Devil's Prey

{chapter 7, part 1} - Confrontation

Sapnap sighed as he dug through his closet, looking for new clothes. He had gotten home late Saturday night after spending the day at Dream's house. He had enjoyed himself at his parents' welcome home party. However, it was embarrassing when the blonde's little sister forced him to talk in a girly voice while playing dolls with her. Meanwhile, Callahan didn't have to worry about doing such a thing as the little girl caught on to him being mute. He had snuck in through his window, not wanting to alarm his father so late.

Knock, knock.

The boy turned to his door at the gentle knocking. Since moving in with his Dad, Sapnap noticed little aspects about the man. Jackson always knocked gently so as not to scare him. He always waited for an answer before opening the door, but if Sapnap took more than five minutes to say anything, he'd kick the door open as if the boy were in danger. Jackson also always made breakfast before the boy woke up. Sometimes, he'd even bring food up to give Sapnap the pleasure of having breakfast in bed. The teen appreciated everything his father was doing, making up for the incident between them. It was also a way to apologize for not getting to Florida sooner. The man even goes out of his way to take Sapnap out for bonding moments. He even bought the boy a new skateboard and retaught him how to use it, as the boy gave up on skating when he moved to Florida.

"Come in," Sapnap said, grabbing a plain black shirt he stole from Dream. The blonde knew. He had caught the boy in the act. He began to dig through his cupboard for a pair of pants. His bedroom door clicked open, Jackson chiming in. "Good morning, kiddo!" he smiled.

"Good morning!" Sapnap said, grabbing a random pair of pants. He held his clothes underneath his arms, turning to look at his father. Jackson sighed as he wrapped his arm around the teen, falling quiet. "What is it?" Sap asked, laughing. He knew something was up when his Dad went silent. The man is hardly silent. That's where he got most of his energetic personality from. When people would ask him why he's loud and talkative with his friends, he'd always tell them to ask Jackson, even though they couldn't. It was a clear answer to their questions.

"Nothing, there's something I have to tell you. Get dressed and come downstairs. Breakfast is waiting for you at the table—" Jackson said, patting the boy on the back. Sapnap nodded, watching as his father left the room, closing the door behind him. The boy sighed as he threw his fresh clothes on the bed, beginning to pull off his pajamas. He quickly pulled on Dream's shirt and jeans, leaving his phone behind. Sapnap left his room and quickly walked down the stairs. He let out a quiet sigh as he walked into the kitchen, stopping in his tracks as he saw who was sitting at the kitchen table with his Dad. "Dad, what's going on?" he asked.

Sapnap stared at his mother, who sat beside Jackson. The man sighed, "Your mother will stay with us for a while. It's temporary. Right, Abigail?"

Abi nodded, "Yeah..."

"Why? What about Liam?" Sapnap asked. Abigail let her head hang. The boy shut his mouth, looking at his father for answers. Jackson sighed as he rubbed Abi's back, making her feel at ease. He hesitated, but he knew it would make her feel better. "Yesterday, Abigail called me. You were at your friend's house while it went down. Abigail got home from work and found a present underneath the tree they set up. She thought Liam placed it there. She opened it. Inside was Liam."

Sapnap tilted his head. His heart dropped. He felt the urge to throw up as images came to his mind. "Was he...?"

"Yes, he was dismembered and put inside. On his cheek was a smiling face carved. The Smiling Man murdered him. We don't know why. Today, I'm heading out to investigate," Jackson said. "Abigail will stay here until she recovers from the shock and feels better. Are you okay with that?"

Sapnap nodded, "Yeah, of course. I can stay home instead of going out. If you want me to keep you company, Mom."

Abigail quickly nodded with a smile, "I'd love that."