Something is wrong...
He don't know what it was, or why it was bothering him so much, it just felt wrong. Like there was something nagging at the back of his head, screaming at him to do something, and yet it was just buried far too deep within his conscious that he can't figure it out without painfully cracking his skull open. That the closer he get to it, the vague everything started to be for him with this suffocating mist grasping his thought. It was confusing, he don't know what it was supposed to be, but there was this unnerving feeling beckoning at him into this strange path he can't see. Like the concept of normality itself was being twisted by this overwhelming sensation he can't control slowly taking over his body, trapping him within this ever changing maze he has no clue how to get out from.
Then he hear it, the slow rise of the distorted and garbled voices no more than a static piercing into his ears. He tried picking up on them, to clear out his mind from this mess clouding his thought, only to be left even more confused than before. It was weird, the more he focused into the voices, the more it doesn't make sense to him. It wasn't only the mess of voices getting over one another, everything about them were wrong in a way he wasn't sure he can explain. Even trying to comprehend what they were trying to say was proving to be a struggle with how much it was messing with his head. Of the low whispers and maniacal laughing mixing and conforming into one another in an ugly pierrot of headache.
It was pointless, he was only hurting himself even more by forcing his mind to make sense and understand this nonsense he was in. But he also can't stop himself, something that he unfortunately realized far too late for his own good.
The voices sounded odd, the first thing he noticed wasn't how many voices there are in the crowd, but their placement, of how some of the voices were cut off or changed entirely in the middle. Though the most unsettling part was probably the faint screaming being bend and slipped among the rising voices. It almost sounded inhuman the longer he listened to them. And he was probably right considering the way it was repeating itself again and again until it was loud enough to wake him up.
At least he thought so...
A snap of a finger.
His eyes slightly winced as his eyelids slowly parted in confusion to see the bright light being shone solely upon him in the middle of the dark room. He can feel the heat from the headlight warming him up, slowly torching his body under the stagnant air choking the air from his lungs. He swallowed the lump in his throat, struggling a bit before carefully lifting his head to see his surrounding. His throat felt dry and the sweaty bang of his white hair sticking close to his forehead. The sweat tasted salty and lukewarm at the tip of his tongue.
"Well, well, well, look who finally decided to join us~" A sultry male voice spoke from within the darkness. "It's about time for you to wake up my dear~"
It... It doesn't sound real...
"Wha-" His own voice stuck in his throat. He narrowed his eyes to regain his sight from the blurry lights assaulting his vision, barely holding up with the pinprick of needles stabbing into his irises whenever he opened them. It felt like they were sizzling under the heat, boiling and melting in their sockets.
"Come on now, don't say that you're giving up already~" The voice returned, now with a sliver of excitement barely hidden beneath the encouragement pushing him to go further. "It won't be a good show if this is all you can do you know~" A chuckle resonated around him.
It doesn't sound like a human...
The white haired boy sharply exhaled as his eyes finally started working properly with the blurry cloud disappearing from his sight. Though in the end it still did nothing with the inky darkness surrounding him in the room. Other than the single light basking him under the unsettling heat creeping up on his back, the entire room was dark, almost endless since he don't think he can see the wall from where he was sitting.
Right...
He was sitting...
Lowering his head, he looked at himself, at his usual attire, a pair of orange polo shirt and blue jeans with the exception of his white sneakers leaving him barefooted over the red wooden floor. It didn't take long for him to notice the burning tightening against both his wrists and legs when he tried to move. And it was made more apparent why when he saw the ropes tightly holding him in place.
His eyes widened in shock.
Panic started to sink in with the sudden skip of his heartbeat painfully clutching the middle of his chest. His pupils dilated in horror as he started frantically looking around for what could have possibly happened for him to end up here, a clue or something to explain this situation he was trapped in. He can't remember anything, not the day before or how he even got here. He can barely remember his name with how shocking everything was suddenly dawning on him from out of nowhere.
H-he don't know anything...
"Now, now, there's no need to be hard on yourself dear, everything is fine, you are here with me~" He slightly jerked when he heard the voice coming from his back, though there was still nothing but darkness around him.
"It's about time for you to wake up and join us Lincoln Loud~"
A finger snap.
