Chapter Text
I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, terrified he was still hot on my trail. Running over broken and battered fallen branches, tripping over tree roots. I could barely breathe. It was as if my lungs were being crushed with an iron grip. Adrenaline still rushing through my veins, I kept running through the woods in a foggy panic. And then it happened, my foot caught on a large root sticking out of the ground. It felt as if my ankle had popped out of its socket, I nearly screamed until I remembered he could be close by and see me any second now out in the open. I scrambled to my feet trying to find someplace to hide.
In the distance I could see a stone wall hopefully leading to some sort of entrance. I made my way towards it glancing back every so often, paranoid that I'd be caught any second. Limping along the wall I found myself in front of a large metal gate trying to pry it open. After many attempts, I managed to make an opening just barely wide enough to squeeze through. Upon getting through the gates there seemed to be a long driveway overrun with weeds and moss. Following it I came upon a large mansion, it seemed to be abandoned.
The mansion itself still looked fairly clean, while the yard and things surrounding it seemed unkempt. Inching my way up onto the porch slowly, I peered through a large window. It looked to be a living room or a game room of some sort, it was surprisingly clean inside however in comparison to the outside of the mansion. Assuming the mansion was abandoned, I tried to open the door and to my luck it pushed open.
I stepped inside, glancing around at different things. There was taxidermy hung around the home, a large staircase leading upstairs, multiple rooms downstairs and an open kitchen. It's a lovely home, I wonder why the previous owners left. I limped cautiously up the large staircase, upon reaching the top of the stairs I found a large painting. It all made sense now. I had read about the Heelshires roughly a year ago, about their son who died in a terrible fire and about the murder of Emily Cribbs. I felt kind of creeped out now looking at the painting, it felt as if their eyes were truly watching me.
I ventured further down a hallway until I came upon a room decorated with old wallpaper and shelves filled with children's toys. This must have been Brahms' room. I picked up a toy off a dresser examining it closely until a loud creak caught my attention, causing me to drop the small toy. Picking it up off the ground quickly and setting it back on the shelf, I made my way over to the doorway and peeked my head out. "Hello? Is somebody here?" my voice trembled, laced with fear. "Listen, I don't mean any harm. I was in trouble, and I didn't have anywhere to go. Hello?" I decided to check the house to see if anyone really was here and I wasn't all alone. Making my way down the stairs I paused, by the front door there sat a doll. He hadn't been there when I first came in, right? I hadn't remembered seeing such a thing. Cautiously I made my way towards it, in its lap there was a clipboard that seemed to have rules on it?
Rules
1: No Guests
2: Never Leave Brahms Alone
3: Save Meals In Freezer
4: Never Cover Brahms Face
5: Read A Bedtime Story
6: Play Music Loud
7: Clean The Traps
8: Only Malcom Brings Deliveries
9: Brahms Is Never to Leave
10: Kiss Goodnight
It confused me, who were these rules for? How did they get here? Hell, why were they here? I just chose to ignore it for now but decided to put the doll respectively in the room I previously came from. As I made my way out of the room, I could feel my stomach growl and decided to see if anything had been left in the kitchen cupboards and headed to the kitchen. My ankle ached as I made my way to the kitchen, deciding to wait until after I find something to eat to deal with it. Opening up the cupboards I found a few canned goods, I'm just happy none of them were expired yet. Settling on a can of beans I look for something to open the can, finding a knife and other silverware in one of the drawers.
It puzzled me, it seemed as if everything had been left behind. The home seemed more like a time capsule than it did an abandoned mansion. Pushing the thought aside I ate my beans and hummed a tune I could only vaguely remember. Finishing my food, I decided that the mansion was probably the safest place for me to be right now. I begrudgingly made my way back up the stairs for what, 5th time? I need to stop going up and down the stairs with a sprained ankle, it'll only make it worse. I made my way down the hallway from earlier finding a room across from Brahms room with a large bed. Taking off my shoes and hoodie that had gotten dirty from the chase in the forest earlier I laid in the large comfy bed. I could feel my eyelids grow heavy with sleep as I laid back onto the comfy pillows. And with that I drifted off to sleep.
