. . . dependent original character for nightrestrp : JACOB OH \
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[ song kang, cis man, he/him ] - was that JACOB OH i saw by the lighthouse today? i heard that the TWENTY-NINE year old who has been in nightrest for THEIR ENTIRE LIFE and works as a/an MATH TEACHER has a reputation of being GENTLE, but also WITHDRAWN. they reside in ASHMORE & people in town usually associate them with A BOOKSHELF FILLED WITH TEXTBOOKS, KIND EYES AND A SMILE TO MATCH, & NEUTRAL COLORED CLOTHING . let’s hope the killer doesn’t go after them next.
BASIC INFORMATION:
FULL NAME: Jacob Seo-Joon Oh
NICKNAMES: Jake
DATE OF BIRTH: March 1st, 1994 (29)
ETHNICITY: Korean
FACE CLAIM: Song Kang
HAIR & EYE COLOR: Dark Brown
HEIGHT: 6’2"
TATTOOS & PIERCINGS: multiple tattoos
SEXUAL ORIENTATION: unlabeled
OCCUPATION: math teacher
LANGUAGES SPOKEN: english, italian, korean
BACKGROUND:
Born into a wealthy family who resides in Stoughton Estates. His parents own a large tech company with headquarters in the US and Korea. His parents were alright, certainly not the most attentive towards him but Jacob grew up having a fairly normal life. He was mainly raised by a lot of nannies and maids, because of his parents profession. His father worked a lot and his mother probably cared a bit too much about their families image, always the type to go off to brunches and dinners every day.
Was a bit quiet and shy growing up, was very into his studies as a kid, and was never the kind to cause trouble. Extremely intelligent, Jacob excelled in subjects like math and science as a young child, at the top of his class throughout school. While he was more studious, he also played football starting from middle school all the way until graduation, definitely the athletic type. Though he was known as popular and charming, he never had any girlfriends or flings, making excuses that he was too busy or focused on his grades. He'd even go on a few blind dates, or be asked out by girls, but he'd turn everyone down and cut his dates short. It wasn't that he wasn't interested in them, it was just he felt like it wasn't something he particularly wanted, football and grades a higher priority.
Top of his class and considered a star student at Wardell Academy, he went to Harvard after high school, getting in on early acceptance and also the starting quarterback for the football team during his undergraduate years. He'd grow out of his shell more during his time away, going to parties and even a few dates, though he still would never have a girlfriend after years away. Though he had a spot in his family's company waiting for him, he chose not to join the company, instead wanting to become a teacher, getting his bachelor's in mathematics, and his master's in business before moving back home and getting a place in Ashmore.
HEADCANONS
he's a virgin :/ not by choice it's just never happened but he's also not embarrassed about it (like i am) he's not a virgin anymore thank u kat
has probably gone on a bunch of dates, set up by friends or his parents even, but nothing ever sticks and he usually doesn't follow through with a second date
he does like to go out after work and drink, but isn't the type to get drunk and make dumb mistakes
has a few tattoos, all very artsy and things he gave a lot of thought
super smart, like super super smart. with books and school. otherwise, he's a little silly and dumb (especially when it comes to girls)
very much a rule-follower. probably because of his upbringing but he's just not the kind to rebel
with his family being wealthy he naturally has a trust fund, but he never talks about it despite it being obvious
he's a very gentle person, doesn't really raise his voice or get mad. maybe a bit naive, but does sort of see the good in most people, unless they're really awful
Dom hated him, he realized. He'd known the man for almost all of his life, but he should've known there was something off about him. Dom and Kat might have been wrong about Toby, and he might not be the brightest lightbulb in the hardware store and while he's not completely sure what Jake's role was in all of this, his gut and that look in Jake's eyes were telling him something was seriously off. At this point, Dom didn't even care about being right. A part of him just wanted somewhere or someone else to be the bearer of all this anger inside of him, and who better than the man who punched him multiple times at a club? "Get her fucking name out of your mouth," Dom snapped, hating how quickly people knew how to get under his skin. He hated hearing Lucia's name now in general, just because it was a reminder that she wasn't even here anymore. "Yeah? And when was the last time you saw her?" He asked, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Jake suspiciously, wanting more than anything to get the chance to reach him through this glass, and demand the truth from him. Dom hated feeling like this, like he was going crazy, because what was in front of him and what everybody else saw didn't match what his gut was telling him, but he latched onto his anger, letting it fuel him as he held onto the phone tightly. "How's prison?" He asked with a spiteful smile. "Bet you and Enzo are getting real cozy in there."
It was amusing to Jake, how stupid most people could be. It felt freeing acting however he liked in front of Dominic, because if the older's demeanor told him everything, it was that he was acting out. And nobody really ever believed the crazy ones, even when they were right on the off chance. With how hard he'd pushed for Toby to be locked up, who would believe him anyway? Dominic was just the idiot who cried murderer too many times, and Jake planned on gaining some enjoyment from the other's misery. "Why?" he feigns innocence. "Lucia was my friend too, I remember when I helped her move back into town. She's a little on the weaker side, so I was happy to help her out," Jake adds. It's true. He'd watched her struggle to carry in a few boxes when she moved back to town, and then he'd watched her struggle to live as he stabbed her. But his dear friend doesn't need to hear the second part. "The party. Isn't that where everyone saw her last?" he retorted, and if it weren't for the look in his eyes and the lingering smile that remained on his face, you'd almost think he was innocent. But like a vulture, he feeds off of Dominic's anger, grinning at the way he clenches the phone. It's fun, watching someone spiral down until they're filled with nothing but anger and pain. It reminds him of what he'd done to Adee. "It's been alright, but I'm feeling a lot better after seeing you, Dom," Jake answers with a smile. "Enzo is a little clingy, I'm sure he'll miss me when I get out of here."
Sarah sighs. "I know. I will. Promise." It wasn't like there was much else to do in town at the moment, anyway. Abruptly, she feels guilty for thinking that—Jake was right; Charlotte had been making an effort, especially recently, with all the deaths. She shouldn't just ignore that. Sarah takes a deep breath, nodding. "Okay. Well." She glances down at her hands, shrugging. "I just, um...wanted to come see you." I miss you. The words ring in her ears, but she hesitates.
It's funny how people question Sarah fitting in with her annoying, rich friends as if she isn't the biggest bitch of them all. Jake has to remind himself he has a role to play, that he didn't stand to gain anything from giving Sarah a piece of his mind. "I just think you two should lean on each other right now," Jake adds, a bit softer with his words. "I don't know when I'll get out of here, Sarah, and I don't want you to keep visiting here when I can tell it's hurting you." In reality, being in here is more preferable than being her older brother.
Their mother is the one primarily following up with the lawyers, but Charlotte has contacted them directly a few times, particularly during times when she asked her mother for updates and she unsurprisingly failed to get back to her in a timely manner, growing impatient and taking matters into her own hands. It makes her want to talk to his lawyers again, seeing Jake like this. She knows they're putting all their time and effort into getting him out of here, but with every passing day where Jacob's still in this ugly jail, she grows more and more frustrated. What's even worse is they're doing this over a phone and she can't reach out to hold his hand. It's awful. She nods at his words. "I know... I know." On top of being in here, he lost Kat too. It's cruel. "We'll get you out of here soon. I miss you, too. I can't have cheats day anymore when there's no one who gets it," she says lightly, giving him a smile, albeit it is a sad one that doesn't reach her eyes. She's trying to make the situation easier for him, if only a little bit and if only for a few moments, no matter how far-fetched it is.
Maybe that's the one nice thing about being in here, that he doesn't have to deal with anyone. Prison is actually really relaxing, and maybe it was the break he needed to clear his head and figure out what his plans were when he inevitably got out of here. There wasn't a reality in Jake's mind where he remained here because besides killing Adee, there was no evidence that could possibly link him to what they'd done. It helps that his reputation remained so pristine, because who would suspect gentle, popular Jacob to be a serial killer? "I don't... I don't think I can come back to Nightrest after all of this is over, Char," he says sadly, though there wasn't anything left in that shithole for him to miss. "I feel guilty for never noticing anything was wrong. With Adee. Maybe someone could have stopped her," Jake adds with a sigh, running his hand through his hair. How anyone didn't see the way that bitch was insane from day one was truly beyond him. "Are you doing okay? You should have a cheat day for yourself anyway."
She sighs, fidgeting. "What are you talking about?" she mumbles. "Of course I did. You're my brother, idiot." At his latter words, Sarah glances up at him, biting her lip. "Not too much." She hadn't seen many people since the engagement party—she really needed to contact Charlotte again. "I'm sure she's not taking it very well, though." She sighs again. "How long are you gonna be here?" she asks softly.
Jake resists rolling his eyes at her defense, instead focusing on the latter part of her words, furrowing his eyebrows as she spoke. "You should check up on her. All these years, she's gone out of her way to try and be there for you. You should do the same for her." She knows that their older sister isn't taking it well, but isn't reaching out to her? It sounds stupid until he remembers that for whatever silly reason Sarah made up in her head, they've never been close. And as a result, he was the one who had to be there for both of them their entire lives. The glue that held the three of them together. It was bullshit. "I don't know. Our lawyers keep coming to visit, asking me questions, but I have to wait for a judge to rule on the case," he answers with a sigh.