Another light shone from above, showing the silhouette of a tall and dark figure standing behind the chair with his white gloved hands resting on the boy's shoulders.
Lincoln shivered under the sudden touch, feeling the stranger's long fingers gently holding him down like spiders hairy legs crawling on his back. It was cold and stiff, like a branch of a dying tree stabbing into his skin and spreading thorns under his flesh. It was unnervingly gentle, even when he can't see the eyes, he knew he was being watched, that his body was being violated in a way he can't explain.
A brush of wind grazed his freckled cheeks and his eyes instantly widened to see the pale stranger now standing infront of him with his head slightly tilted and his hands on his back. The black haired man was much taller than he expected, and the white toothed smile felt foreign on his obscured face covered by a masquerade mask he had seen from classic opera show being broadcasted on the tv. The mask was black with a delicate golden lining and seam adorning the edges where two black feathers stuck out from the left eye. He was also wearing a complete black showman outfit further showing how slim and slender his figure was under the light barely separating him from the spot of shadow lurking beneath his shoes.
He is still smiling.
Not once averting his barely visible eyes from the nervous boy still bound onto the chair, already giving up on his attempt to escape earlier with the ropes only burning deeper into his reddening flesh when he tried to pull his hands out.
He don't know what to think.
Everything is just so confusing..
There are just too many questions that he don't have the answer for...
All he has is the stranger standing infront of him, the only voice he can hear, the only face he can see, the only other person he can find the answer he was looking for.
And with how quiet the stranger was, he probably also wanted something from him. At least, that was all his mind could muster up at the moment.
But what could the man possibly wanted from a kid like him, what did he has that the man need him to be alone here.
Where is here anyway?
Gulping, he returned his gaze to the smiling man not once moving his body. His eyes leering over the boy in both anticipation and excitement.
"W-where am I?" Lincoln nervously asked, his heart dropped when he saw the smile growing wider on the stranger's face. He could hear the sound of rattling bones and chattering teeth as the man awkwardly stepped closer as if he wasn't used with the movement. Even a simple step forward was jarring as it almost make him fall before he suddenly got back up straight on his feet in the most unnatural way. It doesn't make sense, the stranger moved like his limbs weren't connected to his body, like they were only hanging by a thread keeping them together.
Lincoln lowered his head, his heart started beating faster when the stranger stood before him, slightly leaning down until his head was hovering inches away from his ear. He bit his lips, almost drawing blood with how close the stranger was to him that he could hear his breath caressing his cheek. And it was the most weird breathing he had ever heard. It was short, it was long, it was ragged, it was shuddery. It felt like there are a few people whispering into his ears at the same time, their voices merely a lost static in the thick air.
"Where... Where am I?" Lincoln anxiously repeated, avoiding from looking at the smiling stranger. A click, the man's jaw slightly unhinged beside his ear.
"There's no need to be scared dear, you are safe here with me~" The stranger spoke.
"W-where..." Lincoln paused, barely keeping himself together before continuing. "Where is here?"
"Nowhere... Somewhere... Everywhere..." The man shrugged. "You are here, you are with me, and you are safe~" He added.
"I... " Lincoln hesitated. "What do you want from me?" He went straight to the point. There is no use in hiding what he was thinking about, not when he don't have the answer that he need.
"And why do you think I want something from you~" The man moved again, his body clicking and clacking with every steps until he was standing behind the chair.
A shiver went up his spine when the man started lightly running his hands all over his chest from behind. Even with his orange polo shirt separating them, he could feel the cold touch of the man's fingers caressing across his tightening chest through the fabric.
"Why do you think I just don't want you to be here with me~" His stomach twisted at the cold whisper getting close to his ear.
"I..." Lincoln panicked. "I can't be here. Please, I need to leave. I need to get back." He pleaded, his frantic voice only getting more desperate with the horrible thoughts going through his mind. "P-please, y-you can't do this to me, I need to get back home." He stammered
"My... " He started to tear up at the reminder. "My sister, I can't... I can't leave them." Ignoring the rope burning into his skin, Lincoln roughly pulled his hands away, gritting his teeth at the pain searing through his bleeding flesh, all the while the stranger was only smiling wider behind him in amusement.
