When you woke up, dazed and disoriented, the first thing you heard was the sound of muffled groaning. The room was blurry and you constantly fluttered your eyes, your head pounding relentlessly. You noticed that you were on the floor of your living room, and for a moment you found comfort in that because it kept your slowly reawakening mind at bay before the memory sank back in, about everything that took place before. A piercing shriek across the room nearly made you jolt, skin crawling in alarm at the sound. Colors burst in your vision, and it hurt, making you blink rapidly to try and reclaim the use of your sight again.

Your parents were bound next to each other in separate chairs, their wrists and ankles restrained with thick duct tape, mouths sealed tight with it. They were thrashing about, screams tearing from their throats. You coughed, rising to your feet, and with your vision clearing you realized; this was very real.

"Mom?" you croaked. "Dad?"

When you saw your helpless parents, your heart became lead. You rushed to their side, stumbling on your way there. Steadying yourself, head spinning, you tried to remove the duct tape that bound their wrists with shaky hands while they rapidly shook their heads in protest, though your main focus remained on helping them. But then you heard the sound of footsteps against the floor and you immediately froze.

"Look who's awake! Rise and shine, dollface!" the ginger roared with laughter as he made his way into the room, prancing about. Leslie looked up at him with terror in her eyes while Jim was glowering, puffing through the tape, and they both continued to flail in their chairs.

"How could you do this? They didn't do anything you fucking sicko!" you shouted, your fierce eyes gleaming with a boiling rage, lip curled in frustration, brows furrowed.

"I thought it was time that we all finally got together. I'm a little hurt that you never invited me here, seems homely enough," he said with a mock-pout, turning his head to glance about the place. With a hand on your chest, he pushed you back and stood in front of your parents, grin wide and sickly smug. "I got into a little trouble when we first met, so I thought maybe we could all start over, water under the bridge, you know," he taunted. You stumbled back, a frown marring your features as you stared back at him in sheer disgust.

"Let them go," you demanded hoarsely, your eyes filled to the brim with tears, and you tried to blink them back but that didn't stop them from pouring anyway.

"Where's your manners, doll? I didn't hear a please," he teased as he took a step towards you, brows raised in question.

You loathed seeing your parents who you always looked up to, so defenseless and hopeless, it made you feel sick. You never should have let this happen. None of this should be happening. This all felt like a nightmare, and you were just waiting for the moment that you would wake up. Any second now.

"Please don't hurt them, please," you begged through gritted teeth, voice cracking.

Jerome tilted his head to the side, as if in thought before he answered, "Now what would be the fun in that? C'mon, don't be such a killjoy, doll."

"They did nothing, this is about us, not them, leave them out of it," you croaked, stuttering in between harsh breaths.

"This has everything to do with them. They're the ones holding you back," he rasped, his words coming straight from his throat, pointing his finger at their direction while he stood in front of you. "You're still that little girl who's dependent on their Mommy and Daddy, who's waiting for their approval in all things, who still needs to be protected," he hissed, and a chill ran down your spine upon the emphasis on that last word. "That ends tonight, cause we are going to play a couple of games. I guess you could call it family game night," he mocked, his smirk dangerously wide.

Your mother's muffled groans pierced your ears, making it difficult to focus on anything but those sounds. You clamped your eyes shut, then opened them again and again, hoping that you would wake up if you just concentrated harder. Still nothing. There was no getting out of this. You couldn't have imagined a worse situation. You glanced back at Jim once you realized that he was near silent now, and he was trying to calm Leslie down with his eyes. Maybe he was finding a way out of this, maybe if you could just stall Jerome.

"No, no, don't do this, please, don't," you pleaded, tears rushing down your cheeks as your whole body shook in terror.

"Don't do what? We haven't even started," he taunted, the sound of his shrilling laughter echoing in your ears. "Don't you still want to be free like me, dollface? Isn't that why you chose to stay with me in the first place? I know you still want that, don't deny it just because they're here," he jeered, nodding his head towards your parents' direction. "Aw, wait, they didn't know about that, right? Oops, looks like the secret's out!" he shouted, making you flinch involuntarily. "The 'poor' girl was never kidnapped, contrary to what the news made it out to be, or what Daddy and Mommy thought."

"You're a psychopath, I don't want to be anything like you," you spat, your body quivering. Your chest was icy with dread, and you felt your heart beat in your head, your blood pumping slowly and loudly in your ears like an unsteady drum. Choking on poisonous terror as you struggled to remain breathing, and you could feel your sense of reality gagging on the vile truths sneaking through you, slicking into your tongue. Feeling sick with alarm and preemptive denial, lip trembling as your skin buzzed. You turned to glance back at both of your parents, and you noticed they had a look on their faces like they didn't want to believe it but deep down they knew it was true.

