Harper thought that the faceless man and monochrome were two terrifying creatures. And in truth, they were. But when it came to the smiling man she was now facing, she'd rather face them any day. Her mind screeched for her to run, scream, hide, anything. But it felt as if her feet were cemented to the kitchen floor, her bones locked into place by chains. She could think of nothing but that carved smile and unblinking eyes that stared straight at her.
Her breath hitched as the corners of his lips tugged up, causing that cut smile to widen even more on his cheeks. His gaze held her in place, small pinpricks that possessed no color surrounding them. Black circled each eye, seeming like it was all that was left of his eyelids. The man wouldn't blink. She didn't think he could, which caused her stomach to curl.
"You lost, princess?" his gravelly voice questioned, his hand slowly lowering the water bottle to the counter. He took a step forward, she took one back.
"N-no," she managed to breathe, her voice shaking like a leaf. Her blank mind fought for words, yet his unnerving eyes refused to let a single thought enter her head.
His head cocked to the side, his disheveled black hair falling into his face. A raspy chuckle fell through his lips as his smile widened. It was almost sickening how she could see straight into his mouth, those sliced cheeks still bloody around the scarred edges. Did he repeatedly carve that smile, never letting it heal?
"Now what would a little girl like yourself," he began, taking another step forward, "be doing in a mansion full of serial killers?"
He was a predator, taking his time as he stalked forward. Her heart mimicked a humming bird's wings as she tried to keep a fair distance away from him. Her eyes flickered over his blood-stained hoodie, noticing his hand that laid in the pocket. He was gripping something, what appearing to be the tip of a blade poking out the edge of the pocket. Her mouth went dry.
"I'm... I'm working here now," she managed to spit through her trembling lips, her jaw clenched.
She jumped as a wicked cackle sounded from the man, his form hunching over as he laughed. It looked as though those never-closing eyes were close to bulging from their sockets. That laugh sent shivers down her spine; it being nearly as chaotic as Laughing Jack's. She could see the craze that just leaked from him, knowing there was no chance at reasoning with him like the others. The others had been miracles.
"Working here?" he scoffed, taking another step forward. She was now backed into the corner, her knees beginning to shake. He was only a foot away. "I don't recall there being job applications," he purred, amusement shining in his bloodshot eyes.
Harper opened her mouth to explain, fear swallowing her. But before a word exited her mouth, his hand shot forward, roughly gripping her throat. His charred fingers were far from gentle, all air being cut off immediately as she struggled. Forcing her back, her head slammed into the wall, pain bursting straight down her spine.
"Frankly, I don't give a fuck what your reason for being here is," he bluntly snorted, sneering in her face. "You're nothing but another useless person I need to kill," he snickered, his eyes sparkling with glee.
Tears welled in her eyes as she fought within his grip, trying her hardest to break away. His fist only tightened, along with his high-pitched giggles.
"Aww, don't look so sad, sweetheart," he cooed, his free hand's fingers lining her lips. "I can easily make you smile."
Panicking, she did the only thing she could think to do. Snapping her mouth open, her teeth snapped together, locking one of his fingers in between. Blood swelled into her mouth as she bit down, the killer's face twisting into one of pure rage. It was enough for his spare hand to loosen around her throat, allowing her to duck out from underneath his arm.
She ran. Bolting towards the door, she didn't care where she ended up. Who she encountered, what her fate would bring. As long as she managed to get away from the psychotic smiling man who so very nearly carved a smile onto her own face. Ripping the door open, she heard him snarl behind her, his heavy footsteps trailing her.
Speeding out into the hall, she fled for the corner, immediately turning left—only to crash into a surprised man, nearly falling backwards. His hands stopped her descent, gripping her shoulders so she could regain her balance. Her stomach dropped as she realized that yet another inhabitant of this mansion was now aware that she was here.
Harper's terrified gaze swept up, meeting the deepest emerald eyes she has ever seen. The man was smiling, one of his brows raised as he looked her over. Her heart dropped at the sight of the scars that decorated his face, sloppily stitched back together. One slashed over his cheekbone, folding over his nose. Two drug up the corners of his lips... making a smile. Another man with a scarred smile? Her stomach churned as she tried to catch her breath.
