Scary Story Time! - Foul is Fair (Installment 3)

Konichiwa, reader-sans!  It is late at night and I am tired and I want to go to sleep but I have spent the past several hours reading creepypastas and I feel like sleep would be a bad idea.  So!  I decided to work on my fanfic again!  I've introduced a few new characters and Jane is finally in it!  Squee~! (>.<)  So excited!  I love her!  But yeah, I've added a pretty decent amount of stuff to it today, so I'm going to post it.  I don't know if anyone actually likes reading my stories, but I have fun writing  them, so whatever.  I'm starting to feel like I need to be dividing this story up into chapters or something, though.  The Word document I have it saved in is twenty-four pages long and I'm nowhere near ending the story yet!  I don't think I've even reached the halfway point!
Anyway, here's the story and I hope you enjoy it!  If you need a refresher on what has been going on previously, just go look for my other two Foul is Fair posts.  I think they're both titled like this post, but with a different installment number.  By the by, the character named Helen is Helen Otis, also known as the Bloody Painter, if you weren't aware.  Catch you guys later!


- Turtle-chan

When you wake back up, it’s dark in your room.  You sit up and stretch before swinging your legs over the side of the bed and standing up.  You take a step forward but you feel yourself bump into something soft and warm that smells clean and earthy.

                “Sorry,” E.J. says as you back away.  You didn’t notice him in the darkness.  “I was about to wake you up.”

                “Oh, that’s fine.  Sorry for running into you,” you say, glancing away.  He smelled really nice.

                “It’s alright.  Are you ready to go?” he asks you.

                “Um, could I brush my hair before I go down?” you ask with a little embarrassment.  You haven’t brushed you hair in heaven only knows how long and you’re sure it’s a nasty, matted mess by now.

                “Yeah, just give me a sec to find a brush for you,” he says as he digs around in the drawers he had gotten your clothes out of earlier.  After a bit of rummaging, he pulls out a black brush and hands it to you.

                You take it from him and start gently combing the knots out of your hair.  E.J. watches you the whole time and you feel a little self-conscious about it.  You eventually manage to get your hair to the point of looking semi-acceptable and you set the brush down on top of the cabinets.

                “Okay, I’m ready now,” you tell E.J.

                He nods and opens the door for you.   You step out and thank him and he nods in response.  The two of you walk silently down the usual twists and turns of the hallway and then down a set of stairs.  You pass through a few more halls until you come to a stop in front of a pair of large wooden doors.

                “Just a warning: the guys you’ve met already are just the tip of the iceberg.  There will probably be a lot of new faces in here.  Just try to blend in as well as you can and don’t provoke anyone.  There’s only so much I can do to keep you from getting killed,” E.J. tells you in a very serious tone of voice.

                You nod, a little afraid.  “I understand.  I won’t do anything stupid,” you assure him.

                “Alright.  Just stay close,” he says as he pushes open the doors.

                You follow him into a large, dim room with a long table in the middle of it.  Almost all of the seats are full.  You look around and see all manner of strange looking people and creatures.  Everyone is eating, but they’re not all eating the same things.  Some of the foods look normal, like waffles or cheesecake, but then other foods look suspiciously like human limbs or organs.  You shudder a little, but keep following E.J. and sit down next to him.

                E.J. reaches into the middle of the table and pulls a bloody plate with a couple of kidneys on it toward him.  He scoops one up and puts it onto his plate.  You aren’t really sure what to do, but you are hungry.  You think about asking E.J. but you feel like things are a little weird between the two of you right now, so you don’t.

                You’re kind of starting to panic when a whispery voice that seems to come from inside your head speaks up.  “What would you like to eat, child?”

                You look up suddenly and look around for a moment until you see a very tall man wearing a suit.  He has no face and his skin seems to be pure white.  He’s kind of creepy, but you’re pretty sure he’s the one who was speaking.  It’s the Slender Man.

                “U-um, I don’t know.  Maybe some vegetables?” you say uncertainly, feeling a little embarrassed.

