#duskwood amy

[lyon-amore]

The macabre idea that if Richy didn't know Amy's PIN or that her phone didn't need to be unlocked, maybe he used her face to unlock her phone with the camera or a finger if it was unlocked by touch 😃👍

[duskwoodincorrectquotes]

Dan: Alright, Y/n, Jessy. Let's go over this one more time.

Dan: If something breaks?

Jessy: We try to fix it before Richy gets here.

Dan: If it doesn't work?

Y/n: We blame Thomas.

Thomas: Seriously, guys, what the hell?!

[hiramaris]

Dusk til Dawn

Part 12

Summary: Following Episode 9. And spoilers for Episode 10. 

Author’s note: As Episode 10 is just released I just want to say heads up for those who are not yet finished. Completing the game without spoilers really made a difference, and as much as possible I want everyone to experience that. And for those finished, I’ll gladly welcome you to my domain where MC took a different route.

Disclaimer:  I do not own Duskwood or any of the related characters. Duskwood is created by and owned by Everbyte Studio. This fanfiction is intended for entertainment only. I am not making any profit from this story. All rights of the original Duskwood story belong to Everbyte Studio.

Warning: Mentions of blood, suicide, violence, pedophiles, drugs, gun, murder, sex offenders, kidnapping

GIF on GIFER - by Tadal

Minutes had turned into an hour. And still, no news from either you or Jake.

Jessy couldn't contain her anxiety any longer. Pacing back and forth, she gnawed at her lower lip, a sense of unease gnawing at her. The last update you have given was when you went down from the shaft. You already told them the reception there is pretty unstable, and the more you go deeper into the cave, the less reliable it will be.

They waited, every second feeling like an eternity, and her worry grew with each passing moment.

A knot of dread tightened in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

"Jessy," Cleo called her from her seat, her voice laced with concern. "Sit down. You're making us all nervous."

Jessy's frustration was evident as she flailed her hands in frustration or anger— she doesn't even know at this point!

"It's been an hour, Cleo! I can't just sit and calm down!"

"I understand, but we can't do anything else right now, can we?"

Normally, Cleo would have used this to clash opinions with her but this time, her voice was soothing, trying to bring reason to the situation, and yet Jessy doesn't have the right mind to notice that right now.

"Y/n/n and Jake are a capable duo," Lilly stood up to give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "I'm sure the reception is just pretty bad down there."

Jessy can see Lilly's own worry in her eyes but surprisingly, the usual short-tempered youngest Donfort is keeping it together now, and Jessy envies her for it.

Because her emotions are a whirlwind right now, caught between utter fear and uncertainty.

"I—" Her words caught as her phone suddenly rang, its familiar ringtone breaking the tense atmosphere. She glanced at the screen, her eyebrows furrowing at the unknown contact number flashing before her eyes. She had been expecting your call, not this.

"It's an unknown number..." She showed the others, her anxiety growing even more.

Thomas, who had been glued to the stream since your departure, stood up as well, his nerves evident. "Do you think it's the culprit?" His voice was shaky.

"Should I answer it...?" Jessy's bottom lip quivered as she tried to maintain her composure.

"I... hic think you s-should." Dan slurred, now fully drunk. He's been downing his whiskey since you left. Knowing him, he's probably trying to wash his fear down with alcohol but is too stubborn to admit he's scared for your safety as well.

Cleo's disapproval was evident as she shook her head at Dan's state before turning her attention to Jessy. "Yes, that would be ideal."

"Put it on speaker," Lilly suggested.

With trembling hands, Jessy tapped the answer button, her breath catching in her throat. "H-hello..?"

"Is this Miss Jessica Hawkins?" A brisk and unfamiliar female voice echoed through the cabin from the other end of the line.

"Uhm, yes. This is her speaking. Uh... may I ask who you are?"

"I am Agent Hartmann. One of Chief L/n's subordinates. I have news for you."

****

Jake cursed softly, and even his own voice felt unfamiliar to him. He tried to open his eyes, blinking against the harsh light, he struggled to make sense of his surroundings. The world around him became a swirl of disjointed colors and muffled sounds. His head throbbed relentlessly, each beat sending shockwaves of pain through his skull. The taste of copper filled his mouth, a metallic tang that seemed to cling to his senses.

He tried to lift a hand to his head but found that he was unable to move his arms, and he found himself not understanding why. His thoughts were fragments, fractured pieces that refused to come together. It was as if his mind was trapped in a haze, a foggy labyrinth that he couldn't navigate.

Whispers and voices reached his ears, but they were garbled, and distorted. The world seemed to sway and tilt with every attempt to focus. He fought to push through the fog that had settled in his mind, each moment a battle against the overwhelming weight of dizziness.

A hand reached out to him, a blurry figure emerging from the haze. Their words were distant, lost in the echo chamber of his mind. He tried to speak, but the words caught in his throat, a jumble of syllables that refused to form coherent sentences.

Fear gnawed at him, an instinctual realization that something was seriously wrong. He fought against the pull of unconsciousness, desperate to hold onto some semblance of awareness. But the darkness loomed, threatening to engulf him in its embrace once more.

He could only understand one thing coming from the figure. Their voice is cold and menacing as they whispered, "Sweet dreams."

Then, once more, everything dissolved into blackness.

****

Fuck this shit.

You had let your guard down and now you're paying the price.

You've been trying to budge from your restraints for what seemed like forever. Your wrists are starting to grow itchy as you struggle against the restraints that bound your wrists. It probably has rashes by now but you didn't have the presence of mind to worry about that.

You also find it hard to break through your restraints as you have suffered a huge concussion in the head. The bloodied baseball beside you and the now dried blood that streaked down the side of your face and over your left eye serves that reminder.

Beside you, Hannah lay unconscious, a small sense of relief washing over you as you noted the lack of visible injuries.

In front of you is a laptop on a fragile-looking table on the verge of collapsing. You have a perfect visual of what's playing and then realize it was the stream from earlier.

And it seemed to be... looped?

Because how the hell is Hannah still there with Richy when she's beside you all this time?

Fuck. This is indeed a trap. The video was merely a trap for you to get here and you bit it!

You scanned your surrounding once again, searching for anything sharp that could cut through the ropes binding you. But the room is spotted clean from any weapon, and you're sure the culprit— no, Ted had stripped you from your weapons.

"Of all the damn luck," you muttered to yourself. Irritation bubbled up within you. When was the last time you let yourself get caught by a criminal? You couldn't even remember and yet here you are, tied inside an abandoned mine like a scene from a cliché kidnapping movie that would never hit the big screen.

You needed to find a way to get both of you out of this situation – and fast.

Your thoughts raced, a mixture of irritation and anger swirling within you. How had you missed such a significant piece of information? The mere thought of Ted sent your blood boiling, and you cursed under your breath.

Then a bitter realization hit you.

"Maybe because it seemed insignificant at that time," you muttered aloud, a self-directed comment born of frustration. The letter Lilly found had seemed legitimate because Hannah herself had supposedly sent it. However, the memory of the sticky note with "missing signature" written on it suddenly made sense. The Department of Corrections had returned Hannah's letter due to the absence of a signature on her request— a detail you had initially overlooked.

Your mind pieced the puzzle together in real time. The culprit had forged the letter to create an alibi for Ted. With him supposedly in prison, he would be exempted from suspicion. But he hadn't been able to replicate Hannah's signature, leading to the "missing signature" note. In which it should have been a huge red flag if only you had noticed.

Jessy even started to question you about that credibility. Because out of all your findings, Ted Madruga being in prison have the weakest foundation.

Your mind flickered back to the conversation you had with Jessy about her findings.

"Ted must have stolen the file." She assumed. "Because it would have incriminated him!"

You hummed thoughtfully, a hint of skepticism in your voice, "possible, but Ted's in prison."

"He is?" she questioned. "How sure are you about that?"

You paused. You haven't really thought about it that often. Back then, you were satisfied with Jake's findings about him. Plus, Lilly has already traced him all the way to prison.

“Based from what we gathered, we know he’s in prison,” you answered truthfully. “But right now, I’m not so sure.”

But you're sure it got to mean something. If Hannah ran over Jennifer using the AMC Gremlin that Ted owns, will that be the reason he's in prison? And the reason she tried to contact him is to admit the crime she did.

"Maybe he just sent someone else to steal the file for him?" You were snapped from your silent stupor when she spoke again. And then she added, voice cracking for a bit, "Y/n... is this why Richy has to die?"

Fuck, just what the hell were you thinking? How could you have overlooked that one simple fact?

"You shouldn't have come here, Y/n," a voice you recognized all too well shattered your thoughts, sending a surge of panic through your veins.

"Wha—" Your gaze shot up, eyes widening in disbelief. "Richy?! oh, man, I'm so glad."

You tried to rise on your feet, which was proven to be a difficult task. Your wrists were tightly restrained behind your back, held together by a rope, making your attempts to free yourself futile.

What you had failed to notice was Richy's look of indifference when he tried to help you stand on your feet. Because all you can think of is everything's going to be okay from here on out. Richy's finally here. You have Hannah with you. If you played your cards right, all four of you can make it out alive.

"I need to get out of these." You said in haste as turned your back to Richy, showing him your wrists. "Have you seen the culprit anywhere?" You began to question.

A tense silence hung in the air after your request. You're not really sure but you can feel the sudden drop of temperature in room. The air felt a little colder, suffocating even.

You waited, hoping for a response, but all that greeted you was the sound of your own labored breathing, and then...

A sharp intake of breath echoed in the room. Suddenly, you felt a chilling touch against the back of your neck—a cold, metallic object pressed firmly against your skin. Your heart pounded in your chest, each beat echoing in your ears like a drum of impending danger.

And then, a distinct click pierced through the silence, sending another jolt of panic coursing through your veins. You knew that sound, recognized it for what it was.

"What..?" You started to question, your voice shaky, the word barely escaping your lips.

"You shouldn't have come here." He repeated, his tone carrying a weight that sent a shiver down your spine. The words, once familiar, now held an unfamiliar edge, a coldness that you couldn't comprehend.

"Richy..?" The name escaped your lips in a mere whisper. You wanted to turn around. See for it yourself but you couldn't. Maybe if you didn't you would delay the inevitable.

But you know to yourself that delaying the inevitable is a luxury you couldn't afford.

So, you steeled yourself to turn. At that moment, you wished you had remained oblivious to the truth unfolding before you.

Because the Richy standing before you was a stranger, a far cry from the person you once knew. Gone were the familiar easy smiles that used to light up his face, gone was the sparkle in his eyes that had been a constant during your time together.

Instead, his face bore the weight of exhaustion, etched with lines that spoke of countless stress. The bags under his eyes revealed sleepless nights and endless worry, while stubble adorned his jawline. His once neatly groomed hair was now tousled and unkempt.

What happened?

If Ted was the real culprit, why the hell is Richy pointing a gun at you? Never mind that was your Glock to begin with.

His gaze bore into you, intense and unrelenting, as if trying to convey a message you couldn't decipher. His eyes were red, the telltale sign of unshed tears, and you realized you were on the verge of the same emotion.

"Why did you have to be here?" His voice trembled, a lump forming in his throat. "He just told you, he won't spare no one!"

You took in the scene, his arm shaking as he held the gun. It was clear he had no experience handling a firearm, yet the cold barrel remained pressed against your forehead. You remained still, not out of fear that he might pull the trigger, but out of the unsettling realization that he might be behind all this madness.

"And I told you," you struggled to maintain your composure, yet your voice was firm with resolve. "I'm not leaving this mine without you and Hannah. I promised Jessy... I promised everyone." I promised myself that I won't let someone die under my watch again.

A flicker of emotion passed through Richy's eyes at the mention of his friends. If you had blinked at the same time, you might have missed it. His gaze wavered for a moment, revealing a hint of conflict beneath the surface.

"You already know how this will end," he continued, his voice faltering as he spoke. "Don't make it even more complicated than it already is."

A lot of questions came crashing into your mind like a harbor wave. Most of them are whys and hows only Richy could answer. Because you still refused to believe that the Richy you know is capable to hurt someone.

To hurt Jessy!

For fuck's sake he was the same guy who tried to calm down Alfie by fixing his toy car. You refuse to believe he's the same guy.

But as you stared at him, it made you question if you really did know him as well as you thought you did.

"There was a moment," he began, his voice wavering with a mix of emotions. "Where you were so incredibly close to the truth. But you were wrong about one thing."

Your brows furrowed, "what do you mean?"

His gaze met yours, and in his eyes, you saw a torment that mirrored your own.

"There weren't just two people involved in the incident back then." A lone tear escaped his right eye, tracing a path down his cheek. "There were three."

There were three.

Those words echoed within you. What is he implying?

Wait.

No.

It can't be.

He can see the realization in your eyes. And you didn't try to hide it.

You tried to open your mouth but no words came out. He must have seen something shift in you as his stance seemed to deflate, the gun he had pointed at you lowered against his side.

And for a moment, the Richy you once know seemed to resurface.

He approached you slowly, a knife in hand that you carefully noted was yours, too. The blade glinted in the dim light, but you held your ground. It was a strange juxtaposition—wary and trust warring within you. Richy could easily betray you in this vulnerable moment, but the foundation of your friendship held strong, and you believed he wouldn't truly harm anyone.

"Ten years ago, Hannah and Amy showed up on my doorstep," his voice quivered as he began to reveal his story. As he speak, you felt the rope behind you loosen, and with a final tug, you were finally able to break free from the restraints as Richy cut them off. "Pine Glade was almost over. It was dark already. They wanted me to drive them to Grimrock because Amy had lost something there. I can't..." he gave a soft, pained chuckle. He turns to free Hannah, too before facing you again. "I can't even remember what it was. I had..."

A low grunt escaped him, and you noticed he was clutching his shoulder. It was the gunshot wound you had inflicted.

