Page 44 of Dollface

“Careful, boss,” the demon whispers, eyeing me closely. “Save your strength. You’re going to need it.”

Every part of me is screaming, raging against the injustice of it all. Havoc took Blue back to Dreadmoor, back to the Spinster. A searing inferno of rage engulfs every last inch of my being, threatening to consume me. I can feel it pulsing through my veins like molten lava, ready to erupt and destroy everything in its path.

I’m going to kill them; Havoc, The Spinster. I’m going to kill everyone in that fucking world. Every creation, every toy– I’m going to burn them all. I’m going to set fire to Dreadmoor and watch as it all fucking burns to ashes at my feet.

“Boss, you realize there is no certainty this will even work,” Charisma says, their nervousness for my well-being almost touching as we stand in front of the portal. “As much as I’d love to see what you do with Havoc, you know we can’t cross with you.”

“I know, but Blue needs my help. I’m not leaving her. I have to try to get to Dreadmoor, regardless of the possible outcome. All I ask,” I turn to face the two minions, their eyes full of concern, “if Havoc comes back through?—”

“Yes, yes,” Charisma dismisses me. “Sit on her?—”

“You keep her locked away until I return. I’m going cut out that fucking button eye of hers and stuff it down her traitorous throat,” I snarl, shoving my mask over my face. Sullen grins, excited by the idea of my descriptive punishment.

“Just make sure you come back,” Sullen states as I walk toward the portal. “Nightmare can’t be run with that old skeleton as king. There’s a balance to this maddening world. It needs the Boogeyman.”

I stare at them for another second before taking a breath and jumping into the brightly burning portal. Nightmare may need the Boogeyman, but Blue needed her Firefly.

I’m coming, dollface.

“Fuck!”I grunt out as my body is violently thrown out from the portal and onto the hard, unforgiving ground. The impact rattles my bones, my senses in overload as I strain, everything hurting from the crossover, leaving me feeling like I’ve been tossed around by one of the Nightmares that haunted my world.Fuck, and I thought my first time through was rough. As I lie there, gasping for breath, I feel the cold, smoky, acidic air filling my lungs and burning my throat. The triggering smells and sounds slowly seep into my being as I look around and realize where I am.

Dreadmoor. I’ve made it back.

Wasting no time, I push myself up from the ground, ignoring the cries of protest from my already-battered body. My eyes struggle to adjust to the darkness, unlit by the ever-hangingmoon light we have back in Nightmare. In Dreadmoor, the world is drenched in perpetual darkness unlike the night. It’s as if the world has exploded, and been left in the cloudy aftermath of a heavy haze of smoke that plagues this land, never settling, making it nearly impossible to see beyond my outstretched hand. My pupils try to adjust, but I can only see so much.

“B-Blue!” I shout into the darkness, coughing as I slowly start walking, not knowing where exactly I'm headed. This world is unfamiliar to me now, given I’ve been exiled for centuries, leaving little pieces of memory and familiarities of the landscape behind. Blue could be anywhere. We could be separated by miles, and I wouldn't even know it.

Images from my dark dream flash through my mind, causing panic to rise within me. I saw this happening, felt it before, but I couldn't stop it. I couldn't protect her. The impact of something stabbing me in the side almost knocks me to my knees as I groan out in pain, squeezing my hands into fists, fighting through it.Blue.She was suffering.I force myself to stand back up, pushing past the shared pain and dark thoughts. Blue is still alive, and she needs my help. I need to find her.Stay strong, dollface. I’m coming for you.

The distant sound of music, much like what I heard back in Nightmare, carries on the soft breeze, swirling with the endless smoke around me.The circus. I cough, peering through the haze, my feet following the odd beat until I come to a desolate tree. I grab the low, lingering branches, a few snapping beneath my weight as I carefully climb higher, reaching just above the smoke. The sound grows, the music directing my focus as I spot a faint green light off in the distance, flashing from within the cloudy smoke.Could that be it?

The wind picks up, nearly knocking me over as I grip the dead branches and hold on tight, the smoke breezing by enoughto reveal the top of a large, weathered, pin-striped circus tent.There.

Quickly, I jump from the tree, landing on my feet with a heavy thud. The smoke continues to fill my lungs, causing me to cough more and more.God, I hate this place. I want to rip my mask off, to stop sweating, to breathe the cold air, but I’m not sure if my tattoos will glow here. I can’t take the risk. At least with my suit, I know I’m unrecognizable and able to sneak right in, blending amongst Dreadmoor’s sick inhabitants.

I take a deep breath, trying my best to not gag on the smoke, before sprinting in the direction of the circus tent. Something tugs at my heart, as if pulling me closer with each step, telling me I’m going in the right direction. I follow the instinct, running until the music grows louder and the smoke begins to shift into an eerie green color, flashing lights flickering through the shadows. The same smell of burnt popcorn fills my nostrils, choking me on its thick scent as I lean closer, hearing a recognizable cackle breaking through the music.

Havoc.

I move, sticking to the darkness as I lift the fabric entrance and move into the large tent, reaching deeper inside, unsure of what I’m about to find.

The tent is dark, the flashing green lights above offering me little sight ahead between their flickers as I step forward, ducking large wooden boards. A loud drum beat, the sound of numerous instruments playing alongside it as voices entangle with the circus tune, people cheering, as if a show is happening. I can’t see much crawling beneath a strange structure, though the sounds and smells increase as I slither ahead. Light peaks from a slivered crack of one of the wooden boards, beckoning me. As I push closer, a familiar voice shrieks through a megaphone.

“Shut up so Havoc can speak!” It’s Havoc. She’s standing in the middle of a large circus ring, green, purple, and pinklights strobing overhead as numerous creations of all kinds—nightmares, demons and even lost souls—seem to have gathered, seated, cheering her on as if she is actually a fucking ringleader. She wears a sequin top hat, her clown makeup glowing the same as her neon green hair. She speaks into a large megaphone while swinging a large clown hammer.

“Havoc welcomes you to her circus of chaos, filled with dancing toys, trick nightmares, and even a sneaky little treat!” She cackles, nearly falling back as the crowd cheers, egging her on. “Sit back, eat your popped kernels, pop, pop, pop, and enjoy Havoc’s Cirque de Mess!”

She’s not a ringleader—she’s a fucking loon.

The crowd cheers and roars, the lights swaying as they change colors. Havoc skips from the center of the ring, fading away as a group of toys enters the ring, their button eyes reflecting the bright yellow light above. The music switches tempo, the group beginning a dance as they carry on. I need to keep searching and find Blue.

I move from the sliver in the wooden base of the audience seating and continue climbing through the wooden structure, making my way around the underbelly of the circus.

A familiar smell hits my nostrils as I stop, focusing on it: Ghost Meringue. I know it’s Havoc’s scent, which means wherever that psychotic little clown is, Blue isn’t far behind. But where did she go?

I close my eyes and listen, hoping to hear something that will help lead me in the right direction, but I only hear the music playing in the ring.Fuck!

The sound of the tempo changes, followed by the lights shifting and her shrieking voice returning through the megaphone causes me to search for another crack and see what’s happening. If Havoc’s back, then Blue must be close by. My eyesfrantically peer through the mask, desperately trying to find a way to see.

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