Charlotte impatiently waits for her brother in the prison visiting area. What's taking those cops so long to bring him? She looks around the area, and it's so grim and ugly, and the prison cell is most likely even worse. It makes her sick to her stomach that her brother's spending his days here, when he should be back at home with his friends and family. She's scared and anxious, but it takes every ounce of energy she has left to keep to maintain a composed front (as composed as she can be in a situation like this), because she doesn't want Jake to worry about her. After all, he's the one in jail. She's worried about him. When her brother walks in, her mind immediately goes to his own health: has he been sleeping? Has he been eating? How's he spending his days? But she's not going to bombard him with worried questions. She misses him. She looks at him, her expression soft and sad. Despite the unfair and cruel situation, it feels good to be able to see her brother. What do you even say in a situation like this? "It's a dumb question, I know, but I have to ask... how are you doing?"
As much as he liked having fun, he also liked being perceived well. There were certain people's minds that he couldn't change, like Dominic's, but there were enough people that knew the side of Jake he'd spent years crafting. Kind, gentle, soft. Why ruin a good thing? His reputation would help him get out of here, all while giving him a little time and space to think about what his next steps would be. Maybe he'd visit Korea, and use his still largely untouched trust fund to live in peace until he grew bored again. The visitor situation is annoying, but at least when he sees it's Charlotte this time, instead of Sarah, he knows he won't have to worry about comforting his fraudulently strong older sister. No, he can see it in her eyes. The pity, the sadness, worried about her dear younger brother. Jake supposes that's why he still prefers her to Sarah. Charlotte had this odd capability of caring and giving, even when she had nothing. He takes a seat, letting out a brief sigh and shrugging. Truthfully, prison sucks, and considering the life of luxury he had outside of this is a stark contrast. Plus, he misses Kat and he's not really into the idea of being some dude's bitch during his small stint. "I guess... I've been better," he lets out quietly, glancing up at her before looking back down into his hands. "I just miss her. I miss everything. I miss you, too. And Jieun... And Sarah." Even though his tone is misleading to his heart's true mood, at least he isn't lying.
closed \ @jacoboh
location : a fucking jail somewhere in boston
She wasn't going to lie, the place smelled worse than she had expected. "...didn't really expect to end up here like this," she muttered, playing with her hand in her lap as she answered the phone, avoiding meeting his eyes for as long as possible. How was she even supposed to react? Her brother, the one she'd relied on for so long, was in jail.
He was fighting the urge to roll his eyes seeing Sarah. Sweet, innocent Sarah. Shouldn't she be comforting him in a time like this? He was the one locked up for defending himself, yet all Jake wanted was for her to go after seeing the pathetic look on her face. Still, he pretends as if he doesn't prefer anyone else to be in front of him right now, because appearances were still something he cared about. "You didn't have to come here, Sarah," he lets out softly, shaking his head and forcing a sad smile onto his face. "None of this is easy... I just want you to be okay. Have you and Charlotte spoken?"
Dom looked around the prison visiting room suspiciously, not trusting any person here as he sat down, eyes facing the glass. This glass would be the only thing separating him from Jake, and he waited impatiently for the guards to bring him in. When he was finally brought in, his eyes took in every detail until it settled warily on Jake's face. Even though he'd been talking shit about this man since they fought each other in Medusa, there had always been doubt cast. The look he could see in Jake's eyes now was his confirmation. "Well, you look like shit," Dom immediately said into the phone, steeling himself, knowing he knew absolutely nothing about what to expect from this conversation.
Being in prison was beginning to remind him of his old routine, doing the same thing every day with little possibility of enjoyment. Jake didn't plan on staying here long, all the money in the world to prove his innocence. He's been keeping up his facade, the good guy wrongfully imprisoned for defending himself, with no room for error or possibilities that he isn't who he says he is. But when Dominic walks in, his mask can't help but drop as a wicked grin forms on his face. "You look worse than me," he says on the other end of the line, the smile never fading on his face. How could it? This was the first bit of fun he'd had since being in here. "It's nice to see you're still using your fists instead of your brain. But the broken nose isn't really a good look on you. Just think of how disappointed Lucia would be." At the mention of their mutual friend, someone he knew Dominic was closer to, Jake sighs, shaking his head and feigning sadness. "Sometimes I still think about the last time I saw her. Don't you?"
It’s nearly 6 o’clock in the morning, 2 hours since he was arrested and given minimal medical attention despite being stabbed. Maybe he could sue this place once things were over. For denying him proper treatment and for wrongfully accusing him after his girlfriend had just died.
The Chief takes a seat across from him, and it’s funny. Jake remembers the last time they saw each other was when he was a kid, and he’d been cozying up to his mother at a dinner party. An expression of grief covers Jake’s face, and maybe a part of it is real. He’ll miss Kat, the way she made him feel and their time together something he’d remember.
The chief speaks, and he reminds himself to stick to the story.
How do you know Maria Adella Hayag?
“We grew up together, went to college around the same time. She… used to have a crush on me,” Jake lets out a sigh. “Maybe a bit of an obsession. But from everything I’ve heard, she has it with a lot of other guys too. We haven’t talked since she had an argument with my girlfriend..” Another sigh, sad smile painted on his face. “Kat.”
Her crush on you. I take it that it had something to do with what happened tonight?
“Maybe,” Jake says softly. He’s always been so gentle, never the kind to raise his voice. “I just… Kat was missing, and she wasn’t answering her phone, so I went to look for her. That’s when I saw the opened door and her on the floor.”
And what happened after that?
He lets out a shaky breath, sniffling and pretending he’s trying to form the right words to say. “I asked her why. And she told me I was hurting her, that it hurt her that I’d chosen Kat over her. She said that we were meant to be together.” He lets out another sigh, growing quiet because its just so hard to talk about. “I never… I never imagined she would do that. And then when I said I wouldn’t be with her, she got upset again,” he adds, gesturing down to the wounds he’d given himself hours ago. “I didn’t… I didn’t mean to kill her, I just reacted.” He wished he’d stabbed her another 10 times for all she’d done.
There was no evidence, he’d been beyond careful. There wasn’t even a footstep that could be traced back to him, and he couldn’t count the amount of evidence he’d burned in the past few months. Adee had let Iris see her face, and she’d let her live without making sure first. He wouldn’t let himself be punished for her mistakes. He wouldn’t be punished because she’d always been far less incompetent than him.
What about the other victims?
Jake blinks, as if he’s taken aback by the question. He shakes his head, offering the man in front of him who knew him a child a frown. “I don’t know anything about that.” The chief sighed in response, and it was clear that their only real suspect was dead. “Do you think I should call my lawyer?” he asks innocently, framing a look of worry on his face.
The chief stood up, slamming the file he had down on the table before looking at him. Jake took a sip of his water, the police being nothing but gracious to the son of the wealthiest family in town. They didn’t push him, didn’t prod or treat him unfairly, knowing his mother would be standing outside with the best legal team that money could buy. After the chief said they were only officially charging him with the murder of Adee, and that the investigation of everyone else they’d killed would be pending, it took everything in him to not grin, before nodding as he was informed of being moved to a prison outside of Boston per his mother’s request. Good. Jake didn’t have any intentions of sticking around here, because it would take one look into his eyes from someone who really knew him to know all of this was a facade. One look from his siblings to devastate them, and truthfully, he’d rather not deal with either of them breaking down.
As his interrogation comes to an end, Jake maintains the demure look on his face until he's back in holding. It’s then when he smiles, and lets out a chuckle when no one pays attention. Even in this cell, rotting away for the time being, he knows this was the best outcome.
He destroyed his entire life, but for once, at least he was in control of it.
The last time Jake remembers feeling at ease was after Adee had left the beach, and he’d been alone with Dante to cut off a body part of his choosing and clean up his own mess. He’d played one of his songs on his phone for a minute before quickly turning it off, not wanting to ruin his happiness with garbage. Jake’s eyes flickered to Dante’s ears that night, thinking that he’d never listen to the thing he clearly loved most ever again.
He misses Dante, or at least the dead version of him that brought him a sense of peace that night, because it’s beginning to feel like the monster he ignited in Adee is going off the rails, cleaning up her mess on the same night when he’d seen Sawyer dead and stabbed outside of Siren’s. It was a hassle more than anything, having to clean up her mess and knowing it would upset his girlfriend more than he’d planned for. Jake didn’t care for Sawyer, but she was a piece of the puzzle that had been violently removed by Adee. The following attack on Azra weeks later does nothing to absolve Jake of his annoyance, and it makes him feel out of control once again.
Truthfully, Jake would have been ready to stop the night Dante died. His plan worked, and he’d ruined her beyond saving. But Adee seemed to be kill-hungry and erratic, and Jake didn’t plan on getting caught somehow because she couldn’t keep it together. He’d give her what she wants, just as long as he remained in control.