"I had been at the festival the whole day so," a slow, shaky breath followed, his laughter masking his pain. "I was drunk, I had a couple of drinks. I said no, but they insisted. They were in a hurry, and they already had made this huge detour to get to me so..." he shrugged. "And I had been driving around our yard a couple of times so I gave them the keys to an old AMC Gremlin— one that should have been scrapped a couple of days later so I thought there's no harm in that, right?" He glanced up at you for a brief moment, seeking understanding in your gaze. "A couple of minutes later they showed up again and I almost didn't recognize the car. In the dark, I could only make out the blood on the windshield. There was also blood on the bumper, and none of them were able to utter a single word."

A heavy pause followed as he seemed to relive that fateful night. You could only listen in stunned silence as he finally confessed to you the truth.

The truth you were seeking from the start.

"So... I thought they must have hit an animal— some deer that jumped in front of the car so I drove them to the spot and there she was... a girl covered in blood," he recounted, his voice trailing off as if the words themselves were too much to bear. "Lifeless."

"Richy..." You reached out, your hand hovering in the air.

"Worthless!" He hissed, more to himself than to you, and you retreated your hand like you were burned. "We buried her in the forest, and we never spoke a word of that again. I..." His voice broke, and his resolve crumbled as tears streamed down his face. "I'm sorry..."

You can only stare at him. Eyes probably wide in horror. You told yourself you're prepared for whatever truth you'll find. Your work has already desensitized you into swallowing bitter pills with no water.

And this shouldn't be any different.

But what you didn't expect is to find the truth right next to Richy.

"I suspected you're involved in the incident... but I didn't want it to be true," you finally found your voice. You tried clenching your fist to contain your emotions but it felt like it did nothing to soothe you. As you stared at the person you once called your friend, you can only allow him to cry. You wanted to comfort him but you couldn't allow yourself. You're not sure if he deserves it.

You thought you were prepared for the ugly truth. When you found out that Hannah and Amy ran over Jennifer, you thought there couldn't be any worse truth than that.

You thought wrong. This is a bitter pill you didn't realize you have to swallow.

"Why, Richy?" It was supposed to sound accusatory but you're unable to mask the feeling of sadness and confusion you're feeling right now. "How could you hurt our friends? Jessy? She means something to you, is she not?"

"Let me explain, Y/n..." His eyes met yours, and the vulnerability you saw in them almost shattered your resolve.

He looked so broken and lost. At that moment, your emotions got the better of you, something you didn't allow yourself around criminals. But Richy... Richy is your friend. And he is a criminal now. To you, both words seemed to be two foreign concepts akin to water and oil— they never mix.

You couldn't see the man without a face in Richy the same way you can't see Richy in the man without a face.

"I hadn't thought of the accident for a long time." He went on when he noticed your lack of response. "Until Hannah came to the garage one day. Her oil sump was broken because she had driven into a pothole"

"So, at least the thing about the oil sump wasn't a lie," you found yourself retorting, a touch of bitter humor lacing your words.

"No, it wasn't." He managed a weak chuckle, the memories of your previous conversation resurfacing. "I noticed immediately that there was something wrong with her but she didn't want to say what it was. I would have probably just left it at that if I hadn't seen Amy in Hannah's car before she turned into my driveway. That..." He slumped back against the wall, still clutching his side. "That worried me."

"I suppose you weren't in contact with Amy since the accident," you noted, your brow furrowing as the pieces started to fall into place. "Which is why the others thought Hannah didn't know her."

"That's right." He nodded slowly, his gaze distant as he recounted the past. "So, I took a look at Hannah's satnav."

"Just like what Jessy did yesterday."

"Y-yeah... I knew it. I knew she had the skills," he mused, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I bet she can fully handle Roger's garage on her own now." A cough interrupted his words. "Good to know."

"She learned from the best." You tried to smile but you knew you ended up grimacing.

When you imagine meeting them, it wasn't like this. You were supposed to be goofing around with Richy, spreading mischievousness around Duskwood, and causing headaches for Jessy and Cleo.

But none of those happened.

"H-heh, yeah..." he chuckled weakly, his eyes clenching shut from the pain. "The address in the satnav was that of Iris Hanson. And then I knew that my worries were justified. I drove to Amy and she told me everything. Hannah found that bracelet. And then she suddenly saw a figure by the edge of the woods." His voice wavered, the memories still vivid despite the years that had passed.

"So it really was just her imagination?" you asked, lowering yourself to sit at his level.

He shook his head, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. "It was Ted. He was keeping a close eye on Hannah, Amy, and me... probably for years. Fuck— I don’t even know… he said he saw us burying the body, and... I didn't know it was him at that time, and I thought it was just Hannah's guilt manifesting in ways only she could see it. But I knew to myself that it was probably time. We had run away from it for long enough. I care about Hannah and I don't want to see her get destroyed more than she already has. Maybe he would only go away if we finally faced our past. But I thought wrong."

"He wanted to make sure none of you forgets..." You thought aloud.

Ted planned all this. He was keeping an eye on all of them which is why he knows showing himself to Hannah first is a vital first step for his plan. Because Hannah is already suffering from depression already, her credibility about seeing him wouldn't be much believable to anyone. But it would suffice to trigger a chain of guilt in all three of them. There's a lingering question in your head, however.

"Why did he have to wait for ten years to make a move? And why..." you pursed your lips at your next words. "Why did he have to make you his accomplice?"

"I don't have any idea, but he was probably gathering evidence and resources for his revenge," Richy groaned, his pain evident. "S-sorry... I— argh got a pretty bad gunshot wound. And my bandages just came off."

Your instinct was to reach out to help, but he waved his hand in dismissal.

"I'm fine." You knew that was a lie. "I didn't know you were an Agent, Y/n. If I had known, I probably wouldn't have messed with you." He let out a soft laugh, wincing slightly. "I thought they said laughter was the best medicine. Well, it doesn't apply to gunshot wounds."

A small, sad smile tugged at your lips. "I've missed your jokes."

"And I didn't think I'd ever be able to joke around with you again, not after what I did to Jessy, to you... and to the others." He tried to sit up straight, wincing at the effort. "I told Amy that maybe it's time to finally turn ourselves in but she didn’t want to hear about it. She said Hannah was only imagining the man without a face and that she just wanted to forget everything. I couldn't convince her. And when I left..."

"Ted decided it's time for her to see him, too." You continued for him.

"Yes... but I think it didn't go the way he planned. Amy killed herself shortly right after a few days. I..." Richy's voice faltered, the weight of his memories pressing down on him.

"You thought it was your fault."

"I thought that I pushed her too far. And that I made her get eaten up with guilt." Richy's voice trembled as he admitted, his fists clenching in frustration. "That time, I have no idea Amy was dead or that she was missing. I think Hannah didn't know as well."

You chewed your lips, deep in thought. "Ted must have gotten Amy's phone and texted Hannah to meet at Michael Hanson's house. It was there that Ted kidnapped Hannah."

"When an unknown number— Jake," he corrected himself, "told us that Hannah was in danger. I immediately sprinted towards her house. And there I met Thomas... but Hannah was nowhere to be found." He took a deep breath, his eyes locked onto yours. "I knew to myself that Jennifer, or whoever Hannah was seeing has decided to finally take back what we owed."

As minutes pass by agonizingly, Richy was able to tell you everything, almost.

He told you that it was just a few hours prior to learning about you, while he was closing up his garage, he suddenly blacked out. When he woke up, he was presented with an unconscious Hannah in a place he was unfamiliar with.

Ted planned to kill him at the same time as Hannah's which was Jennifer's death anniversary but decided not to.

Your sudden presence was an unknown territory to him that's why he decided it will be best to have an eye on the group of people against him in exchange for Hannah's life and the safety of the others. That's why almost all your actions against him were known by Ted, even your lead about the man without a face. His brilliancy to use the legend to point all possible clues to the unknowing father of Jennifer Hanson, and with him being 'in prison' serves him a full proof plan, and be crossed out from the suspect list.

But of course, it wasn't smooth sailing for him with Jake being in your group. And you're not one to be underestimated as well. Your skills with people made it easy for you to analyze clues being given to you and manipulate people to spill the beans. Though you're not proud of that since you used them once on your friends. At one point, you knew all of them are suspicious. In order to eliminate possible suspects, you have to manipulate the situation to give you the information you needed.

That made Ted realize that he was doomed if he didn't stop you. And that's where Richy swoop in. Initially, Ted plans to kill them or even harm them one by one to scare you. But that will be against his and Richy's deal, that's why he volunteered to do the job to minimize the damage. That's why Cleo was unharmed and so is Jessy.

You were closer to the truth than Ted ever imagined, and so, his last resort is to fake Richy's death to make it easier for Richy to roam around and watch over Hannah.

Jessy and Thomas invading his hideout the other day was part of his sick plan though Richy has no idea in which part it plays apart from revealing the group's location to Ted, which is irrelevant at that point because Richy already has the location with him. Plus he was the one who visited the cabin and thus, got shot.

Ted was so angry when he returned bloodied and limping. At this point, the man is not only a danger to other people but to himself as well. He looks like he completely lost it. And Richy has to tiptoe around him like he was a ticking timebomb ready to explode. That's how deranged Ted is.

Despite his deranged state, one thing was clear: he's going to kill Hannah and Richy on the night of the Pine Glade festival and nothing will stop him.

"The receipt..." you say as you remember that one significant detail. Throughout your conversation, you were casting occasional glances ahead toward the room's sole exit. The dim light struggled to penetrate the shadows, making it nearly impossible to sense any movement in the pitch-black passageway beyond. "Hannah mentioned a receipt to Alan."

Richy leaned wearily against the cool, damp wall, his labored breaths punctuating the heavy silence. "I guess she wanted to prove to Amy that he was real and that she finally had proof. Hannah had set up a camera in front of Amy's house, directed to the forest. She must have filmed Ted with it."

Your gaze flickered to Hannah's unconscious form. "I know that camera. It was in Hannah's apartment before."

Richy leans a bit away from the wall as he tries to reach his side. Only to wince in pain, a soft hiss escaping his lips, his hand instinctively pressing against the bandage on his shoulder. "T-there must have been a receipt in his pocket. It must have fallen out, which Hannah h-hah... saw on the footage."

With a determined nod as he tried to reach his side once again, Richy retrieved your Glock, knife, and badge, passing them back to you.

As the cold metal settled into your hands, you looked at him quizzically, the unspoken question hanging in the air. Why are you giving these back to me?

But Richy refused to look at you. Only then you realized that he must have realized that he can't do anything now. But you? You can still save Hannah. You nodded in understanding.

"Alan did mention that. She asked him if it were possible to track down the owner of the receipt." Your movements were deliberate as you stood up, securing your weapons back in their respective holsters. "Which would essentially incriminate him right on the spot."

There was a brief moment of silence as another question formed in your mind.

"Why did you mark Jessy...?"

"I did it because of Phil. I wasn’t expecting him to get arrested, so I had to prove it couldn't have been him."

"It was not part of the plan, wasn't it?"

"Yeah... Ted wanted everyone to focus on Phil which will earn him a little more time for his plan." He hesitated, his voice lowering. "He was so angry Y/n... that he attacked me. You know already what happened next."

You crouched down again, your eyes level with Richy's as you sought to understand the turmoil within him.

"Why put yourself through all this, Richy?" You know the answer. But you wanted to hear it from him. "If Ted's going to kill you anyway, what's the point?"

His gaze met yours, a mixture of regret and vulnerability swirling in his eyes. His fingers flexed against the rough texture of the stone floor as if grappling with his own internal conflict. "I had to weigh the risks, Y/n." His voice carried a hint of resignation, of a man who had been pushed to his limits. "Ted is smart, but he's also unstable. I knew that there might come a time when he'll let his guard down, even if it's just for a moment. And in that moment, I hoped we could find a way to end this nightmare. But I couldn't risk Hannah's life by telling the group or going to the police. I had to stay close to Ted to keep Hannah safe and minimize the damage."

You can only listen. Richy's actions, as painful as they were to understand, were driven by a desperate attempt to protect his friends and ensure Hannah's safety. And you couldn't find it in yourself to pin the blame all on him.

"But now," he continued, weariness evident in his voice, "I've run out of options. Ted's plans have spiraled out of control, and I don't see a way out for either of us. I don't know how to save Hannah or myself from what he's planned for Pine Glade."

You ran a frustrated hand over your hair. No amount of experience could have prepared you for this situation.

"I just don't understand." Your gaze fixed on Richy, your eyes searching for answers. "Who the hell is Ted Madruga? How is he connected to all of this?"

"Good question." A third voice, unfamiliar and chilling, sliced through the air, freezing you in place. Panic tightened its grip around your heart as you instinctively moved to shield Hannah's unconscious form.

You tried to squint your eyes into the darkness ahead. The darkness seemed to part, revealing a figure stepping out from the shadows of the tunnel. Sounds of heavy footsteps bounced across the room that grows louder with each passing second. Echoing alongside them was the sound of something being dragged across the dirt.

You drew your weapon, arms unshakeable, and breath even. Ted.... you gritted your teeth.

As the figure drew nearer, the dim light revealed a sight that froze you in place. The source of the dragging sound became apparent—it was a person, unconscious and being dragged by the culprit.

Your eyes widened in shock and horror as recognition set in. It was Jake, his body limp and seemed lifeless, his face marred with bruises and cuts.

Raising your gaze, you finally met the eyes of Ted Madruga.

His features were concealed by the faint lighting, casting his face in an eerie half-shadow that made it difficult to make out his true expression.

He is a big man, a little over six feet. He was a little lean but you can see he is of pure muscle. His tattered clothing clung to his frame. He can easily crush your skull with ease if he pleases.

His hair hung in greasy, unkempt strands around his face, framing eyes that held a wild and frenzied intensity. Filth and blood streaked across his face and hands. Blood you knew wasn't his.

You clenched your jaw. He's a dangerous man. Much, much dangerous as you have expected. No wonder Richy was so scared of him. And Jake... Jake has no chance against him. Compared to Ted, he was just a rag doll to be thrown around.

