The Ending You Deserve
Jake x MC - Duskwood One Shot
I wanted to practice angst and creating suspense. This happened. It has a touch of humor, a hint of fluff, and other things! Sassy MC. No smut for a change. It feels weird 🤭
Can Jake run from death and make it to MC?
Or will his demons win the race?
MC isn't named or described as it was more for the emotions. It's all from Jake’s POV.
Pain.
Aching. Cold. Hot. Burning, burning, burning. It rolled through him in waves.
He couldn’t breathe.
He couldn’t see.
Dread wove through his internal organs and strangled him from the inside like an invasive vine had taken root in the core of himself.
Smoke and ash choked his airways as he stumbled and tripped through the mine.
His heart rattled savagely against his ribs.
It felt like a creature in its death throes, trying to break out of his chest.
His foot collided with a jagged, jutting rock and he went down like a house of cards. Crumpled and folded as he rolled and rolled.
Hissing as tiny sharp stones cut into his face and hands.
Ash ridden sweat trickled down his face and stung the many small slices leaking blood as he lay on his back panting and cursing himself as the ominous orange glow of raging flame inched along the underground tunnel.
The air grew thinner and thinner.
The smoke grew thicker and thicker.
The gasoline fueled fire was a monster bearing down on him and he scrambled to his trembling feet. Taking off at a staggering jog, one hand braced on the rough, dirty wall.
A pinprick of light opened up far ahead and a jolt of adrenaline surged through his bloodstream. He hurried, panting and terrified, breathing too shallowly as the rising heat nipped at his neck.
He knew he had a choice to make.
It was death by fire or FBI.
Neither option appealed to him, but as he looked back and saw the swirling, furious flames licking nearer and nearer. He knew he had to decide.
It wasn’t fair.
He wasn’t innocent or free from any wrongdoing. But he didn’t deserve to die like an animal, run over and left bleeding out and twitching on the side of the road until he grew cold and stiff.
No one would miss him.
No one would look for him.
He was all alone. It was a surety. He was always, always alone.
That’s not true though, is it, Jake?
It hasn’t been for a while now.
The voice in his head made his breath catch, and his heart pounded painfully in his throat.
It felt as though someone had reached inside his chest, broken through his flesh, muscle and grasped his bones to pry them apart, an invisible fist that gripped his pulsing heart and shoved it in his mouth. Forcing him to swallow it.
It beat there like a Wardrum. Marching him to his death.
It throbbed and choked and filled his mouth with copper. He couldn’t stand it. The pain was corrosive as it ate through his nerves and left them exposed to the heat and acrid taint of smoke.
She is waiting for you. Don’t let her down.
You PROMISED.
A soul deep sigh huffed through his nose as his feet sped up, pebbles and broken glass crunched under his boots as he raced toward the gradually growing dot of light.
The roaring fire and echo of his escape bounced off the stone and haunted him as he ran for his life.
Four years of running.
Four years of searching and shame and seclusion. Running had been his gift. His lifeline.
Yet he felt wholly unprepared for this last sprint.
He was tiring.
Steps shortening faster than his scalding breath as black smoke slithered overhead and wrapped its insidious tentacles around his body.
He would not make it.
He would not see her after all.
The thought felt like a poisoned blade sinking into his chest. He could feel the barbs of it twisting and cutting through sinew.
He would soon bleed out without a sound.
The fight left him as the intangible knife punctured his hope and foolish dream of having a love he didn’t deserve.
They’d been writing their own story, filling the pages with dreams and fragile, flourishing love.
He felt like coming here was akin to him tearing out those pages and ripping them up.
It broke him so completely he almost stopped and let the flames embrace him.
He could already smell the sickly sweet and pungent scent of his blistering flesh. Like tanning leather over a flame.
He was going to burn.
It would hurt more than he already did.
It would roast through his flesh, flay it from his bones and incinerate muscle and blood to dust.
He could already feel it.
Creeping closer, singing the hair on his nape, and filling his nose with the cloying scent of dangerous smoke.
No one would know it was him.
Nothing would remain for her except blackened bones and the memory that he had gone to the mine instead of her.
She would blame herself for this.
It would destroy her.
And it was all his doing.
No.
Never.
He wouldn’t be a cause of her pain anymore than he already had.
A burst of fresh speed and determination glittered through him as the fire drew so near he could feel the flames whispering in his ear.
Too slow, Jake. It’s too late.
You can’t run away from this.
Your luck has faded.
He forced it aside and sobbed through his clenched teeth as the dot of light swelled and came toward him.
