

Jeff really could not win against you. Also, because you gave him a heated glare.

Within ten minutes, you found yourself dragging a killer to your friend’s doorstep.

“Y/N, maybe your friend is asleep?”, Jeff tried to walk away but was sent into another coughing fit. You shake your head.

“She stays up pretty late studying and whatnot, it’ll be fine.” You grab the spare key you kept on your keychain and you open the door, shouting for Angie.

“Damn Y/N, you’re lucky you caught me right now, I was about to sleep earl-”, Angie stops mid sentence when her eyes land on you, her best friend, and the asshole that had tried to killer not too far back, clinging to you.

You can see it her eyes.

“Look, let me explain-”, your words are cut short when Angie rushes to you and grabs Jeff, throwing him to the floor. He lets out a groan of pain.

“Angie!”, you shout in alarm.

“This is payback time, bitch”, Angie kicks at Jeff’s abdomen which elicits a puddle of blood next to him.

You do your best to push her away. She looks at you, taken aback by your action. You kneel in front of the killer, shielding him from your friend.

“Y/N, let me at him. That piece of sh*t tried to kill me.” Her voice was angry.

“I can’t let you hurt him. He’s…”, your voice trails off and you stare at your friend, giving her the look . It takes a few minutes but then her mouth drops.

“You are f*cking kidding me.”

“Ow, ow, ow”, Jeff complains as Angie tightens the bandages around his abdomen, after applying some cream. Rather harshly. She gave him an annoyed glance before turning to you.

“That should do it. He’ll live, sadly”, she says.

You let out a sigh of relief. “Thanks Angie”, you turn to Jeff, motioning to your friend. Jeff only lets out a sigh.

“Thanks..and I’m sorry. For almost killing you.”

Angie stares at him for a second before she shrugs. “sh*t happens dude.”

You laugh at Jeff’s reaction; priceless.

While Jeff stayed in the living room, Angie pulled you to the side.

“Damn, Y/N. You got the hots for a killer? Why am I not surprised?” Angie says, eyeing you up and down.

Your face heats up. “Stop it, he might hear you.”

“What are you gonna do now?”

You thought for a moment. “I think I would have to ask Jeff for that. There are some issues and well..”

Angie pats your head. “If you need anything, I’m here. Okay?” You nod before pulling her into a hug.

Jeff sighs as he looks to his wrapped abdomen. After donning his trademark sweater, he notices the TV in the living room turn on instantaneously. He found this odd but when are things in his life normal. A familiar symbol appears on it.

The symbol from Legend of Zelda...which meant..

“Ben?”

The screen changes in an instant and the elf appears on it. His usual cool demeanor is replaced with uneasiness.

“Jeff? You hear me?”

Jeff replies with a yes.

“Okay, listen carefully. You’re in some serious trouble from what I heard on the grapevine. Now, I shouldn’t be telling you this but I consider you a friend of mine and a worthy opponent in Smash Bros, so I’m helping you.”

“Whatever you do, don’t come back to the mansion. Slenderman is kinda pissed but in a really quiet way, so it’s scarier than usual.”

Jeff only grits his teeth and nods to the TV.

“Don’t do anything stupid Jeff. One of the proxies are gonna be after you. I don’t know which but be careful, bro. Peace out.”

The TV screen turns off and when you enter the room, Jeff rises from his seat.

“We gotta go. Now.” Jeff pulls at your arm, dragging you out of the apartment. You let out a yelp, caught by surprise.

“Hey dude! Watch how you handle them!”, Angie shouts angrily.

You only gave your friend a thumbs up of reassurance. “I’ll be fine. He won’t hurt me.”

After promising your friend, you’ll be fine and that you’ll text her daily, you left with Jeff, driving off to who knows where.

The drive was silent and your mind wanders back to that moment where you saw the string. You really wanted to ask Jeff about it but he seemed rather pensive and you let him be.

Damn. What an adventure you have been thrown in.

To think you have an exam coming up too.

Oh well.

The figure walked down the streets of his hometown. It has been ages since he has visited. It looked more horrid now as he was older.

He has changed through the years.

But I guess brothers and anger will do that to you. His green eyes scanned the neighborhood and he found nothing.

I wish we found him already.

The man stops for a moment, agreeing with the voice in his head. He wishes that too. He wonders though, what would his brother think if he saw him like this? Face full of scars and such…

Hey bud, let’s stop that thinking and focus on finding him. He’s probably not here. Let’s keep on going.

The man nods and continues on, wrapping the patterned green scarf closer to his neck.

Chapter 24: Here 🫀

Chapter Text

Eyeless Jack

You really had to go and say it didn’t you.

What's the worst that could happen?

And just now, that worst thing happened, unbeknown to you. With the instantaneous appearance of this hatchet wielder individual, you already knew something was amiss.

“Who are you?”, Abe rose to his feet and aimed a gun at the intruder.

You stood on guard, not sure of what you can do. This intruder gave off a dangerous aura but at the same time, a mischievous one.

The intruder ignored completely and turned his attention towards you. Your body tensed up, unaware of the man’s intentions.

You vaguely remember his words as he had made his entrance, only minutes prior. Did he say he was looking for you?

“Get away from them!”, Abe shouted as he lunged towards the goggled stranger, his gun clicking off the safety pin.

You didn’t see it happen.

All you could see now was Abe on the other side of the room, his gun long forgotten on the floor, a few feet away from his body. It looked like he was knocked out.

The man chuckles. “Consider that payback.”

Your frightened eyes met his orange goggles. He stared at you for a moment before reaching for your head. You winced, unprepared for whatever may come.

To your surprise, his hand landed on your head.

You stared at him in shock.

“Man, I really don’t know what’s so special about you but I guess if he says so..”, the man trailed off, ruffling your hair.

On pure instinct, you slapped his hands away. You often found touch a tad undesirable especially by strangers. Except for Jack’s touch.

“Ah sorry hah. I got carried away”, he retreated his hand and then an awkward silence settled between the two of you.

You look past him to see Abe, angry but still worried for him.

“He’ll be fine. Just knocked him out. Should be out for a few hours.”

You sigh in relief and now, you face the man. “Who are you?”

The man gasped loudly and put his hatchets away before stretching out his hand. “Ticci Toby, sorry to not introduce myself properly.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Properly?”

“Oh yeah..I might have tried to kill you, pretending to be Jack awhile back?” Toby says this nonchalantly.

Your eyes widen and your mouth drops. “What?”

Toby pulls out his hatchet. “See? This is the hatchet I used to stab you in the stomach. I had an acquaintance transform me to look like Jack” He shows you the weapon and truth be told, it looked very familiar. “So really..I tried to kill you.”

Your mind stops for a moment.

“Wait..did you say something about Jack?”, you ask, hands clasped together as you close in on him.

Toby nods. “Yeah, he’s my buddy.”

So...Jack’s friend tried to kill you? This does not make any sense.

“Yeah...so like Jack didn’t tell me about you and I found out on my own. I kinda got a little petty so I wanted to kill you”, Toby says, shrugging.

“How are you saying this so calmly?”

Toby lets his head rock side to side before replying. “I kill for a living. It’s just whatever at this point.”

“I don’t understand...why are you here?”

“HA! The million dollar question! Okay..so this is gonna be a lot to explain. Let’s sit down on the couch and I can tell ya”, Toby nods to you and pulls you to the piece of furniture.

You couldn’t help but feel odd.

You’re really going to give this guy the time of day when Abe is laying on the ground unconscious.

What a turn of events.

“Ignore that piece of trash.”

And with that, Toby began to tell you the reason he came. You paid close attention to his words and tried your best to bring him back to his train of thought as you learned, he was easily distracted.

“So..Jack hasn’t eaten?”

“Yeah..he..uh..kinda turns into a bad..uh..it’s hard to explain.”

“And how do you want me to help? I don’t think I can do anything..”, you feel dejected with yourself.

Toby shakes his head. “No. I think he’ll listen to you..”, he says. He knows he’s right; you don’t know that though. You don’t know what Jack had said when he poured out his feelings to Toby. If this doesn’t work, then he is basically screwed.

“Okay. One question..Why should I trust you?”

The killer lets out a small laugh. “Well, you shouldn’t trust me at all. But this is not concerning me, it’s about Jack. I want him to be okay.”

You could feel the genuine feelings in his words.

Well, you really got nothing to lose here, right?

“Okay. I’ll do it.”

The goggled killer clapped his hands together. “Amazing you agreed with me cause if ya didn’t..” he stops and chuckles. “I would have dragged you there by force~”

You gulped at the thought.

“But since that isn’t the case, we can get going!” Toby jumped to his feet. Your gaze shifted to Abe.

“What about him?”

The killer shrugged. “He’ll wake up soon and we’ll be long gone~.”

These SCP agents are too slow to track us down.

As simple as it was, the two of you walked out through the front door. You noticed it was still dark out, the moon only a silver lining in the sky. You keep walking, getting distracted and you bump into Toby.

You mumble an apology before he grabs your wrist and runs.

It is the fastest you ever felt your legs move; you almost trip a few times before you stop. He lets go of your wrist and you almost fall over, out of breath. Plus, the wound on your stomach was a real pain. Although it had healed for the most part, any type of exercise was prohibited from you. It is why Abe always made sure you were in bed.

Toby laughs at you.

“Hah, do you not work out? That was like really slow what we did”, he says, laughing and turning away from you.

You clutch your stomach and you sent him a glare. “Well, if someone hadn’t stabbed me, then maybe I would be able to keep up.”

You let that sass slip and for a moment, you forgot where you were. Toby only glanced behind his shoulder to stare at you before walking away.

Once you finally catch your breath, you realize you’re pretty far from the apartment. You look around, trying to pinpoint your location but to no avail. There was a line of houses through the street giving off the vibe of a typical suburban neighborhood. Right now, you were standing on the balcony of one of the houses. Toby cracks his knuckles before turning to you.

“We’re pretty far. We’re just making a quick stop here. I suggest you wait outside. I’ll be right back.” His tone changed drastically in comparison to a few minutes ago; he was dead serious.

You nod and stay put, sitting down to not arouse any suspicion.

Your eyes followed the killer as he picked the lock of the balcony door and entered. He turned to you and raise his finger to his lips.

“Shhh.”

Now, you had already come to terms that this killer with hatchets kills. You are pretty sure that was established a while back while you were with Abe. However, It is also pretty hard to comprehend when after twenty minutes, Toby walks out, holding a plastic bag in his hands.

You wanted to vomit at just the sight. The fresh scent of blood filled your nostrils.

“What’s that..” you ask, unable to rip your gaze away. Toby raised the bag.

“Some kidneys...It’s Jack go-to meal.”

Ah yeah, that’s right. Kidneys. Jack loved those for some reason; he would make exceptions for you when you made steak. And by that, you mean when you gave him raw steak.

You are brought back into reality when Toby jumps on the balcony ledge. He motions you to reach for his outstretched hand.

“Come on. We have to go to Jack.” He tightened the hold on your hand and pulled you to his body. “Hold on tight!”

Before you can nod in response, you are both falling to the ground. However, before you hit the ground, Toby is able to shift you to carry you in his arms as he lands with ease.

“You’re kinda slow.”

And he ran. You thought he was fast when he dragged you out of Abe’s apartment complex but this was insane! The houses you passed were just blurs in the wind. You did not register the trees until later. You wrapped your arms securely around his neck as your eyes took in the new surroundings. The trees were tall and the vibe of the forest was ominous and even felt darker the deeper you traveled into it.

You feel Toby suddenly stop.

“Okay...I forgot haha.” He lets you down to which you were glad; that speed was still doing things to your body, like it couldn’t catch up.

“Forgot about what?”

Toby looks away from you towards a part of the forest. He walks over to it and points to the ground. “See here..ahh...you can’t see it because you’re human. But this is what we call the Border. It is what separates humanity and the rest of us.” He stops and faces you again.

“Y/N. The place where we are going is crawling with killers. People long gone beyond the line of sanity, so it is pretty dangerous. Actually, now that I think about it, the big boss will know there is a human once you set foot past this invisible line.”

You gave a noise of affirmation.

“So, how I be able to get past it?”

Toby raised his hand to his chin in thought. “I don’t know.”

“Uhh...okay then..” you say, feeling dumbfounded yourself. “So..now what?”

You feel this whole situation was for naught. You ponder over Abe if he was still knocked out in his living room. Man, this was a whole mess.

“Well...I guess you have your kidneys..so you can go and give them to Jack”, you say, catching the killer’s attention. “Don’t look at me like that with those goggles, I don’t know if you’re actually looking at me or at something behind me.”

Tic. Tic.

“That’s it!” Toby jumped and slipped off his orange goggles. He leaned towards you and put them on you. It did catch your hair, causing a bit of discomfort but you held it in.

“This is for…?”

“Wearing something of one of us can make you invisible! This will make your presence unknown for the rest! How could I forget that!? You know, one of the glitches used to do that with victims so he could torture them in his room before killing them-”

“Toby!”, you interrupt his rambling and point to the forest.

“Ah, yeah. Let’s go.” He gestures you to cross first and you take the first step across the boundary, taking a deep breath. Once you are crossed to the other side, you let out a breath of relief when you realize that nothing happened.

Toby chuckled. “Woo hoo, it worked.”

“Toby, if this will make me invisible to the other tenants as you say, doesn't this make me invisible to Jack as well?”

Toby raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing. “On the contrary, you just have to be really quiet. Any noise can break the whole effect and you are out in the open. You can talk to Jack then and he’ll be able to see you. And don’t worry about me seeing you, I can since it’s my goggles on you.”

With that explanation set, you two continued forward.

The walk to the location Toby was leading you was a bit of a walk. He had mentioned that he would usually jump off the trees high in their branches but because you were there with him, he really did not think he could carry someone.

As soon as you passed the barrier, there was a sudden tension in the air. There was an energy that seemed to set off your anxiety and you started to feel really bad.

What if Jack gets mad at you? What if he doesn't want to eat? What if he doesn’t want to see you? What if..

You feel your mind start to unwind as you feel your heart accelerate. You felt your breathing was getting heavy.

“Hey..” Toby’s voice rang in your ears.

Because of the goggles, you would have figured that he wouldn’t be able to see your tears but seeing his dark brown eyes see right through you made you feel worse.

He lays a hand on your shoulder.

“You’ll be fine. Humans have a weaker psyche and the whole area especially inside the barrier sets off alarms in your head.”

The explanation helped you nod and control your breathing. Just like how Jack had taught you.

“Besides that...we’re here.”

Before you, your eyes scan the huge house. Well, house was a poor word to describe it. It looked like a manor of sorts. You would have never guessed this mansion was here. It was huge to say the least. The whole front lawn was bare with only tall trees hovering over the main walkway. From the distance, the manor held gorgeous windows, all tall and not one short. With moderate blue tones and silver colors, the manor gave off such an intimidating energy.

“Okay. I’m gonna need you to stay close to me and don’t make any noise.”

The moment you stepped inside the manor, it took all your self control to not want to explore. If you thought the outside was stunning, then the interior was breathtaking.

