You didn`t remember falling asleep, but lately everything was a blur. You stirred for a moment, glancing around, noticing the thin rays of light coming from the blinds over the window in the far corner. Not entirely ready to get up, you turned over on your spot on the floor, curling up and falling back to sleep. When you awoke again, the lights at the window were more noticeable, but still you found yourself stifling a yawn and rolling over again. It wasn`t until the third time that the gravity of your situation settled in. Now a bit more conscious, you began to get up.
Surprisingly fear wasn`t the first thing you felt. Instead, rather calmly, you glanced around the room. There was no sign of anyone, the bed was empty, the closet open, the duffel bag gone. You then glanced at the washroom just to be sure, noticing that the door was wide open and the lights flicked off. So, you assumed Toby wasn`t here. But that window was.
Simply out of curiosity you got up and headed over to it, hesitantly drawing the blinds away. There was a small handle beside it, and ever so slowly you turned it, almost gasping as it easily opened. You could see yourself reaching on your tippy toes, one arm after the other as you`d hoist yourself through the tiny opening. You could practically picture yourself trembling as you held the railing, scanning the drop to the ground below before easing yourself down. But you could not envision yourself surviving a moment on the ground below. There was no way an escape could be that easy, you knew that after the car incident. These psychopaths were too clever for that. If this window could be opened, it`s because he knew it could, and he didn`t expect it to help you.
A bit angry at how easily you gave up, you decided to head to the washroom instead. Perhaps after washing the sleep out of your eyes, you`d find it a lot easier to plan your escape. When you reached the mirror in the washroom, you expected to see a horrifying, bruised and battered being. Instead, you looked rather plain. Despite how skinny you were beginning to get, you seemed pretty okay. Yes, your hair was still in tatters, and your bruised cheek was doing no better, but all in all it wasn`t so bad.
For a moment you just stood in front of the mirror, toying with your hair, running your hands over sore muscles. You felt strange, not like your self. The reflection in the mirror didn`t look nor feel like a tormented and hunted hostage. And in a strange way that scared you. Quickly shaking the feeling off, you turned the tap on, once again appreciating the cleanliness of the washroom before washing the sleep out of your eyes. The stickiness in your mouth forced you to take some of the toothpaste you were surprised he had and squirt it onto your finger before rubbing it against your teeth. There was no way in hell you were going to stoop low enough to use his toothbrush, so your finger sufficed.
After a few lingering looks at the spotless bathtub, you once again considered the prospect of taking a shower. What would be the harm in it? Toby wasn`t here, and besides, thought you did not trust him, you didn`t expect him to barge in while you were in the shower. He honestly didn`t seem interested in that. Still, was it a stupid idea? Was it worth it?
You stared for a few more seconds before pulling off the single shirt you had, glancing one last time at the unlocked washroom door before hopping into the tub. The first few sprays of water were cold, but you didn`t flinch as you waited for it to heat up. The feeling of hot water against your shoulders was therapeutic in the best ways. So, for a few moments you stood there, enjoying the feeling as you watched the bandages around your thigh and finger get soggy. After a bit of searching you found a men`s coconut shampoo, and decided to use it. Admittedly the feeling of scrubbing shampoo into your hair with only nine fingers was pretty odd.
When you got out of this, would you ever get back to normal life again? Wouldn`t people ask questions. 'Hey, what happened your hand?' What would you tell them? 'Oh, this psychopath cut it off with a fucking hatchet.' It sounded pretty crappy. Having to relive the nightmare every time someone pointed it out. Still, you`d rather live to tell the stories than die.
After tip toeing out the bathtub you took a few more seconds searching around for a towel. Once you dried off, you put your clothes back on before exiting the washroom. Your sense of calmness dissipated the second you stepped out. Sitting right there on the bed with a sadistic grin was the clown from before, dressed in his typical black and white. A familiar feeling of dread began to collect in your stomach, but you quietly pushed past it, closing the bathroom door behind you as you looked up at him.
"You look a lot better than last I saw ya doll." The clown sat with one leg over the other, his arms propping him up on either side as he smiled that charming smile.
Just act cool, stay calm, this is no big deal.
"Thank you…." Was your brief reply.
"Come `ere," he patted the space beside him, and you once again noticed the claws he had for nails, "Sit with you ole pal Jack."
Yeah, no thanks.
You hesitated for a moment, but then decided you might as well oblige. He`d make you if you didn`t, and Toby wasn`t here to protect you. Speaking of Toby, didn`t he say you`d be safe in this room from the others. So much for that. At least Jack wasn`t so bad… right? At least he hadn`t tried to kill you yet, which was more than you could say for the likes of Jeff.
