Chapter thirty-four! I own nothing but the Stranger and Seventeen. Enjoy, and please review!
Stranger and Seventeen come around the corner, and stop moving when they see the blood on my hands. They look at each other quickly, and then back to me. I shrug as innocently as I can while covered in blood.
That was fast, Stranger remarked. Usually it takes an hour or two to psyche yourself into doing it. We hadn't even finished checking the perimeter yet.
It wasn't hard after I saw what he did, I say, folding up the knife and sticking it in my pocket. I'll have to clean it later.
Seventeen tilts her head. You saw...what he did?
He was hitting her. He hit other people, and he killed someone, a young girl. He would have hurt the baby. I spit, jerking my head toward the woman. Part of me wishes I had kept him alive longer, so he could be punished more.
Stranger comes forward, and presses her hand to the woman's head. She turns to me, and says, How did you put her to sleep?
Er...I guessed?
They both chuckle. Seventeen rests her hands on my shoulders, Stranger places her arms around Seventeen, and we whisk away into the void. When it clears, we're in the cabin again.
They leave me alone for a bit, and come back with bloodstains and supplies. We clean up with baby wipes and rubbing alcohol that burns my nose, and Seventeen teaches me how to clean my knife. Soon it sparkles, and they start packing a few things up while I change.
My hands are covered now, with black gloves. I wear new running shoes on my feet, and when I walk, they barely make a sound. My hoodie is clean, and since now it's night, the wounds on my face come back, just beginning to scar over.
Just before we leave, Seventeen pulls something out of her stuffed backpack and hands it to me.
You'll need something to hide your face, and I thought you might like this.
It's a mask, not sculpted plastic like Stranger's or fragile paper like Seventeen's. It's fairly heavy and strangely textured, with a strong fabric strap to hold it in place. The expression is wide-eyed, with arched brows and a mouth opened wide in screaming, the features dark gray over deep blue. When I put it over my face, I find that the eyes are a stiff metal mesh that I can see through fairly easily.
The weight is comforting. Thank you, I say happily, slinging my supply backpack on. She takes my hand, Stranger takes the other, and we immediately arrive at the mansion.
I feel the eyes on me, though they can't tell I look back through the mask. Faint shapes dart through the mist and the crowd, coming up to me and then leaving. I ignore most of them as we make our way in.
In the kitchen, pantry, storage room-it appears to be all of those-we leave our backpacks. Someone calls Stranger's name, and she growls to herself, then turns to me.
Will you be all right if we leave you for a moment? I have...unpleasant business to take care of.
Of course, I say. I'll be fine. She nods and they both leave. I sit and wait at the table.
It doesn't take as long as I thought; it's only a minute later before I hear breathing not my own in the room. I turn around to meet the person, and I almost gasp.
You're standing here, with me, and I have no idea what to say.
I don't even know what to feel.