What do I do?
"Tick, tock, tick, tock. " Jeff intoned smoothly, making Annabeth want to punch him.
"I - I..." she faltered. "I wi...will..."
"Y-you wi-will wh-wh - at?" Jeff mocked. "Speak up, doll. I hate stuttering, especially when it's coming from you. You sound like that ticking motherfucker."
Ticking motherfucker? Annabeth wondered, perplexed.
"No, Beth," Emily breathed, startling Annabeth and even Jeff bu the surprised look on his face. "You can't go with him. You know - you know that. Just let him...just let him kill me."
Annabeth clenched her fists. "Em...what are you saying?" she whispered. "You know that I...that I...I can't...do that."
"Awww, how touching." Jeff cooed.
Emily completely ignored the serial killer. "What about me?" she smiled. "I wouldn't be able to live if you went with...him to save me. Just...it's okay. It's okay, Annabeth."
Annabeth felt her eyes grow misty until her eyes couldn't take any more moisture and the tears leaked down her face. Emily was willing to sacrifice her own life for her. She knew she'd never have and could never ask for a better friend.
The blonde smiled sadly. "Thank you, Emily. But he'd probably take me anyway. It's...it's better that..."
"No!" Emily cried. "Beth, you can't. You can't go with him. I won't allow it."
"I'm sorry,' Annabeth murmured. "I'm sorry for doing this." she noticed Jeff's grin widening. He knew - he knew what Annabeth was about to do.
"But you can't!" the brunette wailed. She began to struggle violently against Jeff with such desperation that even the human killer had trouble restraining her. "You can't do that, Beth! Only God knows what he'll do to you! Don't do it!"
"Hold still, bitch!" Jeff snarled.
Emily paid no heed to him. "Don't!" she was practically screaming by now, and Annabeth winced. "Do you understand me, Annabeth Blackburn? Don't you dare agreeing to go with this fucker! Don't you dare!"
To Annabeth's horror, Jeff's pupils began to dilate until they were mere specks in the very middle of his eyes. The whites shone through like pearls - very, somehow creepy pearls. "I'm warning you for the last time, you little slut! Shut your fucking mouth and stop struggling!"
Emily did no such thing. As a matter of fact, she began to kick and thrash like a wild animal. "Don't listen to this psycho bastard! Don't go anywhere with him! Let him kill me!"
"Emily, stop it!" Annabeth shrieked, her eyes on Jeff, who was growing increasingly pissed off and sporadic. "He's having a fit! Calm down, or he'll kill you!"
"Let him kill me!" Emily screeched. " That way he won't have any advantage against you!"
"No!" the blonde exclaimed, half-shocked, half-panicked. "Emily, stop it!"
"Listen to your friend." Jeff breathed, his voice impossibly deadly and low. "Or you'll be in trouble."
"DO IT THEN!" Emily's eyes were wild, her once flawless hair appearing tangled and matted. "Kill me, you asshole! DO IT! I DARE YOU!"
"NO!" Annabeth screamed. "Jeff, don't - "
"You want to die?" Jeff snarled in that same voice.
Time seemed to pause for a the blink of an eyes.
Or perhaps...
It was the lifetime of an age.
"THEN DIE, BITCH!"
Jeff raised his knife, eyes wild and crazed, pupils dilated to tiny, barely visible black holes. He brought his knife arm down -
"STOP!"
The cry that shattered the air was so intense, so potent, so desperate, that everything around the area seemed to freeze. Birds stopped chirping, and the sounds of forest wildlife faded away. Even Jeff froze, though his face was saturated with maniacal glee.
"I..." Annabeth breathed. Adrenaline was rushing through her veins, making her dig her nails into her palms to stop from shaking in pain, fear, and apprehension. Maybe pure incredulity that she was actually about to let these words escape her mouth.
"I...I'll go with you." she whispered. "I'll go with you." she repeated in a stronger voice, and she snapped her head up to glare at Jeff ferociously. The loathing in her eyes only made the killer grin. "Just don't hurt Emily."
"No." Emily whispered.
Then she collapsed against Jeff, who dropped her body and let it slump onto the grassy floor.
Silence and stillness saturated the air.
A giggle resounded through it.
Annabeth shivered.
"Haha..." he laughed. "Hahaha...ahahahahahahaha...HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The girl was at loss what to do. This insane fucker was...
He was...
The killer's hands were tensed, fingers twisted at odd angles. His face was turned toward the darkening sky as his shoulders and torso shook violently from his laughing fit. The maniacal chortles seemed to pierce the air, sky, and ground all around them.
"Finally!" Jeff howled. "You finally admit that you're mine! That you belong to me! You've finally acknowledged it, doll!" Without listening for a response, he kept cackling until the most horrible, inhuman, deranged, unholy scream Annabeth had ever heard.
It chilled her to the core.
This...this bastard is...
Abruptly, Jeff's control came back to him and he was looking at Annabeth silently, with a deadly glint in his eyes. She took a nervous step back, narrowing her own eyes, her fingers tightening around the pencil she kept with her.
"Well then, dollface ~" Jeff purred, licking his lips in a very disturbing way. Almost like a gentleman, he extended his hand toward her, fingers open and inviting her to take them. Annabeth stared at the hand, her mind racing at a million hours per hour. She'd agreed to go with him, yes, but her brain was still doing everything it could to prevent such an outcome. It kept popping up with ways to attack Jeff and run, or just flat out flee on the spot.
Shove him while you have the element of surprise.
Stab his hand and get the hell out of there.
Run.
But then Emily would be left alone. And there was no telling what the killer would do to her just to punish Annabeth for not keeping her end of the bargain.
What do I do? What can I do? Mother...please help me.
But she knew that her prayers would be for nothing.
This was not for her mother to decide.
This was her choice alone.
And...
Annabeth gritted her teeth.
If this saves Emily...
I will...
She reached forward...
And took Jeff's hand.
The moment she did, the killer tightened his fingers painfully around her hand and yanked her into him. Annabeth found herself sprawled against the killer's toned chest. If it was her father or one of her few friends, she might've closed her eyes and relaxed in the warmth of their body.
But not with Jeff.
In fact, she'd never been so tense.
Her brain catching up, Annabeth planted her hands against Jeff's shoulders, ready to shove him away or push herself off him, but then she felt a dull, hard pain at the back of her head.
All she could manage was a breathy gasp.
And then everything went black as she collapsed against Jeff's body.
The last thing she saw was his malicious smile.
So...Jeff finally got Annabeth.
Congrats, Jeff.
I think if this chapter was not my best. I've been reading over it, and it seems kind of forced or rushed. So sorry!
Thank you for reading, and I'll see you guys soon!