"Kids don't normally like scary movies, right?" I ask while carefully slicing some tomatoes. It's lunchtime. We're having BLTs.
Ben hums "I mean, some do. I'd say that it's probably split down the middle. Why?"
"Alisper watched Jeepers Creepers with me last night and loved it. She was singing the song pretty much all night afterward. I just wasn't sure if that's normal, or if I need to be concerned about it."
He chuckles, "Bro, we're Creepypastas. So what if she's weird and grows up to be twisted? It doesn't matter. Especially in our circles."
"Dude, just give your opinion. Is it normal? For people who are, you know, not us?"
"As long as she doesn't start killing small animals, you're fine. She's been through some shit, so a little horror might be comforting for her; familiar. I wouldn't worry about it. Not yet."
When the tomatoes are sliced, I start layering my ingredients onto plates, "See, was that so hard? I just needed confirmation," I call Alisper in for lunch and she wastes no time running to the kitchen.
"Why are you so stressed about this? Like, I get it's important to you and everything, but you just spent ten years as a very active, very brut..." He stops talking when I give him a look similar to the one my father used to give to me. He quickly apologises and moves on, "Well, you know. What's with the sudden shift?"
I sigh and take a bite out of my sandwich, "You just don't get it, dude. I was already changing. I've been putting in job applications for the past three months, before I even involved myself in this. I don't feel as sick anymore. As a result, normal sounds good to me now. I want normal, or at least a version of it."
"A version of it? What does that mean?" He asks me confused.
"Well, I wouldn't want Clockwork to talk to Zalgo if I wanted totally normal."
He thinks about it for a moment, "Okay, yeah, I get that. But why would you want to get close to normal in the first place? You have your own place, that's awesome. Why isn't that enough?"
A part of me feels annoyed that he doesn't get it, but I know it's not his fault. He's forever only twelve-years-old. He's never going to properly mature enough that my decisions make sense to him. I remind myself of that and breathe, "I'm just ready for more. I want to be an adult now, to act like one."
He doesn't understand, but he tells me that he supports my decision. We talk for a little bit longer, then get off the phone. I'm so relieved that I almost want to thank God. It's nothing against him, I'm just too hungry for talking. After Alisper went to bed last night, I walked around our house and did a perimeter check, to make sure there was nothing to worry about. It eased some of my stress to not see anything suspicious while I was out, but I still worried the entire time because I had left her home alone. By the time I got back inside, I was exhausted and a little hungry. Overnight, 'a little' turned into 'a lot'. And since I slept through breakfast, it's gotten more unbearable. I end up eating a total of three and a half sandwiches just to get my hunger to subside.
I do the dishes after we've finished our food while Alisper watches from her seat. So far, we're doing alright. She hasn't asked anything difficult to answer, I haven't felt the urge to kill her, and neither of us seems to feel uncomfortable around one another. Overall, things have been good. It's awkward being around someone you don't know, but I think we're making progress. She's initiated a few conversations with me already.
When the dishes are done, I turn to Alisper, "What do you think about going into town and visiting a store? We can get you some new clothes and toys, or anything else you want."
For a moment, her eyes get wide with excitement, but she quickly goes back to looking indifferent. I pretend to not notice, "Okay," She says, getting off the chair.
While she's putting on her shoes, I walk to my room to grab my wallet. After Liu and I discovered the bunker, I took some money out of the safe in case we had to buy anything before I started working. Toys are technically an unnecessary expense, but that's okay. I want her to be happy. If Liu has a problem with it, I can just tell him to fuck off. I chuckle at the thought, then leave the room. Alisper is all ready to go when I return to the living room. I grab the set of keys hanging on the wall as we step out of the house, locking the door behind us. She follows me to the station wagon in the driveway. We climb in and the first thing I see is the aux cord. I plug my phone in and open up YouTube. Once I'm sure she's settled, I pass the phone to her. She can pick the music.
Music starts to play as the car starts moving. At the end of the driveway is a dirt road. I'm not very surprised by it. The nearest town is approximately thirty minutes away. It'd be tiring to try to make a real road that goes that far. It's clear to me that the previous owners were obsessed with privacy, not that I'm complaining. I love my privacy too. It makes it easier to cool down when you need a break and lowers the risk of being caught.