"Why~ Why would you want to leave me Lincoln~" The man got closer, his right hand clasping over the boy's mouth, stifling his voice from escaping. "Why can't you understand that I'm doing all of this for you, that I wanted you to be safe, that I love you Lincoln~" The man gently rested his chin on the boy's head.
"We all do~"
Lincoln jumped in his seat when he heard the loud cheers suddenly coming from the darkness surrounding them, it was loud, it was intimidating, it was nauseating, to be in the middle of this unseen crowd which has seemingly always been there in the room. He can hear where the voices was coming from, he just can't see them. He thought the stranger was the only one there with him, that it was just a kidnapping. Then what is this? What exactly are they trying to do to him?
Why? Why? Why!?
"Hey, easy there dear, don't lose your mind yet, not now, not with the game still going on~" The stranger slid his index finger into the corner of the boy's mouth who could only gagged at the touch. It was disgusting, of how sticky and slippery his finger was while exploring his gum and teeth.
Lincoln tried spitting the finger out only to find himself unable to move his mouth as if it was numb to the touch. And his eyes frantically darted around when the man brought his other hand to cover his vision. He tried screaming for help, begging for anyone to save him from the crowd, but it was pointless. The cheer was only getting louder with the screaming drowning his thought. He can't do anything.
"Now, let's see how good you are~"
Everything went dark...
...
"Linc-" A voice barely reached out to him.
"Lincoln?" A familiar female voice worriedly called out his name.
"LINCOLN!" His eyes snapped open as the white haired boy sharply gasped for air at the sudden rude awakening from the shout.
"Good, you finally decided to wake up." Lynn rolled her eyes and folded her arms beside him in irritation.
"Wha-" He looked around him only to see that he was sitting at the dining table with his family, most of his sisters were already there in their seats while his parents were bringing in the food from the kitchen. Dad adorning his usual cooking apron while mom was standing close beside him.
"Seriously little dude, what's the matter with you, suddenly falling asleep out of nowhere like that when we're about to have dinner?" Luna asked with genuine concern in her raspy voice.
"Huh?" His mind was blurry, he can barely remember anything at the moment with the mess of static filling his head like a haze.
"Like are you alright Linky, do you need anything?" Leni worriedly asked.
"I..." He closed his mouth, uncertainty clouding his mind with the sudden change of scenery leaving him more confused.
"Just let him be Leni, he should have known better not to sleep here." Lori sternly said while glaring at him. "Like literally, can't you just wait until dinner is over before going to sleep in your own room." She annoyedly remarked.
"S-sorry." Lincoln apologized with a strained smile. "I... I guess I'm just tired." He quickly added while rubbing the back of his neck.
"It's fine dude, just make sure you get enough rest after this alright." Luna smiled. "I know it wasn't easy dealing with Lynn." She smirked teasingly.
"Knock it off alright, it wasn't my fault that he is just that weak to keep up with me." Lynn retorted. "Plus he was already exhausted when I got to him after Lola forced him to watch her pageant training earlier." She reasoned.
"Hey! Don't you dare drag me into this, you should have left him alone if you know he was tired." Lola responded with a glare beside her twin waiting eagerly for the food to get ready.
"Girls, it's fine, really..." Lincoln reassured them when mom and dad walked into the dining room with their dinner for the night. "I-I don't mind hanging out with you girls. I just, I don't know, I'm just not feeling that well right now." He put on a smile for them, scanning the table when something caught his attention.
"D-did anyone know where Lucy is?" He asked, noticing the empty seat between Lana and Lisa with the occupant nowhere to be seen.
"Right, it's fine sweetie, Lucy is out for a sleepover with her friends, and she already asked for our permission so you don't need to worry about her." Rita answered while placing a pot of soup on the table.
"Well, I sure hope everyone are hungry, because we are having meat tonight!" Lynn Sr cheerfully said while placing a platter of roasted meat already wafting with hot and tasty goodness for them to savor.
His face slightly reddened as Lincoln didn't realize his empty stomach growling in hunger with the saliva escaping from his watery mouth at the delicious smell. Honestly, he don't remember ever being this hungry.
"Wow, that smell amazing dad, you really outdid yourself this time." Luan praised as dad sheepishly rubbed the back of his head at the compliment.
