! ! ! WARNING: It contains spoilers for Duskwood Episode 10 ! ! !
The oneshot itself takes place after Jessy and Thomas visited Michael Hanson's house.
Special thanks again to @captainwanderlust78 🥰
fem!MC x the one behind the mask of the MWAF
I took a deep breath. This situation was so overwhelming and yet I was sure that I was right.
I quickly put the new sim-card that I got from a gas station on my way here into my old cell phone and started it, downloaded the Messenger and set up a new profile. I needed a profile that Jake couldn't read.
Then I grabbed my actual phone and opened Messenger. My phone hovered over the connection to Hannah's phone for a moment before I opened it and opened the messages, specifically the chat with the Man without a face.
I bit my lower lip, still undecided if what I was doing was really right.. and I knew that wasn't so true. It was right for me. But not in general.
I quickly typed my message.
Before I had any more doubts, I tapped send and stared at the screen uneasily, waiting for something to happen. It really didn't take long and the short ringtone on my old cell phone told me that I had been added. I deleted the message - luckily in the meantime I had considered the possibilities that I could delete the message without Jake noticing that this message had been sent. He would eventually make it if he tried.. but why should he? At the time, he hadn't noticed that I had had a brief exchange with the Man without a face in the chat.
I disconnected Hannah's cell phone and turned off my original cell phone completely. I couldn't imagine it, but I didn't want Jake getting into my microphone because I wasn't responding.
I took another deep breath as I grabbed my old phone and opened Messenger again. A sad smile appeared on my lips as I read the faceless man's message. It was too obvious.. and yet my heart was beating fast in my chest.
My finger hovered over the send button again for a moment. I didn't want to be sure, but there was too much to suggest. The realization hurt me. It was almost worse than the pain that gripped me when I thought about watching Richy die.
But from the insights I had gotten through all the research and the others and the way I got to know Richy.. I just couldn't imagine that he was there with an absolutely bad intention. I needed to know, and I didn't need any interruption from the others or Jake.
I press the send button. My gaze never left the chat and I saw that another message had started but not been sent. Multiple.
I sent my last message and put the phone down for a moment. I had to move. Get out. I couldn't take it like that, and I couldn't just sit here in this motel room and see if anyone would end up getting hurt, even if it was from some act of heroism.
I slowly stood up and stretched briefly. Without further ado, I tied my blond hair into a ponytail so that only a few strands fell out at the front. Then I grabbed my black leather jacket, which I put on in one quick movement.
I returned to the table, picked up the phone and again a sad smile appeared on my lips as I read the reply.
I could really imagine how Richy – wherever he was – sat sighing in front of the smartphone. I knew he didn't want me to come here..or not for those reasons anyway. And certainly not that our first meeting would expire too.
Then he went offline.
I nervously fiddled with the zipper on my leather jacket, stared at the screen of my old phone, and sighed. I had so much faith in Richy and I just hoped I wasn't wrong. Normally I had a knowledge of human nature that I could rely on.. but that wasn't an everyday situation either.
I grabbed my purse and slipped my old phone into it. For a moment my gaze fell on my actual phone and I wondered if I should turn it on and make some excuse for the others about my extended absence..
I didn't want to take it with me. Jake could track me even if I turned off location sharing. But ever since he had to flee and made himself a temporary home somewhere.. I was 100% sure he was in the vicinity of Duskwood and I didn't want him to find me with Richy. I even got the new sim-card for my old cell phone, so I wasn't logged into the same WiFi network as my current cell phone. I could only hope that it would be enough.
I gathered up another blanket and put it in my purse before grabbing the room keys and leaving the room. I opened up the Maps app on my old phone and made a little detour to a small grocery store where I picked up some fruit, sandwiches and water - Richy had been "dead" for a few days now and I wasn't sure how well he had provided food in his hiding place.
