-I woke up in a cold sweat to the sound of crashing in the hallway. My head turned towards the door, heart pumping in my chest as the rude awakening caught me up in a panic. Slowly, I calmed down, and I get out of the bed. My feet hit the floor, and I moved towards the door, my mind coming up with the idea that Brahms had done something; knocked over a bookshelf maybe? I slow my breathing as soon as my hand grabs the door knob.

-Alright, calm down, everything is fine. It's just Brahms, right? Brahms. I take yet another deep breath and finally I'm calming down. I push my way out of the room and I look down the hallway. I didn't see what crashed, but I could definitely tell that something happened, given there was something scattered across the ground. I approach it slowly, and I crouch down.

-Glass, from a light bulb, from a lamp maybe? It looks to be just that, the lamp's head shade sitting close by. I sigh, and I start writing up a good lecture in my mind to tell the motionless doll. I'll have to clean this up myself; it's glass after all--

-"Knew that'd catch your attention." I lift my head and my eyes widen, the man standing before me; I recognized. "Hey (Y/N). Done playing tag?"

-Fuck me. Fuck ME. I stand up slowly, and as soon as he takes his first step towards me I swivel around on my feet and bolt away. My feet only carry me so far until something crashes in the back of my head, and I fall to them ground, landing on my hand and my forearm. I grunt painfully, especially as I feel the weight of his body come onto my back and his arm wraps around my throat, trapping me in a headlock. I'm choking on my own spit in seconds.

-"Thought you could run off, huh? With MY money? You're a fuckin' dead body walkin', you hear? Me and my friends are going to make your last seconds hell, make sure of it."

-His voice was raspy in my ear, and as I reached my arm to the near by desk, his hand shoots out and pins my wrist to the floor. My vision is starting to go dark, my struggle getting weaker, and as the inside of my head goes fuzzy I'm released. I gasp for air and then get it knocked right back out of me; my body being flipped and slammed onto my back. Then he's on top of me all over again.

-"C'mon, cry for me." My vision is blurred with tears immediately after his fist collides with my nose, knocking my head to the side. I groan, reaching my arms up in effort to block the next attack, and my arms falter and get slammed into my bloodied face as he hits them. "Fuckin' bitch-- I found 'em!'

-He cried out for his buddies, his laugh coming right after as he shoves my arms out of the way and I thrash heavily, my stomach being crushed below him. It was getting harder to breath, the blood pouring out of my nose wants to dribble into my mouth and my eyes are crossing to gaze at my nose rather than look forward where I want them to be. I'll be damned if I get murdered by this damn hick-- by Henderson, of all people.

-"Fuck you." I growl outward, and yank my hand out of his grasp before I slam my fist down in between his legs.

-He whimpers and cries like a bitch; his body crushing into itself and weakening just enough for me to shove him off. He lands on his back, and I'm pushing him off with my feet, my leg coming up and my foot slamming into him. I scoot across the hard floor, sliding back before I get on my feet. The distant sight of three other people coming into view sends me running all over again, and I'm racing.. Towards Brahms' room. My socked feet skid across the ground as I rush through his bedroom door and I find the key sitting on the bookshelf beside it. I lock the door, and I step back, holding the key in my hand.. I adjust it, the thinner part of it pointing outside my hand like a knife. If I'm lucky enough, I can get this under one of their eyes if I need to protect myself.

-I look at the doll sitting in the bed, and it is motionless. I rush over, pick him up and hide him beneath the bed; just as I hear banging on the door. Fuck, why did I come in here? This damn doll wasn't going to protect me, and it's not like the people who are after me planned on harming the damn thing anyways. I came in here because of some stupid care I have for this damn inanimate object! To hell with the paranormal, my life is on the line and I'm acting like a damn fool.

-"You can't run now (Y/N)!" A more feminine voice rings, sounding as if she was high off of something. "You're dead meat!"

-"Fuck you Candy!" I snapped back, turning around and trying the window, but it doesn't move. "Fuck me just open!"

