The 28th Stop [ Yandere x Reader ]

28 - Foreboding

A/N: One detail I forgot to mention in Chapter 20, and later edited back in, was that reader's scarf was torn and sat amongst the ruined furniture of her hotel room. So from Chapter 20 onwards, she's without a scarf, meaning that she wouldn't have been able to wrap it around Bob's wound last chapter. Hope that clears things up a bit ^^;;

Woken by the rhythmic oscillations that seized his body, Asher knitted his brows together while a soft groan escaped his lips. Lacquered with fatigue, he slowly peeled his eyes open. Gauzy images augmented to distinct contours of flickering streetlights and the belfries of high-rising buildings, piercing the charcoal sky amidst twinkling stars. Something else he noticed was that his entire field of view was...bobbing up and down?

He blinked rapidly - wide awake now - and saw that his arms were wound around someone's neck. His chin was resting on their shoulder, more specifically on folds of a dark fabric. Curly, black locks brushed against the side of Asher's face, while he noticed that he was a fair distance above the ground. Then it clicked.

That damned gatekeeper was giving him a piggy-back ride.

Asher tried to struggle against his hold, attempted to push himself off the man's broad back, but his limbs were drained of all energy. What was wrong with him? What was–

Flashes of memories from not too long ago streaked past his eyelids. Glints of his knife, crimson splatters everywhere and spine-tingling screams. Cadavers strewn around him. And an intense feeling of raw satisfaction.

Just like before. A time and lifestyle he thought he left for good.

His head pulsed and he winced. Instinctively, he burrowed his face into the warmth radiating from the piece of clothing.

"Don't get too comfortable there, Riley."

Asher's mouth curled in disdain at the snarky inflection in Emilio's tone. His voice was muffled by the cloak when he replied, "Shut up."

"Don't talk to Emily like that."

"Great, you're here too." Bleary-eyed, Asher raised his head and turned to meet Gael's glare. He was about to return it when he saw you, sluggishly ambling next to the mayor's son, under the canopy of a black raincoat you both shared. You and Gael had interlocked arms, to which Asher narrowed his eyes. "What's she doing next to you?"

"Walking."

"That's not what I meant."

Ignoring him, Gael looked ahead. "Looks like we're here!"

In front of them was a comely white two-storey building, with large windows that allowed them to peer into the interior of the bottom floor. It was filled with dressed mannequins, racks of clothes, antiques and other paraphernalia. Above the front door, on the top ledge, was a white placard that read 'Humberville'. Asher recognised it as the same store you and him went to for purchasing your satchel bag and dress. 'What are we doing here again?' he thought.

You wondered the same when you craned your neck up to observe the sign too.

"Are you feeling slightly better?" Warm breath tickled your ear as you turned to the source of the velvety whisper, meeting his electric blue eyes. "Rather than going back to that hotel miles away from that dastardly building, I thought we could stop by here instead."

You nodded. Pursing your lips, you sealed the exit for the amalgam of questions that lay suspended on your tongue. Returning your gaze to the sign, you noticed the subtle gashes that marred every edge of the plywood, almost hidden by the sheen of a new coat of paint.

'Strange,' you thought. 'It wasn't even that long ago since the last time I was here, and it looked fine then.'

You broke out of your thoughts when Gael knocked on the front door.