"My name is Alastor, darling. Alastor."

~

To Sam, it felt like they were walking through the forest for days. The time just kept getting longer and longer and longer. He was scared, not only for his sake but for Edith's too. He had no idea what the serial killer who was trudging them through the forest was going to do to them. What did he mean by "Guess I'll have to take you both with me,"?? It didn't make any sense to him. Him and his sibling just witnessed him murder another human being and he wasn't going to kill them for it?

The questions in his head were almost as frightening as their surroundings. The lantern was left behind as they started their journey so the forest was almost completely dark, the moon was the only thing providing any sort of light. Which didn't do much but was just enough to reveal several pairs of eyes that belonged to animals watching the them from the trees. However, the strange part about this was they didn't attack, they almost seemed... hesitant... It was odd to say the least, Sam has never seen such hesitation come from animals. All that plus the fact that there is a literal MURDERER right next to him made him frightened beyond comprehension. The only thing keeping him going was the thought of his sister who was just on the other side of the man, holding his hand while he brought them wherever it is they were going.

A couple of times during they're tense walk even though she was still scared of him, Edith- being the little 5 year old she was- would ease the tension by asking the man- or Alastor- questions and making small talk, for example asking him what his name was, if he knows the forest well, telling him her name, talking about their days, among other simple questions and topics.

At first, whenever Edith spoke, Sam would grow tense and fearful believing it would be best if they both stayed quiet in order to keep the man satisfied with their silence and keep him content. The teen was worried that any slight slip up of words could cause him to get angry and kill them both.

But to Samuel's surprise, Alastor- though being sure not to give away anything personal, gladly answered her questions and made small talk with her to the best of his ability. He certainly seemed quite the charmer and when speaking to Edith, he had a somewhat playful tone. Lightening the setting a little bit. In fact, there was even a time where Alastor had let go of her hand so that she could chase a lizard! Which SHOCKED Sam. Though, the boy didn't let his tough guard fall. He kept his eyes on Alastor at all times and his sister whenever he could. He wasn't going to trust this man for 2 seconds after seeing what a competent killer he is. Edith might be gullible and ignorant to what the world is capable of, but he sure isn't and never will be. Especially when it came to the man holding his shirt with an iron grip.

Slowly but surely the forest edge came into view and they got closer and closer to it until it was right in front of them. Upon exiting the woods Sam found that they actually ended up in the backyard of a large Victorian style mansion-like house. The backyard was a large grassy area with a few separated trees, all fenced in with an unusually tall black gate on the outskirts of the area.

~

Alastor led the children through an open back gate, closing and locking it behind them, he noticed how Sam was being very vigilant of how the gate locked, also of the surroundings. Smart of him. However, it won't prove useful. He'll make sure they won't escape from him. How will two children escape his clutches when even his adult victims couldn't escape him in their final minutes? They won't, it'll be near impossible.

Of course, having to take in two children who were too nosey for their own good was not on Alastor's  agenda for the day; or the year; or his lifetime, although he certainly has a few tricks up his sleeve that'll make them stay in line and abide by any rules he sets in place for them. He's learned a few things about keeping people in check from his time of being Louisiana's feared 'Smile Killer'- a name he certainly is proud to have.

~

Once the three had entered the mansion and Alastor had locked the door behind them, he had let go of the two kids and Edith was relatively quick to make her way to her big brother's side, wanting his protection once more. In response Sam pulled his sibling close and rubbed her shoulder while she laid her head on his side. With their eyes full of fear, they both stared at Alastor who was taking his bright red blazer off. He's got them in his home... What was he going to do to them now? Before Sam could ask the question they were both thinking, Edith beat him to it.

"S-Sir... w-what are you g-going to do to us? Are you going to h-hurt us?" Edith asked just loud enough for the question to be heard.

Alastor chuckled a bit before answering with the same bright tone he's had during this entire ordeal. "Well, my dear, no. No, I won't hurt you! That is as long as you don't give me reason to. Haha!"

This response calmed the little girl's nerves. Unknowing to her, the man narrowed his eyes at Sam who looked down to avoid the man's terrifying glare. "Now then, Samuel- I believe your name was. If I do say so- you both look like you haven't bathed in weeks. Is this correct?" He asked, still hiding his glare from Edith.

The boy gulped, not really wanting to answer- but he couldn't show his fear to his sister. She was scared enough, the last thing he wanted to do was make her feel worse about the already dire situation he landed them in. "Y-Yes, sir. Four weeks to be exact." Sam said, hanging his head low. Sam did what he could but- he has to admit. He is just a teenager, he's not fit to be a care provider. He couldn't always provide both of them with water or food, even a safe place to sleep. It made him feel bad but- what could he do?

"Hmmm. Well then! First order if business is to see that both of you are properly cleaned and dressed, then we will discuss the current predicament."

Before anything else could be said, Alastor grabbed Sam's collar once more and led them both to the second floor, then third floor before entering a nicely decorated and spaced restroom. Once they were in and the door was locked, Alastor released the boy and turned on the tap to the white porcelain bathtub and pulled two white towels out of a small closet beside the light grey marble sink and put them on the silver towel rack. "Now then, Edith, you shall go first." he said, rolling up his sleeves and grabbed three bottles of soap from a cabinet under the sink.

