SCP-035 x Reader - Adoration

Chapter 9

[9– Code]

    I flung forward, eyes wide and breaths heavy yet quick. I was greeted with my dimly lit room. My head hung, my shoulders dropping. It was only a nightmare.

   Forcing myself out of the bed, I glanced over at the clock, realising it was morning. I sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed and allowing myself to recollect. A cold sweat was over me, only adding to the nuisance that the stiffness from sleeping was causing. I stared over at the mirror. There may not have been any thoughts running through my mind at the moment, but there was most certainly an urge to go to it.

   I forced myself to look away, considering the time and the state that I was currently in. There was no time for dwelling, nor a need to.

   I rose from the bed, recalling that today was this last week's shift. I began to prepare myself for it, still keeping in mind of what time it was and how fast I needed to go in order not to be late.

   Once I was finished, I left my cot with what I needed and started down the corridors. The silence welcomed the thoughts that flooded through my mind, allowing me to swim through them with ease.

   My mind drifted back to Newman as I went, recalling yesterday. There was a conversation in his office we had about my plans this weekend, as he had asked to do something with me, and I had to decline. I explained why and where I was going. Naturally, he had asked if he could have tagged along. I was left with no choice but to tell him no, as I knew that Oates wouldn't enjoy any uninvited guests along, especially considering it was her birthday. Newman got agitated by the fact that I was going somewhere without him, and that it seemed as if I wasn't even originally planning on telling him before. He persisted that he come with, to just tell Oates that he's joining in, but he finally stopped pushing when I had fallen silent. It upset me when he had gotten like that, but I couldn't stay that way, as he only told me he was concerned for my well-being.

   I made it to the chambers soon enough, greeting the said man as he did me once I had entered. The Class-D had been thrown into the cell, and the mask took not time in luring them in and taking them as a host. I entered once 035 took his seat, doing the same on my own respective side of the table. I sunk in my seat as I gazed at him.

   "I wouldn't take it you're fairing well as of recent," the mask started with. He folded his host's hands together in the table in front of him.

   I blinked. "...What?"

   "You've definitely had a better complexion before," he said.

   Always being vague with this stuff. I shook my head at his words. Guess there's no changing that. "Do I look like a zombie?"

   "And why would you assume that? I'd say you look more like you've got someone close to you stressing you out." 035 said, straightening in his seat.

   My brows furrowed, and I leaned up in my chair. I threw a quick glance to Newman. "What's that supposed to mean?"

   The mask offered a shrug. "Nothing more than what you already know, dear. I'm sure there's no need for me to tell you what events go on in your life."

   "Are you always going to indirectly answer my questions?" I asked.

   A chuckle emitted from the entity. "So long as you keep asking any of those questions in front of an audience... Certainly."

   I lowered my gaze. "I guess I do the same thing..." I took in a deep breath, hesitating with the words I wanted to use. "I suppose we're both in no position to open up, are we?"

   "And who is it that says it has to stay that way?" 035 questioned.

   I glanced. "...The people I work under?"

   "Not much for taking the hint, are you?" The mask vaguely gestured before allowing his host's hands to back against the table.

   "What's the hint?" I asked.

   "Hm, funny," he began, "I could've sworn I made it clear that I'm making my escape as soon as possible."

   I quirked a brow. "What does that have to do with me?"

   "Well, I'd say you'd need a break from all of this work, wouldn't you agree? Not only that but pesky coworkers who like to put their filthy little hands on things they shouldn't." One of 035's hands slumped onto the table, furling into a position I knew all too well. It was no surprise when he started up with the tapping once again.

   I trained my eyes on the rhythm, still uncertain as to what was going on with that. He's been doing this for how long...? What the hell does it mean? My mind raced through various possibilities, and it hadn't taken me long to come to a certain idea. Morse code...?

   "You'd deserve a break, wouldn't you? I'm certain it's plenty stressful working for this cooperation and its... Interesting staff." 035 continued to speak.

   I waited for the rhythm to repeat, having known what the beginning sounded like from having heard the tapping so many times. Once it had, I paid as much attention as I could to the pacing as the mask continued to ramble on.

  "I..."

   "K..."

   "N..."

   "O..."

   "W..."

   "W..."

   I continued on with the rest, it taking quite a bit as the rhythm was rather lengthy, yet despite that, the mask managed to continue fluently chatter on as if he knew what I was doing and that I needed time to figure it out without drawing the attention from my coworkers. When it went back to beginning, I looked back up to the mask and formed the entire statement in my head. Chills shot across my skin.

   "I know what he's done to you."

   I pursed my lips, shoulders tensing. I glanced over to the glass, trying to figure out exactly what he meant. There was no mystery as to who he was referring to, but what he was referring to, I was lost on. My mind raced, overwhelming me with thoughts in no time. I thought over every single memory I could, every little interaction I had with Newman, desperate to locate what exactly the mask thought the man had done to me.

   "[Last Name], darling, I'm talking here," the mask snapped me out of my thoughts with his suddenly impatient tone. "Am I boring you?"

   I straightened myself, fixing my gaze on him. "N-No!" I spluttered out, attempting to recollect myself. I couldn't fret how he spoke, as I knew it was only a cover up. "Just..." I shook my head. "Thinking."

   "Good." 035 muttered. "Anyways... To make my ramblings short for you: I might just take you with me as a souvenir when I escape~"

   Souvenir? "Oh..." I snorted, face screwing a bit in uncertainty. "Alright?"

   "Laugh as you will, doctor, but I'm very serious." He said.

   I hummed at that dismissively. The mask would kill me without hesitation if it ever got out, that I knew. The flirtations and the friendliness were only meant to charm me and nothing more. "I'm sure you are."