After a few minutes, I realise that Alisper chose a variety of Disney songs for us to listen to. At first, I choose to tune it out and ignore it until one that I recognise comes on. I sing along with it, and the next, and the next. After the fourth duet, it finally hits me that she put on a playlist of all the villain songs. I chuckle to myself. I can't blame her for it. The bad guys have get all the best ones. I sing along with all the ones that I can remember, and she soon joins me. It makes the thirty minutes feel like a mere fifteen.
I turn onto the normal, paved road and follow it to the middle of town. I enjoy my trips here. There are enough people here that it's fun to visit, yet it's small enough that I don't have to spend forever trying to find a parking space. I'd hate to live here because everyone seems to know everyone else's business, and because it would be painfully repetitive, but it's enjoyable when you aren't a resident of the community. I do get more looks when I'm here than in the city, though. I can't blame anyone for looking. Scarring always gets you attention, especially if it's in some sort of design. Scarring that looks like a permanent smile? Yeah, it's expected. It used to humour me. I fed off the judgment and fear some people responded with. But now, it makes me feel a little self-conscious. I hate that I did this to myself, so it's not as fun when it gets people to look at me.
I drive through the center of town slowly while looking at all the signs. I consider stopping at a thrift store, but the name of the adjoined shop stops me: Home for Little Ladies. Originally, I assumed it was an orphanage and almost went right past it. The brightly coloured sign in the window specifying that it's a boutique for girls made me pull into the parking lot. A boutique? For girls? With the name of an orphan home? We need to check it out. I hold Alisper's door open for her while she steps out of the car. She follows close behind me to the front doors, which I hold open when we get to them. She thanks me quietly and enters the store.
The sight of pink almost blinds me when the door closes behind us. Pink shirts, pink dresses, pink skirts, pink walls, pink floors, pink hats, pink backpacks, it's everywhere. I expected there to be pink here, but I was hopeful it wouldn't be so stereotypical. It makes me anxious. I don't know what kind of stuff Alisper likes. I don't want her to pick out something she hates because she thinks it's expected of her. I consider leaving, but then I worry about her loving everything here and being sad that we left so soon. Feeling overwhelmed, I start to walk down the aisles with her by my side. After we get past the pink, I realise that I misunderstood. The store is huge, with the sections split up by products, colour, and size. I sigh in relief at this discovery of balance. I grab an empty cart nearby and walk more confidently through the building.
I don't know how much time I spent by myself, but I finally notice that Alisper is gone when I hear a woman calling out for her son. I stop dead in my tracks and spin around in a circle, searching for my own child. When I can't see her, I retrace my steps as quickly and as accurately as I can in an attempt to run into her. I'm about to walk to the front of the building for help when I catch a glimpse of her. The sudden stop almost makes me knock myself over. I take a few steps back and peer around the corner. It's definitely Alisper. She's staring at an outfit made up of a pink pleated skirt and a white, sailor-styled shirt. As I get closer, I realise that it's a dress, not separate pieces. There's a bow on the front of the shirt with an embroidered heart that looks similar to a locket on top of it. It looks a little silly to me, but all kids are into silly-looking things that adults don't understand.
I look down at Alisper. She hasn't noticed me yet. She's too busy staring at the dress to realise I'm here. I smile and look back at the dress. It does look like it's her size. I grab the hanger, and her attention. She blushes from what I assume is embarrassment and follows me to the fitting rooms. I encourage her to try it on and promise to buy it for her if she likes it. I patiently wait while she's led to the dressing area by a worker. No longer than a minute later, Alisper comes back out with the dress on.
"How do you feel?" I ask her.
"Powerful!" She responds gleefully. She's swaying in front of a mirror, watching the bottom swish back and forth.
I laugh, "That's good. You are powerful. How does it feel on you? Is it tight anywhere? Too loose? Are any of the tags stabbing you?"
She turns around to look at me, "It fits great! I am getting stabbed, though."
"Don't worry about that. I'll stab the tags right back when we get home."
Alisper likes my idea and runs back into the dressing room. When she returns, I take the dress from her and drop it in our cart. I tell her that she's in charge of our path now. She responds positively to the idea and practically runs through all of the different colour sections. She looks through the racks thoroughly and picks out enough pieces for at least three outfits. She finds another dress, this one white with lace ruffles and puffy sleeves, and I make her get two sets of pajamas. We're about to leave the store when I look at her feet. Her shoes are way too small and covered in holes. I take her to the footwear. She's a lot pickier with shoes, inspecting every option carefully. Finally, she decides on a pair of ankle boots and running shoes with a galaxy print on them. We get a few more necessities - such as socks, underwear, and a couple of spare blankets - then decide to leave.
