Sincerely Me (A Jeff the Killer Story)

Chapter Sixteen~*

1- Jamie

We're just casually walking down the street when she taps me on the shoulder. I look back at her, pushing down the hood of the cloak so I can see her better.

"Does anyone live there in the house?"

If I could, I would have stopped right there in the middle of the street and just screamed or cried until the aching pain in my chest faded away. But I don't. I just shake my head and try to keep walking.

"Alright, that's good. I can come in with you then."

I nod, now trying to control the shaking in my hands. She has no idea. I've become so used to people who knew pretty much everything there was to know about me that being around someone who didn't know felt almost alien. As soon as that thought crossed my head, my mind jumps to Gold, who has always patient with me and my moods. Then, I think of Jeff, whose moods usually mirrored my own, making it hard for us to get along at times.

"You grew up there?" Her voice shatters my thoughts. For a few seconds there, I had forgotten she was with me or even what I was doing.

I clear my throat, trying to speak past the lump that had formed. "It's the only home I've ever known."

She nods, not even bothering to fight with me about it anymore. I think she's accepted it already. "The mansion's the only home I've got. I like it there."

I look over at her again, thinking over what she just said. "But I've never really seen you until now and I have been here a while."

"Yeah. Slender sends me away on missions a lot. I don't complain, it's not my place to, not with everything he's given me. Plus, I don't mind being gone when I know I've got a home waiting for me."

I almost pause right in the middle of the street. For some reason, the memory of us fighting at our first meeting comes sharply to mind. The smell of blood, rotting things and . . . almost unmistakably, the smell of alcohol.

My head is spinning over the possibilities when I ask, "Why does he send you away so often?"

"I don't know." She shrugs, not looking too bothered by it. "Maybe it's because he knows I'm reliable? It's not something I've ever questioned."

"Hmm . . ." I look away from her, forgetting that she can't see my face to read my expression.

"Okay. So you drink?"

"I'm an alcoholic. I'm not exactly mentally okay, and sometimes a drink or two just makes me think clearly. Then I get carried away."

My heart is racing in my chest. Perfect. "That's new. Well okay then."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

I shrug, remaining outwardly nonchalant, and try to calm my racing heart. "I just remembered how at our first meeting I could smell alcohol on you. It's been bothering me for a while."

"I've been trying to dial it down on the drinks lately. Not that it's any of your concern."

I nod in agreement though my head is screaming differently. "Yeah. It probably isn't."

Karlyah goes silent. I keep us walking, leading her through my town. After a while, I notice she starts to sniff around a lot. I try to ignore it but with her so close to me on the sidewalk, it was almost impossible to do. In an attempt to distract myself, I look around at the familiar sights,
memories of my younger years emerging from the back of my mind. The only problem was that
a lot of them were spotty. I couldn't remember faces and I had to concentrate to remember
exactly how things had played out.