"I call dibs on Lucy's portion!" Lynn quickly said, stabbing her fork into the roasted meat and placing it on her own plate.
"Hey, no fair!" Lana argued while getting up from her seat to get closer to the food on the table.
"Now, now, there's more than enough for everyone." Mom calmly said while taking her seat beside dad already taking off his apron before getting in there to join them for dinner.
He was smiling...
"What are you waiting for little dude, stop staring already, Lynn is getting all the good part." Luna pointed out, breaking him from his trance.
"R-right..." Picking up his fork, Lincoln placed some of the roasted meat into his plate, barely holding himself back with the growling of his stomach begging for him to satiate this hunger.
He looked around him one last time, sighing in relief at the sight of his sisters smiling while enjoying their meal before returning to his own plate. He is fine, everything is fine.
It was just a dream...
Slicing the meat with a knife, Lincoln stabbed the smaller piece with a fork and brought it to his parted lips, feeling the chewy yet rich texture filling his mouth like an explosion of flavor much to his delight. It was surprising, how delicious the meat was that he didn't get the chance to savor it for long before it was gone from his mouth when he swallowed.
His hunger only growing with each slipping taste melting on his tongue, disappearing just as quickly as he shoved more pieces of the meat into his mouth. The flavor was addicting, it felt like he just can't have enough of it with the taste getting shorter with every bite he took. It was chewy and juicy between his teeth, but it also didn't take much effort to swallow them.
Licking the corner of his lips to not waste the juice from the meat, Lincoln swallowed and returned to his plate for more only to find that it was already empty. He was eating so fast that he didn't even remember finishing his plate already.
"Woah dude, I know you're tired, but I didn't expect you to be this hungry." Luna chuckled as Lincoln embarrassedly hid his face.
Propping her elbow on the table, Luna stabbed the meat from her own plate and offered it to him with a knowing smile. "Here, you can have some of mine Lincoln." She casually said.
"W-what, I... It's fine Luna, I'm already full." A shade of red crossed his freckled cheeks when his stomach growled
"Yeah, you sure sound like it." Luna smiled, bringing the fork closer to his face. "Come on lil bro, just take it already." She insisted.
Ignoring the teasing looks the rest of his sisters were giving him, Lincoln opened his mouth as Luna slid the piece of meat between his teeth before pulling the fork away, smiling when he started chewing in embarrassment.
"T-thanks Luna." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"I'm not the one you should be thanking little bro, dad is the one who came up with this amazing dish remember." Luna replied while pointing her fork at their father lifting his head from his plate to look at them.
"Right, thanks dad, it was really good." Lincoln said with a small smile.
"It's fine Lincoln, it wasn't easy preparing the meat with how little there was to work with but I'm glad you enjoyed it son." Dad responded.
"Oh, don't sell yourself short dear, you really did great this time, I've never eat something as delicious as this before..." She bit her lips. "You know, it might be the second delicious meat I've ever had now that I think about it." She lowered her hand under the table as dad slightly jumped from his seat.
"I don't mind having second~" Mom licked her lips before planting a kiss on dad's cheek.
"Heh, I guess it was worth the patience it took to get rid of all that small bones from the meat." Dad smirked. "You know, maybe we should try a younger one next time, it might taste even better." He salivated at the thought.
"Then what the fuck are you waiting for, just put another one in me already~" Mom slid her hand lower under the table. "I can't wait to see just what you have in mind to cook up next." She grinned.
"God! You really know how to rile me up don't you bitch!" Dad responded while roughly pulling on her blonde hair until she was gagging and staring at the ceiling, and yet the smiles still lingered on their faces.
"M-mom? D-dad?" Lincoln confusedly muttered out at the shocking sight, his eyes wide open when they both suddenly turned to glare at him.
"Don't intrude when adults are talking you ungrateful piece of shit!" Mom shouted, startling him as Lincoln dragged his seat back at the sudden change.
All the while, his sisters were still enjoying their food, not at all bothered by the scene of their parents making out openly at the table as if they were not there. Even as dad started ripping the clothes from mom, they casually ate their meal with a smile on their faces as if it was the usual thing for them.