As Ted came into clearer view, the flickering light revealed a face etched with scars and bruises that didn't seemed to heal properly. His gaze, fixed on you and Richy, held a mixture of malice and derangement. His lips curled into a sickening grin.

When he noticed what you are looking at, his wolfish grin widened. As if to taunt you, he thrust Jake forward. His chuckles were sickening, inhuman even.

"Did you enjoy the little trap I set for you, Y/n?" He stood tall, his shadow looming over you as he cackled almost maniacally.

You let out a cocky smirk, not wanting to back down to the likes of him. "What trap?" You questioned in feigned innocence. "I suggest you put the man down and get on your knees, or I'll shoot."

It was a desperate attempt, but you didn't want to risk shooting him when Jake was in such close proximity.

He seemed to find amusement in your words. "I don't think you're in any position to demand, Agent." He crouched down, revealing a magnum revolver that he pointed menacingly at Jake's temple. Your breath caught at the sight of his finger so close to the trigger. "Or would you rather witness this young man's brains splatter across the floor?" He licked his lips. "Now that's a sight to see."

You gritted your teeth. "You're sick."

"Oh, am I?" Ted's voice dripped with mockery as he leaned closer to Jake's face, his crazed eyes locked onto yours. "I thought you fight for justice, Agent Dolos? How was it so wrong to avenge the death of someone you love?"

You shook your head, your grip on the base of your gun growing tighter, your knuckles turning white under the pressure. "There's a right way for everything, Ted. I think you've done enough damage."

He laughed, the sound echoing off the walls of the dimly lit tunnel, "And what may be the right way? The law?" His tone dripped with scorn as he sneered at you. "Don't make me laugh, Agent." His eyes bore into yours, his stance unwavering. "And if I were you, I would drop the gun."

Your gaze hardened, battling with his own one with ease.

"I said. Drop. The. Gun. Now."

Fuck.

With a reluctant sigh, you let the gun fall to the ground, your fingers loosening their grip. You really need to get Jake away from him first. But how? Hannah is still unconscious beside you, Richy has a bad wound and he's also near Ted. You're not sure how to protect all three of them.

"Very good," he smirked, his gaze locked on you. "I heard you were a stubborn one. It's good to see you have your priorities straight."

Anger bubbled up within you. Criminals were something you despised to your very core, and those who acted like they got you where they wanted are the worst of the bunch.

'You got this, motherfucker.' is the mantra you kept playing over and over in your head. 'Don't ever let your emotions get the better of you.'

You exhaled deeply, trying to keep your composure amidst the tense situation. Lose your cool and you'll be dead.

After a couple of seconds of pep talk to yourself, clarity soon follows. Though your mind is still not as calm as you'd prefer because of all the questions running in your mind, you manage this time to isolate the one that held a constant presence in your brain and could possibly unveil the whole truth.

"Who the hell are you? And how are you connected to all of this?"

"Forgive me for my rudeness," he said with an eerie, sarcastic grin that did not reach his eyes. "I am Ted Madruga, the original owner of the Gremlin. I assume you already know that."

His nonchalance made you stop. He wouldn't go to such lengths just because he's the owner or wants to clear his name. It would have made sense if Iris or Michael went berserk because they're her family, but Ted? You couldn't think of a plausible reason why he's doing this… unless—

Your eyes begin to widen in a slight fraction as realization dawned on you.

If Jennifer's case were to happen to Jessy, you wouldn't guarantee that law will be able to stop you.

So, in Ted's twisted logic, it would mean Jennifer is to Ted the same way Jessy is to you.

"You're Jennifer's boyfriend…" It wasn't a question, but rather a chilling realization.

"I am a simple man, Agent," his voice remained eerily composed. "I have loved Jennifer with all my heart. And for her to be killed by my own car, and be buried like some kind of animal in the middle of the forest…," emotion started to thicken in his voice. You could hear his grief and sadness, but the anger was much louder than the two will ever be. "Do you really think I'll let that pass?"

"You could have stopped it if only you had let the law take care of it!" You know to yourself that's a screwed reasoning. The only reason this case has gotten this far is because the police were not competent enough to find the real culprits.

"Look around you, Y/n," his voice still held the same edge as earlier. He shot Hannah and Richy a dirty look, making Richy flinch in his place. "Look where the law has gotten us! It's been ten years, and Jennifer's death has long been forgotten!"

He walked closer, dragging Jake with him. His large shadow loomed over both you and Hannah.

He spat in great disdain as he stared down Hannah. "And yet our little princess's disappearance managed to get all the locals to gather and look for her. She even got the attention of the highest ranking criminal investigator in the region, as if she was so innocent." He turned to you with an undecipherable expression, his words spoken slowly. "Isn't that just unfair?"

Your words got caught in your throat at the sudden question.

"Have you ever thought that you've been fighting on the wrong side, Agent?" he questioned once more as he crouched down to your eye level.

"What do you mean?" you whispered.

"You vowed to prioritize the welfare and safety of women and children," he told you seriously, his gaze unrelenting. "Look around you," he gestured to the dimly lit tunnel, "look me in the eye and tell me that the ones you're protecting are not murderers."

You couldn't find your voice. You could only stare at him. It was as if you saw him in a different light, even though the said light is the same as the flickering and dim one above you. Suddenly, he doesn't seem as dangerous as you thought he was. He's still dangerous, and he's still likely capable of killing all of you if given the opportunity.

But.

You couldn't help but see yourself in him.

Because you did the exact same thing when Jill was killed. You never let the murderer get away.

"The law doesn't give a damn about Jennifer. The locals doesn't even remember who she was." He leaned in once more, bitterness lacing his words. "And now that I've taken matters into my own hands, I'm the bad guy? Tell me, Y/n. Is this what you called justice? Some kind of agent you are."

The only difference is you're protected by law. You have the means and privilege. And Ted's only got are his grief and thirst for vengeance.

And this is where it lead to.

So, what are you really? Do you really deliver the just in justice or are you nothing but a plain hypocrite?

"That night..." you finally found your voice. "You were with Jennifer, weren't you?"

He leaned back, his eyes growing distant as memories seemed to wash over him. "The festival has always been a traditional date night for us. Michael... Michael doesn't like me for his daughter." He sat down on a boulder near Richy, Jake's unconscious form still gripped tightly in his hand. "And Duskwood being a small town that it is, it is very difficult to sneak around and hide a relationship." His gaze drifted off, as if he was transported back to that night. He's staring at you but it feels likes he's staring through you. "Pine Glade was a perfect day for us to spend time together. In the darkness filled with drunkards celebrating, and fireworks covering the whole sky, it was a perfect date. No Michael Hanson, no prying eyes, no judgement. Just us."

"But it didn't end the way you planned." You murmured cautiously. Normally you would have internally celebrated for getting your culprit at exactly where you want them to be.

Yes you did get Ted talking, and be quite less aggressive but you recognize that look all too well.

The thousand yard stare.

Ted's eyes remained distant, locked onto something only he could see. It was as if he was mentally transported back to that fateful night, lost in a sea of memories.

You recognized it as a sign of dissociation, a defense mechanism triggered by overwhelming emotions or trauma. It was as if he was slipping away from the present, into the depths of his own mind. This calmness, this detachment, it was the eerie calm before the storm. You had to tread carefully.

"It didn't." His voice was almost inaudible if it weren't for the enclosed space you were in. "Jennifer was spotted by her friends before I walk her home."

"You walked her home?" You questioned slowly. This almost reminded you of your counseling sessions with some patients before you decided to be a fulltime agent. "Aren't the roads far too dangerous for people to walk on especially given that Duskwood doesn't have much street lights despite having so much curvatures?"

"Yeah, I was going to walk her home. My car was scheduled for scrapping and I wasn't able to buy a new one just yet," his voice turned monotonous, as if he was detached from his own memories. He spoke like an observer, recounting events from a distance.

He's slipping into depersonalization. This is not good.

"You said Jennifer was spotted by her friends. What happened?"

"She denied me," he responded after a moment of silence, a sharp edge returning to his voice. His hands clenched around the gun and Jake's hoodie, his knuckles turning white. "She told them I was one of her dad's bodyguards." His voice tightened with bitterness. "And they all laughed. Praised Michael for being such a great dad." His eyes seemed to regain focus briefly before drifting away again, lost in the past. But his voice sharpened as anger took over. "They ridiculed me!"

"Despite that, you still walked her home?"

"Yes. But we were arguing along the sidewalk." He went on after a minute of silence. You even thought he wouldn't answer. For a brief moment, his grip on reality seemed firmer. "It was dark, and the only light we have is from the moon." He clutched his head, his fingers tangling in his hair, as if trying to pull out memories he wished to forget. "I was so angry that I couldn't let her touch me. So, I... pushed her away. And then..."

He lets out a scream. The sound that erupted from his throat was primal, an agonizing wail that reverberated through the tunnel like a chilling echo of despair. It was a raw and loud and deafening that it was able to wake up Hannah.

Hannah's eyes fluttered open, the sight of Ted made her hand instinctively clutch your shirt, seeking solace and security in the midst of the chaos. She trembled against you, her grip unyielding as if she was afraid of losing her last anchor.

"Oh," Ted's gaze refocused, his demeanor shifting with unsettling ease as he turned his attention to the newly awakened Hannah. His tone was oddly calm. "The princess is awake. Good. I'll continue the story."

"Please, stop..." Hannah's voice quivered with a mix of fear and desperation.

"Silence!" Ted's voice thundered, making Hannah flinch as he rose to his feet. "As I was saying... I pushed her off me, and I didn't notice I pushed her with all my strength. And before I knew it, I heard a loud honk from a car, and Jennifer's body being thrown at the side of the road because of the impact."

"What...?" your voice caught in your throat.

"Two girls went out of the car. I remember their faces," his expression turned grim, his voice tinged with bitterness. "Especially, I can remember the plate number of the car. Because it was mine."

What the fuck..?

Fortunately, Ted was lost in his own ramble as he jogged up his memory to notice the look of utter shock not only in your eyes but as well as Hannah's and Richy's. It was then you knew you all shared the same thought.

"I didn't know what to do. I couldn't go to her body..." Ted's voice continued, the distance in his tone suggesting he was reliving the scene he described. "So, I hid. I watched the car drove away as if they only hit an animal. However, not long after, a car went back, this time, a car I wasn't familiar with but the man who accompanied the two girls, I knew him. He was the one I talked to about scrapping my car." His eyes flitted towards Richy, and they grew dark at the sight of him. "I just stood there and watched in silence as they go deeper into the woods with Jennifer's body held by the man. And when they come back, Jennifer wasn't with them..." His head bowed, a curtain of greasy, unkempt hair obscuring his face, but you didn't have to look at his face to know the pure rage radiating from him. "I assumed that's where they left the body." He finished.

Ted's story hung in the air, and a heavy silence followed.

Another one.

And then another.

Until you couldn't help the sudden laughter that had escaped from you. It wasn't one of pure genuine laugh when you find something funny.

Neither was a sarcastic one nor a laughter that originated from tickling.

It was one of your rare belly laughs that you knew was obnoxious and loud as hell.

So you weren't surprised when the sound startled Jake, who was beginning to regain consciousness or the look of sheer horror from both Hannah and Richy as if you had laugh in a situation that you shouldn't.

Which is, to be fair, not farther from the truth though because a pair of glaring red eyes met yours as another laugh bubbled within you. You can only throw your head up in the sky.

No. This is not a sarcastic laugh nor a laugh from a joke.

This one is of pure joy and relief.

Why?

"Sorry, sorry. You were saying you pushed Jennifer on the road, which prompted two teens to bump into her in the middle of the night." Ted's furious gaze met yours, his eyes glaring red with anger. Your laughter dwindled, replaced by a steely resolve as you met his gaze head-on. "That's what you're getting at, right?"

Your words seemed to cut through the tension like a knife. Ted's expression wavered between anger and something deeper, a mixture of emotions that you couldn't quite decipher.

Maybe you weren't really a good person as people thought you are.

You feel sorry for Ted. You really are.

