I'll Be Good, I Will (Brahms Heelshire × Reader)

1

First Person P.O.V - (Y/N)
(Edit: Every paragraph is begun with a ¶ symbol, and any chapter without the symbol they usually begin with a -. I am updating these slowly but surely. Also; word counts!)
Word count: 4,781

¶ It had taken me a minute to find a bottle and spray in a bathroom, and I had the doll sitting on my hip as I walked him with me up to the first window. I set him down, glancing down at his vacant features before I looked back at the glass. I sigh, my shins begging to buckle.. What was I really doing this for? I can't imagine that I get to stay in this place for long even if I work for it. The people I'm running from, they'll come find me here at some point.
¶ I didn't have much else to do, maybe it'll keep my mind off of having another panic attack. Keep me from thinking too deep maybe.. I need to think about something else a little bit more important. Like where am I gonna go next? Will they be able to follow me if I go to another state? I've been rushing through the cities now. I don't know these people well enough to know if they'd try to follow me out that far. I couldn't be that important.
¶ "Damn this window is.. Fucking thick." I deepen my scrub, and I give the young doll a glance before looking back forward. "Pardon my language. Find it kinda.. Peculiar that a place like this could be left abandoned for so long.. But then again it's not abandoned is it? You've got a grocery deliverer.. Malcolm." I pause for a moment before sighing. "I just get myself into one mess after the other, don't I?"
¶ I lean forward, my knee getting on top of the window's ledge in attempts to get to the top of the window. My arm reached up high, my shirt riding up my body and my thick jacket not doing it's job as it revealed my lower stomach to the colder air; I shiver, dropping my arm back down to my side and gripping the rag tighter in the palm of my hand. I sigh, and I just barely spot my breath dancing in the air like a ghost.
¶ I look over my shoulder at the doll, his body propped up comfortably against the wall. He sat up, staring past my leg with a dead stare. He had the kind of gaze I spotted on people who disassociate. Of course, he's a doll so it isn't too unexpected.
¶ I can't help but sigh outwardly, a sense of boredom already rising. So, I opt with entertaining myself by talking to our dear ol' Brahms.
¶ "So, uh.. What are you? Like half a decade old? Or a century?" As expected, my words went without response. "Given you are a porcelain doll.. You look pretty antique too, special looking thing. But then again you might not. All porcelain dolls look antique to me.. Wait, would that be considered insulting or complimentary?" I drop my arms as I begin confusing myself. "I mean, I just said you're worth a bunch but I also just called you old. Shoot.. I don't reckon that's something I'm going to have to worry about right away. Or at least I hope not."
¶ I deepen the scrubbing on a specific spot in the window, closing the space between me and the glass. I bite my lip a little, focusing deeper before I faltered at the sight of clean see through glass. I smile slightly before it drops. I don't need to deep clean these. Not like I should be staying any longer than a few days.
¶ "Y'know, I'm not from around this city.. Not super close but not too far away. I'm on foot, and I'm leaving home. I'm probably not going to stick around for long.. I'm uh.." I look down at the doll, a little confused as to why I feel like I need to be clean with it. It is a child, but it's not like it's real; regardless.. "I'm sort of running away. I don't like the people.. At home." I turn away from the window and I reach doen, lifting up the doll from the ground and holding him snug to my arm and chest. "I'll earn my keep until I have to leave. I can promise that."

(Time Skip)