His legs were heavy. Growing weightier with every leap over fallen support beams and shattered rock.
His rabbit heart raced faster and faster. It deafened him to the groaning, popping wood as the fire devoured it.
Tears streaked through the soot and blood on his face. Leaving pale tracks through the grime and coating his chapped lips with brine.
His vision blurred as his emotions broke free of the locked and coded vault he’d stuffed in the back of his hive mind to come here.
He attempted to shove them back in.
It didn’t work.
They spilled out and utterly overwhelmed him.
He’d spent years locking them down. Beating them into submission, so they listened to him and not him to them. The steel and stone fortress he erected around himself had already crumbled for her and there was nowhere left to hide.
He’d given her everything he had, and it wouldn’t be enough.
You always knew you weren’t enough. Let’s not think too highly of ourselves.
She deserves better than this.
Better than you.
That is a truth you will never escape.
His heart fractured as his mind fought against him and his flagging spirit frayed further.
She deserved better than this.
He was failing her. Had failed her since he let her in.
He’d always known he’d cause her future hurt.
He just hadn’t expected it would come so soon. That he wouldn’t get to watch from afar as she healed from his vanishing.
They had always lived on borrowed time.
And now, the fire was so close sweat slid like rivers down his back and legs, eating away at his nerves as they flared wildly under his soaking skin.
Jake knew it was futile. The ball of light in his vision seemed to run away from him as his eyes blurred and cleared repeatedly. His hands curled into two tight fists and he fought the urge to punch the wall in fury.
He bit down on the inside of his cheek instead. Biting down hard until the skin gave and blood welled over the tattered edge, glazing his tongue with the buttery, metallic taste of it.
It acted like a stimulant.
His eyes focused and his heart pounded fiercely as he ran and ran and ran.
Feet pounded stone as fire blazed through the mine. He had to outrun it.
He would outrun in it.
There was no other option as his blood pressure skyrocketed and his breath became harsh, shallow.
The fire sucked away the air before it could go in as he tried to gulp it down.
There was no oxygen.
His insides kept writhing and twisting.
They knotted up and up so tightly he swore felt something tear. Something that made him cry out as the air was crushed from him.
He could see shadows in his periphery. Specks of darkness and sparks of light as his lungs ached and screamed for oxygen. For rest.
Resting meant dying.
Dying meant failing her.
Failing her was never an option before.
It couldn’t be one now.
He put his head down and ran.
He jumped over another wooden beam as the light ahead broadened and he landed atop aged wooden boards.
He only had time to scream as they broke under his weight and their age.
Jake fell. And fell and fell.
He screwed his eyes shut before he hit the ground.
The impact was so brutal, he almost wished it had killed him.
He hit the ground with a resounding whack.
His head cracked off the stone. Pain, blinding and bleeding, radiated through his skull and brain, frying his rationality completely and leaving room for fear to consume him wholly.
Warmth seeped across his scalp and his hand came away, stained in crimson when he reached to feel the damage.
Head wounds bled worse than they were and the gash didn’t feel too bad once the stinging pain subsided a little. He internally surveyed the rest of himself. Finding nothing broken despite his ribs feeling as though a giant had stomped him flat.
Dirt and blood coated his teeth as he wheezed and coughed. Choking and spluttering as he tried to get a handle on himself.
He’d bitten through his lip, and it bled like a bitch.
Something was stabbing into his shoulder.
As he stared up at the hole he fell through, a sensation like a thousand razor blades slicing down his skin moved down his spine, coiling in his lower back. It swirled there, a ball of cutting, primal fright that soon bled through the rest of him.
A rickety ladder leading up and out offered a small ray of hope.
He clung to it and calculated how long it would take to climb in his current condition.
Fire scoured over the opening and left no place for him to escape.
His hope died with a breathless whimper.
He barely even heard it as agony rippled through his bones and he rolled onto his knees, panting.
“Fuck!” He spat. The word was more like a vicious curse as it rebounded off the mine walls and into his ears.
Mocking him as he squinted into the darkness and tried to figure out what to do next.
The fire would keep the police and FBI away from the mine until it burnt out. They wouldn’t rush in until it was safe enough. He knew that.
He could use that.
Jake kneeled on the filthy ground and schemed.
The temperature rose and rose as he shuffled through his thoughts.
He neatly ordered and arranged everything, thinking of his brain like a filing cabinet.
He could slide one drawer open and find a treasure trove of data and memories.
Some would get stuck as he tugged at them. Rusty and dusty, hardly ever opened for fear it would cut off his ability to feel nothing.