As we're on our way to the front of the store, I hear Alisper quietly gasp. I stop moving to find out what she's looking at, and she runs right into me. I laugh while she starts apologising for not paying attention. I'm quick to assure her that it's okay, then ask what she gasped about. She points to the aisle across from us, at a large box. I walk over to it. It's called a "princess playhouse", although the picture doesn't match the description, in my opinion. It's just a white, canopy tent with sheer curtains. You'd have to add stuff to it to make it fun and princess-y. She clearly loves it though.
"Do you want it?" I ask her.
She looks up at me with figurative stars in her eyes. It quickly vanishes as she forces her excitement down, "No, it's okay."
I frown, "What's wrong?"
"It probably costs too much," She explains. "I'll find something else."
I gently place my hand on her shoulder to stop her from walking off, then crouch down to meet her eye line, "Alisper, if you want something, all you have to do is ask for it. The worst that I will do is say no and get it for you another time. And if I ask you if you want it, it's because I can afford it at that same time. You don't have to worry about money or the cost of things, okay? That's not of your concern right now. So, I'm going to ask you again and I want you to be completely honest with me. Do you want this princess playhouse thing?" Sheepishly, she nods, "No problem, kid. It's yours," I pick up the box and set it down inside the cart.
I let her pick out a few toys and books before we go up to the checkout. I catch her rushing herself every once in a while and casually remind her that there's no hurry. It seems to help. Still, it doesn't take her any longer than fifteen minutes. She only gets a couple of dolls, some fake food, and a toy toolbox. I help her put the stuff in the cart. I give her the chance to get some more things, but she insists she's okay. We walk up to the cashier's stand and put everything on the counter together.
"Good afternoon!" The worker, Sherri, greets us as she starts scanning everything.
"Good afternoon," I respond.
"Is it someone's birthday today?" She looks at Alisper as she asks the question. Alisper doesn't seem to notice.
I chuckle, "No, we're just getting her some new things. I recently adopted her."
"Oh, how sweet! What's your name, sweetheart?" Alisper looks up and answers her shyly, "Wow, what a unique name! How old are you, Alisper?" She looks at me and doesn't answer until I tell her it's okay. "Smart move getting your daddy's permission before telling me. That helps keep you safe," Sherri looks at her approvingly, then returns her attention to me, "How long ago did you adopt her?"
"I think three, maybe four, days ago."
"Is she your first?" I nod, "You're doing great so far. I have a few kids of my own. It can be a challenge, but you eventually get used to it. We have a section of parenting books if you ever need help," I thank her for the advice, and mentally kick myself for spending my money online.
After all of our stuff is scanned and placed into bags, I'm told it comes out to five hundred dollars. I notice Alisper tense up at the price. Her breathing becomes quiet and she looks at the ground. Her demeanor reminds me of a dead man; stone cold and unnerving. I assume that it has to do with the nightmare I saved her from. I ignore it for now, not wanting to embarrass her by drawing attention to her behaviour. I pay for everything and she follows me outside.
I unlock the car instantly when we get to it, then pop open the trunk. Alisper helps me out by trying to hand me the bags so I can put them in the back. We don't speak. I still haven't thought of what to say, and she doesn't seem to want to say anything herself. Once she can't reach the bags anymore because of her height, she gets into the backseat. I finish piling everything in, then pass the cart along to a parent who asks me for it. I make sure the trunk is secure before getting in my seat. I don't start the car though, not yet. I turn around to face Alisper, "Are you okay?" I ask as gently as possible. She nods anxiously, "Do you want to talk about what's bothering you?"
She doesn't move for a moment. I consider taking that as a no, but she looks up with teary eyes before I turn back around, "I'm sorry I made you spend so much money," She says regretfully, "I didn't mean to."
"Hey," I say in the same gentle tone as before, "Hey, it's alright. I went in there expecting to spend a lot. I was even calculating the price of things in my head while we were looking around. You didn't make me do anything, okay? I chose to. Anyone who ever blames you for something they, or anyone else, chooses to do is a jerk. It's not your fault. I didn't spend anything I didn't expect to, I didn't buy you anything I didn't want to, and I don't regret any part of this trip. It's okay."
"You mean it?"
"A million and one percent," I promise with a smile.