It was enormous and if you hadn’t known this home was filled with psychopathic killers, you would think it was a regular house with regular people.

The entrance of the manor was big to say the least. There was limited furniture with the exception of the hanging crystal chandelier, the two doorways on the sides of the room, and the curved staircases that lead up to individual halls, respective to their orientation.

“Come on.” His voice was a whisper. You said nothing as you stayed closed to him. He led you up one of the stairways and on the middle platform connecting the staircases, sat a portrait.

The portrait was big in size and on it, was a man with a slick suit. What sent shivers down your spine was the lack of a face on the individual on the painting. It was blank yet the expression, or lack thereof, was intimidating. Under the painting, on a small plaque, was a written phrase in what you assumed was Latin with your limited knowledge.

Absente lumine

tenebris triumphos

You hear receding footsteps and you see Toby walking up the staircase, not giving you a back glance. You quickly catch up to him.

“Try to not get distracted. We are entering the hallway now. Stay quiet.”

The change in tones you would receive from the killer leading you down the long hallway were quick as a flash. One second he would be teasing and then the next dead serious. It was not something you were used to.

The hallway was eerie to say the least. Every so often was a door. Each one, you assumed, was for its own tenant residing in there.

You feel the hairs of the back of your neck stand up. Each room has a killer that belongs in it. How scary.

You walk closely behind Toby and only then the whole gravity of the situation comes crashing down on you.

You were going to see Jack again.

After a good while...you were going to see the real Jack. Your heart made small jumps in your chest; you could feel yourself become nervous.

Nervous because you are going to see Jack again but also nervous for the incoming individual walking the towards Toby.

You shut your lips tight, in fear something might slip out.

Toby acts as nothing is wrong.

The average height individual wore a simple orange sweater with jeans. You could see a rusty pipe hanging by one his hands. You looked away when you realize there is fresh blood on the weapon.

“Ah, Hoodie! Great to see ya”, Toby returned to his lively demeanor. You look to see the stranger’s features but there is a mask of some sorts covering it, only leaving a red frown face on it.

Hoodie only nodded to Toby but said nothing. He raised his free hand and made small motions.

Ah! Sign language!

Toby snickered. “Yeah, Masky is kinda dramatic but at least we got back undetected.”

Hoodie made a noise that almost resembled a chuckle. A sudden noise of confusion emits from the hooded killer as he gestures to Toby’s face, or his loss of goggles.

Toby shrugged. “Must have forgotten them in my room or something. I was pretty beat from the mission.”

Hoodie only nodded and waved goodbye, passing the two of you.

You couldn't help it. You glanced over your shoulder and you feel your eyes widen as the killer looks back as well. It terrified you.

But you were sure he was only looking back at Toby.

You hadn’t said anything, so you were safe.

At some point, you stop at a door. Toby turns to you. “Okay, we’re here.” He takes out the bag of kidneys and gives it to you.

“It’ll be okay, I’ll be keeping guard..or maybe distracting others from coming to see Jack.”

You nod.

“Thank you Toby.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Though it was a usual response you would hear, you couldn’t help but think there was more to it than it just being casually thrown out there for you to hear. Your hand encloses the door knob and you turn it to find it unlocked. You take a deep breath before slipping inside the room.

Once inside, it was dark.

You scrunch your nose in disgust, raising your free hand to cover it. There was a putrid smell as well. Where it was coming from, you had no clue whatsoever.

Was it Jack?

You cautiously took small steps, pulling out your phone. Using the flashlight function, you used it to look at your surroundings. There was what appeared to be blood on the floor which would explain the smell. It looked like a huge mess. Whatever was in here seemed angry and distressed. You shone the light to the corner of the room where a bed lay. You come to realization that is where Jack must sleep. It felt so weird to be in this space; a place where you never would have came into contact with.

You were so lost in your thoughts, you failed to notice the figure nearing you.

To say you were surprised was an understatement.

You were terrified.

You were pushed to the floor and there was something on you, putting pressure onto your stomach.

You let out a cry of pain. You have never been through this, not going the incident with Toby trying to kill you. This was all too much for your body.

The pressure from your stomach soon lessens and you are suddenly free. You lay there confused and you slowly sit up, breathing heavily.

A light suddenly turns on and the room is brightened up. Through the goggles, your mouth drops open at the sight in front of you.

It was...horrendous.

It was a creature but it still looked human-like. The familiar blue sweater was torn to shreds as this humanoid being grew, you assumed. The grey skin was darker, appearing black for the most part. Its nails were long and pointy; you gulped at the sight of them. The thought of what they could do to you were endless and terrifying. Your eyes traveled towards the face. There was a long slit spreading the mouth, it was unhinged. Sharp teeth decorated the open mouth as small black string like tongues were wishing about. The eyes were unmistakable. There were eyeless and it was like staring into a void. The familiar oozing liquid spilled from its eye holes as it crept closer to you.

Your breath hitched and your eyes closed as it got to close proximity to you.

“Y/N…?”

Your eyes fluttered open to come face to face with the creature.

Tears stung at your eyes as you slowly raised your hand and you placed it on the Jack’s cheek. His warped hand was placed on top of yours and he squeezed it, softy.

Looking into his eyes, despite it not being anything, you knew.

“Jack…”

“My gosh..Y/N..you’re okay..you’re alive...you’re here..my gosh..” His body shook as he let go of your hand and used his own to grab your head gently and pull you closer to him. His body felt different. It was not like before when he gave off his human appearance. This was more...of a monster.

Like that of what Abe spoke about.

You shake your head at the thought and you slowly wrapped your arms around him, ignoring whatever pain and forgetting about the kidneys.

Jack’s head sinks into your neck, mumbling. He was so much bigger now. It was a bit scary.

“Y/N..you smell good..”

Your eyes widen and you pull away from him. Or at least try to.

“Jack..wait.” You are interrupted when he bites down suddenly on your shoulder. You gasped and you give out no scream, despite the sharp pain. It felt odd.

You have had prior situations when you had been bitten by a dog or a cat but this was so much different. It was also painful but you did not feel too alarmed. Maybe because it was Jack.

“Jack..I have kidneys for you...please stop..” you manage to say. You slump to the floor, back on your knees when he lets go of you.

You cannot pinpoint what he is staring at but next thing you know, Toby’s goggles are ripped from your head.

The goggles hit the floor loudly when they land in a far off corner.

“Mine..” Jack says. He uses one of his long fingers to gingerly stroke your cheek. You curl into his touch.

“Jack, please eat the kidneys..”

Reaching for the bag, Jack rips it open and gobbles them right up, one by one. Your eyes note quickly he begins to change. Slowly, his grotesque transformation goes away. Soon, he looks just like he used to, when you met him. His chest was scarred and he was only wearing the remnants of his jeans, now reaching his knees.

Jack takes a deep breath in and looks to you. “Y/N...what are you...doing here…?” His voice is back to normal but there is only confusion.

You raise an eyebrow.

“Your friend..Toby? He went to get me..he told me you were in troubleー” you begin but then you’re cut off when Jack suddenly jumps to his feet.

“We have to leave now Y/N..you’re not supposed to be here..”

“Humans aren’t allowed within the barrier.”

Your eyes travel to the goggled across the room. “I was wearing those to keep me concealed...can’t I just wear them again?”

Jack shook his head. “No, it won’t work anymore..I’m sorry...I don’t really remember much when I transform..”

You only nod. “Okay, how do we leave?”

Eyeless Jack smiles, his sharp teeth glistening. “Hope you’re not afraid of a bumpy ride.” He runs over to his closet and swings the door open, pulling out a blue hoodie. He throws it to you. You give him a questioning glance.

“It might not do much, but it can hide your scent with mine. I don’t think anyone has realized you’re here yet. Put it on and get ready.”

He quickly dons a regular t-shirt, covering his scarred body and pulls you to your feet. You scramble to put on the hoodie and you couldn’t help but feel your heart flutter.

You were wearing his clothes. Gosh..

“Looks good on you.” was all he said. Your eyes looked anywhere else but at him, a small blush rising to your cheeks. You mumble a thanks and you’re pulled by your arm towards the window.

Jack opens it and whistles. You could see it was still dark. You can see the forest. The trees were still even though there was wind being thrown against them. Maybe it was because of that barrier Toby mentioned.

Suddenly, it looked like there was a shadow of sorts running past the trees and past the clearing and towards the window. When it did reach the window, the being was humanoid. You wanted to scream in fright but Jack kept you still.

“He won’t hurt you..don’t worry.”

His words reassured you, a tiny bit.

The humanoid creature was big. Its fur was dark brown with shades of green at the tips of the long hairs surrounding its neck. The legs and arms were massive. A rag mask was covering its face. On the mask was one eye hole that was stitched while the other was open. A red eye was staring straight at you.

“Seedeater..they’re not an enemy. Take them to the secret hideout. Keep them safe.” Jack’s voice ordered the beast that seemed to nod and kneeled to allow you to jump on its back.

You look at Jack with a surprised expression on your face. “What about you?”

Jack chuckles. “I’ll be fine. I’ll catch up.” He raises his hand almost as if he was going to stroke your face but instead he leaned in.

Your breath hitched at your throat and then you gasped when he grabbed you suddenly and threw you onto Seedeater’s back.

“Jack!”

“Seedeater..go.”

His pen was crushed in an instant in his hold. Slenderman knew something was off. He knew it. He could feel an actual disturbance in the atmosphere of his home.

There was a human here.

Using his telepathy, he reached out to the creepypastas currently present in the mansion.

There is a human trespassing. Find them. Bring them to me.

Eyeless Jack slipped on his black jeans and boots. He fixed his hair before giving him a self approval look in the mirror he had in his room.

The echo of the message lingered in his thoughts. He could hear the rummaging of the tenants upstairs. Everyone here gets all riled up at the thought of seeing a human.

“Sorry Boss, duty calls.” Jack picks up his mask, polishing it a bit on his shirt before putting it on. He jumps out of his window and lands on the ground below him.

His only focus was now getting to you.

Finally, you were here.

In his office, Slenderman stays waiting in his office. He was fuming with anger. How can a human be able to sneak into his home without being aware.

With the ongoing interference with the SCP Foundation, he was more worried one of their agents found their location.

It puts every single individual living with him at risk.

His older brother…

He hasn’t heard from him since he left the mansion.

The door opens and enters his most trusted proxies. No human is in sight.

“And what of the human.”

“Gone. There is not a single trace of the human.” Masky speaks and the three of them stay silent.

Slenderman sighs and rubs his temples.

“Great. Just the news I wanted.” Sarcasm drips from his words.

Toby watches his boss have a meltdown. While he does get distracted, he always takes care of his mind to avoid any picking his boss could do. He only hopes Jack won’t do anything stupid.

Abe stands in the middle of his living room. You were gone.

That thing took you.

That...was not human. Although he appeared human, he moved at rapid speeds. It was so much faster.

Abe rubbed his cheek. He felt sore all over. Pulling out his handy mirror, he saw his eye was swollen as well as a cut near his eye.

Damn, that is gonna leave a hell of a scar.

Pulling out his phone, he dialed a number. The dial tone was heard for a minute before a click was heard.

“Hey. How’s that prototype going? Think it's up to its first trial run?”

Chapter 25: Remember 🎮

Chapter Text

Ben Drowned

You stared at the music box with such concentration. The carved name on it had to mean something right?

Who was Ben?

Why were you given this music box…?

Anna had only said she didn’t know either. You only let out a small sigh before setting the small box aside. Things were odd as well. Anna claimed that you were very sick but you felt okay. After enough reassurance, you were able to convince Anna you were okay. Despite it, she instructed you to take medicine if anything.

“I’m a grown up, don’t worry”, you wave goodbye to your friend. Anna gave a soft nod at you outside the door.

“I trust you. Do make sure to take a shower, it’ll help you feel much better.”

You nod and watch her leave before closing your door. Slumping against the front door, you can’t help but feel something is missing.

You cannot place it but there is a deep feeling that something is very wrong. You shake your head and walk towards your room. Maybe a shower will help you sort your thoughts.

As you walk towards the bathroom, the lights begin to flicker. You raise an eyebrow at this.

That was weird.

You shrug off the weird feeling and continue to your destination. There, you prepared your dry clothes and towel on the side. You turn on the faucet and you watch the water pour out.

While you may have showered a million times before, you half expected something to happen when your hand touched the water. You retracted your hand and your eyes ran over the droplets.

After the shower, you dressed in your favorite pajamas and slipped under the covers. You shifted until you found a suitable position. Your eyes landed on the music box. Grabbing it, you sat up slowly.

Carefully, you began to wind the handle and a peaceful tune begins to play.

The tune sounds...vaguely familiar.

“You know, I really do like this music...it’s so peaceful...thanks for bringing me here Ben.”

You gasped as you accidentally drop the music box on your lap. Was...that a flashback? You stare at the box again.

You need to get to the bottom of this.

Who was Ben?

Was he important to you?

Why didn’t Anna know about him? You thought you told her everything.

“Man, what a mess..” You run your hand through your hair before falling back against your bed. The lights begin to flicker again. You rolled your eyes.

“Oh my gosh! Can you knock it off!?” you shout in frustration. The lights stop flickering and stay on.

You raise an eyebrow.

That was weird..

“I just want to sleep...so please...knock it off..” you say, your eyes staring up at the lights. In a quick flash, the lights are turned off.

Really weird.

You close your eyes before bidding whatever was there goodnight.

Just like that, you knocked out.

Your TV flashes for a bit before turning off again. Red eyes gaze sadly at your figure. He has only but a few days before Hoodie kills you, Ben was at a loss. If only you could remember. Maybe then he can do something about this whole ordeal.

He floated near your sleeping figure, reaching tentatively for your head.

Why did his reload erase your memory…?

He was confused. Truth be told, he never really explored the depths of his own power. If anything, he has only ever scraped the tip of the iceberg. Ben is fully aware he is capable of much more. He just did not know how to go about it.

The only person he could think of is Slenderman but that would arouse suspicion. He was already walking around eggshells with his boss, no need to add to the fire.

“Mhm...how can I help you remember?” The flickering of the lights didn’t bother you so much, he noticed. Unlike the first time, you were pretty scared and annoyed, this time around, you didn’t think much of it. It was almost like...you were used to it.

So there are things that have kept a subconscious hold on your mind?

He will have to explore that tomorrow.

That is how the majority of the next two days went. Ben would try and elicit a reaction from you but it seemed you were not responding the way he wanted.

After the lights, Ben decided to show up personally. Maybe a free pizza would help?

You were cleaning up the kitchen a bit when you heard the doorbell ring. You turned to look at the door. You weren’t expecting company right?

You leave what you’re doing and you walk to open the door. On the other side was an attractive young man with blonde hair and silver studs decorating his ear. His eyes were a stunning blue and he carried a pizza box. You notice him wearing the pizza delivery uniform.

He looked so familiar.

“Uh, hi...can I help you?”

The cute guy smiled at you with pearly whites. “Oh, we just wanted to reward you with a free pizza for being such a loyal customer for us!”

