Warning; some very triggering scenes in this chapter. Implied pedophilia and molestation of a child character. If that upsets you, I advise you to skip.
Molly was scared.
When she returned to her house with the nice doctor, her Mommy was nowhere in sight. Had she already gone to the hospital without her?
However, Dr. Dick Cummings promised he would take her to the hospital instead since it was where he worked. It was where he used to have his talks with Johnny.
So Molly decided to go with him. He was a doctor, so she'd be safe. Doctors are good people and help those in need.
It was getting dark as they walked through a scary part of the city. The sun was going down, and Molly was worried that her Mommy would be mad for taking so long.
Women in strange, fishnet stockings lingered on street corners. Men begged for change, and one man jumped out at them from an alleyway, screaming about his lucky neck meats.
Molly had cried and clung to the doctor's coat. He chuckled and reassured her she was safe.
"It's okay. We're nearly at the hospital. Just a few more blocks to go..."
Surely, there wasn't a hospital in this scary part of town, right? Molly was terrified, but she was too afraid to cry in front of the doctor.
She needed to be brave for when she saw her Daddy after all. Mommy explained he would be sleeping. Maybe if Molly looked happy when she arrived, he would wake up and hug her?
"Okay, Doctor," she said, grabbing his hand.
"Please, call me Dick."
"Okay... D-Dick. Thank you for being so nice and taking me to the hospital."
Again, he laughed and ruffled her hair. "No problem."
They walked a few more blocks until they arrived at the mouth of a dark alleyway. Molly backed away a few steps. The doctor glanced down at her.
"Don't worry. We just need to pass through here, and then we will be at the hospital. Stay close, it's a long alleyway."
Molly shivered and leaned in closer to him.
He led her into the alleyway, and the dark shadows swallowed her up immediately. She expected to be eaten by a monster, but Doctor Dick kept her safe, as he promised.
They walked several steps until Doctor Dick stopped and sighed. "Let's take a break. Come on, you can sit on these crates."
He lifted her up onto the stack of crates, and now her feet dangled over the edge. Molly was tense. It grew increasingly cold. Unlike the doctor, she didn't have a coat. She only wore her light blue summer dress and cute button shoes.
Molly finally noticed how dirty and torn the doctor's coat looked. He wasn't clean like other doctors, but that was probably because he had been down in Nny's basement.
Molly would have to tell Nny off when she next saw him. Doctor Dick was only trying to help him, but he locked him away.
Doctor Dick was nice, especially as he was helping her right now. Soon, they would be at the hospital.
He sighed, coming closer. "So, Molly... I was wondering... seeing as how I did a very nice thing for you, I was hoping that you would, maybe, you know... do a nice thing for me?"
She kicked her legs, thinking it was a pretty reasonable thing to ask. He had helped her, and she was grateful.
She smiled. "What do you want me to do?"
He laughed, and his tone took on a strange edge. When he leaned closer, his eyes looked... different. They no longer shone. They looked dead, lifeless...
"I want you to close your eyes and count to ten. Do you think you can do that? Go on, be a good little girl for the doctor..."
Her heart pounded, but not wanting to say no to a grownup, she closed her eyes and waited. But then a garbled sound reached her ears, and she flinched.
Wait, what was that? Was the doctor okay? Should she open her eyes?
There came a dull thud next, and before she could open her eyes again, someone rushed to her side, bringing with them the familiar scent of blood and sweat.
It smelled like Nny...
"Molly, don't move. Keep your eyes shut."
Her lip wobbled. "N-NNY? Why are you—?"
"I said, don't move!"
Tears streamed down her cheeks when he yelled at her, and now she brought her knees to her chest, hugging her legs.
"NNY, what's going on? Where's Doctor Dick?"
At her words, there came a groaning sound on the floor, and Molly whimpered. "NNY... you hurt—"
He moved right in front of her next, placing a hand on her head. She squeezed her eyes tight shut, too afraid to open them.
"Molly, just trust me. He won't be bothering you anymore..."
She cried, her heart crumbling to pieces. "But... he's my friend. He... was only trying—"
"I know, I know, but not everything is as it seems. Just know that you're safe now, and I can return you to your mom. She's worried about you."
