The Proxies (ENG)

CHAPTER 5: A Curse

The news of Jack's disappearance shattered everyone. No one could understand what had happened. Ben was the one who suffered the most of all, his childhood friend, someone who had known his life had disappeared. When he heard the news, the boy lay down on his bed, feeling defeated. No matter how many times Jeff called him, he didn't want to get out of bed. He didn't have the energy. His mind was spinning, trying to think of something that might help find Jack. Until suddenly, something clicked in his head.

"The Slender Man..."

Ben got up from his bed quickly and got into his computer. Remembering what Jack said his father told him. Ben began to investigate everything he could, every story, every sighting of The Slender Man. The boy found himself wandering online for days without leaving his house, little by little, he began to fill his wall with photos of missing people, alleged photos of the creature and sightings, trying to connect all the dots.

After several days without sleep, Ben finally stepped back into his room, revealing the gigantic wall of evidence he had created. Now everything made sense.

At school, Jeff was putting his things away in his locker, an immense sadness reigned over his being, as he closed his locker. Ben came running from a distance. The boy looked haggard, the dark circles under his eyes had grown so large they almost hid how red his eyes were, and his greasy hair highlighted the lack of a much-needed shower.

"Jeff! Jeff!!" Said the boy.

"Hey Ben...I haven't seen you in days. How are you?"

"N-n-no time for that! Listen, I already understand everything... EVERYTHING!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I know what happened to Jack and Sally! The Slender Man took them, Jeff!"

"What...?"

"Now it all makes sense, Jack's father was telling the truth!"

"What the hell are you talking about? The Slender Man doesn't exist, Ben!"

"Yes he does! Look!"

The boy desperately took out his phone and started looking through his gallery of images.

"Look, these are all people who also disappeared! This guy, Daniel Adams, disappeared three years ago, but before that, he kept a diary documenting everything that happened to him! Nightmares about the end of the world, loved ones missing, This is real Jeff! It's happening to us NOW!"

"Ben, Jack wasn't taken by some stupid faceless monster! This is fucking stupid!"

"JEFF, LISTEN! THIS IS NOT A JOKE! THIS IS REAL!!"

"This is BULLSHIT! That's what it is! How can you disrespect our friend like that?!"

"Jeff, please! You have to believe me!"

"You're fucking crazy..."

Jeff left without looking back, resentment replacing the sadness that had dominated him before, leaving Ben alone in the hallway.

Ben found himself back in his room, frantically typing on his computer.

"Weaknesses... weaknesses... He has to have weaknesses!"

Forum after forum, post after post, and nothing. The creature had no known weaknesses, or probably no one had discovered them up to that point. Finally, Ben found a publication, the last diary entry of Daniel Adams.

"October 23, 2015."

"There's no way to stop it. No matter what I try, no matter what I do, nothing can hurt it, or even scare it. I haven't slept in two weeks... I'm tired. Every time I close my eyes, I can see his... his face, that faceless face... I need to get this over with. This will be my last entry, tonight... I'm going to kill myself. I wish luck to anyone going through the same thing as me. But I just can't anymore... maybe suicide is the key... I have to try, it's the last thing I have left... goodbye."