Theo and Bianca were more out of convenience than anything. He didn’t have anything against either of them, and he hadn’t bothered to ask why Adee wanted to kill Theo. The only thing he knew about the other was his attachment to Jake’s younger sister, Sarah. But after spending a couple hours with the guy, even if Theo was unconscious and battered, he decided she could do better. The kid didn’t seem to be the brightest, and maybe Jake could warm up to the idea of Toby and Sarah getting together. His best friend was miles better for his innocent sister than a washed up, milf-chasing model.
As for Bianca, it truly was random. He’d seen her alone after knowing Adee was going after Theo, and he took the opportunity. Jake had hoped by kidnapping them that Adee’s problem could be controlled, and she could take out her anger on either option instead of making his life difficult. He’d sat back and watched her have her fun before being the one to stab her in the neck and take her out of her misery. After all, would either really want to live through what they’d been through?
The downside of this is dealing with Sarah, his least favorite of his two siblings. Charlotte had at least been kind, despite her shortcomings. To Jake, she'd always been more reliable, more level-headed even if it was clear she was a mess. But his younger sister was a nuisance, and every problem she had become his problem too. It was exhausting, and maybe it was why he couldn't bring himself to care when he'd helped kill her best friend and potential boyfriend. Maybe he'd spare Kyle given the chance, save his older, better sister from becoming worse than she already was. One unbearable sibling was enough.
The only movement on either side of the room was the two pools of blood growing larger, no cries or screams of pain heard, allowing Jake to leave back on the table of the abandoned building he’d spent a day cleaning up beforehand, and look over at Adee. She was a mess, just like she usually was, except this time, there wasn’t any sense of annoyance or anger towards her.
He hated when she cried, he hated that it made her look ugly and pathetic. Jake preferred her like this, covered in blood with a certain look in her eyes that he'd only recognized by looking in a mirror. Maybe it was why a sense of desire came over him, why he'd grabbed her by the waist and kissed her so intensely. Why he didn't want to stop, and why suddenly he was slipping his hand under her clothes and ripping them off in the next moment. Maybe it was because he saw himself in her that he'd crossed a dangerous line, impulsive thoughts getting the best of him in the moment and gaining a sick sense of pleasure from cheating on his girlfriend and screwing someone with two dead bodies mere feet away from them.
He was the good guy. The loyal boyfriend. The protective brother.
Except he wasn't really any of that.
A foot for the fallen dancer. And the head of the one who used his looks to get through life.
JULY 11TH, 2023
Things were supposed to be fine now. Jake had figured things would calm down, that the repercussions of his own actions wouldn’t come back to bite him. He knew he’d ruined Adee, he just wasn’t sure how bad it would get. After their hookup, and after the search party finds Theo’s head and Bianca’s foot, he’s ready to put an end to his fun, even though he secretly enjoys the look of horror that crosses over every person’s face in town. He’s ready to end things with Adee, whatever it was, and be loyal to Kat again. She meant too much to him to give her up for another girl that he only really held any attraction towards when she looked completely insane. Adee wasn’t Kat, and she’d never be. If she acted out again, it was the planner, the methodical side to himself that knew he’d frame her for it all. Half of the town already looked at her like she was the delusional homewrecker already, so he knew it’d be easy.
Jake plans to remain intact, to not fall apart and to remember how to be normal again after his couple months of fun. He might be crazy, but he’s not insane. He’s not her.
And maybe that’s why he doesn’t expect her to cross the very line he crossed too many times, for Adee to take something that mattered to him away. The relaxed expression on his face remains as he pulls out his phone to see a text from her. A surprise. Just like he’d had for her. But he doesn’t account for her taking his game, for using his slight weaknesses against him. He doesn’t think about that much happening as he drives back up to the trails, where all of this began in the first place. Jake doesn’t believe Adee is that smart, that insane to test him like this. But maybe the part of him he’d seen in her was bigger than he realized.
Because the last person he expects to see at her feet is his best friend.
He glances silently between Adee’s sick, deranged smile and the body of the man he’d known since he was a kid. And somewhere in between processing the truth, Jake broke inside.
Love wasn’t something he knew. Deep down, he knew he couldn’t love anyone, that his mind didn’t process the emotion, that as much as he pretended, most of his feelings weren’t genuine. But over the years, Jake had created his own version of love. His own version of what it meant to care about someone, even if it was purely attachment and obsession. It was easy to care about someone when you saw them as a part of you. His sisters. His girlfriend. His best friend. After pretending for so long, he couldn’t help but feel attached to them, and being in control of what was happening in town had put him at ease, because he knew none of them would be taken from him. But she took Toby. His best friend. His brother.
Toby Rivers was his first obsession. Long before Kat, and long before Adee. Jake knew his best friend had faults, that he was significantly poorer than Jake, that he wasn’t the smartest guy ever, and that he’d definitely developed a savior complex over the course of his life. But he’d been someone who Jake thought the world of. It’s why he hated Tucker, and why he hated every single person that had a bad word to say about him too. With the exception of Kat, of course. Toby was one of the few weaknesses Jake had, one of the few people that showed he was capable of genuinely caring about someone besides himself. And Adee had taken that away.
He wishes he had a knife, that he could kill her right here and be done with it all, but instead, he’s left to look at her ugly smile as he grabs the lifeless body of his best friend. “Go.” He doesn’t look at her, rage and anger already beginning to burn at his core and his hand shaking under Toby’s back. All the fun he was having is gone, and he can’t stand the idea of her being around him right now.
It’s far too late, nobody around the trail or even the main road at this hour, and Jake is left alone to take care of his best friend’s body. He hates the way he feels right now, the way he shakes and his breaths are unsteady. Jake is beginning to feel out of control all over again, knowing he’d let Adee get out of his grasp after pushing her too far. But his mind isn’t focused on what to do about her, how to get rid of her right now, because he’s looking at his best friend and trying not to fall apart. It’s why he cleans Toby up, thinking that although he can’t change what happened, he doesn’t want one of the few people he held close to him to be seen in such a disgusting light. Covered in blood and wounded.
He doesn’t mind the silence of every other dead body he’s chopped up and cleaned, but he hates the quiet right now. After a while, he can no longer take his time, picking Toby’s body up and leaving him at the sidewalk to be found. Jake gets back in his car, the blood of the other stained on parts of his hands and as he pauses to look at it, the hurt he once felt is replaced by a familiar emotion. Anger. Uncontrolled, unbridled anger. He wants everyone else to feel the way he feels right now.
Right now, in the dead of night and hours before they’d find Toby’s body, he wants to kill the first person he sees.
JULY 12TH, 2023
It hasn’t been 24 hours since he’d last seen Toby, but the wheels of his brain have been continuing to turn nonstop since he’d gotten home, even if he wasn’t speaking much. He’d pushed Charlotte away. He’d let Kat be there for him, even if there weren’t any tears and if he’d mainly focused on the way her body felt warm against his to keep himself calm. But he had to get out, making some excuse later that night and going to Medusa. He normally hated the loud music, and the way it was always so crowded because it was hard to focus, hard to think. But right now, he felt like drinking away the dangerous, uncontrolled thoughts in his mind instead of giving them too much weight.
If it hadn’t been for Dominic, and the way their fight set him off, maybe he would’ve gone home and swallowed down the anger. Instead, he left Medusa bloodied and bruised, driving half drunk to the next available bar in the town even though it was far too late for it to be open still. The place was empty, and his mind lingered on the idea of letting some steam out. Jake leaned over and grabbed the knife he had in his glove compartment, taking out the knife he’d used on Tucker weeks ago, free of the other's blood and sterilized the same night, and a pair of disposable gloves. He looks out through tinted windows as the remaining bartenders leave, and it’s just the owner that remains.
Jake doesn’t bother to say anything when he sees Efe, doesn’t bother to hide his face even when the other’s back is turned to him. He doesn’t bother to check the mess he’s made as he stabs Efe over and over again. He let out a sigh of relief, feeling at ease for just a moment. At the other’s pleas, he grins. Why are you doing this? Jake grabs him by the shirt and sends a knife into his stomach. “Because I can,” he lets out, before leaning down to his fallen body and slitting his throat.
He’s covered in Efe’s blood, picking himself up off the ground and taking his knife with him. He’s ready to go home, until he sees Derin by his car. It’s unfortunate that two people happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, because even if Derin can’t see him yet, Jake won’t entertain the possibility of being seen like this. He won’t entertain the possibility of him living to say a word.
There isn’t any hesitation as he sticks his bloodied knife into Derin’s back, pushing him onto the ground to make things easier. Anyone could see him right now, out in public and killing the other right by Deadlights. Jake told himself that as enjoyable as this moment was, he had to be quick. Each stab was quick and harsh, aiming for the man’s stomach and chest as blood pooled around the two. He’s too upset to think about cleaning his mess up, dragging Derin’s lifeless body next to Efe’s to be found in the morning. There’s a trail of blood everywhere he walks and it’s covering the interior of his car as he slips back inside, driving away to get himself and his car cleaned up.
JULY 22ND, 2023, ELEVEN PM
The last thing he wants is to be at this awful engagement party. Mei was an idiot, and from how he’d been seeing Levi act since the night began, it seemed as if his intelligence only applied to his business. Everyone was happy, or at least pretending to be and it pissed him off, because hadn’t people died only weeks ago? Jake was still on edge from the death of Toby, faded bruises still apparent on his face from the fight with Dominic a week ago. He finds himself getting another drink, losing count of how many he’s already had.