Molly spluttered at the mention of her mother, and now she rocked back and forth on the crate.
Nny was silent for a while as she wept to herself, shivering. All the while, the doctor groaned in pain, but Molly wouldn't dare open her eyes, too afraid to see what he looked like.
He... was going to hurt her all along. He hadn't been her friend after all.
"Open your eyes."
Carefully, she peeled back her eyelids, meeting Nny's wide, brown eyes. There were veins around the whites, and he truly looked possessed.
A smile crawled across his lips, and despite how scared she was, Molly felt safe.
Nny was her friend; he wouldn't hurt her like the doctor.
"You have nothing to be scared of. He's just another reason for you to feel better about yourself. He's no monster or bogeyman, just a regular person, Molly. Don't ever forget that. Also, you're lucky. The old me would have given you a grotesque demonstration just to prove my point, but such excess isn't needed anymore. I can convey my point with words alone."
She blinked, wiping tears away. "O-okay..."
He sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "Ugh, who knows? Maybe I just wanted to spare you the horror too. I rather like you sane, Molly. I don't want you to end up like Squee. You don't belong in a crazy house."
Despite how scared and cold she was, Molly allowed herself a smile. "Th-thank you, NNY. I... I trust you now."
Something flickered inside his eyes at her words. At first, he looked pained, a little guilty, but then his face hardened again, and he returned her smile.
"Now, I want you to cover your eyes and ears. Think you can do that for me?"
She nodded and did as he asked, and now the only sound she could hear was that of the air passing through her cupped fingers.
Nny left her side, leaving her all alone in the alleyway. So she squeezed her eyes tighter, humming a little song.
It would all be over soon. Nny would take care of her now and return her to her Mommy.
...
Nny gutted the bastard until his entrails were strewn all over the floor. He even cracked the man's head open just to reveal the brain that lived inside, and just as he'd thought.
Nothing but a disgusting slab of meat, fuelled only in moments of heightened desires. How his kind sickened Nny.
This sorry excuse of a doctor was about to defile a six-year-old child. Nny hoped he was rotting in hell where he belonged.
Surely, Mr. Satan had a special holding cage for when he arrived, although the devil seemed to be spending most of his time on earth these days, raising his son.
Sexual predators were all the same. Nny couldn't believe he shared a common ancestor with this scumbag. They may as well be two separate species.
The doctor was only human in appearance after all.
Not that Nny was all that human either; he had done many repulsive things himself, and absolutely nothing absolved him of his crimes.
Nny may not pursue flesh like Doctor Dick had, but he was still a monster...
Yet monster or not, he would murder a thousand doctors before he ever let another one lay a hand on Molly.
Thank God he had arrived on time. If he hadn't...
The bile threatened to escape his mouth when he thought of what he may have found, and then the guilt followed shortly after.
He should have been there for her. He shouldn't have brought that pig so close to her house in the first place, the home where she slept.
Molly continued to hum on the crates, covering her eyes and ears, and she was so painfully innocent, it hurt Nny to watch.
But that was a good thing. It was her innocence he was fighting to preserve.
He may have promised he would stop hurting people for her benefit, but he hoped she understood one day why he had to end the doctor's life.
People like him didn't deserve to draw breath. They were stinking up the atmosphere with their rot, and they had to be eliminated.
Stowing his bloodied knives away, he approached the child, watching her curiously. She continued to hum some random tune, but it was hilarious to observe.
He grinned. "You can stop humming now. It's over."
She stopped, keeping her eyes covered as she inclined her head. "N-NNY?"
He smiled wider, even though she couldn't see. "It's me."
With a startled cry, she lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his middle. She pressed her head close to his chest like she was listening for his pulse, and did she think he was dead or something? "Thank goodness it's you. T-take me home, NNY. I... I want my Mommy now..."
She gripped him so tightly, he was sure he was going to choke to death, but then Nny gave a nervous chuckle, patting her head. "It's okay, Molly. I'll take you home. Don't worry."
He tried to move, but she wouldn't let go. Even when he dragged her down from the crates, trying to pry her arms from his waist, she latched on, burying her face against his stomach.
