Pompeii [ for you, the world ] (A The Black Phone Fic)

Grey clouds roll over the hills

For one terrifying minute, nothing happens, no one breathes, and no one moves. And then the intruder slaps a hand over his mouth, he struggles, he moves trying to get away but one minute he’s thrashing around trying to get the intruder off of him and the next everything goes black.

When he comes to, everything is blurry. His head hurts like a bitch and his body feels like jelly. As his eyesight clears, he starts to panic. He seems to be in some sort of basement?

(Not again, god not again he can’t do this again, he barely survived the last times-)

Finney tries getting up but to no avail, he can’t move his body and it seems that he is chained to the wall behind him. Well, at least he’s sitting on a chair instead of a mattress this time. Those mattresses still haunt him, even a year later. Looking around, he's aware that this basement is nothing like the one he had previously been trapped in (not any of them), this one seems to just be one small room, no windows or hallways.

The door is just a wood one, but he knows better than to underestimate his snatchers. This wasn’t a game, and while he had previous experience with escaping from a kidnapper, he had help then. Now, he’s alone. And there is no way in hell or heaven that he is escaping all on his own. It would take some kind of divine intervention for him to survive.

And lord knows every single deity out there has it out for him or he wouldn’t have been kidnapped twice- thrice now- and survived both times. Sometimes, surviving isn’t the blessing people think it is. Having to deal with the constant nightmares and the onslaught of trauma that comes from being kidnapped twice- or, well, three times now it seems.

The door creaks open and Finney shoots his head up so fast he swears it almost snaps off. A man walks in, closing the door as he enters the room fully. On his face, a mask rests. Finney swallows a scream. These assholes are fucking with him. They have to be, why else would they be wearing the exact fucking mask Albert wore. He just- please god let this be a horrible fucking prank.

“Hello, Finney Blake.” The man walks forward, his hand caressing Finney’s face. “I’ve been waiting for you to come with me for a long time now. But you always managed to escape my grasp. I just wanted to take a look at you.”

Finney gagged, his mind flashing with images of Albert and Nolan, the things they did to him.

“I wasn’t going to take you originally but.. You were awake when I went into your home. You should’ve been asleep, I didn’t want to take you. But sacrifices must be made in the effort of not getting caught.”

“Why.. Why me?” Finney’s voice comes out small and croaky, which is expected since he hasn’t used his voice at all in what could be days or hours.

“For the reason that you are just so pretty, so extraordinary.. You are different, Finney Blake.” The man stepped back, reaching over to a table near the door and picking up a belt. A belt with spikes embedded into it. “I am gonna have the time of my life breaking you, my dear.”

Finney’s eyes widened astronomically, he started shaking, terrified at what was to come.

“And if you dare disobey me.. I am quite sure my friends would love to have a go at one of you friends.. Robin, maybe?”

Finney snarled in disgust.

“Hurt me all you fucking want but you stay the fuck away from my friends, you fucking crazy geezer!” The man chuckled, amused at Finney’s attempt of defiance.

“How cute. I’ll stay away from your friends, my sweet dear. But your sister is on the chart.” A warm feeling settled in the pits of his stomach as he saw the look of complete and utter terror shining through on Finney’s face.