Getting drunk was the easy way out. He didn’t want anything happening here, thinking it would be too hard for him to control. Jake didn’t account for not being able to control himself. Because after a few hours, and a few too many drinks, he’s suddenly in front of Lucia, gloves on his hands and knife to pair with it, doing the exact opposite of what he’s telling himself is right.
Jake can’t remember how he gets there, or what inclines him to twist a knife into his neighbor’s chest and shove her into a storage closet before anyone can see. Maybe it’s because when he looked into her eyes, he didn’t see her as Lucia. She was a friend of Dominic, someone who he wanted to hurt. She was an extension of his sister who’d sent him nothing more than a text after he lost Toby, after the years of being there for her. If Sarah wanted to hurt, if she wanted to cry and break, he wouldn’t hold her this time. He’d kill her best friend, and he’d make her feel like he did.
He walks away hidden from the cameras, wondering how long it would take for the police to arrive.
THREE HOURS LATER
Where the fuck is everybody?
They’re missing. Kat and Adee. The two people, particularly in combination, had Jake standing up from the bar. The alcohol he’d once been drinking heavily seemed to have lost its effect. He pulls out his phone to call Kat, only for there to be no answer. Everyone is still shaken up from what happened to Iris, Levi, & Mei, the work of Adee that she’d managed to screw up again. If it wasn’t Toby’s death that had formed a sick hatred towards the woman who knew everything, it would have been because as blood-thirsty and ready to kill as she was, she was incompetent without him. Two more injured people that could’ve seen her face on top of what she’d already done. He hated her, and he hated having to clean up her ill-timed messes.
He glances around the room before leaving the ballroom, telling the police officers that he needed to go to his hotel room, offering the keycard to the suite he’d gotten for him and Kat as proof. Their room had been right next to Kyle and Vera’s, condolences exchanged either way during the two men’s short conversation. Jake started to make his way down the hallway, but he no longer needed to see the numbers of each door to find where everyone was, because the closer into view he got, the more apparent that there was someone lying on the ground. He slows down until he sees it’s Vera, and that the door to her hotel room is open.
Shit.
Jake pauses at the half-opened door, forgetting for a moment that there were cameras watching the outside of the room. He was pissed that she was still being sloppy, that she still hadn’t learned from what happened to Azra and how quickly she could’ve been behind bars. Jake had half a mind to play innocent, to call the cops and tell them about Vera. Adee would be locked up, and there would be nothing to tie him to the murders even if she cried out his name. What evidence did they have? None. He was about to pull out his phone when he looked ahead, and froze at the familiar blonde hair sprawled out on the floor. Jake opens the door wide open and steps inside.
Whatever he felt seeing Toby’s body can’t compare to the feelings running through his mind right now. There’s blood everywhere, and it’s not the blood of the woman he wishes it to be. There’s a cold, dead expression that forms on his face as he steps closer to the pair, and leans down to look at her. To look at his girlfriend. She wasn’t breathing, her heart wasn’t beating, and the blood from every open wound was already staining his clothes and his hands. Kat was dead. And Adee was holding the knife. He doesn’t freeze, but he gives himself a moment with her, a moment with the girl he truly loved—or at least fooled himself into believing he did—before glancing up at Adee. The hatred for her grows just like Kat’s blood spreads across the ground, and he stands up, facing the much shorter woman, and picking up the knife Adee had been using.
There’s an unrecognizable glint in his eyes, and the smile he was used to faking is nowhere to be found as he steps closer to her. “Do you think you’ve won?” he asks, voice rough and full of malice, continuing to back the both of them up until she hits the wall. Jake doesn’t think before extending his hands up, tightly grasping at her neck until it was her forced breaths that filled the silence.
“She was everything,” he lets out, hands tightening around her necklaces he grows angrier. “And you are nothing.” There is no taunting on his part, no manipulation or tactics besides the anger he runs on, letting go of her neck, and raising the blade between the two of them. “You never meant anything to me, you worthless bitch,” Jake adds, before pushing the knife into her chest, pulling the blade out before pulling her by the hair and throwing her on the ground, mere feet away from Kat.
“Look at what you did. You ruined everything.” Jake bends down and stabs her again, and again, and again until they’re both bloody and he’s the only one left to make heavy breaths. He tosses the knife to the side, standing up and running his hands through his hair. Fuck. Killing Adee doesn’t make him happy, it doesn’t put him at ease like it had every time. Because it wouldn’t bring Kat back. It wouldn’t bring Toby back. And it certainly wouldn’t absolve him of his inevitable future.
He ignores the blood everywhere, unable to look at his girlfriend’s face for too long and he decides to make another plan. Jake was good at them. The first would have worked, if that crazy bitch wouldn’t have taken things too far. He’d make another plan. Ruin Adee’s life again, only this time it was to save himself. It wouldn’t be long before the police showed up, before someone checked the cameras and saw all three of them go into the room along with Vera’s body outside.
Jake knew he had to be quick, picking up the knife that was tainted by the blood of the two women he’d been with before bracing himself and jamming the blade into his stomach. The pain was immediate and undeniable, but it was necessary. Adee had killed his girlfriend because she was jealous, and when Jake got upset, she tried to kill him too before he acted in self-defense.
For good measure, to make sure his story would be accurate, he took the knife out, his own blood spilling down his clothes before stabbing himself again, and dropping to his knees, tossing the blade off to the side and letting himself feel the physical pain. He hunched over in pain as the police pushed open the door, revealing the horror. As the only one left barely conscious, it was Jake who was put into handcuffs, mind blurring out his rights being read and being escorted out of the building as a blank look crossed over his features, the wheels in his mind turning as he was bandaged up and taken to the station.
Just as he expects, everything is going to plan. Somewhere along the line of cleaning Adee’s mess up, Jake notices how unbelievably out of it she was. She killed a man, and she still found a way to look helpless. It conveniently makes forgetting something behind all too easy, even if it was wiped free of any fingerprints or DNA, effectively making the death of Rhys Miller public knowledge following a few days of waiting. He wants to test Adee, it’s the newest obsession in his mind with the end of the school year approaching. She looks perfectly fine after the news of Rhys came out, barely mourning the loss of her dead hookup. Adee was capable of killing someone, even if it was accidental like she’d said, but he wondered if she was capable of more.
He’d risked his entire future for her, and now Jake was feeling as though she owed him something. Her loyalty. He was wondering how far she would go for him, how much she really meant it when she was so thankful towards him a few weeks ago.
Jake was calculated in his decision. He sat at his desk just as the school day finished and pondered the two clear options. Surely, one would be easier. There were three of them, but Jake intended to see if he could be the one to break the trio, and eventually, take the remaining girl away too. As he thought about it again, leaning back in his chair, he nodded to himself, realizing he was right. Maya would be far easier.
After a little waiting, and a little knock to the head after he’d followed her on her way home, Jake set the younger girl down on a chair, finding an abandoned shack just by the shore of Echo Beach, the smell of the sea and sound of the waves the only thing left to fill the silence of the night. He pulled out his phone, pulled up Adee’s number, and texted her.
JAKE: Come see me. I have a surprise for you.
He deleted the text and any following that, thinking that Kat was the kind of girlfriend to go through his phone when he was in the shower. She was a little crazy, a little more so since the news of Rhys, but he liked it. Jake liked the role he played with her, the loving boyfriend who had nothing to hide. Waiting around, he could only really sit with himself, not exactly able to make conversation with an unconscious Maya. Beyond being somewhat of a friend, Jake didn't particularly care for her and felt like the girl’s only personality trait was that she lived in Japan and knew how to use a camera. It was better that she couldn’t talk right now, that way he couldn’t grow annoyed and be vicious towards her.
Jake can’t help but smile as he sees Adee, greeting her at the door and blocking the sight of Maya. He doesn’t bother asking her how she is, what she’d been doing, because none of it really matters to him. What did matter was watching the horror and shock cross over Adee’s face as she realized it was her best friend who was unconscious and tied up. She looks terrified of him, terrified of the possibilities right now, and it only makes him want to laugh. Her innocent act is almost realistic enough, if he hadn’t seen her violently murder a man a few weeks prior.
“Kill her, or I’ll kill you both,” he says sweetly after a few moments, caressing her cheek and looking into her eyes as if she was the one he adored. He takes a seat, handing her the knife that was in his hand, because in all his years of knowing Adee, Jake already knows what she’ll do. It’s a matter of seeing it for himself, gaining a sick sense of satisfaction and happiness watching her kill her own best friend, watching her break piece by piece all because of him. It’s unreal the way he feels at ease, comfortable and relaxed for once in his life. It’s so beyond refreshing that Jake doesn’t want to let go of the feeling, and he wonders if being this in control was the only way he could achieve it.
With Maya’s corpse hunched over in the chair, Adee having taken a step back, he was reminded of how good it felt to tear Rhys apart, to remove the essence of who he was piece by piece. Why did everyone else get to be happy and normal besides him? Why did everyone else get to have something they loved and cherished and it be genuine? He looks down at Maya’s hands. Taking apart a body every time would be too hard, so maybe he can take what they love instead. Her and those stupid fucking pictures. The number of times Jake remembers the younger pointing a camera in his direction, forced to look poised and happy when he felt anything but. She doesn’t deserve to keep what she loves.