It made sense. She was a small, frightened child. They normally acted this way when having gone through a traumatic experience.
The little girl truly did trust him.
And the knowledge only broke him apart.
Nny sighed, rolling his eyes. "Fine, cling on to me. Can you walk at least?"
She shook her head, keeping her face buried into his shirt.
With another sharp breath, he leaned down and scooped her up in his arms, and now he carried her out the alleyway. It was okay though; she barely weighed a thing.
Besides, he'd carried unconscious adults way heavier than she was back to his house.
Molly wrapped her legs around him, burying her face against his shoulder, and she was utterly helpless. You would have to be completely sick to want to hurt her.
Her bones were fragile and easily breakable, and not for the first time, Nny was glad he arrived.
Her small heart thumped against her back, and Nny stopped a moment. She had so much life inside her, yet there were people out there who were prepared to snuff it out.
Over Nny's dead, lifeless corpse.
"You... you have blood on you..." she muttered.
Nny shut his eyes. "I know..."
Shivering, she wrapped her hands around his neck, hiding away beneath his coat, and who would have seen the day Nny kept a small child warm?
"Well, let's go."
They left the dingy alleyway at last, leaving Doctor Dick Cummings to bleed out on the floor.
At least the world was rid of one more monster.
...
God, how Nny hated this end of town. Everyone was either a hooker, a druggie, or trying to sell him organs.
Nny had plentiful organs, thank you.
Molly remained in his arms, keeping her face buried against the collar of his coat, and he didn't blame her. There was nothing pretty to see after all.
He'd parked his car a few blocks from the alleyway, so they should be all right. Unless it had been smashed in with a rock and stolen.
Now that would be Nny's luck.
They passed through a group of drunken men—grown-ass adults with nothing better to do than hang around the streets on a Friday night.
They laughed at Nny as he walked amongst them, and he gritted his teeth, wishing he could slice them up.
But he had to go on; he had Molly in his arms after all.
"Hey, faggot, where you going?"
They tittered like a group of hyenas, making Nny's blood boil. Molly tensed in his arms, sensing his ire, and he tried controlling his breathing.
Must resist...
One of the men knocked into him on purpose, and just as Nny was about to blow his fuse, the ringleader of the pack intervened.
"Hey, stop! Don't you see he's got a kid?!"
The men glanced back at Nny, and it was as if they were seeing Molly for the first time. They truly were blind. She may be small, but she wasn't hard to miss.
All the men backed off. "Hey, man, sorry..."
"We didn't mean any trouble."
They left him then and went to harass another pedestrian. Nny was shell-shocked. It was like he had his own security blanket.
If he hadn't had Molly in his arms, they'd have taken it much further, and Nny would have had no other choice but to relent and kill every single one of them.
The child remained frozen in his arms, but at least she wasn't shaking anymore. Unless the cold finally got to her. Alarmed, he enveloped her in his coat just to make sure she didn't freeze to death, then moved along.
Nny carried on down the sidewalk, and then to his utter relief, his car appeared up ahead.
Unfortunately, he had to pass a couple of hookers before he reached his car.
"Hey there, Daddy... Cute little daughter you've got there..."
"You looking for a good time, hey, Daddy?"
Nny burped, tasting vomit. "No, leave me alone!"
They cackled, and Nny just about had it with this vile city. He needed to get home, fast.
Molly stirred, lifting her face from his collar. "Why did they call you Daddy?"
Nny ground his teeth. "Because they're sick. Hush now, we're almost at my car."
Nny rushed the last few steps to his car, heaving a sigh when he found it fully intact. He'd had this car since he'd moved to the city. It may be a grey piece of shit, but it was Nny's grey piece of shit...
He opened the car door and buckled her up in the passenger seat. She may be safer in the back, but he knew the kid would just cry and demand to be seated next to him.
Whatever, he didn't care. So long as she didn't do something stupid while he was driving.
Once she was buckled up safe, he got behind the wheel, fastening his own seatbelt. One had to follow traffic rules after all (unless they were running over drunken teenagers).
