Re: The woods
Luke, the real one, damaged in his own way but not quite this particular brand of monster, knew that he would never forget the screams of his other self, no matter how hard he tried. Full of anguish, of pain, of things that just weren't fair, and neither of them could do anything about it. So he kept pulling, tugging, refusing to stop until he had Wren out the door and away from the twisted reality the hotel had chosen to show them. Once the door slammed between them, thick oak cutting off the screams and wails, he relaxed slightly, but he didn't loosen his hold on her.
It wasn't surprising, really, that his life would have been hell had she never existed. Because that was it, wasn't it? His other self had never met her, never known her, and he thought that what the man behind the door had become was even worse than becoming a murderer. And, at least, Luke had something to live for, someone who made everything better. He had her, and she made all the difference.
"It's okay," he reassured her as she clung to him, letting her cry against his chest, entirely uncaring of whatever bruises her hold might leave behind. "It's okay, Wren. It's over. We don't have to go back there." He ran a hand through her hair as he spoke, hoping the repetition was soothing, even a little, after what they'd just seen. Maybe it was over now. Maybe they could go home, or maybe they'd go back to the snowy village, and they could wait out the rest by the fire. Maybe. It was a foolish hope, but he clung to it regardless, smiling down at her when she tipped her head back. It's me, that smile said, confirmation that he wasn't his other self, that he did love her, and he would never, ever frighten her as that man had.
But then they weren't inside anymore, weren't in a hallway, and he wasn't in a suit. No, jeans and sneakers now, and while he preferred this outfit to the last, Luke felt a tremor of dismay as he realized it was probably happening again. Unlike her, he wasn't optimistic enough to believe that the hotel had just been a little off-course when sending them home. Yes, the neighborhood was familiar, but it wasn't their neighborhood, and there was a reason they'd been deposited on this sidewalk. There had to be.
First, the hotel had shown them his life without her. It would be fair, wouldn't it, to return the favor?
The thought turned his blood cold, and Luke tried to swallow down his mounting panic without success. No, no, he didn't want to see this, whatever it was, and when she pulled on his hand he started to move, to move away, even though he didn't know where away was. "We should go," he began, thinking that if they could just make it home, they might be able to escape whatever was coming, but then the damned dog had to show up and shatter the silence. Stupid thing was headed right into traffic, and he groaned, giving her hand one last tug before breaking into a run and chasing after the little canine.
"Hey! Hey, stop!" He called, not that he expected the dog to listen, and he put on an extra burst of speed as he neared. Just a little closer, just a little, and he lunged, tackling the dog with a muffled thump. Ow.