But no amount of guilt could have weighed any better than finding that Amy, Hannah and Richy didn't actually committed manslaughter.

~~~~

Previous

Next

A/n: Hi, everyone! Sorry it took a little while doing the next part. As I have said, I find it quite challenging to write this part due to many reasons.

1. As you may have noticed, I have strayed far from the original ending and original culprit so, I really have to make the reasons why Ted was our culprit believable and still aligned with canon events from previous chapters in the game. Let me know what you think if I did justice with him to be our primary suspect.

2. There were instances that I have used psychology jargons, and I would like to add a disclaimer that I am still merely an undergraduate psychology student so I wouldn't recommend to take what I have written in this story to heart. If you may have experience such events that may effect you mentally and emotionally speaking, I would suggest to speak to an actual mental health professional, and please don't rely alone on what the internet may tell you.

3. Lastly, I'm going to be honest to y'all. I haven't really established a concrete ending to this story yet so this will probably go for a couple more chapters, I'm sorry. So it have taken me a while to make a feasible plot for this chapter, and I have to watch several walkthroughs and play the game again just to make sure I didn't miss anything.

I think that's all. Again, I apologize if my writing seemed to be focused too much on the details and that I may have dragged this story more than I should have. But I just want to let you know that putting much focus into details such as the character's emotions, body language, the settings etc are important in this part of the story because this is where we unveil the truth about Jennifer's death, Amy's death and Hannah's disappearance.

Initially, I was planning to put a fair share amount of fighting scenes for the sake of the final meet up of Y/n and the real culprit but I realize that the game itself have put much focus on the psychological aspect of the game rather than an actual fight, and I feel like I should keep it that way. Though I'd probably put some in the next chapter. Who knows?

Hahaha I didn't notice I already rambled. I'll see y'all on the next part. Let me know what you think about this chapter down in the comments. Adios! ;)

[hacked-by-nymos]

"𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝘂𝘀𝗸𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗺𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝘄𝗶𝘀"

[duskwoodgirl4life]

A/N Hi everyone, I have been wanting to rewrite how two people come together for some time now it was the first ever fic I wrote and posted on here. After reading through some of the chapters I decided it needed a rewrite as it's just awful I hope you all enjoy this rewrite. It's not going to be totally the same as I want to make it 10x better.

If you would like to read the original click here

Chapter 1

My hand hits the alarm clock as it deeps down my ear. I drag myself out of bed and turn on the coffee machine. While my coffee machine makes my coffee I go to grab a much needed shower. Thankfully when I get out my coffee is ready the smell from the coffee makes its way to my nose making me smile. I take my coffee into the bedroom and start to get ready for work. Today would be my last day for 2 whole weeks. I've been looking forward to this time off for so long. As I'm getting ready for work my phone buzzes. I pick it up and see a message from an unknown number.

Thomas: Hello?

MC: hello? Who is this? Do I know you?

Thomas: I don't know I got your number from my girlfriend. She's gone missing. Her name is Hannah.

MC: I'm really sorry but I don't know who she is or why she's sent you my number

Thomas: please wait don't go anywhere I have to add the others

I sit looking at my phone as this Thomas guy adds random unknown people to a message group. I have no idea what is even going on or why this woman Hannah has my number. I don't know anyone called Hannah. A few seconds pass and I see names pop up in the chat. Richy, Cleo, Dan, Jessy and Lily were added to the group. Before I even get to ask what the hell is going on this girl Lily starts to fire questions at me.

Lily: What have you done to my sister? Where is she? Why did you take her!?

MC: What the hell!! You invited me to this group I don't even know who the hell you are so shut your goddamn mouth

Dan: this is off to a good start

Thomas: look my girlfriend Hannah was kidnapped and she sent me your number

Cleo: do you know why she would do that?

MC: I'm sorry but I really don't I have no clue who she is

Lily offline

Jessy: I'm sorry guys but you know how I feel

Jessy offline

Dan offline

Richy: sorry about that it's not how I pictured that going

MC: it's okay it's a difficult situation

Richy: I'm Richy btw what should we call you Mr X or Ms X

MC: you can call me MC

The chat between me, Richy and Cleo continued for a while, Thomas filled me in on what had been going on and gave me some more information. I looked up at the clock and realized I was going to be super late for work. I decided to text my boss and tell him I wouldn't be coming in. I put my phone down and went to make another coffee. When I came back to the bedroom to get my phone I noticed I was able to follow the chat between Jessy and Dan. How is this even possible? Why am I following someone's private chat? But why do I kind of find it exciting? When the chat stopped I received another message from another unknown number.

Unknown: How did you like that?

MC: Like what?

Unknown: the chat I made it possible for you to follow along

MC: I kind of found it exciting

Unknown: I'm glad you say that

MC: Are you a hacker? Is that how I was able to see that other chat?

Unknown: let me make this simple

The next thing I know my phone's starts to ring and there is a hooded figure standing in front of loads of computer screens. The voice distortion makes me jump a little when he starts talking. He's asking me to trust him. I hardly know what's even happening and I've got a complete stranger asking me to trust him. The video ends and before I know what I'm doing I find myself telling him I trust him.

MC: I trust you

Unknown: we have a lot of work to do. I have given you access to Hannah's cloud there you will need to hack into the different folders and see what you find.

I didn't even get a chance to reply when this mysterious guy went offline. I woke up this morning thinking it was going to be just like any other day but I was so very wrong. Now I found myself looking through a complete strangers cloud. I had no idea what it was I was looking for. I spend the next couple hours hacking into Hannah's cloud. I finally manage to find something and send it to this mystery guy.

Unknown online

Unknown: you found this on Hannah's cloud?

MC: yep my first useful find

Unknown: I don't know how useful this is

MC: Did you have anything better?

Unknown: touche, keep sending me everything you find

Unknown offline

This guy is seriously getting annoying now why is all this so important to him, why me of all people I don't even know who the hell this Hannah is. I've never even met her before and I really don't know where she got my number from. Could all this just be a big misunderstanding and she sent my number in error? Could she have sent Thomas the wrong number and not have time to correct her mistake? All I know is when I do find out what's happened to her I need answers.

A couple hours have passed and I have been spending all my free time sending stuff over to this mystery guy. I often stop to wonder who he is, what he looks like, if he has a beautiful smile. So many questions about him run through my mind it's hard to stay focused on what I'm doing. I get snapped out of my own thoughts when my phone's buzzed. I look at the notification and it's from Jessy.

Jessy: Hi, I hope you didn't think to badly of me before

MC: it's okay, it's a difficult situation

Jessy: don't get me wrong I do want to help find Hannah it's just where do we even start

MC: I get what you mean

Jessy: thanks MC, I wasn't expecting that oh before I forget if I suddenly go offline it's because I'm at work.

MC: No worries, where do you work?

Jessy: I would at Rogers garage but everyone calls it the junkyard Richys my boss

MC: Richy from before?

Jessy: yeah that's him I do all the things he can't like answer the phones, invoices emails

MC: sounds stressful

Jessy: not really it's quite easy, Richys coming afk

Jessy offline

I get back to looking through Hannah's cloud and find my next picture. It doesn't look all that useful but I'll send it to mystery man. I open up the chat and send the picture over to him. I wait a few minutes but he doesn't come online so I get back to Hannah's cloud and search through yet more folders. There are so many pictures and different folders it's going to take me forever to get through all this. I still don't get why the mystery man can't do all this himself. If all this is so important why doesn't he do it? What makes him think I'm even any good at hacking? I mean I wouldn't call myself a pro. I'm more of an ameture at best if you can even call it that.

Unknown online

Unknown: hello MC

MC: hello

Unknown: sorry for my absence I have a lead for you ID 47013

Unknown: the police are still focused on Thomas Hannah's boyfriend. You should focus on someone else.

MC: What do you want me to do with the ID?

Unknown: add it as a contact you will find the input field in the top right corner of the message overview.

Unknown offline

Oh just great, I have to add a complete stranger and engage in a conversation with them. Well I guess I better get this over and done with. I click on the add contact symbol and put the ID in and add the contract. I am surprised when it comes up with Dan's name. I wasn't expecting him to pop up. Looks like he's not online yet so I'm gonna get back to this never ending cloud.

Dan online

Dan: oh no

MC: What's oh no?

Dan: Who sent you after me?

MC: the mystery hacker

Dan: fuck it

Dan: and you leave me alone

Dan's offline

What the hell was all that about? Wow he is definitely one of a kind alright, but then what did I expect? I randomly add the guy he doesn't know who I am. I don't really know who he is. This whole thing is so messed up in so many ways. I decided to give myself a little break and put my phone down and go and make myself a coffee. Once my coffee is done I take my cup and go and sit down on the sofa. I lean my head back and close my eyes. What the hell have I gotten into? After taking a few deep breaths I open my eyes again and take a sip of my coffee. Well I guess I better get back to this never ending cloud of documents.

[hacked-by-jake]

Do you have any headcanons for Amy? 🤔

Already as a child, Amy was very insecure and quiet. This lasted almost her entire life. She was always very shy and insecure with herself and her body, she barely spoke. But you saw Amy drawing always and everywhere. No matter where she was, she had paper and a pencil with her. While others spoke, she expressed her thoughts and feelings with painting. Anyway, she was never completely satisfied with herself, she was too self-critical and cautious, she had a hard time loving herself. But this changed a little when she found two friends during the first semester at the college. One of them was a budding photographer and he immediately saw the beauty in Amy. It took a long time to convince Amy to let him take photos of her. But when she saw the first photos, and also heard others raving about them, she gained some confidence and learned to love herself a little more. She could never completely abandon her old behavior but a small piece of her soul had reassembled. But it wasn't enough in the end..

[Thank you so much for asking, dear Anon. At first, I had to think about it a little bit but then it just came out. I really appreciate you asking *-*]

-> send in a character and i’ll tell you one headcanon i have about them!

[v-lynx-2]

Hannah : " so, I started seeing someone "

Amy : " nice, as dating or hallucinations?"

[jakescomputer]

the "you came, you called" thing on tiktok

duskwood edition

you came: jake, richy, lilly, amy, thomas

you called: mc, jessy, dan, phil, cleo, alan, hannah

[xchatblackx]

In a parallel universe, Jake and MC would sing this while investigating :)

Em um universo paralelo, Jake e MC cantariam isso enquanto investigam :)

Smooth Criminal - Glee Version

Amy, are you okay?

Will you tell us that you're okay?

There's a sign at the window

Then he struck you, a crescendo, Annie

He came into your apartment

He left the bloodstains on the carpet

Then you ran into the bedroom

You were struck down, it was your doom

Amy, are you okay?

So, Amy, are you okay? Are you okay, Amy?

Amy, are you okay?

So, Amy, are you okay? Are you okay, Amy?

Amy, are you okay?

So, Amy, are you okay? Are you okay, Amy?

You've been hit by

You've been hit by

A smooth criminal

Tradução

Amy, você está bem?

Você nos dirá que você está bem?

Há um sinal na janela

Ele golpeou você, um estrondo, Amy

Ele entrou em seu apartamento

Ele deixou a mancha de sangue no carpete

Então, você correu para o quarto

Você foi golpeada, foi o seu fim

Amy, você está bem?

Então, Amy, você está bem? Você está bem, Amy?

Amy, você está bem?

Então, Amy, você está bem? Você está bem, Amy?

Amy, você está bem?

Então, Amy, você está bem? Você está bem, Amy?

Você foi atingida por

Você foi atingida por

Um criminoso ardiloso

(I replaced Annie for Amy)

(Eu substitui Annie por Amy)

[raccoonempire]

Day 3: Drowning

I didn't have any ideas for this prompt pfff

[flow-of-forces]

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐤𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝!𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐮 [𝟐/?]

ㅤㅤLilly:

• cute videos with cats and motivational quotes in stories;

• photographs her entire environment;

• sees beauty in small things.

ㅤㅤPhil:

• advertising aurora in stories and posts;

• rarely publishes his photos;

• likes to show how he spends his leisure time.

ㅤㅤHannah:

• she likes to photograph nature, the environment and her friends;

• her stories are a archive of videos with the Duskwood gang;

• repost thomas's stories.

ㅤㅤAmy:

• photographed the processes of her work and nature;

• she published paintings and many inspiring things in stories;

• she loved to shoot aesthetic videos.

ㅤㅤJake:

• stalker the whole of duskwood and likes the posts of the Duskwood gang;

• "#IamJake? WTF?? REALLY??”;

• he's not Jake. yep.

[lyon-amore]

When you read that someone says that Hannah deserved what happened but not Richy.

Me: But... He was the one who planned it all only because Amy didn't want to go confess unlike Hannah... Karma just hit him...

Admitting once and for all that he did something terrible, nothing bad happens, it's called being mature and knowing that your favorite characters are not perfect

[duskwoodincorrectquotes]

Y/n: Jake and I are getting married

Lilly: I wish you had asked me first

Y/n: I apologize, Lilly, but I do not desire a romantic relationship with you

Lilly:

[hiramaris]

Dusk til Dawn

Part 7

Summary: Following Episode 9. And spoilers for Episode 10. 

Author’s note: As Episode 10 is just released I just want to say heads up for those who are not yet finished. Completing the game without spoilers really made a difference, and as much as possible I want everyone to experience that. And for those finished, I’ll gladly welcome you to my domain where MC took a different route.

Disclaimer:  I do not own Duskwood or any of the related characters. Duskwood is created by and owned by Everbyte Studio. This fanfiction is intended for entertainment only. I am not making any profit from this story. All rights of the original Duskwood story belong to Everbyte Studio.

Warning: Mentions of blood, suicide, violence, pedophiles, drugs, gun, murder, sex offenders, kidnapping

Gif not mine (please kindly inform me if anyone of you knew)

"Michael Hanson is dead?" Jessy repeated, her voice laced with disbelief. She sat on her bed, processing the information you had just shared with her. You told her every detail of your conversation with the police chief. You knew she was worried about you being arrested by Alan like they did with Phil, that's why you decided to tell her first. But now that you think about it, telling her that Alan is still debating to arrest you is not the best way to assure her. You also told her about some information about Phil you manage to get out from Alan. "And they think my brother killed him?"

"There's no corpse," you sighed, running a hand through your hair in frustration "But Alan already pronounced him dead."

"Phil would never do that! A-and" she trembles. She locked eyes with you, her gaze pleading for you to believe her. "I'm not being subjective here this time, I swear!"

"I know, Jess," you squeezed her hand.

"A testament that only telling them that Phil is one of his beneficiaries won't be enough proof, right?"

You nodded. You already thought about that. "You're right. It's probably not enough on its own. But I'm sure whoever testified against him strengthened that he might be related not only to Michael's disappearance but as well as Hannah's, Amy's, and even Jennifer's."

"He's..." Her voice wavered. "He's not guilty, is he?"

The conflicted look in her eyes made your chest tighten a bit. It's like she's torn between believing her brother would never do such a thing and the possibility that he did something irreversible. That no matter what redemption and atonement he'll do, something about him will be changed in Jessy's eyes and she doesn't want that.

Even though he's not the greatest brother to her, deep down he cared for his little sister. When their grandmother died, he was there to provide whatever means Jessy needs until she can manage to be independent.

Your silence must have been mistaken by Jessy as your answer. You slowly lifted her chin up, and your heart broke at the sight of tears continuously flowing from her eyes. You lift your free hand and thumbed tear stains from her cheeks until there was nothing left but her white, smooth skin with surprising gentleness. You gave her a reassuring smile.

"He's not. We're going to get him out of there," you promised her, and then added albeit, jokingly, "in a legal way of course. I'm still a delinquent as of now."

She hit your chest lightly, letting out a soft giggle, "why do I have the feeling you two would get along so well?"

"Well, I'm actually doing it for the free drinks he promised me," you quipped, earning another laugh from her again. Her laughter was infectious, and you found yourself joining in. Pulling her close, you enveloped her in a warm embrace, her head fitting perfectly under your chin. As the laughter subsided, you held her a little tighter, a sense of protectiveness washing over you. "But seriously, Jess. I'll make sure he'll be out of prison in no time."

"Thank you, Y/n," she murmured against your neck. "You always know the right things to say."

"Anytime," you whispered. You let yourself succumb to all of her. Her scent, voice, and warmth embrace you in ways no one could ever do. You wanted to imprint this moment in your mind. You dreaded the moment you might have to leave, and all of these moments might turn into old memories.

You fear the time you have to use your ace. You wanted to walk away and keep the cards to yourself. Which is funny, because back then you were always confident in how you played your cards, there are no other options but to win. But now, you don't want to risk it. You wanted to be selfish. You wanted to grab her by the hand and turn your back away from this.

But it wouldn't be right. These people right here, in a span of short time, became so important to you.

If winning means all of them will be safe, including Hannah and Richy, you're willing to slam the remaining cards in your hands down the table, and make sure you win, whatever it takes.

