I quickly scramble to my feet, realizing that I once again had put off finding that damn thread for Meg.

Just who the hell was that man? Why didn't he at least even leave me with a cut, instead of being completely uninjured?

"Am I going to be allowed to escape yet again?"

I wondered as the killer shack she had described appeared in the distance, and all thoughts of him pause as I quicken my pace towards the old building, realizing that I needed to get moving— and fast.

I bit down on my bottom lip as the building came clearly into my view, and I realized that this was pretty much identical to the building Steve and I were in during my first trial.

"He called it a killer shack then too, right?"

I tried to remember what happened during that time, but every part of that memory except for whenever I had first met her was foggy. As I near the door, I hear a gen pop, and smiling to myself I realize there's only one more left until the gates were powered up.

I step foot in the killer shack, faintly remembering how Steve made us climb through the window. The dusty wooden floorboards creaked loudly underfoot as I scanned the floor, looking for the roll of thread.

I let out a small hum as I see it underneath the window, and I quickly walk to it, leaning over and snatching it up off of the ground. I smile and turn back around, but stop in my tracks as I see half of that ghoulish mask peeking at me through the doorway, down in some sort of crouching position with the dark mist swirling around his legs.

As we stared at each other, the mist dissipates and he stands up, stepping to the side so his figure blocked the doorway. I awkwardly looked behind me at the other doorway, to the window, then back at him.

He held up a gloved hand, as if telling me not to run. My feet feeling as if they had been glued stuck to the ground, I don't make an effort to move away. He didn't seem as hostile as he had minutes before.

"I shouldn't of left so soon without explaining much-"

He spoke in his low tone, and I raised a brow.

"You didn't explain shit."

I interrupted him, and I could feel his glare from behind the mask silencing me, but I didn't feel fear— regardless of the loud heart beat thumping in my ears, my own heart beat stayed at its usual pace.

"I've wasted enough time... observing you, but to make things quick... I saw you two together at the castle."

He almost sounded amused as he stared me down, but I was filled with worry at the thought of someone else seeing us together.

"What if they hurt her?"

Well, besides him and Julie— but she could've told as many people as she wanted at this point. Hell, she could've told every killer that was there.

"Don't worry, I doubt anyone else saw you, the only other two who could've saw without you two knowing would be Philip and Amanda— and those two are quiet ones. Some of the "shyer" killers I like to call them, and they don't interact with the others much. But I can tell you now that I can be sure that I was the only one... besides Julie, of course."

I was about to say something in return when the last gen popped, but i'm cut off when he lets out a deep, feral snarl. It sounded much more animal than human, but then again they were shaped to be ruthless predators by the Entity. He whipped around towards the side of the shack and slams his knife into the wall, the blade lodged deep into the wood.

My eyes widen as he lets out a huff, his breathing heavy.

"Damn," he rasped, "I was hoping to at least gut one of your little friends this trial."

I swallow, and let out a nervous laugh, my eyes flicking over to the knife in the wall, then back to him. He stared at me, his breathing still heavy, and lets out a dark chuckle while shaking his head.

"{Y/N}... don't look so scared, I said I wouldn't hurt you... or was it that I wouldn't kill you? Either way, you're Susie's, and my tolerance for her is the only thing keeping you from being ripped apart right now."

I felt a tremor of fear, but also some sort of relief go through me at his words. At least, until he spoke again.

"I can't say the same thing for the others, though. Especially Julie. I can already imagine her excitement if she were to get her claws into you."

He laughed, and I look away, pursing my lips as my hands shook at my sides. I hear the floor creak as he steps forward, and I look back up at his mask. Before either of us could speak, I feel a tingling sensation at my fingertips and legs, and look down to see dark fog seeping from the cracks in the floorboards, swirling around my lower half, and swiftly enveloping my entire body.

The last thing I saw was him trying to reach for me, but the moment his hand came in contact with the fog, he hissed in pain and recoiled, staggering backwards into a locker with a loud crash.

As the fog swallows me whole, I hear whispers flooding my ears. Closing my eyes, I let them pull me into unconsciousness, wondering where I would be whenever I awoke.

i haven't really gotten around to editing yet, but here's another chapter. i apologize if there's any typos, i didn't really read through too much and edit (":

all i can really say now is thank you so much for being patient, and for almost getting this to 10k reads, o honestly never really expected that many people to read this <3