Greetings again from the darkness of 2020, as I bring to you the finale of this unintended horror trilogy. As that implies, if you haven't read the previous two fics, this won't make a lot of sense. Explore the horrors that came before, then return to see how it ends.
Warning: This fic contains gore and torture of both a physical and mental nature. However, and I want people to think after reading this next part, there will also be implied sexual assault, harassment, and rape. If any of this is triggering to you, I highly advise skipping this fic. But, if after this warning you want to keep reading, then I shall respect that.
Disclaimer: None of the characters are owned by me. They, along with the comic they come from, are owned by Sabrina Contugno.
Now, with all of this being said, proceed.
Weeks passed, and still there had been no sign of Edward Hyde. Those who had known him had wondered about his whereabouts, while some feared the worst. Had he escaped the city in the dead of night? Had the police finally caught him? Or had he been murdered in a back alley in London's East End? Alas, no one was truly certain of the truth. Not even his other half.
But while those around him hoped he was alright, Dr Jekyll had happily welcomed the new calm which he gained in Hyde's absence.
No longer were nightmares of his past and present fears reeking havoc upon him, and no longer was Hyde's voice grating upon his last nerve. However, such peace only came when the sun ruled the sky, for at night, he could hear muffled screams in his head, while flashes of torture tore across the darkness of his vision.
And after a few nights, Jekyll had concluded that the nightmares must have been an after effect of Hyde's cruelty. It was always Hyde's doing, that he was certain.
More and more days passed, and soon he began to wonder. Had Hyde truly disappeared? When he thought about it- choosing so over sleep -he realised something. He couldn't sense Hyde, nor could he feel the familiar tugging of his split soul that his growing presence had always brought about. Alas, he knew of no possible way that he could seek him out; leaving him with his thoughts.
That was, however, until one night came. And everything changed.
He slept under the covers of his bed, once again lost in the images and sounds of that accursed nightmare. The servants were fast asleep in their separate quarters, while a rare night of peace had spread across the cleaner side of London.
But as he slept, the surface of his bedroom mirror suddenly began to shift, like when someone threw a stone into a small pool of water; ripples spreading across its surface. Then, a bloodied hand desperately forced itself through the glass, followed by the other which helped to push open a way out. And eventually, someone was hastily pushing themselves out of the mirror; groaning and whimpering, blood splattering across the carpet.
And as they fell to the floor with a weak whine, Jekyll awoke to a sudden agony, as if his skin were being torn from his body, piece by piece, fires scorching his flesh and blades eviscerating his organs. But then, while the pain was reaping his body, a strained voice suddenly reached his ears.
"Help...me. Help...help me..."
With wide eyes, Jekyll hastily fumbled out of bed, pushing through the pain as he crawled away to the nearest corner of the room. He pressed himself against the wall; dreading to soon behold the sight of whatever or whoever had just spoken.
'Why is this happening to me? What fresh hell has come to torment me now?!'
The voice drew closer. And eventually, a skinless spectre came crawling around his bed, their blood staining the carpet. Then they lifted their body; intestines spilling forth from their open stomach with a gross splat as they reached out to him.
"Help me...please...make it stop...make it stop."
And as the spectre spoke, the gore which consumed them slowly began to heal. Strangely enough, Jekyll felt as if the pain he had just endured was also fading away, as if it hadn't even been there in the first place. Now, he could finally focus.
A blonde mane, which had been missing thick strands of hair, had now returned to its former glory. The short form had now regained its porcelain pale skin, though they lacked any clothes. But what finally clicked everything into place were the green eyes that now stared at Jekyll: wet, bloodshot, and devoid of wicked life.
With clear hesitation, Jekyll stood up.
"Hyde? Is...Is that you?" He asked, voice shaking.
But Hyde paid no mind to his question. He simply continued to crawl towards him; only stopping when his arms were wrapped around his leg; face pressed against the fabric of his night wear.
Jekyll said nothing. He just stared; listening as Hyde kept pleading for help, begging for something to stop. But as Hyde looked up at him, he saw Jekyll's expression suddenly harden with irritation, before hands were suddenly yanking him up onto his feet. In a panic, Hyde thrashed and kicked, until his spectral form was trapped between the bed and Jekyll's body.
"Where the hell have you been?!" Jekyll snapped, his fingers tightening around Hyde's fragile wrists. He visibly flinched as red eyes bore down into his face; features paling as Jekyll shouted.
He opened his mouth, trying to explain all that he had endured in only a few words. Then, he quickly closed it when the words refused to leave him, whining in frustration.
"For God's sake, you're not a child, Hyde, speak up!"
Once again, Hyde flinched, then tried desperately to speak. But when he did so that second time, words which were seemingly unconnected spilled forth from his lips. He spoke of a monster of red, being trapped in darkness, and an unending pain that he couldn't seem to escape from. All the while, fresh tears were glistening in his eyes, as his words soon tumbled into shaking sobs. Then, once again, he tried to get out of Jekyll's clutches.