"Where's the fire?" he chuckled, before pursing his lips. "I don't think I've seen you around here before. Who might you be?" the man asked, releasing her shoulders.
The world began to spin as she fought for a reply. She couldn't forget the smiling bastard that was chasing after her. Then again, she couldn't run from this man, too. He at least seemed friendly so far, and the last thing she needed was to piss off two killers at once.
"I'm Harper," she quickly replied, taking a short peek over her shoulder. The smiling man was no where in sight. Turning back, she watched as the man ran a hand through his tousled brown hair, the look of confusion not leaving his face. "I'm the mansion's new maid," she explained, watching as his jaw dropped.
"Well, Slender could have informed us of the new little maid wandering around," he snorted, although his smile returned. "I'm Liu. Someone after you or something?" His emerald eyes shot behind her before he tensed.
All air left Harper's lungs as her arm was jerked back in a vice-like grip, her back shoved into the wall. The force was so great, the near by vase shook due to the impact. Furious pinpricks met her gaze, all color draining from her face.
"You little bitch," the smiling killer hissed, baring his teeth. "Forget the smile. You're not going to get a short painless death, princess, forget that. We're going to have some fun before you go to sleep," he spat, venom lacing each and every word.
"Leave the girl be, Jeff. She's the new maid," Liu stated, his lips now a thin line.
The smiling killer... Jeff stiffened, one of his lidless eyes twitching as they flickered over to Liu. Looking over, Harper didn't know whether to feel grateful... or even more terrified. The friendly Liu she had just met was no where in sight. In fact, he now appeared even more intimidating than Jeff, his personality flipping on the dime. His eyes were cold, emotionless. Even his voice lacked any emotion she could pinpoint as he glared at Jeff.
"Maid?" Jeff spat, his grip on her arm tightening even more. "The mansion's never had a damn maid. We don't need a fucking maid and I'm going to ensure we don't have one. Cause I'm killing this bitch," he snarled.
Pain erupted from her side, warmth pooling and washing down her hip. A cry tumbled from her lips as she stared down, looking at the knife that was now shoved deep into her side, the killer smiling maliciously in her face. His wrist sharply twisted, fire exploding as she tumbled below him. If it wasn't for his grip on her arm, she would have collapsed on the ground.
Ripping out the knife, the killer smirked, arrogance radiating from him. It only lasted a moment, before his head whipped to the side. Harper watched as Jeff stumbled backwards, his shocked eyes locking with Liu's clenched fist.
Jeff's lips curled as he twirled his knife. "Do I need to slice you up again?" he snarled, fury smoldering in his eyes. "Don't fuck with me, Liu. You stay out of my way and I'll stay out of yours."
A dull smirk washed across Liu's face, his narrowed eyes entertained as he twisted the dark green scarf that hung around his neck. Ignoring him, he looked back at Harper, his eyes washing over her wounded side. "Go down the hall and take a right. Fifth door on your left. Tell him I sent you," he nodded, his voice bored.
It was pure agony standing, Harper using the wall to support herself as Jeff let out an enraged yell. Her heart flipped as he bolted forward, his bloody knife raised to pierce her again. Before he made it four steps, Liu crashed into him, sending Jeff into the wall. Cockily smiling, Liu nodded towards Harper, his dead eyes holding only a spark of amusement as Jeff twisted towards him.
Realizing Liu was going to distract Jeff, she began to hurry down the hall. Her side screamed with every step she took, blood drizzling onto the already red carpet. Sharp bangs and slams echoed behind her as the two killers fought, Harper wondered if Liu had only truly wanted to anger Jeff. Remembering his cold eyes, she thought that to be the case. The man seemed to have two halves—one friendly and kind. The other cold and mischievous.
Shaking the thoughts away, she focused on getting to whatever room he had told her to go to. It could be a room filled with rabid wolves for all she knew, but with this pain and increasing blood loss, she didn't care. Grimacing, she turned right at the end of the hall, her legs shaking as she forced them forward. Approaching the fifth door, her arm hesitated before she knocked.
Silence lingered, before she heard the sound of feet approaching. The door cracked open, squeaking harshly. Looking up, Harper saw a man staring down at her, his eyes a chilling red. If she hadn't been injured, she would have sprinted away just by those demonic eyes.
