{Jack's POV}

            Pitter-patter, pitter-patter.

            Jack sat in his armchair next to the window, staring out as rain pelted the glass and obscured the forest beyond. Rain clouds obscured the sun, making it nearly as dark as nighttime despite it being the middle of the afternoon. Only a single lamp illuminated the interior of the cabin, leaving the majority cloaked in shadows and darkness. Storms always soothed Jack for some reason; he loved the rhythmic sound of rain pounding against the roof, and the low rumbling of thunder.

            There was a creak from the depths of the cabin, and he turned his head slightly to see [Name] peeking outside her bedroom door cautiously. Her [e/c] orbs seemed to glow against her face in the dim light, bringing to mind the first time he'd seen her. A smirk briefly crossed his lips at the memory, bittersweet as it was, before he called, "[Name]." The girl flinched slightly and slowly looked at him, her [s/c] hand tightly gripping the frame of the door. Tilting his head, he asked, "Something on your mind?"

           She didn't respond right away but then shrugged. "...Not really..." Frowning, Jack rose from the armchair and walked to the bathroom, fishing around the drawers before returning to stand in front of her. [Name] leaned back slightly as he stopped in front of her but didn't move to leave.

            "Open your mouth." When she hesitated again, he gave a small growl. "[Name]..." Immediately her mouth popped open, and he quickly stuck a thermometer under her tongue. A look of pure confusion filled her face, her eyes crossing slightly to look at the white thermometer sticking out of her mouth, making Jack smirk under his mask. He remained still until the thermometer beeped, at which point he quickly snatched it from her mouth. Peering at the little screen, he sighed and mumbled, "Yep... Small temperature..." [Name] just looked at him in shock for a few moments before speaking.

            "Uh, how did you...?"

            "I used to be in med school, you know. I can tell when someone's sick."

            "...You were in med school?" Her tone was full of surprise and disbelief, making him smirk under his mask once more.

            "Yeah, a long time ago. How do you think I know so much about organs?"

            "...Experience?" He chuckled at her answer and would have rolled his eyes if he had any. [Name] frowned, looking puzzled. "But... How did you...?" She trailed off, but he already knew what she wanted to ask.

            "Did you think I was born looking like this? I used to be human, you know." The look of surprise and disbelief on her face was priceless, and he smirked as he went to return the thermometer to the bathroom.

           "What? You were...? But... now you're... How...?"

            "Not sure," he admitted as he stepped back into the hallway. "Just woke up in a field one day with no eyeballs and a craving for kidneys. My memories are pretty fuzzy, and it only got worse as time went by, but I remember useful things, like driving. Remember how I drove you here?"

            "I remember," she muttered, nodding.

            "Now, how do you think I learned to drive? Can't exactly find a teacher when I look like, well, this." He chuckled. Discussing it felt pretty weird. Jack didn't really think about his previous life too much, he saw no point in it. As time passed his memories faded more and more. He couldn't even remember his full name anymore, only that he was called Jack. For all he knew, he was a Jackson or Jonathan or even a Jacques.

            Not that his inability to remember bothered him, though—he was pretty content with his current life.

            As he mulled over this, [Name] spoke, her voice soft and thoughtful. "...And yet you couldn't remember how to make a bowl of cereal."

            "...Are you ever going to let that slide?" he grumbled, frowning, and she shook her head with a small smirk.

            "You terrify me for fun and keep me chained to a bed. At least give me that much." Sighing, he grabbed her arm and led her inside the bedroom, gently pushing her on the bed.

            "Go to sleep," he said, and then gave a small chuckle as he thought of Jeff. [Name] shot him a curious glance but didn't ask about it. Probably for the best.

            "I'm not tired, though," she protested, and he tossed a book at her, making her yelp as she dodged it before it could hit her face. "Hey, be careful!"

            "Just read that until you fall asleep," he instructed, ignoring her complaint. Grumbling, she turned so she faced away from him and opened the book. He chuckled at the sight, and saw a small shudder run down her back at his voice. Smirking, he soundlessly walked over and wrapped his arms around her neck from behind, making her yelp and give a small jolt. This only made him chuckle more. "Calm down, [Name]," he whispered into her ear. "It's just a hug. You're so jumpy." She turned her head slightly, casting him a slightly frantic look.

            "P-please let go," she whispered, and when he merely tilted his head in response she added, "Jack, it still kind of hurts..." It took a few moments for him to realize what she meant and he quickly released her neck. Sighing in relief, she gingerly raised a hand to touch the bandages wrapping it, wincing ever so slightly at her own gentle touch. Jack frowned at the sight. He'd forgotten about her neck, was it still bruised? Over a week had passed since then; if it were him, it would have healed by now. Then again, he wasn't exactly human like her...

             Watching her silently for a moment, he then sighed and turned, walking to the door. She glanced at him but didn't say anything, quickly returning her attention to the book. Closing the door, Jack returned to the armchair and settled in, staring out the window. Listening to the rhythmic pounding of the rain, he found his eyelids fluttering and slowly closed his eyes, letting the rain lull him to sleep.


 
            A triumphant smirk filled Jack's face, the blood of that putrid man swishing around in his mouth. Currently his captor was upstairs washing off the blood from Jack's bite and tending t his hand. Though it was a small one, it was still a victory for Jack, and he felt triumphant and victorious. For so long he'd been helpless, and while this victory might be small the fact it occurred at all was humongous.

            There was a loud creak and slam as the basement door opened, and slow footsteps descending the stairs.For once Jack turned his head to the stairway, watching his captor appear. Bandages swathed his palm, and in his other hand he carried a black canvas bag. His face was devoid of its usual twisted grin, replaced by an expression of no emotion. "You know, Jacky, it's rude to bite people," he commented, sitting in front of Jack.

            "You know, it's even ruder to hold a person prisoner in a basement," Jack growled, baring his teeth dyed red by the man's own blood. The man didn't respond, but then sighed.

            "You're really such an inconsiderate pet," he grumbled. "I feed you. I water you. I even clean you up after little... 'accidents'." Jack's smirk faded at this comment, his expression fading to a smoldering glare. Merely mentioning that made him feel humiliated, to the point he just wanted to hide. After a moment, the man continued. "You're quite ungrateful, Jack. I don't have to do that, you know."

            "You're right, you don't," Jack agreed, his voice low. "So why don't you let me go, and I'll pretend this never happened and NOT tear out your throat." At this the man chuckled.

            "Aww, what a sweet offer. Although... you should know better than to lie to me at this point." The man reached forward and patted Jack's head, ruffling his hair. Jack winced at the contact and tried to move away, the chains suspending his arms rattling. Growling, he tried to bite him again, but the man quickly withdrew his hand. His captor's eyes hardened as he shook his head, speaking in a low tone. "Trying to bite me again? Tsk, tsk, Jacky... You're only making things worse for yourself."

            'Worse?' Jack thought. 'Worse how?' He was already being held prisoner by a madman, kept as some sort of pet. As if hearing his thoughts, the man reached for the bag. Immediately Jack tensed, watching warily as he sorted through the bag.

            "Jacky, have you ever heard the saying 'don't bite the hand that feeds you'?" he asked, his tone light and casual. "Well, it's quite literal in this case... I've been taking care of you for a few weeks now, but since you want me to leave you alone, then fine. I'll give you your space." For a brief moment Jack's heart felt lighter. A relapse from this man was just what he needed. However, his joy quickly faded.

            "What's the catch?" he asked warily, his hollow eyes narrowing suspiciously. The man turned to look at him with the most twisted grin yet, sending shudders down his spine...