                He nods and a tentacle wraps itself around a salad bowl and extends it toward you.  You take it gingerly and put some of the salad on your plate.  The Slender Man then puts the bowl back where it had been in the first place.  “Thank you, sir,” you tell him quietly.

                “It is quite alright, child,” he responds courteously.

                You quietly start eating your salad and try not to make eye contact with anyone.  You hear loud, wet noises coming from the seat next to E.J., though, and all of the chatter in the room dies down.  You cautiously look up to see what is causing the commotion.

                Jeff is using his knife to scrape up something red and thick.  He swings the blade around crazily, flinging the substance everywhere.  He’s trying to spread it onto something, it appears, but you can’t tell what from the mess he’s making.  Everyone around you looks disgusted, amused, or horrified.  When Jeff is done, he gives the knife a final flourish, spattering you right in the face with whatever the red stuff is.  Then, he slaps a second piece of bread on top of the first one and bites into his sandwich happily.

                E.J. is all the way on the other side of his chair, almost on top of you.  He has a hand pulled up defensively and even with his mask on you can tell that he’s horrified.  He too is spattered with the red stuff.  Tentatively, you reach up and wipe some of the sticky substance off with your finger and then lick it off.  It tastes sweet and fruity.  Strawberry jelly.  You try not to giggle at the silliness.

                “Hey Jeff.  Do us all a favor and go to sleep, would ya?” a girl dressed all in black snaps.  She’s sitting across from Jeff and all of her skin is covered except for her face which is as pale as Jeff’s except for her eyes and mouth which are both completely black.  Her hair is also black and very long.  She’s stunningly beautiful and you can’t help but stare.

                “Can it, Jane,” Jeff shouts through a mouthful of sandwich.

                The girl sneers in disgust and crosses her arms.  “Savage,” she mutters, looking away from Jeff.  In doing so, you catch her attention and she turns to E.J.  “Hey, E.J.  When were you going to introduce us to your new friend?”

                E.J. puts his napkin neatly in his lap.  “When I deemed it necessary.  She’s already met some of the guys and Sally,” he responds cooly.

                Jane narrows her eyes at him and then turns back to you.  “Hey, I’m Jane.  It’s nice to see another girl here over the age of thirteen,” she says with a smile as she reaches a gloved hand across the table toward you.

                You take her hand and shake it.  “Nice to meet you.  I’m (y/n),” you respond shyly.

                Jane giggles.  “Aw, you’re so cute!”

                You blush a little and she smiles as she goes back to eating.  She too seems to be eating a sandwich, but she’s doing it much more neatly than Jeff.  You continue to eat your salad in silence.

                “So, (y/n).  Who all have you met so far?” Jane asks you.

                “Oh, um, E.J., Jeff, Ben, Slender Man, Masky, Hoodie, Laughing Jack, Sally, and you.  I think that’s everyone,” you tell her.

                She shakes her head.  “Some of those guys are alright, but you mostly got the bad ones.  I feel sorry for you!” she says with a laugh.

                “Really?” you ask her with surprise.  “Everyone but Jeff and Ben were pretty nice to me.”

                “They have their reasons, I’m sure.  I just know them too well to trust them,” she says vaguely.  “Anyway, I’ll have to introduce you to some of the other guys and gals and let you know who to steer clear of.  We have some pervs living here that are just not worth messing with.”

                You giggle.  “Thanks!  I’m sure it’ll be nice to be able to talk to another girl,” you tell her with a smile.

                She smiles back and then turns to E.J.  “I understand why you were trying to keep her all to yourself, you sneaky boy,” she says laughingly.

                E.J. has pushed up his mask so that he can eat and you see his pale, cracked lips twist up into a smirk.  He says nothing and continues eating his kidney.

                You’re eating your salad and listening to Jane and Jeff bickering with occasional interjections by E.J. when someone bumps into your chair.  You turn around and see a tall boy maybe a little older than you with long, wavy black hair, blue-grey skin, and golden eyes.  “Oh my gosh, you look just like Nightcrawler!” you blurt out without thinking.

                Immediately you’re embarrassed and your cheeks flush.  The boy looks down at you with confusion for a moment before smiling.  His smile seems to be golden as well.  “I’ll take that as a compliment.  You’re an X-Men fan then?” he says in a deep, dark voice.  If dark chocolate had a sound, it would be his voice.

