Jeff the Killer X blind reader

Chapter 7

      If the people in the room were surprised at Jeff's offer, they were stunned with Slenderman's declaration to train me. Immediately, several presences became intensely curious – even Jeff's. And they knew I wasn't telling them something if Slender was going to train me. Immediate distrust and suspicion washed through the minds around us, making me unconsciously shrink in my seat.
      "Well! We obviously need to get to know you better." Jeff exclaimed, a slight hint of... hurt in his voice. Was he upset I didn't tell him everything right off the bat? I couldn't tell and it's not like I could read his facial expressions.
      I finished my last bite of food and stood up slowly. Jeff stood also and walked towards a noise that sounded like water running. I followed, scraped my plate, and began to do some dishes in the metallic sink. I repeatedly ran my sensitive fingers over the plates check how well I was cleaning since I couldn't see the grime being washed away. I let my fingerless black gloves get slightly wet from the water. I'd rather have damp gloves than someone to get a glance at my scarred hands. I had gotten through a few dishes before Jeff sauntered over and leaned against the counter. 
      "So..." He paused, seeming to watch me closely. A little wave of self-consciousness went through me as I felt his attention. "Do you want a tour or something?" He asked unceremoniously, fiddling with his knife.
      "Sure." I responded, turning to him. Though this place was just a large old house in the woods, I'd still need a decent tour to understand all the rooms and hallways here. I didn't want to run into any tables or miss doorknobs. That would be a dead giveaway for blindness or just plain stupidity. Both were impressions I was trying to avoid.
      After leading me through the several hallways, the game room, eating area, and bedrooms, he led me outside. He explained that there was a town in every direction if you went far enough, but the woods were thick and large. He explained that many proxies were out for weeks on missions or simply on their own agendas – sometimes even longer. He led me around the woods for a bit, showing the paper notes hung around to lure people in or scare them away. The sound of the papers waving in the breeze sounded familiar, but I wasn't sure where I had heard the sound before. I acted like I could read whatever was on the paper as he held one in front of my face. He led us to a small river and explained where each side of it led. He explained the basic routine of most proxies and several more rules. Then, he led us back to the house and eventually to dinner. The meal had considerably less people. Jeff explained that most had already left for their hunts.
      "So, are you leaving tonight?" I asked cautiously, not sure if it was rude to ask.
      "Yeah, I have to go north to a small town and kill some reporter there. No big deal." Jeff explained. He seemed to glance over at me. "I'll be back in no time. The town is pretty close and it should be an easy night. I'll be there for your training tomorrow." He said with a grin in his voice. "We'll have a proper rematch."
      I laughed quietly and smiled, looking forward to the training. "Sounds great." I replied.
      "Sleep well tonight, ______. Tomorrow's going to be a big day!" He said with a laugh before leaving the dining room. I felt his presence leave the house and then continue into the forest, traveling at a good clip. I felt the urge to follow him, I was curious to see how he killed. However, I simply got up and washed my dishes. I cleaned up, took a warm shower, and slipped into bed. All the while, I felt kind of... happy. I was glad today had gone well, and I was looking forward to tomorrow.
--
      "God, __________! Hold the knife like you mean it!" Jeff called from across the meadow. I felt the aggravated vibrations of his heavy footfalls as he strode back over to me. For the hundredth time, he repositioned my stance and fingers to better grasp the large knife he'd given me. "Now, again." He muttered, still seething with frustration.
      Since I woke up, I had been trying for hours to throw the knife into the 'X' he'd carved into the tree that was before me. The only problem was I couldn't really know where the 'X' was much less the trajectory needed to land a knife in it. Jeff seemed to think this was an easy first test, but he obviously regretted it now. I could hardly get the knife to fly near the tree, much less impale it. His presence was growing darker and more sinister by the minute.
      Again, I tensed up like he showed me. I held my arm up and back, balancing the knife. I sent out my senses to locate the tree but still couldn't find the specific 'X' carved into it. My senses obviously had their limits. I sighed with low expectations. I tightened my muscles and threw the knife forward. It flew through the air and landed with a thump against the tree, bouncing off into the grass.
      "Not even close _____!" Jeff yelled to the right of me, disappointment thick. I cringed at his negative energy, feeling doubt rise within him. "I thought you said you used knives." He accused, clearly unhappy. Many other proxies had left with the same mood a while ago. Several of them had followed us into the yard or peaked from the windows of the house, watching me. However, after seeing me miss the target a dozen times, they dispersed. I didn't really care about the other proxies, but for some reason, I didn't want Jeff to leave.