Your face breaks out in a smile. “Oh cool! For real!? Super cool!” You jump a bit, excited for free food.

You notice the young man’s eyes soften at the sight of your excitement. You flushed with embarrassment.

“Ahh, I’m sorry...I really like food.”

“No problem. Seeing you happy is all I ask..”

You feel taken aback at his choice of words. You felt there was something more being said there but you didn’t ask anything regarding it.

“Well, I hope you enjoy it!” With that, the mysterious delivery man was gone.

You glanced at the box and smiled. Finally! A nice meal. After the pizza was finished, you hopped back onto your bed. You had the music box in your hand again. You played the melody once again. How soothing.

Whoever this Ben was, he was sure considerate. The music lulled you to sleep. Hopefully, you can find some answers for the next day.

Wanting to find out about his power, Ben had come back to the mansion. Within the halls and many rooms, there was a library filled with extensive research of a variety of things, mainly that of supernatural origin.

Maybe he could find something about his power here. Slenderman has existed for a long time; there has to be something.

Ben floated near the top shelf, eyes scanning over the titles. Nothing caught his interest. If he remembered correctly, Herobrine, his old mentor, had said that this was a power unlike any other of the glitches. He never really asked Herobrine just why he was given that power. And he never got the chance. He never found out exactly what happened to him but he could assume. no one ever lives long enough to go against Slenderman.

So, Ben decided to go with the next best thing, finding out how to bring back a memory. There's bound to be something here in the library. Red eyes searched for anything regarding memory.

“Mhm...Invocations...Vanishing spells...memory gain..”, his hand gently grabbed the last book. He looked over it in thought.

This is off to a good start.

Floating back down, he sat down and flipped the book open. He turned the pages and pages until he reached the chapter he was looking for.

“Regain memory? Okay, here we go.”

“In order for memory to return, there must be a type of trigger like a scent or event that may have impacted the individual”, Ben read aloud.

Triggers? Did messing with the lights count? Or the pizza? To Ben, it appeared you were passive with those events. It didn’t appear to strike you as strange or even creepy. In fact, you treated it as something normal, like an everyday thing. That is sure to mean that you remember something.

“What could possibly trigger the memory?”

You had decided to clean your room as a result of not being able to find a single link to your memory.

You had mentioned it to Anna briefly but all she said was to forget about it and waved it off. You felt completely different about it.

There was something that you had to remember. But what was it? The past few days that passed felt like a puzzle. You could never find the right piece.

“There has to be something! Gosh…” you picked up your covers and folded them. Your remote control had fallen under the bed and you knelt down to pick it up. When you reached under the bed, instead of grabbing the remote, what you grabbed instead was a game cartridge. Your eyes scan it.

You scream out in frustration as you died again. This game was super unfair!

You gasped as you dropped the game. Your hands reach for it again.

“Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask? What exactly do you have to do with it?” Wasn’t this a gift from Anna?

Ding!

Yes! It was! You remember you got the game for a present! You always did wonder why you had a game console setup in your bedroom. You never really indulge yourself with playing video games but for some reason, this game really had you convinced.

With newfound determination, you grabbed the game and hopped over to the game console. Putting it in and turning on the TV, cleaning your room was forgotten.

This game has to hold something for you.

Right?

Ben kept his time occupied with reading more books but they all came to a similar conclusion: a trigger is what can cause a memory to return.

Triggers are dangerous and it can backfire for you. He has his own triggers and he wouldn’t like it if he was exploited. He didn’t want that for you.

A sudden chill ran down his neck as he felt something familiar.

Someone was playing his game.

Only one person has the game and that meant that you were playing it.

Maybe this could help!

Ben ran out the library, the mess of books forgotten on the table. Once he entered his room, he jumped straight into his television. Flying through the portal, he arrived to the game. From outside the screen, he could see you, your brows scrunch in confusion and then with a hint of realization.

You noticed there was already a game file saved.

“Ben?”

Your eyes naturally looked at the music box. It couldn’t be right?

The same person?

Well, only one way to find out.

Just when you were about to click on the profile, the screen went black. Your eyes widen in surprise.

Most people would find this rather peculiar but for you, it felt like deja vu. Why did it feel like you've done this before?

A small sprite that resembled the character Link appeared on the screen. However, the character had distinct features unlike Link. This character had blood streaming down its eyes with red eyes accompanied with black sclera.

A small speech bubble appeared above the spite.

“Hi there.”

You blinked. Are games supposed to do that?

“Uh..hi..?” You replied, raising your hand.

“I’m sure you’re wondering what’s happening right now...if you want I can explain.”

You sit up and your eyes are focused on the screen.

“Can you tell me why I can’t remember..I’m not sure who this Ben was..but..I feel he was someone important to me..not just that...but there’s a part of my memory gone..can you help me?”

Ben chuckled to himself behind the screen. You had to remember something after all. You wouldn’t trust anyone that just spoke to you through the TV screen.

“Yes. I can help. But I have to do something. Please, don’t freak out.”

You only give a nod. It can’t be that bad, right?

Well, it was not necessarily bad but there was a hand coming out of the screen. Almost instinctively, you reached for it, grabbing the hand and pulling on whoever was on the other side. It was a person you pulled out. He looked just like the little sprite on the screen. You had to admit it. He looked a bit terrifying but just like every other odd occurrence in your life, you didn’t flinch or look away.

He landed on his knees on the floor. You still held onto his hand. His eyes glanced at it, his lips slightly parted.

You let out a small gasp just as you were about to let go of his hand, he stopped you. Using both of his hands to grab your single hand, he raised it to his lips. You could feel the warm air seeping through his nose as he breathed.

You could feel yourself blush.

His eyes met your own.

“Y/N…” He cradled your hand as if it was the most fragile thing in the world.

For some reason, you knew.

“Are...you Ben?”

His eyes widen and the bloody tears pour out his eyes. He smiles but it looked sad. With that, you had your answer.

Ben must know what happened to you right?

Just as you were about to ask, you heard a crash come from the inside of the apartment. It sounded like it came from the living room.

Ben let go of your hand and stood up, standing in front of you protectively. You could hear footsteps nearing your room. At the entrance of your room was a young man wearing a yellow sweatshirt. He was donned with a mask that had a frown face. You shuddered at the sight of his rusty metal pipe in his hand.

He tilted his head curiously at Ben. He raised his hands and made small movements.

Oh! He was using sign language.

You looked to Ben who only growled.

“Stay away Hoodie, they’re mine.”

Hoodie signed something to which Ben replied, “I still have time!”

Hoodie shook his head and raised his pipe in attack position. He signs something quickly with one hand before charging straight towards Ben.

Ben took the chance to push you away and taking the blow from Hoodie. Ben’s eyes glowed a deep green color and he was able to push the hooded killer to the other side of the room.

You stood on your knees, unsure of what to do. You had no idea what was happening. You could see Ben standing his own against the other guy. You could only assume the other guy was pretty strong because it appeared it was only him that showed up. You would think more people would be involved.

Ben did not dare move his eyes from the proxy. He had to protect you; you were so close to remembering. But where could he take you?

An idea rang in his head.

He could take you to the only place where only he can go: through the TV screen into his world.

He takes a deep breath before grabbing the closest thing to him which was a mirror of yours and threw it to Hoodie, clashing with his head.

A groan sounds off in the room as Hoodie reaches for his own head.

Ben turns to you.

“Y/N, I need you to trust me. Take my hand and let me protect you.” Ben takes a step into the TV screen which resembled a pool with ripples.

He reaches out his hand.

You look at it tentatively and slowly reach out to grab his hand when an arm wraps around you waist and pulls you away. You struggle against the hold and stop when a knife is raised to your neck. You look at Ben, scared for your life. Ben appears as if he is at a crossroads, not knowing what path to take.

“....We’ll be be back at the mansion. Don’t be late…” the unfamiliar raspy voice spoke. You could only assume it was Hoodie.

Ben glares at the proxy before Hoodie disappears, you in tow.

“Damn it”, Ben growled under his breath. He was so screwed now. He jumped back into the screen, towards his room back at the mansion.

It was so fast. One minute you were in your room and in the next, you were somewhere else. Hoodie was still holding onto you when you finally looked around your surroundings. It resembled an office of sorts. There was a wooden desk in the rear part of the room covered in papers. Off to the side were tall windows with curtains pulled to the side. You could see the forest and it was endless.

You were then pushed to the floor. You landed with a grunt and pain from your shoulder. You scrambled to your feet, facing the hooded killer, cradling your arm.

He did not move. He stayed still and silent. You were completely unaware if he was staring at you or not. You felt uncomfortable.

Against your better judgement, you spared a glance around the room once again. This time, you noted there were two doors. One of which you assumed was the entrance and the other, well, you really didn’t have an idea.

You turned to face Hoodie.

“Where am I..?” Your voice was quiet and on guard.

“You don’t get to ask questions.” Another voice replied. You turned to see a pair of young men, each wearing distinct clothing and choice of masks. While one bore a mask depicting feminine features, the other wore a pair of goggles and a mouth-guard.

You stayed quiet.

“Masky, you don’t have to be so mean~”, the one with the mouth-guard flicked at the other’s hair. Who you assumed was Masky brushed the other young man away.

“Shut up, Toby.”

You stare at the two bickering. If you had seen them anywhere else, you would think they’re just friends. But that may not be the case here.

“Don’t look too distracted. Our boss is not pleased and you should mind paying attention.” Masky’s words were harsh but helpful.

Boss? This was incredible odd.

You hear the door open behind you and the footsteps you hear are almost thundering. You slowly turned back to see a tall faceless being wearing a suit and tie.

Wow.

Are you sure you weren’t dreaming? Yup. No, this was real.

“You must be Y/N. I’m sure you’re wondering why you’re here. Well, let me explain.” The being walked right past you and he leaned on his desk.

“I had sent one of my...workers..for a lack of a better word..to kill you. It appears he failed. So I must make this right. You have to die.”

The eldritch being played with a pen as he spoke.

Your eyes widen in fear.

Where was Ben in all of this? He has something to do with you, you just knew it!

“Masky. Hoodie. Restrain them.”

Like obedient soldiers, the two surrounded you and held you down as they strapped your ankles together. Your wrists were soon tied together as well. You did your best to struggle but to no avail.

Like a ragdoll, Masky and Hoodie carried you.

The being nodded to the door you had noticed when you came in. They began to drag you towards the door. You were helpless.

Inside the room, you could see a single pool of water. You felt very nervous.

Were you going to die? Oh dear.

You felt tear threaten to leave your eyes.

“No use in crying. Better to die now than later”, Masky said. That didn’t help at all to help you feel better.

Once you reached the pool, you felt a burst of anxiety. Toby hopped next to you and wrapped a chain around you.

“For extra measure~!”

You could hear the sudden slam of a door and furniture being thrown to the side.

“NO! Y/N! Wait!”

That was...Ben!

You turned as best you could. There he was!

Black tentacles surrounded him but he pushed them away. His eyes were glowing a stunning green like when he fought Hoodie.

“B-Ben!”, you are able to stutter out his name before Masky pushes you into the water. The water was cold and with the chains, you felt as if something was dragging you down. You screamed but to no avail; there was water filling your lungs.

“Y/N!” Ben shouted. No. He was not going to lose you, not again.

Masky chuckled as did Toby. “What are you gonna do Ben? Save them? You’re scared of water remember?” The proxy kept chuckling and stopped when Toby gasped.

“Toby, what’s wrong now?”

“Oh, nothing much. Just Ben diving into the water to save the human.”

“WHAT?!” The proxy was surprised. Slenderman, who had been watching the whole ordeal was also surprised.

Ben was terrified of water.

Scared was an understatement, you were terrified. You were feeling such a range of emotions, you didn’t know which one to dwell upon longest. The water was cold and made you shiver.

You felt something suddenly grab you from your legs and pull you harshly under the water, only eliciting an ear screeching scream.

Being pulled under the water was horrible. It was dark, murky and freezing. You could feel your breath withering away.

This was it. You were going to die.

Suddenly, everything clicked. That’s right. You remember now. You were almost a goner if it weren’t for Ben saving you. Gosh, you felt horrible.

You were so mean to him after he saved you.

After everything. After all of the hangouts and games. Your feelings for him never could change. You only wished you could have told him.

Right at the brink of losing consciousness, you feel something grab you. Your eyes, despite the water, open to find Ben cradling your head. His eyes were warm and from them, the warm green light. He leans in and next thing you know, his lips are on yours.

Before you can blush, you feel a surge of oxygen.

With his eyes, he reassures you.

Everything will be alright.

Ben has never tried it in water.

But he has to try, for you. Whether you remember or not, he has to save you.

Concentrate!

Concentrate!

Concentrate!

“He’s gone.” Slenderman broke the silence. His proxies stared off into the water hole.

“What do you want us to do now, Boss?” Toby asked, head tilting curiously.

“Bring me the glitches. We need to have a reminder of what is to be a Creepypasta.”

Chapter 26: It's Me! 🃏

Chapter Text

Laughing Jack

You scream as you sit up, hair messy and breaths heavy. You do your best to calm yourself when you look around the room.

It was bare. There was a lone window near the right side of the room where there was the moonlight shining through. You take note of the bed you are in and when you do, you gasped to see your abdomen bleeding.

Well, it looked like it had bled. All that was left was a bloodstain.

You carefully lifted your shirt to take a glance. You see that there is part of your stomach that is patched up with a few stitches.

What...happened?
Your eyes widen as it all came flooding back to you.

Running from a mysterious girl, running into your aunt and that bastard of a man that hit you. All you could remember was a gunshot and you were running to save someone.

Your eyes widen.

“Fiore..?” You look around and finally you realize that your cousin is nowhere to be found. Your heart begins to race as you stand up from the bed. However, you don’t make it too far as your knees give out.

You wince as you made contact with the hard floor.

You then begin to faintly hear footsteps coming towards the door. You do your best to relax yourself to no avail.

The door opens and enters a young man wearing a mask. You recognize the man as the one who swooped in when your aunt and that stranger were taking Fiore and yourself out of the forest.

You stay still especially more so when you see the knife in his hand.

It seemed he notice your inner turmoil and he slowly lowers himself to the floor, dropping the knife. He resumes to take a stand, hands up.

“I’m not going to hurt you. See, the knife is dropped.” He takes tentative footsteps towards you.

“I just want to check on your wound.”

He finally gets close to you and he kneels down beside your fallen body. You try not to think of the circ*mstances when he picks you up and lays you gently back on the bed. Slowly, he reaches for your shirt and lifts up to see the wound.

You turn away, embarrassed.

“Relax. Good news, it’s not infected.”

You turn to face the masked stranger as he sat on the far end of the bed. Now that you got a good look at him, he looks so familiar.

Not because he came in when he did when you were with Fiore but his voice sounds familiar as well.

“Where’s my cousin..? The child that was with me?” you ask, your voice shaky.

The stranger turned to the side, his hand grabbing at his throat.

“Okay, some bad news now. They took your cousin.”

“Who did?”

