Work Text:
(Click)
Jonathan Sims
Statement of Jamie Lessenger, regarding an incident with a beautiful man on the tube. Original statement given November 5th, 2002. Audio recording by Jonathan Sims, The Archivist.
Statement begins.
Jonathan Sims (Statement)
I had been on the tube. I am on it everyday, whether it’s to go to work, or just to clear my head. Most people go for walks away from the hustle and bustle, I go on the tube.
Granted, I’ve seen some pretty crazy things, but this one stood out to me a bit.
The time was likely near two in the morning on a Saturday. Most folks were either out to the pubs, or at home.
It was a young man with bright blue roots, and purple hair. But it was sort of like a spiderwebbed galaxy. It was so interesting that I kept glancing at him throughout the ride.
The stars in his hair seemed to glimmer throughout, and I said spiderwebbed because it almost seemed to be constellations in that pattern.
He must’ve dyed his roots blue recently, because no one’s hair is naturally blue.
I had been dying my sister’s hair for years, and the man also must’ve had quite a bit of experience to have that well of a dye.
The man was just looking around, like he was sizing everyone on the tube up.
He caught my eye because his hair seemed to be so fantastical. I was pretty sure the star-like stuff was simply glitter, and the movement of the tube was making it seem like it was glimmering.
Or he had tinsel woven in. It had taken hours to do that on my sister, and then she insisted on me doing it as well.
I didn’t see him on the tube again for another two weeks, and his hair looked just the same. Just different jewelry.
I then started seeing him nearly everyday on the tube, at all hours. Whether it was on my way to work, or just to ride, he was there. Looking at others.
It wasn’t a gradual change. Just one day I hadn’t seen him for two weeks, the next I was seeing him every day.
I swear, there were also more spiders in the tube as well. It felt like there were webs everywhere in the station entrances. Just in the corners, hiding from sight.
Maybe I was just noticing them more. I’m still unsure.
When I would enter the tube, he would already be there. He would smile, and nod at me. Just like he normally had with anyone who looked at him.
He was sitting calmly no matter what happened either. Whether others were acting oddly around or towards him.
It was almost like he could scare them off with a single look as well.
I remember a young lady going up to him, and she was obviously intoxicated. She had been sitting on random passengers, and her friend had been desperately trying to keep her in check. The poor girl had been apologizing to everyone that the drunk one had bumped into.
When the drunk young lady tried to harass the odd man, he just gave her this look .
I’m not sure what she saw in it, but she sat down and behaved for the rest of the ride. She nearly fell flat on her face when she sprinted off at the next stop as well, her friend yelling and running after her.
The odd man simply laughed into his hand.
Now, this all seems mostly normal. Even the one time I sat next to him and he spoke to me, he seemed somewhat odd, but normal.
He spoke about some sort of “twin” thing. Something about “The Web” and “The Watcher” being twin fears. I can’t remember what else he said, it almost felt like my head was filled with cotton.
I almost missed my stop because of it.
But what happened next was even odder than him just being there, only talking once.
I had got to the tube, and I didn’t see anyone leaving or going in. Sure, it was late, but normally there were folks at that particular station.
As I descended, it seemed that the entire station was in a thin layer of web.
Have you ever seen the burrows of trapdoor spiders? Or even wolf spiders?
That’s what it felt like. It felt like I was wandering into the parlour of a spider. That I would be in danger. That the webs were there to feel if there was prey outside.
That I was the prey being lured in.
I was terrified, but I just put it down to lighting and exhaustion. I had just got done with a long shift, and was just trying to get home.
Standing in the station, waiting for the tube, it looked like some of the webs glistened and would move in the small bits of wind that would make its way down to the station.
I couldn’t help but shiver. I’m not even sure if I was cold.
I did my best to not seem outwardly seem scared. But I likely didn’t do a fantastic job. I probably looked like one of those folks you glance at on the tube, I felt so pale.
The tube itself almost looked like it was covered in webs as well.
Coming out of its tunnel, the webs wrapped around it started to glisten in the small amount of light.
With the amount of webbing, I didn’t even know how the doors opened.
When I stepped onto the tube, the man was there. He seemed… I don’t know. Pleased.
Like I was meant to be there.
Like he expected me to be there.
The entire inside was covered in cobwebs, tightly wound around all the typical fixtures inside. Even the lights seemed to be slightly faded, with how covered it was with webs.
The lighting just made the whole place feel like a parlour.
I didn’t sit for once. Even though the tube was empty other than him and I. I was afraid to. Afraid that I wouldn’t be able to get up. That the webs would keep me there.
There were…cocoons. All around as well.
Human sized. Some wiggled, obviously struggling against the thick wrappings.
I tried to not react. I really did. But I was so very aware when a squeak escaped from me when one that was next to me moved. I hadn’t even noticed it hanging from the ceiling until it moved.
Staring at the floor, I could feel his eyes on me. Assessing me. Still having the galaxy hair with the blue roots, and his almost knowing eyes.
I was trying so hard to not look up. It almost felt like he was daring me to. Like he was expecting me to.
It almost felt like I was a marionette. Like there was a string on my head, attached to his hand. That I had to break in order to survive.
Terrified, I looked up. I-I couldn’t. I couldn’t fight it enough.
I was staring into his bright blue eyes. It-It felt like staring into an ice-cold nebula.
He was just…smiling back at me. His head on his hand, the webbed jewelry that I had seen for months more pronounced than ever.
There was almost a stellar crown around his head. Just like the almost stars in his hair.
