Well, here is the last of the, once upon a time, one-shot. Enjoy! Bwahahaha!
"Put them in, put them in," Max says excitedly to Jace after we all get out of the car and make it to the curb.
Jace turns his back to us, puts his left hand into his front pocket, pulling something out, and brings both hands up to his face. When he turns back around to face us, he growls while baring fangs identical to Max's and my own.
"Well, wouldn't you know it," Izzy laughs. "Three vampires."
The others look to me, and Max says, "Put them in, Clary, pleeaassee."
"Alright." I walk back over to the car, and the lights flash with a beep as Izzy unlocks it for me. I open the front passenger door and grab my teeth out of the glove box. I shut the door, and put my teeth in as I make my way back up on to the curb and Izzy relocks the doors. I look at Max, twists my hands around by my face. "Wa-la."
He laughs and then shouts, "Come on, guys," as he takes off running down the block. Izzy, Alec, Jace, and I, all take off running after him; when all of a sudden I feel eyes on me again.
I look to my right, and it's not Jace this time, or even Alec. I look to my left, and it's not Izzy either. I slow down to a jog, before coming to a complete stop and looking around. I can still feel the eyes burning into my skin, but I do not see who it could possibly be. I'm about to give up and turn back around when I catch a glimpse of something, or somebody, move behind the big tree that stands across the street. I squint, trying to get a better look when a hand grabs my shoulder gently yet firmly. I let out a shrieking gasp.
"Are you alright?" The familiar voice asks, sounding sincerely concerned. I turn around, their hand sliding down my arm. It's Jace, and for some reason, I feel a slight bit at ease. Unable to think straight, and not wanting to go into anything with him, I simply nod yes. He looks at me skeptically. "Are you sure? You look like you've just seen a ghost, which is pretty ironic since I just saw one before I came back to get you."
"Yeah," I say trying to sound sure enough that I can convince even myself of it. "Thanks."
"You're welcome," he chuckles. I look at him in confusion. He shrugs. "Sorry. It's just that, that's the first time you've said anything nice to me."
"Yeah, well, don't get used to it."
"Oh, I won't," he laughs. "Are you ready to get back to the others? Max wants you to go through the haunted house with him."
"Alright," I say absent-mindedly, looking back over to the tree and then around, again. I can feel the eyes on me still, and it's a bit unnerving if I'm honest.
Jace gently grabs ahold to my right wrist and begins to guide me towards the others. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I say as I continue to glance around and continue to let him hold on to my wrist. I'm not even really sure why I'm doing it, but something just feels right about it. Especially with those eyes of the person, that I can't find, burning into my skin.
"So glad you could join us," Alec says with his right eyebrow raised and a small smile, as Jace and I join up with him and Izzy. He points over to the left, where I now see Max is playing in a bowl of eyeballs - grapes in red gelatin. "Somebody was starting to get impatient."
"Sorry," is all I can say.
"I'll go get him," Jace says, and he lets go of my wrist as he starts making his way over to Max.
"I'll come with," Alec says, falling into step beside Jace.
Izzy stands there, looking at me expectantly. "I really am sorry."
"What's wrong?"
I glance around us before whispering, "I don't know. I think somebody is watching me."
She looks taken back by my statement. "Who?"
"I don't know that either."
She puts her left arm around my shoulders. "Well, I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
"What's going to happen to her?" Jace asks, catching us both off guard.
I look at Izzy and silently plead with her not to say anything. She shakes her head. "Oh, nothing. Thought you were getting Max."
"I was, but Alec took him to wash his hands, and I didn't think it would take two people to do it."
"Oh," she says simply. "By the way, I don't think you two have officially met. Jace, this is Clary, my best friend. Clary, this is Jace, my cousin." She says motioning between the two of us with her right hand. "Jace is actually moving in with mom, and them, at the house. And Clary is my roommate."
"Sweet! That means, when I come for a visit, I get to see you both." Jace says with a smirk.
I roll my eyes while shaking my head slightly. "Or... I could leave before you get there, and come back once you're gone."
"Ouch," he says grabbing at his chest, causing me to laugh a little, which in turn makes him grin.