But no matter how difficult it became, Hyde refused to return to the mindscape. He couldn't even bare the thought of falling back into the crimson clutches of that dark prison.
Jekyll just stared down at him; his expression unreadable and his grip unyielding. But a moment later, Hyde felt said grip loosen, giving him the chance to flee to the nearest corner of the room, curled up in fear; eyes closed to hold back tears. For a moment, he could've sworn he had seen the red eyed monster, glaring down at him: teeth bared hands, eyes manic and hands holding him down.
But Jekyll was the only one in the room with him. And with a sigh, the light was turned on and footsteps carefully approached.
"Hyde. It's alright now. Nothing is going to hurt you." He cooed.
Slowly lifting his head up, Hyde looked at him; eyes wet with tears. But even in the light, where he only saw Dr Jekyll in front of him, he didn't appear convinced by the other man's words.
As if to reassure him, Jekyll slowly wrapped his arms around Hyde, holding him close against himself. Hyde froze, uncertain, yet as the seconds ticked by, he slowly returned the embrace. And not long after that, he crumbled within it, crying into his shoulder as Jekyll whispered reassurances in his ear.
"It's all going to be alright, Hyde. I promise."
Two weeks came and went. Through most of that time, Hyde had been kept inside Jekyll's house, in one of the spare bedrooms. It wasn't, as he had quickly concluded, a problem, as he had needed to recover from the separation they had undergone during the first week. Neither of them were certain as to how it had succeeded where the original formula had failed, but Hyde certainly wasn't complaining about having a whole body all to himself.
Jekyll had informed those at The Society of his return not long after that first night. Apparently Rachel and Jasper had been quite relieved, while the lodgers had been, unsurprisingly, indifferent about the news. Hyde imagined they were still fawning over Frankenstein.
But that didn't matter. What mattered, most of all, was that the monster could no longer get him. And better still, his health had begun to improve. He had even started to feel more like himself again!
Now, the end of the month had arrived. Night had come, and the two of them were enjoying a small meal in the dining room.
While Jekyll quietly savoured his food at one end of the table, Hyde was eagerly devouring it: a gleam of joy in his eyes and a wide smirk upon his face. Although, when he had the first bite, it had been much hotter than he had expected, and had been rather bitter. But when he had asked Jekyll, his only answer had been:
"Hmm, mine is perfectly fine. One of the servants must have added something to spice up your meal. I'm sure it's nothing."
He had continued with some hesitation, but eventually got used to the heat and taste. His stomach felt weird, though he imagined that the food was simply filling him up quite easily. However, once he had been half way through the meal, he felt like there was no more room left in his stomach to finish it. And so, he put the knife and fork down, and picked up his glass of wine.
As he picked it up, his vision suddenly appeared imbalanced; Hyde's surroundings wiggling ever so slightly. He blinked, then shook his head, tried to push the strange feeling aside so that he could look over at Jekyll. Then, Hyde quickly spoke up.
"Do you want to toast?" He offered with a nervous smile.
"To what?" Jekyll questioned. He put his cutlery down, raising an eyebrow at him, and Hyde had to wonder if his somewhat unwell state had suddenly become obvious to the other man.
He thought for a moment, his eyes feeling quite heavy all of a sudden, yet he quickly focused his gaze upon Jekyll. Then, a reason finally hit him, and he raised his glass of wine high.
"To putting the past behind us! And to...to...better...days."
With a loud thud, his head hit the table, and not long after that his glass had fallen and shattered; spilling its contents across the floor. His eyes were once again heavy, practically upon the verge collapsing, while his hearing was muffled. And yet, when he caught sight of Jekyll, his lips were very clearly moving.
"What? What's happening...to me?" He said through gritted teeth, his own pained words muffled.
But before he got an answer, the world around him went dark.
Some time later, Hyde awoke with a long and raspy groan. As he did so, he found that his head was throbbing, tearing another groan from him. He also smelt blood as he tried to open his eyes.
'Must have broken my nose when I hit my head.'
He tried to sit up, still unsure of where he was, only to find that he couldn't. With wide eyes, Hyde stared at both of his arms, then at his legs. They were tied up! They had been pulled apart, ankles and wrists restrained to a familiar bed. And now, he felt soft fabric between his lips. A gag had seemingly been forcefully shoved into his mouth, while his body was trembling with nothing protecting it from the how cold the room felt.
Immediately, he tugged and pulled at the restraints: heart pounding, body shaking and sweat rolling down his face. But none of the bonds refused to budge. Then, he tried to spit out the gag. But it was wrapped far too tightly around his head to remove it, only worsening the panic now coursing through his veins.
He wanted to call for help, wanted to make noise, yet all he could do was thrash and thrash until his arms and legs ached.