                You nod dumbly and he grins down at you.  Jane comes to your rescue before things get any more awkward.  “(y/n), this is the Puppeteer.  Puppeteer, this is (y/n),” she says, observing the two of you.

                “Nice to meet you, (y/n).  Hm, I guess you look a little like Kitty Pryde. Or maybe Rogue but without the white hair,” he says with a grin.

                You laugh a little awkwardly and say,” Thanks.  It’s nice to meet you too.”

                “Well hey, I’ve gotta get some food, but I’ll catch you later, alright?  We can talk more X-Men then,” he says cheerfully as he walks off.

                 You nod and smile before turning back to your food.  Jane is staring you down with a smirk on her black lips.  “Soooo, (y/n).  You like that type, huh?” she teases, resting her pale chin on her gloved hand.

                You blush and shake your head.  “No!  I just said the first thing that popped into my head without thinking!” you exclaim.

                E.J. studiously pretends not to hear your conversation and Jane just grins.  “Alright, I see how it is,” she says, still smirking.  Then, she turns to E.J. and leaves you floundering in your embarrassment.

                “Hey, E.J.  Are you going to let (y/n) start hanging out with us?” Jane asks him.

                “She needs rest after all of the procedures and blood loss, but she does also need to remain active to avoid other complications,” E.J. says.

                Jane gives him a look.  “E.J.  I don’t think you could have given me a more useless answer,” she says in an annoyed tone.

                E.J. shrugs.  “Ask me a more useful question,” he tells her.

                “Alright.  Will you let her hang out with the rest of us tonight after dinner, then?” she asks.

                “It depends,” he tells her calmly.

                “On what, exactly?” she asks him, drumming her fingers impatiently on the table.

                “On how she feels and what she wants to do.  Also on who she would be with,” he says.

                “Alright, well I’ll ask her about the first two.  As for the last one, she’d be with me for sure and apparently Puppeteer, but I’ll handle him if I need to.  You could always join us too if you’re so concerned,” she tells him, smirking again.

                “It’s up to her,” he responds, not taking the bait.

                “Um, I’d like to spend some time with you guys,” you tell the two of them timidly.

                “Do you feel up to it?” E.J. asks you.  You find yourself staring at his lips and the almost ashen skin surrounding them.  It makes you curious about what else is underneath his mask.

                “I think so.  I’m just going crazy being locked up in that little room all the time,” you say.  “But if it’s going to cause trouble then I’ll just go back up after we finish eating.”

                “No, it’s fine.  Just tell me if you get tired and think you need to go back,” he says.

                “Yay!  Now we can have some girl time!” Jane exclaims.

                You nod and smile before finishing the last few bites of your salad.  Jane and E.J. finish around the same time as you do and Jane comes around to your side of the table and loops her arm through yours, leading you out the big wooden doors and down a hallway into a large room with several sofas and chairs.  E.J. follows behind the two of you casually.  You look around and see several people, almost all of them male, hanging around the room and sitting on the sofas.  There is a pretty large group of people gathered around a television playing videogames.  A couple of them are dressed as Link from The Legend of Zelda but one of them is dressed as Dark Link and he looks a little older than the regular Link.  It’s a little weird, but you don’t mind cosplay.

                There are a couple of guys sitting on a sofa and watching a particularly gory horror movie and laughing at it.  One of those guys is Jeff.  He glances over and sees you, giving you a quick jerk of the chin in acknowledgement before grinning at Jane and then turning back to his movie.

                Jane clenches her fists and glares at him, but she moves on.  You see various people scattered about playing games and there are also people just sitting and talking.  The Puppeteer catches your eye and beckons you over to him and a guy holding a sketchpad.  You glance up at Jane for approval and she nods as you both walk over.

                The two of you sit down on a loveseat and E.J. sits in a chair nearby.  “Hey, (y/n)!” the Puppeteer says cheerfully.  “This is my friend, Helen.”

