Dark CornerED
By Brenna "Snakelady" Dawkins
An Ed, Edd, and Eddy Fanfic
Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Danny Antonucci, aka Cartoon, and Cartoon Network. I own nothing. Nothing I tell you! No money was made from this fic.
Rating: R
Summary: Nazz and Eddy are kidnapped by a maniac. Not for kiddies, dark fic… Torture
(Authors Note: been kicking this idea around in my head for almost two years now. Had started it once then scrapped it. I think this one turned out better anyway. No flames for the sake of flaming… read at your own risk.)
In the corner she waited, huddled and terrified. Nazz's stomach grumbled and churned simultaneously. She had no idea how much time has passed since she came to this chamber of horrors. Long enough to be hungry again. Long enough to be weary from the constant fear that threatened the innocence in her heart.
She winced at the now familiar scream from off in the distance and bit her lip. They were Eddy's screams, grinding on the ears and soul. Nazz was terrified to hear him scream that way, but even more terrified when the screams stopped because she never knew if he would ever start up again. When he resumed, she'd guiltily felt relieved if only because it meant he was still alive.
It'd been hours since he'd been taken away again. Nazz really had no sense of time in that dark place. She looked around again. There was no hope of escape. The place was securely locked. A basement or cellars perhaps… in some house somewhere? She really had no idea. Nazz had completely lost the sense of time and place. She didn't know where they were, didn't know who had kidnapped them, and didn't know what was their ultimate fate. The only thing she knew was that Eddy would be taken away and for several hours she'd have to suffer through his screams, then he'd be returned, eyes puffy red from crying and tightlipped about what had actually happened to him. They'd be allowed to sleep, be given meager meals, and then a repeat.
She'd actually wondered when it'd be her turn. It was odd that the horrid man would never take her away to some imagined chamber of horrors. Every time he'd come to the door, she'd cower, fully expecting him to take her for similar treatment. But he'd always choose Eddy for some reason. Part of her was so thankful for that. And that part always hurt to hear his screams in her stead.
Nazz was dirty. There was no place to do ones business there. She and Eddy had chosen separate corners for that and also wordlessly chosen to ignore the act and the stench. She knew she looked rather wretched by now. What would the boys in the cul-de-sac think of her if they saw her now?
The blond bombshell cocked her head and turned her gaze to the door. Someone was approaching. She drew her knees up to her chest and huddled there on the dirt floor like a coward. Her fearful eyes watched the doorknob turn and the door open.
Into her personal hell Eddy was tossed. Brutalized, humiliated, and haunted. Nazz quivered at the look in his eyes. Not the usual devil may care attitude once held within, but something else… something… distorted.
"Eddy?" Nazz ventured.
He crouched there, distant, exhausted. "What." Deadpan.
"What… has he done?"
Dead silence.
He's so stubborn, even in this place. Nazz sighs. She goes over to him. She's not used to seeing him like this. Eddy's usually so cocky, so self-assured… but not now. She wonders if he's broken and if so, hopes he can be fixed.
"Eddy."
He avoids her gaze.
She hands him a slice of stale bread, which he takes without looking at her. She's the eldest. She's supposed to be the one who keeps an eye on the others. Nazz heart sinks. So far she's failed miserably with Eddy in this place. Never had she felt so powerless.
"Please, wont you talk to me?" She implores.
"About what?" He demands.
She balks at his tone. "Eddy." Her soft words are useless. He won't budge. He won't talk about it even though she senses he's dying on the inside.
"Leave me alone." He commands and turns his back on her.
Nazz huddles there, chewing on her miserable rations, her imagination producing unwanted images of just what was happening to Eddy by that freak. Soon her nerves were shot for the day. Laying on her side, she tried to make herself fall asleep. But sleep would be an unforgiving neighbor. Nightmares coursed through her dreams, turning them against her. Nightmares concerning that thug who had abducted them and locked them away, had tortured them, had killed them filtered through her tired brain. She woke with a start, heart racing, sweat gleaming off her brow. It took a moment to realize that Eddy had moved closer to her during the 'night'. In fact, he was curled up against her front, head under her chin.
Awkward. If this was any other moment, she'd've probably smacked him. But this was the first time he'd reached out to her in this environment and so she clung onto him. He was sleeping, fitfully, muttering chilling things in his sleep. She drew him in closer and couldn't fall asleep again for a long time.