"I heard it was supposed to be similar to pork, but this is actually much better than I thought." Luan remarked while chewing the meat in her mouth.
"Damn this is good, do you think dad has more back there?" Lynn asked, her manic face so close to his with the drool running down her mouth. "You know what, screw that." Leaning over the table, she stole a piece from Lana's plate.
"Hey, that's mine!" Lana jumped over from her seat and stabbed a fork into Lynn's left eye, digging it deeper into the socket before pulling her bloody eyeball out with warm blood pouring from the gaping hole.
"FUCK!" Lynn screamed, blood running down her empty left socket. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, give my eye back you bitch!" She angrily shoved Lana down to the floor, her hands tightly wrapping around her little neck as the blonde girl was desperately gasping for air.
With his mouth agape, Lincoln watched in horror from his seat, his voice stuck in his throat as his stiff body still unable to move at the horrible sight playing infront of him. It doesn't make sense, he don't know how to react, he don't know what he should do, he don't know anything.
He... He can't understand what is happening.
It just, it doesn't make sense...
Nothing does...
All of the sudden his world was turned upside down Infront of him.
"L-Luna, we need to do something, stop them, please!" Lincoln begged, his watery eyes widened to see the blank look on her face ignoring the blood staining the floor as Lana struggled to breath under Lynn still strangling the air out of her with a maniacal grin plastered on her bloody face.
"Just let them be dude, it's not worth getting yourself dirty." She shrugged.
"B-but Lynn..." He stammered. "W-we need to stop her... Lana is..." He can't control his breathing.
"More meat for us then." Luna smirked in amusement while playing with her fork, occasionally stabbing the roasted meat on her plate.
"Come on twerp it's not like you're not used this already." Lori rolled her eyes before delicately biting the meat from her fork.
"She's right Lincy, everything is going to be just fine." Leni softly smiled, a trail of scarlet running down the corner of her curving lips.
"B-but..." Lincoln slightly jumped when Lynn slammed the still body of Lana on the table.
"Hey, I am still eating here!" Lola shouted, glancing at her twin lying flat Infront of her before returning to her plate, not at all bothered by the sight of Lana's unmoving blue eyes staring blankly at her.
"Fuck, this meat sure fight a lot, now where did I put it." Lynn smirked, looking around her for something. "There it is..." Smiling, she picked up a knife and raised it high over her head.
"L-Lynn, wait!" Lincoln tried to stop her only to sit back down when Lynn suddenly stabbed the knife straight into Lana's chest.
"That's for stabbing me in the eye!" Lynn yelled, ripping the ribcages open when she pressed the knife down below the stomach to leave a wide gash. And he watched as her warm and sticky entrails popped out and splayed freely on the table soaked by the blood.
He wanted to throw up...
He wanted to look away, he wanted to close his eyes, he wanted to forget.
He just can't...
His stomach growled and his eyes dilated in horror.
What... What is happening?
"Ugh, you better clean this mess up Lynn." Mom annoyedly said while sitting on dad's lap, barely wearing anything other than her red bra pressing against his chest "It was already hard enough to get rid of Lily's blood from the meat, and now you go around making more mess at the table." She complained.
"She started it first you bitch!" Lynn shouted while touching her empty eye socket.
"Listen to your mother junior!" Dad added as mom returned to kissing his lips.
Rolling her eye, Lynn pulled the intestine out and started biting into it like a wild animal, tearing the bloody flesh from the bone.
"One less noise to deal with, I must say it was starting to look like a good day with no more crying in this house, and now it would also be less filthy." Lisa indifferently said in boredom. "A shame I can't also keep her bone and blood for my experiment, for once she can actually be useful for something. Oh well I can't exactly complain with her unique and exquisite taste." She chewed on the meat.
"Pfft, come on Lisa, don't say you don't remember this taste, we are eating baby food, get it." Luan joked, getting a groan from the prodigy.
Lily... She wasn't at the table...
Where is she?
Where is Lily!?
"Lily... Where is she?" Lincoln anxiously asked with his head lowered, nausea building in his throat.
"Huh, what do you mean lil bro, she is here with us, she has always been here, can't you see, she's in your plate." Luna smirked. "And now she's inside you, she's inside all of us." She chuckled in amusement.
