hobo heart x reader. Perhaps we value each other?

Chapter 14

Jason was gone for a while, but when he finally returned, his pristine clothes were covered in fresh dirt and he was holding a small, weathered blue music box. "I hate that I had to dig this up, but perhaps this can help," he murmured, his voice tight with a strange, nervous energy. "If this works for you, it might help Marcy as well." He sat down next to me on the edge of the workbench, carefully handing the box over.

I looked the music box over for a moment, tracing the faded paint. "What is this?"

"Open it. Find out," Jason said, his green eyes locked onto my face.

"Ok?" I slowly flipped the latch and opened the box, finding two tiny wooden dolls nestled inside. I gently set the music box down on my lap and picked up the one that looked like Jason. It was a flawless, miniature replica of the man sitting beside me, right down to the crimson hair—all except for the eyes, which were two tiny black buttons. I softly set the Jason doll down and picked up the female doll. It had soft brown hair, a painted red dress, and striking blue buttons for eyes.

The exact split second my fingers wrapped around the wood, a splitting, white-hot headache violently detonated behind my eyes, making the entire workshop spin.

"You shouldn't be here..."

The smooth, melodic voice of a young woman echoed directly through my skull.

"It's dangerous for you..."

I frantically blinked, looking around the room, but the space was empty. It was only Jason and me.

"You seem familiar, though..."

My gaze dropped back down to the wooden doll clutched in my palm.

"Are you my descendant?..."

I shoot a panicked look at Jason, but he wasn't fazed by anything, completely oblivious to the voice.

"Are you my blood?..."

I took a deep, trembling breath. "Who are you?" I whispered aloud.

Jason looked deeply confused and opened his mouth to answer, but he froze, quickly realizing I wasn't actually talking to him.

"You can hear me?... I am Bella..."

"Bella?" I muttered.

Jason instantly jumped up from his stool, his green eyes widening in absolute shock. "Is she talking to you?! Is she okay?! C-can she hear me?!"

I looked at Jason's frantic face for a moment, then focused back on the doll.

"My dear Jason... he has been so incredibly alone since my death... Please, tell him I'm okay, but I don't like the darkness he has me in..."

I looked up at Jason, my voice quiet. "She says she is okay, but she doesn't like the dark. I guess... she doesn't like where she is buried."

Jason's eyes widened as they immediately started to fill with tears. He looked down at the tiny doll in my lap, his trembling fingers reaching out to lightly touch its wooden hair. "I'm so sorry, my dear," he whispered, his voice cracking. "I'll move you immediately. I love and miss you so much." Without another word, he snatched up his tools and quickly left the room.

"Why can I hear you?" I asked the void of my mind, holding the doll tighter.

"You are a descendant of mine, but more so because a descendant of mine had a child with Candy Pop... His residual jester powers reside deep in your blood."

"But I'm the niece of Marcy," I argued, my brow furrowing. "So it's not a direct bloodline."

"That is what they would have you believe, child. The fact that you even have contact with her makes you all the more special, for that is not supposed to be allowed under the mansion's laws."