𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐂, 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯ᴬᵁ

[ 003 ] - Broken Mess.

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Trigger Warnings for this chapter -
The grabber, implied abuse, implied sexual assault, ptsd, implied murder, implied grooming..

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Steve felt slightly better as the cool water swirled around his feet, slowly starting to calm down and regain his breath once more, but he was never going to stop thinking about that phone call now.

He splashed the cool water across his face and took a few deep breaths to calm himself.

How was it even possible that The Grabber could still be alive?

And if he was how had he managed to come back, and why was he tormenting Steve?

He never wanted to see those basement walls again, he'd make that very clear.

Steve continued to breath in and out to calm his nerves, he felt the need to talk to someone about this just in case it was real, but who on earth would even believe what he had just said?

Steve's thoughts started to wander back to that basement, beginning to think of all the things that had happened and the pain he experienced there, that they all experienced there..

A shiver travelled up Steve's spine as he looked down at the water and realised he was shaking again, even after four years the nightmare still haunted him and he knew he definitely didn't want to deal with it forever.

Steve then looked up to stare at the stars with a lost look setting in his eyes, not knowing that he was being watched.

He was still deeply shaken by the phone call and his whole body felt weak again, all he wanted was for the memories to disappear.

Steve tensed as he heard the phone ring again and turned his face to the back door.

"No! You can get fucked! I don't even care if it's Tommy or Nance, ain't gonna happen!" Steve yelled- more to himself than anything- towards the phone.

He didn't want to look at the disconnected phone again, he felt sick even just simply looking at it so Steve tried to calm himself down as he stayed sat by the pool as the phone kept ringing louder and after a while, he felt like he couldn't ignore it after all..

He slowly got up from where he was sat and walked back inside barefoot, walking over to the phone again, picking it up and sighing before saying in a shaky and defeated voice "hello?"

He was met with a familiar dark laughter and his heart dropped again..

"Hello, Finney.. did you manage to calm down yet after our little chat? I'm surprised you even picked up my call again, I thought you'd have learnt your lesson by now, Naughty Boy" The Grabber taunted mockingly.

Steve felt the tears beginning to come back again and the fear building within him once more. "Leave me alone" steve stated, he just wanted this nightmare over with already.

The Grabber just let out another dark laugh, not taking Steve seriously one bit, "Oh, my.. still as feisty as ever I see" he spoke in a tone that made Steve swallow his saliva as he tried to keep his voice sounding strong.

"How are you even doing this.. I killed you.." Steve asked somewhat defeated. The Grabber's reply sent a massive shiver down Steve's spine, "you think a little murder can stop me, Finney? No, you'll never get rid of me that easily.. you're stuck with me, since you're so special"

"Get out of my head" Steve stated, trying his best not to break down right there and then but again The Grabber just laughed mockingly before speaking, "oh but it's no fun if I just stay in your head, Finney, the real fun would be us reuniting in our beloved basement again" Steve shivered violently, the mere mention of that dreaded basement nearly made his legs give way.

"Shut up" Steve stated as he rolled his eyes, in reality he was terrified but he didn't want to show it.

The Grabber's deep chuckle sounded over the phone again and he said in an amused tone, "you're adorable when you're scared, Finney.. still so defiant, still a fighter, but how long until you lose that defiance, hm?"

Steve felt sick as tears began to silently fall down his face again, but after a while he could get a few words out, "How many times does it take for me to kill you?"

The Grabber again just laughed, like this whole thing was a joke to him, "you will never get rid of me. You're stuck with me. I can always come back and hunt you down again and again.. I'll always find you in the end.. I know you remember our games down in the basement, especially our game of chase, hm?" Steve started to shake again as more tears fell down his face, The Grabber's voice alone already felt like he was back in that basement..

"You're just in my head" Steve stated, more to himself if anything as The Grabber's voice deepened even more when he spoke next, "Oh really? Then how are we having this conversation if I'm only in your head?"

"You're just in my head like the others were, you're not real, so shut up" Steve snarked out making The Grabber fall silent for a few moments before saying with an amused tone "I'm like the others eh? So that means that you do see the others yes?" Steve froze again before a thought began to cross his mind.

"No.. no I don't, never have" Steve stated, he never saw them after they went missing, seeing dead people wasn't his thing after all..

The Grabber again just laughed, "Not even that little girl, the one that got away? She still hasn't visited you then?" Steve's heart started to pound again when The Grabber referred to Steve's biological sister, Gwen.

"No I guess she hasn't.. maybe it's because she doesn't care much for you anymore, Finney.. she knows she's better off without you" Steve felt his tears falling harder as those words rung in his ears.

"Leave my sister out of this, your issues with me, not the boys, not her, me" Steve said clearly angry that he even brought up Gwen to begin with.

The Grabber's voice got deeper in a way Steve knew he was pushing some sort of luck here, "oh no, you dragged the boys into this as well as your sister, don't try to make this about just to blame me.. you have nobody but yourself to blame.." Steve felt his legs start to buckle as his mind swarmed with all the memories and the tears fell down his face yet again.

"Shut up!" Steve shouted into the phone but it only made The Grabber laugh mockingly once more, "you're upset that I'm talking about your sister hm? Tell me, does she know how weak and pathetic you really are hm? How you're nothing but a broken mess who constantly thinks back to the basement and the fear?"

"A broken mess that ended you, so what does that say about you, hm?" Steve snarked back. "oh nothing but praise, because even after you killed me you're still as broken as ever, Finney. And guess what, I know a secret that even you don't know yourself"

"And what's that?" Steve asked reluctantly, still slightly in shock and shaking from the fear.

What the hell could The Grabber possibly know that he himself doesn't?

"oh you'll know soon enough, Finney.. for now I'll let it slide. But remember this, I will never leave you, even when I'm dead, I'll always be in your mind, in your thoughts, your nightmares.. remember that. Goodbye for now, Finney"

And with those words, The Grabber finally hung up the phone and left a very broken and traumatized Steve to listen to the loud static that wouldn't shut up..