W-what...
"Come on Lincoln, what are you waiting for, I know you are still hungry." Lynn offered a liver to him in her bloody hand holding up the organ. "You wouldn't want to waste good meat now would you?" She smiled.
"Listen to her Lincoln, mom and dad literally worked so hard to take care of the meat." Lori pointed out.
"N-no... I-I can't..." He gritted his teeth. "This, this is wrong, all of this is wrong." He quickly shook his head.
"Well you sure didn't complain when you stuff your mouth with Lily earlier, what's the difference." Luan laughed. "Meat is meat Lincoln, and you know you want it, that you wanted to eat more of it, why even bother thinking about it now."
"N-no, you're wrong." He tightly shut his eyes close, hoping that he could make himself disappear.
"Really Lincoln? How can you say that?" Lola glared at him with a scrutinizing look. "When you're the one who said how delicious Lily was, are you saying that she tasted bad now!?" She scowled.
"Like don't be ungrateful Lincy, not infront of the food." Leni agreed with nod.
His stomach growled.
His stomach twisted..
His stomach cried out...
His hunger only growing with the metallic smell of blood running down the dining table and into a red puddle beneath his feet. Infront of him, Lana laid with her chest cracked open, her insides spilling out where they shouldn't be seen in the open.
Lynn not once looking away from her feast, stuffing her mouth with the bloody flesh she ripped apart from the dead and cold body of their younger sister. Not a hint of anything left in her eye but hunger, wild and unrestrained hunger driving her teeth into the flesh of her own while licking the wet blood from her lips.
No!
Biting his lips, Lincoln grabbed a fork and quickly brought it to his neck-
A snap.
...
Only to find the fork missing from his hand with him being the only one left at the dining table. Or at least as alone as he could be with the headless figures of his family still sitting in their seats, stiff and motionless as if time had suddenly stopped in the dim room.
Silence...
He could hear his low breath escaping from his slightly parted lips, his wide eyes frozen at the horrible sight before him.
His stomach growled...
His hunger not once leaving his messed up mind far beyond broken at this point.
"You should have kept eating~" The voice returned. "You shouldn't have been so harsh on yourself~"
"What's wrong with eating when you're hungry, your body need it, you need it dear~" The voice whispered into his ear, his horrified eyes not once looking away from the desecrated corpses placed at the table like some forgotten toys, broken and forasaken.
They are watching him.
He can feel their eyes..
He can see their smiles...
They are waiting for him, they wanted to help him, they wanted nothing but the best for him.
They wanted him to join them.
He gagged and violently threw his head forward, coughing and spitting on the table but nothing came out from his sore throat. The taste still lingered on his tongue, making his mouth water even at the memory of what he had done, haunting him with the pleasure and addicting flavor stuck at the back of his throat.
Clenching his shaking fist, Lincoln punched his stomach, once, twice, thrice, wincing at the pain with wet tears running down his freckled cheeks, and yet nothing left his bowel. His eyes bulging slightly as he was heavily panting for air with a string of saliva hanging down from his lips. No matter how hard he tried, he just can't get rid of the filthy and vile content of his stomach.
"Why would you hurt yourself~"
"Why would you choose to starve~"
"Why would you feel guilty over what you can't help~"
He barely felt it when the stranger held his shoulders from behind, smiling as wide as ever. "Why Lincoln~"
"Why would you feel so guilty over a simple playful game~"
...
With a sharp inhale, Lincoln instantly sat upright on his bed with his eyes wide open, barely keeping himself still with everything spinning around him from the piercing headache suddenly knocking into his skull. His body was shaking and his teeth were chattering with the cold sweat soaking his brows in the dim lighted room illuminated by the faint moonlight shining from the single round window. His breathing was ragged and uneven as if his lungs were set on fire in his constricting chest. He swallowed the lump in his throat, his face paled, almost breaking down on the verge of tears when he can still taste the horrible meat in his mouth.
He was salivating...
It was still there, the leering hunger growing in his twisting stomach craving for more of the delicious and tender meat soaked by the juicy blood.
They are still watching him...
