𝙎𝙩𝙪𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙚 || 𝑩𝒓𝒂𝒉𝒎𝒔 𝑯𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒆 × 𝑭!𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

002 | Dinner Disappearance

Y/N's POV:

Even though the bed you lay in was incredibly soft and big and the blankets were warm and fluffy, you had slept terribly. You couldn't help feeling as if someone was watching you throughout the night, and even though you could rationalise the fact that it must have been because you were in a new environment you didn't know that well yet, you couldn't help but stay alert and react to the littlest of sounds. Throughout the night, you also kept imagining hearing playful giggles, which obviously didn't help your case either; you assumed your tired mind made them up to calm your mind.

Because you still had that unpleasant feeling of someone watching you, you decided to skip the shower until at least the end of the day in hopes of it being gone by then, something you knew wouldn't happen the moment you opened the fridge and noticed that the meal you had left in there the day prior had disappeared. You tried not to freak out, wondering if you hadn't left it somewhere else on accident and simply forgotten about it; maybe you had thrown it in the trash you had taken out last night as well. That must've been it; food doesn't just disappear out of thin air.

You completely forgot about the doll you had to care for because of how spooked you were, and instead of taking him out of bed after you thought of an answer to the mystery, you went back to your bedroom, trying to read a book you had picked from the library with your plushies cuddled under your arms and the music as loud as possible in hopes of distracting your mind.

You stayed like that for a couple of hours until you noticed that your heightened senses slowly went back to their normal way of working. A shift that made you sit up quickly, book at your side and whisper the doll's name to yourself. You quickly walked towards the bedroom, where Brahms still lay under the covers as you had put him the night before. You quickly changed his clothing and got him inside his jacket to take him outside and clean out the rat traps.

''I apologise, Brahms; I completely forgot to wake you up; you were so quiet.'' You pleaded with him as you were putting the dead animals in the garbage bag you had fetched as you walked out of the house. ''I got distracted. Your house is incredibly big and old; I can almost say it intimidates me from time to time. I get scared quickly, Brahms; I didn't know how to deal with that irrational fear. I promise it won't happen again.''

Brahms's POV:

She had forgotten about me. I didn't appreciate that. From being such a good nanny on the first day to completely forgetting about me, it was beyond me. How does one even do that? It was clear to me that she was afraid, but that doesn't mean she should abandon me. She could've at least taken me with her to her bedroom before she started to read. At least she put my music on; I did appreciate that.

I quickly realised it wasn't just a little bit of fear from noticing the dinner was gone; it seemed as if she had closed herself off. I wondered if she had even read a single word from the book she had picked out. She had been dissociating for hours, and when the clock turned twelve, I started to worry about her; Y/N hadn't eaten a single thing since she woke up six hours prior. She couldn't care for me if she starved herself; I wouldn't have a nanny anymore, and she was the only one I wanted.

I was happy to find her coming back to her senses when the clock struck loud enough for her to notice. And I felt pride when the first thing she thought of was me; it made me forgive her almost instantly.

The rest of the day she continued apologising; she even tried to play and practise piano with me next to reading me an extra chapter of the book we were reading; it was clear she felt embarrassed, insecure, and bad about having forgotten me. It surprised me; no other nanny had been that way; not even when they had concluded I was a spirit.

I found it troublesome that she got scared so quickly; it meant I had to be more cautious and slow with her for her to stay, but I am no man of patience. Which meant I had to care for her too and make her feel as if she was being cared for as well. So the moment she fell asleep, I rummaged through all the letters my parents had given me throughout the years and found a few in which they specifically spoke about me being a kind entity and wishing for my spirit to stay with them for eternity.

I placed these letters on a small table in the living room; it was noticeable enough for her to find them but hidden enough for her to conclude she must've looked over them. This strategy worked the next morning; she found the letters, read them, looked into nothingness for a couple of seconds, and immediately checked the freezer to see if the leftover dinner had disappeared again.

She was frozen into place for a couple of minutes; you could hardly tell that she was breathing. I was curious to see what she'd do, something I wasn't able to find out because Malcolm decided to come in with this week's groceries.

Y/N's POV:

You honestly didn't know what to think-was this what Mr Heelshire had meant when he stated their boy was still among them? You didn't even know anything about this boy; You wouldn't even be able to communicate with him if this were the case.

''I decided to deliver the groceries a day early to see how you were putting up. Do you like the place so far?'' Malcolm stated as he walked into the kitchen with what seemed like two boxes full of vegetables and fruits. ''Oh, yeah, it's been good. I was wondering if I could ask you something. You've been here for a while, right? What happened to, you know, Brahms? Did he pass away?''

The man smiled to himself as he listened to your question, putting down the boxes and putting his weight on the kitchen table. ''I am going to have to disappoint you with what kind of story this will be-not the happiest story, I'm afraid. They had a real son once. A real Brahms. He died as a child. There had been a fire that destroyed most of this house, including Brahms. It was so terrible that they weren't able to find his body anywhere. That doll quickly came as a replacement to fill the wounds the Heelshires weren't able to heal. They never went out much, maybe because of the looks they got when they went into town with this doll. And the last few years, I'm not sure they left the house at all. It's all harmless, though, this little world they've made. A way to cope. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to lose a child.''

''I think they believed him to still be with them; I found these letters; they talk about his spirit being bound to the doll.'' You stated that once Malcolm finished his story, you gave them to him by tossing them over the table, keeping your distance from the man. You didn't know what to say to such a tragic story; you could never imagine the pain those parents must have felt.

''They must've made it up to continue with their coping mechanism; you don't believe in this, do you?'' He huffed to himself jokingly as he looked up at you. You shook your head, not wanting to tell him your suspicions while being intimidated by his gaze.