She smiles back at me. She isn't as perky as she was before, but she isn't as upset anymore either. I put the Disney playlist we were listening to before back on so that the music can hopefully cheer her up. We don't need to speak anymore. Not right now. I put the car into drive and start on the way back home.
That seemed like a trauma response to me, like she was expecting to be in trouble or even punished for asking for so many things. Considering the state of her previous bedroom, I wouldn't be surprised if trauma was the cause of her anxiety. After my accident, I was so depressed and traumatised that I started becoming violent. Then I started getting into drugs and alcohol and murder. I totally lost it. I just plummeted. I need to be careful that she doesn't go on a similar route. More so, I need to be careful that I don't slip into old habits if things start to become too stressful. I don't want to give her more issues than she has now because of my own bullshit. She deserves better than that. I need to be better than that for her.
I hear her singing and come out of my head. She seems okay again; happy. I smile to myself. I'm sure I don't need to worry about falling back into the deep end. No matter how stressful or angry I may get in the future, there's no way I'd jeopardise these moments. It feels too good, like maybe this is what my life was supposed to be if I never had my accident. I wonder if I'd be married or have my own kids if things hadn't changed the way they did. I wonder if I'd be successful.
I shake my head. I can't focus on that right now. That time is lost. There is only the now and the future. I need to focus on that. I can get a good job, be a good father, have a normal life. And so will she.
When we pull up to the house and see Ben hanging out on the porch. Alisper jumps out of the car when it stops and runs up to him. She tells me about our shopping trip and all the things I bought for her. I listen happily as he matches her enthusiasm on his way to the car. They both take the bags, leaving me to carry the tent, and all of us go up to the door together. After I unlock it, they go straight to her room. I set the box down with a groan. It's not heavy, but it is awkward. I start going through the kitchen cabinets to find out what to make for dinner. Ben comes running through, grabs the box, and yells something at me about muffins.
Confused, I step back outside. Sure enough, there's a basket of muffins on the railing with an envelope sticking out. I carry it inside and place it on the counter. Our names are written in cursive on the envelope, which causes me to smile. I open it carefully and pull out the note inside of it. I can hear Ben helping Alisper unpack all of her stuff as I unfold the paper to read it.
Here are some homemade muffins for your new house! I hope you like them! - Clockwork.
I smile again. That was nice of her. I start to set the note aside when I notice some discolouration. I turn the paper over and see more writing on the back. The letters are small on this side than the other. I quickly realise this is because it's supposed to be a secret message. I listen carefully to the house to make sure Alisper isn't coming back in here yet, then read the second note.
Liu told me that he overheard Slenderman telling the proxies to find and keep an eye on you. We don't know why, and obviously we aren't going to ask, but we figured you'd appreciate knowing. Liu is still planning on moving out next Thursday since Slender will be at that meeting with Zalgo. Other than that, none of us will be coming over for a while. Just Ben since he can teleport. Also, I have a meeting set up for Saturday so we can talk to Zalgo about extending the dimension perimeters. Meet me at the edge at one and we'll go there together. Be careful in the meantime. You're mortal right now. PS. Burn the note in case they enter your house.
I immediately get up and walk over to the fireplace. I start a fire and toss the paper in. I watch until it turns into nothing. I knew that Slender wouldn't just let this go. He's too controlling for that. With luck, the only intention here is a check-up to make sure we're safe. But knowing him, it's probably something much bigger and threatening than that.
I sigh and walk to Alisper's room. Her and Ben seem to be getting along great. The floor is covered in plastic bags, all of her clothes are put away, and they're sitting in the tent playing with her new dolls together. They haven't noticed me, and that's okay. I watch them for a while. I worry about this reality being taken away from us, but I try to push it away. As long as Zalgo agrees to extend the barrier, I can take on anything Slender tries to throw at us. And if he doesn't extend it, then I guess we'll have to move further. We won't be able to be anywhere near the others anymore, but it will be necessary. Her safety is more important than my comfort or preferences.
I clear my throat, getting their attention, "I'm thinking of getting pizza for dinner. What's the vote?" They cheer; loudly, obnoxiously, gleefully. I laugh and sit down, planning out what to order.
YOU ARE READING
Just Another Creepypasya Fanfiction
Fanfiction"Becoming a serial killer wasn't part of my life plan originally, but neither was pouring acid on myself. Becoming a father wasn't part of my life plan originally, but neither was getting better. I should face reality - I'm not good at making plans...