He pulled at one that had eroded so much he had to kick it and smash it to smithereens to pull the files out.
It was like opening Pandora’s box and expecting sunshine to pour forth.
A veritable flood of emotion, memory, and agony spilled free of the mental drawer and absolutely annihilated his hold on himself.
He’d forgotten what it was like to feel everything so fully.
Everything of the last few years had felt like he was competing against time itself. And time was humanity’s greatest enemy. There was never enough of it and it actively fought back when you tried to beat it.
It was a losing game and in order to keep playing, he’d become a ghost.
He muted everything that made him human in order to survive.
Calculated.
Clinical.
Cold.
Jake was all of that.
Now, he felt everything.
He wanted to survive. He wanted to live.
Lingering as a phantom on the periphery of reality no longer appealed to him. He wanted to feel and touch and be. He wanted everything life had to give.
The bitter and the sweet. The hurt and the relief. All of it.
Jake just wanted.
And when Jake wanted something, he got it.
He pushed up on his hands. Curling his fingers into the gravelly dirt and ignoring the bark of pain as his nails cracked and split.
His blood mingled with the muck, and he clambered to his feet.
Everything ached and bled and felt so heavy he could barely put one foot in front of the other as he carefully headed down the tunnel he’d dropped into.
His throat was raw. Torn to shreds from smoke and screaming. His hands quaked and his mouth was so dry his tongue curdled in his mouth as he smacked his lips together and tried to create some lubrication.
It was useless. He needed water.
He needed to rest soon, or he would pass out in sheer fright and exhaustion.
It’s too late, Jake.
Give up.
Only fools persist in fighting when the odds are stacked.
Jake’s head throbbed as he thrashed it, as if to dispel the sinister crooning, and muttered, “The odds are always stacked. It’s how you play the system.”
The voice went quiet again, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he tripped over rock and wood, hands scrabbling at the walls to ensure he wouldn’t get himself lost.
He risked taking his phone out of his pocket, scowling at the shattered screen as message after message came through.
MC: Jake. You can’t just tell a woman you love her and then ignore her!
Answer me.
Please.
Just give me a sign. A smoke signal. Send a damn carrier pigeon if you have to! They’re saying there’s no way in or out. But I know better. You’ll find a way.
Keep going. Please don’t give up. You’re not alone in this. I won’t allow it.
If you die, I will hunt you down, drag you back and kill you again. You must live, Jake. Not for me, not for Hannah or Lilly, but for you. You will make it back to me.
He swiped them away. Deleting them. They made his heart shiver and fracture more. The rubious fissures would leave silver scars behind. He groaned as another came through and he immediately memorized the coordinates she gave him. Deleting the message once he had. He put all his remaining energy and will into planning his escape.
His mind wheeled with memories from before.
Prior to being forced into hiding, he had experienced a life of color and fluctuating joy. It wasn’t a perfect life, but it was his. The day he had to leave it all behind, he’d severed all strands of his old life and assumed the identity of many and none.
He’d learned a lot about humanity and its cruelty in that time. He knew how it worked.
Life was a battle against human cruelty. It always was and always would be. Wisdom, strategy, and hope were the only factors that could hope to gain over cruelty.
And his hope lived on.
Hope, he understood it lived with her now. He’d given her it and she had offered him her own. He would not waste it.
He flicked through his brain and memories, shelving what didn’t matter and keeping what did. Everything that made him ache, he kept. Everything that made him feel safe, he lost.
If safety meant being alone, lost in a mine until he either burned or starved to death, he didn’t want it.
He reached into the mental vault containing their chats.
Their conversation about her coming here was the most potent file he had, and it would fuel him to make it out.
She had complimented his research on the mine and he’d told her about some entrances/exits.
He informed her of the ones he thought were most likely to get him caught. It was a manipulative decision, so she wouldn’t get the stupid idea of following him.
He kept one exit loaded like a bullet in the back of his mind.
It was risky.
It was idiotic.
Still, Jake took off running for it.
The tunnel was narrowing as he traveled along it. He had to duck before long.
His heart still frothed behind his sternum. Relentless and out of time, with his sawing breath as the walls closed in on him.
He had to crouch now. His head scuffed off the rugged ceiling and he bit back a shout as the pain merged with that of the wound still leaking blood on the back of his skull.
He felt drained. His body became so weighty, he was grateful when the tightening passage forced him to his hands and knees.
Jake crawled and crawled. Palms scraped and searing as sweat irritated all his grazes. His eyes prickled with fresh tears as a draught of fresh air snaked into his nose.
