I ate my eggs and toast that Jonathan made for me. Even though they were plain and simple they were pretty good. The toast even had my favorite jam. Raspleberry... Yes I said Raspleberry. I know it is Raspberry. But I don't like calling it that. Don't judge me. Raspleberry was my favorite jam of all time. Makes me wonder if Jonathan new that or if it was just a lucky guess. Either way it made me feel more comfortable. A sort of comfort food. Of course, eating any kind of food made my happy. I finished the last bit of my white toast with Raspleberry jam. When I was done Jonathan took the plate and returned to the kitchen. I heard running water from the sink then sound of a plate entering the dishwasher. It only took a few moments for my kidnapper to return. He adjusted his glasses and took a seat across from me. "Now tell me Miss Charlette Autumn. How was your little fear trip?" Crane asked with a questioning gaze What did he mean by fear trip? Was he talking about the strange nightmare I had about Christoph? "What do you mean by fear trip?" I asked timidly. "That little nightmare of yours about Christoph shooting you." So he did have something to do with it! Although I shouldn't be surprised. He's Scarecrow. He thrives off of people's fears by using some sort of toxin. This toxin of sort makes people see their greatest fears. Apparently mine was Christoph killing me. I shivered a bit and I saw Jonathan smile. "The one where my fiancee shot me in cold blood." I asked icily. Although that wasn't initially intended. "Yes that one. yes that man killing you is your greatest fear. Which is a bit strange since most newly weds fear losing their partner." "We aren't married yet. We are engaged." I said sharply. It didn't really bother me that he called us newly weds, but it just wasn't official. "Right engaged. Either way you fear death. Don't be ashamed that's normal." Fear of death. fear of Christoph killing me? I never thought I would be scared of that. I figured my greatest fear would be spiders or some sort of creepy crawly. Those things are terrifying. "Can I ask you a question Jonathan?" "Of course Charle." "Why me? Why take me. I'm not interesting. I work at Gamestop and live with my mother till I can afford my own apartment. So why me?" Crane smiled at me. "You are far more special than you think." "I doubt it." I snorted in response. "Come with me." Jonathan said and stood up. I did so to and followed him to a faded green door with a rusty doorknob The door creaked as it opened and gray stairs led down to the dark basement. Jonathan headed down the stone stairs until I couldn't see him anymore. I stayed at the top of the stairs, apprehensive of going down. Should I follow him or try and run again. I heard a click and the lights came on. Jonathan was down at the bottom of the stairs and smirked at me. I sighed and headed down the stairs. The basement was cold, I could see the water vapor from my breath exhaled. In the corner of the room was a man gagged, blinded, and cuffed to a metal pole. "Sorry about the temperature down here. I hope you don't mind." Crane said and walked toward the man. "What... What is he doing down here Jonathan?" I asked cautiously. "He's my little experiment. Well, to be more precise. He is yours." "Mine? What do you mean my experiment? I'm not going to hurt him." I said sharply and glared at him. "Don't worry. You are just going to delve into his mind and decipher his fear. That is all. No physical pain involved. I promise." Said Jonathan with a wide smirk on his face. It unsettled me, but did I really have a choice here? If I did what what he told me to do then maybe he would let me go? I took in a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, I'll do it, but what exactly is it that I have to do?" Jonathan crossed over to a metal desk on the other side of the room and picked up a mask and a small ball. He handed both to me then went back over to the desk to grab another mask. One I was more familiar with. It was his own scarecrow mask made out of some sort of materiel. maybe wool, some straw and plastic. There was some air or gas tubes... Whatever they are called so that he can filter out the air with them and not breath in his own toxin. "Put that mask on, make sure it is on tight enough but loose enough where it is not choking you." He said as he put his mask on with ease. I looked at my mask then at the small ball he gave me, it looked like a smoke pellet. I set it down on the floor gently so I could put my mask on without anything getting in the way. Once I had it on I picked up the smoke pellet shaped item and looked back at Scarecrow for some more instruction. "Now throw the pellet at the feet of the man... Oh wait.. First..." Scarecrow bent down to the sniveling man and took off his blindfold. The man looked up and tears could be seen from his eyes. Charle felt bad, but what could she do? She had to get out... "Now... What are you afraid of?" Said Scarecrow to the man and Charle somehow know that was her cue and tossed the pellet to the floor and a greenish smoke come out. The cuffed man breathed in the toxin and began screaming while his mouth was gagged. He couldn't move or scream in terror. I could see... figures form in the smoke. It was shaped like a bird. A dark bird a raven or crow perhaps? It's dark eyes pierced through the man as he shuddered and stared at the giant bird. To the man, Charle thought, it must seem so real. But it wasn't. It was all a hallucination an Illusion. The crow cawed harshly and spread out it's black wings. The giant bird soon dissipated into a horde of much smaller crows. The crows flew over the terrified man and attacked him. Pecking at his head, his eyes, his arms and legs... Everything. The man felt the pain, but it still wasn't real. But something was... I didn't know it then... but there was a faint...a very faint smile on my face.