Masked Roses

Chapter Fifteen

I stared at the TV as the morning news came on. I blinked slowly as I listened to the man talk about the weather and how it was supposedly 'very insane' last night. Ice everywhere on the roads, a constant blizzard that only slowed just earlier this morning, and that there were some minor accidents on the roads. A blanket laid over my lap as I was still in my pastel pajamas that I had slept in, the winter storm still raging outside as I heard Jack plop down on the couch on the other end.

His elbow rested on the armrest and his cheek was held up by his gloved fist as he wore his usual dark outfit, hoodie and all, except for shoes. Instead, he wore fluffy pink slippers, but I wasn't sure if they bothered him at all due to his mask hiding his face. I couldn't help but let out a chuckle at his ridiculous footwear. He turned and looked at me as I turned my gaze back to the TV.

"What?"

I waved a hand. "Nothing, nothing. I just think it's cute that you're wearing pink slippers. I didn't think you had anything that wasn't blue, black, or gray." I let out another laugh.

He stayed silent and sighed, looking back at the TV, watching the man then bring up recent stories and experiences they had encountered. Missing person reports were also mentioned, some of the faces featured looking familiar as I realized they were victims of our torture and slaughter. People who were stupid enough to go into the woods and expect great or horrifying things and live to tell their tales. But instead, they only found monsters, waiting to slaughter them and feast on their mangled corpses.

Leaning back on the couch, I closed my one eye, sighing as I began to drift off back to sleep. The sound of the TV and Jack's occasional shifting on the couch drowning out into dead silence.

A hand tapped my cheek. A gentle tap, as if trying to get my attention. Opening my eyes slowly, I stared at their face. They narrowed their black eye at me and I was immediately helped up into a sitting position. Rubbing my head gently, I looked up to see an all too recognizable figure. He was turned around, his dirty red locks curled in messy waves atop his head. His broad shoulders and tall, slender figure hunched forward over something. Ragged breathing escaped the male's lips as I stood up, my body trembling.

"It was him. He made us this way and you know it, Scarlet." They whispered to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. I stepped around him to see my curled up figure, blood trickling down to the floor from my forehead as I had my arms up to protect my face. His fingers were splattered with the crimson droplets as he stared at my shaking, terrified form. A smirk touched his lips as he raised a fist to punch the weak and fearful girl that was once me.

She yelped in pain, crying and choking on her own sobs as he assaulted her. I could only watch the memory replay, more cries and tears slipping over as the sound echoed in my mind. He took pleasure in torturing me. I was his personal punching bag. Placing a hand on my head, I turned my gaze to the floor as I felt tears stream down from my right eye, blood dripping from the petals of the rose. I was numb. Why was I remembering him? What was so wrong with me for those memories to come up and plague my mind? Turning slightly, I saw them standing and staring as the two forms faded, the memory ending to become a clear and blank void once again.

The small trails of tears turned to streams, from streams to rivers. I could feel myself drowning in the liquid seeping from my eyes. It was painful, but relieving at the same time. It was an odd sensation compared to the numbness that encased my body entirely. The sounds of my quiet breathing soon turned to shouts of fear as the ground beneath my feet began to shatter, like glass when too much weight was put on it. It caved in, allowing me to plummet to my supposed death as I tried to shield my face from becoming the most damaged.

I sprung up from the couch, drenched in sweat despite the freezing weather outside. My breathing was heavy and panicked as I held my head in both of my hands, running my fingers through the pastel pink strands of hair on my scalp. Jack stared at me as I tried to calm myself down, rubbing my arms gently as I mumbled comforting words to myself, tears slowly streaming down my face. I flinched as a hand grazed my back, making me turn and look as someone then embraced me, my one eye going wide as I stared at their back.

Jack held me in a hug, making me blink rapidly to make sure I was imagining or hallucinating the contact. Hesitantly, I wrapped my arms around him, closing my eye as he ran a hand along my spine soothingly. "You're fine. It was just a nightmare." He mumbled to me as I nodded a bit and let out a shaky breath. I never liked seeing my old memories, I preferred it when I couldn't remember them. Especially the ones about him. They would always make me break down and sob my heart out, recalling the things that he did to me.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Jack offered and I quickly shook my head. I never wanted to talk about him out loud.

"I-It shouldn't matter...they're dead anyway..." I said quietly and I felt him nod his head against my shoulder. Keeping him in my arms, I was grateful that he didn't hesitate to speak up or comfort me, just like Toby did last night when I had arrived home late. I winced as I clenched my hands into a fist, remembering my bruised knuckles and scratched up hand. Opening my eye, I looked at the bandages as they moved with my fingers. Jack paused for a moment before letting go as I moved my hands to my lap, looking at the white bandages with a half lidded expression.

"Does it hurt?" He asked as he gently grabbed the bandaged hand.

"Only a little...It's only when I quickly make a fist, since the bruising is all along my knuckles." I stated plainly. He nodded slightly and stood up.

"I'll get an ice pack for it." With that, he left the room as BEN and Masky walked into the room. I turned my attention back to the TV as it played stand up comedy, multiple comedians getting up on the stage live as they gave out their best jokes, earning chuckles and cries of laughter from the crowd as they listened in the large auditorium. The two of them sat down on the couch, making me get up, but a hand grabbed my wrist and made me turn to see BEN, a smirk on his face.

"You don't have to get up and move. We don't bite. Well, maybe Masky does, but I sure don't." He said and I let out a nervous chuckle.

"I-I was just going to get something to drink...And probably go to my room. It's probably time for me to get dressed for the day." I excused myself and grabbed the blanket since it came from my room. BEN pursed his lips in a pouty expression.

"You're no fun." He whined as I then left the room, wrapping the blanket around my neck as I walked over to the kitchen door. I kept my gaze on BEN as he stared at the TV, not realizing that someone was on the other side of the door as I opened it, bumping into another person. I yelped and stumbled forward as they grunted in pain, dropping something in their hands as I fell onto them and they fell backward. I held my head gently as I sat up slowly, looking up to see Jack's mask as he laid underneath me, the blanket slipping off my shoulders.

I was sure my face turned beet red in a matter of seconds as I immediately apologized. "I-I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there, are you hurt? Are you okay?" I stood up and offered my hand to him, his mask just staring up at me as he held one hand on the back of his head. I was so scared he'd be upset at me as he didn't move, not even reaching up to grab my hand for a whole minute before he sighed in what I assumed to be frustration and annoyance, his gloved fingers wrapping around mine as he helped himself up. Bending down, he picked up the ice pack he dropped and the blanket, placing the blanket on my head and letting it flow around me.

"It's fine. Just be careful next time." Jack then grabbed my hands gently, putting the ice pack between them and making me blink in bafflement. It's fine? That's all he's gonna say? I thought he was going to be more upset at me, like yelling at me upset...Shaking my head slightly, I laughed a bit.

"O-Okay. Sorry to trouble you..." I then stepped around him as he walked into the living room. With my eyes on the floor, I tried to ignore all the faint whispers, some cries of pain and suffering that I could barely recognize, but had a small idea of who they belonged to. I just wanted to sleep. To rest, without the memory of them or him or anyone at all. But my wishes and silent prayers were unanswered...Left to rot as I tried to sleep the day away.