The stranger reached for his mask and removed it. You don’t hide the surprise at the reveal. It was the same young man who led you to the office with the faceless being!

“It’s you..what..” you trail off, trying to think and make sense of things.

“You can call me Masky. As my boss told you, I’m sure, we are part of an organization of supernatural killers. Ghosts, demons and immortal beings reside in this club, if you wanna call it that. My boss recruits those he knows will do him good.”

You look at him confused. “What does that have to do with my cousin?”

“I’m getting to that. There is another group that exists to eliminate our kind, the Creepypastas. Don’t ask about the name, Boss’s brother decided it a long time ago. This organization is trained to fight and trap us. They are called the SCP Foundation. They claim to help the human population but really, they have had a history of capturing minor creepypastas and using them as weapons against us.”

“Your cousin has everything to do with the SCP. Your aunt is an agent of theirs. So was the man with her.”

You chuckle nervously. “Okay, so you’re telling me that my aunt teams up with that psycho asshole to hunt down these..creepypastas?”

Masky nodded, his brown eyes concentrated on you.

“You know, this sounds unbelievable but considering I met a killer clown that could disappear into smoke, I believe you.”

You sighed before looking at Masky again.

“That still doesn’t explain why they took my cousin.”

Masky was about to answer when he suddenly stood up and jumped in front of you, his fists up and aimed.

“Come out now. I know you’re there.” His voice was menacing and it sent chills down your spine. He was talking so calmly to you. You would think it was someone else.

A giggle interrupts the silence.

A very familiar giggle.

The same girl that chased you down with the chainsaw appeared out of black smoke. Her eyes were gleaming with mischief. Her chainsaw was nowhere to be found.

You see Masky’s eyes contradict her own. He was glaring at her.

“You got some nerve showing your face here.”

The girl laughed and gave a short twirl on her feet. “Oh Masky, still ever the serious one. Such a shame Slenderman couldn’t send Hoodie or even Toby, he is so much more fun~”

Before Masky can retort, the girl disappeared and appeared in front of you, pushing Masky away.

“Oh, Y/N! I do apologize for not introducing myself earlier! I was very rude and very wrong about you, gumdrop~”

Your heartstrings are pulled a little at the nickname.

“I am Laughing Jill! Or Jill for short. Laughing Jill is such a mouthful”, she winked at you.

“Laughing Jill? Like Laughing Jack?”

Jill nodded. “Well of course! He’s my younger brother!”

You gasped, your eyes widening. “Wait, what? I didn’t know Jack had a sister…”

Jill sighed dramatically and turned her head for effect. “Yes. He doesn't know who I am actually. Of course, you got Masky’s boss to be responsible for that.” Her words were spat with venom at the masked proxy.

“Oh shut it Jill. The Boss does what he needs to in order to keep all of-”

“Us all under control? He’s a lowlife. I don’t respect him”, Jill interrupted, her dark eyes piercing into Masky.

“Anywhooo~”

She turned her attention back to you. “Sorry I tried to kill you earlier Y/N. I thought you were just another one of those mean adults but you’re different! So I want to help you~”

“That fast?”

Jill scoffed. “I am talking to Y/N. When I want to talk to mindless servants, I’ll give you a ring, okay?”

“Wait...I am very confused. Just...why do you want to help me?” You ask, uncertain about her intentions.

“I just want to help you get back that little kid. I saw the way that monster treated them. They don’t deserve that..But I guess, I should tell you a little bit about myself huh?”

“You wouldn’t mind?”

Jill giggles. “Nope~ Maybe with my story I can shed some light about Jack as well.”

“Before this whole fiasco, Jack and I lived rather fearfully. Our parents were a little..not that great. They killed Jack and out of anger and revenge, I killed them. I was reborn into a demon of sorts. I held all of my memories and I was angry. I wanted to make more people pay for the blood they spilled.”

“However, because of my protective nature of being an older sister, I found myself unable to hurt others. At least for a while.”

You can only stare. This is not a type of story where a mindless comment will do any good. She’s a killer after all.

“Why are you also a clown like Jack?”

Jill pursued her lips. “Well, I think it is an ironic fate of ours but we loved to laugh. Making jokes between ourselves. Clowns and laughter played a huge role in our lives. Since I didn’t have Jack anymore, I yearned to make others laugh.”

“I became this one girl’s friend. I dressed up in this cute outfit. It was colorful before. She thought I was an imaginary friend and for awhile, it worked out fine. She had the cutest laugh. Until her parents. They sent her away and everything changed. You see, colors play a role in our...personality. It shapes us in a way. When she left, my colors left. I felt I had lost everything like when I lost Jack. it really felt like everything was black and white.”

You felt bad for her.

“She did come back and she was different. But she loved me and I loved her.” Her eyes narrowed. “Then her mother shot her and she was dead. I saw black. And then I saw red. Long story short, I killed her, the pathetic father and the rest of those pesky adults. Then I was recruited by sh*tface’s boss over there and then I left because I don’t like to be told what to do.”

“Oh..”

“Don’t worry Y/N. You’re okay in my book. I want to help you, really.”

“What about Jack?”

Jill co*cked her head. “Ah yeah. Well, he doesn’t know who I am. In fact, he has no memory of me whatsoever...I wonder why..” Her eyes quickly glanced at Masky who met her own and turned away.

You notice the tension but do not make any note. Better to stay in the safe side of both these killers.

One thing didn’t make sense.

“Why did they take Fiore? The SCP..?”

Jill shrugged. “I honestly have no idea. Maybe you should Masky.” She hopped idly to the side of the room.

You turned to meet Masky. You were waiting for an answer.

Masky stayed quiet for a moment before he replied. “Classified Information.” Jill could not believe the nerve of this asshole. Before she can make any move to threaten Masky, she was a bit surprised to see you beat her to it.

You winced in pain and you knew by a long shot that he could kill you right now if he wanted to but you didn’t care.

You held tightly to his collar as you pulled him closer to you. “You will tell me now. The moment Jack got involved with my cousin and myself makes it pretty clear that we are involved too.”

Masky shook his head and firmly grabbed your wrists.

“You’re hurt. You should rest Y/N.”

You were about to retort when Jill giggled.

“Oh don’t worry. Here Y/N.” She pulled out a manila folder. On it was your name and Fiore’s name.

You feel yourself go limp back on the bed. You sit but you almost feel like there was more to this whole SCP.

“Where did you get that?” Masky sounded angry and being honest, you could care less. Jill raised her hand and in a flash, Masky was stuck to the wall.

You grabbed the folder and your eyes were stuck to the names. The red stamp of ‘classified’ did not go unnoticed by you.

“Snuck in the mansion. And before you can say anything about Slender feeling my presence..” she stops to smile. “I learned some tricks.”

“I also figured you’re so brainwashed by the old boss, so you wouldn’t be able to tell Y/N what they need to know.”

You look to Jill, unsure of what you want to do. What does this file entail…?

You feel a hand on your shoulder. “You got this, gumdrop.”

You open the folder and you read through the various writings. There were mentions of other creatures but you paid it no mind. You turn a page when your eyes land on a photograph of..yourself. Except you were younger.

There was information of your family. There were pictures of your mother also. Underneath her picture was a small paragraph explaining about her lineage that reached back all the way to centuries old.

Isaac Grossman?

You have never heard of him.

You turn the next page and there was a graph of sorts. A made calendar to track data of something.

You slowly gape when you realize what they were testing.

You.

“The power that Violet possessed was not passed to her own child and therefore, erasure is to be ensured. This child has seen too much.”

“Experiment failed…? Memory erasure approved by…Dr. Riis?”

Wait. what?

Jill raised an eyebrow. This is not what she was expecting to hear from the file.

“The next child is to be tested in order to find these beings that wield such power. We have knowledge that the demon clown that killed Violet will return in due time.”

Under the paragraph was a picture of tiny Fiore. They were just a baby still at the time.

You feel yourself cry and you almost crush the file closed. What the hell is going on?

“Did Jack kill...my mom?”

Jill did not give you an answer. Instead, she laid her hand on your shoulder and gestured you to look towards Masky’s direction.

“Masky...is there anything you can tell me?”

Masky sighs. This goes against everything he was taught.

“For some closure, Jack did not kill your mother. He prefers killing children. That should have been an obvious answer.”

You read over the file again. The picture of your mom made your heart feel weird. “Did the SCP kill this woman? Do you know anything about who killer her?” You pulled out the photograph and walk towards him.

You show it to him.

And it clicks in his head.

Oh sh*t.

You were the child that Laughing Jack was supposed to kill when he and Hoodie recruited the clown. That night.

Hoodie and himself crashed through the window and killed a woman.

Now that he take a closer look at the picture, the eyes are very familiar. Except when he last saw her, she was covered in blood on the floor.

“Hoodie and I killed her.”

Jill watches curiously as the picture slips through your fingers. She can see the way your shoulders seem to tense up.

“You...killed my mom…” This was surely the understatement of the year. What the hell?

“My gosh”, you run your fingers through your hair. “You would think I would get angry or sad but I feel...empty. Man...I have had more sh*t happen to me this past few months than the majority of my life. Or at least I’ve been told.”

This was really f*cked up.

First, you find out your aunt is part of an organization that hunts ghosts. Second, you have a crush on a killer clown that you’re sure is gone, third, you have had multiple try to kill you (from these, at least you got a few now helping you), fourth, there is some family history you gotta clear out as well.

Fiore was kidnapped and is probably going to go through some sick experiment.

You got shot.

Your mother’s killer is helping you now.

Damn, you need a hug.

“Why are you helping me Masky?”

“Simple. Two birds with one stone. I help you retrieve your cousin and I can destroy the SCP. They have taken many prominent lives from us. Not just you. It is a common enemy.”

“I’ll follow you Y/N. I want to help you save Fiore. And who knows, maybe you can find out what the actual hell is going on with your family at the SCP?”

From what it sounds like, you were gonna pull a heist of sorts. With a killer clown and an assassin?

Oh joy.

“Oh..Jill?”

“Where’s Jack..?”

Jill smiled and leaned in closer to your ear. “If it wasn’t because my brother loves you so much, I would have killed you right when I laid eyes on you.”

You feel chills down your spine.

She pulled back and nods to you.

“But I have a feeling you’ll surprise me.”

It takes a minute before it registers in your head.

HOLD UP FOR A MINUTE!!

Jack loves you?

You can feel yourself flush. Jill laughs at your expense. “Ooops...Wasn’t suppose to tell you that..he should’ve been the one to tell you~”

“Which also reminds me, we’re gonna need a fourth man in this group.” Jill begins to whistle a tune and in her hands is...the Laughing Jack in the Box!

Your eyes widen at the sight.

Was Jack inside it?

Jill gives the box to you.

“Go ahead. I’m sure he’ll be excited to see you Y/N~”

You grab softly the handle and begin to turn it. The melody begins to play and you almost want to cry at the prospect of seeing Jack again. You were going to apologize to him. You were going to hug him. You were going to tell him you love him too.

The tune continues for a bit more before it is coming to a stop. You brace for the jumpscare but alas, you would not have expected what was to come.

The lid pops open and all that comes out is smoke.

You fall to the floor due to the impact.

“Geez Louise! I was getting such a crick in the neck! Thank you for calling me out!~”

You feel your heart stop. It sounded like Jack. But for some reason...it didn’t look like Jack perse.

Masky was rather surprised to see this. Jill only smiled knowingly.

“Who are you?”

Suddenly all you see are colors as he jumps on top of you. The black and white of his outfit were now colorful and vibrant. His charred hair was now a bouncy and happy red. His once black colored eyes were now shining a pretty hue of blue. He smiled with his still sharp teeth.

“You’re so silly! I’m your best friend~!”

Chapter 27: Brother 🖤

Chapter Text

Liu Woods / Jeff’s younger brother / Homicidal Liu

You’re free now Liu...I love you...You’ve been my best friend, remember that, okay?

“Jeff!”

He sits up, heart racing. Looking around his room, he sees nothing has changed. Despite it, he felt something was off.

He could have sworn that he heard Jeff. Liu rubbed his eyes and got out of the comfort of his bed. When he reached for the doorknob, a chill ran down his spine.

The house was quiet. Too quiet.

Dead silent.

“Jeff?” he called out as he opened the door. The hallway was also dark and from the end of it, he can see the light of his parent’s restroom shining.

“Mom? Dad?”

He takes soft steps towards the bedroom and he flips on the lights.

What he sees make him go still. His mouth falls open but there is no scream. He does not even think he can even scream at the sight of his parent’s corpses.

There was blood all over the bed where his father laid. His mother was on the floor, blood pouring from her neck.

He stays as if stuck to the wall before his senses come back to him and he rushes to his brother’s room.

Jeff has to be okay...right?

He opens the door and turns on the light to find it empty. Jeff’s bandages are long forgotten on the bed. Liu takes a deep breath and looks around.

Nothing seems out of place.

But he can be sure one thing: Jeff is gone.

“Oh gosh..” he can feel tears threatening to spill from his eyes. It’s the same burning sensation when he saw his brother again after he was released.

“Jeff…” Liu cries out and runs out of the room and out of the house. He runs to a neighbor’s home and knocks frantically on the door.

A half hour later, Liu is sitting in a chair at the police department. He recognizes a few officers, one in particular, Officer Williamson. He was the first cop to give Jeff and himself warnings about behaving after the first run in with Randy.

He didn’t like being here.

As if fate was playing around with him, Williamson comes near and sits next to him.

“Okay. We have a few questions for you.”

Liu does his best to answer them all. But what else can he say? He was fast asleep when his parents were killed and Jeff disappeared.

Williamson nods and walks away to talk with other officials. They look at each other, sparing glances at Liu, every few seconds or so.

Life is pretty funny. Liu wishes he could laugh though. The next thing he knew, he was standing with his lawyer next to him as he was accused of killing his parents.

“I didn’t do it!” he yelled out to no avail.

The judge, much like Williamson, didn’t like the young man. Ever since his family moved to their small town, there had been heavy tension ever since the incident with Randy.

This was just a way to finally be rid of the Woods family.

“As you can see your honor, the boy is delusional. He killed his parents out of contempt and revenge. He is practically insane, a danger to our small town”, Williamson spoke, pure malice in his voice.

The judge nods as he bangs his gavel to the wooden table.

“Liu Woods, you are found guilty of the murder of Matt and Sheila Woods as well as the disappearance of your brother Jeffrey Woods. You are sentenced to life in the Haven Asylum for the criminally insane.”

Just like that, Liu Wood’s life was over.

Or so he thought.

Haven Asylum was located just a few miles out of the town he used to call home. The bare walls of the hallways as he was lead through almost brought him to tears.

His room was padded with only a toilet and the door as the only entrance. It was stark white and it was heavily different from his own room back at his home, filled with posters of his favorite bands.

He sat down in the middle of the room and hugged his knees.

He hated this town.

He hated everyone that lived there.

He hated his parents for wanting to move and wanting to fit in with these nobodies.

He hated that he had nothing to remember Jeff by.

He hated that he couldn’t stand up for himself.

Don’t you just wanna go apesh*t sometimes?