"Izzy, Clary, Jace, come on," Alec calls from the other side of the yard we've been standing in front of.
"Coming," Izzy yells back. She drops her arm from my shoulder as we walk that way, Izzy and Jace both to my right. She leans over after a couple steps, whispers, "Don't worry, you're in good hands," in my ear and takes off; leaving me alone with Jace.
An awkward silence falls between the two of us for a short moment before Jace breaks it by saying, "You know, we've met before tonight."
"We have?" I ask with uncertainty. "When? And please don't say in a dream."
He laughs. "No, it was last Halloween actually." Oh, boy!
"Well, I'm sorry, but I don't remember it," I tell him honestly. I can not say that I remember meeting him anywhere I went that day. Or night for that matter.
"It was at a party, and you were beating the hell out of the girl that had invited me to the party." Is he saying what I think he's saying? "I was the one that pulled you off of her before you ended up in prison for murder."
"That was you?" I ask incredulously as I look over at him, completely shocked that a year later, I'm finally finding out who it was. "How did you know to take me to Izzy?"
"Yeah, it was me." He looks at me, confusion written all over his face. "Nobody told you that?" I shake my head no. "Hmm. Well, that explains a lot."
Not sure of what he means, and not actually worrying about it at the moment, I ask, "So, are you going to tell me how you knew to take me to Izzy?"
He looks back in front of us. "Well, I've seen pictures of you at the house, and I've heard hundreds of stories about you. You know, you're really special to the Lightwood's, they talk about you as if you were family."
I look forward and see Max, Izzy, and Alec just a couple of houses in front of us, and I smile at them lovingly. "Well, it makes sense. Maryse and my mom were really good friends until she passed away a couple of years ago."
"I'm sorry," he says sincerely, and I detect a hint of sorrow in his tone.
"Thanks," I say glancing over at him. "So, why are you moving in with Maryse and them?"
"Oh," he hesitates. He shakes his head slightly. "I just needed a change of scenery."
Even though I don't really know him, I know that there is something more to it, he just doesn't want to talk about it; so I don't push the matter, and the two of us begin to fall back into silence, only this time, it's not so awkward, like before.
"Do you feel like you're being watched?" He asks suddenly, breaking our silence after a moment, and I freeze in place. He stops and looks at me, a worried expression on his face.
"Why would you ask that?" I ask in a nervous whisper.
He takes a step towards me so that we are only inches apart. "Ever since we got here, and I've been around you, I've felt like somebody was watching us; especially after I came back to get you."
I just stand there looking up at him, unsure of what to say. I'm not the only one that feels the eyes on me, so at least I know I'm not just being paranoid. I open my mouth, finally finding the words I want to ask, when he leans forward, his warm breath brushing along my neck and left ear. At first, he doesn't say anything, and even though I can feel all my blood rushing to my head, making me lightheaded, and the heat in my face as I blush, I wonder what exactly it is that he's doing. Is he smelling me?
"If you don't want to answer, then just shake your head yes if you feel it." He says finally, and I do as he said. "I thought so. I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He pulls back and takes me by the hand firmly as if he is making sure that nobody can pull me away from him if they were to try. "Come on, let's catch back up to the others."
The two of us start jogging, my right hand in his big, warm, left hand, and I'm not sure if I just didn't pay attention earlier, or if it's because of what he said, but it feels like tiny electrical currents are running through my body from everywhere that our skin is in contact with the other.
We catch up to Max, Izzy, and Alec just before they reach the haunted house that I know Max wants not only me but Jace as well, to go through with him. We all come to a stop on the sidewalk in front of the walkway leading up to the house, and Izzy's jaw drops in shock. She looks over at me, the anger with a hint of worry in her eyes is enough to tell me that there's something she doesn't like seeing and that she's worried about me seeing.
"SEBASTIAN," Max shouts happily, and I now know exactly what it is that's wrong with Izzy.
My hands clench tight, and Jace steps closer to me. It dawns on me that I was still holding his hand, and now I have it in a death grip. I release the squeeze I have on it and try to pull my hand away, but he holds on to it and refuses to let go.
