Fear
Finn POV
When my gaze locked on Cheryl, standing frozen at the top of the staircase, her wide, tear-filled eyes and parted lips focused on the TV showing her father, her town, her people, everything about her disappearance, I became dysfunctional.
She'd just found out about me. About who I truly was. The reality was hitting her hard, and I could see her battling to breathe. Her chest rose and fell in uneven waves. She was pale, trembling when her eyes finally drifted over to me.
It was like she had surrendered. I knew it then, I'd lost her. No one could ever want someone like me.
I knew this day would come. I just hadn't wanted it to happen this soon. But she was bound to find out, that was what Liam had feared when I wavered at Mason's revenge and kept her.
To her, I was a monster. A ruthless, heartless man. And she was right. I was everything I appeared to be. Finn Hayes, the brutal murderer who terrorized her town, and slaughtered men without mercy. I was the nightmare that haunted her detective father, the fear that gripped every child. Unforgiving. Every victim of mine wears the same mark to assuage me that I finally succeeded.
When I kidnapped Cheryl, I left my mark like always, scrawled across the mirror. I couldn't bring myself to hurt her as I did with others. Piercing her finger for her blood was the hardest thing I've ever done, but I needed her blood to send a message to her parents.
God, I wish things were different, Cheryl!
As I swallowed the bile rising in my throat, her fragile body gave way. I bolted to catch her, but she was on the second floor, and I was too far away. By the time I reached her, she had already fallen, blood spilling from a gash on her head.
I was fucking too late. Too late!
The sight of her blood stopped me cold. I've seen blood. I've witnessed death. But seeing Cheryl lying there in a pool of her own blood, tore me apart. It was a sight I couldn't handle. I froze, feet away from her, helpless as I watched her suffer with nothing I could do.
I am useless. I am creaking useless.
She wasn't moving. Her body was limp, her face streaked with tears, and her hair matted with blood.
I couldn't breathe. I couldn't speak. I couldn't hear anything. I was paralyzed. Numb.
It might be April 21st, but the curse of April 20th had a grip on me.
~
Cheryl POV
"She—maybe—don't—hate—fine—fuck—son." The voices were loud, but the words were scrambled, like they were echoing in an empty space, far away, bouncing around in my head over and over.
I tried to blink. I don't know if I succeeded. I attempted to wiggle a finger. Still, I couldn't tell if I managed that either. Everything just stopped again, and it was quiet, blank.
It kept happening like that. I would struggle, trying to open my eyes, trying to make sense of the muffled words swirling around me.
But my body wouldn't listen. My heart and brain were on one side, but my body refused to follow. I was stuck in this void where there was no pain, no feeling at all.
***
"The long feared murderer who terrorized residents and left bodies at their neighbors' doorsteps has kidnapped eighteen-year-old Cheryl Mason."
"These men make a total of 108 victims of the ruthless killer. Our prayers go out to their families, and we hope to find Cheryl Mason before it's too late."
"Two more bodies were found in their vehicles, with the familiar 'FH' signature and their throats slit."
"We're working with law enforcement agencies in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee."
"We will find my daughter and end this five-year nightmare. That is a promise."
Gasping, my following breathing was hard and so fast. Sitting up suddenly with a scream tearing from my throat. I was calling out, but it wasn't for help or my dad. It was for Finn.
A splitting headache hit me like a truck, and I collapsed backward, sinking into what I guessed was a soft mattress and pillow.
It's okay. It's okay." A voice tried to soothe me as warm hands gripped my shoulders, but my eyes stayed closed. The pain was so intense that I couldn't stop the tears from slipping through my lashes.
"I'll call Peter," said another voice, familiar this time, followed by the sound of retreating footsteps.
"Dial Steph, too." That deep, husky voice right in my ear, definitely the one holding my shoulders, was so loud and close that it made my headache worse. I wished I could block it out.
I didn't need to, though. Slowly, everything began to fade, both the voice and the touch, slipping away with the pain.
~
Finn POV
The hours dragged by in agony. I had hurt her again. The guilt gnawed at me, thinking about what could've happened. If something terrible happened to her, I'd never forgive myself.
Liam stayed with me the whole time. Steph swung by when she could, her mom still blissfully unaware of the darker layers of my life. To her, I was just 'the good-hearted kid.' I'd do anything to keep it that way, just like Mr. and Mrs. Cameron still saw me.
Two days had passed, just sitting and watching Cheryl regain and lose consciousness. I hadn't gone to class, couldn't even think about it.
She was stunning. Easily the most beautiful woman I'd ever laid eyes on. When she slept, she looked like an angel, her innocent presence making me doubt my life. She even made me hate myself. I was jealous of her.
She was pure, too good for this world, too good for my world. Her beautiful soul glowed through her, even as she endured my hell. Her skin radiated warmth, and her stunning blonde hair was the softest thing I'd ever touched. She was a blessing. She was unreal.
How could I let go of her?
So, I sat there, watching her day and night. She was the only highlight in my hollow world.
I wished things could be different, Cheryl.