Lincoln gritted his teeth and hurriedly wiped his mouth with both of his hands, struggling with how much he was beginning to drool over his orange pajama drenched in his sweat. Tears started escaping from the corner of his eyes as he could barely stop himself from crying anymore with the memories flashing through his mind all at once, seeking desperately for the sweet taste he despised the most. And yet he also can't stop himself. No matter how much or hard he tried, he just can't stop his stomach from growling, from crying out to him, from begging to have more of the mind numbing taste in his mouth again.
They are smiling...
He didn't even realize the trail of scarlet running down his chin with how hard he was biting into his lips.
The room lit up with a click,
His frantic eyes quickly darted to the open door where a blonde haired girl was standing in shock with her soft gaze locked on him, mostly at the blood slowly trickling down his chin.
"L-Lori." The name felt foreign on his tongue even as it slipped out from his mouth.
"Lincoln..." She muttered out, her voice barely above a whisper. A concerned look plastered on her face.
"What..." She hesitated. "Just what happened here?"
...
It was a nightmare, a horrible, terrible nightmare.
At least that was what Lori kept telling him after getting up from all the noises coming from his room while he was tightly hugging her for comfort, to know for sure that she was actually there instead of another figment of his treacherous mind playing a cruel trick on him once he let his guard down.
That it wasn't real...
That he was still dreaming...
That he... That the smiling man will come back for him.
Lincoln didn't sleep after that, he just can't, not with the reminder of the disgusting taste getting stronger whenever he closed his eyes. And not with the familiar and mouth watering smell coming from Lori still in her white tank top and shorts sitting beside him on the couch in the living room to make sure that he is actually fine. Which he don't think he can blame her for with the weird expression she was making while he was telling her about his nightmare, of how uncomfortable she also was at the mention of the smiling man. As much as he appreciated her for treating his bloody lips earlier and staying by his side instead of going back to sleep, he just wished that she would leave him alone.
He don't want her to see him like this...
Not with how pathetic he felt, not with this gnawing hunger clawing in his stomach for the soft creamy flesh between his teeth.
'...Back to the matter at hand, a young man was found dead hanging under a bridge last night by a concerned passerby mistaking it for a mannequin at first.'
'A what? How can someone not know the difference between a body and a mannequin? Don't you think that is just too ridiculous?'
'Great question, apparently there was something strange about the body that led people to believe it was a prank before finally noticing the blood and calling the authority to get the man down.'
'Well, don't leave us hanging now, what was it that was so strange about the body?'
'I'm surprised you didn't know. In continuation of the recent string of suicides happening in Michigan, all of them somehow has one thing in common...'
'And what might that be~'
'They all were found with a smile on their faces. No drug, no alcohol, and no mental illness in their records. They were normal people, living normal life. And yet these unfortunate people still committed suicide in the end.'
'They were smiling? You can't be serious, how can someone be smiling on their death?'
'Unfortunately I am, all of the victims were found in many states of suicide from a gunshot through the head, a knife to the throat, jumping from the top of a building, and recently, by hanging, all of them were self inflicted.'
'Dear God, why do you think they would do something horrible like that? Don't they think about their family, about the people they left behind?'
'That... Would be for our police department to figure out.'
'But still, do you think any of these cases were related in some some sort of way?'
'In regard of that, I can only advice people to be more aware of their surrounding, especially of their loved one if they ever started behaving strangely. Our condolences also goes to the people who lost their family members recently to these suicide.'
'And we will be back for more news after a short break.'
The tv flashed off, reflecting his tired and wary face on the dark screen. He glanced to the side and saw Lori putting down the remote on the coffee table.
"I... I think that should be enough tv for now." She said as Lincoln curled closer against her.
"Yeah," He tiredly sighed. "I guess you're right." He lowered his eyes to stare blankly at the floor.
"You still can't sleep?" Lori asked which he simply nodded his head in response. "I thought so, do want me to get anything for you?"
"It's fine Lori, you can leave me now, I just need to rest for a bit." He reassured her, just as mom and dad came out from their bedroom since it was getting brighter outside to see him on the couch.
And their expressions quickly changed into one of concern when they saw the state he was in.
"Sweetie, what happened to you?" Mom worriedly asked while placing her palm against his forehead to see if he was having a fever, which he didn't much to her surprise with how much he was sweating.
