DEATH STAINED LEAVES (Creepypasta AU)

Laudromat

You paused for a moment, glancing at Toby.

"So... are you guys dating or what?" you asked quietly, careful not to wake Jack.

Toby's answer was immediate, almost too quick. "No."

His tone made it clear there was no room for further discussion, so you nodded and let it go.

Awkward tension hung between you, it was too much so you walked into the cramped bathroom, staring at the filthy clothes you'd peeled off earlier.

The bloodstains and grime clung to the fabric, and Jack's raincoat wasn't faring much better. You'd need to return it to him, but didn't want to do that right now, not in its current state anyway.

You glanced back at Toby, who still stood by the kitchen counter.

"What's w-wrong?" he asked, tilting his head.

You sighed. "I'm gonna have to throw these clothes out. They're a mess, and there's no laundry machine here."

Toby shrugged. "We go to the laundromat."

You instantly shook your head, the idea making your chest tighten with anxiety.

"I'm not going into town. We're kinda wanted, for murder, remember?"

"It's a self-service p-place. Open all night, no staff. It's like s-ss-seven at night, barely anyone goes out this late here." His tone was making it sound like no big deal but your stomach was in knots.

You didn't want to take any unnecessary risks, especially for something as mundane as laundry.

"Well, I'm g-going," Toby said, shrugging as he pulled on his fleece jacket. "I gotta wash my clothes, too. I'll go have n-nice warm, fresh laundry without you."

You clenched your teeth.

Maybe you just needed to keep ignoring all this, to power through like you always had done for anything that scared you shitless.

"Fine," you muttered shoving on your still damp shoes, trying to push the anxiety down.

Toby yelled over to Jack, who was curled up on the couch. "Jack you a-alive? we're going o-ow-out for a bit."

Jack groaned and rolled over, pulling his hood tighter around his head. "M'kay," he mumbled.

Toby tossed you his beanie. "Less r-reg-recognisable."

You caught the beanie and nodded, mumbling a small thanks as you pulled it over your head and tucked your hair and ears beneath it.

"Throw y-yuh-your stuff in here." Toby tossed you his worn blue Jansport backpack. It felt heavier than you expected, and you stumbled slightly before heading into the bathroom to stuff your dirty clothes inside.

Once you handed the bag back, Toby slung it over his shoulder, gave a quick glance at the sleeping Jack, and headed for the door.

"Right, let's g-go," he said, already stepping outside.

You hesitated for a split second before following him out into the night, nerves and the cold prickled at your skin.

At this point, there wasn't much of a choice anymore, you were already on the way.

The forest around you was drenched in autumn. The air had that familiar crispness, biting just enough to make your cheeks sting lightly.

Golden leaves covered the ground, their edges curling and crunching with each step you took. The trees were mostly bare, their branches stretching up at the dark sky.