Hello, readers! This is a little story I've been working on. I enjoyed writing it immensely. I was just in the mood for writing something wholesome, you know (especially with all the crap going on in the world right now). So I hope you enjoy.

I've always loved the trope of "serial killer befriends little girl" (like Steve Buscemi in Con Air when he meets that creepy little girl in the empty swimming pool). But do take this story with a pinch of salt. There are triggering scenes for more sensitive readers. The main character is a little girl who befriends a homicidal maniac after all but just as a warning. This story takes place a few years after the events of JtHM, so around the late 90s. Not that I remember that time since I wasn't born yet, being only 21 and all (the 90s, wut?!) 😂

I bought the image of the beautiful little girl above from iStock. She just fit Molly so well. It's awesome finding stock images that look so much like your characters...

Well, read on.

Mommy says she has nothing to fear. Their new house wasn't scary; it was just her imagination making all those creepy noises, that's all. But Molly swore she spied the figure of a little ghost girl gazing at her from the far corner of her new room as she whimpered, hiding under her sheets.

Maybe if she counted to ten, the girl would vanish, but Molly wouldn't dare take a peek. Instead, she held on tightly to Lucia, her cabbage patch kid. Lucia's head smelled of baby powder and comforted Molly greatly in times of need, especially when her parents would argue and keep her awake at night.

They argued a lot lately, and one word always rang out—divorce.

What does that mean? Molly was only six; she didn't know much of the world yet. All she knew was that her Daddy had moved to the state of California for work, and already he was finding it hard to fit in, just like Molly.

Molly had had to say goodbye to all her friends at her old school. It was okay; her Mommy had promised her she would make new friends soon. So long as Molly smiled, then she would make plenty in no time.

But it was summer now, and Molly wouldn't start school again until August. With July just around the corner, Molly would finally become a big girl at six, and she couldn't wait.

She won't be able to have a party like she did on her fifth birthday last year, but Mommy and Daddy had promised to do something special with her, and the butterflies flapped around her tummy.

Closing her eyes at last, Molly soon disappeared into the land of sleep, dreaming about her birthday, until she heard a strange noise outside.

Bolting upright, she clung to Lucia, peering at the window. The blue moon was full tonight, and she swallowed, wondering whether she should get out of bed to look.

What if it was the bogeyman?

With a small cry, she threw her My Little Pony sheets back over her head, holding on to Lucia.

"It... it will be okay, Lucia. I will keep you safe, p-promise. Mommy said we have nothing to be scared of. We're just not used to the house's new sounds yet."

She's wrong, Molly. It's the bogeyman, and he's coming to get you...

Molly closed her eyes, squeezing them shut. "No... you're wrong, Lucia..."

It's the bogeyman, Molly, coming to take you away from your Mommy and Daddy...

Tears slipped past her eyelashes, and she cried a little louder now. "Please stop, Lucia. You're scaring me..."

He's coming to get you, Molly. He's going to take you away...

Heavy breaths burst from her lips as she shivered beneath the sheets. Her heart pounded through her body, vibrating against the mattress of her bed, as she held on tight to her dolly.

Lucia was her friend. She wouldn't lie to her, right?

The sounds didn't return, and Molly soon relaxed. Maybe she had imagined them all along? Maybe Lucia was just lying—

"FUCK! I thought I just killed you!"

Molly froze. That voice. It was coming from outside the window, and whoever it was had just said a really bad word that her Mommy told her she must never say. When she said that naughty word once when she was just three, her Mommy had washed her mouth out with soap, and she almost threw up.

The soap had tasted so awful.

She pulled the sheets from her head, peering up at the window. Curiosity getting the better of her, she rose to her feet, gliding towards the glass.

Her pale, blonde reflection gazed back at her as she tried to peer into the neighbour's yard, the one attached to the scary house with the number 777.