A little later I found myself a little behind the dare house. It actually took a little longer than I thought to find the way, but I finally found the house. I sit down on a fallen tree trunk and look around a bit. The sun's rays shone sporadically through the trees while a few birds could be heard in the distance.
I took a quick look at the cell phone I used to communicate with Richy and checked the time. If he really did stick to it, he should show up at any moment and that only made me more nervous. If I was already so nervous overall, I was even more so now.. not only that it could be totally dangerous, no, I was about to face Richy. Richy, with whom I got along well from the start. Who made me laugh even when the situation seemed hopeless. Who, hard as it was for me to admit under the latest circumstances, had slowly won my heart.
"You actually came.." a quiet voice murmured to my left, tearing me out of my thoughts. Startled, I looked up and actually saw Richy, who looked at me apologetically.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you again," he said, walking towards me. I slowly got up and brushed the dirt off my pants. Then I looked around, grabbed Richy's hand and pulled him further into the forest with me, further away from the dare house. "Call me paranoid, but I don't want you to get caught." I said quietly while Richy had meanwhile adjusted to my walking pace. I could feel his eyes on me, but I couldn't focus on that right now.
After a few seconds of silence we came to a small clearing with a hill going up on one side. A larger couple of rocks lie there and you could see Duskwood Lake in the distance from here, which made me smile for a moment. I thought of Jessy, who had shown me another part of the lake.
"I think this should be good," I murmured, letting my gaze wander as I approached the stones. I became embarrassingly aware that I was still holding Richy's hand and let go of it so that I could get the blanket out of my purse - and at the same time I was able to hide my blushed cheeks because I felt his eyes on me again.
"I brought some fruit, sandwiches and water.. I didn't know if and what you've eaten in the last few days." I said quietly while I put the bag down with the one on the stone and then finally got up and turned back to Richy. I was surprised to find that he had come very close to me and before I could react I felt his arms around me. I gasped briefly, only to wrap my arms around him before he took that wrong and pulled away again. I buried my face in the crook of his neck and hugged him tightly while inhaling his scent - it was a cross between shower gel and forest, so I assumed that wherever he was hiding he also had a shower available. But overall he seemed quite fresh, maybe he had stayed in the Hanson house after all? Was it just waiting for the police to leave?
"I.. I'm so, so sorry, MC.. also and especially that I scared you with the calls.." he whispered softly into my hair and I could hear that he was serious. He sounded so desperate, so... close to tears.
I pulled away from him a bit, without undoing the hug itself, and looked up at him. A sad smile sat on my lips as I studied his face. "I know.. I know." In his eyes, which he had also focused on me, small tears glistened and he looked very worried, but also incredibly tired. He doesn't seem to have shaved the last few days either, because stubble adorns his chin.. and that suited him outrageously well.
Without thinking too much about it, I released one arm and put my hand to his cheek, gently stroking my fingertips across his cheek. "I know, Richy," I repeated. "Come on.. let's sit down, eat and you'll explain everything to me." I suggested and now completely pulled away from him, to which he gave a short nod.
Together we spread the blanket on the floor and sat on it so that I could take the groceries out of my purse. I pushed the fruit and a sandwich over to him, as well as one of the water bottles, which he acknowledged with a grateful smile, but didn't take any of it yet. He sat down so that he could lean against one of the rocks, keeping his eyes on me the whole time.
I sat cross-legged on the blanket so I was facing him and could meet his gaze. I grabbed some of the grapes I had brought and ate them slowly.
"So.. where do I start? It's actually all related to what happened with Jennifer back then.. but it wasn't just Hannah and Amy who were involved, it was me too.. indirectly. Hannah and Amy stopped by our workshop and...", Richy started to talk quietly. He held my gaze the whole time, occasionally pausing in his narration and then reveling in his thoughts for a brief moment, but I didn't interrupt him, I just waited. It was all heavy on his soul, I could see that from him and from what it sounded like to me he hadn't spoken to anyone about it except at last with Amy, before she took her own life.