The first few weeks at the asylum were strange. It had begun as a routine that Liu had to accustom to.

Every morning, Liu was to take his medication to keep him sedated. He always felt groggy afterwards.

It was then breakfast time in his room. Because of the false accusation of murder, he was to isolated from the rest of the patients. He dined alone in his room.

The daily routine changed when one of the doctors opened his door. Beside him were two men donned with white scrubs.

Liu found it odd.

He was taken to another room where he was immediately strapped in and had his mouth gagged with a rubber belt.

“Alright Liu, we’re going to begin the procedure to rehabilitate you. At least so you can be able to interact with other people, okay?”

The doctor attached a few patches on the young man’s head. Liu cried out best he can through the gag.

“Okay, this won’t hurt too much.”

When the procedure was over, Liu felt like his nerves were turning off and on. He was sure he was spazzing out.

He was thrown into his room once again. The door closed.

Liu wanted to cry.

This became his usual routine for the next four years.

Another day went by as he was thrown roughly to the padded room.

He curled up on the floor. This time was rather worse than the other times. He felt his skin burning up.

They had injected something this time and he only assumed it was because of that.

His green eyes looked to the ceiling. It was white and bare.

He longed for the sweet release of death.

Maybe you should take a breather kid. Suicide is kinda extreme at this point.

A voice.

Liu slowly sat up and looked around the room. It was empty.

Then who said that?

“Who’s there?”, his voice was low and tentative. He waited for a few minutes and when he received no answer, he laid back down. Maybe sleep could distract him from the burning sensation.

Man, you are rather impatient.

The voice again. Liu stayed still and stretched out his body.

“I am not impatient.”

Sure kid, if that helps you sleep at night.

“Who are you? Are you real? Have I finally gone insane?”

He hears a chuckle, almost like an echo.

Haha! Didn’t think you were funny. But no, you’re not insane.

Liu only nods and suddenly feels a comforting presence. It felt like something was patting his head. It reminded him of when Jeff would help him fall asleep after a nightmare.

Liu was out like a light.

The morning was the same again. The two men had opened the door and retrieved Liu. He was strapped once again. This time, however, he was not gagged.

I hate this.

The voice speaks again. Liu chuckles halfheartedly.

“I don’t see why you would hate it...you’re not the one strapped to the table..” Liu speaks, his eyes looking straight at the overhead lamp.

The doctors notices him talking but leaves him be.

No offense, but maybe you should talk to me when we’re alone. Old Doc here might think you’re going insane.

Liu’s eyebrows scrunch in confusion.

“What do you mean…?”

Only you can hear me Liu.

Whatever next thought is lost when the electric shock snaps Liu, his body reacting differently to the pain.

The doctor only hums, observing the whole thing.

“Nurse, please set up the next room. Things are getting messy.”

Liu doesn’t need a mirror to know what the doctor means. He can feel his body burn. It felt like something was tearing within himself.

Liu, it’s best not to fight it. You’re gonna get hurt.

The pain that Liu felt was indescribable. It was horrible. He hated it. He wished it was over. He wished he was back home, in the comfort of his bed. He wished he was back with Jeff playing video games or playing pranks on one another. In a flash, he was unconscious.

When he did wake up, his eyes were met with darkness. He looked around his surroundings and found something odd. Or rather someone.

Glad you could make it Liu, I have been waiting for you.

Liu looks at the person in front of him. He was a perfect copy of Liu. The only main difference was the darker shade of green in his eyes.

“Who are you..?”

The doppelganger laughs and claps his hands.

I’m you. Well, a part of you actually. You can call me Sully.

“A part of me…? Like a personality?”

Sully thinks for a moment before nodding slowly.

Kind of. I’m an extension of yourself. I’m the inner thoughts you wish to act on. And don’t give me that face, I know you don’t like to hurt people...which is why I offer the next best thing: Giving me control.

“Control? Like my body?”

Sully nods. Think of it as taking turns driving. When you gotta do something bad, I can take care of it for you.

Lui slowly nods, understanding.

“I guess that makes sense,” he looks around again. “Where are we?”

Sully walks towards him and scratches his head. You knocked out pretty bad with whatever the Doc was doing. It’s not gonna be pretty when you actually wake up. So, take it easy.

“What happened?”

Your whole body basically imploded in itself. The doctor put you under a huge dose of anesthesia to keep you asleep. He is “restoring” you.

Liu hums.

Suddenly, a pulse is felt by the two of them.

Sully smirks. Well, time to wake up.

Liu gasps awake. It is all blurry vision for a bit while his eyes adjust. He sees he is in a different room. He looks down to see his arms wrapped in bandages. He can feel some wrapped around his head.

Whatever happened must have been rather bad.

No sh*t sherlock.

Liu chuckles.

He can see he is alone in the room. The monitor beeps steadily, recording his heart rate and such.

Liu slowly sits up and begins to unwrap the bandages around his arms. It looked like scars all around his arms. Stitches were long gone.

“How long was I out?”

A few weeks, give or take.

“It felt like a few minutes when we were face to face though.”

He can almost feel Sully shrug.

Can’t really help ya there kid. Trying to talk to you was rather hard when you were in that state. Luckily, I was able to.

Liu nods. He rips out the IV needle from his wrist and he winces. The machine begins to beep erratically. He steadied his breathing before getting off the bed.

He can hear the door open and a murmur of gasps.

“You’re supposed to be resting!”

He recognizes the doctor's voice from anywhere.

“Sully, I think we have had our fill being here...don’t you think so?” He speaks clearly. He can hear Sully chuckle sinisterly in his head.

Sure bud! I’ll take care of this pesky doctor!

Liu hums. He feels as if someone is slowly pushing him underwater except, he didn’t struggle to breathe. It was calm.

“Liu! Get back into that bed at once!”

‘Lui’ turned around and his eyes opened to reveal beautiful dark green eyes. “Haha...this is gonna be fun.” The voice was husky and coarse with a tint of menace in it.

The doctor screamed in horror, unable to call for his officers.

There ya go! Did it!

Liu shakes his head and looks to the floor where the doctor’s body laid, dead. He hums and smiles.

He deserved that.

I don’t know about you..But how about we get the rest of these bandages off you?

Liu couldn’t agree more.

What he sees underneath all of those bandages was a sight. His face was scarred. His eyes were the only thing to remind him of his old self.

How about we pay a little visit to the rest of the asylum?

Liu nods.

By the time he was done, Liu walked towards the main entrance of the asylum. The workers, the officers and the other doctors were all dead. Most of the other patients, he learned, were regular people locked away due to a hateful bias.

He left them alive. Or rather Sully did, on Liu’s accord.

Pressing the red button, the iron gate creaked as it opened. Feeling the fresh air, he felt free.

He was finally going back home.

The only thing missing was Jeff. But he was gone.

He began his long walk back home to that forsaken town. The forest he passed was comforting. The night time brought a sense of tranquility.

You want me to help you? You know, get back home quicker?

“I don’t mind walking, Sully. Plus, I want to be in control right now.”

Sully laughs. No, no. I meant, do you want me to lend you some strength or speed? I kinda forgot to tell ya but you got some enhanced abilities. Might as well try them out.

Liu co*cks his head and he relaxes for a bit before he begins to run, which gradually speeds up and soon, he is going fast. The trees are long forgotten.

This was exhilarating.

He can hear Sully cheer from the back of his head.

“Huh, I don’t remember the town looking so glum…” Liu looked around his old home. There were wooden planks on some windows of shops. He walked calmly on the sidewalk. He sees a newspaper on the floor about to fly away when he swoops in and grabs it.

The headline catches his attention.

OMINOUS UNKNOWN KILLER IS STILL AT LARGE.

Apparently, there was a killer making some poor townsfolk their victims while he was in the asylum.

For some reason, he feels a tug in his chest.

Liu? You okay?

“Yeah..”

He continues his trek to his old house. However on the way, he notices the police facility. He decides to make a quick detour.

He walks in through the door and just like he assumed, it was empty. Well, almost.

He could recognize that face from anywhere.

Old Officer Williamson.

You want me to take care of it?

Liu shook his head.

“No, this is personal.”

The young man looks to the side of the room and he sees a knife sitting idly. How convenient.

The officer is reading through what Liu assumes are files. He looked like he was at a loss.

Liu’s green eyes narrow at the man.

It was that man that threw him and Jeff under the bus. All to protect that stupid Randy and his gang.

In a flash, Liu was on the officer, knife to the neck.

Williamson stayed still, eyes wide.

“Do you remember me, Officer Williamson? It has been such a long time since you got me sent to that asylum.”

The officer’s eyes squint a little before they widen in recognition.

“You’re that Woods boy!”

Liu laughs. “Oh, so he remembers! Well, take a good look cause this is the last thing you’re gonna see before you die.”

Williamson tried to struggle but could not, failing instead due to the abnormal strength Liu possessed.

Liu felt the blood splatter as he dug the knife into the officer. He watched the old man’s eyes color fade into a dull shade.

It was done.

How do you feel?

“A lot better.”

Liu lets out a breath he was unaware he was holding. His grip on the knife loosens but he does not drop it.

He lets his eyes wander to the files Williamson was looking through.

He gasps as he reaches for the photograph on the file. Memory did not fail him now.

It was Jeff.

Liu wanted to cry. He was alive!

But he looked different. Despite the resolution of the picture, he was able to note there were some differences. His hair for one was longer. The fact that he was also holding onto a large knife was noted as well.

He opens the folder and reads through the information.

Looks like your brother is the oh so infamous unknown killer.

Liu nods. “Yeah. It appears so..”

“Even like this, Jeff is careless enough for someone to snap a picture of him.”

Liu walks around the office building to scope what he can find. When he enters the backroom, he is happy to see gasoline. He grabs it and begins to pour it everywhere he can. He leads a path throughout the building all the way back to the office where Williamson’s corpse laid.

Liu leaned over the corpse and searched within the pockets. He pulled out a lighter and nodded to himself.

Walking out towards the entrance, Liu sparks the lighter. Its small flame lit bright in the dark. He scoffs and throws it behind him, which immediately catches aflame. Soon, the building is drowning in flames, along with it, the files on his brother, so called, Jeff the Killer.

Liu finds himself facing the driveway of his old home. There is yellow tape decorating the windows and doors. He walks towards the front door. He looks around before his eyes land on a small flower pot, the flower long dead. He picked it up and found the spare key in case either Jeff or Liu locked themselves out.

Walking inside the house was nostalgic to say the least. It looked like nothing was touched. He walked through the hallway to his parent’s bedroom. The bodies were gone but the blood stains remained, a permanent reminder.

He walked to Jeff’s old room. The door creaks open. Nothing was touched or moved.

He walks out and finally makes it to his own room. When he walks in, he feels at home. His posters were still hanging. His bed was still unmade.

“Well, I’m just gonna change real quick and then we leave.”

Liu opens his closet and pulls off his clothing before donning himself into something more comfortable.

Well, almost.

It looked like he grew since he was locked away.

After raiding his dad’s closet, he settled with a semi long black coat with a simple tee and a pair of jeans.

Going back to his room, he grabbed the patterned green scarf that Jeff gave him for Christmas one year.

He wrapped it around his neck and he was set to go.

Walking outside, he turned and gave one last look at the house before he began to walk away.

You’re angry...why?

“I want to know why Jeff left...why he killed our parents. I need to find him.”

Don’t worry. We’ll find him. Let’s get out of this deadbeat town. He’s probably not here anymore.

Liu only nods as he walks away.

Ready or not, here I come.

Chapter 28: Hey Girl 🖤

Chapter Text

Watching the rest of the buildings go by, you relax in the passenger seat as Jeff drives. Within a half hour, you were almost out of bounds of the city.

Where you were going, you had no idea.

You and Jeff hadn’t actually spoken since he began to drive to the next destination.

Deciding that the silence was rather tense, you turn on the radio. It was your car after all.

The familiar bop of your favorite song began to fill the emptiness of the car. You sigh, finally beginning to feel at ease.

Until Jeff turned it off.

“What the heck?”, you complain. He turned to you, disgusted.

“You actually like that trash?”

You scoffed. “Well, damn. Sorry if my music taste doesn’t suit the great, Jeff the Killer”, your sarcasm is well received as he laughs.

After a few minutes, he turned on the radio again. Your favorite song was in the middle of the second chorus.

You stare at Jeff closely, thinking this was a trick of some sort.

He stayed diligent and his eyes didn’t leave the road anymore.

“...Thanks…”

Jeff wanted to ask, really he did. That force or thing that you did that helped him from being hit by Toby. He wanted to ask.

Did it have to do with the connection you have to him? The fact that you’re soulmates to one another?

He wished he knew more about soulmates but as far as he knew, humans and creepypastas’ don’t usually mix too well.

Instead, he let his mind wander over what Ben had said.

Someone was going to be on their trail. Knowing the capabilities of the proxies and such, Jeff knew he had to find a safe place and fast.

But who would Slendy send?

Masky?

He was agile and resourceful. Masky was also intelligent and always quick to act. He was the top of the three proxies. He was one of the few creepypastas that kept a direct communication line to Slenderman. That, in itself, was a big deal. He would be handful. He had extensive usage of weapons, so anything is at his disposal. Jeff remembers when Masky had made use of a sandal and while he admired it, he was also pretty shaken up.

Hoodie?

The quieter one of the three. Hoodie and Masky go way back, knowing each other before they became proxies for Slenderman. Hoodie never speaks for he hurt himself pretty badly when he became a creepypasta, according to what he heard around the mansion. The hooded proxy was silent and that is what made him a deadly adversary; he has had times when he was able to sneak up on Jeff.

Toby?

The loudest of the bunch. He became a proxy rather quickly; Slenderman saw great potential in the boy. He was right. Toby was ambidextrous which meant he can use both his left and right hands with equal ease. It is why he was given his twin hatchets. While Toby is easy to distract, once his tics begin, he begins to change his character a bit; he becomes faster, stronger and way more difficult to keep at bay.

Jeff suddenly realizes the music has turned off. He can feel your stare on him. His hands hold onto the steering wheel tighter.

“Jeff...are we going to be okay?”

Jeff almost wants to sigh in happiness. We.

That small word carried such an impact to his heart. That was right. It was no longer his mess anymore. The moment he crossed paths with you was the second you were involved in as well.

You were both in this together for the long run.

One of his hands leaves the steering wheel and he tentatively grabs your hand. You feel warm at the contact. You can tell he feels a little awkward about it and you only squeeze it in reassurance, only after you lace your fingers with his own.

He loses focus for a second and swerves but catches himself and continues driving, safely. He doesn’t dare look at you.

You’re laughing though, even in this dangerous time.

He squeezes your hand as he feels his face grow hot.

Everything will be alright. I can take any one of those proxies. Ben did say it was only one in the end. I got this. I will protect you, Y/N.

“Would you like your tea ready, sir?” Masky asks, standing by the door, awaiting his next order.

Slenderman slips on something comfortable. On top of his usual suit is now a long overcoat. He straightens the collar and he turns to the window.

“Yes. I’ll be back in time.”