"Ah, The Spirit of London at Night; panicking like a child. How pathetic. And I thought you enjoyed being tied up."
Hyde turned his head, and almost immediately found Jekyll standing near the bed. But even though his mind was fogged with pain and whatever had knocked him out, Hyde could tell that something was off about him. He was grinning, while a sadistic glint- that made the hairs on the back of his neck rise -was trailing over with obvious amusement.
'What's going on? Why is he acting like this? I thought everything was in the past!'
Hyde could feel the colour leaving his features, while he made another hopeless attempt to pull apart his restraints. But that only derived more amusement from Jekyll, whose laughter quickly reached his ears. Then, he was suddenly forced to meet Jekyll's gaze by cold metal, which was pressing against his neck, threatening to leave bruises.
"I'm surprised you'd let your guard down so easily. Was freedom so tempting that you didn't think I'd use it against you?" Jekyll questioned, before his grin widened. "Or were you simply that desperate to suffer at my hands again?"
Hyde could only shake his head, visibly confused by his words. Meanwhile, the cane slowly traced down to his chest, his mind racing as he hastily attempted to speak through the fabric in his mouth.
"I must say, I'm surprised you didn't notice the paraldehyde in your food. And you still seem to have some strength within you. Impressive." Jekyll explained, tracing circles over his stomach as Hyde could only stare up at him in disbelief.
'He...He drugged the food?! But why-?!'
A muffled cry was suddenly torn from his mouth as the cane suddenly struck him; pain searing where it had bruised the skin. A moment passed, then Jekyll struck him again, spreading the pain further with every calculated strike against bare skin.
"Pathetic!"
Another strike.
"Disgusting!"
Then another.
"Useless waste of life!"
The beating was spread across most of his body, though by the time Jekyll stopped, his legs had seemingly taken the most punishment. His skin was painted a putrid purple, while blood leaked from a number of wounds. The strong urge to vomit rose up in his stomach, but he held it back. All he could do was writhe and hiss and cry out in pain, unable to protect himself from Jekyll's violent onslaught.
But eventually, the cane was thrown aside, and Hyde watched as Jekyll calmly undid the rope. But he did nothing. He simply laid there; trying to even out his breathing as tears spilled down his face. He couldn't feel anything but pain, could barely make it through the fog in his head to try and move. Even when Jekyll straddled his waist, consuming his blurry vision, he only uttered a pained whine from the pressure.
Then, the gag was slowly removed from his mouth, and a hand immediately replaced it. Hyde stared down at it with wide eyes, then up at Jekyll, whose face was now a hair's width away from his.
"No screaming, no calling out for help. Do that, and I'll choke out whatever life you have left. Am I clear?" Jekyll whispered, low and venomous, his eyes like daggers cutting through his tearful expression.
For a moment, Hyde saw the nightmare; twisted and bloodied features torn through by a horrid grin. His blood immediately ran cold. Thus, he hastily nodded, and a moment later, Jekyll pulled his hand away.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Isn't it obvious? I hate you. I despise everything about you. Did you really think making me pity you would stop me?"
"No, no that wasn't what I was-"
"Did you really think I was separating us just so you could walk away, freed from consequence for everything you've done?" He paused, laughing as if all of it was a sick joke. "The police are still looking for you, the lodgers still hate you for abandoning them, and I doubt Jasper or Rachel or Robert will ever believe a word you say against me."
Hyde opened his mouth, a retort seemingly upon the tip of his tongue. But then he closed it; visibly deflating. Jekyll wasn't wrong. The odds were, in fact, stacked heavily against him. None of them would ever believe Dr Jekyll to be anything but the gentleman London knew and respected.
"I...I could flee from London, from you, from everyone. They'd never find me, and you know it." Hyde retorted, baring his teeth with a reignited spark in his eyes.
Silence was the only thing that answered him.
A small smirk came to Hyde's lips. Jekyll wasn't saying anything, so he must have broken through, he was certain of it!
"I'm The Spirit of London at Night, nothing can stop me! Not Hell, not the coppers, and definitely not...!"
Suddenly, a cacophony of cackling filled the room; drowning out whatever words he had left to proclaim. And when he looked up, anger in his eyes at the interruption, he saw that Jekyll...was laughing. His head was thrown back, his teeth bared like a vampire preparing to tear into his throat. And the sight made him shrink, the flare in his eyes visibly fading away.
"If it were that simple, do you really think I would have left your legs unharmed?" Jekyll snarled, pressing his hands down against Hyde's shoulders; pinning him under him. His gaze burned with all the insane fury of one who had been pushed over the edge.
Hyde blinked, then slowly lifted his head to stare at his legs. As if in disbelief, he tried to move them, tried to plant his feet flat upon the bed, only to cry out as the pain, which had somewhat dulled by then, instantly returned to him with a vengeance. Another attempt was made, but with wide eyes and a racing heart, he realised he couldn't move them. In anger, Hyde lashed out against Jekyll, shouting and cursing as he punched him, fresh tears streaming down his face as he desperately tried to knock the sick amusement out of Jekyll, only for him to stand up off the bed; angering him further.