Now in the safety of the car, Nny gripped the steering wall, releasing all the pent-up air in his lungs. "What a night! I bet you're eager to get home now, hey, Molly?"
He glanced to his right. She stared out the windshield with a vacant expression. Nny knew that look.
He swivelled around in his seat, facing her. "Hey?"
Slowly, she peered up, gazing right through him. Some of the doctor's blood got onto her pretty blue dress after spending time in Nny's arms, and he grimaced.
How was she going to explain that to her mom?
"Please... take me home, NNY. This city scares me..."
His face contorted when he heard her little confession. It scared Nny too, so he couldn't blame her.
It was not a nice place, period. The people were not friendly.
"I know. It scares me too."
Molly's eyes widened. "But... you're a grownup. Grownups don't get scared."
He almost laughed at her ridiculous words, but he held his tongue, smiling instead. "Well, I get scared. Shit scared, actually. Sorry, I know... no swearing..." he added after a pointed look from her. "But I promise. It's not that bad from a distance. For a matter of fact..."
He stopped short, suddenly having an idea. Molly watched him curiously. "What is it?"
Nny looked out the window. Should he? It was pretty late, and Molly's mother would be worried about her, but... it wouldn't hurt to take her, right?
Perhaps if Molly could just see how the city looked atop a hill, then she may feel better. If all those shitty people were shrunken down to the size of ants, then she may sleep easier at night.
"Before we take you home, I would like to show you something, Molly. I know a wonderful place where the city doesn't look so scary anymore..."
Her eyes sparked, and Nny could see how much she truly trusted him. She must be tired, cold, and scared, but she was still willing to put her faith in him.
"W-where?"
His grin widened. "You'll see."
Finally, he started the car, pulling away from the sidewalk. He may have run someone over as he drove off, but it was probably just another one of his homeless insane fans.
...
Nny drove the car up the hill, stopping just several feet away from the fence at the perimeter. Despite the "No Parking" sign, he parked the car, opened the door, then looked out over the cliff.
A sea of blinking city lights spread out before him like an artist's canvas, and he released a contented sigh.
He always loved it up here. It was one of his favourite places to go when he just wanted to unwind and forget. Sure, it was where he took Devi before their date horribly ended, but it would never stop being a safe haven for Nny.
Up here, his problems and troubles seemed so much smaller and insignificant. Up here, he could gaze upon the whole world...
It was a beautiful night tonight. There were plenty of stars out, but with all the light pollution below, it would be hard to spot any. Regardless, the view of the city was still enough.
Sure, it was a little cold out, being so high up on the cliff and all, but Nny had his coat. Molly, however, would freeze in her little blue summer dress.
But it was all right. Nny didn't plan on staying too long.
He peered back into the car, spying the little girl in question. She sat frozen in her seat, looking out the windshield like a zombie, and Nny would do anything to wipe that horror-struck expression off her face.
She had nothing to be afraid of. Hence why he brought her up here.
"Come on, you ready to see the view?"
Molly peered up at him warily, wobbling her lip. Then she glanced back out the windshield, casting her eyes on the cliff. She hunched her shoulders.
"I don't know... it looks scary..."
Nny chuckled, opening the door wider. "There's nothing to be scared of. The great denizens of the city are far below us now. You have nothing to fear but fear itself. Don't let your doubts and suspicions stop you from having a good time. I promise. It's safe."
That lower lip of hers wiggled again, and fuck if it didn't wrench on Nny's organs. Maybe he should have just taken her home, but he had to show her the wonderful view.
She had to see that the city wasn't so bad from another perspective. There was nothing to be afraid of in this world. Not really.
All those people below have become as small as ants now.
The child closed her eyes and nodded. "Okay. I will come out, NNY."
Nny grinned, relieved that she had agreed in the end. This was his own personal spot after all. He didn't bring many people out here unless he really liked them.
He was pretty much sharing a piece of himself.
"All right. Let's get you out of that seat."
He leaned forward, unbuckled her belt, then lifted her out the car. She could most likely undo her own belt, but she was still a little reluctant. Plus, she had become wholly dependent on him for locomotion since the incident with the doctor.