His hair was a shaggy black, falling down to the middle of his neck. The only other thing she noticed was the white hospital mask that kept half of his pale face from view, a jagged smile faintly drawn over it. His eyes were sharp, irritated as they looked her over. The door began to shut.
"Wait!" Harper cried, her side stinging as she clamped her hand over it to halt the bleeding. "L-Liu sent me. He told me to come here." The words were rushed as they sped past her lips. But he couldn't shut that door—she would surely die if he locked her away.
The man's eyebrows furrowed before a loaded sigh echoed against the paper mask. Opening the door a tad wider, he allowed her inside. Shuffling in, Harper's gaze swept over the hospital-like scene. A cheap hospital bed laid in the corner, crinkly paper laid on top. Cabinets lined the walls, jars filled with odd substances filling the ones she could see inside. Odd instruments covered the counter next to the bed, their grizzly appearance scaring her even more.
Hearing a sharp slap, she turned to see the man pulling on thin rubber gloves. "Why did Liu send you?" he asked, even though it truly did not sound like a question. His voice lacked any emotion, just as dreary as his eyes.
"I was stabbed in the side—some man named Jeff-"
He waved out his hand, irritation sparking within the red of his gaze. "I can see that—I am not blind. Why did he send a human girl to my aid," he rephrased, as Harper hesitantly sat on the stiff hospital bed.
Holding back a groan of pain, she bit her lip, sucking in a harsh gulp of air. "I'm the mansion's new maid," she repeated for what seemed to be the hundredth time this day. "Um... the Slenderman allowed me to work here. That smiling man, Jeff, didn't appear to like the idea," she chuckled, without humor.
He nodded, no interest in sight on his blank face. From what she could see, anyway. Pulling up her blood soaked shirt to expose her wound, Harper hissed as it was exposed to the air. The tears that had welled in her eyes dripped over, the new man gathering supplies as she laid.
"I find it odd that he would bother with such," he bleakly replied. "Jeff the Killer isn't hardly the most brutal within these walls. You'll be dead within the week," he bluntly added.
Her tear-filled eyes still managed to narrow. "Aren't you nice," she sarcastically murmured before letting out a harsh yell as he began to work over her. Staring at one of the odd instruments on the bar, she refused to let her eyes wander to him working over her. She would lose every last bit of her sanity, what little hold she still had left on it. So close she was to simply falling apart and giving up.
"No, I'm not," he replied, just as uninterested as before while he continued to work. "No one here is nice, if you have yet to notice."
Jerking harshly, she figured there would be no morphine involved. He could have at the very least knocked her out, yet she would just have to sit and endure the pain. Perhaps he did it on purpose.
"Liu was nice," she countered, managing to grit the words through her teeth, clenching her fists tightly. Never has she hurt so bad in her life.
The crude killer-doctor-man snorted, shaking his head. "I assure you, Homicidal Liu is not kind. Two sides of what's left of him. One can be pleasant, the other malicious. Since you mentioned Jeff, I'm guessing his assistance was merely to infuriate his brother. Not due to the kindness in his heart," he chuckled without humor.
His brother? Harper's head spun as she tried to block out the pain. Jeff the Killer, Homicidal Liu and Laughing Jack. What wonderful titles they all had, she bitterly thought.
"Who are you?" she asked, trying to distract herself. Anything to keep her mind off of the pain that continued to rage as he stitched her back together.
"I'm called Doctor Smiley," he replied, not offering anything else.
Mentally cringing, Harper didn't think she could take much more involving smiles this day. She would call him Doctor, no more, no less. No more smiles. He merely nodded in return as she introduced herself. It seemed to agitate him having to talk, she realized. He was far more than closed off.
Peeking up at him, she realized that she recognized him. She had seen him walking with that blue-masked fellow on her way to the kitchen. Little did she care if anyone enjoyed her cooking now. The Doctor didn't appear to have even gone to breakfast, which she was thankful for.
"Who else lives here?" she tried again, aching for conversation. This was torturous enough as is.
He let out an angry huff, his boiling red eyes not moving from her wound. "Lots of creatures reside here," he stiffly replied, not giving her an inch.
