This chapter contains vulgar language.

Be prepared!

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These words rung in your mind like an unending echo. Wait... What did he just say? Did you hear him correctly?

They want you... Dead?

Was that really such a big surprise though? Haven't they tried to kill you continuously? You were merely extremely lucky that you had escaped them on several occasions. Or you were saved by Jeff, who wanted to have the pleasure to himself.

Either way you were still here, yet by the clown's voice you knew this was a more serious threat than the other times.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Your voice was almost shaking and you stared at the clown with fear filling your veins and head. He kept looking at you, his steel grip still present as his nails dug deeper into your shoulders. As if he was enjoying the sight before him, enjoying the fear and weakness you displayed.

"I can't believe you missed that..." He ignored your question completely.

"Wasn't that plainly obvious?"

You flinched a little when you remembered the time Masky tried to end you, when he had smashed your hand to bits. The fire in his eyes... The sockets of his mask were burning with a sensation you had only recognized once within yourself.

If that hooded guy hadn't stopped him...

But that was different, you were being difficult then. Even though you hated to say it; you gave a reason for him to kill you. Not complying to what he wanted, what they needed. You were being stubborn and that had ticked him off.

The other time was when that blue masked guy chased you through the maze. But... that was because you were an easy prey. A treat walking around waiting to get ripped apart by a killer. You had no one to protect you and above all had no idea where to go. You were lost in the unending maze of suffering, like a little, motherless deer. Again... You gave him a reason to kill you.

Or... That time when you had run away, trying to avoid the inevitable and somehow magically escape the mansion... It was as if you had planned to get fed to the wolves as a fancy dinner, as if you wanted it. That was completely your fault, giving them even more than one reason to kill you.

But that last time... When that little girl showed up and messed with your mind. When those tentacles dragged you forcefully out of the safety of this room... That was a well-thought out attack, something which was planned.

It was different from the hatred Masky showed towards you, different from the bloodlust that eyeless guy showed towards you. Different... From the natural urges those wolves displayed to you.

That was the thing which scared you the most... You had no chance of winning this tiring fight if they were deliberately targeting you.

"I-I don't u-understand! Why would they want me dead? I have no use for them and I'm certainly no threat..." You couldn't think of any reason those killers didn't like your presence around here. You were residing in Jeff's room.

Well, most of the time.

Sure, you came out on several occasions, some which might have angered them, but what wasn't a solid enough reason to get rid of you, right? Why would they think of you as annoying? As a burden? As something that needed disposal of? Why would they go through so many lengths to get you, to kill you?

You, a weak, inferior human?

You didn't dare to look in the silvery, cold eyes of the monochrome clown, afraid that they would show you something even your wildest nightmares wouldn't show. Afraid... That they might show you the truth.

"Oh darling..." He removed one of his hands to dramatically place them on his chest, looking away while rolling his eyes. As if he was reenacting a play, as if this was just an immensely great musical rehearsal.

"We all know that someone as cute as a button like you couldn't harm a fly!" His hand went up to his face, faking some sort of astonishment while he continued his rant. Considering the circumstances, you didn't find it very entertaining.

"But... You've been so helpful to us... Which we of course, thank you heavily for." You began to grow more and more anxious with every word he spoke. It was as if he was trying to stall, as if he was suddenly going to slash right through you.

Trying to distance yourself from him, you slowly took a step back. You felt a harsh pinch in your bare shoulder and immediately knew it was a warning. Take one more step and you're dead.

"The problem is, however..." His voice suddenly changed and he quickly turned back to you, grabbing your other shoulder with his claw again. His eyes seem to darken and a small, malicious glimmer was seen inside them.

This was getting bad.

You tried to look away, you tried to find another solution and way to escape but, somehow, you were glued to the spot. A cold shiver seeped through your body, all the way to your fingertips and toes. His hands on your shoulders, however, seemed to burn right through them as your heart was pounding in your ears, trying to overrule his voice. It felt as if he was hypnotizing you in staying there... And he did a damn good job with it as well.

"You know a little too much." Your eyes widened at this as you could only stare at the clown. So that's what's been on their mind...

You know too much?

What a freaking laugh. You had no idea what kind of creatures they were, except for the fact that normal, 'human weapons' had no effect. You did not know where this mansion was supposed to stand, other than the fact that it was close to your old home.

Last but probably the most important... You had no idea what the vulnerability of these creatures were. The only thing you knew was that there has been a prototype of a weapon which is supposed to work. It was a prototype and could very well be a huge flop.

You had no idea what it meant, if it worked, how to make it and how to use it.

How could you possibly know too much?