~~~~

As you sat on the couch, engrossed in your research, your mind churned with the weight of the information you had gleaned from your conversation with Alan. You decided to keep the information you got from Alan to the group aside from Jessy and Jake. You wanted to make sure it really isn't Michael. Knowing the identity of the culprit is one of the straws they are clinging to right now, and you don't want them to lose hope.

Jessy's return to her post was a reminder of the seriousness of the situation.

The room around you was quiet, save for the soft hum of electronics and the occasional sound of typing. Every now and then, you glanced at your phone, half-expecting it to ring with updates from Alan. You had instructed him to inform you once he was done examining the area near Grimrock Waterfall, and the anticipation gnawed at your nerves.

Minutes turned into an hour, and the dim glow of the screen cast a pale light across your features as you continued your research. Every bit of information, every detail about Grimrock Waterfall, its surroundings, and its history, was essential to your investigation. You wanted to be prepared, armed with knowledge that could aid your next moves.

And then, just as you were about to delve into a particularly interesting article, your phone buzzed. The screen illuminated with Alan's name, and your heart skipped a beat.

You nodded at Jessy's inquiring look, signaling that it was indeed Alan calling again. Knowing that she was already informed about your previous conversation, you decided to answer it in the room, leaving nothing to hide. You picked up the phone, bringing it to your ear.

"Hell—"

"So, I have looked as thoroughly as I could. And I'm afraid to tell you that there's absolutely nothing here," was his immediate greeting to you. "You hear? There's nobody here. No Hannah Donfort, no kidnapper." He sighed. "It's just me and the crime scene tape I put in here."

"What do you mean there's nothing there?" Your voice rose drastically, attracting Jessy's attention. She looked at you with concern as you continued your conversation with Alan. "Did you even look carefully?"

"I shouldn't have come here," was all he could reply to you.

"Keep looking, Alan." You insisted, desperate for him to hear you out. "Hannah has to be there somewhere."

"I'm going back to the station," he declared, his tone heavy with finality.

"I swear to God, Alan you have to—" your words fell on deaf ears. He ended the call. "Damn it, Alan!"

It's over. You couldn't believe it.

As you stood there, the weight of the situation settled heavily on your shoulders. This plan of yours is stupid after all. Not only Alan won't trust you anymore, but he might also have alerted the culprit and therefore, might harm Hannah even more. This also adds to his growing list of reasons to arrest you.

This is all fucked.

That talk with Alan generated mixed feelings for you. Mainly exhaustion and disappointment. Exhaustion is not all that rare for you. In the line of job where you at, resting is a luxury you cannot afford.

The weight of your responsibilities had always been heavy, but now it felt nearly suffocating. Being pulled into Hannah's case doesn't make it any better. But that didn't matter, as long as you have a purpose, as long all of these have meaning.

Hearing that Michael Hanson, your primary suspect, is pronounced dead, made you feel a deep sense of disappointment. Disappointed that all this time, you haven't really put a face to the man without a face. And he's probably laughing his ass off every time you call him Hanson.

And now, the possible lead you got to locate Hannah is a massive failure. You find it hard to believe that she isn't somewhere near Grimrock. How the hell will you explain this to them? To Thomas who was expecting a fruitful response?

It seemed that you failed again. How foolish you were to think you wouldn't mess up again just like before.

You don't understand how people still looked up to you like you're some sculpted-to-perfection Greek god. They feared you for your skills, admired you for your brain, and respected you because of your last name.

Here, you're just plain Y/n, a normal person who's just been pulled into this case. A simple psychologist from a city hundreds of miles away from Duskwood. No one to set up expectations for you, and even so you still fucked up.

If at some point your plan will succeed, the consequences of your actions will hunt you until the end. They won't trust you again, Jake will hate you, you will lose your career, and most of all, you won't ever see them again.

There are so many possibilities for how this will end. And you pray to all the deities you no longer believed in that somehow, it won't be as fucked up as you expected it to be.

"Y/n, are you okay?" At some point, while you were lost in self-deprecating yourself, your feet find their way back to Jessy.

From the look of worry on her face, it seemed that you were unable to mask your emotions this time. You didn't answer, and before you knew it, you collapsed yourself against her into a tight embrace. You don't know what you're looking for— if it's comfort, strength, or stability. But you do know whatever it is, it's something she and only she could provide you.

"What happened?" Her words reach your ears as a soft, concerned whisper, and her embrace mirrors your desperation, wrapping around you with equal fervor.

You tried focusing on what you have right now. You have her in your arms, her hands behind your back, soothing you in a calm manner, you can feel her warmth, and her scent formed a protective barrier of vanilla and lemons against all those intrusive thoughts that you have been fighting for so long. It's enough for you to slowly calm down until your breath turned even.

You appreciated how she remained silent. Her silence isn't awkward or forced by any means. It was pleasant, and her presence is enough to calm the storms brewing in your mind.

"How many times do I have to fuck things up, Jess?" Your attempt at keeping your voice steady falters as a crack seeps in. "How many people am I going to send to their deaths before this all ends?"

It's like that incident all over again. But this time it's your failure that led to this.

"Y/n, you know that's not true." You looked at her with lost eyes. You find it hard to believe that. As if reading your thoughts like a script laid out to read, she said, "that's not who you are. And you never will be."

"But you don't know me like that," you whispered, repeating the exact, same phrase you told Jake all those ages ago. Because it's true. They didn't know how much blood has stained your hands that despite water and soap having washed it all away, you knew the ghost of stain is still there, embarked forever like a tattoo.

"I think I do— no," she paused and corrected herself. "I'm sure I know you. But not in the way you describe yourself. Because," she cupped your cheeks with gentle hands, "that's not how I see you."

"Because," your lips quivered, "I didn't want you to see me the way others do." Like I'm a monster.

"And that's enough for me," she affirmed. "You know I trust you, right?" and you nodded. "Then that would speak a lot, wouldn't it? That's why I'm confident that you will keep me— us safe. You sending us to our deaths is so far from the truth, Y/n. Not even close to it."

"I—"

"And I also don't need to question anything,'' she interrupted gently, "I don't need to know everything if you're not ready to tell me yet. So, it's safe to say you know what you are doing. And it's enough that I know you're here, and you're safe." When she leaned and placed a soft kiss against your forehead your mind suddenly short-circuited.

Surprise doesn't even begin to describe what you're feeling. Physical intimacy has always been a foreign concept to you. You were never the one that initiates it, and the others are too scared to even dare touch you. But with her, and with your friends here, it seemed so natural to do it. It's comforting and warm, a stark contrast to the coldness you had felt before.

"Whatever happened, even if it doesn't go as you expected, I know we can find other ways. We always have and you will always find a way, Y/n. And," she paused and gave you a smile, the same one she gave you that time when you asked her to go on a virtual date with you; all wide smile and grinning eyes and everything, "you will always be irreplaceable for me. I want you to see that. Even if our life will be at stake, I'm willing to pay for it."

"No, no. You," you gently held her hands against your cheeks, "you're not paying anything. Not while I'm here. You're more than irreplaceable, just as much as you think I am."

And it's true. She holds power over you that she may not even realize. Throughout this case, she's been your rock. The same girl who hesitated to join the investigation, but ultimately changed her mind when you came in. She trusted and believed in you when you were still just a stranger who could have been involved in Hannah's disappearance – a level of trust that others were too skeptical to offer. Though it's a bit naive on her part, it's what made her even more endearing. And then shits started to go down, with attacks on her and Richy, and her own brother being imprisoned – reasons that had kept her away from this mess initially – she held her ground and remained by your side, having your back despite the circumstances.

She trusts you when others find it hard to.

She had given her absolute faith in you when you couldn't even trust your own self.

So, who the hell are you to disappoint her now?

"Thank you, Jess. It means a lot hearing this from you."

"Anytime," she whispered, echoing the words you had offered her earlier. It's incredible how you were able to calm each other down, just by being in each other's presence.

Now with much clarity in your mind, you decided to share the details of your conversation with Alan, though you already suspected she heard some bits from your conversation with Alan as you're not exactly quiet the whole time. As you explained the whole thing, she listened attentively, her expression a mix of concern and focused attention. You searched her eyes for any sign of disappointment or frustration, but all you found was genuine worry – worry that Alan might suspect you even more and that Alan might have alerted the culprit.

"I already told you before, right? That whatever happens tonight, it won't be your fault. That stands even now." She squeezed your hands. "We can still think of some alternatives."

"I was thinking to go to Grimrock as well," you confessed. You had a nagging suspicion that Alan might not have searched the waterfall thoroughly as you expected. It's relatively huge and it only took him a small amount of time to search the whole place. You found that impossible.

Jessy's grip on your hands tightened, her expression shifting to one of disapproval as she met your gaze.

"Thomas knows his way around Duskwood and we won't allow him. I can't allow you to go there as well," she said with a sigh. "I'm probably being subjective right now when it comes to you, and it might seem like I don't care about Hannah but I don't want you to go far from my sight if possible. Michael is clearly after you, Y/n. I can't afford to lose you as well. Can we just... drop the Grimrock lead for now?"

"Okay," you breathed, not having the presence of mind to say no, not when she's this close you can almost feel the warmth radiating from her. "Maybe Jake has something with him. Until then, we'll drop the Grimrock idea. I also got to tell the others the news."

"I'll handle that," she offered, earning a surprise look from you. "You can talk to Jake. I'll chat the news to Lilly. That way, Thomas will more likely listen to her."

"Thanks, Jess. I appreciate it." You really do. Honestly, you don't know how to break the news to them. They were expecting something huge about Alan's expedition to the waterfall.

You were back on your laptop to take one last look at the location of the Grimrock when a message from Jake notified your phone. At this point, you knew he already knows the news.

That's what you have been thinking earlier. You hadn't noticed it right away as you were focused on what Alan is saying but now you're sure you heard the same thing. But why didn't he find anything?

That managed to catch your attention. Based on experience, you knew how a police's computer held a piece of vital information about the cases they are investigating on. Assuming that he's indeed doing something for Hannah's case, Jake might get something significant in there.

'Jake, you sneaky idiot,' you thought to yourself. You're glad he was able to do that. You had this feeling you might find something relevant to the case. You copied the link Jake gave you, and you transferred it immediately to your laptop. You were surprised how every audio is labeled to perfection, that way you won't have to be confused about what to listen to first.

"Lilly already told them." You looked up to your laptop as you heard her voice. "Thomas wanted you to come down and talk to him but I told him you were busy with your new lead to calm him down. But you do have a new lead, right?" She looked unsure.

"Don't worry, we manage to get something from Alan's private audios. We just need to examine them."

"Wait, really?" She sounded relieved. "For a minute I thought I lied to them. That's great news, Y/n! Do you need help?"

"Thanks, Jess," you shook your head, "but we've got it covered."

The first audio didn't reveal much other than the location of Amy's apartment and the fact that no one had entered her house after her body was found. However, the second audio caught your attention. It seemed that when Alan reached her door, he discovered a strange marking on her front door. He described it as resembling a crow and drawn with what he suspected was blood. You were pretty sure it was just paint, similar to the markings Michael had used on both Richy and Jessy's garage and front door. And the marking seemed familiar to him. You assumed that even Alan is more or less familiar with the legend of the man without a face.

The third audio didn't hold much interest, apart from the observation that the apartment appeared clean and tidy, with no obvious signs of the murder. However, Alan had a gut feeling that things weren't as they appeared. Which you actually agreed to. If the apartment seemed to be cleaned like that, there's a high probability that someone actually cleaned it because they don't want others to see something they want to hide.

The fourth audio was the end of his first inspections, without finding any immediate signs of suspicious activity. But he did consider the fact that Amy's body was found in the forest after she had already died. And he also had a conclusion that somehow, it was a message from the killer making him decide to continue his search further in order to understand the message.

He found a safe in the fifth audio, and it seemed locked and undamaged, and from the looks of it, it didn't look like someone forced it open. Following that is the sixth audio, he found an envelope on her nightstand, and he decided to open it despite CSI might have his head if they found out he meddled with things at the crime scene. There's no address and the envelope has obviously been sealed but was carefully opened. Unfortunately, the letter inside is missing.

In the last audio, it looks like Alan attempted to find the missing letter inside her apartment, and he wasn't able to find it, or anything relatively suspicious. It's safe to assume that his search is not fruitful as he expected.

You mentally noted everything you had noticed in the audio recordings before you alerted Jake that you are through with all of them. A heavy sigh escaped your lips as you contemplated the lack of progress. You were so sure if you were the one inside that apartment you'll be able to find something else.

At some point, while you were listening to the audio you noticed Jessy went back to the files she was scanning earlier. You decided to let her do her thing, while you do yours.

You nodded to yourself, realizing that a phone call would be more efficient for this detailed discussion. You dialed Jake's number and waited as it rang on the other end.

"Hello, Y/n." Jake's voice came through the line.

"Hey, Jake," you greeted him. "I've gone through the audio recordings. There are some interesting details we should talk about."

"Very well," he said, his tone serious. "I would like to hear your thoughts on these recordings."

"Alright," you agreed.

Jake began to list the things he noticed, "let's begin with the first recording. Before Alan could enter the apartment, he made a strange discovery on Amy's front door."