Molly had cried when she first saw the house, telling her Mommy that the small, one-story building with the bordered up windows and loose soil scared her, but her Mommy had told her she was being silly and that the house was perfectly normal.

It wasn't. They had only just moved in two days ago, but Molly swore she heard screams coming from that strange house.

It was dark as she couldn't see at first, but after a while, her eyes adjusted, and she soon made out the figure of a person. They were tall and rather skinny, and for a moment she forgot all about her fears, trying to wonder who it was.

The skinny person was digging a hole in the yard. Next to them was a slumped figure. Molly opened the window slightly so she could hear better.

"Wow... I guess it's true what they say. The soul is a resilient thing, but it's time to let go now. Your body is damaged beyond repair. It would be cruel to let you remain in this corpse..."

A small groan came from the slumped figure, and the skinny person sighed, shaking their head. "Such a pity. Hell's not so bad, you know. They make good bagels! Unless you like paying fifty cents extra for cream cheese. Only a minor inconvenience though. Nothing worth running out in front of traffic for."

Molly could only stare, her mouth agape. What was going on? What was the weird, skinny person talking about? Hell? Bagels? Cream cheese for an extra fifty cents? What horror...

"Well, goodbye then. When you see the devil, tell him Johnny C. sent you, and that he wants his fucking coat back!"

Just before the shovel came down on the slumped figure, Molly released a loud squee, and the skinny person froze.

Time ceased to a standstill. All Molly could do was watch in dread as the horror unfurled before her.

Slowly but surely, the skinny person turned towards the window, its white eyes aglow with a strange light, and Molly's heart banged against her ribs. Another squeak and she staggered away from the glass.

They saw her—that weird, skinny person. Were they the bogeyman?

The strange person with the shovel wouldn't take its eyes off her, and then a long, creepy smile stretched across its face.

With another yelp, she rushed to the bed, holding onto Lucia.

It was just her imagination; there really wasn't a skinny person in the next yard, digging a hole.

Just her imagination...

Some time passed. Not that she could tell the time yet, being only six, but Molly could have sworn it had been hours. Days even. What was just a second may as well have been an eternity.

Then her bedroom door slowly creaked open. Molly tensed under her sheets, curling up into a ball. With her hands still wrapped around Lucia, she buried her nose into her yellow, woollen hair, focusing on nothing but her baby powder scent.

Just her imagination, just her imagination...

It's not. It's a monster, Molly. You should be afraid. Very afraid...

Nothing happened for a while. All Molly could do was lie there as the monster stared at her. Her heart continued to pound, the blood rushing hot through her head as it drowned out all sound.

Then after a while, someone spoke, a voice so clear and normal, her fears all but vanished, leaving behind a burning curiosity.

"How long are you going to pretend to be asleep?"

Molly buttoned her lips. It was a man. A grown-up man like her Daddy, but nowhere as grumpy sounding. This man sounded much friendlier. Hardly threatening at all.

"Come on now, don't be shy. I saw you just now in the window, so I thought I would come up to say hi... Hi!"

Carefully, she pulled down the sheets, peering up at the tall, skinny silhouette of a man. He loomed several feet away. Not too close, but not far enough either, and once again she gave a squee.

He may have a normal, friendly voice, but his face was far from normal. His eyes were enlarged, his pupils too thin as one seemed to be bigger than the other. Well, from what she could see beneath the bluish glare of the moon.

His black hair was messy and sticking up all over his head with a shaved undercut. In the moonlight, his hair appeared a dark, blackish blue. His clothes were as weird as his face, with a drawing of a smiley face. Molly couldn't read properly yet, but she was sure his shirt said, "Look at me, I'm insane!"

His boots were long with steel tips, and what was happening? Who was he? And how did he get in her room?

The window was still intact, but she did just hear the door creaking open just now. Had he come inside the house?

The weird man still had that creepy smile, and for a moment it was like she was looking up at the Cheshire cat from Alice and Wonderland.