'I'm not going through this! Not again!' He thought, then tried to sit up. He pushed through the first wave of pain, only to fall back onto the bed when his body couldn't take any more stress.
The whole time, Jekyll sat beside him. And when he was done; panting and sweating, unable to make another attempt, Hyde felt hands cupping his face. It didn't take much to force his gaze towards him; staring with frustration and panic in his eyes.
"Shh, no need to cry." He cooed. His expression was warm, almost inviting, while his thumbs stroked away the tears rolling down his face. But such things only unsettled him further; panic spreading from his eyes to the entirety of his pale face.
"There's no need to fret, my pathetic pet. I'll make sure you live long enough to pay for your crimes in full. After all, I am a doctor."
A couple weeks passed before Hyde ever saw The Society again.
By then, his body had healed and he could move again without having to lean on Jekyll for help. However, he still forced them to use the carriage; curtains concealing them from suspicious eyes. There, Hyde couldn't escape. He could only sit beside Jekyll, a life sized porcelain doll for his twisted amusement, until the moving cage finally stopped before The Society.
However, after that morning's ride, Hyde had wished he had just stumbled and limped there.
The weather had been cold, as it always was, and the driver had paid them no mind until Jekyll had put money into his pockets. And while they travelled through London's streets, only the sound of horse shoes clopping against the cobblestone filled the silence inside the carriage. That was, until Jekyll suddenly turned to him. He had felt his piercing gaze sizing him up, wondering with dread as to what he had done to earn his attention.
"Come over here. Now." Jekyll demanded.
Hyde quickly shuffled closer; heart pounding as his mind raced with many a horrific possibility. But the moment he was close enough, Jekyll grabbed his shoulders; pulling him closer. And in the blink of an eye, he had smashed his mouth against his own, Hyde freezing up in shock. Thankfully, just as teeth drew blood from his bottom lip, Hyde managed to push him away.
"Get away from me!" Hyde shouted, shambling backwards. His eyes were wide and wild, like that of a cornered cat.
"Awe, and I thought you enjoyed this. Don't be so frightened, it's only a kiss." Jekyll purred, a mock tone to his words. Then he made another attempt to force himself upon Hyde; grabbing his face with both hands to crash their lips against one another.
But once again, Hyde had fought back. In hindsight, he felt like a fool for thinking retaliation wouldn't come for him. But in that moment, he had just wanted Jekyll to stop. And so, Hyde pushed him back with as much strength as he could muster, then shakily ran to the seat opposite him; glaring and baring his teeth.
"Leave me alone!" Hyde shrieked.
No response had answered him, but in the moment, he hadn't cared.
It had felt so good, that sense of control. Alas, it was only a fleeting moment, just as it had been all those weeks ago. But he was still riding the high, even when Jekyll had stood up and approached him, until his head was suddenly slammed into the wall; pain flashing hard and hot in his head; making him sluggish.
"When did I say you had a choice? When?!" Jekyll questioned, practically screaming in his face.
Hyde could only let out a weak 'no', barely able to focus through the sting flaring in his temple. But Jekyll simply continued; berating him and humiliating him with his own pleas for mercy, hands pulling at his waist coat and under shirt even as he tried to struggle to stop the undressing. By the time he was done, Hyde was lying upon the seat, crying and sobbing, his shoulders defiled with vicious bites and brutal hickeys.
And even now, hours later inside Jekyll's office, Hyde could still feel them; hidden beneath his clothes while he sat upon the floor. However, as if to leave a reminder to never question Jekyll again, his lips had been sewn shut. He said he deserved it, that if he had just played his part, then he wouldn't be in so much pain. And now, hidden behind the desk as Jekyll worked like nothing had ever happened, Hyde could only think.
He thought back to what happened after the altercation in the carriage. Jekyll had seemed so worried about him, telling the others that he'd found him in an alleyway, and had had to fight off the man who Hyde had gotten into an altercation with. And they all believed him, letting him pass so he could 'treat him'.
'Did any of them suspect? They must have seen the changes. Right?'
After some time stuck in his own thoughts, his silence was finally noticed by Jekyll. When the scratching of pen against paper ceased, Hyde looked up and saw him staring down at him with amusement, while he looked back with glazed over eyes.
"What a good pet, being nice and quiet as I work. Maybe I'll treat you to a proper meal if you keep this up." He praised, before patting his head like an owner would pat a dog. He felt utterly pathetic.
'Even if they knew, none of them would care about me.'
As if Jekyll had heard his thoughts, he let a small yet satisfied grin come to his lips as he returned to his work. Then, he slipped a hand down; grasping Hyde's chin and tracing a thumb over his bloodied lips.