"Hi, Max," Sebastian says as he walks up to us smiling, with Aline, Helen, and her younger brothers and sisters. He gives Max a small hug, and Aline looks nervous as they come to a stop in front of us. "Hi, Alec, Izzy," he looks directly into my eyes as he says, "Clary," with no emotion at all, and my left-fist clenches even tighter while my right-hand grips Jace's hand with so much pressure, that I'm sure he's bound to let out a yelp at any second and snatch his hand away. Sebastian looks Jace up and down, his eyes lingering a little longer both times they come to our intertwined hands, and Jace let's out a scoff.
"Oh, I forgot, you two have never really met," I say as sweetly as I can, trying to cover up my annoyance and anger. I have to play nice. I can't, and won't, let him cause me to ruin Max's night with us. Plus, I'd never admit it out loud, but I'm actually kind of having fun talking to Jace. He may just be somebody that I let into my closed, little circle. "This is Jace, he's-"
"Her boyfriend," Jace says cutting me off, as he squeezes my hand a little and lifts it up into the air for all to see. My body tenses at his words and Izzy and Alec look between Sebastian and the two of us while trying to hide smiles. I think about denying it for a split second, but the mixed look on Sebastian's face of anger and pain is totally worth not saying shit. "And I remember you, you're the d-" I squeeze his hand cutting him off, and he looks at me puzzled. I quickly cut my eyes over at Max and then back to him, and shake my head no very slightly. He looks back to Sebastian and smiles slyly. "The dude, that she use to date."
Nice save! I silently applaud him, as Sebastian sadly says, "Yeah." He looks down at the ground and asks, "Can I talk to you for a minute, Clary? Alone?"
"Actually, now's not a good time," I say to him, and he looks back up and directly into my eyes, again. He looks like he's broken, but I could care less. He should've thought about that before he screwed around on me. "We're fixing to go inside the haunted house. Maybe some other time." I look down at Max, he's staring up at us in confusion. "You ready?"
He nods yes, and then looks at Jace. "They're going to scare you, so be ready to be scared. Okay?"
"Okay," Jace chuckles. "But remember, you're supposed to protect me."
"I remember," Max says as he grabs Jace's right hand. He pulls Jace towards the entrance, which in turn pulls me behind them, and Izzy and Alec fall in behind us, the two quietly snickering.
The five of us make it inside the haunted house and are walking down the first hall that is lined with fake spider webs that have fake spiders in them here and there, along both sides, when I glance over at Jace; he's smiling like a fool while his eyes check everything out.
"Thanks for that," I whisper as I step over a glob of webbing.
"No problem," he says, and in my peripheral I see him look over at me as we round the left corner; Max leading the way. This hallway has more cobwebs, skeletons every few steps, and a couple of coffins; one placed in the middle on the left side, the other at the end on the right by the black tunnel decorated entrance to the next section. He laughs at one of the skeletons to his right, as its eyes light up red and it sits up.
I chuckle softly. "Well, can I have my hand back now?"
He looks at me like I just stole his wallet, then asked for a loan. A smile plays at the right corner of his lips before turning into a smirk. "Max, Clary doesn't want to hold my hand anymore, and I'm scared."
"Clary," Max growls exasperatedly, looking around Jace at me with a raised eyebrow; since they're still holding hands as well.
I laugh. "He's lying, Max. He isn't scared, he was just laughing at the skeleton." I point behind us, over my right shoulder.
"Jace," he growls, and we both laugh at him this time.
"Alright, fine," Jace says and then sighs. He let's go of my hand as he says, "You got me."
"Now behave," Max tells him and then releases Jace's other hand as we near the end of the hall. "Since you're not scared, I'm going to check on Izzy and Alec."
"You just got told by a ten-year-old," I chuckle.
"It's not the first time," he laughs. "And it probably won't be the last."
I laugh knowingly, and Jace looks at me, just as the coffin opens, and a man dressed as a mummy jumps out, grabbing him. Jace lets out a genuine scream of horror, grabs the man's hands and flips him over his shoulder. The poor man lands in front of our feet, the breath knocked out of his body. I know I shouldn't laugh, but I can't help it. Jace's scream was hilarious, and the look of terror that flashed across his face was priceless.