So he has his fun, chopping off her hands and discarding them to throw away later, taking his time with making sure his area is clean and free of any evidence. The police are incompetent, but he prefers to not take any chances. Jake doesn’t intend to keep anything that could possibly trace this back to him anyway. It’s late at night, pitch black surrounding the area with the exception of the faint moonlight, dropping Maya’s body by the water before going home unnoticed.
He’ll take care of the other one next.
JUNE 5TH, 2023
Nobody ever liked Tucker Rivers.
At least, that’s what Jake thought. For as long as he’s known the older, Jake’s hated him, thinking that he was a two-faced douchebag, and that you’d have to be an idiot to like the guy. Mariana did attend an Ivy League just to get a degree in the arts, but Jake would’ve thought the girl he’d grown up with would've been a little smarter. He can’t even pretend to be surprised by their long-winded talk where he mostly found himself repeating himself for 20 minutes, but he’s already annoyed by the situation. Tucker was a name he only preferred to hear about once a year at most, and suddenly, he was the topic of far too many conversations. Really, he was doing everyone a favor tonight.
Just as he’s discarding the cigarette in his mouth, bud and ashes staining the concrete, a familiar face appears, not that it’s unexpected. “I’ve been hearing about you too much lately,” Jake lets out, leaning against the brick wall a block or so away from Salem Surf. “It’s pissing me off,” he adds. The other smirks and laughs in turn, and though Jake’s face remains unfazed, he remembers why he and the older fought so much growing up. He’s never bothered with a mask of happiness or sincerity around Tucker, because Jake is confident nobody would believe a word that comes out of the lowlife’s mouth.
“Come on, Jakey. You and I have more in common than you’ll ever admit.” He hates that nickname, and he hates it even more coming from Tucker’s mouth. There’s a knife behind his back, concealed until he pushes himself off of the wall and steps in the older’s direction, the glint of the blade coming into view as he holds it to his side. “You’re right,” Jake remarks, looking into Tucker’s eyes before smiling, letting out a chuckle of his own. This is normally the part where he’d throw a punch, their common, juvenile routine coming into play. Except instead of a punch to the face, it’s a knife to the gut that Jake throws, a gentle smile remaining on his face as he spoke again. “But I’m better than you, Tuck. And I always have been.”
He watches as the other falls to the ground, taking the knife out before bending down and stabbing him again. It’s refreshing and though he hadn’t actually killed anyone yet, Adee doing all of his dirty work, Jake was starting to see the appeal. Every cry, every yell of pain that wouldn't be heard by anyone. It was all because of him. So he kept going, until the cries faded out and there was blood pouring out in excess, and Tucker no longer screamed out for help.
Jake reminds himself he’s in public, covering Tucker’s mouth halfway through so his muffled screams weren’t heard by a soul. He wanted to have more fun, but it was late, and he promised Kat he’d make dinner after he stopped at home and showered. There wouldn’t be any time for more, much to his own dismay.
Tucker’s body was discarded in the trash before he headed home, just where he belonged.
JUNE 10TH, 2023
It’s fortunate that nobody truly mourns the loss of the eldest River brother besides his best friend, but he doesn’t mind it. Jake knows what’s best for Toby, and he knows he’s the brother that the other truly deserved. It is a nuisance to see his life-long friend become a suspect and to have his girlfriend be the one to accuse him. If anything, both of them are the only true, non-blood attachments he could never give up. Jake doesn’t want to entertain the thought of taking one of their sides or losing either of them. It frustrates him a bit, so he decides that it’s time to get back to plan, something that would ensure him peace and happiness.
It’s time to get rid of Julia Davis.
As fun as being partially responsible, and at times fully responsible, for the deaths that had the town shaken up, and as fun as being in control of whether someone lived or died was, Jake liked to think there was a worse reality than death. He likes to imagine what it would be like to ruin someone’s life, bend them to his will, and make them lose everything they’ve ever had. He wondered what it would feel like to leave someone hollow and broken, the way he’d felt his entire life. He wondered what it would feel to create the monster his mother had with him.
He wondered if he could do that to Adee.
In the end, Jake was a simple person. He didn’t need an elaborate plan to ruin her, he just needed to take away the right pieces. It was fortunate that a girl like Adee didn’t have much of a brain, and that her loyalties, her true loyalties were obvious. He planned for her loyalties to only lie with him, which meant there were people that had to go.
Jake had his car parked outside the Daily Dose, watching from afar his younger sister get off of work and leave the premises, and then he watched as the few remaining customers filtered out and it was just the girl he was looking for remaining. Julia wasn’t a tall person, nor was she very strong in his personal opinion, so knocking her out and carrying her to his car had been easy, barely even glancing at her face as he dropped her in his trunk. He’d specifically waited for everyone to leave, knowing better than to get caught. It’s why he could practically feel the eyes at the back of his head, the unsure ‘hello’ that’s spoken out, shutting his trunk and going into the driver's seat to grab a knife. It’s a bit dull, and it’s unfortunate that they’ve seen too much. But his plan isn’t finished, and he won’t be caught regardless.
Ruby Sullivan was someone Jake only knew in passing. They made music, not that he’d listened to half the crap any of the self-proclaimed artists in town made. He couldn’t say he felt anything as he twisted a knife into her back, maybe besides a little bit of pleasure. Jake finds it funny that they still fight, even when it’s clear he has the upper hand. He bends down as her body falls to the ground, sending the blade right back into her over and over again. He’s being thorough, taking out a little bit of his frustration on them. Jake is bent down over their body, glancing down to see his gray hoodie has splotches of red all over it, making him sigh. “Look what you did, Ruby. This was expensive,” he lets out, rolling his eyes at her unconscious body before picking them up, tossing her inside the trunk alongside Julia. He wishes they would’ve been a little quicker to pass out, maybe he wouldn’t have to worry about cleaning his car tomorrow too.
…
He doesn’t like when Adee cries. Because there isn’t a moment where he can bring himself to feel bad for her. Jake doesn’t care that she’s breaking over the idea of her unconscious best friend, because 20 seconds ago, she was happy to see Ruby dead right next to her. How is that fair? Maybe it was Julia who he was doing a favor, having her killed so she wouldn’t have to deal with a psychotic best friend. She pleads and says no, and lets those ugly tears stream down her face, and all Jake can do is admire the shiny knife in his hands, much sharper compared to the one he used on Ruby. He repeats those same words he did when it was Maya’s body next to them. And because he knows Adee, he knows she’ll do this.
For the second time, he sits back and watches as Adee kills another of her best friends, destroying her world because of him. He almost would’ve kissed her, knowing that she was dying for a sign that he cared beyond their sick and twisted secret. But honestly, she looked ugly with all that crying, and maybe it would be better to save it for another time. There was a high he got watching her kill, but for now, he’d save his afterthoughts of pleasure for Kat. Maybe on her kitchen counter this time.
As for his fun, what he would take this time, the fingers felt like an obvious choice. Ruby would never be able to play another chord on the bass, and Julia would never be able to type up an unfinished novel again. Left for the creative, musically-inclined one, and right for the do-gooder, book-smart one.
JUNE 23RD, 2023
It doesn’t surprise him to see Adee cozying up to Dante at the festival a week ago. Jake remembers hearing something about them hooking up in the bathroom of Medusa, but it’s not all that surprising to see her latch onto a guy who’s clearly looking for a rebound. Jake doesn’t like the way she looks so happy at the festival, that the tears she shed over killing her best friend weeks ago have been replaced by a lovestruck look in her eyes. Maybe a part of him is glad that she’s so desperate, because it makes things easier for him.
Adee is someone he’s known for a good part of his life, and if there's one thing he knows for certain about her, it’s her desperation for love. Best friends would come and go, but love? It was something he’d watched her chase her entire life. Before her parents got arrested and her life went to hell. Truthfully, he’d been waiting for a sign. The final part of his plan to take away the things she loves. He almost considers letting Dante live a little longer, until he acknowledges that a murderer like Adee doesn’t deserve to be happy. She looked at Jake like he was everything, until some guy with a guitar and shitty rock music came along, and there was a big part of Jake that didn’t like that. After all he’d done for her, she was still looking for something better.
It was nice living in a small town, it was easy to find people and follow them without looking suspicious. Nobody was even looking when he’d taken Dante, knocked him over the head and thrown him in the backseat of his car. You’d think after the police were aware of a murderer being on the loose, they’d be a little more diligent. He grabbed Dante’s phone from his pocket, chuckling as a notification from Adee came up.
On the drive over to Royal Cove beach, Jake wondered if he’d be able to make her do it. If it came down to it, would Adee really kill off her last hope at happiness? There was a part of him that doubted it, especially seeing her almost hesitate killing Julia. He decided he’d do them both a favor tonight, and kill Dante himself. Jake leans back in his driver’s seat, pulling out his own phone to text Adee.
JAKE: Want to come see his surprise?