Samuel watched as Alastor set the colorful bottles of soap down and Edith reach towards her clothing. Feeling quite uncomfortable with this stranger bathing his sibling- immediately stepped forward and stopped his sister from doing anything else. "I-I will wash her."

The man just looked at him for a moment as if debating with himself before nodding his head. "Very well then. Don't forget to wash behind her ears and under her nails. I shall go and get you two some sleepwear." He said before leaving the room, leaving the two to it. It was a risky move but Alastor purposefully brought them to the third floor so that they couldn't just jump out a window or anything like that.

~

"Are you alright?" Sam asked, getting on his knees and rolling up his sleeves while his sister got into the tub and leaned her head back.

"I'm perfect..." She said, completely in her own world, enjoying the otherworldly feeling of warm water soak through her hair and scalp.

On the rare occasion the two were able to have a bath, the water was always very cold and not the cleanest. This was certainly a big change from what they're used to.

Sam laughed softly before cupping water into his hands and letting it soak into his sibling's long brown hair. When he scrubbed the lavender scented soap into her hair he could see the dirt come out. It saddened him to know that even though he tries his hardest to give his sister as good of a childhood as he can, it's not good enough.

He sighed before continuing the process with the conditioner and shower gel until she was nice and clean.

When Edith was done splashing around in the water, Samuel picked up the towel and a baby blue night shirt that Alastor had put on the counter just minutes earlier and dried her off.

When she had the night shirt on, it was so big on her Samuel had to roll up the bottom to her ankles so she wouldn't trip over it. "It's so loose. That must feel like you're wearing a cloud, huh?" Sam laughed. Edith smiled and nodded. Even though it doesn't exactly fit, it was still better than her dirty dress that she had on. Samuel couldn't even remember the last time that was cleaned.

Now that his sister was nice and clean it was his turn. "Uh- Do you want to stay here while I bathe myself or do you want to go out?"

Even though he doesn't at all trust Alastor with her without him in the room, he doesn't know how comfortable he and Edith would be if he bathed in front of her. He wasn't even fully comfortable bathing her, but she is only five and doesn't know how to bathe herself.

"Out! I want to look around!" She exclaimed, smiling brightly. Sam sighed, "Okay. Let's see where you can go." he said before picking her up and walking out of the room to go find Alastor who was standing at the end of the hallway looking out a window, seemingly in deep thought before looking back at them with the smile that hasn't left his face. It made Samuel feel uneasy but Edith gladly returned it.

"S-She'd rather stay out here while I bathe." Sam stated, indirectly asking where to put Edith.

"Very well then." Alastor said. "Do you wish to go to sleep?" he asked Edith. She just looked at Sam, wanting him to answer for her. Which he did, reluctantly.

"She said she wants to look around." He said, not liking the idea of her roaming around without him, but if it'll make her content, whatever. He can put his overprotective brotherly emotions aside.

"Only if that's okay with you, mister." Edith added onto the end.

"Haha! Of course that's alright, my dear! Curiosity is to be expected! I'll give you the grand tour!" He exclaimed, walking up to the two and taking Edith out of Samuel's arms and into his own, resting her on his hip, much to Sam's disfavor.

As much as he wanted to argue and take his sister back, he had to focus on quickly getting in and out of the bath so that he could return to Edith as soon as he possibly could.

While the two went off, Sam went back into the restroom and started another bath for himself. Upon getting in, he felt that same incredible feeling his sister did of the warmth surrounding him. It was completely entrancing. A feeling he hasn't felt in God knows how long. It was wonderful to say the least, but as he started scrubbing the dirt out of his short brown hair, the thought of his and his sister's current... 'situation' took over his thoughts, one contradicting the other then the other and so on until his mind was a mess and his train of thought was scattered.

What is he doing?! Why isn't he grabbing Edith and running away from the murderer that essentially just kidnapped the both of them? Why did he let the murderer just walk off with his sister in a mansion-like house that's not even their own?! He doesn't know where that man is going to take her!

Samuel shook his head in an attempt to calm himself down. If something was wrong, his sister knows to scream for him. He hasn't heard anything so... she must be fine. She's only five. Even if he's a lunatic, surely that man wouldn't hurt a five year old. All of his victims were all men. No women. No children. That's a somewhat good thing. Well- not good. Nothing about murdering people is good. But- It's relieving for Sam to know that his sister isn't a target... Hopefully. If either of them were to die he hopes it would be him and not her.

God, if it has to happen please let it be him and not her.

"Gah!" Sam exclaimed as he got soap in his eye, pulling him out of his thoughts. That's when he decided he was done with his bath. He had washed his hair and body and felt cleaner than the day he was born. It was quite refreshing. He stood up and grabbed his towel, drying himself off and putting on the long red nightshirt that sat on the counter waiting for him. It was also big on him as well, not nearly as much as Edith but, on him it was just lower than halfway down his shin  and the sleeves were just past his fingertips.

He could only assume the clothes given to him and his sister were Alastor's considering they were relatively short and the man was taller than them, around 6 feet tall he'd say. Which made him all the more intimidating.

Sam sighed and was quick to remember why he tried to rush his bath. His sister is still alone with Alastor!

He opened the door but didn't see his sibling which made his heart sink. The teen took a minute to calm himself before making his way through the hall, trying to find where they could have gone.