The Four

Chapter One

                 One rainy night at the Slender Mansion, before it became inhabited with the many pastas you know and love, five beings ate their supper in the excessively large dining hall there and one slept. Slenderman, Trendorman, Offenderman, Splendorman, as well as a girl and a boy you never knew about. There was a crack of thunder, a bright flash of lightning, and a loud bang from the front door. The faint sound of running footsteps slapping and pounding against the ground could barely be heard over the sound of the pouring rain and rolling thunder even if you listened closely. A shadowy figure carrying a basket could barely be seen in the shadows behind a tree at the edge of the forest. Long, black hair could be seen blowing in the wind, if you looked closely, but it blended in with the darkness of the night too well to see from farther away. The door to the front porch swung open and Slenderman poked his head out of the door. He looked around, and allowed his vision to trail down to the ground. A large basket with a fairly small, white sheet covering the top sat at the top step on the porch. Slenderman stepped forward and moved a part of the blanket out of the way. Three babies lay sleeping side by side and one lay awake inside. Slender looked to the forest and scanned it for anyone that could be watching. He thought he saw a lick of black hair, but it was gone too soon to tell and he didn't want to get himself wet investigating something he wasn't sure of. He gently picked up the basket and carried it in. His brothers sat on the couch while a young, maybe five year old girl with long, brown hair sat on the floor as she played with some toys. Trendorman stood when Slender entered, his gaze falling to the basket his brother carried. 

"What's in the basket?" Trendor asked as Slender shut the door with his foot. He silently walked into the kitchen and set the basket down on the counter. 

"Go get the others, but let Lindsay keep playing," Slender said. A quiet babble came from beneath the blanket. 

"And Blake?" Trendor asked. "Should I let him continue sleeping?"

"Yes, we need to discuss this before the children know," Slender answered quietly. Trendorman nodded and left to get the other two brothers. Slender sighed and massaged his temples with his thumb and forefinger.

"God, what is happening? Four children? I mean, we have the space certainly, but still," Slender muttered to himself as he busied himself by putting away the ingredients from today's dinner, which had been forgotten when the young boy had gotten tired but hadn't eaten. His three brothers entered the kitchen.

"What is it, brother?" Splendor asked.

"What's in the basket?" Offender asked.

"Babies," Slender answered simply.

"What the hell kind of a prank is this?" Offender asked sharply, taking a large step towards the counter. He removed the blanket and revealed the four babies laying there, each wrapped in a gray blanket.

"Oh my goodness," Splendor said, looking over Offender's shoulders.

"Why four?" Trendor wondered.

"Think about it, there are four of us, four of them, pretty simple math," Offender said bluntly.

"So we each get... a child?" Splendor asked.

"Yes, it seems that would make the most sense. After all, no one should be burdened with the extra duties of two or three or even all four when the others could help. We each take care of one," Slender said.

"What about Blake and Lindsay?" Trendor asked. Slender stepped over and looked at the four babies. His gaze stopped on the one who had been awake when he first found them on the porch step. She had pitch black hair and bright red eyes that shone and sparkled as she gazed around curiously. He picked her up and she cooed at him, grabbing his jacket with her tiny hands. Offender picked one with black hair and bright, deep, blue eyes. She made a noise he declared was a happy noise claiming that she wanted to stay with him.