"I want what's best for you, doll, I really do," he told you somewhat sympathetically as he reached over to stroke your cheek with his hand, and the second it made contact with your skin you smacked it away, making the look on his face switch to a scowl.

"No you don't, you never did," you disagreed. Your eyes stung and your insides felt like a damp, empty grave.

"That's why we are going to play a little game. I got a gift for you," he told you with a laugh, and he whipped out a pistol from its sheath on his pants. Your eyes widened once the firearm was handed to you, but you refused to accept it. "Aw, what's wrong? Forgot how to hold a gun?" he mocked. Your hands were shaking, and then he shoved it in your hand because you wouldn't grab it. "Stay with me doll, c'mon, it's family game night, and we need you, I need you," he jested, patting your cheek with a hand. Those last three words would have met something if they didn't sound like sheer mockery and wasn't under these sick circumstances.

"No, I don't want any part of this, please stop this," you protested.

"I haven't even told you the rules yet! Patience, doll!" Jerome exclaimed.

Jerome skipped over to your parents and ripped the tape from their mouths with one quick pull, and he merely laughed when they both gasped. "That's better, now you two may speak. Say, do you like games, Jimbo?"

"You son of a bitch! If you lay another finger on her, I'll kill you, I swear to God," Jim warned, the words bubbling up from his throat as he thrashed about. "Just let her go," he demanded hoarsely as he gave Jerome the dirtiest look Jerome had ever seen.

"Hm, how about you, Leslie?" Jerome asked with a tilt of his head.

"Just stop this, Jerome. Please, you don't have to do this," Leslie pleaded, tears streaming down her face.

"Jim, that's not the tone I would use if I were you, see Leslie has the right idea, but still, not gonna happen, just get comfy in your seats for now," Jerome jeered, and then he made his way back to your side. "Now who is it going to be? Daddy or Mommy? Pick one. Take too long and well, I'll blow both their brains out," he deadpanned, then he broke out in a fit of laughter. "Was that over the top? I can never tell!"

"What?" you asked, and your hands were trembling so much now that you could barely keep a grip on the gun. "You're crazy, you can't expect me to-"

"What did I say, dollface? Do I have to repeat myself?" he piped, standing over you and watching the way your whole body tensed up. "Shouldn't be too hard. Just choose one or the other. You're never going to be free with them around. C'mon, you don't want to be held down anymore, correct? Do something about it then," he laughed, finding your plight to be quite the joke. "Let's spice things up," he added, rubbing his hands together.

"Please don't make me do this, please don't," you begged, "I can't, please, just let them go. I never wanted this."

"Aw, don't start with me," he chuckled, swaying his finger in disapproval. "As much as I'd love to kill them both myself, this is about you dollface, not me. You have to be the one that pulls the trigger, otherwise this was all for naught."

"Jerome, you don't have to do this, okay, there has to be something else you want," Leslie tried to bargain with him, but he merely laughed in response.

"You sick bastard!" Jim shouted. "There's no way in hell you'll ever get away with this. We'll come at you with everything we have, and we won't stop until you're dead."

"Kill one, the other gets spared. Don't do anything, they both die, and well I'll decide what I want to do with you, doll," he replied, stepping closer to your side.

"I can't do that to them, I can't-"

"Why can't you? What's holding you back huh? Do it. You'll feel liberated the second you pull that trigger, just press it, do something for yourself for once," he told you in a rasp, and his words made the hair on the back of your neck stand up in alarm.

"Y/N, take a deep breath. It's alright. It's all going to be alright, I love you, hold onto that," Jim assured with a smile that faltered the second it crossed his face. "Lee, you're going to be fine."

"Who knew family night could be so much fun? The suspense is killing me!" he cracked up, making Jim's face twist up in sheer disgust.

"Jim, no, what are you saying? Please don't, you can't, no," Leslie begged, choking on each word, and it was hardly coherent through her harsh sobs. "Jerome, we'll do anything you want. Please. Anything but this."

"Hmmm, let me think about that for a sec," Jerome mocked, his hand on his chin as he pretended to muse. "Tempting offer. Not!" he exclaimed.

"No, I can't do that to you, Dad. I can't. Please, don't- don't say that," you wailed your broken plea, and tears fell hot on your face, stinging your skin but it all didn't matter.

"Oh look, even in his last moments he's telling you what to do, dollface, don't let him make the choice for you, I thought you were your own person!" he burst out in shrilling laughter once more, watching you all fall apart in front of him.