"You're so much better this way. Now, I can finally work in peace."
With that, he returned to his work, acting again as if Hyde didn't exist. Was all of this because he wanted peace? The thought gave him the weakest glimmer of hope for an eventual end.
Suddenly, a knock came at the door. But before he could wonder who it was, Hyde was pressed hard against the desk; Jekyll's hand wrapped tightly around his throat. He pressed a finger to his own lips, a vicious threat in his eyes. Make a sound, and you can kiss that meal goodbye. Hyde hastily nodded, and after he had pulled away, Jekyll let the person inside.
"Good afternoon, Henry! Lovely weather we're having." Lanyon cheerfully proclaimed. Jekyll said nothing, focusing on his work.
Hyde silently listened. His trembling hands covered his mouth and nose, allowing no chance for a noise to be heard by either of them. But deep down, he wanted to shout, wanted to grab Lanyon's attention and expose Jekyll for what he had become. A moment passed, before he heard footsteps drawing closer, an awkward swallow following not long after. Hesitantly, he looked upwards, but only saw Jekyll glaring down at him, as to Lanyon, it still appeared he was writing.
"How have you been feeling? You've been quite busy, even more so than usual."
"I'm quite alright, Lanyon." Jekyll calmly answered.
"Are you quite sure? You've been acting off for awhile now, and I fear that you might be relapsing." Lanyon confessed, and Hyde hated the concern he could hear in the other man's voice.
"I'm fine." Jekyll repeated. However, Hyde could see the anger upon his face, and he had to fight the urge to hide beneath the desk when it only seemed to worsen.
"I fear that you're lying, Henry. What of Edward Hyde, I heard-"
Suddenly, Jekyll shot up out of his chair, making Hyde jump in surprise; his hands muffling the frightened sound that left his throat. He stared up at Jekyll, watching as he seethed, teetering on the edge of the madness which he had become all too familiar with within the last month.
"We are perfectly fine, Lanyon! If you have nothing of actual importance to tell me, then I suggest you leave me to my work!" He snapped, almost growling.
The room fell silent. Hyde's heart pounded in his ears, shutting his eyes tightly.
'Say something. Please. Please don't turn away.'
But a minute later, he heard footsteps moving away from the desk. And before long, the doors closed, and he was alone with Jekyll once again.
Days had passed, and no further confrontation had arisen.
Instead, Hyde had continued to descend further and further from his old self. And yet, even though his chaotic fire had been violently snuffed out by him, Jekyll seemingly refused to throw him to the streets. He began to wonder if that had been some sort of twisted mercy on Jekyll's part, and he hated that he was at all relieved to still have a roof over his head, food in his stomach and a place for him to sleep in.
By then, he'd learned to simply say nothing against Jekyll. Doing so would make the rest of his miserable life far easier.
Morning had already come and gone, and now that no one could disturb him, Jekyll's cruelty had been unleashed upon Hyde for the hundredth time in more than a month. So as he sat upon the couch; letters in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, Hyde was sitting upon all fours; shoes digging into his bare back, as if trying to pierce through to his spine. Thankfully, his lips weren't sewn shut, though they still bore stitched up scars.
It had been more than two hours since his task had begun. The tremors had started in his arms, as if the floor were vibrating beneath him, but had now spread to the rest of his body. He knew he wouldn't last much longer, yet he persisted through the pain. Even as sweat dripped into his eyes and hung off the end of his nose from how much he was pushing his already weak body, Hyde refused to fail.
Only suffering came from failure. He would behave, do what he had to, because only those who behaved got a good meal and a bed to sleep in.
Thus, when a loud thud suddenly filled his ears, he realised with great horror, that he had fallen to the floor. He didn't even care that, in turn, Jekyll's shoes fell; bruising his back further in the process. What mattered was that he had failed Jekyll.
Hastily, Hyde sat up on his knees, staring up at Jekyll with pleading eyes.
"Please, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall. I can try again, I promise I won't make a fuss." He begged, tears glistening in his eyes. But Jekyll's glare refused to back down, intent upon staring him down into submission.
Then, in the blink of an eye, he was struck with the back of Jekyll's hand; cheek swelling from the force of the slap. He barely made a sound at the pain, knowing he was capable of far worse.
"You don't get a second chance. Tearing up like a babe won't change that."
"I'm sor-"
Before the apology had left his lips, Jekyll kicked him across the face, sending him crashing down to the floor with a pained cry. He didn't bother to get back up, nor did he bother to wipe away the blood dribbling from his nose, as Jekyll quickly stood up. He stepped closer, then kicked him onto his back; knocking the air from his lungs in the process. With a gasp, Hyde curled up, holding his stomach as he tried to breathe between sobs.
"Useless. You couldn't handle this simple task, and you think you deserve another chance?" Jekyll gritted out. Then, he paused, and Hyde watched as a grin pulled at his lips. "But then again, I guess I should have expected that, since you only seem to be good at entertaining me."