He awakens. Fights the confinement at first then realizes it's not 'him', but Nazz. He buries his face into her chest, trying to soak up what comfort he could gather for the moment. His forehead pressed up against her chest, he'd felt her heartbeat for the first time. It was unexpectedly soothing and he almost melted against it. Was this the only way that he'd win her heart? From his suffering? Screw it, he grasped her shirt with both hands, shoving his head into her, clenching his eyes shut and trying not to cry, trying not to think of the deeds preformed against him. He was in Nazz's arms now and at the moment that was all that should matter. But he can't keep the fear away. The things that bastard whispered into his ear during his sessions… Eddy shuddered again and gripped that much tighter onto Nazz. No matter how much of a bastard he was, there was no way he'd let the things that were done to him get done to Nazz.
His heart clenched at the sound of the doorknob turning. He felt Nazz stir and panicked.
"Eddy?" Her sleepy words pressed upon him.
"Nazz." Eddy fought against letting the tremble into his voice but failed. His fingers still gripped onto her front shirt.
Nazz held onto his wrists, not to tear him away, but to keep him beside her. She didn't want that bastard to have his way with him again.
"How 'bout it, boy?" The nameless man leered.
"Leave him alone." Nazz commanded, terrified at her words, terrified of the consequences.
The man laughed and she felt Eddy shiver.
"You wanna be his replacement? Huh? Is that it, girley?" The man laughed again.
Nazz looked up at him and though her heart quaked at having to suffer what Eddy had suffered… "Yes."
"No."
Nazz inhales sharply. "No, Eddy!"
Eddy shook his head, which was still buried into her chest, his eyes tightly closed, but nothing will block out the miseries visited on him by this villain. How would he live with himself if he left her to the creep's whims? The one answer was, he couldn't.
"I'm stickin' to our deal." Eddy ground out, body and mind unwilling, but unable to back out now.
The deal… Eddy cringed. The deal. Him or her. Though the bastard had out and out told him that he'd preferred boys to girls. Nazz wouldn't last as long as he had under his ministrations. That bastard would kill her straight away. He knew that. The bastard had told him so. Eddy knew he had no choice.
"Very good." The man grabbed Eddy and yanked.
But Nazz still had the minute Ed by the wrists. She strained against the vicious man, but Eddy wasn't getting any closer to her. So instead she almost wriggled up to him.
"Eddy."
He shook his head.
Stubborn, she thought and kissed him on the lips.
Eddy thought his heart would stop in that moment. Their lips met and his heart flip flopped. But they were pulled away too soon. He awarded her with a lopsided grin that didn't meet his terrified eyes as the bastard carried him away to his own private hell.
Nazz huddled in on herself once again as the screams resumed past the locked door.
Hours passed, the screams and moans and "Please, God don'ts!" tattooed themselves into her ears, then the even more unbearable silence. She wondered why she kissed him. Was it a kiss goodbye? Her throat constricted. More silence. Too much of it. This was not the usual routine.
The doorknob turned. It was early. Early for Eddy to be returned to her. Fearfully, she looked up and watched as the maniac entered the room. Panicked, she noted no Eddy.
"Where is Eddy?" Her voice quaked.
The man tossed her a small box with a ribbon around it, almost a jewelry box.
"Where's Eddy!" Nazz repeated, good and freaked.
Without a word, the man walked out again, but with a smirk on his twisted face. Nazz peered down at the 'gift' he had given her with dread. Well, it was too small for some things, she thought, but big enough for others…
He hadn't answered her. Where was Eddy? She stared at the little box. What was it big enough to hold? Why not open the box and find out?
So she did and stared. For a while she hadn't a clue what it was. She'd never seen a body part without the body so it was difficult to make sense of it for a while. What was it? She didn't dare poke at it, but she did lean in closer to get a better look. Then she sucked in her breath and drew back when she realized what it was. A toe, the pinky toe… Eddy's toe. She dropped the box and scurried away, hyperventilating.
Eddy's toe. It was Eddy's toe. What else? What else will go missing? She bit her lip again and huddled in on herself and let herself have a good cry.
There was a pounding on the door. Her head lifted and she shuddered at the thought of that man entering into her cell again. Where was Eddy? She hadn't heard his screams or crying in an awful long time. The pounding on the door resumed, with more authority. Why was the bastard pounding on his own door? Why not use the key? The door burst open and she blinked up at two federal agents.
Her heart leapt and she scrambled to her feet, very aware of just how skuzzy she looked and smelled. They held up their badges to her. Her eyes shined as her prayers were answered.
"I'm Nazz!" She cried out.
"We've been looking for you. Federal Agent Gregory and Bowers. Been on your case for five days now."
"My case?" Nazz felt light headed at having been saved. "Wait, it isn't just me, what about Eddy?"
"Eddy?" The one who identified himself as Gregory looked puzzled.
"The short stocky kid. Oh yeah," Agent Bowers flipped open his notes. "Yeah, he's on the list with the others."
"Others?" Nazz wondered as they led her out of the cell.
