Chapter Text
Will awoke to what sounded like a snap of a large branch, dried leaves crinkling under what he only hoped was an animal’s weight as he tried to shake the irrational fear he felt,
“It’s nothing, just an animal… nothing to worry about, you’re fine… I’m fine…” Will whispered to comfort himself, turning over in his sleeping bag to try and get comfortable enough to return to his previous slumber, back to the ever dreamless darkness he had been abruptly woken from moments before.
Then he saw it, a vague shadow of someone through his tent. Will let out a sigh both of relief and annoyance, thinking it to be Johnathan trying to mess with him.
“Really John?” Will asked aloud, as if talking to his best friend. John was a prankster, they both were, which led into another reason why Will was annoyed. John was smart, freakishly so, always coming up with one elaborate prank after the next, taking college level classes in 11th grade.
“You had hours to prepare, yet this is the best you could do?” Will called out louder, his annoyance starting to build in his voice as his uncertainty grew as well. John wouldn’t have done such a childish prank, he’d have come up with something bigger, maybe a slipknot trap that’d pull him into the air if he stepped onto it?
But Will was pulled from his thoughts as he saw the shadow unzip his tent slowly, its long thin and pointy fingers noticeably grasping under the zipper as it opened the tent. This wasn’t John. Then whatever It was stuck its head into the tent when It decided the tent had been unzipped enough, Its large and round head with large, uncanny eyes staring into his soul, Its razor sharp claws holding the tent open as Will sat there shaking from his fear as he tried and failed to rythmize his rapid and shaky breathing.
“What… What the hell are you!?” Will tried to scream out, instead being heard as a dull and quiet whisper, almost sounding like a fearful child. He felt like his heart was about to explode in his ears as the Thing moved so that Its torso was partly inside the tent as well, its dull, dead looking eyes never leaving him.
“This… This is just a dream…” Will muttered under his breath, afraid to close his eyes as if he wouldn’t open them after, too scared to even blink.
“This can’t be real-” Will was cut off by a scratchy and eerie voice, terrifying enough on its own to give Will nightmares-
“I can assure you… I am very real.” It said, shaking Will to his core, Its teeth appearing sharp enough to cut metal remained shut in a demonic grin that surely wouldn’t ever leave his mind.
“I must say,” It continued on in a way that made it seem like it took pleasure from his fear, his terror towards it, whatever it was.
“You did me a great favor, finding this for me.” The voice continued on as one of Its clawed hands grabbed the small jester doll, as if being careful not to rip it.
“I’ve been searching for this for years, and you… You lead me right to it.” It continued on, almost sounding to be mocking him with Its speech while simultaneously thanking him? It was confusing.
“Who… What are you…” Will asked, his anxiety rising as he heard the quiet and sinister chuckle emerge from It before it replied in its sick and twisted voice.
“I’m Bloody Mary,” The tall Thing spoke, voice sickeningly sweet in a mocking way, making fun of Will’s terror and fear towards It.
“Bloody Mary?… Isn’t that just a myth… for parents to, like, scare their children into listening?...” Will asked, mentally cursing when his voice wavered, he was trying desperately to hide his fear from whatever was in front of him.
“Like I said,” It started, snapping Will out of his terrorized thoughts once more, “I’m very real, real enough that generations later parents still speak my tale to warn their youth…” Bloody Mary continued, an eerie and menacing chuckle escaping their ever closed maw.
Then Will remembered the first time he’d been told the story, he was a young boy, hardly nine years old at the time. His mom told him the myth, she was a beautiful and kind hearted Christian woman, loved her two kids and husband dearly.
He didn't remember her exact words, but he did remember that her words had been calming and soft, as if she had just told her son a bedtime story or a nursery rhyme instead of the horrific tale she’d just told him. Then she tucked him in with reassurance that he was safe, and with that she kissed his forehead and stood up from his bed, walking to the door and saying a single “I love you” before turning the light off and closing the door, leaving it open a crack.
Then he snapped out of his thoughts again, realizing that his tent was zipped and that thing wasn’t anywhere to be seen, the small doll still where it sat previously. “It was just a dream?...” Will said cautiously, clearly not entirely sure if he should actually believe that it didn’t happen or not.
This marks the end of chapter two, and I’m surprised that I managed two chapters in one day. I guess motivation is one hell of a drug! Anyways, I hope you’ve enjoyed this chapter of the story, and I’ll see you in the next update!