-The door is slammed upon once and then twice, until it stopped. My fingers begin to hurt with the effort I put in, and the lock on the window is as absent as my hope right now. I turn around and I flinch as the door went down, right along with Henderson's body. He gives me a sickening smile, another man rushing past him and abruptly knocking me up against the side of the head with a wooden bat. I fall onto my side and I'm shoved onto my back with a large boot.

-I am holding into conciousness, just lucky enough that these people were just weak enough to not be knocking my brains out. The bat goes to my neck and I raise my hands to desperately push back. The face above me is so gross and filthy with sweat and what looks like vomit in between his teeth, I can smell it on his breath as it hits my face.. I feel a strong sense of betrayal looking at him.

-"We got you now!" He yelled at me, pushing the bat harder down onto my windpipe; it hurt, bad. "You're gonna wish you never met us, bet you already do, huh?! You got our fucking money?"

-"F-Fuck you." I rasp out, and the final person of the group rushes over and kicks me into the side of my leg.

-I hum at the deep pain in my knee, and I spot the person who did it; my asshole neighbor Billy who got disowned by his parents for good reason. If I could get up and smack the hell out of him I would, but I'm suffering from the whiplash of having been peacefully sleeping in bed five minutes ago to being beaten to death in the room of a dead child. My life fucking sucks.

-"Knock this bitch out!" Candy cried, her cackling witch laugh making me uncomfortable. The man above me rises off and raised the bat.

-I raise my arms. "Edgar stop!--"

-The bookshelf in the bedroom fell over flat, the loud bang catching us all off guard. I turn my head with everyone else's, and my eyes widen. The large hand that came out and grabbed the ledge gripping so tight his knuckles were turning white. A full head of black curly hair comes out of the darkness, and an eerie sight of a doll's mask appears, eyes looking through the sockets and staring daggers into the mam above me; Edgar.

-In the man's other hand was a fire iron, thin with two sharp points, but still sturdy, and I could tell that as the man stepped through the hole in the wall and past the shelf that he was an absolute behemoth of a man in comparison to these intruders. I didn't get enough detail however, as he was already rushing forward. He slammed the poker into the side of Henderson's head, knocking him back and swiveling the crack addict's head like a damn fidget spinner, and then shoving Candy out of his path with such a force that her body lifted off the ground a couple of feet and landed right into the wall. Edgar was screaming by the time this wall dweller grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and slammed him back into the hard surface behind him, and then threw him into the ground beside me; The fireplace poker came down at a fast pace.

-I flinched and squealed just a bit as it thwapped against his skull, the cranium cracking on impact. The second strike cause blood to hit my face, and with that I looked away. There were at least two more slams until Billy rushed up behind the 6"3 giant, jumping on his back and attempting to wrap his arm around his neck. A large hand reaches back and grabs the back of Billy's shirt like a kitten and throws him off like he was weightless, Billy crashing into the ground next to Edgar who was barely holding onto life.

-I rush to my feet, following along the wall and then rushing for the door-- Until I'm tripped up and someone grabs my ankle. I fall on top of the downed door, Candy's foot slamming into my back as she rushing past me and out the room like a coward. I look back, and I spot Henderson looking at me with actual death in his eyes, a large gash sitting in the middle of his face and blood dripping down his chin. I wasn't capable of watching Billy and Edgar be ruined by the bludgeoning of the stranger. I slam my foot into Henderson's face, and it changes nothing.

-"You dumb bitch," Henderson growled as I attempted to stop him from crawling on top of me, with great struggle; I do not succeed, his clingy hands climbing up my legs. "you had this planned didn't you? You're going to fucking die."

-I yelped out as he dug his sharp nails into my side,(caught off guard by the absolute fucking style he's got on them; bright red, done recently) and I grab his arm, bringing my feet up and shoving hard. His body rises off of mine, yet the strength he shoots back is agonizing against my recently kicked into knee. He's trying to get back to me, but he doesn't have much chance once the fire poker smacks into the back of his head and he wobbles like a bobblehead. He is grabbed by the little hair he has left and the masked man comes down on top of him, bring a fury of fists into his face.