Dread rose to swallow him, but he kept going. He didn’t know what awaited him on the other side, but it was better than dying alone, never to be mourned or found.
The fear of being arrested was so strong it almost halted him as he squeezed through the ever shrinking tunnel and felt like he was caught in a vice.
If he got stuck—No, he couldn’t think it.
He had to turn his fear into a weapon. Run from this place and reclaim his name. The sweat on his brow, the blood running through his veins; it was that of a survivor.
This was just another glitch.
He told himself that over and over as he army crawled through the crushing mine.
He was blind.
The darkness entrenched him.
It would entomb him if he allowed it.
His coat snagged on the rough wall and dragged him back. He shook his sore body as much as the tight space would allow and panted through his clenched teeth.
It kept sticking. He had stretched his hands ahead of him.
There was no room or way for him to tug the fabric free.
His heart stopped dead in his chest.
Helplessness stole his flagging fight, and he slumped into the dirt, hiding his filthy face in it.
Abruptly, Jake started sobbing like a child. Great, gasping cries tore from him and his entire body shuddered with it. So violent and soul destroying he couldn’t temper it.
No matter what he did, it went against him. He’d never worked with such horrendous odds. His brain was a mess of emotion and regret.
He wished he’d written everything he felt and hoped for them down and mailed the letter to her before he entered the mine, but he’d been cocky then. Too confident in his ability to escape any trap or cage.
Jake gave up and accepted his fate.
If he died, if that was his due, there was no stopping it. He’d been living off begged and borrowed and stolen time for years.
It had finally caught up to him.
He was so lost in defeat. Consumed by it. His throat contracted, and he felt like he might be sick.
He hoped he choked on it.
Make it quick.
“I don’t want to die,” He whispered without meaning to and his mouth kept moving, the words kept falling from his bloodstained lips, “Not like this, anything but this.”
His heart shriveled and went cold as he struggled and tried to shuffle forward. He couldn’t breathe properly. All his weight was on his front. His ribs felt bruised and cracked, every tiny inhale felt like a sledgehammer blow.
It is over, Jake. Feel that? The cold creeping in? Soon, it’s all you’ll know. This darkness? It’s all there is. All there ever will be. It’s what you –
“-- I don’t deserve this.” Jake growled with a certainty he’d never known.
Adrenaline coursed through him, lighting up his veins and filling him with new trembling energy as if someone had injected him with a drug.
He rocked and shook his body until his bones jolted and his skin felt too tight. He forced what little breath he had out through gritted teeth and felt the tendons in his neck straining as he dug his fingers into the dirt and put all his strength into pulling himself free.
The sound of fabric ripping caused his heart to start beating again.
He gave a laugh like shattering glass.
Unhinged and desperate as the momentum of his coat coming free shoved him forward a few feet.
From there, it wasn’t easy. He felt like a clumsy serpent as he slithered through the mine.
He kept laughing. His heart kept pounding.
The voice in his head was silent as his hands connected with something that fell away as he shoved at it.
Glorious, clean night air hit his sweaty face, and he gulped it down as he pulled himself out of the horrible tunnel.
It seemed to cling to him. Like invisible hands tugged on his ankles to keep him trapped. He refused to allow it.
Damp earth, long green grass, and dried leaves crunched under his hands as he lay on his back on the forest floor and stared at the starry sky.
He considered the spectacle of stars as the greatest gift he could have received. He analyzed it, finding the North star and thinking of the co-ordinates MC had given him. He quickly checked them on his phone before he threw it away, and was relieved when he discovered it wasn’t too far to make it there on foot.
If he headed in a North- Easterly direction, he could make it there at sunrise.
He didn’t bother looking toward Duskwood, didn’t need to know how close his pursuers might be or he’d lose his nerve.
He shakily got to his feet and started walking.
Time meant nothing to him as he traipsed through forest and open fields. He stayed away from the roads he knew were always busy.
In his current condition, some good samaritan would call for help thinking they were aiding him when in fact they’d be signing his death.
He was so tired. It clung to him like a shroud of smothering fog he would never break out of.
He kept moving.
Through shadow and moonlight, he kept walking and ignored the pain in his body as best he could.
There was no end to his exhaustion as pink tinged sunlight shimmered through the pines.
The sun was rising.
How strange, he thought, that his world could burn down around him and yet the sun still rose.
He eyed it and felt strange, like it was an abstract painting absolutely out of place in this world of cruelty, death, and flame.