A soft light seeped in through thick open curtains, illuminating the room with a soft glow. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes as I laid in bed for a few moments before deciding to get up to see if I could find any old clothes to change into and maybe find a shower. I ventured down the hall into what I assumed to be Mr. & Mrs. Heelshires room; the door opened up into a master bedroom that seems fit for royalty. I walked past the giant bed and to the drawers in hope of finding something that may fit me. After digging for a while, I just decided to grab a button up shirt and some type of pants that I'm sure used to be Mr. Heelshires. The clothes seemed to fit well enough that they weren't falling off me or too tight. Now was time to look for the bathroom, I was sure it was on the same floor as my room. Possibly a door or 2 down? I open a few doors, finding other guest bedrooms and finally the bathroom. I look in the closet and find your typical hygiene products. It kind of surprises me that all of this stuff is still here but hey, it works in my favor. I hang the clothes I found over the towel rack and start to undress and then I pause, my ankle has been all bandaged up. I don't remember ever bandaging it up, I don't even remember looking for a first aid kit matter of fact. How? Who's here? I'm not alone, am I? That's when I suddenly remembered the doll, the rules it left, and the fact that I found it by the door even though it wasn't there previously. I decided that I'm going to try and follow the rules for a day and see what happens, but first I need to shower.
I finish stripping and get into the shower, making sure to be gentle around my ankle. I finish my shower and get dressed, making sure I brush my hair to get any knots and tangles out. Once I'm pleased, I head to Brahms room to get the doll and the list of rules. Upon entering the room, I realize the doll isn't where I had left it. Panicking slightly, I head downstairs to see if he's there. I enter the study and find him sitting at the piano, his tiny porcelain hands positioned on the piano keys. The sight makes me let out a soft chuckle. It's terrifying, sure, but think about it. A doll playing the piano with his tiny little hands. I guess I could show him something I know. I start to play the tune of Brahms Lullaby when I hear a soft creak of floorboards causing my head to spin around. On a small stand by the doorway there's a letter that definitely wasn't there before. I quickly grab it off the stand and read it, it says.
"Hello, my name is Brahms. What's your name? I really liked you're playing, it's one of my favorite lullabies. I hope you don't mind but I bandaged your ankle. I hope you're okay, I'm sorry if I scared you before. I promise I'll be good. Will you stay? Please stay, I've been so lonely since mummy and daddy left. Please stay with me."
I could only stare in shock, was Brahms alive or was this the doll? I glanced back and forth between the doll and the letter. Deciding that I should probably answer back I said loudly but not enough to be yelling just in case he really was listening, "Hi Brahms. My name's y/n. I'm glad you liked my playing and thank you for patching me up, I really appreciate it. You scared me at first when you appeared by the front door, I didn't expect you to be there. It spooked me a little. The rules, do I really need to follow them?" I waited for a second and then I heard a soft voice, like a Child's voice, "Yes, please. Please follow the rules." I definitely wasn't expecting a voice, possessed doll or not. "Um, okay Brahms. I can do that. I can follow the rules." I don't know if I was expecting another reply, but it never came. I went the rest of my day following the schedule that Brahms seemed to have all set out. Nothing further happened but as I went about my day, I could definitely feel a sort of presence, it was a little unsettling, but it wasn't an uncomfortable feeling. It let me know that Brahms was still here in a way, watching over me like a guardian angel.
The day carried on like usual and eventually the sun had gone down meaning it was time for me to Brahms down for bed. Carrying him to the bathroom with me I set him down on the sink as I brushed my teeth and pretended to brush him as well. After I had finished up in the bathroom, I carried Brahms to his room and changed him into his pajamas before gently placing him under the covers. Kneeling beside his bed in an effort to see what would happen I said, "If you behave really well tomorrow, Brahms, maybe I'll let you sleep in my bed. Okay? You have to be on your best behavior." Looking at the doll one last time I stood up and turned the light off, heading off to my own room to get changed until I heard a soft thump. I brushed it off and continued towards my room until I heard it again, "Brahms remember what I told you, if you want to sleep in my room tomorrow you need to behave. That means no playing tricks and no scaring me." After that it was silent throughout the house. I put my own pajamas on and climbed into bed, drifting off to sleep soon after.
