Page 47 of Dollface

“Stop!” I growl, glancing back to see Blue’s pained face.

“Roll the dice, decide the doll’s fate. Snake eyes! Bug said dolly was the perfect pawn. His key to winning spider lady’s game! He only needed to trick the dolly into loving him.” She makes kissing sounds as I try to move to Blue. “And then he could finally win!”

Blue’s eyes meet mine, the feel of her heart shattering in my own chest as I try to move to her, resisting the pull of the Spinster’s threads. “Blue,” I groan, my blood trailing down my skin. “Blue, listen to me.”

“Y-you were using me?” she chokes out, her voice raw and bitter.

“No,” I breathe, feeling my own betrayal. “Please, I?—”

“Bug played his little game and won dolly’s heart!” The crowd murmurs, shocked by the truth. “And now, here they are! All is lost! Spider lady wins! Havoc lives happily ever after!” The crowd cheers as Havoc stands, bowing from the back of her giant spider.

“I-I thought you loved me, Firefly.” Her words pierce my fucking heart.

“Spider lady!” Havoc shoots through the overbearingly loud noises. “Make them dance to celebrate your win!”

The Spinster snarls as she flicks her fingers.

“Dance!” Havoc shouts, the crowd following suit as they chant as one, demanding a dance.

“Blue, I—” My body screams in pain as it lunges toward her, crashing into hers before we both are raised up, our strings pulling us together.

Havoc squeals and shrieks, clapping her hands as music plays and a cannon shoots overhead, confetti raining down on all of us. “Victory!” she shouts.

Against our will, Blue and I begin to dance, stumbling and groaning through the excruciating pain, controlled like puppets by our own creator.

“Blue.” I try to talk to her, but she refuses to even look at me. “Please!”

“I trusted you!” she cries out as I’m forced to dip her, her mouth gaping open as she wails in pain. “It hurts,” she sobs, leaning back into my arms.

“Fuck, I’m so sorry!” I croak, trying to comfort her, but every time I lean too close, I’m tipped away. “I promise, I do love you, Blue. My feelings—they’re real. Please, let me explain everything.”

“No!” she snaps, twirling away, the two of us forcefully bowing to the Spinster in defeat as the music fades.

The crowd cheers, applauding Havoc and her psycho circus, bowing to the Spinster as she stands, tall and slender like a needle herself. “Havoc,” she coos. “Take them away. Keep them close but separated. I have things to attend to.” She waves us off, the strings losing all power over us as we crash forward onto the ground.

“Blue,” I cough, crawling to her, reaching my hand out. “Please.”

“Don’t touch me!” she cries out, jolting her hand back.

My heart aches, cracking at the pain in her voice. I watch helplessly as creations run to us, dragging our bodies further and further away from one another.

This is all my fault. I ruined everything.

I pullthe last knot from my skin and hurl it across the cramped cell, unable to hold back the hot tears that sting my eyes. The look of heartbreak and betrayal on Blue's face cut me deeply, the feeling of her torment hanging in my own heart. She'll never forgive me, and who could blame her? I never disclosed my true motives, never told her the truth: that I was using her as a pawn in my own twisted game. But my feelings for her were real. I've tried to hide them, deny them, but I've never lied about them to her. I loved her, and that was real.

But she won't believe that now. Not after what she's seen, what Havoc said.

"Fuck," I whisper, sinking to the floor and burying my head, in my hands. "Blue,” I whisper into the dark, damp cell. “Baby, I'm so sorry."

"Is that you?" Her voice echoes in my head, and I can feel myself losing my grip on reality.Am I going mad?

"Blue?" I call out into the empty room.

"Yes,Boogeyman." Her words steal the breath from my lungs, and I can feel a sob rising in my throat at the sound of her icy voice and the use of that name. She has never called me the Boogeyman. “I’m in the cell behind yours. Another sick game by our creator, no doubt. Just—leave me alone.”

"Blue," I choke out, desperately searching for the right words. "Please... Please don't do this."

"You used me,"she spits, and I can feel the pain in her words mirroring my own.

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