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❝ oh, i hope someday i'll
make it OUT of here, even if
it takes all night or a hundred
YEARS ! ❞

lovely, billie eilish & khalid.

FINNEY WOKE UP to the sound of ringing. more specifically, a phone ringing. it only rang once, but that was enough for him to wake up.

he opened his eyes and his gaze landed on the phone. he was confused on wether it actually rang, or it was just his head messing with him. it wouldn't make sense if it rang, since it was broken.

guess it wasn't a fucked up dream, he thought.

he sat up and noticed jaelin sat on the floor, leaning on the mattress whilst using her arm as a makeshift pillow. she was fast asleep, and finney could tell she needed it from the dark circles under her eyes.

nonetheless, he got up and walked towards the phone. he picked up the receiver and put it by his ear, wanting to see if he was hallucinating or it actually rang and someone was on the other side.

"it doesn't work. not since i was a kid. hang it up." finney heard the grabber from behind him. he brought the receiver down but didn't hang it up.

the grabber turned on the basement lights, and that's when finney turned around. he was met with the grabber in the shadows by the bottom of the staircase. he could barely see his face.

"i know you're scared and you want to go home.." he slowly walked forwards, "i'll take you..both home soon."

finney got a clearer look at him once he stepped into some light. the grabber was wearing his full masks with the same black clothing.

"it's just that.." he sighed and looked away, "everything's all fucked up. i gotta be upstairs for a while. somethings come up."

finney stared back at him, "what?"

"never mind what." he replied in a low tone.

finney furrowed his brows, "did someone see something?"

when the grabber didn't reply, he kept on going. "are the police coming? if you let us go before they get here we promise we won't tell."
he persuaded.

the grabber chuckled, "it's not the police."

"someone though? someone's coming?" he went on further. finney was definitely playing a dangerous game here.

"i'll scream. if someones upstairs they'll hear me." finney shuffled forwards a little, beginning to feel an ounce of hope that someone could rescue them.

"no he won't not with the door shut." the man retorted.

"he?"

that was the grabber's second slip up. finney remembered jaelin telling him the first time he slipped up when he first held her captive in a random room upstairs.

finney raised his brows slightly upon hearing the grabber breath in and out. finney was starting to get on his nerves. good.

"with the door shut, no one can hear anything down here. i soundproofed it myself..just like the rest of the rooms. so shout if you like, you won't bother anyone." he told him before reaching for the door handle.

but finney wasn't done yet. he wanted to push his buttons further..apparently. "you're the one who killed the others."

the grabber stopped in his tracks and slowly looked back up at the teen boy. "bruce." finney started. he hesitated before saying the next name, "robin."

once those names left his mouth, he took a quick glance at jaelin. he inwardly sighed in relief, seeing she was still asleep.

the grabber let go of the door handle and walked forwards, "that wasn't me. that was somebody else. i will never make you do anything that you won't...like."

finney glared at him, knowing it was a lie. "if you try to touch me i'll scratch your face. and whoever's coming will see and ask why."

the grabber tilted his head up so the light acted like a spotlight. it highlighted his eerie mask as he brought his hands up on either side of it, "this face?"

the grabber shifted his hands into fists before looking back towards him, "hang up the phone. now."

finney continued to glare at him once more before turning around and hanging up the phone. once he did, he looked back at the grabber to see he was already staring at him.

"i was down here once when it rang," he then pretended to shiver, "ooh, the creepiest damn thing. i think, it's static electricity that does it. it went off when i was right next to it, i picked it up without thinking..to see if anyone was there."

"was there?" finney held a neutral face, trying to see unaffected.

the grabber shook his head, "no."

the man then turned around and left, closing the door behind him and locking it. then the lights went off.

finney walked forwards, not believing he soundproofed the entire basement. he took a deep breath in and out before yelling, "help!"

"help!! please!!" he dragged on the words for as long as he could, praying someone heard it.

"finn what the fuck are you doing-?!" he spun around and saw jaelin rubbing her eyes and sitting up with an annoyed look.

he frowned, forgetting jaelin was asleep. he was so caught up into yelling for help that he forgot jaelin needed as much sleep as she could get.

"shit, sorry aylin. it's just that-"

"you wanted to see if he was bluffing, huh?" he told him tiredly, propping herself up so she sat on the mattress, "can't blame you. i did that too."

finney awkwardly nodded, seeing jaelin yawn and fix her hair, "it's fully soundproofed, finn. i learned that the hard way."

finney frowned once more before looking around and spotting a window at the very top. suddenly, an idea popped into his head. he jumped as high as he could and reached his hand out, hoping to grab onto the ledge.

he did it a second time, and then a third time. jaelin sat there, amused of how depressing it looked. she just waited for finney to realise.

on his fourth try, he had a running start before jumping again. this time, he was able to hold onto the ledge for a couple more seconds before falling back down.

he dropped his shoulders and tried to regain his breath. jaelin stood up, knowing he was gonna do what robin did the first time.

he went over to the mattress and tried to see if he could move it. spoiler alert, it didn't budge. finney let go after a couple tries and paced back and forth.

"stop it, stop it. if anyone could have broken that window they already would have done it." finney gazed at the window and stopped pacing, "robin would've done it."

took him long enough to realise. jaelin crossed her arms with a frown. she watched as finney sat back down on the mattress with his hands on his knees.

"you're not getting out of here. i'm not getting out of here." he said, defeated.

jaelin furrowed her brows and shook her head, walking forwards so she stood in front of him and crouched to his level, "finney blake you're getting out of here no matter how long it takes us. i won't let you give up. no way- no, i can't have that."

finney stared into her eyes and saw a new profound determination in them. it amazed him, truly, at how such dispirited eyes could hold such bravery and an assertive manner underneath them.

but he wasn't surprised. this was jaelin fucking covey, the girl who could bounce back on her feet even after going through a lot.

and that's why her and robin were such a good pair, because he too couldn't stand his best friend accepting his fate. just like jaelin, he couldn't allow it.

robin was leaning against the wall beside the two, inwardly cheering on jaelin for persuading finney to not give up. he wanted to help them as best as he could with what he had.

so, with his fingers crossed, he did what he and the others have been trying to do: make the phone ring and pray finney can hear it.

ׅ𖥔 ۫ iloveblondead speaks ! ⋄ 𓍯

fun fact, robin got annoyed
w finney bc he woke up jaelin
& when the grabber was talking
to finney, robin was sat beside
jaelin to make sure she was
sleeping okay☹️❤️‍🩹

also, a lot of ppl stopped
reading/deadass complained ever
since i killed robin off, which is
understandable, have a good day
but like,, yes this is a robin book but
not every chapter is gonna be based
around him for the sake of the plot/
movie😭

all i'm saying is, trust the process &
i obviously try to fit robin into each
chapter somehow🥲🫶🏼

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