The Chance to make a Change

Chapter 16: The Arm

Summary: This is not going according to plan. Or: some painful sex and little explanation.
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It was night. Albert had left you all sore from the heavy love-making to which he had subjected you upon his return home. He fell asleep almost instantly afterward, still wearing part of his magician's clothes. The rope provided such a short leash, that you could not leave the bed, and so you had fallen asleep next to him.

A soft thud of the door, as it fell shut, made you open your eyes. You slowly became aware that you had been sleeping. But for how long? The room was drenched in darkness.

The door? Max?

You sat up, both curious and afraid that Max had come into the room for some unknown reason. If he spotted you here, that would be no good. It would mean Albert would do horrid things to him. Perhaps to you both.

But it was not Max who stood in the doorway.

When you sat up, you could see Albert's shadow in the dark. The outlines of the grotesque chin of the mask stood out, even in the darkness of the night. He was only wearing the lower half, you noticed, for his blue eyes shone freely in the dark.

"Where have you been?" Fear gripped your heart. Though you already knew without him telling you.

How had you missed the signs?

You glanced at the white that stood out in the dark, wrapped around his left arm. A bandage that had not been there before.

Too late, your mind cried out to you. You were too late?

Albert's voice turned sour-sweet again, cooing. "Is my sweet girl concerned about me?"

"Maybe?" More about the people around you. Have you been hurting someone?

You clutched your hands to your chest and waited as he pushed himself away from the door. Sweat ran down your back. Just one thought occupied your mind.

He's got Finney. This was the endgame.

Realization hit hard, like a train at full speed. You could not save the other boys any longer. They're long gone. You arrived too late. And now he had Finney. All of your wishes and hopes, all of the plans you once had, they were worth nothing. You wanted to cry at how useless you felt, knowing that you had rung this man's doorbell in hopes of becoming a hero. And now here you were, completely in his grip, brainwashed to the point where you hadn't even noticed the story had continued with you in it. And nothing seemed to have changed.

"I like it when you worry about me," he hummed. "Makes me feel loved."

"Makes you feel loved, does it?" you whispered, biting back the bitterness that threatened to spill forth. You had to coax him on purpose, stay on his sweet side.

Albert hummed, "very," he said. All of your words had been hushed. You suspected that Max might be home, and you remembered Albert's threats if you were to alert him. You also knew that Albert was more than capable of fulfilling them.

You watched as he sat down, then heard his sigh while he ran a hand through his hair, careful about the straps of the mask. He turned on the light.

You could see him fully now, as he sat on the bed beside you. He placed a warm hand upon your leg, affectionately. His blue eyes were soft upon you. Not the eyes of a killer or kidnapper, you thought. But still, these were the actual eyes of a murderer and a kidnapper. It was insane how much of a paradox this man was.

His black suit was on, the red turtleneck underneath. You instantly knew you were right. The bottom half of the mask covered his lips with a wide toothy grin. Not a trace of white was to be found around his eyes, he must have washed the makeup off long ago.