The Slender Man (a Hetalia fanfiction - Book 2)

Chapter 12 - Growing Fear

Omniscient P.O.V

"What do you mean he took him!?" Germany demanded, his eyes wide in both disbelief and shock.
Romano grabbed the paper from Rosalie's hands and widened his eyes when he saw it. Then he swirled to face Germany, shoving the paper into his face.
"What does this fucking mean, bastard!?"
Germany looked at the paper, though he didn't want to. He saw what was on it and then his eyes stirred with immense concern and even fear. He snatched the paper from the Italian and kept reading Italy's name, over and over.
Then he began to shake his head. "Nein...nein, nein!"
Romano growled. Anger, worry, and fear for his brother swirled in his hazel eyes. He stepped forward and roughly grabbed at the collar of Germany's shirt and yanked on it so Germany would meet his glare.
"Where. Is. Veneziano?" Romano asked through his teeth.
Germany opened his mouth, not sure what to say. But then he said what he never ever wanted to hear.
"It's true...Der Großmann has Italy..." Germany's voice is shaky and his face is extremely pale. He almost couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth, but he knew the truth behind them.
Romano stared into those wide, pale blue eyes, searching for anything that would make it look like the German is lying, but all he could find is shock, fear, and concern; the emotions of honesty.
Romano growled loudly this time, releasing Germany and beginning to pace, his hands clenched so tightly his knuckles are white.
"Germany," Japan murmured, stepping towards him. "Is it true? Does this...Slender Man have Italy?"
Germany didn't, and couldn't answer.
Rosalie's in shock, also. She stood still as stone, staring down at the spot where she found the dreadful note, her deep blue eyes widened wide disbelief and immense concern and fear for the missing Italian.
Slender Man has Italy.
All she can think about are those nightmares, the ones where people would be torn open, their organs removed, placed into bags, then stuffed back into their bodies...
Rosalie couldn't imagine that happening to Italy.
The room itself was deadly silent, heavy with shock.
"Not Italy," Prussia whispered softly, his eyes still wide. Before, he didn't really think Slender would really take anyone, but now, seeing that Italy isn't here...leaving behind evidence that he was taken...
It made them all face the reality that Slender Man can and will take them all, and that he shouldn't be underestimated.
So, then, as any sane person would, they became scared. Scared for Italy, scared for each other, and scared for themselves.
That one sentence seemed to run through each of their minds, haunting them just like those whispers.
"Anyone who was ever taken by Slender Man never came back..."
England was the first to break from the shock, his hand brushing through his hair as he exhaled heavily.
America's shoulders slumped. He wanted to say something, anything, to break the silence and hopefully raise some spirits, but no words could come to him.
"This is such BULLSHIT!" Romano's bellow, along with him slamming his fist to the front desk, caused everyone else to jump from their shock.
"Romano..." Spain murmured, walking over to him, reaching out one hand. "It's okay-"
"It is not fucking okay!" Romano swirled around to glare at the Spaniard. "That fucking creature took my fratello!"
"We know that, Roma..." Rosalie said softly, shaking her head and looking at her lover with an understanding and sympathetic gaze. "We'll find a way to get him back."
"Then what the fuck are we standing around like fucking cowards here for!?" Romano shouted, his eyes prickling with tears.
"Romano..." Rosalie stood in front of him, taking both of his hands in hers, trying to meet his eyes, but he didn't. His eyes are squeezed shut to hide his tears, his jaw is clenched and he's breathing heavily from his shouting and his anger.
"Roma, look at me." She told him softly. After a moment, he relaxed a bit, his shoulders slumping and his eyes opened slowly, then he lifted his eyes so their gazes met. This time she didn't see only anger, she can see the fear in his eyes now.
"We will find him. We'll find him, and then we'll find the rest of the notes and get outta here. Okay?" She told him, holding his hands tightly.
"Then we better hurry and fucking do it," he muttered, but he's in more control of his anger now.
"How many more notes do we need to find?" England asked, his calm voice was like a drop of water over a flame.
"Notes?" China asked, his voice shaking ever so slightly.
Japan nodded, then looked at Rosalie. "How many notes do we have?"
Rosalie let go of one of Romano's hands to reach into her pocket where she stuffed the notes into during their last run. She pulled them out and lifted them up. "Two."
"But, wait..." America turned to Russia and China. "Did you two ever find a piece of paper with some creepy-ass words written on it?"
Russia then pulled a wrinkled note from the pocket of his coat and held it up. "Like this, da?"
"Okay, we have three. That's good..." England said with a little nod. "Don't lose those, they're important."
That means there are five more to go...
Rosalie then picked up the flashlight she recently dropped and turned off the light to save the battery, then she stuffed the notes back into the pocket of her jeans. She then turned to Romano. "You ready to go?"
He nodded, meeting her gaze once more. "Si."
Then Prussia stepped froward, a determined expression on his face.
"Alright, let's go find Italy."