"Shut up you fucking asshole," you wept between choked gasps, your hands quivering and sweating as you struggled to keep a hold on the gun.

"Boo hoo, crybaby. Stop acting like this hasn't once crossed your mind," he claimed, and then he turned to face Jim. "Don't you worry Jimbo, I'm a man of my word, I won't do any harm to your girls, as long as you make this noble sacrifice."

You rushed to Jim and embraced him in your arms as you bawled your eyes out, and you knew he would have returned the hug if he was capable of doing so.

"Just - just take a deep breath, Y/N, it's going to be fine," Jim said as you cried into his shoulder.

"Let's pick up the pace, Jimbo, I don't have all day," Jerome derided. "You too, doll, clock's ticking. Do you think one more minute will be enough for you two?" he asked with a tilt of his head, a look of annoyance on his face as if this was some minor inconvenience.

You wanted to scream at Jerome to shut up, but instead you only focused on the sound of your father's still beating heart and hugged him closer to your body. Leslie continued to wail, her breaths coming in short, sobbed gasps, and she fruitlessly begged Jerome for mercy.

"I can't, dad. I can't. I could never do this to you-"

"It's okay, I know you can do this. Just know that I love you," he assured with a sad smile on his face.

"No, Jim, no, you can't let him win. I love you so much, we can't do this without you," Leslie told Jim, tears pouring persistently in hot streams. Jim wore a frown, and he could barely look at his wife in the eye.

"What a lovely family reunion! I'm getting misty over here," Jerome chimed in, pretending as if he shed a tear, and wiped a finger over his eye. "This is so hard to watch."

"Shut the fuck up!" you piped, turning around and pointing the gun at Jerome's direction now, aiming it at his head. "You're the one I'm going to kill, you fucking asshole! I won't let you take my family away from me. I already lost one, I can't lose another, I can't go through that again," you screamed.

Jerome merely grinned and whipped out his own gun from behind him, stepping closer and pointing it at your head as well.

"Go ahead, do it. Kill me. You think that will solve all of your problems, correct?" he taunted, and took another daring step towards you. You flinched with the gun now tight in your grip, and you two remained face to face. Tension was thick in the air, wrapping itself around you and mercilessly suffocating you.

"I'm not going to play your sick game, you piece of shit. I refuse," you quavered as you bawled, words falling between heavy pants.

"That's a shame, no biggie. Hey dollface, I got another surprise for you, though. See those little devices attached to Mommy's and Daddy's chairs?" he nudged his head towards their direction. You instantly turned to look, ice filling your veins when you saw the devices fastened underneath their chairs. "They are going to blow up in approximately two minutes. Like I said, time's a-wastin'. So, go ahead and shoot me, and poof! They'll all be gone too! But do as Jimbo says, and well, you'll just lose him, and you and Leslie won't be a pile of burned up ashes."

"You fucker! Turn it off!" you shouted hoarsely. "Turn it off now!"

"Play by my rules, doll. Kill the stupid cop and then I'll shut them down," Jerome explained, a big smug grin stretched across his face.

"Y/N, stop it! We can't let him do that. You have to hurry, Y/N, you have to, or else you'll both be dead. Just listen to me, okay? Lower the gun, " Jim coached, and you lowered your gun from Jerome, taking a harsh breath that did nothing to calm your rapid heartbeat. "Turn it towards me," he proposed, and you complied to what your father said.

"Ever shot a gun before, doll? I could show you a trick or two," Jerome suggested with a burst of laughter.

Leslie was completely incoherent in her pleas for this to end, but you were vaguely aware of it with the current state you were in. You could barely even hear what Jim was saying, but all you knew was that he was ordering you to kill him, to get this all over with so you and Leslie would be safe. Jerome stood by your side while you stayed at a fair distance from Jim, your finger hooking itself around the trigger in preparation. This was his 'game', he had set the rules, so you knew that meant there was no possible way you could win.

You gulped your whirling trepidation, feeling it gurgle and hiss in the pit of your stomach. You breathed in and out, very slowly. You were numb. You couldn't feel your throat. It was as though an invisible force was strangling you into breathlessness and resignation into frailty. Moving instinctively, barely aware of your own movements and unable to feel your fingertips. You were sinking inside of yourself. Your sight blurred and you blinked back too many tears as the world around you practically buckled. The rush of your pulse was loud in your ears, and your heart drummed on the inside of your skull with such ferocity. You examined the look on your father's face, and it was one that you knew you would remember for the rest of your life.

Bang!