“.. and somehow.. it all slipped out of my hands. I was so panicked and made the wrong decisions. Amy's suicide scared me so much and when Hannah spoke to Amy that she had proof.. I don't know..", he finished and stared down at his hands, in which he was holding one of the sandwiches. I got up and sat next to Richy so I could rest my head on his shoulder. So he would know I was there.
"You were panicked and desperate.. I don't know how I would have reacted if I were in this situation. But the first instinct is usually the one that is often not the right one.. but it's okay. You screwed up, yes, but you know it." I said quietly to him and raised my eyes so that I could look at him. A sad smile formed on his lips.
"Yeah, maybe..." he answered before biting off the sandwich again.
"Where's Hannah now?" I asked him after a few moments of silence while he ate. Richy looked up again and looked at me. "She's still in Michael Hanson's abandoned house. She's fine, don't worry.. I've always brought her food and drink, she's not tied up or anything and you can actually take a normal shower and use the toilet and everything.. she's just in a cordoned-off area,” explained he calm. "But I'm going to end all of this now, don't worry.. I should have done that much sooner."
I nodded slightly and placed my head back on his shoulder. Richy put the half-eaten sandwich on the blanket next to him and brushed his hands off before he took mine and interlaced our fingers. A small smile lay on my lips as I watched our intertwined hands. My skin tingled where he touched me and my stomach felt like it was pounding. I was glad that I had enough control over myself that it wasn't obvious what his touch triggered in me.. even if I had a guilty conscience at the same time, I couldn't and didn't want to deny my feelings for him. I knew the whole story now, and no matter what happens next, I would support Richy.
"What's your plan now?" I asked him while tracing small circles on his skin with my thumb. Richy shrugged slightly, just enough not to push my head away. "If I knew that.. I will definitely release Hannah. And then... go to the police. Face me, probably go to jail." he said and sighed.
I bit my lower lip. It was crazy and.. I didn't know how to do it either, but.. "You can always come to me, you know?" I said quietly, raising my head to look at him could rest my chin on his shoulder. I knew my cheeks were flushed again, but I didn't care. I wanted to look at him, to let him know with my eyes that I was behind him.
Richy actually looked at me very surprised after hearing my words. A small smile played on his lips again. He squeezed my hand gently, but then shook his head. "I appreciate what you're offering.. but I'd like to try to make the right decision. And I've been silent before, I don't want to walk around with such guilt feelings again without being able to talk about it..." he replied.
I smiled at him. I knew he was making the right decision and I was happy about it, but if he'd gone along with that suggestion I would have helped him—even if it meant keeping my new friends at a distance more than I wanted to . If, when everything about Richy came out and they noticed that I still support him, they still wanted to be in contact with me. I could imagine that in the end they would not only be disappointed with Richy.
"Come on.. you should be back at the motel before dark.. the faceless man won't harm you, but still I'd feel more comfortable if you got back before dark. And I'm going to take Hannah to the police.” Richy then said after we sat in silence for a few minutes.
I nodded reluctantly, I could have sat here with him forever. I lifted my chin off his shoulder so he could stand up - although he didn't let go of my hand.
He carefully pulled me up. I looked up at him, examining his face carefully. He met my gaze again, that sad smile on his lips. "Thank you, MC..", he said quietly and raised his free hand, which he gently stroked over my cheek.
I stared at him, wanting to kiss him, and his touch didn't make it much better. I didn't know where it was coming from right now.. maybe because I wasn't sure when I'd be that close to him next. Or when I would ever see him again. But.. I didn't want to sit there later and wonder how it could have been.
I took a step closer to him, maintaining eye contact. "Richy..." I mumbled while letting go of his hand and instead cupping both hands on his face, gently pulling him closer to me and placing my lips on his.
I knew I had surprised him - not for the first time today. But it only lasted a moment before I felt his arms around my waist again, how he put them around me and pulled me even closer and how he kissed me back. I smiled into the kiss even though I could feel the tears stinging my eyes.
