How To Kill A Demon; for DUMMIES | tpn x reader

ARC I-ACT VI

Well into the dead of night, you lay awake on the softness of your bed. Pillows and blankets warm, shielding you from the cool whips of nightly autumn air. How many nights had you spent awake wishing for a better world? For a better life? How many nights did you spend awake wondering; if you had been born into a normal, almost fairytale-like life, would you too get those picturesque autumns where the trees turn orange and the leaves slowly, but surely fall to the ground and pile up. Would you have been like the children in those story books and jumped into the small mountain of discarded nature?

You knew Jake would have, and maybe if you had been born into a better life with him, you would have been his older sibling. Properly this time, and not just because you both lived in the same house of horrors.

Before you knew it, a tear had already decided to run down your cheek - promptly staining the white fabric of your pillow with a dampness.

Would everyone here have also been your siblings? No - out of what you had read in stories, it's not common for someone to have a large number of siblings. It could happen, it's completely normal, but it's just not common. So would you all have maybe been friends and have gone to the same schools? Forming relationships so strong all other friends would be envious?

No. Again, you were all only so close because you were forced to be cooped up together within four cement walls. The differing in personalities, likes and dislikes would have put everyone off, and the likelihood of friendships forming the way they did here were slim.

Would... would anyone have liked you if you had met outside of the house? In a better world? Would Emma and Norman have put in the same effort to befriend you without mama looking over their shoulders and firmly squeezing their arms - wordlessly warning them not to be mean to you and have patience.

Perhaps that was the hidden blessing in this curse. The friendships you made, albeit troublesome at times, were strong and meaningful. You wouldn't ever trade what you have with Norman and Emma for anything in the world - so is that a blessing in disguise?

The clock struck yet another ungodly, silent, hour of the night - somewhere deep into the halls of the house, the grandfather clock could be heard chiming it's hourly song. Through the darkness of the room, you squinted your eyes, your vision being dim with the lights off, but existing nonetheless.

You always did wonder how the moon gave off a blue light at night.

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Jake had become increasingly clingier these days - that being apparent when you walked out of the house after your tests with the younger boy in your arms. He was sat on your hip and playing with the collar of your shirt - flipping the fabric up, down and creasing it. You allowed him to do as he pleased after checking that his hands didn't have any dirt or weird staining materials on them.

Walking out to the field, you waved at Noah as he begun to jog over and greet both you and the younger boy. As much as you hate to admit it - the older boy was starting to grow on you.

"Hey, he's clingy today so try not to leave him alone for too long or else he'll cry." You told the boy, placing the younger one on the ground to let him grab Noah's hand. The child made a whining sound but didn't put up much of a fight to let go of you. "If it gets too bad you could just come find me and leave him with me."

"Actually, I was wondering if I could ask you something." The boy smiled, grabbing both of Jake's hands as the toddler began to fiddle with the boy's shirt.

"Hm?"

"Do you wanna play with us today?"

"Do I want to play with you guys?" You parroted in disbelief. Partly due to the fact that it was an unexpected approach (I mean, how long has it been since they gave up on asking you to play?) and partly because it seemed like a very dumb question. Was the answer really not clear to him?

Perhaps due to the fact you had begun warming up to him he now thought you would accept anything he would offer. A sweet offer but right now you had-

"You see, the other day jake was getting restless so I tried taking him back to you but you weren't on your usual tree. I asked around and Janesse told me she saw you running towards the gates." He smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Did you join the game? You could just join earlier, there's no reason to be shy about it."

You were not shy. Now who the hell said you were shy? "I'm not-"

"If you don't wanna make a big deal about it just get out on the grass and run when someone approaches you! They'll get the idea, I promise!" He pushed.

This was not the problem at all - the problem was that they were mixing your valuable time with the stupid ideas mama had planted in their heads about you being shy. However, as both a blessing and a curse, a warm hand landed on your shoulder and Noah's attention was immediately snatched from you to the new visitor.

"Let them be. If they don't wanna play then they can just read with me." Ray grumbled. He didn't look too stoked to be there defending you which left you to wonder why he bothered approaching you in the first place then. His dark eyes fleeted to meet your own before snapping back to Noah who had returned to rub his neck awkwardly.

"Ah, sorry." He chuckled. "I didn't mean to be pushy, I just really wanted to include you."

The boy beside you shook his head dismissively. "Maybe next time." Pointing to the tree he was usually sat under, he turned to you. "Wanna sit with me?"

To say this was unexpected (and horribly weird) was an understatement. It was no secret you and Ray weren't friends - you weren't on bad terms but it wasn't often where you could exist around each other without butting heads about something. If he knew about this unstable friendship, and if he had been so stubborn about not showing any form of kindness to you before, what changed now?

You weren't taking chances.

"No, actually, I was going to play today."

Dark eyes widened in surprise, perhaps he had expected any other reply. But you didn't give him your attention any longer, snapping back to Noah whos face had fallen in equal shock. "Can i hide the first round? I'm not too confident in seeking straight away."

"Oh- yeah! Yeah of course!" He gasped, skipping on his feet slightly as if not knowing whether to run to Janesse or stay with you. Finally, he grinned. "I'll make sure you don't have to seek today okay? Let's go!" And with that he ran off expecting you to follow after.

Before running off however, you turned to look at Ray one more time - not being the slightest bit surprised when instead of being found standing beside you, he had his back to you and had already begun walking back to his tree.

You followed after Noah with an uneasy feeling at the pit of your stomach.