Suddenly, Jekyll reached down and grabbed his hair, before beginning to yank him across the room by it. He couldn't tell where Jekyll was taking him, but he didn't want to find out. He pulled at his arms and kicked at the carpet, trying to slow him down. And before he could beg or plead, he was violently shoved into one of the unused cabinets. He was then left in complete darkness, as the door was slammed shut, and light was blocked out.
He could hear something being pressed against the door, sealing it tightly. And as weak as he was, Hyde tried to open it. The door wouldn't budge.
'I'm trapped.' He realised; his heart sinking and his pulse quickening.
The beginnings of panic crept up on him. He had to do something, think of something! He closed his eyes, and took deep and shaky breaths.
'I just need to stay calm. Some sleep will help. And if I'm quiet, he'll let me out.'
With that thought reassuring him, Hyde leaned against one of the unseen walls. He wrapped his arms around himself, rubbing them to stay warm, then slowly closed his eyes. He had discovered dreaming, back when he had been bedridden due to their sudden separation. Alas, the newfound ability had caused him nothing but distress and anguish. And soon enough, he grew to hate dreaming.
They were never like the dreams he once saw in Jekyll's memories. No sunshine, no beauty, and certainly no happy smiles.
Instead, he saw shadows, saw blood and flesh as far as the eye could see. And every time, a single light seemed to follow him wherever he went. Those first few times he'd had the dream, he had called out to the darkness, hoping for an answer. But now, he just ran, never stopping: heart pounding, lungs burning and sweat beading upon his forehead. Blood splashed under his feet, yet it was clear that if he had stood still for a second, the monster would grab him again. Or, maybe it would be Jekyll, though Hyde had no desire to find out for certain which it would be.
He ran and ran, pushing through the pain even as his legs grew tense. But inevitably, they gave out beneath him, and familiar arms were quick to reach up and grab at him, trying to pull him down into the deep by his wrists and ankles. Hyde fought against the monster's grip; claws digging into his skin, while he desperately tried to keep his head above the crimson waters.
With a bloodied hand, he reached out to the light. He cried out for help, the dread of drowning immediately overcoming him.
But as the surface of the bloodied water finally forced itself above his head, a tall silhouette appeared above him. They leaned down, and for a moment, he hoped he would be saved. But when he finally saw their face breaking through the surface, Hyde couldn't stop himself from screaming until blood was overflowing in his lungs.
With a choked scream, Hyde awoke in a cold sweat; gasping for air. He stared around with wide and frightened eyes, wondering where he was with no form of light in sight. Then, reality finally began to set in. He held his head in his hands, sighing.
'How much time has passed?' He thought. It must have been at least a couple hours by then. And yet, he was still trapped.
'Has...Has he forgotten about me?'
With wide eyes, Hyde hastily reached out towards the door; pounding at it with his fists. It hurt, but he didn't care. His heart was pounding in his ears, like a frightened drum trying to stay in rhythm, making it difficult to hear his own terrified voice over the banging of his fists and heart.
"Let me out! Jekyll please! Please, I'm sorry, I swear I'll do better, I swear!"
But no response answered.
Hyde continued to shout, continued to hammer at the door, even when his knuckles bled and his throat was dry. When he stopped, tears were rolling down his face and his breathing was uneven. Why hadn't he come back for him? Had he actually left him in there to die? He tried to scream one last time, but all that came out was a strained cry.
"Please! Let me out! Please!"
His words quickly broke into shaking sobs as he curled up; holding himself tightly as he wept a familiar song of sorrow. The sound of the cabinet slowly opening went unheard, nor did he feel the arms wrapping themselves around him and pulling him out and into the office.
But as he was put down upon the couch, his mind finally caught up. He could breathe again! He wasn't dying! Hastily, Hyde took deep breaths as he cried tears of joy, while Jekyll stood over him.
"Oh do shut up. I only let you out because we have to return home. It's getting late." Jekyll explained through gritted teeth, making Hyde stifle his crying.
"Late? But, I was only in there for a few hours. It can't already be night…" He questioned, only to find the moon peeking through the window.
He looked back up at Jekyll. Then, slowly, he wiped away his tears, and even though he was watched with perverse intent, Hyde began to get dressed without another word.
A few more days passed.
A cold night had swept over London as they returned to Jekyll's home. Once inside, Poole had greeted them as he always did, taking orders from Jekyll as Hyde stood beside him; clothes concealing the bruises that couldn't be explained away. When he was finished, Jekyll walked to the dining room, leaving Poole to guide Hyde up to the bedroom as instructed.
Though a small part of him wanted to simply stand there, stuck to the spot, Hyde knew better. He quietly followed a step or two behind the butler.
Once at the bedroom, Poole opened the door, and Hyde stepped inside, quietly thanking him. But he didn't close it. Hyde turned around, confused, only to find that Poole had outstretched his hand to him; a small pouch held within it.
