Jay sat cross legged in his bed, typing away at his computer. He hazily uploaded his entry, every tap of a letter sending tiny sparks of pain through his arm. The make-shift bandage he had created the previous night had fallen off, leaving his angry red wound to curl and twist with each flex and pull of muscle.
Mouth dry, Jay closed his laptop and got up, grabbing the bottle of water sitting on his desk. Sipping carefully, he eyed the little orange capsule of pills that never seemed to leave him be.
After searching his room earlier for clues, he had found only the bottle of pills, a sweatshirt, and an empty camera case. Watching the tape had confirmed that the masked man had been the one to steal his camera. The mysterious man also left a message - to "come back".
Of course I'm going to go back, thought Jay in frustration. They probably know that I will, too. He's probably waiting for me right now. But this was the only way Jay was able to progress. To push further until there wasn't any place left to go. Besides, he needed that camera. Not having it made him feel weak, more vulnerable than usual. Jay made a point to try and give Tim a call before heading out again. He figured he should have at least some partially sane human contact every once in a while.
Jay called three times before he gave up, each time reaching the solemn tones of Tim's voicemail. Jay ran his fingers nervously through his hair and froze, memories of the tape flashing through his mind. That careless touch, persistent and demanding, pulling at his hair. Jay thought he could remember what it felt like, just faintly...
Before he knew it, Jay was driving back to the woods, nothing with him but his sweatshirt and the tape the masked man had so kindly given him. Parking and getting out, he examined the late afternoon sky with regret. It would probably be getting dark soon. Clutching the tape, Jay set off to try and find the shack he had woken up in.
OOO
The sky was a dark, milky blue and the sun was falling, drawing a shade of darkness over the world as it went. The cold was beginning to nip at Jay's neck again, and he was suddenly thankful for having brought his sweatshirt. Jay's breath faintly clouded the air before him as he stepped through the trees. Feet sore from walking, Jay considered himself lost. But then again, he always felt lost.
Jay was subject to a dark, trembling void - one that had made his chest its home. This gap was eating away at Jay - slowly, but persistently. It had been there long before his camera had gone missing. Now, as Jay thought to himself, it had perhaps existed before all of this even started. All of it...
A twig cracked.
A wave of heat rushed through Jay's system as he spun around, chest thudding. In the dimming light, he could distinguish no forms among the shadows of the trees.
Another crack.
Jay sprinted. Caring not for which direction he chose, he kept running. Wind whipped at Jay's skin, arm groaning in protest. He ran and ran until he saw a shape in the distance through the trees. As he drew closer, he recognized it.
Remarkably, he had found his way back to the lion's den; a poor little shack slumped among the trees, gray chips of paint flaking off the oak paneling. Jay ran through the gaping door frame, and stuck himself in a corner.
OOO
Jay couldn't tell how many minutes he spent wedged in the dark corner of the decrepit shed. It was slightly damp - Jay could feel the moisture through his sweatshirt. Jay shivered and hugged himself tighter. The moon glowed hazily through the open window frames. No sounds had been made.
Jay was alone with his void. They shivered in sync.
Jay put a hand against the wall and pushed himself up, fingernails scraping against the wood. He made his way to one of the windows, and peered out, back to the door frame. It was unbearable solitude, and uncomfortable silence. The void began to tear viciously, and all the fear Jay had felt before began to well up and overflow. Hot tears dripped down Jay's face, and he didn't mind. He stood and shuddered and gave himself to the beast that constantly broke him down.
A creak of wet floorboards, and suddenly a force threw Jay and pinned him up against the wall.
"H-wah?" Jay coughed, face pressed up against the damp, splintered walls. Another body pressed into him, squeezing the breath out of his lungs. Jay yelped as his injured arm was forced behind his back by a gloved hand. Warm fear rejoined Jay as his tears faded into the walls of the shed.
Something cold and hard pressed itself to Jay's neck. Out of the corner of his eye, Jay could see the unmistakable black pits of the masked man's eyes. Jay let out a spasm of nervous breath, momentarily clouding the air between them. Masky slid the knife upwards, careful not to break skin, and prodded Jay's jaw.
I don't want to die here, thought Jay. No not here, not with this monster. Jay gritted his teeth as the masked man pushed him, flat against the damp wood. Then carefully - procedurally - Masky pressed his face to Jay's neck.
Jay's breath caught in his throat as he felt the cool plastic lips brush against the side of his throat - felt the man with the mask swallow. Masky drew a thin red line to Jay's chin, and Jay struggled weakly - soft, mewling noises escaping his throat.
"Let go of me..." Jay tried, breath short, as the mask made its runs up and down his neck. "Please let me go -"
The masked man let his grip on Jay's injured arm be replaced by the weight of his body. Jay writhed, his void impatient. Masky hummed through the mask as he drew his hand up, pressing his body further into the smaller man's.
Jay froze when he felt the hand sift through his hair. He felt Masky barely scrape his scalp - fingertips running through his hair evenly, methodically. Jay found that he could not deny the pettings. He breathed softly against the damp oak, the black hole inside him trembling subtly. Jay thought he heard the masked man snicker; a little growl escaping from his plaster lips.
Jay's head was spinning. He was hot and cold and awful and lovely and he didn't know what to do. The hand felt so nice running through his hair. Still nuzzling the crook of Jay's neck, Masky let the knife drop to the ground with a dull clink. He moved ever so slightly, allowing Jay room enough to breath. Jay fidgeted.
This could be my chance, Jay thought dazedly. I could run for it.
Yet the man had somehow lulled Jay into a shivering mess. Jay whimpered - to his heated embarrassment - as Masky slid a gloved hand just under the hem of his shirt. There his thumb rubbed gentle circles along Jay's hip.
"Nnn...no..." Jay whispered weakly. He managed to wriggle an arm free and grasp the hand on his hip, making a hint of an effort to pry it off. Masky ignored the faint struggle and stuck just a few fingers beneath the waistband of Jay's jeans. Before Jay could react, there was a knocking sound from behind them both.
Jay was sure could feel Masky's blood freeze.