I can hear Max, Izzy, and Alec laughing from behind us, as Jace reaches down and grabs the man's hand, helping him to his feet. "Dude, I'm so sorry, I wasn't expecting that at all."
The man dusts himself off, looks at us, and shakes his head, a smile appearing on his face. "It's alright. That pretty little thing next to you," he points at me, "did the same thing to me a few years ago, and she was tinier then. If you can believe that."
"I find that hard to imagine," Jace says jokingly. "I really am sorry, though, man."
"It's alright, really. It happens at least once a year, and yet I still haven't learned my lesson." He walks over to the coffin, climbs inside, and as he's shutting the lid he says in a spooky voice, "Hope you enjoy the rest of the house."
Jace looks at the coffin with a bewildered look, and we all bust out laughing at him before continuing on.
Entering the cave, Jace asks no one in particular, "Is there anything else going to jump out at me?"
Max, Izzy, and I answer simultaneously with, "Maybe."
He looks around, taking in the scene. It consists of a black ceiling with beady red dots that are supposed to resemble bat eyes, the walls have brown foam that has been shaped to look like rocks, and there are at least a dozen little white lights lined throughout it all to resemble crystals.
We walk through the 'cave,' rubber bats swooping down at us every once in a while, occasionally hearing faint screams in the distance, and I sigh in relief.
"What is it?" Jace asks as we exit the cave.
We enter into yet another dark room. This one has a fog machine, and a witches cauldron sits in the middle of the floor with three women dressed as witches stirring it with an upside-down straw broom. There are a few more brooms that sit in the far right corner, and to the left, there is a shelf lined with mason jars that look as if they have tongues, eyeballs, and all sorts of other things in them.
"I don't feel them anymore," I answer vaguely, unsure of where Max may be lurking. "I haven't felt them since shortly after we entered this place."
"You know," he quickly glances over his shoulder, "I was having such a good time with you, that I hadn't paid it any real attention. But now that you mention it, I haven't felt them either, which is a good thing."
"Yeah, but that can only mean one thing, that whoever it is, is outside still," I say and the witches cackle, it's as if they heard me and know something that I don't know, and it causes a chill to run up my spine. I shake it off, because there is no way that they could possibly know what's been going on, and it was crazy for me to think so, even if it was only for a few seconds.
"Don't worry. Remember, I got you." He says reassuringly with a slight cockiness to his tone.
"Oh, I'm not really worried about it. I would just like to know who it is, and why they're doing it." I admit, my tone full of certainty. That's honestly the most unsettling thing about it. I mean, whoever it is could always just come up and say something, instead of lurking around and watching me. We come upon the witches and their cauldron, and I nudge Jace with my right elbow. "Check this out."
"Would you like to see what will happen to you if you cross us?" One witch asks.
"Sure, why not." Jace answers.
"Come a little closer, and take a look then," says the middle witch. Jace takes a step toward them, and leans forwards, from the waist up. The third witch takes the broom and hits the bottom of the big black pot, and a head with its face melted pops up, and Jace flinches. I chuckle at him, and we continue on.
"Well, whoever it is and whatever reason they have for doing it, if they try something, they'll have to get through me first." He says pointing at himself with his thumb at the end, while getting back to what we had been talking about before, and I silently chuckle at the fact that he thinks I need him to protect me.
"Whatever," I say under my breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
"I'm sure it was, and to think, here I thought you were finally warming up to me."
"Yeah, I don't see that happening."
"Oh, we'll see about that." He says sounding full of himself. "I will win you over."
"If you say so," I scoff. Somebody has to knock him back down a few notches, and it might as well be me.