      "You are definitely not a knife thrower." Jeff seethed, wrenching the knife from grass and striding back over to me. His mood had further darkened, churning dangerously close to aggression. He also exhibited a deeper emotion, one of betrayal. It was a sickening and clotting emotion that turned his thoughts sour and actions rough. He must not believe that I've used knives, meaning he thinks I lied to him. This is not good.
      "Maybe if we practice something else and then come back to the throwing?" I asked hopefully, reading his emotions. His mood grew colder as he glanced at the tree, thinking.
      "Yeah, sure. Whatever." He mumbled, plainly unhappy. He swiped the blade against his jacket, the metallic sound making me tense. I did want to be able to throw the knife, it was just so difficult without sight. I couldn't believe how bad of a start this day had turned out to be.
      "Ok. Something else." He muttered to himself as he walked over to me, coming to a stop directly before me. There was a whirling noise that sliced through the air and the thudding of skin on wood. He was twirling the knife in one hand, expertly moving his fingers in a dangerous rhythm over the handle of the knife. I felt to urge to back up, not wanting to be around if he should lose control of the blade. However, I stayed put and nervously bit my lip.
      Suddenly, the whirling sound halted and he hummed in thought. I heard a fabric-on-fabric sound, soft and quiet. He pulled out a small swatch of fabric and leaned forward, holding it with both hands. "Hold still." He said sinisterly. I fought the urge to jump away from him, the proximity momentarily frightening me.
      He tied the fabric over my mask, around the section where the slits were. I was curious why he did that until I figured out the fabric was supposed to 'blind' me. I grinned underneath my mask, excited for this test. The blindfold changed nothing so whatever it was should be easy. Should be. He voice sounded from directly before me.
      "Stay perfectly still and count to 30 seconds. After that time, try to point to where I am." He muttered doubtfully. "And start counting... now." He said coldly.
      Immediately, he backed up with soft steps. I could barely hear his footfalls they were so quiet. Even on the grass and leaves, he was amazingly silent. He drifted to the left, stepping softly and nearly soundless. He came to a stop directly to my left. Even his breathing was discreet.
      I was thoroughly impressed. Usually, I can hear people easily – even when they were trying to be quiet. But Jeff was truly silent when he wanted to be.
      I held stone still, keeping my face forward even as he crept to my left. Even without my sense of presence, I would know where he was. I could feel the raw vibrations through the ground and the faint drum of his heart. Still, I had the smallest feeling that I had cheated.
      His emotions remained gloomy and pessimistic. He plainly did not expect me to know where he was. He was expecting me to fail.
      I reached 30 seconds and raised my left arm, pointing directly at him. I smiled as a surge of shock flowed through Jeff. He stepped back and slightly gasped.
      "Wow!" He said heartily, impressed. He gave a short laugh and walked towards me. "I'm surprised you found me... very few can." He murmured. He playfully hit my arm, chuckling. "So you do have some good aspects!"
      "Yeah." I mumbled, turning my head down. I basked in his mood shift, memorized the feel of his presence happy and excited.
      "Now to step it up a notch." He said, getting serious again. "This time, count to 60 seconds." He told me, quieting his voice. I simply nodded in agreement.
      Instantly, he began backing up with ultra quiet steps. He crept back till he reached another mass – a tree. He turned silently and braced himself against the trunk, finding niches in the bark to climb up. He scaled the tree in a few seconds, crawling up the mass like a spider. His precision and silence were extraordinary. He was really trying this time. If I didn't sense presences or feel vibrations as easily as I do, I would have no idea where he was. He made it onto one of the lower branches of the tree and silently walked out to the middle of the limb. He was nearly above me, just standing there.
      I counted to 60 seconds and paused, feeling his hopeful expectations emit from above me. I grinned and raised my hand, pointing directly above me.
A thrilled laugh echoed from above, shaking the air with tiny vibrations. I backed up a step and tilted my head to face him.
      "You can't see through that blindfold can you?" He asked with a light laugh. He jumped down from the tree limb, sending a small shock wave through the soil where he landed.
      A genuine laugh slipped past my lips as I turned to face him, shaking my head. "Nope." I said through my laughing. If he knew what was really going on! "Guess I did okay, huh?" I asked quietly. A sudden shyness had entered my voice. Why? I was pondering my mood shifts when his hand connected with my shoulder and pushed me jokingly.
