Caught In The Forest

Secrets

  I felt an undying motive to learn more. So there I sat, speaking with E.J. once more, having him tell me as much as my mind could register. He was telling me his story, well, as much as he could, the details were blurred for him. "How come you can hardly remember your own background when it is clear as day for Jeff and Sally and some of the other guys? You were living once, too."

    Jack rolled his head in a sarcastic gesture. "Since Slenderman was alive-or dead-or whatever before us, his deadly motives were also there. So he would hunt, but not to kill. To find those he knew could join him. He had some sort of sense that could help him find those destined to be like him, and so he followed people like Jeff and Sally and well, some of the other guys. But he never noticed me, I don't know, maybe I was under the radar or something. But because of this, he wasn't able to catch and learn my own background. Wasn't special enough," he mused. "He was able to remind the others of why they were there and why, but myself, I can hardly recall. What I do remember is dying." He paused briefly, in joy or sorrow, I couldn't tell.

    "If it's not sensitive, can I hear?"

    Jack chuckled. "I'm already dead, I don't care. Sure." He exhaled, "I found the error of getting into a former policeman's home."

    "Oh no, that's a strike right there. Did you not see what was wrong with that situation?"

    He seemed to snicker, "Yeah, I know that now. But I wasn't aware of what I was getting myself into." Tugging on his hoodie, he continued. "I was doing what I do, on what I'm guessing was the guy's son. And you see, a door knob turn later I get a brain full of bullets. Turns out he heard me crawl through the window, I swear the guy had ears like a bat. I didn't have an excuse either," he sneered. "'Oh I'm sorry, this was meant to be someone else's kidney I needed to take.' Looking back on it now, it was kind of funny how it all just happened."

    "And that's how you're here?"

    "Yep," his mask shifted in a grin. "First thing I did was rip up that family to pieces. Killed the son in front of his dad while he watched, pointlessly shooting me over and over and over. It was hilarious."

   "That doesn't sound funny at all. More like horrifically morbid."

    "Eh, you're human. Your idea of funny is different than mine."

    I shook my head in disapproval and rose up from the couch. Without another word I left the room to find excitement. Then I heard it, the audible tone of perfection, smooth like silk. I didn't know anyone in this house could sing. I decided to follow the voice that sung so flawlessly, and it led me through the house like a trail of rope through a maze. I approached a hall where if I went down any other way, the singing would fade away. The singing is coming from one of these doors.

    I leaned my ear against several before I found the direct source. Holding my breathe I turned the brass knob slowly to see a young woman looking out the window. I thought she would notice, considering the Creepypastas had the most acute senses.

    "Hello," I managed to whisper.

   The woman froze in her singing, and I watched her whip around effortlessly. She was beautiful. Long brunette hair fell past her waist; she wore a dress that reached her ankles, but no shoes. But then I saw it, the slightest seep of blood from the right corner of her forehead.

    "Sally?" I asked, surprised. I knew it!

     "Penny," she responded, straightening her posture. "It's nice to see you."

    It was so unbelievable to see Sally as an adult, not innocent and small, not carrying a teddy bear around like her life depended on it. "Does Slenderman know that you can...change?"

    "No," she quickly snapped, swiftly appearing in front of me. "And I don't want him to." Her eyes shimmered, the brightest most frightening green I had ever seen.

     "Don't fuss, I won't." I then grinned.

     "What?" She demanded.

    "I always knew something was peculiar about your peachy act. But it turns out the most faultless little girl in the world is the one deceiving one of the most dangerous things on this planet."

    She fluttered her eyes for a moment examining me up and down, then she smiled. "Isn't this quite the achievement?" I nodded with a grin in return. "I always thought he'd figure it out, or someone else in this house at least. But it ended up being a simple human."

    "Hey, humans have the one thing you guys do not. Caution, limits, thoughts to find the outcome or truth. But I must agree, I too am surprised. Yet, I have to ask, why?"

    Sally swayed up and down on her toes for a second, still pulling the acts of a little girl, her eyes looking off to the side. She gave her direct eye contact back to me, and smiled wider. "Well, to have everything done for me. What is the worth of being dead when you still have responsibilities?"

     I raised my eyebrows in agreement, in thought for a moment. "Alright, I'll take it, but now I'm curious about something else."

    "I'm an open book now to you, after all you have my secret."

    "Why are you 'undead' and how come you didn't know when I entered the room?"

    Swaying again on her toes, she began to answer. "My anger was what brought me back. My wrath was so powerful, it revived me. Dying in utter anger or sorrow is a strong thing, you know? But even as a little girl, the motives of a deadly future was within me. It was probably just the potential that brought Slenderman, and I have not let him down since." She flashed her picture perfect smile once more. "About your entry, well I'm a weaker Creepypasta you see, as my death did not grant me any murderous skills from my former life. I mean I was a little girl, I couldn't kill if I wanted to. And it's not as easy to detect a human when they're not scared. We can sense the fear, it's a wonderful thing really."

    I clapped my hands together and Sally playfully bowed. "I swear there are too many secrets in this mansion."

    Sally's perky demeanor suddenly perished, her expression went blank and gray. "Oh you'd be surprised Penny. Even you have secrets."

    I tilted my head in confusion but only continued to made an excuse to leave rather than ask. "You might want to be more careful, it could have been just as easy for someone other than me to come in here. I followed your singing after all, while they can just easily know of your presence," I added before stepping out the door.

      That night I pondered in my room what I could be hiding from myself. Then I remembered how easily Slenderman cut off my memories. Is there still something he's not telling me?