“Are you going to want one of us to go after Jeff?”

Slenderman chuckles. “Do not worry. I already have someone in mind for that task. I just need to...wake her up.”

Slowly, he took long strides outside the window and into the forest surrounding his home.

Masky whistles, amused.

“It’s not everyday Boss gets his hands dirty.”

“Jane! You are for sure coming out tomorrow right?”

The young woman nods, chuckling nervously. “Yes of course. Tomorrow night.”

Waving goodbye to her coworkers, Jane walks away to her car. Her black hair was cut short after graduating highschool. She couldn’t bear the thought of having it at such a long length. Her chocolate brown eyes stay stagnant as she watches the road towards her home.

When she arrived, she found it empty as she was used to. Her father left upon entering highschool and her mother is often found out of the house, drinking and playing at casinos late at night.

Jane threw her bag on the sofa and she walked idly to her room. This city was a lot to handle. There was such a surge of people always coming and so much energy, she didn’t know what to do with it.

It was so different from the town where she used to live.

Where she met him.

Her eyes slowly close as she tries to recall what he looked like. He was just beautiful in her opinion. She could stare at his blue eyes all day and never get tired.

“Jeff…”, she sighs. She raises her hand to her chest.

It hurt.

It hurt when she reached out and he didn’t even care.

She always tried to reason as to why that was his reaction; albeit, she never really made any effort to talk to him but how dare he treat her like that.

She loved him.

“Oh my, dear child. I can feel the hurt in your soul.”

Jane snaps out of her daydream, now feeling alert.

She hears chuckles sound off in an echo. She turns and finds no one. Was it her imagination?

“It was not dear. It hurt though, didn’t it…?”

Jane sniffled, feeling tears at the corner of her eyes. She nods. “Yes...it hurt..but maybe it was for the best. He’s gone now.”

A soft hum sounds in her ear. “Oh, he’s not gone, Jane. He is alive and well.”

“What? He..Jeff is alive?”

She feels a strange feeling in her chest. Who was this voice? What did it want?

“Who are you?”

“Just someone that wants to help. He hurt you and he hurt you bad, Jane.”

Black tendrils slowly grab at Jane’s ankles and wrists. While they may look menacing, Jane is completely unaware of this happening. She feels light and she relaxes, closing her eyes.

Slenderman emerges from the shadows of her home.

This will do just nicely.

With his hand, he taps a slender finger on Jane’s forehead. A bright light shines in the room and it is here where Slenderman is pleased.

Just like a cinematic record, Jane’s memories played on a constant loop. New memories are being made every second of the day.

He moves through the memories until he finds the one he is looking for.

On it, he can see a young Jeff and a younger Jane. All the girl did was reach out her hand as he had fallen down on the sidewalk. Jeff had simply shook his head and got up by himself.

Slenderman hums as he uses his fingers to change the scenario. It was like drawing with a red crayon over a finished painting.

Instead of Jeff shaking his head, he sneers at her hand and slaps it away. Jane winces and cries, running away, feeling hurt.

Slenderman nods at the changed memory.

“Jane...Jeff made you this way...hunt him down for me...bring him and his little friend back to me…”

Jane’s eyes suddenly opened and her mouth let out an ear piercing scream. Her hair begins to grow until it stops at her waist.

Her skin begins to burn, flames dissipate only to leave a bleached white skin. Her once brown eyes appeared as if they were plucked from her eyes, leaving only a color resembling an abyss, dark as night.

Her lips once rosy pink now a dark shade of black. She lets out one last scream as the x symbol is branded on her arm.

The black tendrils let her go and she falls to the floor.

Slenderman nods at his creation. He waits for a few minutes and he hears groaning coming from the young woman.

“What…” she looks dazed, as she tries to sit up.

She turns to see Slenderman. She is not surprised nor scared.

“Jane Richardson is dead. You are now Jane the Killer. Find Jeff...find the man that hurt you so and left you to suffer.”

Chapter 29: Back 🫀

Chapter Text

Eyeless Jack

“There is a way for this to be done, brother.” The eldritch being stared at the older sibling as he stared off into the distance.

Their creation was rather odd. It was like they suddenly opened their metaphorical eyes and they began to exist along with the human population. The two brothers kept to themselves as they were creations of something otherworldly; humans wouldn’t understand the unknown.

For now, it seemed like it was only them existing in their own bubble. The older brother, however, had other plans.

“But we can make it our own! Isn’t that exciting? What else do you think is out there…” the older brother looked with wonder, past the trees, past anything in this world. He was a curious being and he wanted to satisfy it.

“Brother, stop that. We have been okay here for a thousand years, why change it?”

“I like change. Also, don’t keep calling me brother. I want to be called something else..” His voice trailed off when a noise caught their attention. Quickly, the two beings blended with the shadows of the tall trees where they resided.

Small footsteps could be heard and into the small clearing, entered a group of humans. They appeared to be scouting the area for food, considering they were carrying weapons, mostly knives and bows and arrows.

The curiosity won the older brother as they transformed into a similar being like the humans. Except, he had no face and was a complexion of that of a white ghost.

The humans screamed at the sight of him and ran off.

“Brother, humans are always going to fear us.”

“I don’t want them to fear us...I want to them to understand us…”

A knock at the door brought Slenderman back to reality. It seemed so long ago when he and his older brother came into this world. It was also a long time since he decided to indulge in memories of his sibling.

How time flies.

“Come in.”

Masky enters holding files. He lays them out on the desk in front of the being.

“Those are all the recent killings made so far and these over here are records of the SCP agents that have been killed.”

Slenderman nods as he looks over the files. It has been already an hour or so that a human trespassed into his territory. Whether it was a SCP agent or not, he did not know. This is what has been getting on his nerves.

The SCP.

They were rather small, still not a large adversary to the old creature but he couldn’t take any chances. Their numbers were small but they were a smart group. It is why he sent his proxies to kill off the ones that kept a bunker near the edge of the forest.

“Alright. Take Toby and Hoodie and secure the perimeter. Set up more traps. Let any other creepypasta’s know to take precautions when out killing.”

With a salute, Masky left the room, leaving Slenderman to his own thoughts.

His brother, Splendorman, was long gone from the mansion. In the beginning, Splendorman wanted to befriend humankind but such is life for people to be scared of what they can’t understand.

Before he ruled as the boss of the mansion, that role resided in Splendorman. He chose that name for himself to appeal to the humans and Slenderman was given his name by his brother. The term ‘creepypasta’ was coined by Splendorman; he thought it was catchy.

Like Slenderman, Splendorman, despite his cheerful demeanor, also possessed powers like his brother. It was him who created the Rake after all.

But it has been years, years before Slenderman had any proxies or other creepypastas under his wing, that Splendorman left and never came back.

When Slenderman heard of the SCP rising, he feared the worst. He always told himself otherwise. His brother was a being of old creation, an eldritch being with unspeakable power. He hopes wherever Splendorman is, he is okay.

It is why he established the mansion. A safe haven for individuals who are pushed to close to the edge. He recruited various individuals over the years and the fight against the SCP has always been at large.

Now, for the first time, a human has made their way into his home. It was up to him to make sure none of his children are harmed by those SCP.

It had felt you were running with Seedeater for a long time. The wind was harsh as the creature moved at an outstanding speed. You held on tightly to its fur.

Almost suddenly, Seedeater stops and you carefully sit up.

While the area looked familiar, you could feel the air change. You look behind you, hoping to see Jack.

But there was no one. Just trees, all standing endlessly for miles. You feel Seedeater move in slow strides.

Turning forward, you see a small little cabin. It looked abandoned and beat up, a place where no human could actually reside in.

Within a few minutes, you are standing in front of the entrance. Seedeater waits by your side, keeping an eye on the surroundings.

You take a deep breath in and your hand clasps around the door knob. You turned and pushed the door open. The creaks were soft as you took in the small cabin.

It looked rather furnished for it being abandoned. It was no luxury but it felt homey.

It felt like...Jack.

You walked in, Seedeater trailing behind you.

Seeing the couch, you let yourself fall on it. As much as the ride with Seedeater was intense, you needed to let your body relax, especially after the injury. Your eyes followed the creature as it sat still, eyes trained on the door.

Now, all you had to do is wait for Jack.

You look up to the ceiling and begin to recollect the day. Abe, your best friend, your confidant, turned out to be a liar. He works with a company that hunts down creatures of the supernatural. He said it was to keep people safe but for some reason, you felt there was something more sinister occurring.

Ticci Toby was an interesting character and he was the person who stabbed you. He cared about Jack, which you found sweet. It seemed Toby didn’t like you at first from what he told you. You ponder over the thought of him coming to you for help. Why did he think you would make such an impact with Jack?

Did Jack say something to him…?

Your thoughts are disturbed when you hear a series of knocks and you immediately sit up, wincing in pain. The door opens and enters the familiar sight that is Eyeless Jack.

He stands in the doorway for a few seconds before he enters and closes the door behind him.

Feeling your body move on its own, you stand and almost run to him. It seemed he also had the same idea as he took quick strides towards you, catching you into a hug.

Your arms wrap around his back, your fingers grasping the hoodie tightly. You feel his arms circle your waist as he pulls you close. You hear a sudden noise; it sounded like something falling to the floor.

It is when you feel his breath on your neck that you realize that his mask had fallen to the ground. You sigh in relief, content in being in his arms.

Slowly, the two of you part and you see his face for the first time. Normal. Grey skin and eyeless holes with goops of black liquid.

You raise your hand to his face, softly.

“Good to see you again, Y/N.” His smile is small but you can still catch a glimpse of those sharp teeth.

“Good to see you too Jack.”

Chapter 30: Valentine's Day Special Part 1

Chapter Text

Jeff the Killer

“So, you got a date this Valentine’s Day?”

He didn’t know why he asked the question. Jeff the Killer could care less. That is a lie, however. Before him, sat his soulmate, bounded by a simple red string. They were not aware of it but Jeff knew from the beginning, when he first met them.

Jeff already knew your answer despite asking you. Your studies were the main focus, at least for now. He had heard from you that your friend wanted to go out but you had said no.

You raised an eyebrow at the question.

“Actually, I do. My friend set me up on this blind date.” Jeff looked at you oddly.

You only shrugged. "It's whatever at this point...I don't mind.."

Jeff felt a surge of anger. Or was it something else? For some reason, that pissed him off.

And now, he had to leave to go and take off that steam.

“I have to go. I’ll see you later.” He jumps from your bed and climbs out the window before you can say anything.

You found it odd but returned your attention to the second essay you were working on. The blind date comes into your mind and you sulk.

You really didn’t want to go out but Angie had insisted you try out this new guy she met. He seemed nice and because you hated to see her sad, you said yes.

If anything, the one person you actually wanted to go out with would be the one person who cannot be seen in the daylight.

Jeff swung his knife at the bark of the tree. He sliced it in the same spot, angry.

“Oh, they have a date?! Well, Y/N..hope you have a grand old f*cking time!”, he stabbed the tree with no mercy.

“As if I could tell them to ditch it...what do I even say, ‘hey don’t date other guys cause we’re soulmates?’..ugh.”

Why was he bothered by it though? Was it the effect of the string? In that case, why wasn’t Y/N dropping the whole date idea? Do they not feel the effect of the string as well? Is it only impactful for someone like him...a supernatural being?

Man, he really wished he could kill their friend that set them up on the blind date.

Suddenly, an evil idea sprouted in his head. Well, it wasn’t evil, per say. He was just looking out for his soulmate, after all. Leaving the tree behind, Jeff walked towards the familiar sight of buildings. It was already late at night and shops were closed.

This was the best time to go shopping. Jeff used his knife to open the doors for certain stores and began planning for his idea, grabbing whatever he could grab.

Jeff cackled to himself as he decided to head home for the night. The next day is Valentine’s Day and he was going to prepare for it. Before that though, he needed to ask Ben a favor.

Turning on the TV to act as white noise, you were completely unaware of the robbery that had happened last night.

Despite not wanting to go on the date, you added a touch of makeup to yourself. It erased whatever blemishes may have been on your skin and it made your face softer. Your eyes scanned the outfit you had chosen. It was simple but straight to the point.

After putting on your shoes, you shoot Angie a text you were on the way to the restaurant. She replied with a heart emoji and water drops.

You rolled your eyes at her response.

When you arrived at the restaurant, you found that you had arrived early. The waiter sat you at the table and you ordered a glass of water.

You start to devise a plan to ditch the date. Maybe you could tell him you have plans already? Or maybe you got a killer probably stashed in your room eating your food? Well, that wasn’t a lie but it was also something you didn’t want to say.

Twenty minutes slowly turned into an hour and you felt shy. There were couples eyeing you, mostly out of pity.

You sipped on your water. Did this guy really stood you up?

You felt your ears burn up at the thought. The waiter that was in charge of you came by with a free dessert. You took it to go and left, feeling stupid.

When you walked into your apartment, you could hear noise coming from your bedroom. Was Jeff here?

Being honest, you wanted to be by yourself but you didn’t have the heart to tell him that. Walking into your room, your eyes widen in surprise.

Flowers of all kinds decorate your room and Jeff sat in the middle of your bed, surrounded by your favorite candies. His smile seemed to grow at the sight of you.

“Hey there, Y/N! Just wanted to give ya something for today. Don’t expect more of this later.”

Jeff felt himself swell with pride. You were speechless! That is what he was aiming for. What he didn’t expect was for you to start crying.

Suddenly alarmed, he jumped off the bed and walked towards you. He can feel a weird feeling in his chest.

“Y/N..sorry...Are you allergic to the flowers? You want me to thrash them? Or maybe no junk food?” He was at a loss and words just kept coming out of his mouth.

You sniffled but when you finally looked up at Jeff, a smile adorned your face. He felt his own heart skip a beat.

“This is amazing Jeff...thank you..” you rubbed your eyes.

Jeff did not know what possessed him but he gently wrapped his arms around your waist. He could feel you tense up but the moment he tightens the hold, you relax and return embrace. You begin to mumble what happened and he catches what you hear.

He smirks but when he opens his mouth, it is just words of encouragement.

The two of you part and you hop onto the bed where Jeff throws you a blanket. He hops to your side and he clicks on the movie to play.

As you were entertained by the film, Jeff took the opportunity to sneak a glance. You didn’t change out of your date outfit but he was glad.

You looked stunning.

He sees your hand right next to his and it takes strength to not just interlock fingers. Instead, his pinky is right next to your own.

He turns to face the screen and slowly moves his pinky closer to yours.

You could feel his hand and you feel your face heat up. Good thing the room was mostly dark due to the movie.

Taking a deep breath, you slowly slip your pinky with his. You feel him reciprocate. Deciding to take a step further, you lean your head on his shoulder.

Jeff suddenly moves and you only turn away, unable to face him. Maybe he didn’t like it?

What actually happens is that he takes off his hoodie, dropping it on the floor. He unwraps another blanket and lays in over the two of you.

“If you want..you can lean on me...my hoodie had some blood..I don’t think you wanna catch whatever was on it..”