He’d have an hour or so before security made their way around the beach, which gave him plenty of time to get in and out. Admittedly, he got bored waiting for Adee to show up, kicking Dante’s unconscious body around and thinking about the possible repercussions of killing a nice guy like him. Jake knew he was close with Kat, but maybe it could work to his advantage. She’d be upset, which gave him the opportunity to be there for him. Being her boyfriend was harder than he imagined, mostly because she was so headstrong and dominant in public. But with people dying around them, he got to be the strong one between the two of them.
Watching Adee approach through the darkness made him feel excited, knowing her reaction was half the fun. He held the knife in his hand, rested right under the man’s chin as he propped up Dante’s unconscious and bloodied face for her to see. “Surprise,” he says, a light but wicked grin forming on his face. Jake lets go of Dante’s hair, letting his body fall to the group as he lets out a sigh. “I’m hurt, Adee. I thought we had something special,” Jake says, walking towards her. He paints his expression to be soft, almost as if he’s concerned about the state of the two of them. “Wasn’t it always supposed to be us in the end?” he asks, cupping her cheek gently. Jake smiles, and if there wasn’t an unconscious body between them, and if you ignored the fact that he had a girlfriend at home, you’d almost think his words were genuine. He sighs again, letting go of her and walking back to where Dante was, raising the knife that was in his hand before looking back at Adee. His eyes returned back to their normal state of coldness, looking at her even as he plunged a knife into Dante’s chest, ripping the knife out before stabbing him again. Jake didn’t like to take any chances, he wanted to make sure when he dropped his body down by the shore, that he’d really be dead.
His hands were a little bloody as he dropped Dante to the ground, walking back up to Adee and cupping her cheeks again, not caring that it was her now dead ex-boyfriend’s blood that stained both his hands and her face. Jake stepped closer to her, and he ignored her tears this time, ignored how pathetic she looked and how he’d rather be kissing the girl he loved right now. But plans weren’t about feelings, and he was a master at pretending.
So after looking up and down her face, as if he was admiring her beauty, Jake brought his lips to hers, closing the distance between the two and embracing her frame. It was gentle, and tender, and sweet, and everything he truly wasn’t, taking his time to open up her mouth a bit before holding back a smirk as she kissed back. He could feel the change in her, satisfied at his own doing and because she’d been so good about following his plans, Jake gave her what he knew she wanted. Just as he’d been there for years to be her rebound, to be the one she sought comfort with after his best friend had broken up with her, he was here again. Lips heavy against hers just as they’d been years ago, and for a moment, Jake remembered why he was attracted to her again.
There was blood everywhere. It spread across the floor like spilled liquor, as if it’s red wine staining his hands and his shirt, and everything surrounding the three. Except there was only one person whose shallow breaths could be heard. Only one person was left standing, knife in hand, and the blood of the women he loved and hated was unavoidable to his eyes. His hand shook, tainted knife dropping to the ground and for a moment, time stood still. Jacob was back in the forests surrounding Nightrest, battered in his own car and suffocating from the smoke. He should have died that night. Kennedy should have been smarter. He’s suffocating all over again, but instead of the smoke and the way his body aches, it’s the blood and the pain in his heart, if he even has one.
Nothing had gone right. He’d pushed her too far, he’d tested the limits until he’d broken her into nothing. And here she was lying in a pool of her own blood, by his own blade.
All that stupid bitch had to do was follow my plan.
He blames her. For everything. And when the police show up, however long they’ll take, that’s the story he’ll tell the world.
This is her fault. All of it.
FEBRUARY 18TH, 2023
If you’re a good person, good things will happen to you. It’s a common saying, isn’t it? After having it reinforced in his mind, it’s what Jake tells himself. Yet in the little stream of consciousness, he holds onto at the foot of the Salem Neck Trails, surrounded by trees to mask the sound of what he feels, the only emotion Jacob can feel coursing through his veins is anger.
After all I’ve done? How much I’ve put up with?
Sitting in his car alone, abandoned to bleed out and die, he’s angry. Angry at everyone, everything, at the world for letting this happen to him. The cracks of his perfection fade in the silence, and the mask he’s spent years crafting begins to falter as the simplicity and stability he’s made for himself is split at the seams, each protective layer he’s made unraveling and leaving chaos in his wake. He can’t open the damn door, he can’t get out. He can’t do anything, and with each second the very thought consumes him, adding fuel to the fire that surrounds his entire soul. The pain from fighting his mind, fighting to live becomes too strong. It overtakes his mind and he shuts down, falling slump against the seat of his car. Every thought is intrusive and no amount of pain or guilt he’s associated with his true thoughts can prevent him from indulging in how many different people he would rather have been in this car than him. The very people he loved, supposedly cherished, and Jake can’t help but wish this were happening to them instead. His memory is plagued by every smiling face, every person he’s comforted, every head he’s offered a shoulder to. And at this moment, on the verge of bleeding out and ceasing to exist, he wishes it were them burning instead of him.
…
It's funny, all things considered. As he drifts into a state of peace, allowing the darkness of the world and his mind to overtake him, it's the very faces that haunted him days prior that greet him with concerned eyes. The weight on his shoulders grows heavier, years of reinforcement punishing himself with the concept of morality. These people love you, Jake, and on the brink of death, you hated them enough to want to subject them to the very torture you endured to ease your mind.
Except nobody really loves him, not the real him at least.
Over the course of his observant lifestyle, Jake had come to learn something about people, about the concept of love and care. It was all conditional. He knew why he was loved, why people cared when it was him who’d almost been victim to the killers. There was perfection to himself, a gentleness and softness to his demeanor that made one feel like he could empathize with people well. That he was a good guy, the kind that was there for his friends unconditionally, sweet and quiet and protective over those he loved. He was the ideal image of what a good person should be. That’s why he was loved. That’s why anyone had shown up for him. Jake knew well enough that if anyone saw what his mind really looked like, they too would wish he would have died that night.
His face hardens as every person walks in, every familiar face he’s expected to smile at and say that he’s truly okay, even when he’s far from it. Every person that walks into his hospital room feels like a burden he can’t escape. And he finds himself struggling to hold onto the version the world wants him to be, the version he was forced to be. His mother’s piercing gaze doesn’t escape his mind, engrained beyond her short visit, beyond what had happened within the past month. It’s a permanent image in his mind, a reminder of where he came from, who made him what he is.
They sit in silence in his hospital room, and she still remains one of the few people whose eyes Jacob can’t meet. She says nothing, perhaps because it’s nothing that could ever be said out loud, or perhaps because her presence of her is enough for him to remember his responsibilities. Every mother knows her son, right? It’s why she doesn’t need to speak with him, doesn’t need to hear any words to recognize the look in his eyes, the chaos brewing behind them. She can only watch as the perfection she molded shatters before her eyes, the man she made into her son gone and replaced by something that’s far too forced.
DECEMBER 25TH, 2002
The extravagant decorations and being removed by the estate’s maids, thrown in the trash instead of being put away in a storage room. It’s all for show anyway, another way to show their wealth and dominance over the small city of Nightrest. For one day, they’re the picture of a perfect family, a doting mother and a happy father alongside his grateful children. Except just like most of Jacob's life, none of it is real. Behind the glamor and the status lies a father who's never home, a mother who extends her care to one child, two sisters who alienate themselves from each other, and a brother who is more broken than the rest combined.
Jacob Oh. The perfect son.
A glance at the young eight-year-old boy, and it's exactly what you would think. He's poised, and gentle, and spreads his warmth whenever he goes. He's kind and sweet, and nothing like how any young boy should be who's grown into a life of exorbitant wealth. On Christmas day, it's Jacob who sits in the middle of his younger and older sister, the glue that's meant to bond the siblings together. He plays his role perfectly, the image of what a good son, and what a good brother should be. He remains shy to his mother's typical favoritism, avoiding her eyes and opting to greet those of his nanny. He isn't embarrassed that his mother dotes on him, he's nervous. The smile on his face won't shake, won't falter, because he already knows what will come next.
“My special, perfect son,” she speaks softly, tying her beloved son’s tie as he faces the mirror. Jake doesn’t know why his mother calls him special, if it’s meant to be a compliment or an insult. He struggles to read her emotions, glancing at her while she’s focused on his attire, the two tucked away in his room away from the rest of their family. “You’ll be good tonight, won’t you?” Everything about her tone is sweet and delicate, pampering her son for yet another event. He can’t tell her he hates them, that they make him feel on edge and left out. If he disobeys her, the gentleness of her tone will fade and she’ll remind him what happens when he doesn’t follow his script. He’s only eight, but his mother’s wrath has become routine. It’s not fear that consumes him, it’s anger towards her. Anger that’s been repressed by every lashing and beating she’s given him. Jake is left with an emotion he can’t show, swallowing the only thing he knows down.
He’s only eight, but he knows that he hates his mother. His face remains blank in the room with her, cold eyes settling on her face as she grabs his cheeks. She smiles at him, but the words that leave her mouth don’t provide him comfort. “Remember who you are, Jacob. When they smile, you smile too. Your friends will be there, Lunara, Montez, that young Temel girl… wouldn’t you two make the perfect fit? Her father already thinks so,” she boasts proudly, proud the prodigal son continues to be well perceived. It feels like his life is already planned for him from so young, the apple of his mother’s eye fit to take the heir to the family business. Attending these events exclusive to the rich is simply for show, children left to entertain themselves in the least disruptive way possible as the adults make business deals.
