The Slender Man (a Hetalia fanfiction - Book 2)

Chapter 11 - Never Safe

Rosalie's P.O.V

"Is he still behind us?" America asked, sounding breathless from all our running.
Canada glanced back, then sighed in relief and he slowed to a stop, so I did too, followed by everyone else.
"Why did we stop? Is he not behind us anymore?" Spain asked, looking up in confusion.
Canada nodded. "Oui, we're safe, for now."
"Let's just keep going," I muttered, continuing to walk, so the others walked, too.
"I wonder where they're at," France pondered.
"We'll find them sooner or later, right?" America said.
"We better. My feet fucking hurt and we can't fucking find our way back to the hotel," Romano muttered.
"Actually, we just did." Prussia said with a smirk.
We all turned to him with confused expressions.
"Eh?" Canada and I asked at the same time.
"Look over there," Prussia pointed to something behind us as he continued to smirk.
We turned and, if I look closely, I can see the structure of a building in the distance not too far ahead of us.
"Yes!" America shouted, smiling widely.
"Ve! Yay!" Italy cheered.
"Well shit," I said, my lips tilting into a grin, but that quickly faded. "Well, we found the hotel, but we still need to find China, Russia, and six notes."
"Well-"
Italy's voice trailed off as wind began to blow around us. The air dropped in temperature and became heavier, enough that I started hearing my own heart pounding.
"Wait, what!?" I exclaimed as my eyes widened, but then the whispers started, but this time, the voices are more easily heard. Their shaky voices echoed around us.
"Help!"
"Please, save me!"
"It hurts so much..."
"Leave me alone!"
"Somebody...please..."
"B-But...we didn't pick up another note yet!" America said, his eyes widening in fear and confusion.
England gasped. "China! Russia! One of them must have picked up a note!"
"Ah, hell..." I muttered.
"Let's go to the hotel! It'll be safer there with more people around, right?" America suggested, beginning to jog ahead of us.
"I'm...not so sure about that," Germany said with a doubtful expression.
"There's only one way to find out, right?" America called back. "C'mon!"
I sighed, but began to run after him. "He's right, we need to hurry. That thing is probably nearby, it is every time we pick up a note."
"Uuughhh," Romano groaned, but along with the rest of us, he began to run, too.
We ran towards the hotel, but as we did, I noticed that all the lights are off. That's strange...
Then, at the corner of my eye, where the trees are, I can see something darker than the rest of the woods, and something small and white hovering over that darkness. My head began to hurt.
I didn't look, I kept running along side everyone else as we got closer and closer to the hotel. We're beginning to lose breath from all our recent runs, and my lungs burned and my legs grew tired and painful, but I kept going at a steady pace.
Soon enough, the breeze and the whispers faded away, and so did the fleeting feeling of immense danger.
We're closer to the hotel now, so we slowed to a walk, panting for breath, which is hard to get when the air is heavy. My heart slammed onto my ribs and echoed through my ears.
"Guys...I don't think anyone is in the hotel at the moment," Spain said, staring up at the dark building. I noticed that even the entrance lights are off. And Spain's right; the hotel really does look vacant.
Where did all of the people go?
"That's odd," England mumbled.
America nodded. "You guys wanna head inside?"
I sighed. "Yeah, I guess. We can try to rest for a bit, but we shouldn't sleep."
"Si, that's...a bad...idea..." Italy murmured softly, still trying to catch his breath.
"W-Wait, what's that?"