"Sure thing pal." You decided a little sarcasm wouldn`t hurt and so you walked over to him, sitting down with a good amount of distance between you. As expected, he closed the distance by scooting closer.
"You smell like Toby." He commented.
"Same shampoo." You mumbled.
"Ah, I never bother with such things." He concluded before smiling once again, "I`ve got great news!"
You gulped at what that could entail but kept your cool regardless.
"Everyone`s out hunting!" he exclaimed, "Except for ole EJ, but don`t ya worry doll, he`s keepin` busy in the cellars."
Hunting? Why do you feel he`s not referring to animals?
"So here`s your chance." He continued, still sounding as excited as before, "You have roughly two hours, better get a move on."
You blinked at him. Was the clown for real? Was everyone really gone? In which case… why was he helping you? Did his intentions even matter though? If there was a chance to escape than you should take it. Imagine all the pain you could evade if you got out now. Besides, sticking around would only result in you dying. This was your shot!
You had almost opened the door when intuition made you stop. From the corner of your eye you could see his excited grin. He always seemed so happy, but there was something else, something sinister behind it. Maybe it was stupid to waste your chance, but the whole situation felt too strange.
"I think I`ll pass…" you stated, taking a few steps away from the door before turning to the clown, folding your arms over your chest.
"Really?" He frowned once again, but looked almost concerned, and that made you doubt once again. Maybe he was honestly trying to help you. "It`s a one-time deal though hun, don`t expect me to come back again." And there it was, the slight insisting in his tone that confirmed your doubt.
"Don`t worry, I think I`ll be fine here." You replied casually, watching him impatiently tap his claws against the mattress.
"I thought you wanted to escape doll." His frown deepened.
"Guess not." You shrugged, not sure whether to be amused or concerned about his growing irritation.
"Alright… fine." His smile slowly returned, "You can stay in here…. with me."
Well fuck.
"We can play a game!" he declared, standing up with a little jump. Every step he took towards you led into you taking one backwards. In only a few seconds you felt the door behind you, the clown leering in front of you, clawed hands clenching and unclenching.
"I`ll let you pick." He decided as he moved closer, "We can play one of my favourite games! Or, we could try a more… adult game. Thoughts?"
Why you ever acted so calm in front of this freak would haunt you for eternity. Deciding never to trust any of them again, you quickly responded by shoving him away. Obviously, he didn`t budge, instead you yelped as he grabbed your legs out from under you, holding them up as your head collided with the floor.
"Adult game it is!" he lowered himself till he was kneeling in front of you. "You won`t need these though." He tightened his grip on one of your legs, and you couldn`t help but scream as you felt your limbs straining under the pressure. "Oh, hold on, hold on." He said as he released your legs, and you sighed in relief. In a puff of smoke he disappeared, and you struggled to get your breathing in check when he returned again.
With a goddamn sledgehammer in his hand.
"We keep this downstairs." He sounded so giddy as he spoke, the fact that he was enjoying it made you sick. "I`ve always wanted to use it."
You scrambled onto your feet instantly, but cried out as he pushed you down easily. Obviously, you weren`t going to lie still and give him a good shot, so with a few pathetic pleads you continued to struggle and move around. Eventually he grew tired of it and you winced as his clawed hands found purchase in your hair. He tugged your head close to him before easily slamming it against the door with enough force to leave you dizzy. This time as you fell to the floor, you couldn`t find the willpower to get up.
"Y`know doll…" he leaned on the handle of the sledgehammer, looking down at you with amusement, "they usually put somethin` in your mouth to keep you from biting your tongue off when they do this. But hey, what`s the fun in that?"
You were pretty sure you were crying as you weakly squirmed on the floor, watching him with blurry eyes as he gently tapped the sledgehammer against your ankle before lifting it up.
"Jack no!" you were pleading, squirming weakly.
"It`ll only hurt for a second hun."
How would you explain this once you escaped? 'Hey what happened to your legs?', 'Oh, a sadistic demon clown broke them with a sledgehammer.' You couldn`t help but close your eyes tightly as he brought the hammer down. The pain never hit you though, and after a second you opened your eyes to see him with the sledgehammer slung over his shoulder, a thoughtful look on his face.
"Y`know, we don`t need to break your legs." He spoke way too casually for the situation you were in, "If your willing to be obedient and all? Ah, who am I kidding. You wouldn`t listen to my simple escape advice, no way you`d be so obedient."
God, you hated him.
"I`ll leave!" you managed to say, once again finding the strength to crawl towards the door, struggling to stand up. A brief touch to the back of your head revealed blood from where he had slammed you against the door. These monsters were going to be the end of you.
"No, no, we can`t have that." He faked disappointment, "You`re far too comfortable here, aren`t ya doll?"
