Praying for a sinner || Ticci Toby x Reader

?? | Chapter 9 | ??

I look around again and sit back on my heels, "How.. how long was I-" Ej cuts in "Twelve hours." His abrupt voice carries across the foyer. "Twelve hours?" My brows furrowed, "It felt like days. How.. How is that possible?" My head shakes slightly as I speak. "Where were you?" Ej cuts in again, his voice sounds.. angry? "I- I don't know.." I'm a little flabbergasted, how the hell do they not know? It's their home, their boss. Ej turns to Toby. "Where." Its not even a question, more of a demand. Toby doesn't respond, I look between the two of them as they very intently glare at each other. "Have you always known? Of this little.. pocket that he had. This weapon that he could use on us at any point in time?" Ej spat; oh he was piiiissed. "I don't have to tell you shit" Toby retaliated, pushing off of his knees to his feet. There was a small, low growl that escaped Ej's throat. Jane's body was still facing me, but her head was moving between the interaction. My eyes, however, wouldn't leave Toby. He was still covered in that black substance, and now that we were in the light, I could see several cuts and bruises on him; there was also a deep stain on his clothes under his ribs. "There has been a danger lurking in the shadows this entire time, and you didn't think to let any of us know? You didn't think that maybe we deserved to know what hell could open up beneath us? Look at y/n." He didn't. "That could have happened to any of us. And you knew the whole time?" Ej was angry, you could feel it radiating off of him. I couldn't entirely blame him, but I didn't think it was Toby's fault. "There has always been danger here. Are you that fucking stupid? Have you met our boss? Have you forgotten who we are? What we have done to end up in this place?" Toby argued back, though it lacked any real anger. "That's not the point, Toby." Ej scoffed. "The point is, that there was something that mind fucking in this place and you didn't warn any of us." Toby let out a humourless laugh. "Where do you think the mindless comes from, Ej? You think they just appear out of thin air?" He throws his arms up to enunciate his point. A few people start appearing at the sound of arguing, I catch clockwork in the corner of my eye, when I turn to her, the look in her eyes is pure hatred. I don't even understand why, I've never even spoken to that bitch before. I narrow my eyes at her before turning back to look at Toby. "I'm not going to fight with you EJ, even if I had wanted to, I couldn't tell you. Let's just leave it at that." He starts walking away. "Fine. But I won't forgive this." EJ shakes his head and stalks off into a different room. Jeff pushes up from the ground, his eyes linger on me and Jane for a moment before he rubs a hand over his face and leaves. What a total shitshow, I make a move to stand and Janes head snaps towards me. "Relax. I'm just getting up." I reassure, her shoulders relax slightly, and she follows my move to stand. "Let's get you into a nice hot bath, you look like hell." She laughs at the last part; I smile in return. "Thanks."

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I step into the hot water. Immediately, my body aches for it. I had caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror when I first entered the bathroom, I looked like I had been foraging around in the forest for weeks. I was absolutely filthy, there was dirt and blood under my fingernails. I don't even know how it got there. Jane, again. Refused to leave for the entire time I was in the bath, she even washed my hair. She was quiet. It was.. odd for her to be so quiet. I didn't like her this quiet. "Jane, what's on your mind?" I spoke as she sat behind me on the side of the tub, her pale legs hanging over the edge. "I thought you were dead." She responded, her tone was strange, it was flat but also... full of.. fear and worry. "You're-" She took a deep breath. "I know that we've only been hanging out for a couple of days, but... you're.. you're like my best friend here.. and the fact that I couldn't do anything to try and save you..." She sounds so defeated. "Jane.." I turned to face her, the water around me rippling with the movement. "I'm okay.. and.. you didn't even know about that.. place.." I gave her a small smile. "I'm not dead yet, soooo I call that a win." She smiled back her head tilted down slightly, a question popped across my mind. "Hey Jane..." I start. "Yeah?" Her head tilts to the side. "What's Clockworks' deal? She looked like she wanted to kill me in the foyer." Jane's eyes narrow slightly, and her brows knit together. "What?" She sounds just as confused as I am. I shrug my shoulders in response. "She's a very jealous person, I guess. Her and Toby used to hook up, maybe she's got the shits that you're her new competition." She gives me a weird, cheeky smile. "Competition? for that arrogant asshole? Haha, don't make me laugh." I shake my head and turn back forward. "I'm serious, you've been staying in his room-" I cut in "Correction, I've been forced into his room, it was not my choice." I laugh and throw my hands up in protest. "Still. She's probably just jealous that he's around you so much." Jane shrugs. "Well, she's more than welcome to have his attention, plus he hates me sooo she has nothing to be jealous about." I grab a washcloth and start wiping the dirt off my arms. "He doesn't hate you." She snorts. "He did not get tortured for eight hours so that he could come save you because he hates you." She laughs, I abruptly stop washing myself and turn to her. "What?" My voice comes out unfamiliar, her face drops slightly. "You didn't know that?" She asks. I turn back around, I feel a headache forming. "No.. no I didn't." I continue washing myself again, my brows furrowed as Janes words linger in my mind. Is that what the black substance on him was? Some sort of lingering thing from the eight hours of.. I can't even think about it.

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Jane had changed the subject, and I had spent two hours in the bath laughing and chatting with her. The water was long cold by the time I got out. Jane had brushed my hair and did my skin care again. She's so oddly caring, how could she possibly be in this place? 

I was walking down the hall when I heard a loud thud come from further down. Was that in Toby's room? My footsteps got a little quicker, and when another loud noise echoed through the hall, I practically started running. I took a quick breath and opened the door.

Oh.

Oh.

I closed the door.

2916 words