I waited for Jeff to come back. My stomach still hurting. It felt like my body was gonna eat itself inside out. I started feeling a little lightheaded.

After waiting in boredom for a little while and looking around the room for some kind of activity I finally gave up and plopped myself on the bed, wondering what was Jeff's story. There must be something that happened to him. I remembered the saying my mom used to say before she married my stepdad and I stopped existing to her: 'No one is born bad.'

Was she wrong? Are there people in the world who are simply destined to be bad? Destined to be murderers? Was Jeff's destiny already decided for him?

That's when it occurred to me: what if that Slenderman guy was making him do things? When Jeff spoke about him he didn't seem too comfortable. He also hated calling him his boss. He seemed to hate to have to obey him. Maybe the guy really isn't an apathetic bastard...

For some reason I was trying to somehow convince myself that Jeff was somewhat... good. Why? Why was I trying to see the bright side of him so bad? As if... I wanted to give him a chance. Sure, he's been a jerk at times, but he's also been kind to me. He could have used me in all kinds of sadistic ways a long time ago, but he didn't. Well, almost, but the fact that he still didn't just shows that he might actually not be as bad.

I quickly shook that thought off. No. He killed everyone I loved. There was no way I'd give him a chance. I can come to tolerate him, but not actually like him. I mean, he did kill them out of selfishness. Right? He wanted me all to himself. That's selfish, but... also kind of... cute?

No no no! I shook it off again. I'm just crazy. There's no way I'd like him. No. Never...

As I was drifting off along with my contemplations, a loud door slam made me jump, nearly giving me a heart attack.

"Here." Jeff said, putting a tray with a bowl, some cornflake cereal and milk on it next to me on the bed. "It's the best I could find."

"Finally! Thank you." I said, pouring cornflakes into the bowl. "Aren't you hungry?"

"I already ate. You shouldn't worry about me." He answered coldly, then walked to the wardrobe.

"Umm... Jeff?"

He was looking for something and didn't turn to me to reply. "What?"

"I just... I wanted to apologize. You know... for what I said. "I mumbled under my breath. "I really don't know you and what you've been through. I was rude, I'm sorry."

He stopped for a second, turned around and looked at me. I could see a little surprise in his eyes. Pleasant surprise. He was trying not to grin at me, which was already impossible and ironic. All he said was:

"You're adorable. You know that?"

Instantly I blushed. This time he didn't hold back and let out a laugh. I turned my eyes away from him. What was I even supposed to say? How am I supposed to react to that? I decided to just leave it at that and eat my cereal, ignoring the weird tingly feeling his words gave me.

After continuing to look through the wardrobe Jeff took out an old dark brown bag that was hidden somewhere deeply.

"What are you gonna do with that?" I asked.

"Getting your stuff." He answered.

"Wait, you're gonna go to Natalie's place? What if her parents are there?"

He gave me a smirk and opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off:

"No! You're not killing them! I'll go with you." I put a half empty bowl of cereal on the tray and stood up.

"You're not going with me." He frowned.

"I am! Take me with you, Jeff!" As much as I didn't want to do that, I grabbed him by his arm and wrapped both of mine tightly around it. He tried to shake me off gently, but I held on. I looked up at his face, wide eyed. He only sighed at that.

"You're not gonna give up, are you?" I stared intensely. "Fine. You can come."

It caught me a little by surprise. He never allowed me anything that easily. The best case scenario was that I he was going to throwing me onto the bed and locking me in or something. I didn't even want to think of the worst case. But he simply agreed. Without even much thought.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes. BUT. You have to listen to me. And I'm dead serious. Or I'm never letting you out ever again. Got it?" He warned me with a serious tone.

I nodded quickly in excitement. Soon enough we were in the van again. This was the place I was starting to get used to and somehow it was even a little comforting. It was strange as even having Jeff driving it next to me was comforting.

I looked at him. His long black hair falling down on his shoulders and a little on his lidless eyes was messy, uncared for. And that infinite smile, so brutally carved into his face. It gave me a weird feeling in my stomach. His paper while skin was so unnaturally smooth and leathery. He was definitely not a typical looking dude. Did he do all that to himself? The killers appearance gave me so many questions, it was almost intriguing.

"I can see you staring." He said with a little grin on his face.

I blushed, but didn't look away. I was determined to find out what happened to him. I wanted to know all about him.

"Jeff, what happened to you?" I asked, surprising myself with how assured my voice sounded.

He peeked at me for a second, like he wasn't expecting that sort of a question. "What do you mean?"

"I mean everything. Why do you kill? Why did you do that to your face?"

He only let out a little mockingly loud sniff. "Do you really expect me to just tell you my whole life story?"

"Aha." I nodded energetically. "I mean, there has to be something that made you want to kill or... I don't know. 'Made' you kill?" It was sort of weird how talking about that was so casual to me by now.