-I shuffle to my feet and next thing I know I'm running for the door. The hallways almost seem endless, my damaged throat and burning lungs causing me to pant heavily, and they pant heavier when I pair of feet follow after me. I bust through the front doors and land into the snow after the porch, my heat causing it to melt right into my socks. It hurts, everything hurts, but I don't stop running, even as the snow gets to the bottoms of my knees.

- A loud deep unfamiliar voice yells after me, and I let out a squeal in actual fear, something I tried to hold down but couldn't. I made it to the gates, looking like prison bars. "! Please!"

-I bust through and shut them behind me, and I'm stumbling forward, the pain in my body too hard to bear and I make the mistake of falling into the pile. It hits my face, all of the cold, and immediately I'm rising back up quickly. I realize I hadn't been grabbed however, and I turn around, my eyes wide with fear.

-His porcelain mask shining between the bars, blood splattered across the front. He's grabbing the bars of the gate with desperation, fire poker no longer in hand, but the bloodied fingers make me uncomfortable regardless. We make eye contact, and that prompts him to just start begging.

-"(Y/N) come back." His childish voice rang out, and it sent shivers up my back. Either it was that, or the sudden breeze that hit me as I wrapped my arms around my body. "I-I killed them! You don't have to run anymore! No more hiding.. Come back.. I'll be good, I will!" His arms are reaching for me through the bars, fingers shaking. "Please don't leave me.. Don't leave me."

-The deepness of his voice in contradiction to the child like one is catching me off guard, how angry and needy he sounds, it all just looks sad to me. He sounds sad, alone, and it doesn't seem like he's a hint afraid at what he's done, but afraid of me leaving.

-"Y-You killed them." I shivered, my legs shifting through the snow away from his person, and I can see his legs buckle in reaction to my subtle movement. "Y-You killed Billy, and-and Edgar--"

-"They were trying to !" He shook the bars violently, making me flinch and step away a couple feet, and then he's back to pleading. "No! No come back!" His legs bend under him, shortening his height like he was subconsciously attempting to look less threatening to me. "I won't hurt you, I'll never hurt you! I protected you. I protected you.. Come back."

-He goes quiet, as if anticipating my next moves, but I don't move at all. I'm thinking, so damn fast, and just staring at him isn't helping. To be fair, he did protect me. Saved my life even, when he could've just watched. But now I don't have any problems, I don't need to hide anymore.. And he's creepy as hell.

-I turn away from him, and he starts screaming at me, but I ignore every word that comes spewing out of his mouth. I cover my freezing cold ears with my freezing cold hands, and eventually his voice falters from yelling to just nothing at all.

-Then, I stop. For what reason?.. Where am I going to go? My family, my friends, they all hate me, and they are SO far away. I walked so far just to get here, walking back in this condition, I couldn't pull it off. He defended me, shed blood to do it. All he wants is to not be alone, and I'd be dead without him. Possibly I would've died days ago, and most certainly would've been today.. I don't have any problems. I don't have any reasons not to go.

-I turn around and he's on his knees against the gates, face pressing against them like he can't dare go through. He gets back to his boots quickly as I start making my way back, rubbing my arms harsh in attempts for heat.

-"G-Get me a blanket." I demand, and I grab the bars. He steps back to let me through, and as soon as I'm back inside he's shedding himself of his cardigan and wrapping it around me. "Th-Thanks--"

-The hug around my body is so tight I almost cough out my guts, but it's also very warm. I can hear him breathing, loud, echoing with his mask but I can also tell that he's taking me in. He then lifts me up with the littlest amount of effort and basically carries me back, my legs dangling beneath me.

-He's so close, almost too close, but at least now I'm warm. He's beside me on the couch, his forehead resting against the top of my head and just breathing, and I can't tell if I should've just taken my chances out there. I hold the cup of hot cocoa he made for me tight in my hands, his second cup sitting on the table empty.

-I sigh deep, and I work up the courage to put my hand on his chest and push back. I look up at him, and I find that his eyes widen at my sudden defensiveness.

-"I-I just, I need a moment." I say, looking away from him. "You need to clean your face.."