"The mark of the raven," you nodded as you walked over to the window, glancing curiously at what Jessy was scribbling on the dresser. "Amy was marked, too."

She looked at you quizzically at the mention of Amy but didn't question further.

"Yes."

You hummed in approval, remembering something.

"What is it, Y/n?" he questioned at your silence.

"Amy didn't wipe away the symbol." You noted. "Unlike Richy."

"That is a very good observation," he commended. "Perhaps she wanted to go to the police and thus treated the marking as a piece of evidence."

"Or she didn't have time to wipe it off."

"Feasible," he said. "Alan also found an empty envelope in Amy's bedroom. The envelope had been sealed but also opened again. Do you think Amy or the culprit open it?"

"Definitely the culprit, and he took the letter as well," you confirmed. "Why else the envelope was opened that carefully?"

He hummed, "what do you think? Why did this envelope have neither an address nor a return address?"

"Hmm," you thought for a moment."It could be that Amy wrote it herself. And she wasn't planning on sending it "

"An interesting and plausible conclusion."

"And what do you think, Jake?"

"My interpretation is exactly the same as yours." He replied, his tone thoughtful. "Amy wrote the letter herself. The culprit found the letter and then proceeded to take it with him."

"Which means we must be right," you nodded in agreement. "The place it was found already gave away the fact that Amy wrote the letter and the culprit found it and took it with him. Hence, the reason the whole place is squeaky clean."

"Excellent thinking, as usual, Y/n." He commented, and you couldn't have sworn he sounded like he was very much proud and happy. You don't really have to say it but both of you are really a match made by heaven. And you enjoy every time you spent investigating like this. It never fails to bring you that same fire you feel like back then before when things went to shit. "Let us continue. I am sure you remember the comment Alan made concerning the positioning of Amy's body."

"Yeah, I remember. Amy was brought to Jennifer's memorial site after she died."

"Precisely. We have already talked about this in the past. And Alan also saw a deeper meaning behind this. He saw the message the murderer wanted to convey and tried understanding it."

"That's what I still believed as well." You have encountered a lot of these criminals and people will be surprised how vast these bastards think.

"Hmm, let us assume the murderer did want to make a point. What point do you think that might be?"

"He wanted to make a connection between Amy's death and Jennifer's accident." You replied a matter of factly.

"That's right. Without the body's positioning. We would have never made the connection to Jennifer and by extension, to Hannah." He continued. "So, who would have an interest in taking her body to the monument?"

"Well, this perfectly suits our culprit."

"Yes. That is what I think as well." He said in agreement. "With Amy's body beside Jennifer's monument, he sends an unmistakable message. However, according to Alan, Michael is no longer with us. I would like to hear your opinion on this matter."

To be honest, you haven't really thought things through about Michael's 'death', still, you decided to share what you think about it.

"He could still be our culprit, but..."

"But?"

"There's still a possibility that he really is dead." you continued, your thoughts becoming clearer as you spoke. "There's also a possibility that he's just hiding all this time as Alan had said, they never found a corpse. However, the thought that someone is just framing him came across me."

"That is also feasible."

"Michael Hanson is the perfect scapegoat to pin everything on. The father of a dead child who disappeared in the woods. Including the abandoned house. Just like the legend."

"Yes. His story has significant similarities to the legend of the man without a face."

A brief pause hung in the air as you and Jake tried to process the facts and theories you presented to each other. As usual, you're still weighing two possibilities; if Hanson is dead or not. Because if he really is dead, then you have yet to find out who this masked freak really is.

"Okay," Jake finally spoke, breaking the silence. "I think we covered the most important topics."

"Yeah, I think so, too."

"Very well. Thank you for your time and your thoughts, Y/n. I will attempt to sort out our traces so far and plan our next steps."

"Okay, I'll also keep you posted."

You exhaled heavily and slouched back onto the couch, your mind still processing the weight of the situation. At least there's progress, but at this rate, there's actually no other choice but to send someone in the Grimrock. Unless Jake found a new feasible location, however, that still requires someone to go there. Alan is no longer an option as he made it clear he's no longer trusting you or anyone from the group. Closing your eyes, you groaned as you feel the growing headache from the flight start to grow worse. Your head felt like it was being pounded by a sledgehammer.

"You're done?" You opened one tired eye to see Jessy going towards you. "I've got some news."

That made you sit up straight. "I'm all ears, Jess."

Sitting alongside you, Jessy extended a piece of paper toward you. "As you know, I couldn't find anything about an AMC Gremlin in the files from Roger's garage. And that Roger's garage was the only garage in Duskwood back then. I thought that there was no way the Gremlin never ever had to go to the garage."

"I thought so, too."

"I just couldn't stop thinking about it," she told you. She did seem excited and a bit jittery. "I knew there had to be something! So, I had another look at the files while you were talking to Jake." So, that's what she was doing a while ago. "But this time, I didn't go through everything cover to cover but instead concentrated on a specific time. The time of the Pine Glade Festival."

"So, July 2012?" you inquired. You can't deny that this made you excited as well.

A hint of a triumphant smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Yes, exactly. The files from Roger's garage are consecutively numbered." She gently tugged at your hand, guiding you toward the dresser where she had organized the files. "I couldn't find any anomalies with files 1102 and 1104," she pointed at the two. "But I did find something in file 1103. Because the file is missing."

"The hell?" You murmured. "Did it get stolen?"

"Hmm, I think so."

"This is actually a good find, Jessy!" You beamed and you laugh when she matched your energy.

"Thanks! I told you these files were super important!"

You pinched her nose, "I never doubted you, silly."

"Ow," she scrunched her nose. "But wait, there's more. I took a closer look at file 1102. And I noticed the paper was a bit uneven."

"Uneven?" you repeated.

"When you press hard enough on the paper while you're writing, you can leave traces on the page behind it. We delivered secret messages to each other in school that way."

You chuckled, "we did that too," but you only used it in a different circumstance, like investigating a crime scene.

"Something was written on the missing file, Y/n. The thing that was written left an imprint on the file behind it. And I made it visible by drawing over it with a pencil. Have you heard of that?"

"Yup."

"Here," she handed you the paper she had been examining. You focused your gaze, leaning in slightly to get a better look. As the faint marks became clearer under your scrutiny, a hint of surprise crossed your features.