No matter how deeply or irrevocably the world burned. No matter how thick the shadows grew and the amount the freezing darkness consumed, the sun would always rise.
It filled the world with light, warmth, and color and precious hope.
He felt the soft warmth kiss his hurting face, and it energized him as he broke out of the cover of trees and came to a halt in a motel parking lot.
Jake frowned, glancing around in suspicion and doubt as he failed to understand. Why would she send him here? He hadn’t stayed here. It was too out of the way.
And just how did she know of it?
He stood straight and fear thickened in his throat as his attention snagged on a window. The curtains had moved. He was sure of it.
He moved as though to sink back amongst the trees, but the creak of a door opening made his head snap toward it.
A small, slender hand poked through the gap in the door, beckoning him. He was moving toward it before he could give his feet the command.
His heart picked up speed again. His pulse and distress ratcheting up and infusing him with tension like someone was turning a screw too tightly.
He was only a few steps away from the door now. His skin felt too sensitive and everything hurt in some way. His throat felt like he’d been eating sandpaper and gravel.
The shake in his hands intensified, flight or fight. His nervous system couldn’t decide.
As he hesitated, a female voice trailed through the open door and it was like a salve on his exposed nerves. He had heard that voice, he could recognize it anywhere.
His heart raced for an entirely different reason as he listened to it.
“It’s safe. Come in and I’ll explain.”
Jake didn’t care about her explanation as the adrenaline left him so suddenly he drooped and nearly dropped to his knees.
He tripped through the door instead.
She didn’t give him time to rake his gaze over her the way he wanted to. She gripped him and forcefully dragged him into an embrace, causing him to groan in pain as it aggravated his many minor injuries.
She instantly pulled back, grimacing and apologetic.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t think. Here, I have supplies. I figured one of us would get shot or stabbed or maimed. It felt important to be prepared. Thankfully, the worst injury I’ve had is paper cuts. You don’t look like you’ve been so lucky. Are you bleeding anywhere? What do I do first? Are you burnt? You smell like someone roasted you over a spit! Are yo-”
Jake chuckled roughly at her babbling. Touched and amused by her care and thoughtfulness.
It was the first genuine laugh he’d had in years, and it turned into a cackle before long. It just slipped out of him and sounded more like crying by the end.
His gritty eyes closed as emotion swallowed him and he welcomed the darkness they offered.
It was familiar.
It was safe.
He woke hours later very confused and so stiff it felt like he was breaking his bones to sit up. His grunt of pain escaped his teeth as a lilting voice cut through the static in his mind.
“Oh, good. I was worrying. That’s nothing new, but you look like someone just dug you out of your grave. I cleaned and patched you up as best I could without stripping you. I thought I’d let you buy me dinner before we got to that stage!”
Her tone was light and filled with humor, but there was an edge of despair and anxiety in it that told him she’d fussed over him the entire time he slept.
His sluggish heart resided in his empty stomach as she approached him slowly like she thought he was an injured animal and she was afraid to spook him.
“Where are we? Why are you here? You promised to stay away.” He managed as he accepted the glass of water she offered him.
His fingers left dirty streaks on the glass as the dirt mingled with the condensation. The water was cold and crystal clear and he gulped it down to clear the sour taste out of his mouth.
She huffed at his words and waited for him to sink the water before she responded, “Typical. I come and help you and you scold me. Well, shove it. If it weren’t for me and Alan, you would be dead or rotting in a cell. And I did stay away! I didn't go to the mine, did I?”
His gaze flew to her indignant face, lovely and open despite the fury razing hell in her narrowed eyes.
He felt shocked that he could speak because his tongue felt so thick in his mouth. “My apologies. I’m still—I’m sorry... Alan? I thought he would be more interested in helping them catch me?”
She smirked, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she sat down beside him.
“That was until I ripped him a new one. The fire helped most, but Alan is currently playing down your involvement to give us time. He’ll make contact with us once we find a safe place to stay.”
He opened his mouth to demand she go back home, and he’d message once he was safe, but she flung up a hand to silence him.
“None of that. I’ll explain better once we know the scope of the fallout in Duskwood. But I am coming with you. No, if ands or buts about it, Jake. I make my decisions, not you. The last time someone tried to decide for me, I bit them. Don’t make me bite you too. Are you in?”
Her eyes were hard and unwavering, not a sliver of doubt to be found.
Everything inside him protested against dragging her into his mess, but he was tired.
He was tired of being alone.
He was so tired of losing everything.
Four years of fatigue and depression sank through him like a millstone and he hung his head in defeat. He was in no condition to run alone, anyway.
