Between Mysteries And Heartbeats (Stanford Pines x Reader)

Chapter Fourteen: How Long?

You rose once more, your legs shaky from the exhaustion that weighed you down, and retrieved fresh bandaging from the medical kit. As you wrapped the bandage around Ford's freshly stitched arm, you noticed how little he reacted this time. His arm must have been numb from the pain by now, and though it made your job easier, it also brought a new worry—was there nerve damage? You silently cursed him for refusing to go to the hospital. Thankful that at least it wasn't the arm he wrote or drew with, you tied off the bandage with trembling fingers.

You stood back, your voice tight with the effort of keeping it calm. "Can you stand?"

Ford nodded, his eyes avoiding yours as he held up his uninjured arm for support. You grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet, feeling the weight of his body against yours as he stood with a deep, labored breath.

"We're leaving," you said, the words firm, resolute. You weren't asking. You weren't waiting for an argument. Ford didn't protest, didn't even look at you as you grabbed his coat from the hanger and draped it over his shoulders. The small, caring gesture clashed with the storm of emotions inside you, but you couldn't bring yourself to abandon the softness entirely. Not yet.

Ford followed silently behind you as you led the way out of the lab, neither of you speaking, the weight of the day's events pressing down on both of you. The moment you stepped outside, the cold rain hit you like a wall, soaking through your clothes instantly. The downpour was relentless, slashing down in thick sheets, but the rain wasn't what sent a chill through you. It was the fear. The fear that crept back into your bones the second the rain touched your skin, as if it was pulling you back into that nightmare.

Each step through the storm felt like a return to the forest, back to the cave, back to the moment when that monstrous creature had its eyes on you. Those cold, calculating eyes flashed through your mind, and your breath caught in your throat. You could feel its presence again, the heavy sound of its paws pounding behind you, the twisted growl echoing in your ears. Panic gripped your chest, and before you knew it, your feet had stopped moving, frozen in place.

Ford came to a halt too, just a few steps behind, but you didn't look at him. The world around you blurred as you stood there, drenched, your heart pounding in your chest like it was trying to escape. The rain fell harder, mixing with the sweat and tears that began to form, though you couldn't tell the difference. You were back there, facing down that thing again. Every breath felt like you were choking on the memory of it—the blood, the fear, the helplessness.

"Y/N?" Ford's voice broke through the storm, soft but cautious. He was trying to gauge what was happening, but you couldn't speak, couldn't even bring yourself to turn around.

The silence stretched between you, but you didn't wait for him to say anything more. You forced your feet to move, pushing through the fear that screamed at you to stop. Every step felt heavier than the last, the weight of the rain and the memory dragging you down, but you kept moving. You had to.

Your heart pounded painfully in your chest, the rhythmic thud matching the rapid tempo of your racing thoughts. You kept your eyes fixed on the path ahead, barely able to see through the rain, but that didn't matter. You just needed to get home. You needed the safety of your cabin, the warmth, anything to get away from the cold terror that clung to you.

Ford remained silent behind you, his presence both a comfort and a reminder of everything that had happened. You wanted to collapse, to scream, but there was no room for it. Not now. So you pressed forward, your clothes soaked and heavy against your skin, every step a struggle against the storm both outside and within.

By the time you reached your cabin, your breath was coming in sharp, ragged gasps. Merlin barked from the porch, his tail wagging eagerly, but the sound barely registered. The fear still clung to you, gnawing at the edges of your mind. You fumbled with the door, nearly dropping your keys in the process, before shoving it open. Merlin darted inside, and you followed, leaving the rain and the nightmare behind you.