"You haven't eaten since this morning, Mr Hyde. Take it." He said, whispering in a cautious tone. But he didn't take it.
Poole looked at him, perplexed. Then, his old eyes widened with horror, though Hyde couldn't understand why.
"It's safe. I assure you, no one but myself has touched this." He explained, voice softer than it had been a moment ago.
With hesitation, Hyde slowly took the pouch. He then slowly opened it up, revealing small biscuits and pieces of fruit hidden within. Food. Poole had brought him food! He had to know Jekyll wouldn't approve of that!
"I can't take this. Jekyll will-"
"Do not worry about the master. Hide it under the bed when you're done, and I will take care of it once the two of you have left." Poole instructed.
Hyde looked down at the pouch again. As he did so, he could feel tears welling up in his eyes, his bottom lip wobbling as sobs rose up in his throat. Hastily, he wiped at his face, then thanked Poole for the food.
"Please, don't thank me. Not yet. I will send word to someone, someone who can put a stop to this. Until then..." He trailed off, just as another voice shouted.
"Poole! Where are you?!"
Hyde instinctively took a step away from the door, panic engulfing his features. But Poole never took his gaze off of him, even as he called back down to Jekyll. Then, he pulled away, grabbing the door.
"Try to hold on. Help is coming soon."
And with that, Poole closed the door, his footsteps quickly fading down the stairs as Hyde still stood there; heart pounding with terror. Then, slowly, he walked over and sat upon Jekyll's bed. He looked around once, twice, then quickly placed the open pouch upon his lap and grabbed a biscuit; urgently devouring it.
When he was finished, he made certain that there were no crumbs left. Then he shoved the pouch under the bed; hopeful that Poole would keep his word. After that, he grabbed his pillow, and found a comfortable spot on the floor.
He used the pillow to cushion his aching head, while he tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position. It hurt enough already, and he had no intentions of making his body feel worse than it already felt. He had been reprimanded earlier that day for taking too long with bringing up the food Rachel had made for them. Jekyll said he deserved it for trying to plot against him with her, screwed the thought tightly into his head until he couldn't argue. No food was allowed for the rest of the day, after that.
Hyde closed his eyes. He could still see how horrified she had been, and remembered the panic he had felt when he found her there. She wasn't supposed to be in the kitchen at that time, yet there Rachel had been; worrying over him and questioning every slip up he made.
"Please Master Hyde, there's something wrong, I can feel it, you just need to let me help you!"
"I'm fine, Rachel. Please, just let me through."
"No! Look, your hands are shaking, you're acting so skittish, and you look like you got into a worse fight than normal."
"..."
"Has he...Has he done this to you?"
"What if you were right? It doesn't matter, Rachel, I don't need your help. Now get out of my way and stop, asking, questions!"
'But she was right.' He thought, grimacing at his own words. At the time, he had thought he was going to break the tray in half from how hard he was holding it.
Now, thinking back, he imagined that she would be more determined to find the truth. If Rachel was anything, it was persistent. Help is coming soon. Would she be his help? Hyde couldn't help but to both hope and dread it ever coming.
'It makes sense. She's the only one who seems to care about me. The lodgers still hate me for leaving them to the police, Jasper barely knows me, and Lanyon would just sweep it all under the rug again...just like before. If anyone...'
Suddenly, the bedroom door was opened and closed in quick succession; the walls reverberating as it was slammed shut. Hyde flinched, then slowly sat up and looked at Jekyll. He could hear footsteps drawing closer to him, until he had stepped into the moonlight peering through the window. Then, Jekyll's hand seized his chin; a thumb tracing over his bottom lip. Hyde tensed up, shuddering, and like every other time before that night, the urge to fight back filled him from head to toe. But he resisted it.
"I see you did as you were told. Am I correct?"
"Yes. Yes I did." Hyde answered, raising his voice further, so as to be certain that Jekyll had heard him. And as a satisfied smirk pulled at his lips, he knew he had done the right thing.
Then, Jekyll pulled away and pressed a shoe against his chest, adding enough force to push Hyde back onto the floor. But he didn't pull away. Instead, he leaned down, a threat in his eyes.
"Undress. Now." Jekyll ordered, and Hyde hastily nodded.
He did as he was told. But the entire time, as he felt the cold air of the bedroom slowly latching onto his exposed skin, his fingers trembled around the buttons as footsteps stalked around him. They only stopped once he was done. Hyde placed his clothes aside, before hastily wrapping his arms around himself to keep warm; heart pounding and breathing rapid, wide eyes looking up at Jekyll. It felt like a thousand minutes had passed with nothing but red eyes sizing him up and drinking him in; a demon preparing to feast upon its prey.
And then, Jekyll was straddling him. His wrists were pinned to the floor; trapping him. His vision was veiled in shadow, unable to see anything but the monster looming above him.
