Can't Escape Your Past

Chapter seventeen- Inner Beauty

Wren's P.O.V

I've been sitting out in the woods a lot lately. But this time Jack sits on the fallen log across from me. He's still wearing his mask though, just like pretty much always.

Jack looks at me and he takes a breath; it's almost as if he wants to say something. He just looks away and stays silent. I don't know why he does things like that.

"What is it?" I ask.

"It's nothing," he quickly answers.

"I'm not stupid, Jack," I say. "I can tell something's on your mind,"

"Fine... I have a question,"

"Ask away,"

"Why do you stay if you know how ugly the scars are underneath my mask?" he asks cautiously.

I take a moment to think about the question. Then I finally come up with my answer. "I stay because, to me it's not about what's on the outside; it's the inside that counts most."

"And I still don't get how you want to stay with me even though I've killed so many people," he says, almost mystified.

"It's not your fault you were driven to madness. That's something I can forgive you for," I answer.

I twist and hang my legs over the trunk of the tree. Jack comes over and puts his arm around me. "I still can't believe we're supposed to have a baby in six months..." I say.

"Yeah," Jack sighs.

We sit there for a few more minutes. But we decide to get up and walk through the chilly December air hand-in-hand. We get inside and I take off my sweater and hiking boots. But Jack stays at the door.

"What're you doing, baby?" I ask.

"I'm gonna go out. I need some food," he says.

I already know that by "food" he means kidneys or some sort of organ. He never brings back the organs he takes from people. I'm actually okay with that.

"Alright," I say.

Jack leaves.

I really do wish he could see his own inner beauty when he looks at the mirror. I walk to the bathroom and look in the mirror. I turn and lift up my shirt. I just stare at my baby bump. It has grown, so that means she's still alive.

What could Slender have meant by "something's wrong?" I mean, like everything seems normal. She does kick lightly every now and again but that should happen.

What are we even going to name her? I like the name Skylar; Jack doesn't really seem to care what it the name is. I rub my lightly swollen belly and smile.

What if she looks like me? I'd like it if she looked like Jack. I don't really find myself that beautiful, but Jack always says otherwise. I guess we're both the same in that way. I know inner beauty is in him and he knows it's in me; we both just can't see it.

But if the baby looks like me it would probably be kind of cool. Y'know having a little person that looked a bit like you. But I don't know. I'd love her either way.

I feel a kick right by my belly button, hard. I gasp. I laugh, "don't scare me like that, sweetie!" I use a cooing voice.

It's only that moment when there's a loud pounding on the door.

***

I rush to the door and throw it open. It's Jeff. He has a panicked look in his giant green eyes. "What the fuck is going on, Jeff?" I ask.