She quivered as he said creatures. Obviously everyone here was more than human, yet she didn't want to even picture anything worse. A bad feeling twisted within her gut as she realized there were probably plenty of other demonic looking things looming the halls. Swallowing roughly, she managed to nod.
"I've met Jeff, Liu, Laughing Jack, Slenderman and his proxies. Should I be worried about anyone in particular more than them?"
Harper saw his jaw tightly clench, the Doctor growing more and more frustrated, she could tell. "Yes, you ignorant girl. Now please allow me to finish tending to this wound—I am not interested in entertaining you," he hissed, causing her to swallow roughly.
Zipping her lips, she allowed him to work in peace. Pain gnawed at her side, it taking everything within her not to scream. Him talking to her had helped—a lot actually. Now, she wasn't given even that luxury. She began to wonder what she has truly gotten herself into. She remembered the Slenderman telling her that the ones who lived here held more hate than him... Now she understood the true depths of his words. But she knew she couldn't leave. It was learn to accept things, or die. There was no in between.
Tears trickled down her cheeks, hopelessness weighing her down. What she wouldn't give for at least one of her friends to be here with her. She just couldn't deal with this all alone—how could anyone? She realized just how much the Doctor reminded her of Lyric. Blunt, rude and clipped. Yet he was obviously incredibly smart and seemed to be the most levelheaded person who resided here. It made her long for her deceased friend, aching to know what he would say if he were here right now. He more than likely would have twisted every word that had passed through Jeff's lips. He would have told her not to be so immediately trusting of Liu. And he and the Doctor more than likely would have been fast friends, she was sure.
Although she hated to admit it, Charlotte and Oliver more than likely wouldn't have made it too long, even if they had survived entering the mansion. Charlotte's sweet behavior would leave her completely vulnerable. And Oliver's hot-headedness would have gotten him killed instantly.
All Harper couldn't understand was how she managed to stay alive this long already. Either luck was on her side, or she was just being punished. She would never know. Thoughts continued to spin throughout her mind as she lost track of time. She had no idea how long it was before the Doctor finished sewing up her side, wrapping a thick bandage around her torso.
"No sudden movements. Although I don't know how well you'll fare with that, considering where you are," he sighed, shaking his head. He pulled off the rubber gloves with a quick snap. "You'll have to come back before you are healed for me to cut out the stitches. If you are still alive, I will let you know," he murmured, standing and walking to the shelves.
Carefully sitting up, Harper bit her lip to the point of it bleeding due to the harsh throb in her side. She watched as the Doctor searched through on of the cabinets, his hand knocking into bottles as he sorted through them. Finally pulling one bottle out, he handed it to her.
"Take one each four hours if the pain becomes too intense. It should speed up the healing process as well," he informed her, appearing ready to shove her out of the room.
Gazing at the small bottle, she didn't see a name for the drug inside, or any description for what it was at all. "Um... what is it?" she breathed, her eyes flickering up to his. He could be giving her poison for all she knew.
Glaring, his red eyes simmered as he leaned back against the counter. "I don't have a name for it, Miss. And I see little reason for concocting one. It isn't like anyone here truly cares, as long as it gets the job done."
"You made this?" she asked, rather impressed. Staring down at the small white tablets, she still couldn't help but debate whether or not she should even bother.
"Yes. And if it's not too bold to say, your medical facilities would die for it," he replied, and Harper could tell that behind his mask, his lips were pulled into a tight smirk.
Walking over to the sink, he grabbed a paper cup, filling it with water. Harper took out one of the small pills, figuring she didn't have much else to lose. After all, she doubted he would waste time on stitching her back together if he just intended on poisoning her afterward. Taking the cup from him, she quickly washed the pill down.
"Thank you, Doctor. I appreciate it," she whispered, her eyes wearily flickering to the door. She had no desire to go back out into the hall. She was in no mood to meet anyone else this day. Or run into anyone she already has.
She heard the Doctor let out an agitated huff. "If you fear the mansion so much, why did you even bother wishing to work here?" he snapped, crossing his arms. He could read her like a book.
"It was that or die," she shrugged.