You nod softly and proceed to find a comfortable spot next to him. His arms finds place around you and the two of you relax, bundled up.

Jeff lets his head lay on top of yours and he can catch a whiff of something nice.

You smile to yourself. This was a pretty cool Valentine’s Day.

“Okay, so let me get this straight. Jeff came to you for a favor and you said yes. So why the hell am I here?” Eyeless Jack asked the elven boy before him.

Ben chuckled. “Aw, c’mon Jack. You know you’re the best person that knows how to hide a dead body. Now stop complaining and help me, I can get you kidneys after this.”

Jack only rolled his eyes as he leaned down, grabbing hold of the corpse’s legs. Ben grabbed the arms and let Jack lead the way through the dense forest.

“Who was this guy anyway?”

Ben shrugged.

“No idea, but Jeff really wanted him dead.”

Eyeless Jack

Your eyes wandered over the calendar and it was only then that you realized the upcoming date. The holiday you always dreaded.

Valentine’s Day.

It wasn’t you disliked the holiday; you despised it. You always had a way to attract people that would only lead you on and then on the very day, you got your heart broken.

Abe would usually be the pal you would spend the holiday with but since he was back home assisting with stuff with his father’s business, you were basically alone.

Suddenly, your mind then wandered over to the new friend you had made. Albeit, he did try to kill you and he stalked you, which was not good for your anxiety, but he took precautions whenever he did come and swing by your home.

It was always late at night but it was those nights that you had unconsciously always looked forward to.

A smile grew on your face as you had a crazy thought.

“Nah, as if..” you say, brushing the thought aside.

It would be crazy.

To ask a cannibal to be your valentine.

Platonically ! Your mind corrected. You only sighed and waited for the mentioned cannibal to show up.

Movie nights became a regular thing and you found it fun as now you had someone to insult the movies with. You could never sit through a movie with Abe if he didn’t make a nasty comment every ten minutes, always critiquing the film harshly rather than having fun with it.

Still, you waited for the cannibal as you decided to plan out the snacks for tonight. Jack had made it clear that you didn’t need to feed him as he only ate kidneys. It would make you feel bad knowing you really could not offer him that.

Grabbing your favorite snacks, you add them onto the table in front of the TV. Once the blankets were set on the couch, you went and got the washer machine ready for the Jack’s sweater (among other things).

Though he wouldn’t take off his mask, you can note the gratitude in his movements whenever you wash his prized sweater.

Looking around the living room, you smile to yourself.

Yes! Everything was set!

Falling onto the couch, you wrapped a blanket around yourself. You had already changed into your pajamas which was a loose shirt and shorts. Your animal slippers were long forgotten near the usual entrance Jack would use. He would never admit to you but you knew he really liked the pig slippers.

You made a note to get him some for Christmas. Your eyes suddenly widen at the thought. Did you really see yourself being his friend for that long. It has only been a while but you did consider him a friend.

You’re brought back to reality when you feel a presence next to you.

You remember that you used to freak out whenever he sneaked in like that. He was agile as a cat but silent as a mouse.

You turned and you can see him in his glory. The mask was still intact but his outfit was different. And it looked rather familiar...

He was wearing the pajamas that Abe had forgotten at your apartment!

You felt your heart jump at the sight. You note that he carried a bag with him, like one of those fancy cooler ones that kept the food at a chilled temperature.

“Hey Jack.”

He hums in response before setting the cooler on the table, away from the chips. You see him reach out a movie and you laugh at the suggestion.

“Twilight? I never pegged you for vampires and werewolves.” You laugh softly as you reach for the movie.

He lets out a soft chuckle, a rarity. “I had snatched it from a friend. He says he doesn’t like it but he also has the whole collection.”

His voice is husky, though soft, as he usually never really speaks. Both of you were barely coming out of your shells with one another but you see this as progress.

You laugh. “No kidding?”

After placing the DVD in the player, you waited patiently to start as you took your seat on the couch. You can hear the washer machine in the distance; looks like Jack took it upon himself to wash his clothes himself.

You didn’t mind doing it for him. It was strange but you liked it. It felt like you were slowly bonding with him; though, you did appreciate the thought tonight.

And so the evening went on. You would comment on how the sparkling on the vampires was a very weird thing. You had said that it was like a fairy quality instead of a vampire one

Jack snorted as he nodded. “Also..why was the main intense feelings focused on a baseball match instead of...you know...anywhere else?”

You hummed in response. “You know...you’re right.”

When the movie ended, you stayed in a comfortable silence with Jack as the credits played. The chips you had on the table were long gone and he had eaten his snacks as well.

“You know…” you started to say. “We can do the whole Twilight marathon and criticize that tomorrow?”

Jacks stays silent and you feel anxious. Maybe it is too soon to ask to hang out again. Movie nights, while they were common to have, it was every so often.

“Sure. I kinda wanna see what the second movie holds.” Jack’s answer eased you at once. You smiled to yourself.

“Wait...isn’t tomorrow Valentine’s Day?”

You stop to turn at the cannibal as you put the DVD back in its case. “Yeah. What about it?”

“Don’t you have something planned with that friend of yours?”

You chuckle. “Actually, not this year. He got tied up with some business with his father and I’m all alone...which is why I asked if you wanted to hang…”

Jack slowly tilts his head to the side.

“You don’t wanna go out on a date with someone?”

You feel your heart race but ignore it. “No..hah..I’m not one people usually ask out on dates..”

Jack notices your nervous shuffling and drops the topic. How can no one ask you out? You’re kind, funny and beautiful.

An idea rings in his head.

“Tomorrow, we’ll do the next movie. I have to get going but I’ll see ya then.” Jack stands up and walks over to you, patting your head before walking towards the dryer where his hoodie was already dried.

You can’t help but want more of his touch. He doesn’t set off your anxiety like other people; you think that is the reason why you like him.

Eyeless Jack was a creepypasta and a terror to see. He was a ruthless killer when he wanted and he loved to toy with his victims. It is days like these that Jack questions his sanity ,or lack thereof, as he stands across the glass window. Behind it were stuffed animals, each donned with a heart and a box of chocolates.

It gave him a weird feeling when you had said you don’t get asked out. He wants to change that. But as he stares at the gifts, he wonders.

Would you like something so mainstream? Or would it mean more to you if it came from the heart?

Jack hummed as he walked away from the window. Would you like flowers? He tries his best to remember what girls liked when he was still human. He never had a Valentine himself but he always saw what other guys would give to their significant others.

After much deliberation, Jack had agreed on an idea.

Waking up and seeing your instafeed with couples was not how you wanted to start your day. On the other hand, Jack was going to visit tonight and you couldn’t be more happy. Jumping out of bed and walking into the kitchen, you were really surprised to see a...box?

Or rather... a bunch of items on your kitchen table.

There were a bouquet of random flowers; their roots were still hanging from the stems. Beside those was a box of your favorite snacks. And then the main box which was a bright red color wrapped with a light blue ribbon sat next to it.

You walked towards it, cautiously.

Your eyes wandered around the little surprise when you saw a note. When you opened it, your heart skipped a beat.

Dear Y/N..

Here is a small gift for Valentine’s Day. I never had a Valentine and when you told me you didn’t either, I knew I had to do something. So I got you flowers and your favorite snack. The big box is a special surprise. I wanted to give you something from the heart.

-EJ

You smiled at the gesture. Jack was so sweet! You couldn’t believe he had thought of you. You began to unwrap the red box and you felt giddy, excited to see what’s inside.

When you opened it, you screamed, dropping the lid and falling to the floor in shock. When Jack arrived later that night, you said thank you for the gesture but also reminded Jack that a box of chocolates could have sufficed.

The human heart was unique but you couldn’t help but feel sorry for the person Jack stole it from.

Chapter 31: Valentine's Day Special Part 2

Chapter Text

BEN Drowned

“Alright...I heard on the streets that you’re the one to come to for things like this...so..will you help me?”

The young girl sat in her little throne, dressed in her usual pink dress and by her side, her teddy bear who was wearing a tie.

She picks up a plastic cup and pretends to take a sip from it.

“You got the stuff? This comes at a price.”

The elf only hummed. Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a Nintendo DS along with some games he had collected himself.

The young girl eyes it and smiles.

“Okay. I’ll help you.” She jumps out of her throne and breaks character, grabbing the small game console.

Ben came to think how he came to Sally in the first place. Well, you see, Valentine’s Day was coming up and despite hating the holiday, he really wanted to do something for you. It wasn’t like a confession but maybe something to help you be reminded that he’ll be there for you.

Sally, being a little girl, was the only female residing in the mansion. He had options to ask others but maybe a girl’s opinion would help.

“Okay look, here’s the deal. I want to..” Ben trailed off. How can he ask for advice without the young killer in training getting suspicious?

“To make this a themed kill..?” He tried to make it sound as if he wasn’t asking a question. Green eyes stared curiously at the male before a smile appeared on her face.

“Whoa! You can do that! I’m so making themes for my victims when my training is done!”

Ben sighs in relief, grateful that Sally bought the lie.

“Okay..how about flowers and chocolates? Oooo with balloons of every color!?”

Ben thought for a moment. “Yeah no.”

Sally’s expression fell slightly but then she cackled. “Ah I see! This is a special kill right?” Ben nods, unable to answer.

“How about nice lighting and lots of stuffed animals!?”

Ben wanted to laugh, not to make fun of her, but of how much fun she seemed to be having. Again, Ben shook his head.

Sally pouted. “Geez, there’s no winning with you..” She suddenly stops and turns to face her teddy bear. She walks over and kneels down to the bear’s face and holds her ear close to it. “Aha!”

“How about a song? You don’t have to sing but you can play an instrument!” Sally jumps up and awaits for Ben’s response.

He thinks for a moment and a smile begins to form on his face. “Sally, that’s a great idea!”

The girl brightens at the praise. “And I have just the instrument!”

After having lunch with Anna, you headed back home rather excited but also nervous. In your hand, you carried a small bag with a nametag. On it was written ‘Ben’.

Valentine’s Day was today and you wanted to get him a little something. You can feel your face heat up.

Why were you so nervous? It wasn’t like you were confessing feelings for him. Although, there was a tiny voice in your head telling you to do it.

You shook your head as you entered the safe haven of your apartment. Leaving the bag on the table, you made your way to your room, after hanging your jacket on the small hook.

You glanced at the time and a smile grew on your face. It was only a matter of time before Ben showed up.

He had been showing up more recently and you relished in his company. He was funny, cute and overall made your day better.

Picking up your cell phone, you decided that ordering pizza would be perfect for tonight. After you placed the order, you decided to grab a quick shower before your friend arrived.

Ben had jumped out from the TV and landed gracefully on your bed. He had a smile on his face and it slowly faded away when he realized you weren’t there.

“Maybe they’re in the kitchen?”

He walked out of your room, the instrument Sally lent him sat idle in his pocket. He arrived to the kitchen but didn’t see you.

He did see, however, a small gift. It had his name on it. He can feel a small blush forming on his face. Did you get him something for today?

Even more so, he was going to succeed with the song for you. He just knows you are going to love it.

Leaving the gift as if he didn’t see it, he walked back to your room. He hopped on the bed and suddenly, he could hear noise. The door was closed.

A small smirk grew on his face.

Pulling out the instrument, he opened the door and began to play the opening to ‘Careless Whisper’, his eyes closed in concentration.

The awful sound of the kazoo really made the song unique.

He heard your gasp but he assumed it was because you were so moved by the song. It was a classic, after all. When he stopped and opened his eyes, he was not prepared for the sight before him.

A towel was wrapped around your body and your hair was dripping wet. Your eyes were wide and your skin was flushing.

He could feel his heart stop at the sight of you.

Quickly, you rush to him and push him out of your room. He stays waiting outside, his lips parted. You looked simply...ravishing. He shook his head to clear the thoughts he was having and waited for you to let him in.

When he was finally let in, the two of you were blushing. Ben stayed at the doorway, eyes unable to meet yours.

“uh..sorry...I wanted to surprise you with a song with this kazoo but I wasn’t aware you were showering…” Ben apologizes.

You only clear your throat and you run your fingers through your hair. “It’s fine. At least you didn’t technically look…”

Ben chuckled. “So can I finish that song for you now?”

Your eyes met his own and the smile that grew on your face lit his soul on fire. Before he can continue, you told him to wait. You left the room and came back with the gift.

“Here...Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Ben places the kazoo on the bed before opening the small bag. Inside it was a little familiar charm. It was shaped like the fairy from his game. He stared at it fondly.

“I saw it at the flea market and I thought of you and I hope you like it..” you say, nervous to see his response.

Ben plays with the small chain and smiles. “I love it. Thank you. Now..back to your gift!”

Grabbing the kazoo, he continues to play the song before he was interrupted. You danced softly to the horrid sound but knowing it came from Ben, made it all the better.

“So, did it work!?” Sally jumped at Ben when he arrived home. The elf ruffled her hair as he thought of how your eyes lit up and how your smile seemed to melt his heart.

“Yeah. It did.”

Laughing Jack

You tugged at your collar, nervous. Sitting down on the small uncomfortable chair did not make the situation better. The table that sat in front of you was also tiny and made of plastic. Small stickers adorned the table’s surface and you felt a smile tug at your lips.

You hear your companion clear his throat and you turn to see the clown standing at the doorway. He was dressed in his usual colors, or lack thereof, but was wearing a more casual outfit that still radiated clown energy. He kept the suspenders in the end to complete his outfit.

He sits down in front of you, legs unable to bend in the tiny chair.

You stifle a laugh as he gives you a mischievous look.

“Ladies and clown, are you ready for dinner?”

A voice speaks and the two of you turn to see Fiore wearing a suit that was too large for their small frame while holding two pieces of paper.

You wanted to squeal at the cuteness but you held yourself down, knowing that Fiore really wanted to do their best today.

Jack nods as the young child hops over to them, almost tripping over themselves. The piece of paper you grab had a few drawings that were crossed out.

You assumed this was the menu.

“I’ll have a drink of your finest water, please.” Jack says, in a tone that resembled a typical millionaire stereotype.

You giggle. “Can I have some of your freshest juice, please?”

Fiore nods, bowing before running towards the kitchen. They come back with a bottle of water and a capri sun juice pouch. In their other hand, they held two plastic cups that resembled wine glasses.

Setting them on the table, Fiore pours the drinks.

“I’ll be right back. I’ll get the main food for tonight!” And with that, they were gone.

“So..this is your first date?” Jack asks, taking a sip of his water.

You feel yourself flush. “Actually...yeah...I don’t really go out with anyone..I’m too busy with other things..”

For some reason, Jack is relieved at the answer. It made this whole date event special.

Because it was Valentine’s Day, Fiore had taken it upon themself to set up a fancy date for their two favorite people.

You found it cute.

“Well...let me just say...you’re the cutest date”, Jack says and immediately closes his mouth upon realizing what he said.

You look at him, eyes wide and he feels like he messed up. That is, until a smile grows on your face.

You shyly look away. “Thanks Jack.”

Fiore returns with impeccable timing with two plates filled with goldfish crackers. “Seafood from the finest pantry!”

