...And Another

Y'know what? I'm going to be doing a LOT of writing this week. I'm super stoked for NaNoWriMo (Just a week left!) and I'm in that writing mood. Unfortunately, my phase outline's been all worked out, so I'm using 750 Words to write a short story almost every day. (I would link to it, but I'm lazy and tired.)

Here's today's offering. Enjoy.

He is the war that destroys us.

He is the pestilence that plagues us.

He is the famine that gnaws at our insides.

He is the death that takes us gently into that good night.

He will take us one by one. There's nothing we can do about it. 

Emma was taken last week. The week before that it was Derek. We don't know why he takes them, what he does with them, who he is, or who'll be next. Not for sure. We have our theories, but we have no way to prove them.

I have a feeling I'm next. I've been seeing strange things for weeks, and sometimes when I listen to a song the beat won't line up with the melody. Sometimes the color of the walls seems wrong or words pop into my head that have no reason to be there. Edge says not to worry, it's nothing. I hope he won't be offended when I don't believe him. Edge can be wrong sometimes, even if he pretends he's always right. 

"Caddy, look," he says to me, "there's nothing wrong with you. You'll be safe, as long as you stay with us."

He treats me like a child just because I'm the youngest in the group. He shouldn't do that. I've already proven I'm smarter and more capable than the rest of them combined. But we have to stick together, because we're a team and they need me. Edge may be the captain, but it's in name only.

--+--

I was wrong. It wasn't me. It was Edge. Our fearless leader is gone, taken in the night. It's my fault, I guess. I only turned my back on him for a moment, and when I looked back he was gone. I could hear his footsteps in the distance, but I couldn't tell where they were. I may have started crying when I realized he was really, truly gone for good. The others were very mad at me, and I don't think I'll ever live this down. I let Edge get taken. They told me with sarcasm, "Oh, aren't you a clever girl. Edge must be so proud of his young protege now!" Can't they see I'm hurting just as much as them over this? 

He took my Edge!

---+---

It's gotten worse now. I see shadows out of the corners of my eyes all the time, and my perception of reality is wonky. Onion or apple? I don't know anymore. Oscar is the leader now. He can't do as good a job as Edge did. Edge was the only one who could keep us safe from the one who's after us.

Or could he? He didn't do a very good job of keeping himself safe. Was he ever competent enough to keep us all safe from the thin one? I don't know what to think anymore. He took my life away, that one. My life and everything that I loved.

It must be almost my time to go with him. This gets worse every day.

----+----

He took me today. He took me away from Oscar and the others. What's the point of staying with them? I thought. Edge was the only one I liked. The others I don't care about. They can all get taken without me and Edge to help them. Serves them right for hurting me like that. 

I'm scared all the same. I pretend to be brave, but I am so, so afraid. I don't know what he will do to me. It's dark and I can't see much. There's a window, but it's night outside. Was it day before? I can't remember. Every so often everything goes gray fuzzy and it's so very loud. I hate that. I want him to go away. I can feel him standing behind me, and he won't go away. I want him to go away! I can't leave. 

Thanks for nothing, "friends." You couldn't protect me from him. I couldn't protect them from him, Edge couldn't protect us from him. No one can. Who does he think he is, taking us all like this? It's undignified, creepy, and feels wrong. He shouldn't be acting like this. This is wrong, wrong, wrong. 

There's something on the wall over there. It's a…thing. A list of names, names that I recognize. Edge's name is on there—his real name, not his nickname. And Emma's, and Derek's. 

My name is there. My full name. How did he know? 

How does he know me?

What will he do to me?

How long do I have to wait?

Please help.

Okay, you got me! It's a Slender Man story. However, I'm a total n00b, so this probably isn't very good. In fact, this isn't very good by my usual standards. Eh, whatever. I wrote it in about half an hour with minimal effort.

I'd encourage you to look up the Slender Man mythos, but only if you're feeling particularly brave. (I wanted to write "bodacious" there. I need sleep. And to start using my brain again.)