a part 2 to my previous post
i’m finally free from the trenches of university for a week or so, and really wanted to get this out soon so here it is :> enjoy!
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“Such a pretty face.. Stay still, hm?”
A tear falls onto the cold barrel of Walter’s pistol, a part of you wishing it would’ve set it off. The frigid metal lifts off your cheek when your body stops squirming, accompanied by a pleased smile on his face.
Walter’s thumb brushes against your face to catch another stray tear, tasting the saltiness on his tongue. It was nothing but exquisite, he thinks- savoring it before leaning close and whispering.
“Are you afraid? You shouldn’t be, Paradise is imminent, dear. Do you wish to see the new world?”
You don’t respond, yet he treats your silence as eager agreement.
It was painful, the iron grip of his fingers around your wrist. You were sure the skin would be purple and marred after this, if you even survived that is. He hums, his free hand tracing his fingers along body, traveling up your arm.
“No time to waste, love. Mother is waiting as we speak.”
Sick. He was an entirely sick bastard, you thought. A sick, yet pitiful man.. His hand around your wrist loosens, only to grab your waist- flipping you over with a thud. Normally, he wouldn’t even bat an eye while completing a sacrament. You were special however.
Something about your sweet face and kind demeanor made him want to toy with you forever.
Sharp pain radiates through your face, his forceful shove causing you to land harshly on your cheek. Your arms attempt to push your figure back up, but his weight falls down on you once again. A pained yelp leaves your lips, and it makes him smile more than it should.
“Shhh… I haven’t even started yet. Be good and stay quiet, won’t you?”
Cold metal presses against your skin, yet this time, it was the sharp searing sensation of a blade. You felt the warm wetness of blood trickle down your back, immediately squirming and crying out.
“Hm. Perhaps I should have slit your throat first.”
He says it with a casualty that makes your blood run cold. Your figure stills at the remark, heart pounding with the purest silent terror you’ve never even felt was possible.
“There we go, so obedient when she tries..”
He practically purrs in satisfaction, watching more blood spill down your back as he continues carving your skin.
You’ve wondered what it felt like to be stabbed before, perhaps offhandedly during some monotonous lecture or lengthy drive.
It was like a papercut, splitting open your back under a scorching flame. Your knuckles are white, fists clenched against the floor to prevent yourself from squirming and exasperating his wrath.
Fuck, you were going to die like this. By some sick psycho, who was practically grinning the whole time doing it.
Your whole life flashes though your mind, reeling for any solution- to make it all stop
The door to room 303 opens with a slam. You can’t even see who it is with a face pressed to the ground.
It was a man, a vaguely familiar voice that was hard to recall in the current moment. You feel the weight rise off your back, looking back to see Walter lunging at the man.
They fall to the floor, flailing wildly and throwing fists. It was terrifyingly loud, half of the furniture in your home was crashed into and broken apart by the brawl. Walter kicks the man into your table as you painfully manage to sit up.
Henry is clutching the table, glancing at you before scrambling to the side to avoid a knife flying directly into his face.
Get up get up get up get up get up
You groan, forcing your aching muscles to lift off the ground.
Your neighbor.. Room 302.
There wasn’t a chance you’d let either of you die, not like this.
Walter has him on the ground again, squeezing his throat with his bare hands. With a few trembling steps you drag a stool over and swing it into the back of his skull.
The long haired man goes limp on top of Henry, your neighbor letting out a pained huff before pushing the large body off.
You offer a hand, he takes it.
There’s a long silence before either of you say anything, your gaze was fixated on the body before you- sprawled out on the cold floor.
Henry steps beside you, glancing at you and following your gaze.
“He’s not dead.” He mumbles.
His words register slowly, the familiar soft voice hitting your ears. You suck in a breath, stepping back.
“Walter. He’s an.. Apparition of sorts. This won’t get rid of him, likely.” He adds apologetically.
Your mouth feels dry and you can’t seem to think anymore- or breathe. Slumping against the wall, your fingers grasp your hair- deflated with dread.
The pain seems to crash over you all at once again, every bruise and scar aching and burning. Your back felt like a fiery pit, the clothes you once wore were practically shredded, and your home was totaled.
You blink, barely registering the tears falling down your face. He’s knelt in front of you, hesitantly running a thumb across your cheek to wipe the wetness away.
“I’ll figure out how to deal with him. But we should probably get out of here, yeah?”
His hand is warm, and it helps you think again for a moment.
You take in a shaky breath, nodding slowly.
“Y-Yes, yeah.. We should go..”
Henry helps you back up, careful not to brush against any open wounds. This all feels like some wild awful dream, the ones you get after taking too much cough syrup.
You stand and immediately slump into his figure- catching him by surprise with a small grunt. He stiffens awkwardly, but continues to hold you up nonetheless.
Your ankle got twisted in the chaos, you could see it swelling already. The rest of your body wasn’t in much better shape to move.
He lowers himself for a moment, allowing you to wrap your arms around his shoulders. Somehow, he manages to lift you off the ground- your legs crossed over his waist.
Your neighbor was more hardy than he looked, but you were grateful for it.
Resting your chin on the crook of his neck, you close your eyes. Each rise and fall of his footsteps jostles you around, but soon enough it ceases- the feeling of a mattress beneath your aching body rousing you awake.
Henry sets you down as carefully as he could, but it was harder than he thought. He feels the bruises along his ribs, fleetingly wondering if one had fractured. It would have to wait for now.
The pressure against your back aggravates the pain again, despite the comfort of the mattress. You attempt to sit up, resting sideways against the headboard awkwardly to avoid anything touching your back.
“Are you okay? You’re hurt pretty badly.”
The gentle voice of your neighbor rings out, and you open your eyes to see Henry sitting on the edge of the bed- eyeing you with concern.
“I’m still alive. I think. Thanks for bringing us here.”
You mutter, still slumped against the headboard like it was a lifeline. You hear the mattress creaking, and notice Henry inspecting your back- wincing at the sight.
Though, the 2 in 20 looked more like a 3. Walter didn’t have the best craftsmanship. He decides not to say anything about it, saving the concern from you for later.
“You’re still bleeding.. Turn around for a second.”
You haphazardly obey, seeing him step off the bed and scrummage for some gauze in his jacket.
The sound of fabric unpeeling bounces around the cracked walls of the room, and then you feel him lift your arm slightly to begin bandaging.
“Sorry, this might hurt. I haven’t done this before.”
He mutters apologetically, gingerly wrapping the white cloth around your torso and shoulders. Seemingly, it was quite difficult to bandage one’s backside. The entire roll of the bandage would be used up after this.
It was a miracle that he even had it, scrounging through his supplies before heading to your room was a fortunate choice.
“It’s not too painful…Thank you again, Henry. You saved me. But it got you hurt...”
You don’t see it, but Henry shakes his head- brows furrowing in retort.
“I’d say it was the other way around, really. We can call it even for now, yeah?”
He huffs lightly, speaking softly in a way that makes you feel foolish for having such a worry..
Henry finishes bandaging your back, tying the end of the cloth tightly. He definitely took his time, though he wouldn’t ever admit that. His eyes rested on your shoulderblades, taking in the delicate sight. He was desperate to tell you so many things right now. But it wasn’t the time.
He sucks in a breath. He would hold his tongue for later.
“All done. You should rest now. I’ll make sure nothing comes into the room.”
Your hand reaches back to tenderly touch the bandages, taking in his work. Despite what he said of never doing it before, it was a decent job.
“Okay.. But wake me up if I sleep too long, alright?”
You hear him lightly chuckle at your words, turning back to see his eyes fixated on you.