…
He grows more into who he should be with every passing year. Jake learns to mimic people and pick up on the physical cues of what emotion looks like so he can properly display it. He pretends he’s happy until he can fool his mind into believing it too. There is no discussion of anger, hatred, or anything he remotely relates to. From a young age, Jake feels as though he is destined to live outside of his own body, attaching any remotely human feeling he has to the beliefs his mother enforced. Jake can’t tell anyone he feels anger, that deep in his core, he hates everyone. He hates his mother for seeking to change him instead of helping him, he hates his siblings for never holding any of their weight. He hates Sarah for becoming rebellious, and he hates Charlotte for her insecure nature. He hates his friends who see him as second, who never notice the way his smile doesn’t meet his eyes until he’s much older. He hates everyone. And no matter how much his mother tried to beat it out of him, how perfect he tried to be, or how much he overcompensated, it was the one feeling he could never escape.
Sometime in his life, he became self-aware, acknowledging who he was at his core. But it wasn’t something that he could tell anyone, because if it wasn’t the rude awakening he’d experienced as a child, it was that if there was someone who he hated most of all, it was himself. He hated not being normal, having to try hard, and making the extra effort to fit in. He was attractive, intelligent, and popular, and checked off every single box any ordinary person would have for their life aspirations. Yet in the box where it mattered most, the box most people looked right past, he continued to struggle.
There was no choice for him but to be normal, or at least pretend he was. A simple job. Math was direct and straightforward, and most of the time, there was only one logical answer. It was Jacob’s favorite subject, devoid of any feeling and concrete in the way he needed. The students of Wardwell were good, and for the most part, he hardly worried about confrontation. Parents could hardly do algebra, let alone question his methods of teaching. While it was inevitable he would inherit the company of his family, he held onto his ordinary career.
When it came to girls, he always made an excuse. In the few moments he'd had, the few girls he'd ever made a connection with, there was a fire in the pit of his stomach that reminded him a little too much of what he wasn't supposed to be. It felt wrong to desire anything, to want more than he had. So he pushed anyone away because it felt like an opportunity to lose himself in something real. In the same way that deep down it felt good and right to be angry and erratic, he worried it would feel the same to act on his own desires.
He was prepared to stay true to his morals, as skewed and fake as they could be. To push down any part of him that felt real and human in replacement for what everyone wanted him to be. He was prepared to do that for the rest of his life.
Until the accident happened, and she walked into his hospital room.
MARCH 4TH, 2023
It's been a few days. A few days since he got out of the hospital. A few days since his birthday. A few days since Vivian died. Jake had felt like a ticking time bomb, regardless of whether he was at home or if he was stuck in a hospital bed. The darkness hadn't escaped him, and most days it felt overwhelming. Vivian's death shook him to his core. He didn't miss her, he didn't cry, but her murder served as a reminder that he felt out of control. He hated feeling out of control.
It led to his impulses running wild, growing erratic and angry as he became charged by his only real emotion. It was hard enough to remain in the hospital, to bear the way he felt on his own only to come home and feel as though things were becoming worse.
He'd shut his friends down about the idea of a welcome-back party. It felt as if everyone wanted to make themselves feel better, instead of him. What he wanted was cast aside for the idea of something more grand, and it pissed him off. Jake couldn’t imagine sitting in a crowded place, forcing another smile on his face so everyone else could feel at ease. Yet mere days later, he'd found himself in the same location he was supposed to be welcomed back in, for an entirely different reason.
Katherine was in many ways his complete and utter opposite. While he remained calm and devoid of emotion, she seemed to be full of feeling. There was something about her that left him wondering, something about the way she'd shown up to the hospital that lured him in. He didn't know why, but for the first time, he wanted more. For the first time, he didn't punish himself for that fact, embracing it the moment he stepped inside the strip club. It was a gamble if he'd see her or not, but once their eyes met, Jake didn't think he could stop there. Her touch became addictive from the moment she took him into that private room, a side of him nobody had seen before peeking through alongside his desires. It was real, and entirely out of character for a man as poised as him to lose his virginity in the private rooms of a strip club. Every touch, every moment felt like a crack in his exterior, and it felt far too good for him not to embrace the change. Kat made him feel human, even if it was just in small moments.
The problem with going after what he wanted was that once he started, it felt too hard to stop. For a moment, Jake would truly believe he’s in love with Kat. That he was fixed, and he could be like everyone else. But it was nothing more than an addiction or an obsession, because while things with her made him undeniably happy, everything else in his life began falling apart. It all became meaningless, besides her. His friends that didn’t agree were pushed away, the people he’d lost started to matter less, and every heartbreaking tragedy was a reason to grow closer to her.
The perfection had begun to crack long before he gave in completely, bad habits of drinking and smoking picked up without a question from anyone else. He smiled less, stopped being there for every person who expected it, and abandoned the rigid routine he followed of simply going to work and coming home. There wasn’t something particular that Jake was looking for in the midst of his erratic behavior, whether it was peace, comfort, control. Kennedy and Enzo being arrested hadn’t absolved him of his anger, in fact seeing their failure only served to anger him more. These were the idiots that ripped so much away from him? Three simpletons with no worth had managed to change his life, take away his peace and his comfort and his control, and for what? Watching Enzo be taken away by the cops, he wondered what it would be like to take back what he’d lost. To act on the very anger that those who tried to destroy the town rebirthed in him. Of course, it was a thought meant to remain dormant, tucked away as he fell further and further away from reality. He had no reason to do anything, no reason to find a new outlet for his anger that he suddenly could no longer escape.
He had no reason to do any of that, until that night.
MAY 6TH, 2023
It should be a good day. The reopening of Mama’s, a beloved diner in town that he rarely visited due to the unhealthy food and lack of sanitation regulations. Of course, he showed up, early and ready to help out where he could. This was still the version of him that believed that he had to constantly put in effort, go out of his way to prove his worth as a good person. Jake avoided Adee, their paths crossing a few times. He wasn’t supposed to talk to her, taking Kat’s side in their fight. It wasn’t the first time he’d dropped a close friend in his life for the blonde, the first of which being Selin a few weeks before her death. Sometimes he thought about her, but it was rare, his focus was on his girlfriend now.
His girlfriend. They were words he never thought he’d say. But it felt natural, and it felt real, what they had. And he didn’t want to let her go. His desire couldn’t help but burn brighter and stronger the more he was with her. Gone was the demure, modest and reserved Jake who rarely got drunk in public. Later that night at Medusa, he’d let himself give in, their public displays of affection seen by more than a few, and the events after they’d gotten home both messy and passionate. He knew he should care, be more cautious in public and find it in himself to acknowledge when other people were around the two, but he doesn’t want to. He doesn’t want to care about anyone but her.
The problem with their touch-driven relationship, how intense things seemed to get between the two in the midst of a second was that it always left him wanting more. Jake wasn’t satisfied, not after countless rounds and seeing his girlfriend fast asleep next to him in bed. He wanted more, more of everything, more of indulging on every desire and unfiltered thought in his mind.
In theory, he knew he should be happy, the perfect life in front of him. A girlfriend, a good job, plenty of friends, a family that cared for him, and wealth that would never leave him with financial burdens. Except none of it really mattered to him. Maybe Kat, maybe the attachment he’d had with her, along with a few others that he saw as pieces of himself after so long. Charlotte, Sarah, Toby, Jieun. Beyond them, beyond people he couldn’t form any kind of bond with, there wasn’t much feeling in Jake’s head. He lied to himself most of the time, pretended he knew sadness and pain, pretended he could smile genuinely and be happy. After so long, it was second-nature, even if it was fake. But with each day, he finds it harder to hold the mask to his face, to pretend he feels as much as his face portrays.
Jake glances at Kat, pulling himself out of bed and throwing on a pair of pants and a hoodie. He needed to clear his head, and get away from the thoughts and ideas in it, sliding a pack of cigarettes into the pocket of his jacket before quietly exiting Katherine’s home, locking the door behind him. There’s nothing wrong with taking a walk late at night now that the killers were arrested or pronounced dead. Nightrest is safe again, the thought alone making Jake sigh as he fishes out his lighter, bringing a stick up to his lips and lighting it. A new bad habit. He’d made a point to hide it from Kat, even if the smell of smoke was impossible to conceal from his clothes. Besides weed, he’d never smoked before. But he liked how it made him feel lighter, less stressed and on edge.