After those questions Jeff's grin was gone. "I kill because it fascinates me. Nobody is 'making' me. I do it because I love to do it. And it's always been that way. I've always had it in me." His voice was getting a little annoyed for some reason. He turned to me. "What? Do you think I'm actually good?" A sarcastic laugh left those scattered lips. "You think someone is controlling me and making me 'bad'?"

"N-no I just-"

"I'm a killer, (y/n). And not because I'm told to be, but because I love to see people suffer. I love the feel and smell of blood. I love seeing fear in people's faces. Does that answer your question?"

It wasn't exactly the answer I was looking for, but all I could do was nod at this point. This guy was already getting angry enough. I knew that he could burst at any minute, being someone with anger issues. I didn't even think my question could set him off like that, but I couldn't take it back by now.

For a while the ride was silent. There were so many more questions that I wanted to ask and I was on the verge of doing so, but each time I stopped myself on the last second.

We finally arrived to the place that I felt like I had last been to years ago. Even though it's only been a few days. A place that brought so many good memories, right before they had been destroyed by the most painful ones. In here I used to always be welcome. No matter what, I was always accepted. Now, they don't even know that I'm alive. Natalie's parents that is.

Oh, how much I hoped that they weren't home. It was Sunday. They weren't gonna be at work, that's for sure. I knew that Jeff wouldn't think twice to end them. And for what? Only because they were in their own house at the wrong time.

"In case they're home, you should stay in the van." Jeff said.

"What? No! The main reason why I came along was so I could make sure you wouldn't hurt them! And I could pick up my own stuff." I tried to find a better reason for him to let me tag along. He only groaned in annoyance.

"Alright, fine. But I have to check if they're home first." He agreed. "And you, get to the back and wait for me. If anyone sees you, you know how it's gonna end."

I did as I was told. I couldn't let another innocent person die because of me. There's been enough of those already. And so all I could do is wait, hoping that Jeff would listen to my wish for once.

After what seemed like eternity the back doors of the van opened.

"It's your luck, they're not home. The place is under investigation. There's no one there now, but anyone could come it at any minute. So come on, we have to hurry" Jeff told me. I sighed in relief.

He grabbed the old bag and after I got out closed the door. We went up to Natalie's apartment. The front door had a 'crime scene, do not cross' tape all over it. However, it opened effortlessly. Before rushing to the guest room, where my stuff was still untouched and mostly scattered around the room, like I left it, I looked around the place. There was a tape outline of the corpses figure in between the kitchen and the living room. I guessed it was Natalie's and tried to remove the images that were being created in my mind, holding the tears back.

As I was just about to start packing, I was suddenly ambushed from behind, my mouth covered by their hand preventing me from screaming. They got both of us into the closet and silently whispered:

"Someone's coming. Don't panic." It was Jeff, of course. He held me tight, his left palm still pressing against my lips. I could feel his whole body leaning closely against my back. I could hear his breathing. We stood still in silence. I felt his heartbeat aline with mine.

Footsteps and voices were heard in the next room. I couldn't really make up what they were saying. But I could tell that there were at least two men in there. Time passed and it didn't seem like they were going to leave.

"I think I'll have to take care of them the quicker way." Jeff whispered, his lips next to my right ear. My eyes shot wide open. I tried to say something against it, but my mouth was still covered so I started shaking my head. He chuckled a little. "I love it when you're worried about my victims. Sadly, that's not gonna change their fate."

We got out of the wardrobe and before leaving the room we stopped right in front of the door.

"I'm sorry I have to do this to you, sweetheart, but I can't have you get in my way." Jeff said before covering my nose with his free hand. I tried to resist as much as I could, but my struggles were useless. Soon enough my vision blurred out.

When I finally came back to my senses the first thing I heard was a scream. It was coming from behind the now slightly open door. I gathered all my strength and got up to see what was going on. As I opened the door a little wider the sight in front of me was appalling.

One of the investigators was laying in his own blood, his chest and stomach mutilated by a dozen of stab wounds. His face had a swollen cheek that was slightly blue and a stream of red liquid coming from his nose. The other one was the one making the screaming noise. The reason to that being Jeff, pinning him down with his knees and stabbing the guy all over his body.

The fact that these guys were freshly killed in front of me was traumatizing enough, but what troubled me most was Jeff's expression. His body movements. They were so psychotic and so lively. His smile was wider than ever and his eyes... almost as if his pupils got smaller. The twisted joy and pleasure in them made me realize... I was wrong. There was no way this guy had any good in him. No way he could ever feel empathy or any kind of sympathy for anyone. Possibly not even me.

At this point I really did want to believe that he maybe cared for me. But there was simply no way someone like him could care for anyone. A hot stream went down my cheek. I hated this feeling. I hated him.