Jack stares at the plate in awe.

“Wonderfully selected fish, young Fiore.” Jack salutes the kid before taking one of the small crackers and popping it into his mouth.

You continue the ‘date’ with small talk and jokes. You felt you almost choked due to the jokes Jack was telling you.

After an hour or so, you notice Fiore had stopped being your waiter. You and Jack walk around the apartment to find them sleeping on top of the kitchen counter.

“Aw..they must be tired.” You note the suit has gotten dirty.

Jack carefully scoops them up and cradles them to his chest. “Come on. Let’s get them to bed.”

Once Fiore was tucked in, you almost wanted to tell Jack to stay longer. Almost. Instead, both of you cleaned the kitchen and the living room.

Once that was done, you could almost feel the goodbye.

“So...I guess you’re heading out?”

Jack looks at you, curiosity in his eyes. His soft smile soon grows and he co*cks his head to the side.

“Wanna join me at the carnival? Maybe have a real date?”

Your heart skips a beat. His hand is reaching for your own and you are drawn to him, grasping his hand and interlacing your fingers.

He chuckles and drags you to the door. He knocks on it and when he opens it, you are met with darkness.

The void.

Darkness clouds your vision and soon lights begin to appear as the carnival comes into view. No matter how many times you appear, it is always breathtaking. Not wanting to waste time, you take the chance to let go of Jack’s hand and run towards the house of mirrors.

“Come and catch me!” You shout to the clown who suddenly looks ready to play. To say you slammed your body into the mirror was a given; it was hard to navigate but luckily, Jack gave you a ten second head start.

When you turned to see him, you squealed when you realized he was getting closer. The whole ordeal was spent chasing after you, through the fun house and all the way towards the ferris wheel.

Seeing the door to one of the carts opened, you run as fast as you can to reach sanctuary when suddenly you feel arms wrap around you and pull you towards the sky.

You can’t help but laugh as Jack suddenly drops you and catches you, secure in his arms. Your arms are hung around his neck as your laughter is reduced to chuckles.

When you finally meet Jack’s gaze, you suddenly realize how close you were. Your noses were basically touching.

His eyes suddenly look away and you can see the faint blush on his face. You turn away as well, feeling your face hot.

He lowers you down to the ground and for a moment, it is awkward until he takes your hand and leads you to the ferris wheel.

Inside, you sat next to each other and you noticed he hadn’t let go of your hand. You smile softly to yourself as you lean on him, feeling the movement of the ferris wheel.

The lights were beautiful from the top, like a magical garden. Jack always thinks the lights are gorgeous.

But for some reason, the lights weren’t what he was focusing on. For the beauty of the whole carnival was sitting right next to him, looking down at the carnival in awe.

Chapter 32: Trigger 🎮

Chapter Text

BEN Drowned

Dark Link stared in confusion at the other glitches who appeared in the room. Apparently, there was a meeting to be held as told by Masky.

It was not everyday that Slenderman spoke to lesser creepypastas; there was always trouble brewing whenever this happened.

It seemed like ages before the door opened and everybody’s attention turned to the being entering the room. It looked like there won’t be any proxies joining him today.

Slenderman’s presence sent chills down his spine. Immediately, Dark Link and the rest of the glitches lined up like obedient dogs.

Dark Link almost wants to look away in disgust but he knows better. This monster killed his master and ruined what peace the glitches had before falling under his command. Silencing his thoughts, his dark eyes focused on the current boss.

“Now, I am sure you are all wondering why I have called you all here.”

Something has to have happened. Taking a quick side glance, Dark Link can see that Ben is nowhere to be found.

He grits his teeth in annoyance. There is no doubt this meeting is called because of him. Just what did he do this time?

“If any of you are wondering about Ben Drowned...this meeting is because of him.”

Dark Link wants to rip his hair out. What the f*ck did he do?? Did he get involved with the human again??

“See, Ben...disobeyed one of the main rules here at the mansion. I understand that while you all are under my command, I know there is a deep connection with all of the glitches prior to that.” He stops and his fingers tap on the desk behind him.

“So, if I ask for any information regarding Ben, I am sure I won’t get a voluntary answer.”

Dark Link felt nervous. He could tell the other glitches were too. Sonic Exe held his ground but the familiar shaking of the shoulders is what catches Dark Link’s eyes.

“It is why I need to remind you that once you bore this mark”, Slenderman raises his hand and opens it, revealing the all too familiar marking on his palm.

“You belong to me.”
A surge of energy suddenly took hold of everyone in the room, causing them to fall to the floor in pain. Dark Link gasped at the new sensation. He could hear Lost Silver’s screams.

It was pure agony.

“Call this a rebranding of sorts. Now, I want you to find Ben and that pesky human he is with. Bring them to me.”

Dark Link feels like a cloud over his head, hazing his thoughts as he feels loss of control.

This feels too familiar.

“Take a deep breath and imagine an apple. The fruit is small yet ample.”

Herobrine’s voice sounds off in his mind. An apple? Why did he choose an apple above all things?

He never really understood his old master.

Herobrine merely chuckled at Dark Link’s reaction. “Why can’t I imagine something else? Like...something useful?”

Herobrine said nothing. “An apple is the perfect fruit. Sweet and savory yet often times sour. Why do you think that?”

Dark Link was confused. “Uh...biology?”

A rock was thrown at him as he winced, rubbing the spot.

“Well, yes but also no. An apple is known to keep anyone at bay. I may not be here forever, so I need you to be prepared.”

Dark Link stared in confusion at his mentor. “Wait...what do you mean? Aren’t you immortal?”

Herobrine continued his own monologue about the apple, ignoring Dark Link.

“Soon, he will be reborn and it will be my time to teach him and then step aside.” The minecraft entity suddenly turns to his young pupil.

“For now, let me teach you a little trick in case someone wants to... hack your mind.”

Eyes wide, back in the present, while still in pain, Dark Link feels like he was regaining his control.

Why did he suddenly remember Herobrine?

The surge of energy seems to evaporate and Dark Link takes the chance to glance at his comrades.

He feels fear.

Each of them appeared to have transformed, only vaguely. On their eye was the mark of Slenderman, ingrained. Dark Link does not feel any different but he keeps his eyes down, away from Slenderman.

“Now, my loyal pets, go and do your job.”

Everyone instantly disappears from the room. Dark Link quickly teleports to his room before anything.

He falls to his knees in exhaustion. “Damn it Ben...you really are a little sh*t for making me so damn worried.”

With that, he jumps into the TV screen, finding Ben as his main objective.

You stay in his embrace for what seems like a long time. Both of you had just escaped death and you were holding on to him for dear life.

Your hands were entangled in his hair and his arms were wrapped securely around yours.

“I’m sorry Y/N...I really didn’t want this to happen...Oh gosh..I am so sorry…”

His voice shakes as his hold tightens.

You pat his back and sigh. “It...it’s okay...I’m glad..you’re here..”

Slowly, he lets go of you and the two of you stare at each other for a moment before you suddenly remember him saving you.

He kissed you.

Albeit to give you oxygen but still!

Your face suddenly heats up and you turn away, your hands covering your face. Ben seems confused until it clicks in his head and he is as red as you.

“Oh my gosh! Y/N...I really didn’t mean to do that either! I just didn’t want you to go unconscious cause that’s a hassle and I was worried and I’m sorry!”

You slowly turn to him again. “You didn’t mean to?”

You feel your heart race. You weren’t supposed to say that but might as well as get over it. Maybe he really does care for you as a friend.

Ben softly gasps and scratches his head, mumbling as he turns away. You raise an eyebrow.

“What did you say Ben?”

“...I meant to..it was the first thing that came to mind..”

Seeing him all flustered made you smile. You softly punch his arm. “Thanks nerd.”

Ben smiles at your insult or lack thereof.

After a moment of silence, Ben sighs. “So..do you remember everything now?”

You nod. “Yeah. It all came back to me when I was pushed into the pool of water.” You bow your head. “I’m sorry Ben...I was so mean to you...even after you saved me..”

Ben pats your head. “You’re here now. That’s what matters.”

Meeting his bloody eyes, you smile. He was right. Both of you were here now, together. Probably in some trouble but you’ll cross that bridge when you get to it.

Taking some time to examine your surroundings, you raise an eyebrow. It looked like a regular old living room. The vibe was homey and on the door was a bunch of drawings and signs. “Where are we..?”

Ben chuckles. “Call it a little hideout of mine. Only two other glitches know of it..but we’ll be safe for now. I’m in a lot of trouble with my boss.”

“Your boss? The faceless thing?”

Ben nods. “He may look like a skinny branch with good style but he is super strong. He...made me what I am today.”

He had a faraway look in his eyes. It was almost like he didn’t like what he became. Just out of pure instinct, you reached out for his hand.

“Tell me...we got time..right?”

Ben laughs, almost mockingly. “I was a bad person Y/N. I killed people and I liked it...I liked to torture people and it was going to be the same wth you but…” He trailed off, himself not knowing the actual answer.

“You’re using past tense. Maybe you don’t like to do it anymore?”

Ben shakes his head. “I wouldn’t do it to you.”

You mean too much to me.. Is what he wished he could say. But alas, those feelings were to be kept under lock and key, at least in the meantime.

You only nod. “If you don’t mind me asking...how did you get involved with a faceless dick anyway?”

Ben chuckles at the insult before cracking his knuckles. “Well...after I died..I manifested this..power..” his hands glow a soft green hue and then dissipates. “My old mentor, Herobrine, found me basically and taught me how to be a glitch.”

You raise your hand. “Are you talking about the dude from minecraft?”

“Yeah. So, I was part of this group he had founded called the Glitches and like the name implies, we cause various glitches in games. Each one of us got assigned to a game and wreak havoc as Herobrine instructed.”

“I really didn’t want to kill at first so I played harmless pranks. But then one night, I saw someone die. I felt this strange urge to do something. And I did.”

Ben looks at his hands again, almost regretting his actions from then. “I brought him back to life.”

Your eyes widen. “Wait..what?”

Ben curled his hands and shook his head. “I didn’t know how I did it..but Herobrine called it a ‘reload’ action.”

“Like in a video game?”

Ben nods. “I was confused too but this caught someone’s attention. Slenderman.”

The name brought a chill down to your spine. You liked it better when he was called faceless dick.

“He wanted me to join him. He also wanted the rest of the glitches to join as well.”

“What about Herobrine?”

Ben’s eyes casted down. “He was killed...I learned about that a while back from a...friend.”

You let out a small sigh.

“Well..he turned me into this and suddenly, I liked killing. It was fun. And I hadn’t used my reload power until..”

His eyes slowly lift up and stay focused on your figure. You stare at him in surprise. You point to yourself. “Me?”

Ben nods. “I’m sure you remember getting sick? Apparently, a human can’t stay too long in the game world or a virus will infect you.”

“Like a video game virus? You saying I had the equivalent of what is called the three rings of death from an Xbox console?”

Ben’s eyes narrow and look upward, as if trying to make the connection before meeting your eyes. “Uh yeah. But worse. You could have died.”

“But I didn’t..right?”

Ben scratches his head. “Bear with me okay? The virus was going to kill you Y/N. you were coughing up blood. I was so worried, okay? So I used my power on you...and it looked like it worked except for one little thing..”

He leaves you in suspense and you roll your eyes. “Ben..it can;t be that bad..right?”

“You forgot about me. Everything about me, the game, the memories...they were all gone.”

Your eyes widen. You had forgotten about him? Slowly, you only come to realize that it hadn’t occurred to you that you had regained your memory when you almost drowned. Again.

“A trigger...right? The water was the trigger!” You jump up, slightly happy you are beginning to understand everything.

Ben laughs softly. “Yeah.”

“Wait…” you stop. “How come your power erased my memory? It’s your power right? Don’t you have a good control on it?”

Ben sighs in exasperation. “No. I actually don’t know anything about this power. Herobrine was supposed to teach me more. I had recalled that he had some resources and he was going to share them with me but alas, Slenderman happened.”

“Dang, that’s rough buddy.”

“Yeah. And I searched through the library back home. Nothing. The only person I can think that might have any info on my power and where it came from is probably...someone that doesn’t want to see me.”

“Your friend?”

Ben grimaces. “Friend is a loose term but he’s someone I can count on, even if he says he doesn’t got my back. I just don’t know how to contact him. I’m pretty sure visiting the game world is a risky place as well as considering you just got better from the virus.”

A harsh knocking at the door startled both of you.

“Hey Ben...by any chance, is that your loose friend?”

Ben steadied himself and took a protective stance in front of you. “No. He’s an asshole but he would’ve just teleported into the room. The only other person that knows of this plaー”

The door suddenly breaks off its hinges as Ben suddenly raises his hands. A light green shield appeared and spared you two of the wreckage.

You stared in awe. “Were you always able to do that?”

Ben shakes his head. “Seems like I’m unlocking new powers.” The shield dissipated and the figure revealed himself.

Now, you weren’t too much of a fan of video games but you knew your lingo and mainstream characters. So, it is a major surprise when you see Sonic the Hedgehog staring at you two with devilish red eyes. His smile was anything but friendly and you couldn’t help but be taken aback at the rows of the sharp teeth he bared.

“Is that Sonic..?” you asked.

Ben nods. “Kinda. He is more commonly known as Sonic Exe. He haunts this old game that gets increasingly graphic with horror until he kills you at the end.”

You shut your mouth and gave an affirmation nod. Looking at the hedgehog before you, there was one thing you noticed and it seemed Ben did too. On Sonic’s eye was a white circle with an ‘X’ drawn over it.

“Heya Sonic, buddy..it’s me..Ben”, he raised his hands slowly.

Sonic only chuckled darkly, his voice distorted. “Obey Slenderman’s orders. Come with me and you won’t get hurt.”

Ben pursed his lips. “Yeah, I can’t do that. Sonic, I know you’re in there..snap out of it!”

Sonic only blinked before charging at the elven boy. Ben pushed you aside, taking the blow from Sonic.

Ben let out shouts of surprise as the hedgehog tried to land a punch on him. Ben’s eyes glowed a hue of green and with a mental push, sent the other flying towards the wall.

You could only stare amazed. Damn, Ben was strong.

Sonic broke out of the wall and he sneered. “Well, I can also do this the hard way.” Just as he was about to power up, a black portal appeared from above him. This caught Sonic off guard as well as the two gray sleeved arms that pulled him into the portal.

Ben stayed still, keeping an eye out for any other intruders.

The portal appeared once again and out fell Dark Link. He had a scowl on his face as he dusted himself off.

“Come on. Follow me. We only got some time before Sonic appears again and this time, with the others.”

Ben stared at the other elf. “How do I know you’re not under control either?”

Dark Link rolled his eyes. “Look at my eye, idiot.” His eyes were red and narrowed but there was no sign of any mark.

You stared at the new figure, striking you as someone incredibly familiar. Then it clicked.

“Ben, get your friend and let’s go alre一” Dark Link stopped mid sentence as your hand met his face. Ben’s mouth dropped, in surprise and in awe.