𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄, 𝘤𝘮𝘣

twelve

after the show, corbyn and maisie left the theater. since it had just ended, there were a lot of people trying to get out all at the same time. corbyn grabbed maisie's hand so he wouldn't lose her in the large crowd.

once they had made it out, it only got worse since they had to walk through times square. there were a lot of people there that night and the people walking there were practically peas in a pod.

corbyn held maisie's hand behind him as he tried to navigate the way. maisie kept her eyes on corbyn's had that was holding hers. to her right, a large group of people walked towards her to enter the building on her left.

oblivious to maisie, they walked in front of her, causing maisie to separate her hand from corbyn. when she tried to find his hand, he was long gone in the large crowd. she started to get worried.

"corbyn?" maisie called out.

it was hopeless and even she knew that but she kept calling him. "corbyn? where are you?"

maisie felt her chest tightened. she felt claustrophobic. hiding in her crammed closet at only seven years old gave her that phobia. she went over to the building on her left and slid down the wall. she tried catching her breath as she watched the people walk by.

she put her head down and started crying, trying to get flashbacks from that night out of her head. she felt walls being closed in on her even though she had a decent amount of space to herself in the corner outside the store.

"maisie!" a voice yelled out.

maisie didn't hear the voice call her name, but the voice who called it ran desperately to the distraught girl crying against the wall. he grabbed her shoulders and she finally looked up.

her eyes met with corbyn's who had fear and worry in them. she immediately wrapped her arms around him and he did too, holding her tight against him.

"are you okay? are you hurt? i lost you in the crowd," he rambled, tucking her hair that was covering her face away.

maisie nodded and wiped away her tears. "i thought i lost you," she choked out.

corbyn rubbed her back. "it's okay, i'm here now."

corbyn went to grab maisie's hand but her hand went for his forearm instead and grasped it. corbyn smiled and held her tightly as they walked back to their hotel.

-

their hotel was in times square and it wasn't far. once they had checked in and got into their room, maisie washed up first then corbyn.

maisie sat on the chair by the window and looked down at the view of times square. she stared at the crowds and looked around at the lights. there was even a show going on
down there that she watched for a bit.

corbyn walked out of the bathroom and saw maisie at the window. he admired how she looked so beautiful and innocent as she gazed upon times square. he started to pinpoint every little thing about her that made his heart flutter.

interrupting his trance, maisie called over to corbyn to sit with her by the window. corbyn obliged and sat with maisie who was looking him.

"i have something to tell you," she spoke.

corbyn felt worried but nodded for maisie to go on. she took a breath.

"i get panic attacks, usually when i'm in large crowds or tight spaces. it all started when i was little actually," she began.

corbyn immediately thought of all the news articles she read about maisie and her parents murders. however none of the stories explained how maisie managed to make it out alive.

"um, i was about seven. someone came into my house in the middle of the night. my mom told me we were playing hide and seek but i knew something was wrong. she made me hide in this tight space in my closet and i stayed there for god knows how long. that was the same night my parents died-well, murdered."

corbyn's mouth slighted parted. he knew her parents were killed but he felt even shocked hearing it from the perspective of maisie who was actually there when it all happened.

"the killer is still out there, they've never been able to find them. ever since then, i've lived with the seavey's. and that was when my panic attacks started. i hated going to the mall because i feared of getting kidnapped by the killer or anybody really. i also hated playing hide and seek because that's when my claustrophobia kicked in, because of that night. and when i was lost in the large crowd, both of my fears came at me at once."

tears began to stream down maisie's face. corbyn noticed and went over to her and hugged her. she laid her head on his shoulder and continued talking.

"it could happen you know. but you'd be too surprise to process anything. one minute you're in a large crowd trying to find your way through. then you could get kidnapped at any time or even get lost and there's nothing you can do because you're frozen."

corbyn let maisie cry as she laid her head on his shoulder. he placed his head in top of hers and rubbed his hand up and down her thigh to comfort her. after a few minutes, he heard her softly snoring and picked her up. he carefully placed her under the sheets on the bed and went over to the other bed in the room and laid down himself.

he turned off the light but the lights from the outside illuminated into the room, casting a light on maisie's face. corbyn watched maisie sleep soundly he tried reenacting in his head the memory maisie had told him just minutes ago.

as he watched her sleep, he began questioning himself. is she really worth killing? does she really deserve it? her only family is gone for the same reasons, you're only repeating history. no, corbyn, stop questioning it. this is who you are, you do this no matter what.

but, can't i make an exception?