He walks mindlessly down the sidewalk, only pausing as he approaches the entrance of the Salem Neck Trails, halted by his footsteps joined by the sound of a girl’s voice. Jake keeps the cigarette in his mouth, stepping closer into the woods to see who was there. Nightrest was safe, right? But the back of his mind begins to wonder if it really is, pulling his phone out. It’s dark, beyond dark and he can barely make out a thing. It’s the voice that makes him stop and turn, a voice he’d heard early this morning and the voice he’d secretly missed. He stands by a tree, head tilted as he listens, the rustling of the leaves and the faint two figures slowly becoming more clear to his eyes. She was kissing someone, getting it on in the woods of all places. Jake had always thought she was desperate, but surely she could’ve waited until they reached the front door at least. He turns, figuring it’s not his business who she wants to hook up with in the middle of the night, until he’s halted in his tracks, the female voice he knew well growing frantic and a male voice yelping out in pain. Jake turns back, but he doesn’t move, instead watching for his very own eyes. He watches it happen, watches the way she pushes a knife into the man’s gut and how he falls to the ground, blood splattering over the summer leaves. Jake watches someone die right in front of him, yet he feels nothing, except maybe curiosity. The cigarette he’s been smoking reaches it’s end, Jake letting the bud fall to the ground and stomps the remains of the ash away before walking towards her.
When their eyes meet, when her gaze turns towards the sound of his footsteps, he props a look of concern on his face despite seeing what happened, asking if she's okay. There's a dead body in front of the two, but he doesn't pay it any mind. Not when she's next to him.
Years ago, he harbored a crush on Adee Hayag, or at least what little obsession his mind clung to that he convinced himself were true feelings. His favorite thing about her had never changed over the years, despite their history and all that had changed. Jake's favorite thing about Adee was that she was utterly helpless and desperate enough to cling to whoever gave her attention. The doe eyed expression on her face, the way she pleads with him with her eyes to help him is a look he's used to. In many ways, it made him feel wanted, feel useful. It made him feel strong, and it made him feel like a man. Over the years, he'd been there for Adee, whether it was a shoulder to cry on or a set of lips to help her get over her heartbreak of the month. And it was always the same look in her eyes, the same glint that made him give in, letting himself feel good for once. So when Adee is standing in front of him, bloody knife in her hands and the dead body of Rhys Miller on the ground, all he can focus on are the familiar eyes that he'd purposely shut out of his life just weeks ago.
Jake doesn't feel fazed by what he saw, and because she has no knowledge he witnessed a man's death, he doesn't feel like he has to put on a front. Besides, after murdering someone in cold blood, he thought that she'd barely have room to judge his unemotional response. His expression remains blank, staring down at the body. He never really liked Rhys. The guy was a player beyond his stupid charm he showed people in town. Maybe he deserved to die. Maybe that was his fate.
When she asks for his help, and asks him to take care of this, he realizes he's never done this before, and his mind pauses, wondering what their best option was. Jake was strong, but carrying a dead body around in his arms would be noticeable, and he wondered if it would be easier had Rhys been split up into parts, stuffed in trashbags to make it less suspicious. He's never killed anyone, let alone chopped up body parts for fun, but he figures it's the best bet. So he leaves Adee alone and takes what he needs from his home. Bleach to clean the area and the body. Trashbags for the parts. A butcher's knife he'd sharpened a couple times.
He didn't flinch. He didn't react. It felt like a task for him more than anything else, a set of actions he was meant to perform rather than committing a crime and severing a body up in the middle of the woods. Jake felt desensitized to it all, not that there was any real sensitivity in the first place. There's a part of him that enjoys it, maybe because he doesn't like Rhys or maybe because it gave him a sick sense of control. Over a dead person who would never be found, and over Adee. Taking away the essence of a person limb by limb brought him a sense of satisfaction, the feeling he'd had in bed with Kat an hour ago. The way he’d been on edge and felt out of control faded away, a sense of relief and calmness spreading over his body in replacement. It was cathartic and real, and he wanted to do it again. He'd cleaned up, and discarded everything for the most part before returning to Adee, assuring her things would be okay. Jake wondered what she was capable of, wondered who she was behind the helpless girl he'd known. She was broken, he knew that much, just as he was. This was their secret.
“you sure you’re okay?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “if you need anything, or even just to talk, i’m here.” she noted. always the one to be there whenever a friend or even her sister needed someone to talk too. "maybe. a night to just relax and not think about other things for a change.“ it would be nice. but part of her felt nervous about being there. while she was happy for her childhood friend, she hated this feeling she was having.
"You know me, not much of a talker," he says, offering Anya a tight smile. He's used to being there for people, and never the other way around. It's all on his own accord of course, mind recalling he'd pushed away his sister the day Toby died and sighing just thinking about it. He glanced at her from across the room, unsure of how he could fix things between them. "They both look happy, if anything, it's easier to pretend we are too. I think Levi looks like he could do a lap from how excited he is," Jake adds with a wry chuckle.
to say she was done with everything was an understatement. another death. the police had come and announced a death had happened while everyone was there. she knew she should have stayed home where it ws safer. she knew she should have done that. yet she had come anyway. after being questioned by the police, she made her way back to the table she had been at most of the night. doing her best to hold it together, she grabbed her drink before finishing it off. seeing someone sit down next to her, she looked over to see jake. "them holding us all here is bullshit.“
Jake decides to go to bar, since it wasn't as if there was anywhere else to go. He'd booked a room earlier for him and Kat, but he hadn't gone in yet, sticking around the ballroom becuase it seemed like the safer option to be. It had only been minutes when the chief listed off three more names, and Jake felt on edge. He took a seat, ordering himself a drink before hearing Hana's voice. Jake hadn't seen her since the festival, left to nod slowly at her sudden words. "Yeah, it is," he responds in agreement. "I don't know what they were thinking. People are dying and they're still making us stay," Jake adds with a sigh, mind flickering to Lucia and Levi who both hadn't made it through the night.
“How do they expect us all to just stay here when there a psycho killer out to get us?” Jaziel said coming up behind him. “Like we don’t got families to go home to.” He was pissed. It was understandable to want to get answers but to force everybody to stay in the building for lord knows how long, on top of having to wait to be interviewed was too much. “Who’s to say that they are done? Like who’s going to stop that coward from finding yet another easily available person to stab and kill? Clearly they didn’t care about the crowd before attacking Lucia.” The least they could do was take down names as people exited the building instead of potentially causing more casualties.
The decision to keep everyone trapped in here baffled Jake, especially given the uncertainty. "I don't know. You would think they would've figured something out by now. Instead they're just using the people they're supposed to protect as bait," he lets out, frustrated by the situation. He glances at Jaziel before sighing. "There's nothing we can do but wait, is there? This hotel is too big for every area to be watched," Jake adds. He'd given the police his time, both tonight and when Azra had been injured, but it felt like in both instances, the way the questions seemed to similar and vague, that the police hadn't gotten any closer. He lets out another sigh thinking about it, taking a large sip of his drink.
They're not fully convinced - just judging by Jake's tone, but smiles wide anyways, "That's good, then! I know tensions are high and everything -" and the world fucking sucks, right now, " - but we have to keep on being a community, y'know? That's - it's important. We can't isolate ourselves from one another." It's not worth it to pry, even if Gabe really wants to - they've never been on great terms with Jake, just semi-friendly faces; they just want to talk to Toby's best friend and pretend that it'll heal their emotional wounds. "I just hope - he's happy, wherever he is now." They look down at their hands, picking at dead skin and nail polish, before looking back up with another smile. "I'm sure she will - it'll just take time, y'know? She's strong. She'll make it through this - all of us will." Gabe clears their throat - figures a change of subject would be nice, "Did - did you get them anything? Levi and Mei, I mean."
The smile he offers Gabe's way doesn't fully meet his eyes, hints of his tiredness and exhaustion shining through. He might've known Dominic his entire life, but after what the other had said about his best friend, both when he was alive and gone, it felt too early to even consider making amends. He nods at their words, nothing to offer because as nice as it all sounds, he can't say he agrees anymore. Beyond Toby, the two didn't have that much in common, and Jake isn't exactly his usual light, easygoing self. "I'm sure he is. He was a good man. Better than a lot of people in this town thought," Jake adds with a sigh. It's hard to not think about the man in question, even now. "Yeah, she'll be fine, someday. Sarah is tougher than she looks," Jake adds in agreement, though he isn't sure his words are something he believes. If anything, he was always inclined to believe that his elder sister was the stronger one. "Just something small," he answered, even if small to him was usually unreasonably expensive to anyone else. "Did you?"
Not only was the term plan not in Aslan’s dictionary, but with all the uncertainties going on around town, it seemed even more pointless to map a future out. A lot of what he did, ever since he was a teenager, was on impulse and what he felt like doing in the moment, nonchalant about what might come from it. He’s a little surprised Jacob’s on that same boat right now, having always known the other to be on top of it, but he can’t blame him considering the town they’re living in. “We’re waking up to something new everyday, it feels pointless to set a plan, no?” He shrugs. “I’m okay. Better now that Azra’s out of the hospital. It’s been a rough few weeks.” Even when she was in recovery, he didn’t feel any relief till she actually got out of that stifling place.
Sure, there were general responsibilities that Jake had been aware of for most of his life. But most of them were about what career he'd have or the expectations his mother had for him, and it didn't include things like marriage or kids. His life had changed completely in the span of a few months, more than he could've ever imagined after the accident. "You're right. I doubt anyone knows what will happen next. Levi's a good man for still figuring it out in the middle of all of this." Jake nods at Aslan's words. "That's good. I can't imagine what I would do if Sarah or Charlotte were in the hospital. Makes me think about what they went through with me," Jake let out with a sigh.