"Ted Madruga..."

~~~~

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[miss-celestia13]

Part Three:

I’m Coming For You and I’m Making War

Chapter contains lusty thoughts and fiery tempers. Manon hunts for Jake and turns his life upside down.

Words: 7.8k

Manon

Duskwood revealed its true colors in the dead of night, painted in shades of black and grey and caged in by the menacing shadows cast by the forest. The cloud-cloaked sky only added to the claustrophobic feel pressing down on Manon’s shoulders. The few street lights scattered along the path incapable of penetrating the gloom, Manon kept away from them anyway. She was wholly hidden in the trees alongside the road, blending into the shadows as she carefully picked her way among them and kept the route she’d memorized clear in her mind. It wouldn’t do to get lost. She had no intention of becoming just another twisted legend of this Godforsaken place.

Manon reached the natural ledge where the trees ended and stopped. Her stomach was a nest of snakes as she eyed how the ground sloped into what looked like a black pit. During the day, this place was pretty, with lush green grass and nothing but forest for miles. Night had rendered it into an abyss, her mind conjuring images of a gaping maw waiting to swallow her if she dared to step down. She looked over to her left and spotted the single street light that Jake’s puzzle had led her and Lilly to and inwardly groaned as she looked back down into that black hole. She really didn’t want to go down there. Her sharp eyes couldn’t see what was waiting for her at the bottom, but she had to get down and fast. Gritting her teeth and steeling her spine, Manon made her way down, crouching slightly to keep herself steady since it was steeper than it appeared, a hand held out for balance and promising herself that next time she’d choose the normal idea, not the most dramatic one. She knew she was lying to herself, but it helped her climb deeper into the darkness. 

The air felt odd here like it was holding its breath to lure her in, and her thoughts tried desperately to convince her something was waiting for her there. She’d seen enough horror movies to know nothing good ever came of the blond girl who ran headfirst into danger, at least she wasn’t running up the stairs instead of out the front door, silver linings. Manon shook her head, muttering insults at her ridiculous propensity to conjure monsters everywhere she looked. She stood straight when her feet hit flat ground. The grass muffled the sound of her steps as she moved farther into the dark, ensuring that the street light with Jake’s sticker was directly ahead of her before she knelt on her knees and settled in to set her trap.

“Fuck sake Manon, this is over the top, even for you,” she whispered, needing to hear something other than the oppressive silence permeating this place, her tense fingers brushing against the dagger’s hilt in reassurance. Her watchful eyes trailed along the path ahead as she fought to keep still, body urging her to act and an unreasonable impatience at Jake for not following her secret plan. 

She chanced a look at her phone. The screen was dulled until she had to squint, checking the time, then quickly strangled the thought that told her it was almost the witching hour. She examined the code she’d typed in, ensuring she had it right in her mind, and shoved her phone into her pocket just as the silence was broken. Someone’s shoe scuffed against the path at the top of the hill, tiny stones scattering with each step. Whoever it was wasn’t bothering to keep quiet. A sly grin lit her covered face as she tracked the lone hooded figure saunter along the path, the way he moved seeming almost careless. It was a man. She was confident and tall at that and knew even from down here that he’d tower over her. He had a large backpack strapped to his back and looked heavy, given his slumped shoulders. Manon had no time to dwell on it as she tugged the flashlight out of her sleeve and palmed it, body tense as she centered her breathing when the man stopped at the streetlight, his back to her. This wasn’t in the plan. She narrowed her eyes as she realized what he was doing, he was pulling the Nymos sticker off, and she ground her teeth impatiently. 

“Turn around, come on, just turn around.”

Her words were nothing more than a puff of air, but he followed her order. He turned to look in her direction as though he sensed he was being watched. Manon took a deep breath, holding it and praying to gods she didn’t believe in that he’d understand, that she wasn’t a nutcase who read too many mystery novels. She raised the light, hand steady as she pointed it directly at him and sent her message. Such a simple thing Morse Code, typically done with sound, but she had chosen light, nothing more than a series of short flashes mixed with longer beams of the flashlight, but it never failed to amaze her. Again and again, she repeated it, so he knew it was intentional.

..-. --- .-.. .-.. --- .-- / -- . / .--- .- -.- . 

 Follow me, Jake

Manon silently thanked her old friend for the idea when the figure took a tentative step toward her, he’d told her a few months ago that hackers had utilized Morse code, and luckily she’d been taught it before she’d started school. Her father had taken her safety as a challenge. Some kids got the stranger danger lecture. Manon was taught to send secret messages and how to escape being tied up and later fight her way out. She was an excellent person to have around in an emergency, but not so much at sleepovers. Instead of waiting on him, though, Manon turned, aiming for the path that led into the forest, breaking into a fast walk, and glanced over her shoulder to make sure he was on his way. Every so often, she stopped and shone the light in an arc over her head to ensure he still followed, muted footsteps the only sign he did.

Once under cover of the trees, Manon loosed a breath, her body tense as a bowstring, eyes trained on the ground as she followed the worn dirt trail that led to the Dare House. Oh, gods, it was horrible in here. Her blood seemed to still each time she saw a shadow out the corner of her eye or heard a bird take flight above her. The darkness was smothering, her little light practically useless, and she relied more on touch and hearing to guide her. Cursing blackly under her breath to drown out the terror in her mind, she refused to let her eyes stray from the path ahead of her, the scene reminding her far too much of her nightmare. She was more sensibly dressed and prepared now, thankfully. The trees eventually began to thin, the heavy sky breaking through the canopy of leaves. She turned off the flashlight, putting it back up her sleeve, her hand free to reach over and slide the dagger out when she sensed him nearing. Every twig crunching under his feet made her heart skip, anticipation haunting her down the path until she finally saw it.

It was far more sinister than Richy’s video had shown. A chill like a many-legged insect ran down her spine, and Manon had to force her feet to take her closer. It was a hulking monstrosity and looked as if someone had dropped it here randomly, for a reason no one remembered now. It truly was a place that held the power to terrify and enthrall generations of kids, childhood trauma soaked every inch of the space around it. Many feet before her own had worn a wide path around it and up to the door, evidence of the children of the town making each other do the dare, and Manon followed it to the door. Luckily there were no kids here tonight as she slipped inside the house, brows rising in wonder when the old hinges didn’t make a complaint. Someone must’ve oiled them. The thought made her grip the dagger tighter. Ultimately she left the door open slightly. It was his choice to come in. She wouldn’t force him and had only meant to lead him here.  

Manon backed up until her back met a wall, ripped the scarf off her sweat-slicked face, and held her breath to hear over the hammering of her heartbeat. Her eyes were glued to the door as footsteps shuffled closer, not nearly as quiet as hers had been, and she heard him exhale roughly. The door swung open, but she was cloaked in shadow, invisible, and he hesitantly stepped in. She could see he was about a foot taller than her 5 “1 and well built, but that was all Manon saw before the door swung closed, and what little sight she had was extinguished. He didn’t make a move or speak as she let out a silent breath and advanced on him, a tantalizing idea taking root that sent a thrill through her chest. 

Manon was too fast for him to react as speed and strength flooded her, muscle memory kicking in, and she gripped the front of his jacket in a clenched fist. Surprise gave her the advantage despite his size as she pushed him back against the door, the hand on his chest twisting up to use her forearm as a bar, holding him there, his shocked groan cutting off when she raised the hand holding the dagger. Manon had it at his neck with her knee lodged between his thighs, pressing firmly to keep him pinned but not enough to hurt, and she knew he could push her away if he really wanted to. She wasn’t actually trying to hurt him, only show off a little, and could feel his strength tensed against her body, muscles coiled as if ready to spring, but he waited her out instead. The sharp blade grazed the delicate skin of his throat as his breathing hitched, and Manon grinned, excitement coursing through her veins. 

”Hello Jake, fancy meeting you here. I’m considering making this my holiday home. Do you like it?” She whispered seriously, a secret smirk in the dark as she heard him swallow and spit her name like a curse.

“Manon...”

”If you value that pretty neck, Jake, I’d stand very still and drop your hands.” 

There was a muffled thump, and his breath hit her face as he followed her order with a huff, hands having risen to throttle her. She hummed her approval, pointedly ignoring the heat of his body pressed against every inch of her.

” Good,” she purred, “Let’s have a little chat, shall we?”

Manon didn’t allow him to reply, she simply pulled him by his jacket, and he stumbled after her as she walked them deeper into the house. Once she was sure they wouldn’t be overheard if anyone happened to be outside, Manon let him go and put some space between them. Taking her phone out of her pocket, she turned the flashlight on and set it on the floor face down so they wouldn’t end up talking the walls.

Finally able to see him, Manon brazenly ran her eyes over him, shamelessly ogling him. What a pretty sight it was. In all her imaginings, she’d never come close. For one, she hadn’t thought to picture him with a neatly trimmed beard, but she liked it. He seemed to loom over her despite the distance between them, her eyes tracing over his broad shoulders and a rugged jawline she wanted to scratch at, feel the rough of his beard against her fingers. He hadn’t lied to her about his black hair. It was lush and intentionally tousled. Her fingertips burned with an irrational urge to sink into the thick strands, and heavy dark brows framed his shadowed eyes. Manon was utterly entranced as her mental image of him proved woefully inadequate now that she was faced with reality. When her eyes met his, she thought they might be blue but wasn’t entirely sure. She almost preened as he finished his slow perusal of her.

“You’re not what I expected.” Jake finally said, voice like silk over gravel as his heavy gaze lingered on her platinum hair, and she grinned at him.

”Good, that would have been boring. You aren’t what I expected either.” 

Reluctant curiosity filled his stern face.

”And what did you expect, Manon?”

A swarm of butterflies had rudely taken up residence low in her stomach when he said her name, his voice lowering almost to a whisper, and the gruffness of it made her want to shift on her feet. She refused to show it, though. Manon clasped her hands together to dampen her ridiculous urge to see if his hair was as soft as it looked and fixed an impassive mask on her face.

“Knowing my luck, I thought you’d turn out to be some lonely teenager, bored of his suburban life and living out your best Mr. Robot fantasy. I’m very pleased that’s not the case.”

Jake’s lips thinned, but amusement flickered in those lovely eyes, yes they were blue and intensely focused on her. The butterflies in her stomach flapped furiously under the heat of his gaze.

“I expected someone… taller.” 

His tone was dry, and it delighted her that he was playing along, so she took a step closer, head tilting back to look him in the eye. 

“Ah yes, the sheer size of my ego and personality can be deceiving.”

Manon nodded as though serious before she gave him a feral grin.

”We’re all the same size lying down, though.”

She winked at him, and Jake raised a brow, a ghost of a smile drawing her eye, and it was harder to look away than she had anticipated. She couldn’t help but think he was beautiful in a harsh, unyielding kind of way. Manon cleared her throat, met his guarded eyes, and took a deep breath, bracing herself and trying to ignore her reaction to him. Focusing instead on the unpleasantness she had to unleash.

“All right, I can’t wait anymore. Let’s hear the lecture, Jake. I’m all ears .” 

Her tone was deliberately provoking, poking at him to rip the band-aid off so they could confront it and move past it. She’d much rather play than fight.

“You’re an adult, Manon. I don’t think you need a lecture from me.”

His face said otherwise, but his vocal response hadn’t been the one she’d expected.

”Oh, this is easier than I thought, huh? I had a whole speech prepared.” 

Shock colored her tone, her mouth turning down at the corners. Manon nodded to herself. She’d been prepared for a blow-up. How disappointing. Jake watched in disbelief as she pouted and sighed.

“Did you actually want one?” his voice incredulous, and she chuckled, eyes twinkling with mischief as she struggled to keep them away from him. Terrified he was a hallucination, and if she blinked, he’d disappear. 

“Well, a good shouting match relieves the tension, you know? Makes things less awkward if we’re at each other’s throats.” 

“I think you were at my throat quite effectively 5 minutes ago. Was that really necessary?” 

Jake glared at her, the effect dulled somewhat by the respect on his face. Manons smile grew wicked as she appraised him again, impressed and far more intrigued than she should be considering where they were.

“Oh calm down. I didn’t even break the skin. And yes, it was. For personal reasons, I won’t get into right now.” 

Jake shook his head, though the corners of his mouth curled, eyes flashing as they traced over her face. It only made her more determined.

”Shall we talk about the elephant in the room then?”

Manon waited and watched as Jake scrubbed at his beard with his hands. She idly wondered why he hadn’t worn a mask, she hadn’t encountered anyone on her creep through Duskwood, so she supposed he wouldn’t really need one this late. Jake held his silence, and she sighed, frustration biting at her as he proved to be just as quiet as he was online. She felt edgy with him just standing there staring at her.

“Speak your mind, Jake. I promise I won’t hold it against you.”

Jake huffed a laugh. He didn’t seem to know what to make of her as she crept closer to him, leaving a foot of space between them. Manon sat cross-legged on the floor and gestured for him to sit before her. She thought he would ignore her, but after a long, awkward moment, he gave a long, suffering sigh and folded his long legs under him. Their knees were almost touching. The space between their bodies felt incredibly intimate. She had to hold still to stop herself from leaning closer to him. Manon decided to start things off before she did something stupid like climb into his lap and ask him to tell her stories in that sexy voice of his. Jake was used to silence, so her usual trick wouldn’t work. She’d have to direct things just as she did online and draw it out of him. Frustrating man.

“Let’s just get over with. We’ll start with the fact I’m here. I’m sure you have plenty to say about it.” 

Jake’s furious gaze flew to her, he’d been staring at the floor, and she shuddered but not in fear. A bolt of warmth speared her at the predatory glint in his iced-out eyes. Her mouth went dry, hands twitching to reach for him, so she flattened them under her thighs and held herself very still.

” Oh, that,” he said almost carelessly, belied by the rage pouring off him, making her feel defensive.

“I am absolutely stunned that someone as clever as you would risk your life so stupidly by coming here.”

Manon barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes, infuriated at his inability to see beyond his own fears. Jake abruptly released her from his stare, breaking away to glare off to the side. Manon suddenly felt untethered and on shaky, uneven ground. It triggered the rage she kept hidden beneath her skin. 

“Oh yes, I should just stay home watching through a damn phone screen as my friends are picked off one by fucking one.” her voice was dangerously soft, the bitter taste of her words like ash in her mouth. “I would have, Jake. I would have done it to make things easier for you, but you lost the right to ask that of me the moment your promise was broken. You don’t get to decide for me.”

Her chest was heaving, surprised she couldn’t smell smoke as her temper frayed, and Jake was utterly unimpressed. It rankled her pride how much that affected her, and she sneered, managing to look down her nose at him. Pleased to see it pissed him off.

“It wasn’t me that broke any promises, though, was it? That was all you.” 

His voice was little more than a growl, a delicious sound Manon hadn’t realized she would find appealing before now. Oh, but he knew how to get under her skin. She was seething, a war of words she hadn’t thought to say, tearing from her mouth.

“Yes, I did, but Jake, you promised me no one would get hurt, that there were lines the kidnapper wouldn’t cross! But he danced right over them, didn’t he and one of my friends was attacked while I watched. Another threatened and one marked as the next damn target. So tell me, who broke it worse? Because it sure as hell wasn’t me.”

Jake flinched, rearing back as if she’d slapped him, and a sharp pain in the back of her throat made her swallow thickly, lowering her gaze as she cleared it. She truly hadn’t meant to throw that in his face. Sighing, Manon searched for calm. Her mind was a mess of snarled thoughts and searing emotions she refused to look at too closely. Her eyes flicked between him and her hands, fingers curling and uncurling in her lap, giving away her anxiety. Manon looked through her lashes at him, those electric eyes watched her warily, and she felt a flash of apprehension at the anger flaring under their cool surface, something else she couldn’t name hidden beneath it. Her own predictable temper ignited in defiance. She choked it down and hunted for words to keep this from descending into a war neither would win.

“It’s done, Jake. There’s no point in tearing into each other over it. I’m staying. He was coming for me in the end, anyway. This way, I can get to him first. I can keep us all safe.” 

The man had the nerve to snort in disbelief, completely underestimating her in a way Manon thought he never would. She swallowed down the hurtful words that crawled like a demon up her throat. Knowing she could never take them back. 

“I admit I misjudged him. I truly believed he wouldn’t cross that line. Your presence made him do it, though, Manon. What will he do once he realizes you’re here?” 

Manon’s determined eyes met his stare head-on, giving no quarter as she poured all her fiery will and self-confidence into her following words.

” Oh, I’m hoping it makes him so furious he leaves his nest and comes to find me. It’ll save me the job of tracking him down.” 

Jake’s face was murderous, he thought her mad, and she was. There was simply a method to it he wasn’t aware of yet. 

“You’re just going to hope he comes to you?” He demanded, his anguished eyes roiling, “or do you plan to walk right into whatever trap he sets for you?” 

Manon shrugged nonchalantly and picked at her nails.

” Perhaps, or I’ll set one for him. I’ll burn that bridge when I get to it.”

Manon wasn’t worried, not yet. She knew how people like this man without a face worked and understood how to handle and defuse them. Jake didn’t know that yet. He’d have to trust her like she had trusted him from the beginning. She knew that the bitter taste of one’s own medicine never went down smoothly. Jake was shaking his head, his breath catching in his chest as his mouth worked, but he couldn’t get the words out. 

“Relax, Jake. I don’t plan on dying. I plan on getting us all out of this alive and whole, I promise.”

She leaned forward, seeking his hand, placed hers on top of his, drawing his eye to her and squeezing it gently in reassurance. Jake twisted his hand under hers, not quite holding her own, but his thumb began to draw slow circles on the inside of her wrist. Manon almost lost her focus with that small touch, goosebumps scattering in its wake, and she smiled slowly when she saw the reluctant hope on his face.