And he didn't want to. It was selfish. It was daft. But he didn't care.
He hadn't expected to survive this long. Plus, she had been his reason to make it out. He sighed and let his shoulders curl inward. Having someone else to protect would keep him sharp and ready for anything. She must've sensed his resolve weakening.
She reached out and threaded her clean fingers through his muddy ones, dark and light; he thought stupidly as his skin tingled at the contact.
It had been so long since he’d been touched gently. With obvious affection and because someone wanted to, not because they had to.
He was used to bruises and hurt. This was — this was what he'd survived for.
He’d forgotten what it felt like as he met her gaze and felt his stomach fluttering with something that felt like excitement.
It felt like hundreds of tiny birds had taken flight in his abdomen and a frisson of tentative anticipation filtered through him.
Her eyes glittered and his mouth twitched with the want to smile as he gave his response.
“I’m in.”
—————————
Thank you for reading. I hope it was worth your time despite this being done so many times before me. Oh, and if you leave a comment or reblog, thank you. It is appreciated ❤️
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Broken promises
Ch. 1 Lost and Found
Pairing: M/c x Jake,
Words: 1280
Summary: What if m/c went to the Grimrock mines to warn Jake of the police?
I had promised him I wouldn’t go but he tricked me, I would have gone to the mines just like Michael Hanson requested, however Jake has other plans. I must admit it was really sweet that the group had asked of me not go. Well only Thomas encouraged me to do so. I am obviously not mad at him, I could understand how he was feeling, the devastation and the fear that was dominating him when it came to Hannah.
I was so scared, Jake kept talking to me, keeping me updated on what was going on in the tunnels, what he was seeing. He kept texting every motion he would make even though the signal was getting weaker and weaker until he said someone was coming and went offline. I felt my knees go weaker at the thought of the culprit getting to him, I haven’t even seen his face but in my head, my last call with Richy keeps repeating, this time though it is Jake who falls in blood. God! I don’t even know his face and yet I don’t want to lose him.
Once I realized Bloomgate was on his way there I picked up my stuff and took my bike on the mines as well. I was most likely going to be late, nonetheless I was unable to sit down and just wait for Jake’s reply. I was staying at the motel. No one was aware of that not even the man without a face apparently or perhaps he realized only now.
I was riding as fast as I could, my eyes fixed on the road, taking small breaks only to stare at the navigator of Duskwood made sure I had on my device. Suddenly my phone rang… I was Alan Bloomgate.
“Hello, Nellie… I have gotten to the tunnels of the mines” He sounded older than it felt on the text messages.
“Owo, good job chief. How did you find this information all by yourself?” I asked making sure the mock and sarcasm in my voice was distinctively highlighted.
“You did a good job.” He spoke up and then gasped, there was a pause in his voice “There is a room full of files, archives. And there are pictures of all your friends…” He told me.
“Really Sherlock? Maybe there’s an envelope with my name a big sign saying revenge and plethora of raven graffiti?” I wondered and panted lightly, the freezing breeze of December was hitting my skin like many small stab wounds. It was Christmas and I was probably riding my bike to my death. I hoped that Alan wouldn’t notice the back ground noise of my bike and my dragged breathing.
“How do you know?” he asked me, his tone surprised. I was rather satisfied that he didn’t see many of these facts coming.
“That’s what we wanted you to see at the Hanson old residence.” I explained and braked abruptly.
“Are you outside?” He asked me and I didn’t reply. “If you are thinking of coming here, change mindset, it is too dangerous.” He started off.
“Too late for that chief.” I spoke and parked my bike. I was wearing heavy clothes that wouldn’t allow me to move freely, I kept my beanie and scarf. “the culprit threatens me quiet sometime now and today he told me that he would let the two go if I came at Grimmrock waterfall…” I unriddled my ponders leaving Jake out of my speech, he was already in there somewhere. I was in danger running towards a trap and all I could think of is how close we are to each other for the first time.
I strolled over the area, it was a really impressive and beautiful place, I was to the place I was supposed to meet with Micheal Hanson but he seemed nowhere around, I had started shivering without really realizing it.
“There’s someone there.” Alan said and his voice got quieter.
“Be careful, do not shoot…Can you hear me?” I asked as I saw the screen glitching. The damn reception of that place… I forgot where I was standing, I was only scared that he would fall face to face with Jake. I raised my gaze to see the culprit 50 meters away from just staring blankly and I gulped.
“Mrs. Donford.” Alan exclaimed and I looked at the screen. He had found Hannah.