He laughed bitterly beneath his breath. "I see you're regretting that decision now." He was a silent for a moment, until his red eyes tightened even more. "If I escort you to your room, would you please leave me be?" he snapped, realizing Harper had no intentions on leaving this room by herself.
She quickly nodded, bouncing up from her seat a tad too fast. She flinched, her side feeling as if it were being repetitively punched by a professional boxer. The Doctor rolled his eyes before pinching the bridge of his nose. He seemed to have no patience whatsoever.
Stalking to the door, he yanked it open before storming outside, Harper hot on his heels. "Where is your room?" he spat, loosening his black tie. Harper noticed his white dress-shirt was now stained with her blood.
Giving him directions to the best of her ability, he began to stalk forward, Harper like a startled mouse as she followed after him.
"Could you please tell me about any one in particular that I really should avoid?" she pleaded, aching for any bit of information that would be useful.
Gritting his teeth, the Doctor sharply rounded the corner of the hall, shaking his head. "You should avoid anyone you can. I already told you there isn't a being in this mansion that is willing to sit down and have a nice chat with you immediately. My answer remains the same."
"How am I supposed to survive here, then?" she spat, terror nibbling on her bones. He was not easing her nerves one bit.
"You are not. I already mentioned that as well," he bleakly murmured, continuing to lead her. "If you are at a good place with Laughing Jack and Liu, then I would remain close to their side. Although I doubt that will truly be useful. Just because they aren't set on bringing you death at this moment doesn't mean they will be willing to stop anyone who is. Or they will remain that way. However, they can be your key to meeting others. My only other advice would be to become acquainted with whoever you can. You can't trust many, if any, but it is better to have them like you then determined to get rid of you."
It was the most she has heard him speak. It was rushed, yes, but enough to give her an idea of what to even do at this moment. "And you?" she asked, her voice small as he finally stopped in front of her door.
"What about me?" he sighed, his hellish eyes seeming to be shooting razors straight through her.
"Can I trust you?" she asked, needing the tiniest bit of reassurance. To know that there was at the very least one person she had no reason to worry about.
His glare was pointed, his patience run out. "I'm not planning on murdering you, if that is what you are asking. Otherwise I would have slammed the door in your face and been on my way," he snapped. "Or, better yet, experimented new medicines and medical techniques on you like my other patients instead of patch up your side," he sickly chuckled, his cheekbones raising as a hidden, wicked smile pulled across his face.
Quivering, Harper nodded. "Thank you again," she breathed, before opening the door to her room. The Doctor nodded, before turning and starting on his way back down the hall.
Entering her room, she quickly shut the door, locking it behind her. Her hand was shaking as she felt along the wall for the light switch, cringing as the light flooded the room. Her eyes were quick to speed around, making sure no unwanted guests were inside waiting for her. Letting out a sigh of relief, she saw that her room was empty.
Looking down, she noticed her blood-stained shirt was still damp, and she had not a thing to change into. Little point in taking a shower when she would just have to change back into that shirt. Taking a deep breath, she at least noticed that her side was now barely hurting. A small ache still remained, yet it wasn't nearly as bad as before. The Doctor's medicine must now be truly kicking in.
Walking over to her bed, she just about collapsed on top, only to remember that wouldn't be too smart considering her new wound. What was she going to do if she ran into another hostile killer? She was going to have make breakfast again in the morning. And the one after that, and the one after that... however long she stayed alive. Not to mention that the longer she did, more and more would be added onto her to-do list.
Thinking back to the Doctor's small pinch of advice, she made it a certain obligation to find Laughing Jack or Liu again tomorrow. Hopefully, Laughing Jack would haunt her dreams once again, or she'd run into Liu in the hall. But the agitation swirling within her stomach let her know that she wouldn't be that lucky. Perhaps she could talk to the Slenderman? Recalling his words, she remembered him clearly saying that he would not help her when it came to the others in the mansion. Masky and Hoodie neither seemed too willing, either.
Shutting her eyes, she simply willed for sleep to find her. The past couple of days had been the longest of her life and all she wanted was peaceful sleep. With or without that monochrome clown, she'd take it.
Right as she began to fall asleep, however, a knock sounded on her door.
Please review!