“I’d prefer you to be on my side. I’ll do it alone if I have to but I think we’ve proven that we’re better together, Jake.”

Manon reluctantly released him and moved away slightly, her wrist tingling in an echo of his touch. He was gritting his teeth, jaw clenched sharp as granite, and she knew this would be difficult for him. He was so used to working alone, she’d have to adapt too but he was different. Jake was alone out of necessity and threat of danger, she was alone because she chose to be. Finding the sympathetic eyes of those in her hometown too heavy to bear. Being here where no one knew her was a release, and she could be anyone she wanted to be.

“I can’t watch you get hurt, Manon.” Her heart leaped when his voice cracked on her name, now sure he did in fact care for her like he’d said.

“Good, I don’t plan on it, but even if I do,” she paused, weighing the risks of revealing a sliver of truth, deciding to give this piece of herself to him, ”I’ve been through things this amateur could only dream of. I’ve survived before. This won’t kill me.” 

“I’m sure you can. It’s me that wouldn’t handle it. I dragged you into this in the first place.” 

She pursed her lips, disapproval clear on her face.

“Jake, it’s my decision to make, and if I get hurt, it’ll be because of my actions, not yours. I do what I have to, not what is easy.” 

His shoulders curved inward, head dropping as the fight left him, and she relaxed an inch, sure they’d have many similar discussions in the future but willing to move past it for now. 

“I get it. It’s just hard seeing you here. You look like a good strong wind would knock you over.” 

She threw her head back and laughed, the sound startling in the quiet of the room and drawing his gaze to her. A smile finally broke across his face, a dimple appeared, and she had to bite back the urge to lick at it. That would be weird. Normal people didn’t lick other people’s dimples, at least not the first time they met. 

“I think I’ve proven my ability to take on men much bigger than me.”

Her gaze was pointed. His eyes darkened in either exasperation or lust, a mix of both if he was anything like her. This thing between them, whatever it had been online, was now changed and real. It was no longer a secret she could tuck into her pocket and keep safe. Now the world could creep in and destroy it, or it would bloom brighter than she’d dared to hope. Manon wasn’t too sure which one scared her the most. Letting people in and caring for someone other than yourself could be used against you. She would have to find a way to wield it for their success instead.

“True. Where did you learn that?” 

“My dad, the famous detective, I’ve already told you this.” 

Truth disguised as a joke, he hadn’t believed her the last time and didn’t now. 

“Hmm, why do I get the feeling you have more secrets than I do?” He jested, a sly grin aimed at her. A heavy, churning sensation settled low in her stomach, a ball of lead weighing her down, and she had to battle her way past it to match his energy.

“Because I do. I have to keep the mystery alive. Don’t want you to get bored, now, do I?”

She winked at him, wanting to laugh as his cheeks turned pink and the tension between them ramped up to new levels. Especially when his husky reply made her toes curl in her boots.

 

“You only have to exist to keep me interested, Manon.”

The air between them became so thick she swore she could taste it on the back of her tongue like smoke curling in her mouth. She knew he was on the same train of thought as her when his body swayed closer, drawn to her much as she was to him. His gaze locked on her mouth. She’d had flings and relationships before but never had she felt so electrified just sitting near one of them. Like she’d crawl out of her skin if he didn’t touch her. His hand twitched as though he wanted to reach for her, and her pulse fluttered in her neck as she imagined what he might do if she gave him the go-ahead. 

Manon had worried on her way here that the things they felt for each other online wouldn’t translate to real life. She was thrilled to discover that wasn’t true. Every nerve on her body came alive, nervous energy making her feel reckless and brave. What would he do if she kissed him? Would he take what she gave and give her back the same? Or would it be too forward, and he’d push her away? She was paralyzed by indecision and didn’t want to ruin the moment to find out. 

Her eyes gave her away, dipping to his mouth, again and again, the urge to bite that plush bottom lip almost painful. Every time she met his heated stare, the blue almost violet now, she had to look away. Unsure of how to play it, her usual confidence had been replaced with uncertainty. She slapped her hands to her thighs and shot to her feet to try and rid herself of it. Trying and failing to focus on the dull, essential things. Manon began pacing and bit her lip as she fought to keep her hands to herself. Her mutinous thoughts were highly disappointed in her. 

“Right, so - the plan….”

Manon fought for the words, heat creeping up her neck as she struggled. Jake watched her, amusement evident on his pretty face, he knew what he was doing to her, and she had a wild urge to slap him. She had the idiotic notion he could see inside her mind and started singing an old Billy Ocean song in her head to block him out, just in case. Manon paused her pacing and decided it was time to move them to safer lodgings.

”Okay, we have to get back to the motel. We can’t spend the night here.”

Jake slowly got to his feet, he was unfairly graceful considering his size, he stepped up to her and Manon held her breath as she tilted her head back to look at him. Startled at the calm acceptance in his eyes, again, he hadn’t done as she had expected and turned her down. She wasn’t sure why she kept betting against him. 

“I’m hoping the motel is only temporary. It won’t be a safe place once your friends know where you are, Manon.”

She really wished he’d stop saying her name like that, drawing it out like a promise and a caress all at once, liquid heat pooling low in her belly every time he used it. 

” It’s only for two more days. We leave Friday when I get the keys to the safe house. The plan is to have us all under one roof, including you, so don’t bother arguing. You’re coming with me.” 

 Jake looked utterly stunned, and Manon didn’t blame him. She wasn’t known for doing things halfway. Warmth filled her chest as he looked down at her with earnest, pleased eyes. She was all in and hoped he would be too. Knew that he could read all of it on her face when he inclined his head. Jake pulled himself together quickly as he came closer to her and lifted his hand slowly as though scared to spook her. Manon stood perfectly still and held her breath as he gently tugged at the end of her braid before lightly brushing his knuckles over her cheekbone, her eyes wanted to close at the contact, and she shivered when he pulled away. Jake cleared his throat and gave her a shy grin.

” Sorry, just had to make sure this was real,” he shrugged. Manon only stared at him as he went on, “How the hell did you pull that off? I’ve heard nothing around town about this, and I’ve been looking for anything unusual.” 

He was genuinely offended that she’d gotten under his net of awareness and couldn’t help her proud smile as she explained.

” Oh, the usual, money, lawyers, and NDAs. Maybe even a little blackmail too, if I’m honest.”

She spoke as if she were merely talking about the weather, and he choked on a laugh.

“Who the fuck are you?”

Jake’s voice was urgent and threaded with delicate hope. Manon saw as his thoughts crossed his face that he believed she could pull this off. She dearly hoped his faith in her stayed strong through the storm heading for them and mentally crossed her fingers. She knew things could change in a heartbeat, damning them, and she’d have to be prepared for that too.

“I’m the one you need to end this and maybe even save you, but you have to trust me even when you think I’m insane.”

Her voice was a fragile thing, her dearest wish set free and no longer belonging solely to her. It wasn’t as scary as she’d thought it would be, but she didn’t expand on it, wary of tempting the fickle bitch that was Fate. Instead, she allowed him to see the vulnerability in her eyes and watched as it clicked in his head. 

“You mean ….”

He trailed off, eyes untrusting as she fought to keep the confident expression on her face. Nodding because she knew he’d get it, hope flared in her chest as she watched it dawn on him. 

“How?” He breathed.

” Not yet. One day soon, I’ll tell you. It’s too early to make any promises.”

Jake only looked at her as though she were the answer to some question he’d long given up hope of finding.

“Don’t look at me like that.” She chided, but there was no heat behind her words, suddenly unsure of herself.

” Like what, Manon?” 

Was it her fevered imagination, or had his voice dropped even lower? It had, she noted with a thrill at the affection in his eyes. 

“Like I’m some angel sent to save you because I’m not. You haven’t seen how far I’ll go to get what I want, what I’ll do to win this, and when you do...”

Manon averted her eyes, scared of what she’d find in his, but Jake only laid a heavy hand on her shoulder, the heat of it anchoring her as her chest grew too tight. His warmth was scalding, but she leaned farther into it to ease the cold that had settled over her bones. Jake gently kneaded her shoulder, drawing her gaze back to him, and she felt it then. The understanding was clear on his face, like he could see the truth of her and wasn’t afraid because the same darkness was in him too. He knew that impulse to fight tooth and nail to keep yourself and those you cared for safe, too. 

“When I do see that, I’ll be right beside you. You don’t have to fight the world alone, Manon.” 

She smiled up at him, emboldened by his show of faith in her, and some of the shackles from her old life slipped from her wrists, freeing her enough to live her new one. 

“Okay,” she murmured tentatively, but he heard, “If you’re sure…” 

He leaned back, eyes tilting to the sky as he blew out a harsh breath, and Manon was anxious that he’d do just that, leave and never look back.

“I’m sure. I go where you go. That was decided the moment I followed your summons back there. Long before that if I’m honest, how did you know I’d see that, by the way?”

Manon had the urge to cackle. He looked so annoyed that she’d found him so quickly. She had simply studied every word he wrote, read between the lines, and knew his quirks by now.

” Well, I had a feeling you were here when Lilly and I solved that puzzle of yours.”

She pinched his arm. His sharp hiss of pain made her giggle as he looked at her, affronted. His hand fell from her shoulder to rub at his arm.

“What was that for?” 

“For sending us on that chase! But anyway, Lilly told me you’d probably paid someone to do it for you. I didn’t really believe that but I had no proof. Not until earlier tonight when you slipped up.”

Jake looked utterly perplexed. He was usually so careful not to let anything slip. Still, he typically only panicked when it came to her, so Manon had seen it when he dropped the ball. 

“What? I didn’t say anything to give me away.”

Manon raised a brow, cocky now she knew she had him. 

“Oh, but you did! You said, ‘it’s not safe for you HERE.’” She emphasized heavily, eyes boring into his to watch the realization settle in. 

The outrage at how little she had needed to figure him out was almost funny. She anticipated his next question and replied without him asking it.

” I knew you’d be out tonight because I know how it feels having to hide in the dark where people can’t see me and so I can feel free for a little while. You also mentioned going on walks, I hoped I was right, and I was.” 

Jake blew out a harsh breath, hands braced on the back of his head as he learned just how well Manon could read him. She wondered if he liked that she could or if he’d grow to hate it. Supposed she’d also have to get used to him being in her space and having to consider him before she made any big decisions. Manon was hopeful, though as they left the Dare House and followed the trail back to the motel, they didn’t speak until they stood across from the Motel.

“Where were you staying before?” Manon asked him, again noting the heavy bag on his back.

“Gates Motel, just outside of Duskwood. I left tonight and was planning to book in here tomorrow.”

Manon frowned. Thinking of him wandering alone all night didn’t sit right with her. How often had he done exactly that before she’d arrived? 

“Well, save your money. There’s no point in you booking another room for two more nights.”

Manon said it as carelessly as she could manage as she led them across the parking lot, knowing they’d have to get to know each other very quickly in that room. 

“Are you sure? I can pay for a room. I am basically a stranger to you.”

Manon scoffed, opting for playfulness to ease the tension in his handsome face.

“I think I know you well enough, or was it sheer dumb luck that found you tonight?”

Jake chuckled, and she sauntered ahead of him as they neared her door, swaying her hips more than usual, aware he was watching her. His gaze was like a brand on her back. She’d never been so aware of another person before and wondered if he felt it too. Manon unlocked the door and held it open with a flourish, ushering him in as she stopped momentarily to scan the lot and forest they’d just come from. Nothing caught her eye, so she went inside and locked the door. Manon turned, not paying attention, and walked into a brick wall. The wall swore and turned to grab her a second before she landed on her ass. She threw a glare that quickly softened when she saw the sheepish look on his face.

“Fucking hell, if you wanted me on my back, you only had to ask nicely, Jake.”

Jake shook his head at her, his grip on her slackening when he was sure she was okay but not letting her go. Whatever he’d expected her to say, it wasn’t that. Join the club. She hadn’t expected it either. She wondered if it was possible to suddenly turn back into a horny teenager when you hadn’t had anyone in your bed for a long time. Manon really hoped not and made a mental note to Google it. It was bad enough the first time around.

“There’s only one bed.” Jake deadpanned.

Manon had to bite back the giggle that tried to escape, his eyes narrowed playfully, and she could only nod. Jake sighed, but he smiled as he spoke.

“I guess I should have expected that. Are you sure you’re okay with me being in here? I’ll sleep on the floor... not that I get much of it.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I offered to let you stay here, knowing we’d have to share. We’re both adults, and I promise I won’t do anything you don’t want me to.”

She was going for levity, but it sounded more like a dare. Jake’s azure eyes darkened as they swept boldly down her body, lingering on the curve of her hips, and she felt his gaze like a phantom touch. Oh, she was in trouble. Given how he acted online, she’d assumed he’d be shy and awkward but found he had a quiet confidence around her. Already Manon was sure he’d surprise her in many other ways. Her earlier hastily compiled profile of him had been obliterated now he wasn’t acting as she’d assumed he would.

“Likewise,” he whispered sensually once he met her eyes again, “I’ll set up so we can work on the case tomorrow, is over there okay?”

Jake pointed at the corner by the window. The floor was clear and had an outlet in the wall to charge his laptop. Manon blinked, clearing her mind of the moment before, the sudden switch in his attitude short-circuiting her brain, and she pulled random words from thin air.

“Sure, go ahead, no problem, you can do your thing, and I’ll go get changed. In the bathroom, alone. While you do that, I’ll be in there getting ready for bed, and yeah, I’ll just go now.” 

Spinning away from him, she avoided the knowing, amused look in his eye at her nervous babbling. She blindly grabbed the first item of clothing she touched before tossing her phone on the bed and locking herself in the bathroom. Manon leaned back against the door, eyes closed, and sighed. What the hell was that? She had no answer as she opened her eyes and looked in the mirror ahead of her, flushed cheeks and over-bright eyes looking back at her, a far cry from her reflection this morning. A stupid grin split her face, and she covered her mouth with her hand to trap the laugh that bubbled up her throat, giddiness at him being here and the fact he was real finally settling in. 

Manon felt lighter than she had in months as she went through her nighttime routine, washing her face and brushing her teeth, slathering moisturizer on her face and neck before stripping out of her clothes. She sighed in relief as she took off her bra and tossed it along with her clothes into the hamper beside the sink, pulling on the oversized t-shirt she often wore. It was an old one of her dad’s that she hadn’t been able to part with, and it fell to mid-thigh, leaving her legs on show. The worn cotton brushed softly against her skin as she opened the door, walked to the bedroom, and picked up her phone. 

Lounging on the bed, she checked her messages and crossed her bare legs, aware that Jake was watching her. The group chat had found out about Amy Bell Lewis while she’d been out, the blow-up between Richy and Jessy had postponed them finding out, but she didn’t feel like replying tonight. She only had about four hours to sleep if she wanted to make her morning appointment. Manon set four alarms to make sure she woke up, she slept like the dead, and one was never enough. After she plugged the phone in to charge on the nightstand, Manon closed her eyes and yawned, Jake’s typing was the only other sound in the room, and she found it oddly soothing. She was debating whether she should get under the covers or just pass out sitting up when Jake spoke.

“How are you feeling? You look exhausted.” 

Manon didn’t open her eyes as she told him another truth, finding it easy to do so “I am. I haven’t slept well for weeks, and when I do, my dreams aren’t enjoyable.”

Jake hummed low in his throat, and she opened her eyes to watch him speak.

“I know what you mean. I feel like I’m running on fumes. I’m here if you want to talk about it, though.”

She met his piercing gaze, and light bloomed in her chest at his sincerity. She wanted to talk to him about it one day but not tonight out of fear it would trigger another dream. 

“I know, thank you... You can talk to me too, you know that, right?” Manon had said it to him before, but it felt important that she say it aloud.

“I do. I’m not used to it yet.” He admitted, and her heart ached for the life he’d lived for the past four years, never knowing comfort or safety. Something inside her recognized another lost soul, and she was glad they’d found one another and hoped they’d get to keep it.

“Me neither, not for a long time. What are you doing over there? Simple terms, please?” 

Jake chuckled at the teasing note in her voice. He had a tendency to assume everyone knew what he did. She knew more than most but still felt lost when he got going in their chats. 

“I’m just ensuring I can’t be traced while using the motel Wi-Fi and running through a few things before I try to sleep.”

 

Manon nodded lazily and decided to get into bed. Her neck would kill her tomorrow if she passed out like this. Too tired now to ask another question though she was full of them, not trusting he’d be here in the morning.

“Can you turn the light off before you get in bed? I just can’t be bothered.”

Jake chuckled and murmured his agreement, his eyes on her bare legs as she slid them under the covers and settled down on her side, leaving the left side free for him. Manon closed her eyes and focused on deepening her breathing, evening it out to lull her to sleep. The rhythmic tapping coming from Jake’s direction helped to settle her mind.

Manon was floating in that half-aware state between sleep and consciousness when the light through her eyelids went dark. The bed behind her dipped, the covers thrown back, and a warm body pressed against her back. She smiled into the darkness as his arm snaked around her waist, and he pressed a featherlight kiss to the top of her head. So light she wasn’t entirely sure if she’d imagined it. Manon was surprised he’d gotten into her bed; she had assumed he’d sleep on the floor, and his boldness somehow made her feel safe. He shifted behind her and whispered so low she could hardly hear it.

“I’ll stay as long as I can or as long as you let me. I’m glad you came, Manon.”

Manon could only hum in acknowledgment, reassured she burrowed deeper into his warmth and fell into a dreamless sleep. Hopeful now, she was no longer alone.

This one took a while to edit. It was annoying lol. I apologise for the inconsistency with the spacing! Tumblr is really finicky and I got tired of re-adding things when it deleted them.

Links to the full story, 27 chapters are published so far:

[duskwoodgirl4life]

Here we go again for like the millionth time already at the part where Jessy as been telling me about Ted and the AMC Gremlin