Let Me In || Ticci Toby x Reader

15 || Notes

I wake up from a nap, deciding to eat a bit more. The crackers are a bit stale but better than nothing. The room is getting darker. From outside the window, I see a sunset starting to turn into the dark of night. Soon, the night will come once again. Another day has gone by, without any meaning. I have no idea what day it is. Though I suppose it does not matter. Weeks have gone by, maybe even a month. I wonder who is still looking for me, and who has given up.

Maybe it is best if I leave that life behind. I never hated my family, we got along well. Hell, I miss them more than anything. I have given up dying, and know I would surely be killed in prison. There's no doubt I would be locked up, even if I claim to have been kidnapped. There is no proof, and I did kill someone. Going back would mean prison. Staying here, I at least have some control over my life. Besides, the company isn't too bad. At least Toby is nice to me.

As if knowing I was thinking about him, Toby appears. He moves the broken door and sets it on the floor. When he notices me watching, he waves. I hold my hand up for a second before grabbing some water. Focussing on my food, I ignore what Toby is doing. I will talk to him afterwards.

I finish eating, leaving half a sleeve of crackers on a plate of crumbs. The water glass is empty. I am proud of myself for keeping it down. Though the feeling of having food inside of me is strange. I will get used to it.

The notebook is exactly where I left it. I grab it before huddling into my blanket as I sit upright against the wall. Toby makes the occasional tic, dropping the screwdriver a few times as he tries to put it in properly. I try to ignore him, writing down a few questions I have. Mostly ones I have been wanting to ask. Then a few new ones.

After seeing him struggle with the door for a few minutes, I give up on my writing. Instead, I hold my blanket around my neck as I walk over to him. The blanket rests on my shoulders as I reach to stabilize the door.

"Thanks," Toby says, smiling up at me as he crouches down on the ground. I say nothing, continuing to hold the door up and let Toby screw the hinges into the doorframe. It reminds me of helping my dad fix the back door. I remember that day but feel nothing. No nostalgia, no yearning to go back. Nothing. I feel my expression drop. My face muscle loosens, lips falling apart naturally. My eyes fixate on a spot on the door. It looks like a perfect circle was formed from how the tree grew. I wonder how the tree in my backyard is growing, and how the cactus in my room is doing.

Toby stands, having no problem getting the top hinge. I try to move away from him as he screws it in. Looking down the hallway, I see it looks different with a bit of light to illuminate it. More homely. Though I can see the dirt along the edges of the walls, running along with the roof and floor. Small particles of dust float around in the air.

Finally, I watch and focus on what Toby is doing. With my help, he gets it done quicker. One screw, two screws, three screws. Then it is done. I go back to the bed and grab the notepad. Toby swings the door back and forth a few times. It moves without sticking.

"Thanks for your help. And here I was thinking that I was an independent man who didn't need no woman." Toby closes the door and sits on the bed, facing me. I hold the notepad out, pointing to a question.

Why are you helping me?

"Because," Toby starts to answer. "You are interesting. I have never seen someone react that way when Slender and I were watching them. He thinks you could join us. I have no objections to that."

What is going to happen now?

"I don't know. What I think is that Slender would like me to take you out. That way I can show you how to do things, and help you. He does need to trust you not to run away.  We will be going into someone else's home."

Who are you really?

"Ticci Toby, call me Toby. But just between us, Toby Rogers," he lowers his voice when admitting his full name. His head jerks to the side and his hand pats his leg.

Do your tics hurt?

"No. I can't feel pain. It's called CIPA: congen - congenital insensitivity to pain. See this?" Toby holds up his hand. There is a glove with extra padding on it. "One of my tics is that I hit myself -like that. Even though I can't feel pain, it does leave a bruise and make it hard to move sometimes."

 How many people are here?

"A few, but you rarely see some people. There's me, Slender, Clockwork, EJ, BEN, Jeff, Sally, Zero. And now, you."

Are you really interested in me?

"I mean, yeah. I don't know why, but you intrigue me."

Where is this place?

"Not too close to the city, not too far away. All the utilities go under the radar from local distribution companies somehow. That's how we get water and electricity. Depends on which direction you take, it's either a day or two trip to the city."

I pause, not having any more questions written down. There is nothing more I wanted to ask right now. All the immediate ones have been answered.

"Since you're so talkative right now, may I ask you something?" Toby asks, his hand jerking to hit his shoulder. I give a thumbs up, nervous to know what he is going to ask. "Can I take you on a tour of the house tonight? It'll be empty."

"Fine." I sigh. Toby bounces to his feet, smiling wide.

"I'll knock on your door when everyone is asleep."

Toby rushes out, closing the door behind him. Struck by his energy, I take a second as I watch him leave. I take another second to recover from the shock before shaking my head. Admittedly, I am a little excited too. Though I can't put a finger on why.