The Marionette of Madness

7

When Tim woke up, he was in a clearing with Brian and some random teenager. He felt completely drained.
"Where am I?"

Brian helped Tim sit up and handed him a bottle of his pills he had probably pulled from Tim's backpack.
"In the woods, I think we're lost. I was trying to find that abandoned school, you know, the one we were gonna film Alex's film in? But I think we got turned around."

Tim looked around, confused.
"Wheres my camera?"

Brian handed it to him.
"Why exactly were you carrying this thing around? Reminds me of Alex before he shut down the movie."

Tim checked to make sure the camera was in working order.
"Well, as much as I hate Alex for trying to kill me, and for killing Jay, he was pretty smart to carry those cameras around."

Brian stopped smiling.
"What?"

Tim filled Brian in on what had happened with Jay and Alex and the tapes.
"What do you remember?"

Brian had a faraway look in his eyes as he thought.
"I dunno, I guess Alex calling off the movie."

Tim shook his head, his gaze landing on the younger man again.
"Who's the kid?"

Brian looked at him.
"Thats Toby."

Toby waved.
"Hi."

Tim waved back, only out of habit.
"Hey, why are you here?"

"I'm- I'm like you guys."

"What do you mean 'like us'?"

Toby shrugged and pulled up his hood.
"I-I mean, that thing, He follows me too."

Tim paused at the reference to the thing.
"Oh great, this shit again. What'd it do to you?"

"It made me kill my dad."

He said it so matter-of-factly that Tim and Brian were taken aback. Toby must have seen the looks on their faces.
"Dont worry, he deserved it. I'm also pretty sure that thing killed my sister."

Again, Toby was met with silence. He shrugged it off and got up to look around the clearing. Tim watched him wearily.
"This kid is insane."

Brian shrugged and leaned back against a nearby tree.
"Maybe, but I think we can trust him."

Tim shook his head and turned on the camera.
"I don't know, but I guess he's the only other person who knows about all this, so I guess he can stay."

Toby returned holding a bunch of sticks.
"It's going- going to get c-c-cold soon, so I got fire wood. Also," he set down the wood and pulled out a vial from his hoodie pocket and tossed it to Brian, "I woke up with that in my pocket. I think the thing in the woods wants it."