¶ I finally finished up cleaning up the windows, occasionally talking to Brahms, the unconscious doll, before I finally stopped to look at the rules. I raise my brows at the sight of it, not fully understanding the extent of the rules. Where is the doll's bedroom, the music and the traps? What did they mean by traps even?? Rat traps? Rat traps would make sense. I can look out for those.
¶ "Okay. What do I do now?" I say, muttering a bit, before I become quiet. The silence almost felt deafening, and I nearly couldn't take it; instead I speak out. "Hey!" I yell out. "I cleaned your windows! What do I do next?!"
¶ Silence, I should've expected it. I sigh, looking down at the soft looking face that looked past me; before I could hear the walls rumble and my eyes lifted. I looked around, and the originally deceased light on the wall flickered to life and then back to death, the painting on the wall shaking slightly. I stepped back, my eyes widening slightly, before my jaw stiffened in my face.
¶ "..What?" I ask quietly, nearly sheepishly, before further down the hallway another light flickered, and it felt almost like I was being lead somewhere. Would I play like a dumb white suburban family and follow after it? "Fuck it."
¶ Honestly, I didn't have much to lose. I follow after the shaking walls, and they eventually lead me to a kitchen. I'd been in here, having cleaned the window. The lights flickered on in this place, bringing illumination to the room before I stood in the middle of it. I looked around the area quickly, inspecting my surrounding, before I looked down at the doll.. Finally, I could make out some features on it. Features I couldn't quite spot before.
¶ Cracks all along it's face. Like they had been glued back together and little by little, the doll was being fixed up, shaved down to create perfect features. This boy; he's been smashed to bits. Someone has hurt this toy, and it's been put back together.. Somehow this makes the subtle conclusion in my mind far scarier. My brain is piecing together a little story in my head right now as I stand here staring into his darkened eyes.
¶ This doll is possessed, has to be, and the force has somehow taken a liking to me.. Liking enough to keep me here and drag me along to do these errands. I really get into one thing after the other, huh?
¶ "O-Okay." I mutter quietly, sitting the doll down at the dining chair that had been already pulled out and is waiting for his seating. "Give me a second, just.. A second.."
¶ I stumble away from him and find myself sitting back in another seat. I lean into the back of it, staring at the soft face that gazed awkwardly forward.. I have to recall. And I'm doing it out loud.
¶ "S-So.. I asked for.. Then the walls, and now we're here, we.." I anxiously rub my hands against my thighs as I gaze off in a different direction. "..Food, the freezer. We put food in the freezer. Your food? Wait, hold on."
¶ I reach into my back pocket(and if you're a woman and your pants don't have pockets, jacket pocket) and I pull out the note that I folded up. I undo it, my hands shaking just slightly before my eyes gaze back through the notes.. Save meals in the freezer.
¶ "I'm going to think that.. I make us both something to eat, and I keep what you don't eat in the freezer?"
¶ Fuck what am I even doing right now? I set my elbows on the table and I place my face in my hands. I sigh, trying to relieve myself of stress as much as I can, yet I seem to fail at it. I'm just too caught off guard by all of this. How else am I supposed to react? Why am I even still here?? I guess I have the answer to that. Fear.
¶ Sure what is going on is scary but not at all as scary as what is outside of this house. Otherworldly forces at play may just mean worse, the consequences of taking care of.. A pultergeist or something demonic I'd guess with my luck, will probably get my soul dragged into the shadow realm and eaten alive for an eternity. But, that could not happen. If I'm nice to him, he'll be nice to me.. I'm hoping he keeps those words honest.
¶ However the chances of me leaving and being shed no mercy to the people that are after me? They are much higher. Besides, I should be able to just.. Surpass this, possibly. I'm really going to take this chance.
¶ I take a deep breath, the oxygen filling the bottom of my lungs before I lift my head up and out of my hands. I rest my chin in my palms and I look at the doll at the corner of my eye.. There's no way. There just can't be any way that this is happening.
¶ I drop my elbows off of the table and I lean back, parting my lips slightly to release the air that was trapped in my mouth, the fog of exhale deepening in visibility by each passing moment. It was getting colder, and either that was because of the outside world or something to do with.. No, of course it had something to do with the outside world! I'm not crazy.. Maybe.
¶ "Okay.. Okay." I take in another deep breath, sighing it outwardly although I know it won't do me any good, as I get up. "I'll make us something." I tell the doll before I walk up to the fridge.
¶ Surprisingly enough, there was all that I needed to make one specific meal, and nothing else. Your cliche breakfast(aka your kind of breakfast. Not cereal. Loser). I took these items out and began circling around the kitchen, using everything to my advantage. I was pretty average at cooking/making a meal to be fair, but I think I did a pretty good job this time around.
¶ I sat a plate in front of Brahms, and it was exactly identical to mine; except for the clear evidence that certain things are in different places. I sat in the chair across from him, and I stare at his upright form. The doll had some hella good posture. Yet I still can't get over just how lifeless he seems.. But after what had happened earlier I can't be too sure. Hell, I'm not too sure if I can stomach what I've got in front of me. But I force it into my mouth and down my throat regardless.
