When Violence Ensues: Slenderverse Short Stories.

Story 14: Compass.

Eyes glittering with tears, Vincent collapsed to the ground outside of the house- no, hell- he'd been trapped in for the last uncountable number of months. All of the fear, the anticipation; the questions. All of this was overwhelming to the relieved male, as he relished in the feeling of the cool breeze against his skin. So many little, natural things that he had missed since his absence from the outside world. Finally, there were some answers to pressing questions; some pieces to the puzzle were slowly clicking into place. However, there was a lingering fear- Habit had said that he had 'screwed everything up.' What exactly had he screwed up? Vincent wasn't aware of any plan that the otherworldly being had, he only knew that he apparently had a part to play. Apparently now though, he wasn't useful. So he was going to be 'entertaining' according to Habit himself.

Those are words that would terrify anybody, when they realised what Habit described as 'entertaining' is more like a scene out of a Saw movie.

All fear aside, Vincent was feeling pretty damn good at that particular moment. He let himself just appreciate being free for a few moments of blissful silence. Pulling himself up off of the ground, Vincent adjusted his glasses, checked the camera that was still running and then looked back to that dreaded door. He couldn't go back- he made his decision. So he'd stick to it. Making his way to his car, Vincent felt a smile tug at the corners of his lips as he opened the car door and climbed into the driver's seat after putting his personal belongings in the front passenger seat; as well as positioning the camera on the dashboard. Clicking his seatbelt into place, the man started the car engine and began to pull out of the driveway, taking off down the street. It still hadn't completely sunk in, the fact that he was actually driving a car; free from that vindictive entity. For now. Those eyes that had been constantly haunted by the regrets, guilt and horrors he had witnessed; the very same eyes that sported a constant fatigue. Those eyes that had been shifting all of the time, fearful of any movement; now glittered with a new excitement. A new flame had been lit, and Vincent was going to bring the fuel.

There were new questions now, but more answers than there had ever been. Vincent knew now what he had to do in order to figure out the crucial details; he had to go to Fairmount That place, the name had kept on appearing, ever since the start. But now, now that name had a new meaning. It wasn't simply a place buried in time and shrouded in mystery; it was an answer. A new-found determination began to bubble inside of the glasses-wearing male as he drove, preparing himself for long hours of travelling and thinking. Resorting to turning on the car radio, Vincent heaved a relieved sigh as a familiar tune sounded through the speakers. That brought a smile to his lips once more. Rolling down the window and letting that breeze hit his skin drew a laugh from his lips. He'd survived. He had actually survived so far. He was barely getting through, but now? Now there was something to do. There was a new plan. A new discovery.

Things were finally looking up, and Vincent was probably more optimistic than he should be; but there was a cause for it. It was about time things began to go his way for once; and god did it feel good.

Lightly humming along to the lyrics of the song, Vincent watched the road intently. Fairmount would give him the answers he needed; it was just a matter of getting there before everything went wrong again. Because no doubt, HABIT would come out of the blue to fuck everything up as per usual. Also, the new issue was that Vincent was basically free game in the sights of the tall entity. He wasn't HABIT's property anymore. Not under 'his protection.'

The man scoffed, "Protection. What fucking protection, HABIT? Hm?" He muttered, shaking his head. HABIT had done nothing but trap him and cause all sorts of misery. The only form of 'protection' HABIT gave him was from the weatherly elements outside.

Then it truly sank in how many people had actually died. How much of it was legitimately his own fault. Shaun died due to him. HABIT killed Jeff, Steph, a fucking child. The list was endless, and no doubt it would keep growing in size as the years rolled by.

Letting it go as much as he possibly could for now, Vincent simply turned his focus to the lyrics blasting through the car radio.

'This is your life, it's do or die
The sun may never rise again, so be the light, the vision
This is your life, it's slipping by
You try to run but fall again, you get back up, that's living'