His blue roots almost seemed to be glowing in a way, against the stars and galaxies. Against the harsh cobwebs around us both.
Th-There was a searching, hungry look in his eyes.
H-He didn’t say anything to me. The entire ride was silent. I never broke eye contact until the next stop. Like I had been poisoned to forget all but the tube and this man.
It felt like I had been in the tube for hours, just staring at him.
When he dropped the eye contact, still smiling, I all but sprinted off.
I was so terrified, my chest was hurting. It almost felt…hollow. In a sense.
I-I felt like I had survived something.
Like I had survived being a spider’s guest, and that it had been pleased with me coming into its den.
I did my best to avoid the tube for a couple of days, but it was the cheapest and fastest way around.
The man only appeared once after this.
I was in the tube, and I looked out a window.
He had been talking to someone, and I could see the threads coming off of them. Dragging them to above the station.
The man smiled at me when he noticed. Simply nodded at me.
Like I was fine.
…I didn’t stop shaking for several days. I just remember the hollow look on the other person's face.
They had obviously stepped into the spider’s parlour, and weren't lucky enough to leave.
Statement ends.
Jonathan Sims
Spiders. Obviously, this is the Web. More so the man who kidnapped me alongside Annabelle Cane.
He does match the description Mr. Lessenger gave, nearly to a tee.
Sasha left a note saying that she doesn’t think that The Web and The Buried would overlap, but these things are not as clean-cut as we want them to be.
Mr. Lessenger also let us know in his follow-up that he still lives in the same place, works in the same place, and still takes the tube.
He said that he hasn’t seen the man again, but spider related things have been appearing in his apartment.
Mr. Lessenger said that it doesn’t alarm him. But he did say that he would stay in contact.
He did also say that he didn’t know why or how he had escaped.
Unfortunately, after giving us our follow-up information, Mr. Lessenger disappeared on the same tube. He got on, then never got off.
It could be related to this incident, or to The Buried, But no further information about him has been found since.
I do wonder about that comment. The Web and The “Watcher”, which I assume to be The Eye, being “twin” fears.
I wish he had remembered more about that conversation.
(Sigh)
Recording ends.
(Click)
(Click)
(Someone walking out of a building quickly, and making it quite a bit away before someone else yells)
Martin
JON-!
Jonathan Sims
(Startled) Good Lord!
Sorry Martin. I hadn’t thought anyone else would’ve been in the building this late and I was a bit in my own head-
Martin
Normally, I’m not.
But you’ve been coming in at odd hours.
Jonathan Sims
Oh.
Martin
You think I was waiting at the Archives for fun?
You did nearly escape from me today, but I managed to see you leaving.
Jonathan Sims
R-Right.
Martin
Could..Could we take a walk? Together?
Jonathan Sims
S-Sure.
I-
I wanted to apologize for the other day. It was-
Martin
Oh for goodness’ sakes Jon! You don’t need to apologize! Can we please talk?
(Small, sad laugh) Without you running off?
Jonathan Sims
(Sadly) Using my own words against me I see.
Alright. I’m listening.
Martin
I-
I’m sorry. For being so distant. For making you feel so scared that you think that you’ll lose me if you act like yourself-
Jonathan Sims
That’s not-
Martin I-
You don’t need to apologize, I should be the one apologizing-
Martin
The truth is, I’m also in love with you.
(Silence, like Jon can’t believe his ears)
Martin
I am in love with you, so badly that it rather hurts.
Jonathan Sims
(Awkwardly, like he doesn’t know how to respond exactly) ..Thank you..?
Martin
(Martin laughs, it’s light and it’s happy)
You really don’t know how to respond to emotions.
Jonathan Sims
Ah- Wait-
That’s not the right thing to say! I’m such an idiot-
I…I love you too, Martin Blackwood.
I’m not sure when it came about, but I know that I would find it rather hard to live without you.
A-And it’s in a different way to if I were to lose the others.
Martin
I feel the same way Jon.
I- I didn’t think you felt the same way, which is why I was so scared to tell you. I was also afraid that I would lose you.
I also felt that I didn’t deserve you either.
I didn’t respond fast enough when you told me, and I was terrified that I had lost you forever. It felt like you had gone into that coffin all over again.
Jonathan Sims
Martin, you deserve so much more than me.
Martin
You say that, but I don’t really believe that.
How about we start this again? Fresh slate, no holding onto negatives?
Jonathan Sims
(Quietly) I-I can try to do that.
I’m still sorry for running off. H-How can I make that up to you?
Martin
(Jokingly) You should be sorry Mr. Sims!
Hmm, you can make it up by letting me take you on a date.
Jonathan Sims
W-Well that’s not very professional Mr. Blackwood. I am your boss.
Martin
I think we lost all professionalism when supernatural bullshit started happening.
And no, I do not care in the slightest that you are becoming some sort of supernatural entity.
Jonathan Sims
(Small sounding) Are you sure?
Martin
Yes. Completely certain.
Jonathan Sims
About being with a mess such as myself?
Martin
Jonathan, I’m also a complete mess. We can try and figure it out together as we go along.
Jonathan Sims
(Very happy and content) Alright.
Martin
I don’t think I’ve ever seen you that happy. Other than when you found out that Ana knocked Elias out.
Jonathan Sims
This is better than that.
Martin
But Elias getting knocked out is a close second.
Jonathan Sims
(Content sigh) It is.
Martin
C’mon, it’s getting late.
Jonathan Sims
It does appear to be.
Martin
Can I buy you a drink?
Jonathan Sims
..Yes.
Yeah.
(Click)