The following morning, I awoke to the soft distant patter of rain, a dim light shining through open curtains. Climbing out of bed I made my way to Brahms room; I changed him into his day clothes and made my way to the bathroom to brush my teeth. After I brushed my teeth, I went back to my room to find something to wear and made my way back to the bathroom to shower. Like the day before I was very careful when washing my ankle. The pain wasn't unbearable, but it still wasn't a pleasant feeling, the dull ache reminded me to be careful. I finished washing up and drying off, quickly getting dressed and taking a quick glance in the mirror. Even though I had slept the best I have in the last two nights than I have in years, the dark bags under my eyes told a different story. I turned away from the mirror and went to Brahms' room picking him up from where he sat on his bed and headed down to the kitchen.
I propped Brahms up on my hip as I opened the fridge in search of something, anything. There wasn't much in the fridge except a few bottles of water and a single cart of strawberries that I had no idea how they weren't rotten. I didn't think much of it as I popped one into my mouth, they tasted bitter in my opinion but I was hungry, so I continued snacking on them. I readjusted Brahms on my hip as I opened up the cupboard and pulled out a can of beans similar to when I first arrived. I decided that instead of just eating them straight out of the can I could at least heat them up and look through the cupboards once again, this time looking for some type of pot to cook the beans in. I eventually found one and rinsed it out before dumping the beans into it and placing it onto the stove. I turned it on and waited for it to heat up before putting the pot onto the burner. While waiting for the beans to cook I sat at the table, Brahms in the seat next to me. I hummed a song I had heard on the radio one time. It was an upbeat song; I think it was called "The Way I Feel"? No, um..."The Way, You Make Me Feel" that's it, it was a song that put me in a good mood. It had a catchy tune and I remember hearing it one time on the radio on the way home. Home...I hadn't been home in so long. I couldn't go back even if I wanted to, it wasn't safe, not with Him there. If I went back, I'd just be putting myself in danger again. I left so he would never hurt me again, obviously he didn't get the memo that No meant No, and no matter how much he wanted his way, he wasn't getting it. I wasn't going back. Ever.
Remembering that I was cooking, I got up and made sure to turn down the heat of the stove and stir the beans, hoping I didn't overcook them. I grabbed 2 small bowls and 2 spoons and sat them on the table, sliding a bowl in front of Brahms. I know I didn't technically need to make a plate for Brahms, but I figured I'd do it anyway. I finished my food and went to the sink to wash the dishes I had used. I could hear a soft pitter patter of feet on old wood and when I turned around both Brahms and his bowl of food were gone. Throwing the dishrag into the sink I began searching the house for him, where had he gone? I found him sitting in the common room on the sofa, the bowl of food still nowhere in sight. It was still early in the day, so I brought Brahms to the study to do his lessons. After a few hours of loud music playing, reading and other things, it was time for lunch. I made my way back to the kitchen where I had previously been only a few hours ago and there had been the dishes. They had been left on the drying rack; I had no idea when they had been washed. I had never even heard the water going, but I knew they weren't the dishes I had used earlier seeing as I had put those away. I decided I wasn't all that hungry and just took a few strawberries from the fridge and headed into the common room.
It had gotten darker out and the rain that had been going all morning let up, leaving an earthy smell. Wanting a breath of fresh air I stepped outside into the cool air, Brahms on my hip. It felt like forever since I had been outside, the cool breeze on my face was so refreshing. The silence was a comfortable one and after a few moments I made my way back inside. I made my way upstairs deciding it was time for bed and went to change Brahms into his pajamas. After changing him I did my nightly ritual of brushing my teeth before bed and getting into my own sleepwear. "Well Brahms, you did behave very well today. You did scare me a little disappearing out of the kitchen this morning though, but I won't hold against you seeing as you're probably just shy. Would you like to sleep in here tonight?" A soft thump was the only answer I got, assuming that was a yes, I pulled back the covers and climbed under them placing Brahms beside me. I gently placed my arm over him before drifting off to sleep once again.
Warm calloused hands stroked soft skin ever so gently. You could feel yourself start to stir awake, and as you opened your eyes all that was left was the soft groan of the old wood floors and the whisper of a touch on your skin.