                “Um, hi,” says the guy.  He glances up at you through long-ish black hair.  His eyes are a deep, piercing blue and his voice is very soft.

                “Hi.  I’m (y/n).  It’s nice to meet you, Helen,” you say with a smile.

                “Yeah,” he says quietly, staring down at his sketchpad.

                The Puppeteer laughs and nudges Helen in the ribs.  “Sorry, Helen’s always in his own little world, but the dude can paint,” he says.

                “Except he won’t ever show any of us,” Jane complains.

                “That’s because you wouldn’t understand the meaning,” he says, not looking up from his sketching.

                “Dude, what meaning is there in a picture of smiley faces other than that it’s a page full of smiley faces?” Jeff asks.  You aren’t sure when he got there, but Jane immediately bristles and glares at him.  For a moment, you’re reminded of a black cat.

                “Like I said, you don’t understand,” Helen sighs.

                “Go away, Jeff.  Actually, better yet.  Go die,” Jane hisses.

                Jeff looks down at her and leans in so his face is only a few inches away from hers.  “You first,” he says, chuckling.

                Jane pulls a knife out of her sleeve and Jeff does the same.  “Two can play at this game, babe,” he tells her warningly.

                You start to panic, not wanting a fight to break out.  “Guys, guys.  Let’s not fight.  I’m sure we can work this out if we try to talk through it,” you say nervously.

                The Puppeteer laughs.  “Aw, how naïve.  You haven’t been here very long yet, have you?  This is normal for Jane and Jeff.  They hate each other, but we’re safe in the mansion.  Slender won’t allow them to kill each other on the grounds, so all they can do is make empty threats,” he tells you, his gold eyes glittering with amusement.

                “Still!  Someone could get hurt!” you exclaim, looking around with eyes as wide as dinner plates.

                “If someone gets hurt I’ll just fix them up,” E.J. sighs, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.

                “Oh, you men are useless!” you exclaim, turning to Jane and catching her wrist.  “Jane, come on.  He’s not worth it.  What happened to getting to have fun?”

                She turns and looks down at you and you look up at her with pleading eyes.  Her face softens after a moment and she sighs.  “Alright, I won’t kill him right now, “she says, turning to face Jeff again.  “But you’d better believe I’ll get my revenge on you!”

                Jeff holds his hands up in a gesture of mock surrender.  “Whatever you say, sweetheart.  Just don’t cry about it when I make that pretty face of yours as beautiful as mine,” he says, walking away.

                Jane sits down and puts her knife back in her sleeve.  “Oh, he just makes my blood boil!” she says angrily.

                You look at her and begin wondering if she actually hates Jeff as much as she says she does.  “I think he has that effect on everyone,” you tell her.

                “Oh I’m sure he does, the jerk,” she mutters, glaring at the ground.

                The Puppeteer and Jane talk with you for a while and Helen pops into the conversation every now and again as well.  After a while though, E.J. stands up and stretches.  “Alright, (y/n).  I think it’s time to take you back to your room now,” he says.

                “Aww, E.J.,” Jane and the Puppeteer whine in unison.

                You giggle a little and tell them,” I’ll try to spend some more time with you guys later.”

                “Well, alright,” Jane says.  “I’ll come kidnap you tomorrow if E.J. won’t let you come see me.”

                You smile and tell her you’d love to hang out with her and E.J. leads you off back to your room.  You realize as you’re walking how tired you actually are.  It seems like you’ve just left the common room when you reach your room.  You stagger through the door and E.J. helps you into bed.

                “I told you not to overexert yourself, “he says.

                “I’m sorry, E.J.,” you say sleepily.

                “Just get some sleep.  Masky and Hoodie are on guard duty tonight, so you should be safe,” he tells you.

                “You need to sleep too, E.J.  You seem tired,” you tell him, grabbing onto his sleeve as he starts to walk away.

                He looks down at you for a few moments, as though you’ve surprised him, before responding,” Goodnight, (y/n).”

                “Goodnight, E.J.,” you tell him, watching his retreating figure until he closes the door.

                After a very short amount of time, you fall asleep.  Interestingly enough, you’re starting to kind of like it here, even if it is a little weird sometimes.