Had she fallen into Wonderland, just like Alice? Would he make her tea like the Madhatter?

His smile grew once he took in the sight of her, and now he stepped closer, making her flinch.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to disturb you. I'm Johnny C., but you can call me Nny for short. I live just next door in the scary house with the boarded-up windows. You can't miss it."

Molly gulped, trying to make sense of this new turn of events. Did monsters often introduce themselves? Were they normally called Johnny? She knew a Johnny at her old school; he had cooties...

Did this Johnny have cooties? He was a boy, and all boys had cooties.

Should she be scared of him?

He cocked his head sideways,the grin never leaving his face. "Well... what's your name?"

Molly cleared her throat. She didn't want to squee again in case he would think that Squee was her name, so she said her name as best as she could.

"I'm... M-Molly..."

He offered her a low bow next, bending that long, skinny body of his, and Molly had no idea what to do. She was still wondering how he got into her room.

"Well, hello, Molly. Nice to meet you. I can tell we're going to get along. I was good friends with the last occupant of this room for a while, a boy about your age. But he and his parents had to move away in the end since he got very, very sick...

Sick? Did he die of cooties? Did Johnny give him cooties? Can boys give other boys cooties, or do they only pass them on to girls?

Molly hugged the blankets closer, not wanting to get any of Johnny's cooties.

Johnny chuckled next, snapping her away from her thoughts, and it only just came to her attention that he'd come closer. She shuffled away on the bed, not wanting his cooties.

"You're certainly a sight for weary eyes. It's been a while since I've had anyone to talk to. But it seems my prayers have finally been answered. Not that I'm a praying man. God was a huge disappointment in the end, but I digress..."

Another step closer and Molly squeaked, wishing she could melt into the wall. Should she call for her Mommy and Daddy? Would they just yell at her and tell her she was being silly? This man was obviously just her imagination. Nothing to be scared of.

Her own imagination couldn't hurt her, right?

No, no imagination, Molly. The scary man really is here... In fact, he's not a man at all, but a monster in disguise. Beware, beware...

Johnny stopped, eyeing her warily once she'd squeaked. Then he threw his head back and ran his hand through his hair. "Oh, don't worry. I won't give you cooties. I've had my shots!"

Molly didn't know why, but his affirmation made her relax slightly. Well, at least that was one load off her mind. He may not have cooties, but there were still weird stains on his clothes.

Was it ketchup? Did he eat a hotdog earlier and get ketchup all over his shirt?

"Oh... okay..." she said.

He stepped back again. "But you haven't had your shots. Only grown-ups are allowed them. So maybe it's best that I keep two meters away from you. Don't want your cooties now."

Molly bristled. She didn't know why, but his words made her very mad. She didn't have cooties!

Silence passed between them. Molly was still a little cautious, but she had to ask the most pressing question on her mind.

"How did you get in my house?"

Johnny's face lit up. "Ooh, good question. There's a tunnel that runs from my house to your basement. Neat, huh? I haven't had any use for it lately since it's been some time since my neighbour Squee lived here, but it's okay. I can start using it again and come to see you instead. The corpses have all turned into skeletons now, so there's nothing in my way anymore. This will be so much fun. Just like old times! But..." he stopped, pointing down at her, "You must get your cootie shots first. Don't want to commit to anything just yet."

Molly's face reddened, and she lost her temper at last. "Hey, I don't have cooties! Only boys do."

Johnny froze, blinking a few times. Molly regretted shouting at him now. What if he got mad at her and killed her?

To her surprise, he barked a laugh, and she had no idea whether to be even more afraid. "So adorable! You're funny when you're angry, Molly, but I kid. I know you don't have cooties..."

He moved closer again, leaning down until his face was level with hers. He patted her on the head, and the metallic stench of blood seeped from his clothes.

That... that wasn't ketchup...

"I hope you don't mind me saying this, Molly, but you will take some getting used to. I don't talk to many little girls, and those I have talked with, well... pure evil!"