~
Cheryl POV
I struggled to wake up, my eyes fluttering as I emerged from unconsciousness. A delicate stroke around my cheekbone greeted me, momentarily soothing my battered body and lifting the weight of my pain, giving me strength I didn't know I had.
The feeling was warm, like home. I sank into it, allowing myself a brief moment of comfort.
But when my eyes opened, the second I registered the soft smile of the scariest man I'd ever met, that comfort evaporated, replaced by mere terror.
Instinct took over, irrational as it was. I scrambled to the other side of the room. The IV yanked painfully from my arm as I leaped off the bed, my body aching with every movement. My legs wobbled under me, and my head throbbed in rhythm with my racing heart. My breathing was erratic, panic surging through me as I locked eyes with him. Finn.
He was staring at me, his expression both potion of confusion and something I couldn't read, but fear gripped me entirely.
"Cheryl." His voice was gentle as if trying to calm me. "Breathe. It's okay." He lowered his hands, offering peace.
Peace? From him? This man, this killer. Someone who made murder a routine, who killed without remorse, slaughters family men without a second thought. He had no regret. He was a monster who killed people I knew, people I cared about.
Peace? Did he think of me to be that naive to expect peace from him?
I backed into the wall, its cold surface pressing into me, trapping me. The walls always seemed to close in, but I never thought they would actually box me here, with the one person I feared more than anything.
The infamous logo of Finn's name was enough to send shivers through anyone in Eureka Springs. His reputation struck fear into the hearts of every elder, every cop, every authority figure.
He watched me, his gaze traveling over my trembling body. I hugged myself tighter, desperately trying to shield my exposed skin. My breath hitched, and my eyes began to water.
"Cheryl, you're bleeding," he said, his eyes widening as panic flashed across his face.
My breathing quickened, panic tugging at my chest. Blood surged faster in my veins as Finn inched a step closer.
He must've sensed my fear because he quickly pulled back. "Cheryl, you're hurting yourself. You're going to bleed out." His face twisted in alarm, his voice filled with genuine terror.
My mind whirled in confusion. Why did it matter to him if I bled to death? Why would he care if I was in pain? All I knew was that Finn had set out to destroy my family, and I was next on his list.
Tears streamed down my cheeks as I glanced at my left hand. Sure enough, there was blood, too much blood, forming a dark pool around my bare feet.
A sharp, shaky breath rattled through me as I lifted my eyes. He was only three feet away now, looming in my space.
My panic spiked, my head shaking frantically. "Don't," I whimpered with my voice breaking.
"Cheryl, just listen—" He tried again, his voice strained.
I couldn't bear to watch him draw closer, so I clenched my eyes shut. "Please, don't touch me. Stay away." The words came out in a desperate plea.
Tears streamed down my cheeks even with my eyes tightly closed, my breathing quickening in panic.
"I'm just gonna—"
I cut him off again; his presence was unnerving. Though his voice was soft and low, it echoed horrifically in my mind. It was deeply unsettling. "Please leave me alone. Just go away."
The creaking of the door startled me, and I jumped at the fear that he might step closer. "Stay away from me," I repeated, my voice trembling as I kept my eyes shut.
When hands finally reached out and gripped my shoulders, I flinched and let out a piercing scream, sliding down against the wall, yet the hands remained.
"It's okay, Cheryl. I'm here." I recognized the only female voice I knew at that moment, and my eyes snapped open.
Steph was squatting beside me, rubbing my arms as she held me tighter.
I whimpered as I looked up and found Finn standing nearby. His demeanor shifted from confusion and panic to disappointment and something that looked like hurt.
Steph's hands didn't stop their soothing motion while I kept my gaze locked on the dangerous man above me. "Finn, let her rest, alright?" she said, her voice gentle, much nicer than the harsh tones of the men surrounding us. I recognized it from the whispers in my mind as I struggled to come back to myself.
I tilted my eyes slightly to behind Finn, where I saw the man from the other day, presumably Finn's father, along with Peter and another young man, probably Finn's age. He was blonde, not as tall as Finn, but taller than the two men beside him.
I could only stare blankly at them, my mouth slightly ajar as I tried to catch my breath.
"She's bleeding out." Finn's voice, though strained in an attempt to remain calm, dripped with urgency, sending chills coursing through my body.
"Peter will take care of her. Finn, let's give her some time," the older man commanded.
"I said she's bleeding out!" This time, Finn's tone was anything but soft. It was loud and furious, causing me to instinctively shield myself with Steph, burying my face in her arms.
"You're only making it worse. Your presence won't make it stop, son," the man said, his voice steady.
"Please, Finn," Steph pleaded with her friend, who was capable of such violence.
I sobbed with overwhelming force. Desperate for him to leave me. I wanted him as far away from me as possible. My dad had always talked about crimes. I had watched movies featuring murderers, but I never imagined I would find myself crouching next to an actual killer, the infamous 'FH' whom I had always refused to hear about from my father out of sheer terror.
An uncomfortable silence enveloped the room, stretching into a tense minute before I heard Finn's footsteps retreating, finally followed by the sound of the door closing. I was left with Steph, Peter, and my rising fear.
That was when I lifted my face from its hideout, sniffling as tears streamed down. "Finn is FH," I told her.
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