The Fearless Child

Four

I walked into school then went to my locker, opening it and staring at the pictures that were inside. I quickly yanked them down then looked around, hoping no one saw them. I looked at them then actually felt myself smile as I saw the dead, mangled corpses of the guys bullying me with Jeff in each one. They were both selfies of him in front of them, and I felt happy that he protected me. Which was odd, considering he killed my bullies, but whatever.

"Hey, unwanted!" I grunted as I was shoved against the lockers, then I slid the photos into my pocket, glaring at the guy.

"Awe, your eye looks so bad!" He laughed then slammed my locker shut, standing above me.

"Where's mommy and daddy, huh? Dead, didn't want you, what?" He sneered, then I shoved him back, going to the exits of the school.

"You can't run from us!" I started to actually run then left the school, trying to think of where to go. The woods! Jeff said to go there if I needed to hide somewhere! I ran for the woods then cursed as one of the guys grabbed my backpack. I threw it off then kept running, rounding the corner and seeing the forest.

"You got nowhere to run now!" One of them laughed, thinking I wouldn't run into the forest.

"Hey, don't go in there!" An older woman yelled, but I saw an opening in the thick trees where one had fallen, knocking away the underbrush.

"Monroe, stop! We don't want you dead!" The bully yelled, but I kept running and jumped the fallen log, landing on the other side and rolling down a steep hill. I cried out as I cut my leg on something, then I hit the ground, the air getting knocked out of my chest. I heard people calling me, but I crawled towards a thick tree and hid behind its trunk, trying to ignore the pain in my leg. When the voices stopped, I looked around the trunk at the hill, but I didn't see anyone, so I focused on my leg. When I did, I saw a deep cut on the side of my calf as blood-stained my pants leg.

"Ouch." I breathed, holding my leg above the cut, then I stopped as I heard a twig break somewhere nearby.

"Who's there?!" I yelled, looking around. I heard it again on my left and looked, but I couldn't find anyone. When I heard it on my right the next second, I knew it was more than one person.

"Jeff?! Is that you?! Are you trying to scare me?!" I yelled, looking around, then I relaxed as Jeff came out from behind a tree, confusion filling his features.

"Trix?! What the hell-" He stopped as he looked at my leg, then he dropped his knife and ran over, grabbing my leg.

"Dammit, Bellatrix! Did you fall down the hill?!" I nodded then looked behind him as Ben, and four other boys came out from behind trees.

"Bellatrix!" Ben grinned and came over, his smile dropping as he saw my leg.

"Man, that looks bad."

"Ej needs to take a look at this-"

"Jeff, no! Do you know how many rules you've broken already?! Taking her there-" Jeff growled, then I eyed the other four, trying to figure out who they were based on Jeff's stories.

"Laughing Jack, Puppeteer, Jason the Toymaker, and Ticci Toby, right?" I asked, and Jeff looked at me, smiling as he nodded.

"I need you to stay here; I have to go get a friend to fix your leg. Ben, stay with her. Make sure the others don't do anything, got it?" Ben nodded as he sat, but Jeff pulled his hoodie off and grabbed his shirt, ripping it and tying it around my wound.

"Ow!" I whined as he tied it too tight, but he just slid his hoodie back on.

"I need to make sure you won't bleed out. I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?" I nodded, then he stood, running off behind the tree he came out of.

"Don't worry, Ej is a cannibal; he's our doctor. He can fix anything, and he'll have you patched up in no time." Ben said, and I nodded, carefully eyeing the other four as they glared down at me. Four killers glaring at me? Not a problem, just an everyday occurrence.