“Find Richy” said she immediately before the call was over.
“Notifying the police wasn’t part of the plan.” The man without a face said, his voice still altered.
“Many things were not in the plan and yet, here we are, aren’t we?” I asked and hoped to stall him as long as I could so the rest would come out of the mines and find me.
‘Bloomgate found Hannah, she is safe...’
‘And I am standing face to face with our cute little legend.’ I texted the groupchat and I saw everyone coming online immediately.
‘What do you mean?’ Lilly asked.
‘Awe some one ran out of braincells, Nellie, WHAT THE HECK?’ Dan texted.
‘Get out of there’ Cleo was next.
‘Please, please, please, Nellie, you can still leave… There’s Jake and now the police too.’ Jessy tried convincing me and I sighed.
‘Nellie where are you?’ Lilly asked as I couldn’t reply at that point, the legend was laughing but thankfully not walking, he kept the distance between us and this offered me some sense of security that I couldn’t really explain.
‘Answer, please don’t scare us like that’ Jessy added.
‘Guys give her time.’ Thomas tried to be the common sense .
“What do you want from me?” I yelled loudly as this staring contest was unnerving me, I made sure to press voice record and sent it to the groupchat. “Why did you involve me?” I yelled even louder. However, he seemed unphased. “You are scared of me, but I do not know why… I only came here for two months and suddenly I am tangled in this mess because of you… You just stand there… You want to scare me? Well congratulations you’ve made it…”
“You see, this mine stopped operating after a great explosion, many innocent people died back in the day, therefore the cause of the explosion isn’t still known… This is how it works, explosion usually has causalties.” He spoke and I inhaled deeply.
“You didn’t…” I breathed out in disbelief.
“Or maybe I did.” He said and I felt wings on my legs as I sprinted down the entrance and I saw him chase after me when Alan’s voice was heard and maybe a few shots. I don’t know if he was still after me. I soon found myself on the ladder Jake showed me and started climbing down, if he was after me he would have made it to the entrance cut down the ladder and I would already be dead… Right?
“Jake!” I exclaimed and my voice echoed all through the tunnels. I started running and running I was lost by now. My phone bombardised with concerned messages while I was looking everywhere for him or the explosives. Not that I would know what to do with them.
I was out of breath, I have no idea how long I have been running around those tunnels, it must have been twenty minutes and I was in denial. I was lost. I paused in a fork path and took a deep breath when I heard a crack from the floor and I felt a pair of hands pulling me on a narrow tunnel. I was out of breath I felt a pair of hands pulling me on a narrow tunnel. It was over my mouth and pressed over my neck. I couldn’t escape or scream… I froze.
A/N: Hey, I replayed the whole game and I feel pretty confident into staritng a small fic again. There will potentially be more chapters on the way. I accept requests of duskwood characters and I would also appreciate your opinion.
Have a great day:)
Yours, silvermist
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Trap of lies
Chapter 24
This is a collaboration with @x3kristax3 it's based in the 1700s where Jake and MC meet while in this chapter there are not trigger warnings. In other chapters there are so I ask you too read with caution ⚠️ you can check out the other chapters here
Jake's POV
I woke up early my mind drifted back to last night's events, thinking about MC and what Alan did to her. She told me to trust her I trust her with my life ever she has planned I hope Alan suffers.
Today is the day I take over the family business, Charlie's guidance I know I can do this. He told me to meet him at 9 am sharp so he can go over things with me.
Before I leave I have to take care of my wounds making sure they are cleaned and rebandaged. I have a slight bruise on my hand from where I punched Alan god it felt so good doing that.
I start to smarten myself up ready for the events of the day, I am both excited and nervous about taking over the business I feel very honored that the business has been entrusted to me. My mind drifts back to the events of last night, I should have been the one to take care of Alan. I know MC is more than capable but I don't want her hurt anymore.
I get snapped out of my thoughts when I notice it's time for me to leave, I grab my coat and trusty cane and make my way to Charlie's. I start making my way to Charlie's people walking about ready to start their day. I notice the flower stand being set up putting out all the beautiful flowers. I see MCs favorite they are almost as beautiful as she is I decide to go over and fix get them for her. I make sure to pick some up for Mary as she has been so kind to me.
Arriving at the shop I knock on the door and Charlies lets me inside I hand the flowers to Mary who smiles and gives me a big hug. She goes to put them in water leaving us to go over what needs to be done.
I never realised just how interesting the trade business can be. When you're the one running it. It's like a whole new world has been opened to me. Charlie teaches me all I need to know and says he will be with me for the next couple of weeks.