"Lincoln had a nightmare." Lori seriously said. "It got him up pretty bad." She averted her eyes away in contemplation.
"Oh you poor thing, You just rest here alright, we're going to cook something up for you." Mom hurriedly dragged dad along with her to the kitchen. "And thanks Lori, for looking after him."
"It's fine..." Lori muttered under her breath once they were gone. "I'm here for you... Lincoln." She wrapped her arm behind his shoulder before resting her cheek on his white hair.
His eyes were blurry, hazy, unfocused.
His stomach growled.
...
It didn't take long as the rest of the house eventually woke up, his sisters one by one coming down the stairs before checking on him still not moving from the couch with Lori close by his side if he need anything. He felt worthless, like he can't do anything. And he wasn't wrong for thinking so.
He is an idiot after all...
Gritting his teeth, Lincoln moved his body, struggling to stand before falling back down when Lori pulled him to stay on the couch. "What do you need?" She asked.
"I'm fine Lori, I'm just going to the kitchen to have breakfast with the others." He reasoned.
"No, you're not, you're going to stay here..." Lori stood up from the couch.
"But-" He tried to argue.
"No but Lincoln, if you need anything just tell me." She eventually left the couch. "How am I supposed to not worry about you when you can't even stand up straight. I... Just leave it yo me alright." She sighed before finally going to the kitchen.
He wished he was alone...
"I heard you had a nightmare..." He didn't even flinch when Lucy spoke from behind the couch, her steps barely touching the floor before she decided to sit beside him where Lori once was.
"I'm not in the mood for this Lucy." He groaned in annoyance.
"It's fine, I'm just curious if you wanted to talk." She leaned against his side.
"Talk about what?" He raised a brow in confusion.
"About what happened to you." She replied, staring at him with her eyes hidden beneath her dark bangs.
"You heard it yourself Lucy, it was just a stupid dream." He scowled at the reminder.
"Was it really just that, a dream?" Lucy seriously asked while leaning her pale face closer towards his. "Do you really believe what happened to you was nothing more than just a dream like you said?"
He went quiet, finding himself unable to answer her question with the doubt and turmoil growing in his heart.
His stomach growled as Lincoln curled even further in pain.
"What... What does that have anything to do with you?" He clenched his jaw to distract himself from the hunger.
"Everything, you are my brother Lincoln, I need to know." She insisted.
"And what is so great about this brother of yours?" Lincoln smiled. "What is so great about this idiot that you cares about him so much?" He chuckled through gritted teeth.
Lucy frowned.
"It has already brushed you..." She raised her right hand and placed it on his chest where his heart was faintly beating against her palm. "I need you to tell me Lincoln, I need you to tell me what happened, what did it do to you?" Her monotone voice sent a piercing pain into his skull with the ringing deafening his ears.
Lucy was saying something, he can see her small lips moving, he just can't hear it.
"Leave him alone Lucy, can't you see that he need to rest!?" Lori scolded her before placing a bowl of porridge down on the coffee table and pushing Lucy away from the couch.
Though not before the black haired girl managed to utter her last plead. "Don't give in Lincoln, I need you to stay awake..." Her disappearing voice lingered in the air until she was out of his sight and into the kitchen.
Ignoring her, Lincoln returned his eyes to the porridge, finding it to be less than appetizing as ever. But in the end, he still need to eat something. And he would prefer it being something that doesn't have any blood at the moment.
"Here, mom and dad made this for you, just be careful alright, it is still hot." Lori sat beside him, filling the spoon and bringing it to his mouth.
He don't know why but he hesitated, as his eyes stared at the white and creamy rice, his throat instantly went dry much to his dismay. No matter how hungry he was, his mind still refused to listen to him. That this time, it still won't be any different with the bitter taste in his mouth rejecting him of anything other than the amazing taste once gracing his tongue.
Closing his eyes, Lincoln finally brought the spoon into his mouth, not even chewing before quickly swallowing the hot porridge down his throat.
He felt like laughing, as if it wasn't cruel enough, as if he wasn't having it bad enough.
Why did the world need to mess with him like this.
It wasn't fair.
His heart sank, his eyes dilated in horror.
He can still taste it, he can still taste the meat.