      I stumbled a few steps back, cocking my head at him.
      "NO one knows where I am." He declared with pride, a smile still in his voice. "Well, except for you! ... and Slender." He added, his mood cooling down. There was a moment's pause where neither of us spoke.
      "You're hiding something, aren't you?" He asked seriously, though not accusatory. My grin dropped and my posture slumped ever so slightly. I guess it wasn't that hard of an idea to pick up on. Slenderman did offer to train me, so I must be like him in some way. Jeff is obviously not an idiot, so he just pieced together the clues. I kicked the dirt while thinking of an answer, considering my options. I pulled off the fabric over my mask before forgetting about it, holding it out for Jeff to take.
      How much did I want to tell him? I didn't want to blurt everything out – that would lead to more questions. But he did have a right to know. Well, I felt he had a right to know why I could find where he was. I didn't want to feel that awful feeling of betrayal from him again, so telling him now was probably better than him finding out later.
      "Well, you see..." I paused. I had never really told anyone about myself. Slenderman simply knew what I was and everyone else I eliminated. It was weird to willingly tell someone about myself. Was this what it is like to have, dare I say, a friend?
      "You see, I have very good hearing and..." I faltered, trying to find the right phrasing. "And I can 'sense' things." I muttered quietly, shifting my weight nervously. Would he reject me because I had something weird going on in my head? I felt him shuffle closer and turn his head, interest emanating from his mind.
      "Sense things?" Jeff repeated curiously, not a hint of rejection in his voice or mind.
      "Yeah." I murmured, unconsciously rubbing my arm. "I could hear you but more importantly I knew where you were because I can... um... feel your mind... your presence change location." I tried to explain. "You move, your presence moves." I ended warily.
      "Oh." He said, thinking. "Well, that's convenient." He replied, surprise in his voice. His mood was generally light still, taking in the new information. "Are you a mind reader?" He asked, his voice dropping lower.
      I didn't respond right away. Was I mind reader? I could feel where he was and his mood, but did that count as mind reading? I couldn't specifically read the thoughts that ran through his mind, so what was the answer to his question?
      "I..." I thought some more, finding words. Jeff seemed to be concerned I could possibly read his thoughts. His mood had turned defensive and strangely... embarrassed? What would embarrass him?
      "I can sense where you are and your overall emotions, but I cannot 'read' your individual thoughts. For example, I can feel you are considering my words but I cannot hear what you think of it all – does that make sense?" I haltingly explained, mindful of his extreme attention.
      He stayed silent, his mood shifty and uncertain. He was oddly relieved about something but I wasn't sure what it was. He scratched his head, taking a few steps back and hummed slightly, thinking.
      A sudden swell a depression washed through me. I knew it. He couldn't be a friend to someone like me. I knew I wouldn't fit in here. Who was I kidding? I was a walking invasion of privacy, a freak. He would throw me away just like my parents did when, afraid of the unusual and unknown. And if he saw what I looked like without the hoodie and mask...
      My fingers twitched at my sides. My breathing had become a little shallower, my chest constricting with emotion. I felt the shadows around us lift up, preparing. I struggled with my feelings, trying to calm myself down. The darkness was thickening, responding to my depression and panic. My hands clenched, muscles twitching restlessly.
      "Yeah, it makes sense." He began, breaking through my blackening thoughts.
      "You are a mind reader, sort of." He muttered, still thinking deeply. "But it's fine." Once the decision was out of his mouth, his mood greatly improved and his voice lightened. I was stunned; I could have sworn he was going to reject me.
      "It will definitively help you on missions! Jeez! To know exactly where your target is and what they're feeling? That's incredible!" He exclaimed, excitement replacing the defensiveness. "I can't wait to go on a kill with you!" He declared, a big smile in his voice.
      I felt my body shrink, curling in slightly. The darkness immediately dropped and receded, becoming normal. I shook my head in disbelief, my head turning sideways in confusion. "I can't believe..." I again had to search for words. "...How grateful I am that you..." I felt weird saying 'accepting me' so I just stopped talking, embarrassment rushing into me.
       "Well, don't get all sappy on me. It's no big deal." Jeff said, mock disgust in his voice. He trotted forward with his familiar and welcoming excitement, grabbing onto my arm and pulling me towards the house. "Come on, let's get some lunch. I'm starving!" He exclaimed. Again, I wondered how could anyone accept me as a... friend?

——————————————————————
Lil-magpie
Deviant Art