Gingerbread House

Chapter Twenty-Five: Hand of Death

Paperjam had ran away from the burning witch's hut. He didn't make it far before he met a cloaked and masked monster.

They wore a deep brown, dirty cloak that covered the body entirely. There were even splotches of blood on the front and the bottom of it, the edges being ripped and torn. The mask looked to be the skull of some animal, maybe a goat of some kind. The mask was old like the cloak, bits of blood and cracks decorated the mask.

They stood tall, tilting their head ever so slightly. They were observing the teen carefully. They were thinking about how to react to them. They then lightly patted the younger's head.

"All is well... The Order is here..." The masked person spoke slowly and calmly, their words soft.

Jam nodded slowly, finally taking a deep breath of fresh air. His body was shaking horribly as the weight of what he had done began to crash onto him. He had killed someone... Sure, it was a bad person, but he still killed someone! H-He was just as bad as Fresh... He had to be...

Tears began to leave the teens eyes as he tried to think. He just felt horrible!

"A-Am I a-a bad p-person?" He hiccupped as he looked up at the stranger. He needed to know, the stranger knew what he had done, so they must've known!

The stranger made no sound, just tilting their head. They were wanting to know more.

"I-I... I killed him..." The teen covered their mouth, a sick, sick feeling cramming into their gut. Its one thing to know what you did, its another to say it out loud.

The stranger hummed softly, once again patting the younger's head.

"You did no wrong... Fresh was a monster... A monster we have pursued many years... You just did what the Order was planning to do all along." The stranger spoke sweetly, keeping the touch to a minimal, watching how the other reacted to their words.

The ink skeleton pulled back with a pain look, grabbing at their chest. None of those words made them feel better... It just made him feel sick that someone could speak so causally of murdering someone! Of killing them, no matter how twisted and awful they are!

"You have a pure soul. A soul made for magic of all kinds..." The masked stranger lifted a gloved hand to their mask, tracing the snout of it carefully. "If you wish, you can have a home with me." Carefully, they removed their mask, the hood of the cloak falling down.

The person behind the mask had darkened eyes, their bones a pristine white. They looked tired though, sleepy even.

Jam looked at them, blinking slowly. Why were they revealing themselves to him? Was this a powerplay? Was this to help calm him?

"You can come with me... To the Order... To talk, you will not be in trouble." They spoke clearly, their eyes looking directly at the teen. They weren't lying.

"Fi-Fine... But cross m-me and I-I'll make you pay." He warned weakly. Still, the stranger knew the young monster would do just as he said.

Quietly, they blinked and bowed politely. They then put their mask back on, throwing the hood of their cloak over the rest of their skull. They then offered a hand to the other.

Paperjam looked at the hand being offered to him. A hand of death, a hand he couldn't refuse at the moment. Glaring at the adult, he took it and left with them to his new life. A life just like his parents.