The Turners: The Rise Of Slenderman (Season 1) [COMPLETED]

episode 18 - a proxy's fall from grace (3)

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"Noooo!" Rouge cried like a wounded animal. She fell to her knees and put her hands on her head, while her face showed bewilderment. Both her husbands were now dead and she seemed to be having a hard time comprehending it. "It's... It's... It's..." she said repeatedly. Everyone (including the bairns) had stopped fighting and they were looking at her. 

"This," she sobbed, "is not possible. How can it be? They... They..." Complete hopelessness turned into tears that ran down her face like an open tap in an empty house. 

In those few minutes of standing there and watching the proxy cry her eyes out, Joe felt sorry for Ellen. It was the first time since meeting her back at her house that she had showed any signs of humanity. Maybe she too was being controlled by Slenderman. Maybe there was hope of saving her. Maybe...

"You fucking monster!" She raised her head, glaring at Joe. "You shall pay for this! I swear on my life and my masters'. You'll feel the pain I am feeling right now. I promise!" She stood up and ran into the woods.

"Is that it?" Joe asked, staring at where Ellen ran off too. "You aren't the first one to threaten me!" He raised his hands in the air, then dropped them back down. Someone touched his shoulder. He turned to see Daisy.

"She's gone, Joe. That's it. It's over," she said.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes."

Joe pointed at Sly who was still floating in the air. "Then why is he still up there?"

"I don't know." Daisy grabbed her chin and fell into her thoughts. 

Looking up at where Sly was, Joe thought, Are you aware when Slenderman controls you? Or doesn't it work that way? Jojo said something about manipulation of emotions. Maybe that's it. Maybe it's still you, but with less care for everyone you know. 

"Hey!" Joe waved at Sly. The boy didn't even bat an eye at him. "Hey! I'm talking to you!"

"Baboon, he's not reacting to you because he doesn't care," Jojo said, stepping beside him. While she looked at the woods Ellen ran into, she said, "Didn't you listen when I was telling all of you what he told me? Slenderman manipulates emotions. So right now, Sly could be thinking of you as an ant. Something small and not attention worthy."

Joe gazed up at his best friend. Is that true? All those memories we made since we were kids don't matter to you now? He turned his hand into a fist and clenched his jaw. Now you think you are better than me! 

He didn't know why he was getting so worked up about not getting attention from Sly. Deep down he understood why it was happening and that Jojo was right, but with everything that had happened, he found it hard to believe Sly couldn't fight it. All he needed to know was his friend was still in there somewhere.