Nny had forgotten that he'd locked the doctor down in the basement in the first place. Honestly, he'd hoped the man would slowly die and rot, but he only went and survived.
Taking him back to the basement had been an easy decision. Nny had his suspicions from the moment he first stepped into the doctor's office at the hospital.
It takes a monster to know a monster after all, and Nny didn't feel a shred of remorse for taking that flaw's life tonight.
The only remorse he felt was that Molly had to witness his despicable act of murder. She may have had her eyes closed and her ears covered, but still... she must have heard and felt something.
In the end, he had to do what he had to do.
Nny did promise her "No more hurting people", but there was no way on this cold, dead earth that he was going to let that bastard live. Not after what he'd done. Not after what he was about to do...
Once again, Molly wrapped her arms and legs around him while he carried her to the hood of the car. He stopped just before the fence, letting her look down at the city.
She fell absolutely silent.
"See? Not so bad from a distance..."
He glanced across at her. The girl was transfixed, her gaze glued on the flashing lights below, and Nny appreciated how they reflected off her eyes.
It turned out bringing her up here was a good idea after all. It was way past her bedtime, but Nny would get her home eventually.
Just after she saw the city lights.
"Pretty..."
"Yeah, it is. Told you you'd like it up here. Now I want you to forget all about what happened tonight, and just remember this moment from now on. Do you think you can do that for me?"
The child looked down sadly, nodding her head. "Yeah..."
Nny studied her for a few moments. She was silent and contemplative, and he wondered what was eating away at her. It was more than that creepy doctor.
He sighed, turning back to the car, then placed her down onto the hood. He sat down next to her, and now they both watched the city lights from Nny's car.
Molly shivered, leaning closer to capture some of his warmth, but in the end, he decided to give her his coat.
"It's a little big on you, but it should do the trick."
He draped it around her small shoulders, and now she was drowning beneath his black coat. The whole thing swallowed her up.
"Thank you, but now you will be cold..."
Nny didn't respond right away. The cold never bothered him all that much, but still; he would rather Molly had his coat.
"I'll be fine. Don't want you freezing to death. I need to get you back home in one piece."
More silence. Nny drummed his fingers against the hood of his car.
While she seemed to cheer up at the sight of the city, she was still too quiet for his liking. She was normally quite sunny and chipper.
That asshole doctor may not have hurt her like he'd planned to, but he had still taken away some of her innocence.
If Nny could kill him all over again, he would.
"What's eating away at you, Molly?"
She kept her eyes on her little feet. Her buttoned shoes dangled off the hood of his car, while his own were planted firmly on the ground, and it pained Nny at seeing just how small and vulnerable she truly was.
"NNY? Do you think my Daddy will be okay?"
He blinked. He wasn't expecting that question. "Why? Has something happened to him?"
Molly leaned her head forward, fighting back tears, and she was going to cry.
Nny hated it when she cried. It made his heart hurt.
"He's... sleeping at the hospital. He was in a car crash, and... he may not wake again..."
Nny's entire body wilted at her heart-breaking tale.
What the hell does he say to that?"
"Will... will he die?"
Nny tensed as she asked the question. He had no idea what to tell her. Nny didn't know the full scale of the man's injuries, but he had no idea how to reassure her either.
The man could die. Depending on how fateful his injuries were. Nny was not the best at these sorts of things.
He was pretty sure some of the people he'd killed were parents themselves since he seldom discriminated back when the wall monster had him doing its bidding. He just mindlessly killed and fed it blood to keep it satisfied.
Nny had no place comforting a worried, grieving child when he most likely made orphans out of many children. He would like to think he hadn't. It was best not to think about it, lest the guilt plagued him for all eternity.
He was tempted to kill Squee's dad once. The only reason he didn't was because he didn't want to leave Squee without a father.
Nny wasn't fond of Molly's dad either, but the man didn't deserve to die. He may have let her down on her birthday, but he didn't deserve to be ripped away from his family.
This little girl's life was about to be turned upside down, and she didn't deserve it. She was too young, too sweet, too kind...
She was definitely beating Nny right now at a hard-luck contest. That was for sure.