"So... They decided that you had to go, my sweet, sweet, little (Y/N)." Laughing Jack's hands now moved over to cup your face, staring intently at you as he caressed your cheek with his claw.

"Luckily I was here to find you before they did..." He now spoke a little softer, still gazing into your eyes longingly... But you couldn't help to still see the small glimmer of bloodlust, the glimmer of insanity.

You couldn't do anything, you couldn't move. Just stare at this clown, just getting sucked into his silvery orbs. Just watching him... Looking at you... Just...

"What they would do to you..." You kept staring, you kept being frozen to the floor. His claws moved over your skin, but you did not break the eye contact. You couldn't, even if you desperately wanted to. His hands moved lower, towards your neck. His long, sharp finger pressed a little into your skin, making a small cut across your neck.

"They would just... Very slowly..." You saw his silvery eyes glimmering, shining as you felt warmth engulf your body once again, your arms and legs tingling. You felt him invading your very soul, digging around to find the root of your nightmares, the root of your biggest fears...

But you kept staring, breathlessly looking at the deranged, killer clown.

His claws began to wrap around your neck slowly, putting just a little pressure on it. You were too engulfed into his eyes to take further notice of it, too busy with his different ways of violation that you simply couldn't notice.

You stood no chance.

"Wrap their hands like this..." It was as if a monster slowly stared to crawl out of his throat, as if Pennywise the clown would suddenly pop up to kill you within an instant.

"And slowly..." The hatred filled his voice even more, the insanity and desire took over.

"With one harsh tug..."

"Would twist i- "

"Get away from her." A deep, gruff and familiar voice spoke. You immediately knew who it was, getting snapped out of your trance by his dark tone. Your eyes turned towards the cause of the sound, seeing Jeff standing in the doorway. The light in the hall displaying him as some sort of devil's shadow, his fists clenched and his dark hair hung over his melted face.

You could practically feel the venom dripping from his lips, clearly angered by the sight in front of him. His eyes stood extremely dark as well, knowing fully what was going on. You still felt Jack's hands wrapped around your throat and before he said anything he had grabbed you around the waist, both of you now facing Jeff as his other hand was still clenching your throat.

A little tighter this time.

"What's wrong Jeffrey? You actually begin to care for this human? That's rather pathetic, you know." Swallowing became difficult as Jack's claw was preventing your throat of any movement. You looked at Jeff with a rush of fear, afraid that Jack would snap your neck any moment now.

"You believe that bullshit? I have to disappoint you then, Jack. She's fun to torment, to play with. Nothing more." Jeff snorted loudly. Even though you did not want to admit it, even though it sickened you to the bone... You felt a slight, very tiny pang in your heart.

You knew that what he said was true, you had been merely a toy to play with. You were nothing but an inferior being to him, which was lucky enough to stay alive this long. Yet... Yet you somehow wished... It would be... A tiny bit different... Maybe...

Shit, the lack of oxygen was messing with your mind.

You tried to move a little, to see if there would be a change you could get away from him. But his steel grip on you remained, if not, getting tighter.

"Then you don't mind me snapping her neck and hanging her on the ceiling as décor, right?" A giggle escaped the clown's lips, tightening his grip on you in the meanwhile.

"She might know more than she lets on, she's playing dumb." This sentence confused you and your eyes were still focused on Jeff's, trying to figure out what he was talking about. He, however, only spitefully stared at Laughing Jack.

"As I recall, the orders were to kill- "

"Not. Anymore." You saw Jeff's hand sliding inside the pocket of his hoody, clearly losing his patience with the clown. He still glared furiously at Jack, not speaking, only completely focused. You felt the hand around your throat slowly getting looser as you took in sharp breaths of oxygen.

Suddenly the arm around your waist disappeared and you were roughly pushed forward. You stumbled over your own feet, getting caught by Jeff who immediately tugged you aside rather angrily. Catching yourself with your good hand you managed to decrease the pain of the fall a little, crashing onto the ground.

You immediately turned around, seeing both killers glaring at each other, Laughing Jack with a nasty smirk plastered on his face.

"I don't know what kind of game you're trying to play but believe me... You can't protect her forever. She will die soon." And with those words Jack evaporated into thin air, only grey and black smoke left at the spot he once stood.

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Hello darlings,

Another chapter. I have more time on my hands, so I'll be updating more regularly when life allows it.

You'll see.

On another note; the ending is almost near, my dear readers! Just a quick question out of interest, what would your ideal ending look like? As I said before I've already wrote them and won't change them, but I'd like to know what you guys think as a 'perfect' ending.

Have a terrific day, darlings.