Mystery Slasher x Reader

Chapter 2

Gatlin, Nebraska

1975

Age: 17

Silence

That was all that could be heard in the night.

You were currently patrolling the streets in town, wielding dual sickles, making sure nobody escaped or any outlanders decided it was a good idea to pass through at such ungodly hours of the night. Malachi was patrolling the cornfield and the outskirts of town. As much as you'd enjoy being curled up in bed right now, you couldn't because you had been put on night watch with Malachi and surely, he'd have your head on a silver platter if he caught you slacking off.

'That prick' you thought to yourself. Now that you thought about it, you hadn't bumped into Malachi since the beginning of your shift. You rolled up your sleeve a little and checked the time on your watch. 'It's barely 3:27 a.m.' you sighed. Night watch ended at 6 a.m. and the day shift started for a few other skilled and trusted kids. 'Might as well look for Malachi and update him' You thought, stealthily walking the alleys of town in the direction of the cornfield just to be on the safe side.

Once arriving at the old red barn on the edge of the cornfield, you called out to Malachi. No response. You called out again, and then you heard rustling in the cornfield. Your grip on your sickles tighten, not sure who or what was coming your way. And there, emerging from the rows, was Malachi. (I'm going to be referring to 2009 Malachi cause HE'S HELLA FINE ;3 even tho the time-line is in 1975 but this is my book soooo) Red hair reaching his shoulders, wearing a black button-up shirt, black suspenders, black pants and combat boots, and of course his beloved bowie knife in hand. "See anything?" asked Malachi. "Nothing. Did you?" you asked in return. "No" he replied. "We still have 3 more hours until our shift is over, what should we do?" you asked, hoping to go to bed soon. Malachi thought for a moment, crossing his arms and tapping his chin with the tip of his knife as if weighing his options. After what seemed like 5 minutes he replied, "We should patrol town again, just to double check nobody but us is walking the streets tonight." You nodded in agreement; thankful he didn't have you patrol the cornfield. The thought of being in there alone, and especially at night, gave you a very unsettling feeling in the pit of your stomach. You knew that's where HE lies.

HE WHO WALKS BEHIND THE ROWS.

Although he'll never admit it, Malachi will never let you venture into the cornfield alone for he knew of the dangers of what lie within. As cruel as Malachi was, he will do everything in his power to make sure you were out of harms way. Believe it or not, he fancied you and hoped that when the time came, you'd choose him as a husband before the both of you came of age to be sacrificed to HIM. You see, nobody over the age of 18 was allowed to linger anymore. That explained why there were no adults around in the first place, besides the old man at the pit stop for he was the only one who could supply us with gasoline. Isaac decided to spare him as long as he kept supplying us with fuel.

Any who, the both of you made your way back to town to make your rounds, checking every corner and making sure no other soul was out and about trying to sneak off. You remembered the last time you caught someone attempting to sneak away. You, being the person you were, scolded them and let them off with a warning, reminding them that if it were Malachi that caught them, he wouldn't have been as merciful as you. He mostly likely would have killed them as soon as he found that poor unfortunate soul. By the time you had finished your rounds and met up with Malachi, your shift had ended and now on your way to your old home with Malachi walking beside you. He lived just down the street from you so it wasn't uncommon to walk home together after shifts.

The walk home was quiet, neither of you made an attempt to start a conversation and you kept it that way. That was until Malachi spoke up, "So (Y/n)."

"Yes?" you replied, uninterested already.

He seemed to hesitate for a second to which this caught you off guard. "Have you thought of anyone who you think will be a suitable husband for you? I know it seems you still have a ways to go before your birthday comes around but we're both living on borrowed time..."

'What the fuck?' you thought, his question clearly throwing you off and it didn't take him much to read the confusion off your face. "I know this seems sudden but I just thought it would be nice to have you by my side before we meet our end." At this point you both stopped walking, Malachi resting his hand on the right side of your face where your scar was and the other on the back of your neck. He ran his thumb over the scar gently, a hint of guilt and sadness flickered in his eyes as he studied it. All you could do was look at Malachi in wonder, somewhat shocked at his sudden change of behavior. Rarely was he ever this gentle with you.

Then suddenly, he pressed his lips to your forehead. "This is a lot to take in, but at least think about it. I don't want to rush you." He whispered with a ghost of a smile on his face. You felt your cheeks flush at this and nodded softly, a small smile of your own forming on your delicate face. He let his hands fall to his sides and continued walking, you following suit. After Malachi bid you good night, you closed the door behind you and made your way up the stairs to your room, kicking off your shoes and throwing yourself in bed ready to knock the fuck out. Before slipping into darkness, a thought crossed your mind.

'Do I really want to marry Malachi?'

You pondered for a bit, thinking how crazy it all sounded.

'Instead of thinking about Malachi, I should be thinking about how I'm going to get out of Gatlin without getting caught. Surely an opportunity will reveal itself to me soon before Isaac asks me about Malachi.'

And with that final thought, you fell asleep.