Molly gazed into his eyes, confused. Evil? But her Mommy always said she was a little angel. Well, only when she was good and went to bed on time.

Now that Johnny was up close, she could see he wasn't as pale as she thought. His skin was rather tanned, and his hair was more on the black than blue side. His eyes, though a little weird, were a dark brown, and he really was a normal guy. Weird, but normal.

"To be frank with you, I despise little girls. You're all so mean and nasty, yet the whole world loves you because they think you're cute and sweet with your little pigtails and your bright pink bikes with the sparkly tassels. Little girls have never been kindto me... There was one who used to call me Noodle Boy..."

He peered into her eyes suspiciously, and Molly gaped. Was he waiting for her to say something? Should she defend herself? She was no bully.

"I... I wouldn't call you Noodle Boy. I'm not like one of those means girls. I'm nice."

Johnny looked into her eyes a little longer now, assessing her very worth. Then a wide smile curled across his face when it appeared he found what he was looking for. He backed off a step, taking the stench of his bloodied shirt with him.

"You're right. I see it in the blue of your eyes. You're one of the good ones. Besides... it's not as if I haven't liked some girls in the past. Yet they always slipped away..."

There was some sadness to his tone, and Molly perked up a bit. Before she could ask why he was so unhappy though, he pointed at her bedsheets.

"What are those?"

Molly glanced down at her bedsheets and smiled. "My Little Ponies. That's my favourite movie!"

He wasn't really paying attention, glancing around her room. His buggy eyes settled on the mountain of plushies in the corner, and then they peered at her Victorian-style dollhouse. Next, they found that shelf of Barbie dolls, and he almost looked as if he wanted to vomit.

Molly wondered what was wrong with him. Had she made him sick all long? She swore she didn't have cooties...

"Yep. Some serious getting used to. There's a lot of pink in this room. My world comes in shades of black, grey, and brown, you see, and occasionally red..."

Molly bristled. "So? I like pink. It's my favourite colour."

Now he gazed at her ceiling, finally finding something that he did like. "Cool stars. And look, they glow in the dark! I like stars... I tried flying over them once."

She had no idea what he was talking about now, and he really was weird. Maybe even a little crazy.

He shrugged then opened her window. He swung one leg over the ledge then looked back at her, grinning from ear to ear. "Well, good night, Molly. Remember, I'm only a stone's throw away..."

Molly raised a brow. What was he saying? Did he want her to throw stones at his house? Odd.

Finally, he slipped both legs out the window then jumped outside, and now all that was seen of him was his crazy, smiling face. "I don't know about you, but I think this could be the start of a beautiful friendship. What do you say? Want to be my new bestest friend, Molly?"

Despite how weird and downright crazy he was, Molly couldn't help but smile at the absurd man hanging from her bedroom window. He did look funny. For a moment, it looked like he didn't even have a body, and that he was just a floating head, and she stifled a giggle.

"Okay. Goodbye, Johnny... It was nice meeting you."

He grinned even wider. "You too, Molly. Well, gotta go. My guest is starting to wake again..." He slipped away, disappearing into the yard next door, and Molly couldn't stop smiling.

Maybe her Mommy had been right. Maybe she would make a new friend after all.

😭😭😭
Dramatic crying emoji's aside, this was so wholesome to write. I will admit this story gets emotionally intense. It's a bloody rollercoaster, but I hope you stay along for the ride.

As you can see, Molly is a very different child from Squee. That boy was scared of his own shadow, but this one has a bit more gall to her. The way she stood up to Nny, "I don't have cooties!"

That girl will go far in life...

Well, so you next upload. I will post again hopefully next week. Also, to anyone who's read my previous work in Jhonen Vasquez's delightful universe, Molly is the little ghost girl from my IZ fanfic on here called Clairvoyance. This is her in an AU, I guess, where she meets Nny...