Gregory nodded. "Ten children, including you two had gone missing and all our clues led us to this suspect, Darryl Robinson. We've apprehended him. You say Eddy is here too?"
Nazz nodded, her joy at it being over quickly dissipates. They hadn't found Eddy… and what about the eight other kids?
"You can't leave him here!" Nazz told them, fearful… no matter what state he's currently in.
Gregory motions to Bowers and the other Agent leaves. "We'll get him, don't you worry, Miss." He ushers her through the house. It smelt funny to Nazz. Oppressing, disgusting. She couldn't pinpoint it and maybe was afraid to. Luckily Nazz wasn't well versed on the smell of death. Gregory nearly pushed her through the front door and out to the waiting car. There were many cars and many agents about the property.
"Not without Eddy!" Nazz balked.
Bowers came out of the house and talked with Gregory in a hushed voice then called a number on the cell phone.
"My partner's calling the medics. Eddy's going to be transported to a hospital." Gregory advised her.
Nazz swallowed. "Is he… okay?"
"He'll be okay, I've seen worse. He's faired better the others this guy kidnapped."
He's going to be okay, Nazz exhaled and turned back to look at the house once more. Such a normal looking house on the outside. Who would've guessed what rested within? She hated to get into the car without Eddy, but they promised and they were cops… sorta. But she got into the car anyway and didn't look back.
Eddy woke up groggily. Once he was more awake he sat up in bed and looked about him fearfully, uncertain of his whereabouts. But everything around him said hospital and not that other place. He laid back once more and sighed. Then sat up again, panicked. Where was Nazz?
He didn't have long to wait before he had visitors. Edd, Ed, and Nazz all entered with a huge jawbreaker tied up in a ribbon. Eddy forced a smile he didn't necessarily feel. It was great to see his friends, great to see Nazz was okay, but he felt different. Too much had happened to him since he'd last seen his friends. Eddy also had to wonder if the search would have happened quite as quick if it had been just him missing.
"Hey, Eddy! So good to see you!" Edd smiled. "Heh, you know, Johnny was teasing Kevin about you and Nazz having eloped to Vegas when you two were first missed."
"Now Johnny can make funny noises through the bandage on his nose!" Ed laughed.
Nazz gave Eddy a small smile. "Kevin never was very good at controlling his temper."
"Don't I know it." Eddy replied having had his share of knocks and bruising from the irate teenager. At a different time, he would have found the thought of Kevin having broken Johnny's nose hilarious. He shifted in his bed and felt the bandaging around his maimed foot. They hadn't been able to save the toe. He wasn't ever gonna go barefoot again!
"Hey, guys? Can I talk to Eddy alone?" Nazz asked the other two Ed's.
Edd nodded and Ed jumped up.
"As you wish, Nazz." Edd said to her, then turned to Eddy, "I really am glad you're back. Come on Ed."
"Ed is coming on. Heheh. Byers, Eddy!" The tall Ed waved at his friend and the two departed.
Nazz moved to a chair that was closer to the head of the bed.
"How are you?" She asked softly.
Eddy tried to smile but decided to skip it. "I lost my toe."
Nazz hung her head. "I'm sorry. I should have protected you better."
"Don't." Eddy said tiredly. "I'm the guy. It's my job to protect you. Did the best I could."
"Protect me?" Nazz leaned forward. "Eddy. What did… happen? Please?"
Eddy's gazed dropped immediately and Nazz sighed, leaning back in her chair.
"There were others." Eddy finally explained after a long silence. "They were all dead and I saw them. Eight kids, just like us. Smelled real bad, looked worse. But that wasn't the worst of it."
Nazz took a shuddering breath. The smell that was thru ought the house. She shivered and waited for Eddy to finish. But he remained silent.
"Eddy?"
More silence. Then, finally, "It was me or you, Nazz, but he made it clear he didn't want you. Said he likes boys."
Nazz listened, face draining of color, not sure she wanted to hear the rest. But Eddy was finally talking to her so she'd listen.
His voice went quiet and she had to listen closely to hear. "Raped me. Cut off my toe. Threatened to cut off other things."
Nazz gasped in horror. She'd had no idea!
"Eddy!" God, what could she say to that? There wasn't anything she could do but hug him so she did. He hugged her back. They clung to each other like that for a long time before Eddy's parents entered.
Eddy's dad loomed over him and his willowy mother stood beside. Nazz decided it was probably best to leave.
"See you, Nazz." Eddy said to her, smiling weakly.
Nazz smiled back at him. "We'll be waiting for you back at the cul-de-sac."
Eddy nodded and watched as she left and sighed. Nazz was okay. He'd survive. One serial killer was captured. He slowly came to realize just how lucky he and Nazz had been, despite all the happenstance. He thought of the eight who didn't make it… yeah, real lucky.
End