Slender

Chapter XXXI

I knew it. I mean, what else could it have been? Maybe I didn't want to believe it was him but it was, and nobody could change the fact that we had just lost two more of our friends.

There were nine of us left. Just nine. It was like some sort of sick game show where the players are slowly eliminated, one by one.

I was starting to get even more stressed and spent most of the day in silence, just sitting next to Aaron.

My pregnant belly was obvious now and the weight of it was adding to the pain I was feeling throughout my entire body.

Justin started acting a little strange, but it wasn't completely out of order so nobody really noticed. I kept a close watch because I was almost concerned for his sanity. He did such weird things. He would wash his hands a hundred times a day, for no apparent reason. When I asked him about it all he said was 'I can never be clean enough, I'm filthy. It won't go away!'

I didn't understand what he meant until I finally grabbed his hands whilst he was washing them, and turned them over in my own. He tried to pull away but I had a firm grip on his wrists. On the palm of both his hands there was a symbol about the size of a quarter.

It's was his sign.

The man's.

A circle with an X through it.

I now understood why Justin would wash his hands so often. He was trying to rid of the terrible mark.

I looked at him and he shook his head.

"Justin, when did this happen!?"

"I-I have no idea..."

"What is it? It won't come off!" I said, but a moment of realization came over me... It wasn't a stain on his hand.

They were scars, deep ones. But, it didn't make any sense.

"Justin these are scars! No wonder they wouldn't wash off! How did you not notice!?"

"I'm not sure, I just..."

"I can't believe this... Just, no... Justin this is bad."

"Don't you think I know that!? I'm not stupid! I know I'm gonna be the next one dead!"

"Justin! You don't need to yell at me! I'm trying to help!"

"Whatever Lily. Think what you want."

"Hey, don't talk to her like that!' Said Aaron coming into the room.

"What you gonna do about it lover boy?" Justin retorted.

"This." Aaron said as he pushed Justin to the ground.

"Aaron!" I yelled.

"Lilly, it's okay." Said Aaron.

Justin was still lying in the floor. They were friends but he knew better then to mess with Aaron, no matter how much he didn't like it.

"Now what's going on?!" Said Aaron.

"H-he's got the mark." I said near tears. I hated seeing Aaron so angry.

"The wha- oh, no. Please no." Said Aaron, his expression softened.

Justin showed him his hands.

"I can't believe this..." Said Aaron quietly.

"Neither can any of us." said Sam coming into the room with Austin. "We heard yelling, so we eavesdropped. Sorry."

"It's okay Sam. It's not a big deal. We shouldn't have secrets here anyway. We need to stay together..." I said