Italy's P.O.V

"W-Wait, what's that?" America pointed to the entrance of the hotel.
Through the window-like doors, we can see what looks like little beams of light moving around...
"Are those flashlights?" England asked, squinting his eyes to see better.
"They are," Romano confirmed, his eyebrows furrowing as he focused,
The lights got closer and closer to the front door until-
SLAM!
I jumped in surprise, along with a few others, as the two doors slammed open and running out came Russia and China.
They halted to a stop once they saw us, China letting out a small yelp of surprise.
"China! Russia! Thank God!" Rosalie said, breathing a sigh of relief.
"There you guys are, aru!" China exclaimed, beginning to smile now, but he looks too pale to pull it off.
"We were looking for you guys!" Prussia said, a grin on his relieved face.
Russia smiled. "Thank you for worrying. But by the way, there's a strange tall man following us, and I-"
"Yeah, we need to explain to you guys, too..." America said, his voice trailing off as he glanced towards Germany.
China's eyebrows furrowed. "Explain what, aru?"
"Well, all I can say for now is that it's name is Slender Man, or Der Großmann, if you will..." Rosalie started, rubbing her arm as she thought up an explanation
"Slender Man?" Russia asked, his eyebrows furrowing.
"Well, that goes along with his appearance," China muttered.
"Why are all the lights off?" Germany asked.
"I don't know, but there's nobody in there," Russia told us. "I think it could be a power outage."
"I guess there's no reason to go in there then..." America said, setting his hands on his hips in thought.
"I guess we can..." I began, but my idea was lost and my voice trailed off as I turned around because I saw, not far behind me, Slender Man.
I gasped and stumbled backwards, almost bumping into fratello. "V-V-Ve...!"
"I take it back. Let's go!" America shouted, running towards the front doors, and so did everyone else.
We shut the doors behind us, and they began going farther into the hotel, but I'm just so exhausted...
I panted, setting my hands on my knees, then I looked up and watched as the others ran farther away, not yet noticing I kept back.
I'll catch up with them...I just need to catch my breath...
I took one deep breath, then straightened up. Wait, where did they go?
Oh well, I'll find them...
But then shivers shot up my spine and I gulped, feeling someone standing behind me. He's behind me, isn't he...?
Slowly and shakily, I turned around. Rosalie has told us never look behind ourselves, but...
I found myself looking straight at what looks like the chest of a tall, thin man. His skin doesn't even look like skin; it hardly reflected any light, leaving it dark and mysterious. However, there are a few parts that came off as white and takes shape so that anyone standing at a distance would think this thing is wearing a tuxedo, but it's most certainly not any clothing.
A faint buzzing sound rang through my ears. I whimpered, willing myself to look up and up...
Then a headache hit me so hard it caused me to cry out and I grabbed at my head, my eyes filling with tears.
My vision began to black out around the edges and I looked up again.
The last thing I saw before everything went black was a featureless head, outlined by the moonlight.

Rosalie's P.O.V

"A-Are we safe now?" China panted, looking around us with his flashlight.
"I-I think so," I breathed, glancing around also. I don't see that thing anywhere, so I guess we're alright for now.
"Why does that man follow us?" Russia asked, but then he smiled. "What if all he wants is a hug?"
"Russia, no..." I shook my head, but I couldn't help but to let out a small laugh.
"Dude, whoever Slender takes doesn't come back." America said, but Russia continued to smile.
"He must really like hugs."
"Ru..." I breathed, trying not to laugh, unable to continue what I was saying..
Prussia rolled his eyes. "Right, Slender likes hugs so much that it tears people in half and their guts fall out."
"He must hug very tightly," Russia said, still grinning.
This time I laughed out loud. "Russia, stop, please, you're killing me."
"What? He could be lonely," Russia said with a playful pout and I laughed again.
"Russia, seriously..." I breathed, still giggling. "Trust me, he does not want a hug."
America began to snicker and England and Romano only facepalmed.
"Where's Italy!?"
Germany's exclamation made our laughter die down quickly.
I looked at him, seeing that his face is pale and his eyes are wide, obviously concerned.
We all looked around, realizing that Italy isn't with us...
"Veneziano?" Romano called, beginning to sound concerned, too.
"Oh no..." Spain said, biting his lip, looking worried.
"M-Maybe he's still in the entrance," I said, stuttering a bit. "I can go there and check."
"I'm coming with you," Romano said, coming to stand beside me. "There's no way you're going alone."
I nodded, understanding his concern. "A-Alright."
"Here," Russia held out an extra flashlight. "You can use this."
I took it. "Thanks. You guys stay here and we'll be right back, okay?"
They nodded, then Romano and I quickly turned and ran back.
I turned on the flashlight and used it to guide us, and then we hurried back into the entrance.
"Italy?" I called, moving the flashlight around. He's not here, no one is.
"Fuck..." Romano muttered, and then he told me in a stern voice. "Stay here, just in case he comes back. I'm getting the others."
I nodded and he ran off. I walked further into the entrance and looked around.
"Italy?" I called again, but I still didn't get a response.
I turned again, but then I saw something I didn't notice before.
A single sheet of paper lying on the floor in a beam of moonlight.
My eyebrows furrowed and I walked towards it. It can't be another note, can it? The air doesn't feel ominous near it, so I don't think so...
I picked it up, but nothing happened. It's not another note.
I turned it over, and what I saw made my breath catch in my throat, the flashlight slipping from my grasp.
Drawn on the paper was that symbol, the circle with the X drawn through it.
But written in a child's handwriting, in the center of the symbol, is one name...
Italy.
I heard footsteps run closer to me, but I couldn't lift my eyes off the page. I can't completely register what's going on right now.
"Then where is he!?"
"Italyy! Where are you!?"
"Rosalie, dude, are you okay?"
I was finally able to lift my eyes off the sheet of paper to meet my brother's, worried tears making my vision blurry.
"What happened?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing once he met my gaze.
In a broken whisper, I told him exactly that.
"Slender Man took Italy."