I see Charlie looking at my hand the bruise has gotten much darker than before, I can see in his eyes he wants to ask me about it but I have the feeling he knows how it got there.
Charlie's POV
Jake arrives at the shop and instantly I notice something off about him, he has a bruise on his hand. He's been fighting, he's been fighting with Alan I can't blame him for wanting to do that. I know how much he loves my daughter I think he would even kill for her.
A few nights ago I saw Jake and Alan arguing in the town, they thought no one was there but I saw and heard everything that happened. I saw how the anger roared up inside Jake he wanted to end Alan's life right then and there.
Something stopped him that night it was as if Jake saw someone in the background and pulled himself away. I could hear Alan moking Jake he made sure to let Jake know he would never get MC back.
Alan turned and walked away laughing he thought he had won some kind of victory over Jake, but in fact, he hadn't really won anything well apart from impending death brought to him at the hands of my daughter.
I need to talk to Jake about what happened, some things need to be said. He must understand that he can't keep getting in the way as hard as it will be to hear I know he will understand.
I invite Jake into the backroom where we can take in private, I ask Mary to keep an eye on things and to call me if she needs me.
Charlie: Jake, we need to talk about the other night
Jake: you saw me and alan?
Charlie: yes I did, I saw you two arguing over MC you can't keep doing this Jake you need to stay away it's for your own good
Jake: but I love her, I need her so bad
Charlie: I understand that, but staying away is what's best. You have to tell let her to choose her path
Jake: I'm sorry, I never meant to...
Charlie: Jake my boy, I do truly understand why you did what you did, please promise me you will stay away
Jake: I promise, I never meant to cause any trouble
Charlie: how did you get that bruise on your hand?
Jake: I was angry when I got home so I punched the wall
Charlie: Okay then, we will leave it at that come on there is a lot to go over.
That morning I stopped by and got the paperwork from the courthouse to give Jake full ownership, all I had to do was having him sign it which he did right away after last nights conversation before he left Jessy’s. I’m still hoping this works to keep Alan out of this business, as I never wanted to hand it over.
As we walk bac outfront the door opens and in walks my daughter and Alan. i see a bruise on her face and shes looking down. I have no idea what this man has done to her but he’s breaking her fight that we all love.
Charlies: What can I do for you Alan?
Alan: I’m here to take what is mine as I am taking care of your daughter now.
Charlies: Sorry but the business is no longer mine. Jake is the rightful owner of this trade business now. I am just helping him with all the stuff I’ve been doing all these years.
We watch Alan slam his can on the ground and he’s losing his temper. I see’s MC face and she looks scared. Mary notices as well.
Mary: MC, darling, can you come with me please?
MC: Yes mama.
MC goes to walk away and Alan grabs her hand and gives her this look. I watch my daughters face and I know nothing good is coming out of this. I just hope she’s acting this way and he really hasn’t broken her spirit.
MC POV:
I walk into the back with my mama and I see the concern on her face. She grabs a bag and some ice and puts it on my face on the bruise. I flinch at the coldness of it but I know I need it. He hit me good last night before Jake showed up and it only got worse after he woke back up from being knocked unconscious.
Mary: Hunny, do we need to pull you home?
MC: Jessy and I have a plan. Please don’t step in okay? Its bad enough already, but he hasn’t broke me yet but I need him to think so mama.
My voice is soft so he can’t hear but we hear yelling out in the front. I look at her and she looks at me and we walk out to where the men are and see Alan holding his face,
Alan: We are leaving now
MC: what happened?
Charlies: don’t think we don’t see that bruise. I know he laid a hand on you and as your father it’s my right to protect you.
MC: *sigh* please just let me be with who I choose. I choose Alan, why is it so hard for everyone to understand that?
Charlies: Because we know you darling. Even the last time you two were together you weren’t happy.
MC: happiness is not what matters to me anymore. Its about being safe and not lied to
I glare at them as check on Alan and I see Jake clench his hands. He knows the truth but he’s still angry at Alan for last night.
Jake's POV
It has been a long day filled with so many emotions, I had lied to Charlie about my hand. I couldn't tell him what happened I promised I would stay away but I find myself being pulled back. As I make my way home I think about MC I am so worried about her.
I have to keep reminding myself that she is more than capable of taking care of Alan but still I should be protecting her from the evils of this world. As I get to my front door I see a note sticking out the corner of the door. I pull it out and open up the paper I see that there are only a few words on the paper but I can't help but smile a little.
Everything is okay X
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