"If only all your little friends in the East End could see you now. The things I could show them, how much you squirm and cry whenever I touch you. And they would see it all, my pet." Jekyll gritted out, practically growling down at him. The thought made Hyde's features pale, and he wished he could just float away, blank it all out until he was done with him.
Jekyll appeared to think about it. Then he shook his head.
"No, I don't think I will. Besides, they've probably all forgotten about you."
'That's not true, they wouldn't forget me...would they?'
Jekyll's hands left him, only to be replaced with an uncomfortably tight cravat. His arms were left there, useless, and Hyde's breathing immediately quickened; chest rising and falling in quick succession. It didn't help that Jekyll now sat between his legs; leaving him at his mercy.
'No no no, don't do this. Please, not again!'
And as hands began to explore his body, Hyde began to struggle: pulling at the cravat, kicking his feet and trying to gain any distance between him and Jekyll. But those hands merely pulled him back, fingers digging into his hips until the skin broke and bled. Hyde shut his eyes, going limp against the floor.
Jekyll's fingers sort after sensitive spots: stroking, scratching and poking, tearing whines and whimpers of pain from him. Now and again, Hyde felt teeth pressing down hard until they tainted that which had been in their clutches. But he never went further. Nothing but the torturous and unwanted caresses of a monster, and it was what truly frightened Hyde the most. Every time, his mind raced whenever Jekyll's hands moved too far down. Was he going to cross the line? But then he would just keep touching him everywhere else.
'Push him away! Just kick him and run! Why am I not stopping him?!' He thought, holding back tears. Then teeth were tearing into his shoulder, an agonising cry escaping his throat.
"Stop!"
To his surprise, Jekyll pulled away. He stared down at him, an eyebrow raised, while Hyde tried to even out his panicked breaths and quell his racing heart. Then, he continued.
"Just stop. I'll do whatever you want, I'll never do anything evil again, I swear! I don't...I don't..." He trailed off, before his words fell into broken sobs. And yet, he still tried to keep talking. "I don't want this, I don't want any of this. All I want, is to go back to the way things were, when we were happy. Don't you remember that, Henry?"
Jekyll appeared to think over his words. He almost looked to be taken aback, as if he hadn't expected Hyde to crumble under him. And, as much as he knew how foolish it was to hope for peace, a small part of Hyde did exactly that.
Alas, it didn't take long for Jekyll to laugh. And laugh. And laugh. If he hadn't forced him into that position, Hyde would've curled up, shrank to the size of a mouse and let the floor swallow him whole. But, instead, he just looked away, the horrid sound echoing in his ears.
"Your body tells me otherwise. And you were so much more receptive to me last time. You made so many wonderful sounds. Almost like you enjoy this."
Hyde hastily stammered, trying to defend himself. But Jekyll simply continued to jab, his hands continuing to violate his body; emphasising every vile word he uttered.
"I always knew you were a pathetic little pervert."
"I'm not!"
"You want nothing more than to be hurt."
"Stop it! You're lying!"
"Am I? Because from where I'm sitting, it looks like you want more."
As he said that, he pointed to how his treacherous body had reacted. Tears spilled down his face and terror ran through his veins. Jekyll then forced his mouth against his neck, then against his lips. But he just laid there under him, unable to move. He tried to disconnect from it all, to block it all out, leaving Jekyll to coax open his mouth and to continue toying with him.
"You said you would do anything, right?" Jekyll said, suddenly pressing something against his cheek. And when Hyde risked a glance, he saw what he had dreaded most, and tore his gaze away.
A low growl reached his ears, before his head was suddenly being held up by the sides of his hair; forcing him closer to the shaft. And when he looked up, Jekyll was furious, his patience- if any had even existed before then -now completely dried up.
"Now listen to me, you worthless little shit, you either take my cock down your throat, or I'll take it down there and give you a proper reason to cry! Do I make myself clear?" He shouted in a low, almost demonic voice. And without any retort or struggle, Hyde slowly opened his mouth and let Jekyll have his way with him.
When he finally finished and stood up, having already removed the cravat, Hyde was left lying upon the floor; unmoving and silent. The foul taste of semen weighed heavily upon his tongue, and he had to swallow to stop the contents of his stomach from splattering across the carpet. While Jekyll dressed himself for bed, Hyde rolled onto his side; pulling his legs close to his chest and wrapping his arms around himself for warmth. His mind was still trying to catch up.
But once Jekyll had fallen asleep, Hyde was having trouble breathing steadily. The wheels in his head had finally clicked into place. He could feel arousal burning like acid between his legs, and he wanted to scream. He felt disgusted, not just at Jekyll, but at himself.
'What's wrong with me? I let him...I...'
He can't bring himself to finish that thought. Instead, he pulled the pillow close and pressed his face against it; muffling his cries and sobs, until he finally fell asleep.
TO BE CONTINUED...