I'll Never Die(JTK Love Story){COMPLETE}

Chapter Twenty-Four: Facing Reality.

Days had passed since the attack. Slenderman felt it be necessary to further explain what "hunters" were and what they wanted. They are just humans who want to end the life of every monster. Some because this is all they have, others because they lost the ones they love to a monster. I could not blame them for their actions, but I still needed to protect myself and this house. I had slowly grown to accept this as a home, despite the way I distance myself for most of the others. I find peacefulness in the library, joy in chatting with Jack, odd warm feelings when talking to Jeff. I needed hunters to stay away.

I hadn't been sleeping very well since the attack. Part is due to the paranoia that now dawned me, fearing the hunters would return and kill me or that they would kill my little half brother. Jeff tried to reassure me that they would not be coming back, and that without any reason to believe Alex was immortal they wouldn't even bother with looking into him. But that wasn't the only thing keeping me up.

I keep a great space between Jeff and I every night now. I fear hurting him by touching him. I even go as far as to keep my skin as covered as possibly at all times. Jeff had noticed. He would come back in the very early morning to find me still awake. He knew what had happened, what I had done, was still lingering in my head. I killed three men, who thought they were doing the right thing. They didn't want to hurt anyone, they wanted to save people.

Today, instead of reading books or messing around online through my phone- as I usually do- I went to the basement door. I stand there now, I have been for a few minutes now. I stare at the wood, taking in every detail instead of actually opening the door. Down their was the reality of who these people are, the family I am part of now. I need to accept this.

I swallow the knot in my throat, then open the door. The light from the hallway floods the darkness below, lighting the stairs enough to see where the bottom is. Instead of relying on that light though, I simply turn on the actual lights with a switch next to the door. Dim lights now buzz to life. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough. I shut the door behind me then make my way downstairs. Every step creaks, and with every creak my heart begins to pound harder. Someone lets out a whimper, another begins to beg to be set free, but most remain quiet.

I look to the one begging to be set free. Young girl, skinny-but not nearly as skinny as the other men and women down here, blonde tangled locks stained with blood. She's tied to a wall, head hanging low. She doesn't look at me, but just continues to beg. She sounded tired, but not defeated. It was easy to tell who was defeated. They either hung without a single move other than the steady movement of their chest as they breathed, or they sat still in a cage, staring lifelessly at the ceiling. Those with hope looking around, watched me, or attempted some sort of movement, if not away from me then towards escape.

This is what these people do. This is what Jeff does. They hurt people like this. Jeff kills people then lays down beside me. He slices them up, creating wounds similar to what these people have, then comes home to make playful insults and jokes with me. Eyeless Jack eats these peoples organs, then recommends books to me. No matter the nice jesters they show me, the reality is, this is who we are.

This is who we are.

"You aren't one of them, are you? You look to normal," The once begging girl now says to me. "Please, help me out of here. The both of us, we can run. I won't let them grab you if you just get me out of here."

I look at the girl and her pleading eyes. "Sorry," I tell her, "But this is just how things are." Leaving the girl confused, I head back upstairs. I've seen all I needed to see.