If only there was something he could do for her, something he could say, but he was useless. This was alien territory for him.
He knew of one thing; he would rather that he was the one suffering instead. Nny knew how to deal with pain; he'd become habituated to it, but Molly hadn't. It would destroy her.
He would rather be a waste-lock again rather than see her go through the pain of losing her father. It just wasn't fair.
Nny sighed, saying the only thing he could think of. "I... don't know..."
Smooth. Very comforting. Nny fucked up, but he couldn't lie to her either. It wouldn't help her.
Molly trembled, wrapping his coat around her tighter. She squeezed her eyes, letting the tears fall at last.
Nny hesitated a moment, having the uncanny idea to place his arm around her, but then he thought better of it. That was how normal human beings comforted each other when they were grieving.
Nny wasn't even sure if he was all that human anymore. Not after everything he'd done.
But he had to try; his little friend needed him.
Placing a tentative arm around her, he pressed her close to his side, letting her cry into his shirt, and that's how they stayed.
Some time passed. Nny was finally starting to feel the effects of the cold, and who would have thought—him, cold... He shivered, yet he never let go of Molly, never took his coat back.
"It's okay, Molly. Just let it all out. I'll always be by your side, soaking up your grief like a sponge."
"You... you will?" she mumbled against his shirt, her voice muffled.
"Yes. I'll always look out for you. Promise."
And he meant it, too. No more leaving town to search for himself. Nny now had a reason to stay.
His face contorted next as he squeezed his eyes, trying to force the words out. Three simple words shouldn't be so hard to say, right? He'd vowed to obliterate all his feelings once, but they only came back with a vengeance the moment he met Molly.
He would never hold her accountable for it, though. Molly was not responsible for how she made him feel; that was all on Nny.
After all, he had complete self-control now. Every thought and feeling was his own, and they didn't terrify him so much anymore.
She once told him that she would always love him, even if he never loved her back. Complete, unconditional love, and in return, Nny had gifted her with a love of his own.
His emotions blossomed and flourished ever since the day he met her, and they didn't even cause him pain like all those other times.
This child would never hurt him, and he would never hurt her...
Molly stared at him, wiping her eyes. "What's wrong? Are you going to cry?"
"N-no! I just... ugh..."
The child held on tighter. "It's okay. I won't tell anyone if you want to cry..."
"I... I love you. There, I said it!"
Surprised, Molly glanced back up, but it was already too late. Nny set the words free.
At least the world didn't end like he thought it would...
She beamed, and anything to put a smile back on her face. He had missed that little cherubic smile.
From now on, Nny would make sure she always smiled.
Molly hugged him once again, never letting go. "And I love you, NNY. I always will!"
Nny grimaced, trying to smile, but the open display of affection made him uncomfortable. "Yeah... me too..."
"Even when we're married with three kids, I'll still love you..."
"Me—what?!" His eyes popped, and he looked down at her aghast.
She smirked. "Ha, got ya. We won't really get married, NNY! I only like you as a friend, and besides... You're a boy. Boys have cooties!"
He growled. "No they... ugh, fine, whatever. So long as you're making jokes..."
She giggled some more, and he watched her suspiciously.
She said she only liked him as a friend, but still... Nny would never get married, never have kids...
Well, maybe he had thought about all that once, but he blew his one chance after he nearly killed Devi.
Molly was most likely the closest thing he would ever have to family, but he'd take it. They don't have to get married per se, but they could always be roommates after she graduated college (so long as she doesn't throw house parties).
"Come on, let's get you home."
He lifted her up, then helped her into the car. At least she'd perked up a bit now. The moment he drove off, she fell straight to sleep, but that was fine.
She could sleep for the both of them.
Thank you for reading. I don't have much else to say, but I loved writing NNY confessing his feelings. It wouldn't be so easy for him at first, but he can love after all... 😭
He's a real boy at last.
You can see where I was inspired with the doctor and Molly. I felt queasy writing it, but if I can't write about the things that disgust me, then I wouldn't be able to write about much at all.
That's my two pence.
We are nearing the end now. I should have this fic completed by the end of the week.