Sin and Penance [Eyeless Jack x Reader]

5

For all the effort it took to get to Logan, you'd expected it to be something...more. It wasn't a bustling metropolis or a sleepy rural town. It was just a place. A forgettable city of 48,000 just North of Salt Lake city.

You'd packed up as much as you could and crossed the country to get here, all based on a random, intrusive hunch you'd gotten in the wee hours of the morning. You'd spent so many hours riding buses, you didn't think your butt would ever be okay again.

You cased the town, picked up some food and checked into the Old Trapper Motel at around 9 pm. The place was fairly clean, but the scent of mold, must, and human presence saturated everything. You suspected that was a 'you' problem, though. Your sniffer had been a little overwhelmed lately. You bit into your fast-food burger and nearly dug into your tongue as well. Your new chompers ripped through the burger with a startling amount of ease- something else you'd have to get used to. At least until you found a way to fix this.

You opened your laptop and started the web browser. The internet was shitty, but you still managed to load a few tabs. First you searched for any new stories about Eyeless Jack. Nothing, but it was worth a shot. Next you searched for camping sights and trail maps, things you'd need if you were going to start your quest proper. After half an hour of reading and watching loading bars, you couldn't bear the smell of the laptop anymore. You put it away and stood up, joints popping and creaking and whining as you did. You didn't feel like sleeping yet, so you left the little room to go take a walk.

It had sprinkled while you were inside. The pavement shimmered and cast reflections of the streetlights up to the sky. Your steps created light splishing noises as you went. A few cars passed you by, but no one else was out walking. The town was asleep. You felt a drop of rain hit your hair and you pulled up your hood. You turned to head back to your motel.

It started to rain. The walk back seemed to be taking a lot longer than the walk away. It became clear that you must have taken a wrong turn. Cold and worried, you started to half-walk, half-jog along the sidewalk, looking for a familiar building or sign. Dammit, you should've been paying more attention to where you were going. You couldn't afford to get a cold right now. You stopped to catch your breath under a canopied storefront. Your soaked hoodie was heavy as lead. You wanted nothing more than to be dry. To be warm. Warm, fresh, dry clothes and a soft blanket. You glanced at the window display. It was a tourist shop, showing off snowglobes and baubles, hats and t-shirts. You pressed your hand against the glass. The clothes in there were all corny and cheap, but they were dry, which made them appealing enough. You sighed out of your nose and started walking past the shop. You hesitated by the door. It felt like everything you wanted right now was just on the other side of that door. Without really thinking, you put your hands against the door and pushed. You pushed harder. You heard a snap and the door gave way, sending you tumbling inside the shop as it swung open. A little bell above the door rang once, high pitched and clear. You pushed yourself up. The inside of the shop was warm and dry. The door swung forward and back before settling into its frame, the tongue of the lock lying broken on the floor. The t-shirts were still dry and inviting. You walked over and touched one. Then you balled the fabric in your fist and lifted it to your face, inhaling the scent. With the t-shirt still in hand, your attention shifted to a stack of sweatpants on the next display. You grabbed a pair. You continued around the shop, picking out a full outfit. You stripped off your wet clothes and reveled in the feeling of the dry ones. You pulled on a new hoodie and windbreaker jacket. The new clothes felt good, but you couldn't just leave your old ones here, right? That was your stuff. You found a plastic bag and stuffed your wet things inside. Alright, you were dry. Time to go. You headed towards the door and spotted the stuffed animal display. Everything looked so fluffy and cute that you had to stand there and ogle for a second. You ran your fingers over a teddy bear's soft fur. You wanted it. You grabbed it. You also grabbed a goat and an owl from the display. And a snowglobe and a book about the parks in Utah. And a keychain. A feeling of exhilaration had swept over you as you ran out of the store with your bags full of stuff. You rode that wave of excitement until you somehow ended up back at your motel room. You flopped down on the bed, face first, surrounded by your loot. Your heart was pounding and you felt giddy. You also felt exhausted. You stayed there, lying amongst your things, until you were asleep.