Rose Petals - Eyeless Jack x Reader

Chapter 3

[03— Intrigue]

|| Jack's POV ||

He did not fully leave once you had gotten in your car. He had walked down the sidewalk and disappeared out of sight, watching your car take off down the road. There was more to your story that he wished to discover.

The incident that resulted in his layout underneath the streetlight was an almost fatal one. He had barely gotten away from that thing— had barely managed to get within range of public eye to have it retreat back into the night before it could be spotted. He dragged himself under the streetlight on the brink of unconsciousness to further reassure his safety from the thing. Nobody was supposed to be out at night in that part of the neighbourhood. Yet, you were there. You were unexpected.

He wouldn't have died. No, he healed too quickly for a simple puncture in the arm to have taken him out, but he had to admit that your work on his arm would help. He knew all you thought of him was some guy who'd been out pre-emptively for some good Halloween fun. That was one of the advantages of being out and about during late October. People thought less of you when you branded a mask and inhuman features. Though, he had to admit, he was glad you didn't ask him what happened to his arm. He hadn't had time to concoct a lie whilst he had been on the brink of passing out.

Jack stalked your car from a safe distance. It wasn't difficult to trail you, given you were cruising down the street, and he could pick up the sound of it from a safe distance easily with his advanced hearing.

Part of him knew he should kill you since you knew of his existence, but another part of him was hesitant. That very same part was what pushed him to give you his real name. There was something about your demeanour that was... different. The reckless behaviour reminded him of someone he knew well, and that he could hardly stand, but there was something else about you that was drawing him in. He couldn't bring himself to not at least try and find out what.

He could hear you park your car in the driveway as he was coming up on your house. He stayed back as he listened to you carry your sleeping brother, hat back on his head, through the front door. Quietly, he crept up to the window near the door, straining his attention to listen in on what was happening.

You placed your brother in his bed upstairs before you returned to the first floor, stomping through the house in search someone. Who you were looking for was found lying back against a recliner chair, reading some old book with no cover on the front. You were on him in an instant, your exhausted yet livid screaming clearly audible through the window.

The man was thickly-built, and was in his later forties. Such was evident by the way he was beginning to bald and the wrinkles that were starting to define his face. His eyes were accented by heavy bags, and there was a frown permanently fixed to his face.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" you started, "starting shit with Iris and then hitting Liam—"

"She's the one who started shit with me, kid!" The man was quick to start angrily shouting back, lowering his book and leaning up in his chair. His voice was gruff and clearly weathered from age. That, or a long-lasting smoking habit. Jack thought it to be an unbearable noise. "And I didn't mean to hurt Liam! It was a goddamn accident!"

"Bullshit! Like you care whether or not you hurt anybody around here! You never have since my mom and dad died!"

The man got louder. "Don't you even talk about that, you little brat! I've been doing nothing but everything I can to try and make everyone around here happy, and all you and your sister do is shit in my face for it!"