"Hello?" Vinny calls.
"Vin?!" I shout, wincing at the noise.
He runs in and a flashlight beam lands on us. His breath catches in his throat. I struggle against the chains and move closer to my friend. Vinny is here, I didn't just "see" him, he's real. Right? He has to be. He can't be fake.
"Jeff? Y/n?"
"It's us, please get us out of here!" I say.
"I can't," Jeff says. "If I defy Slenderman, I die. For real this time."
"Jeff, come with us, please," Vinny says.
Jeff suddenly vanishes into smoke like he was never even there. And I cry out in shock, reaching toward where his arm was. But, of course, I fall over. Vinny rushes to my side and shakily works on the chains.
"Don't worry, y/n. I'm going to get you out of here. I promise."
"Are you real?" I whisper.
"What? Yes, of course I am."
"Just checking."
Vinny scoops me up in his arms bridal style and heads away from the rooms I was kept in. He knows he's not safe anymore, but he doesn't care. He just wants me back. He and Habit. I bury my face against his chest and start crying, hating myself for it.
"Shh, it's going to be okay," he whispers in my ear.
I wish that was true.