-His hands go to his knees, and I glance up at him to see he's still just staring at me. As if anticipating something, a betrayal perhaps? Or for me to change my mind and run, and then he'd trap me, wouldn't he?.. Would he? He was going to let me leave at the gate, no attempt to pursue me further.

-"..Are you Brahms?" I ask, looking up at him, and he nods short and quick, his voice spent from all the begging he had done earlier. He wasn't a talker; that much I could tell. "Okay.. Have you been.. Moving the doll? Doing all the things around the house?" He nods again. "Why??"

-He simply stares, not bothering to answer my question. Of course this makes me more uneasy, and I can't stand to keep sitting here in silence. I stand up; and he stands up with me, the way he gets up is so eager and near damn aggressive.

-"...Y-You need to clean your face." I say. "Let's go to the kitchen.. Go on."

-He stares at me, tilting his head slightly before slowly turning around, but his eyes are on my constantly, as if afraid of me at the same time obsessed. We got into the kitchen, slowly approaching the sink, and I grab a rag and hand it to him. He looks down at it, staring for a couple of seconds before grabbing a chair by the dining table and dragging it up behind him, sitting down in front of me and looking into my eyes expectantly.

-He wants me to clean it off for him?? I don't want to piss him off at this point. I wet the rag and I bring it to his face. I'm light with it, careful, almost as if I make the smallest mistake he'd take me out just like Edgar and Billy.. I'm so on edge, and so is he, but it looks to me like he's very comfortable with my getting close.

-Each blood dot I wipe off, the cleaner the mask gets. A crevice indented in the forehead of his mask catches my eye, the line dragging down to the bottom of the left side of his cheek. His mask has been broken before, and I'm wondering just what does he look like underneath? My other hand cups the side of his face and he tilts into it like a loving cat, closing his eyes.

-Fuck me did I really just find this cute? I can't be thinking like that. No, not for this guy. I keep my composure, even as his eyes open and he looks up st me. I keep cleaning, up until he was spotless, all but his hands, and his white tank top that was dotted with blood, and his suspenders. I finally recall wearing his cardigan, and I take it off of my body after I set the rag down.

-"Here." I say, handing it back to him, but as he takes it he brings it up to his face. I furrow my brows for a second with wonder at his actions before he puts it on, and watches as I lean into the counter. "So, since you don't talk much, I'm going to ask questions.. Yes or no questions, got it?" He nods. "Alright.. You are Brahms." He nods again, although I already knew this. "You've been moving the doll around, and.. And you can see through it?" He was nodding at first, but then he shakes his head. "Okay, okay.. You've been in.. The walls?" I ask this, seeing as he came out from behind the bookshelf, from the wall, and he nods. "You own this house?"

-He nods more, and he stands up. He freezes as he watches me step back away from him, and he's slow as he walks away from me, and then pulls the fake plant in the corner out of place. On the other side were some holes, thin and almost unnoticeable, but enough for him to peer through. He looks at me and hides them again, noticing how unsettled this makes me.

-"Y-You've been watching me this entire time." He nods. To be fair, I kind of always knew someone was watching me, but now to know my first theory was right?... "What the hell is wrong with you?"

-His stature goes rigid, and he almost looks hurt by this. As a matter of fact, he's been looking hurt since the moment I looked at him in the living room. I can only tell this by looking at his eyes though. But then he approaches me, making me back up into a corner until his hands go to my shoulders. The man doesn't understand my boundaries, my personal space.

-"I'll be good, I will." His childish voice tells me. "I'll be good."

-"O-Okay." My arms are weak and slow as I push his hands off of my shoulders. "W-We're gonna have to miss breakfast.. There are bodies upstairs, and I don't know if we should.. C-Call the police, or--"

-"No." The deep of his voice catches me off guard, shaking me to my core. "...My mess. I'll clean it."

-I feel relieved to know that he's learned that I'm not picking up his slack for him. But still, the way he speaks about removing bodies as if it was the same thing as cleaning up a messy room full of toys..

-Fuck, what have I gotten myself into.