You didn`t say anything, instead focusing your attention on sloppily unlocking the door. He didn`t stop you and with a heavy heart you managed to open it, relaxing a bit when you noticed the hallway was empty. You were 100% sure that Jack was lying about everyone being out, and so the prospect of being outside terrified you. Why the clown wanted you to leave though was beyond you. Perhaps he thought of it as some sick joke, perhaps he`d enjoy watching you struggle to survive the psychopaths beyond the room.
But what about that boss person Toby mentioned? Didn`t Jack work for him too? Surely, they wanted you alive. One glance behind you showed that the clown could care less about what anyone wanted. He was far too set on enjoying himself, and with a heavy heart you watched as the door slammed shut.
You stared at it for a second before trying the knob. It was locked. You were stuck out here.
Alright, this wouldn`t be so bad. No one else seemed to know you were out here. All you had to do was lie low, find somewhere to hide until Toby found you. But who knows how long that would take? Besides you didn`t know the mansion like they did. Finding a hiding spot might lead you right to them. Either way, you couldn`t stay out in this hallway for everyone to see.
Keeping quiet, you began to take small, slow steps down the hall. Every bloodstain that you had noticed from earlier seemed to be more terrifying now. Did they belong to others like you? People that were forced out into the open? People that died?
You passed the staircase when you heard soft chatter from below. Someone was definitely home, and for a moment you lingered in hopes it would be Toby. All you recognized was a feminine voice, and so you carried on. You didn`t remember meeting or hearing about a woman in the house, and so you added another to your ever-growing list of psychopaths that inhabited the mansion. Perhaps she isn`t a psychopath though. Perhaps she`s a hostage, like you? You doubted it, she sounded far too calm.
Too your dismay the hallway seemed to end on either side, the only way out was either through one of the doors or down the stairs. The stairs most certainly wasn`t an option, so instead you began hovering near each door, listening in to see if anyone was inside. Every room appeared to be silent, which didn`t make you feel any better. After stalling a while longer, you found yourself hurrying to pick a door when you heard the stairs begin to creak.
Glancing around drastically you tiptoed to the furthest room down the hall, leaning against it for a few extra seconds in case you`d hear something you hadn`t heard before. Obviously, you heard nothing, and so with a silent prayer you tried the knob, both horrified and relieved at the fact that it opened. Slipping in quietly, you closed the door, leaning your body against it as you stared at the wooden frame. You weren`t mentally prepared to turn around, you weren`t ready to see who you had walked in on.
Nothing happened for a few seconds, and so you finally found the strength to turn around. It was a bedroom. A lot dirtier than Toby`s, but also fairly different. The mattress in the corner was dirtier and actually had dark stains all over it, but rather than being on the floor it stood on a flimsy wooden bedframe. How anyone managed to sleep on it was beyond you. Secondly there was a radio in one corner, tattered posters lining the walls, and a bunch of clothing and magazines strewn over the floor. Curiously you wandered towards the door you assumed was the washroom, opening it to see if it was perhaps cleaner. Instead it was equally disgusting.
Next you went over to the only window in the room, wondering if it would open like the one in Toby`s room. It didn`t. Alright then, you were pretty much stuck here until the hallway was safe. But when would that be? How would you know it`s clear? And besides, this room was clearly being used. Wouldn`t the owner be back soon?
As if on cue the door opened.
Maybe it was adrenaline, maybe it was sheer luck, but in a second you were across the room, rolling under the bed as you heard someone step into the room. You clasped one hand over you mouth to silence your breathing while your eyes remained glued on the boots by the door. You watched as the person closed the door, now noticing that he wasn`t alone. Behind him, half on her knees was a young woman in a scantly clad dress. You caught a brief glimpse of her face as she tried to crawl away from him, taking note of the mascara that was running down her tear-ridden face. The man seemed to have a tight grip on her dress and dragged her towards the bed, kicking magazines and clothes out of his way. One of the magazines tumbled under the bed and you closed your eyes as you expected him to notice you. Instead, you heard something sink into the mattress, then saw the girl be forced onto her knees in front of the bed, the mans legs on either side of her. You were mere inches away from her torso, but neither of them seemed to notice.
"What`s wrong bitch?" you recognized Jeff`s raspy voice anywhere, "You said you liked danger?" The girl seemed to cry as he held her still, "Aw, why`re you crying? What happened to all that talk from earlier? Didn`t you say murder turned you on? That you wanted to fuck a killer?"
"I-I th-thought we were roleplaying." She sobbed and stuttered, the desperation clear in her voice. "I thought you were ju-just one of those emo gu-guys."
