No Longer Dead

1

"Go to sleep, you son of a bitch."

I wake up screaming for the fifth week in a row. As usual, Mom comes running in to tell me I'm alright.

I don't have any memories of what happened. I just know that I've been in an accident and Mom took me in again to help me heal.

It's been a few weeks since I've woken up on the side of the road with a bleeding torso. I stumbled down the street until collapsing. I woke up in the hospital soon after.

Now, I'm a garbage man working for the city.

Kids watch me with wide, interested eyes as I work. I glance at them awkwardly as I grab the trash and dump them in the vehicle. Then I drive off.

At home, I sit on the couch staring wondrously at the TV whilst munching on chips. My leg twitches every now and then and I crack my neck.

"Toby, don't crack your neck. You'll get paralyzed." Mom says. I look at her and pop a chip in my mouth.

"Can't h-help it-t." I respond. She sighs and walks over to me and sits down. Her weight next to me on the couch is noticeable. She wraps her arms around me and I feel my arms twitch. "M-m-m-mo-mah-." I struggle with the word and I close my eyes to get my bearings. "Mom."

"I'm sorry." She whispers. "I just missed you so much."

"Why d-do you say th-that all the t-time?" I ask. "W-where was I-I?"

"It doesn't matter. I just missed you at home while you were in the hospital..." She responds.

********

"Toby."

I turn on my side in my sleep.

"Toooooooooby."

I furrow my brows; feeling like my sanity is crumbling in my sleep.

"Ticci goddamned Toby!"
"Jeff!"

I open my eyes and sit up. In front of me stands five beings. One of them extremely tall. I open my mouth to scream, but somebody behind me covers my mouth.

"Shh." The person behind me shushes. My eyes widen. "Toby, don't scream." It's a girl.

The tall thing bends down and I see its face is pure white. My eyes widen even more and the girl's cold hand muffles my scream of pure horror. I start to squirm but the girl holds me down.

I scream again once I see a pale faced horror. His mouth cut up into a faux smile. He seems to not have any eyelids and his eyes were bloodshot from the lack of blinking. His hair is matted down with grease. He slips his tongue through the slits in his cheeks and I shutter. I recognize him from my dreams...

"W-what...what are you?" I say once the girl removes her hand from my mouth.

"What? You don't recognize me?" The monstrous being in front of me asks. "Wow, Toby. Thanks."

"H-how do you know my name?" I ask hoarsely.

"Hey guys, his stutter isn't so bad..." This person is wearing a hood that's covering his face. "Maybe we shouldn't call him Ticci Toby." I feel my arm twitch and my neck cracks again.

"Nope, he's still Ticci." One person with a mask says. A sudden feeling of fury flows through me.

"D-don't call m-me T-TICCI!" I shout. "W-what's s-so special about y-you to where you h-have to j-judge me?!" I find myself in front of the masked intruder. He starts to laugh and he turns to the tall figure.

"I told you he's still in there." The masked person says.

"Wh-who are you?" I snarl.

"Toby." The girl says. I turn around and I see her full on. Her one eye is bright green and it shines through the dark. Her other eye is occupied with a clock. "You don't remember us, do you?"

"N-no. I don't kn-know any of you!" I state. "What're y-you doing in m-my house?!"

"We came to retrieve you." A short person with a green hat says. He looks up at me and his eyes are hollow and dark.

Something flashes through my mind.

Happy birthday, Toby.
Thanks, Ben.

"Who are you p-people?" I whisper.

"We're psycho murderers like you, Toby." The man from my dream says. My heart stops.

"W-what?" I ask.

"You were shot by a man with glasses-"

What's your name?
T-Toby.

"-and we all thought you were dead-"

Why don't you take off that scarf? It might help you breathe better.
If I do it'll make you fear me even more than you already do.

"-until Slender found you while you were doing trashes." The hooded person explains. I look at the floor and without realizing it, my hand reaches to my face where my mouth injury is.

We took it to do some tests.

"Why c-can't I remember a-anything like that?" I ask.

"Probably because before the man with the glasses dumped you on the road, the force of the bullet knocked everything out of you. Including your memories." The girls says. I turn to her again.

Be safe.

"You." I whisper.

One of your friends was poisoning you, Toby. Someone close to you.

My eyes narrow and I glare at her. Her eyes widen and she backs up a step.

"Toby..." She says.

"I don't know w-why I'm angry at you, b-but I f-feel a strong se-sense of hate." I snarl.

"Toby, we know Clocky betrayed you-"

"Masky!" The girl-Clocky-snarls.

The masked man-Masky-glares at Clocky.

"But you have to listen." Masky says.

"We're your family." The hooded man says. "You're a proxy."

"W-what the hell i-is a proxy?" I ask.

"My minions." The tall, slender creature says. I look up at it in horror.

"You talk." I squeak.

"Of course I talk." It says. I cower away from it and I run into my bed; falling onto it. The man from my nightmare looks over me and I squeak again.

"Don't come N-NEAR ME!" I quickly push the horrifying thing away from me and I run towards my bedroom door and bolt down the stairs.

A/N:
GUYS!!! TADAAAAAAA!!!!!! Book 2 is out!!!! I know most of you were upset about the ending in my first book, but I've kept it a secret up until now and HERE WE ARE WITH BOOK TWO!!!!!!!!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a comment and a vote if you haven't already, and I will see y'all on the flipside!!!!!!