We enter a room that is much smaller than the others we've already been through. This one resembles the inside of a butcher shop and a tool shed. It has a variety of different things hanging from the walls and ceiling; such as saws, sickles, scythes, saw blades, bear traps, a variety of other size traps, and meat cleavers. There is a bloody, female body that has its hands chained to the wall on our left, with its intestines hanging out of it. About midways, to the right, is a wooden table with another body laying on it, and near its head sits a chainsaw and a meat slicer. To the left of the exit is a deep freeze, that has blood running down it, and the entire floor has arms and legs scattered around, some of the legs even have traps closed down on them.
"Clary," I hear a small voice say, and before I can reply Max is holding onto my left hand and Izzy is holding onto his left hand.
Izzy leans over Max's head and whispers, "I think we should fall back a little."
I nod my head in agreement, and we slow our pace, allowing Alec to pass us and catch up with Jace. We follow behind them, and Izzy and I occasionally glance over at each other with ear to ear grins. Alec has never come through here with us before, so this is his and Jace's first time. - It's apparent to me since he flipped the guy in the coffin earlier. I mean, that guy has been doing that for four years now. - And although we've been through here a handful of times, and know what to expect, even we still find ourselves jumping.
Alec and Jace are between the table and the deep freeze when an alarm starts blaring. A door that wasn't visible before slams shut behind us; the contraptions on both doors start spinning, and you hear heavy locks clinking as they come to a stop. Max's grip tightens on my hand as Alec and Jace look back at us, horror in their eyes. I hear Izzy telling Max that it's okay over the squalling of the alarm, and I stifle a laugh. The look on their faces and the fact that they have no idea what is about to happen is downright hilarious, but with Max being scared, I don't want him to think I'm making fun of him.
Jace and Alec start looking around the room as if they are looking for another way out, just as the deep freeze opens and a chainsaw comes to life. The two turn around quickly, now facing the person wearing a Leatherface mask that is coming at them, and Max grabs ahold to my leg and pulls Izzy and me into each other to shield him. Alec and Jace back up as quickly as they can, considering the limbs all over the place, and Alec ends up tripping. He screams like a little bitch as a person wearing a Slasher mask comes rolling out of the limbs, grabbing him by the leg with a machete in his right hand. Alec scurrying away manages to escape the grasp quickly and gets up, knocking Jace over into the legs of the body hanging on the left wall as he makes his way over to us.
The woman on the wall lets out a scream of pain as Jace crashes into her, and he darts across the room, panic clear on his face and in his body movement. He hits the table that the other body lays on with his waist and hands, causing that person to sit up and show off its deformed face. Jace looks up at it with his hands on the table, as if he is frozen there and that's all that he is able to do. The deformed man looks at him, and tilts his head to the side as if he is confused by what he sees; wielding a knife, he slams it into the wooden table right in front of Jace's face, and Jace lets out a blood-curdling scream. The man grabs Jace by the left arm, and Jace quickly shakes him off. He runs over to us, throws his arms out as if he's trying to protect us, and I hear laughing.
I look over at Izzy, it's not her. I look at Max, and it's him; which is shocking, considering just a moment ago he was scared and using Izzy and myself as his human shields, but it's also amusing.
"What are you laughing at?" I ask with a smile and my eyebrows raised.
"Look," he tilts his head back. I look and see that Alec has his back to us with his arms stretched out too, and I laugh.
Izzy looks between Alec and Jace and shakes her head with a chuckle. "Men," she scoffs, and shoves past Jace, pulling Max and me along with her, and causing me to brush up against his back and arm.
We walk to the exit, passing each of the creepers as if they aren't even there, and Izzy turns the knob, the door opening with ease. I laugh inwardly, Alec and Jace really thought we were locked in this whole time.
We enter into the next room, more of a hall really, and I'm blinded by red strobe lights. - It doesn't matter how many times I've been here, those damn lights always get me. - We make our way through the nauseating room to the exit, and a vampire pops up in front of us and in a creepy voice says, "Thank you for the screams. Please, come again next year."
I hope you have enjoyed it!
Let me know in the reviews what you thought, and what you think is still yet to come. I'd love to know your theories on what Jace is keeping quiet about, what is Sebastian's deal (What does he want to talk to her about? Is he the one watching Clary or is somebody else?)!
Don't forget to follow, hell even favorite! Until next time, MWAH!