"Stop fucking stuttering." You heard a sharp noise, and winced at the pain you imagined the woman was going through. "I hate stutterers." Jeff continued, "Just as I hate lying, good-for-nothing strippers."
Strippers? How the fuck did his disfigured ass get in a strip club? Well, you doubted he got this girl here the legal way. Speaking of which, what was he going to do to her? Actually, you had a few ideas. The real question was, what were you going to do about it? You didn`t have the heart to sit around and do nothing, but you also didn`t want to reveal yourself and suffer the same faith as her.
"Stop squirming." His voice lowered for a second and you saw how the woman`s body grew still with the exception of a faint tremble.
"Please don`t kill me." She whispered and you heard another sharp noise followed by a desperate cry from her.
"Shut the fuck up." He was clearly getting impatient and the woman struggled to obey. "There, that`s better. Now, come here, I wanna make a few modifications before we get started."
You heard her scream, her struggling doubling as she made desperate pleads. You watched the clasps of her dress give way, loosening till they pooled at her waist. The next thing you heard though made your gut wrench. You heard a sickening guttural noise followed by an inhumane, bubbling scream. God, you couldn`t take this, you simply couldn`t. Quietly, clenching your teeth to keep yourself from crying, you crawled backwards till you were out from under the bed behind them. Jeff didn`t notice as you moved behind him, and you almost felt like giving up and hiding once again when you saw the woman. Despite her half nakedness, she had a large gash on one side of her face, reaching from her lips to her ear. He was giving her his smile, and you saw the pain in her eyes as he stuck the blade in her mouth again, preparing to slash through the other half of her face.
Without thinking things through you tackled him, wrapping your arm around his throat, and tightening it with your other hand, recreating one of the chokeholds you`d see on TV. He got up instantly, dropping the knife and sinking his nails into your forearms. You wanted to scream at the pain but instead you only tightened your grip, holding on as he stumbled back into a wall, slamming you against it. He was pretty smart, and after slamming you against the wall a few more times you couldn`t help but let go.
In a second you were on the floor watching him gasp for air before he turned to glare at you. If looks could kill you`d be 6 feet under by now.
"You`re fucking dead." He sneered, turning to get the knife he dropped. You followed his gaze and sighed a breath of relief when you saw the stripper girl holding her dress up with one hand, and the knife with the other, pointing it towards him. She looked like a demon with the skin around her face strewn each and every way. It was sickening, she was sickening, but you were just glad she was on your team.
"Kill him." Your voice strained at the words, unable to believe you were honestly trying to kill a person. No, nevermind, Jeff doesn`t qualify a person. He`s a monster, and monsters deserve to die. "Kill him!" you yelled this time, and the girl seemed to understand the desperation in your tone. She charged at him, driving the knife straight into his stomach before stumbling back.
There was no sense of victory as the psychopath easily slipped the knife out, grabbing the handle before turning to you. Wow… you practically handed the killer a knife. Why the hell do these freaks not die? Instead of going for you, he went for the other girl. She scrambled to get away but he was too fast, easily grabbing her by her forearm and tugging her towards you. For some reason you couldn't find the strength to move, and so you remained absolutely still as he shoved her onto her knees in front of you. She was crying at this point, and you didn`t know what to do about it. He had his fist clenched in her hair, and you watched as he lowered the knife to her throat and slit it with one clean swipe.
To your horror her blood squirted all over you, the disgust and horror of it kept you frozen, unable to scream, unable to do anything. He released her, and she fell onto her side, a strange gurgling noise in her throat.
Oh god, oh god, how the hell do you get out of this nightmare.
"Tell me, did you enjoy being the hero?" he asked, his voice grating as he now reached for you. You didn`t even bother to struggle, still too shaken up as he dragged you up by the hem of your sweater. He held you up, forcing you on your tippy toes so you were at eye level with him. Naturally his eyes were terrifying, but now, in the midst of so much bloodshed you could really see the psychopath behind them. They were dark and bloodshot, insane and on-edge, just like his teetering smile.
"Look at you…" he was whispering now, which only seemed to scare you more, "Covered in that whore`s blood." He pulled you closer, his tongue coming out to lick a disgusting trail up your cheek. You were about ready to puke now, too bad there was nothing in your stomach to throw up. "I`ll admit… seeing you be all brave, seeing you try to stop me like that, seeing you deadest on killing me… was fucking sexy."
You had no words. How the hell do you deal with someone so fucking demented. The fear of what could happen next was the only thing to shake you out of your trance. The things you had seen on this little excursion were things no one should have to see, yet now your only choice was to cope.
"You can`t kill me…" your voice sounded so defeated at that moment, "You`re not allowed to…"
"Trust me princess, you`re gonna wish I could." He sneered and at that moment you knew you were in for one hell of a night.