¶ Through all the chewing, I swallow down my bite, and then I can't stand the silence. I open my mouth up to speak, pause for a second, before I get myself to say it. "So, uh.. After breakfast you can.. Direct me about those traps, maybe?" I felt my voice going weak. "Then I can figure out.. Music and all of the other things on this list.. Maybe you can do it in a little less.. Creepy way."
¶ Shit was that also offensive? It's a possessed doll - supposedly - I can't be too sure as to what ticks them off. I don't know doll stereotypes. Would they even care? Why am I even thinking this hard about it?
¶ "Alright, uh.." My gaze drifts away slowly, landing on the freezer box to my right. "I'll finish my food, then I can.. Try to take you to the.. Music? I guess?? We'll go for music first."
¶ Then after I'm done talking like a fool, I begin finishing my meal. I was much hungrier than I had thought I was, shoveling it down my throat until the little bit of it hurt the pit of my stomach. Soon enough, I stood up on my feet and reached for Brahms, before I froze. My gaze landed on the meal, and I made it a quick note to pick up the plate and set it carefully in the bottom of the freezer.
¶ I held the doll tight to my body, carefully holding the back of his head up to my neck as I stepped out of the kitchen and looked down the hallway. All the lights were illuminated, but they were leading me somewhere. This was.. Less terrifying than flickering lights and banging walls. Yet still, quite intimidating.
¶ I followed after this trail, sealing my fate in like Hansel and Gretel, only right now I hope I'm not going to get shoved in an oven or fattened up for a meal. I find myself turning a few corners until I landed my eyes on..(Improv kicks in:) A vinyl player. It looked out of place, like it had been recently bought and whatever else used to play music had been destroyed. It was the only thing that looked like it wasn't victorian. Yet it was sitting lonesome on a table, with old vinyls sitting beside it. Dust hadn't dared collect on this however, it was recently used.
¶ I set Brahms to the side, sitting him on a chair. "Okay, uh." I pause as I approach the vinyl player and I press the on switch. The table starts spinning ambly, awaiting a disc. "I'll grab any one of them, and.. Y'know just play it. We good?" I turn around and I stare at the doll, expecting it to nod, but it never happens.
¶ I follow my word, picking up a CD and read the label. Or I would have, if it wasn't for the fact that the label was so worn and gone that I couldn't read it. I just slide the record out and blow the little bits of dust off the top. I set it on top and gently place the needle on its edge, and soon enough music begins to play. It was.. ominous, violin music. Then I flip a switch on the side and it speeds up the sound to a much friendlier vibration.
¶ "Okay, well.. While we listen to that, why don't you tell me a little bit about those traps maybe?" I ask, turning around to look at the doll. There was silence, and then nothing, and then I frown a little bit. "Okay, then.. Don't. Just know I don't know what the traps are."
¶ I pull the note back out, opening it up before I gaze down at it's contents. Basically, at the end of the day I've gotta give him a bedtime story and a kiss goodnight.. Wherever the hell his bedroom is. I'm sure the lights will lead me there. I clear my throat, rubbing my hand along the side of my neck as I feel a burn coming on.. It felt familiar.
¶ "If you can.. Lead me to where you go to bed when the time comes." I say, looking to the life-like doll.
¶ God I felt insane, talking to this fake.. No, not fake, talking to what I assumed to be a ghost of some sort, possibly a demon or, maybe a child? I can't tell if that'd be worse or not. I think it's worse to know I'm probably hallucinating half of this than to be playing along with the spirits. Maybe I'm dreaming?
¶ A pinch to my arm sends me into a slight jump, not realizing I was doing it until I did it. It still feels like I'm dreaming, but at least now I know that I'm not. But I guess that makes it worse, doesn't it?
¶ I let out another sigh and I reach my hands up to rub my face, pushing the stress out of my cheeks. I felt tired, too tired. To be fair I was walking for three days straight and I didn't get the chance to sit down like this for a while. To eat a meal..
¶ "Thank you." I let it out by accident, it was meant to be a thought, but I guess since I started I might as well continue.. Especially if this ghost of some sort was just letting me live with it out of courtesy. "For letting me stay here, I mean. I don't know if it's just you in this house, uh, Brahms, but.. I don't know, I haven't had a place that was safe to stay in for days now. Reckon this place isn't that safe either given.. Ghosts, and all that, but I think that you're friendlier than the people outside."
¶ I looked over and I almost died on the spot to see the head turned to face me. Did I sit him like that? Or was that something that he did on his own?... I gulp down my squeak of fear as I recognize that this will probably be the theme for the next couple of days. I guess I can't ever say I didn't live one hell of a life. I mean, I'm being hunted down by a bad group of people and I'm hanging out with a possessed child doll listening to creepy violin music? How much more exciting can my life get??
¶ I laughed at my own thoughts, it sounded bitter, tasted bitter even. I look forward, a little surprised that I managed to do so. "Beggars can't be choosers, huh Brahms?.. I'm just gonna be thankful. I think that fits better."
¶ The vinyl crackled, and I stood up off the chair, stepping forward and pulling the needle off the top. With a swift motion, I flipped it upside down and let it play on the other side. I flopped down on the seat behind me and I closed my eyes when I laid back in the seat.
¶ "I'm gonna rest my eyes a second, Brahms... Just a second."