Fateful Encounter

Chapter 4

(A/N There's not much SFW fanart of Fendy out there... I'll try my best to find more, lmao)

"Do you really have to leave so soon?", Masky asks. "I mean... You could always... S-stay for dinner..."

"Thanks for the offer, but I have to get home," I tell him. "... My brother'd go batshit crazy if I came home the next day without telling him where I was going."

"... Oh. Alright." He stands there for a moment, as if hesitating. "I could always walk you back. You don't want Offender to encounter you again."

"Yeah, true... Okay. Just don't tell anyone where I live, alright?"

"It's a promise."

We walk along through the forest. Masky seems kind of shy, as he's keeping some distance between us and has his hands in his pockets. I can't tell if he's glancing at me or not, as his face is always under that mask.

"... Hey, Masky?", I ask after a long moment of silence.

"Hm?" He jumps a bit.

"Why do you always wear that mask?"

"Oh, this...?" He gently touches the mask. "... So nobody'll recognize me."

"... But, if you're not from this area, I doubt anyone would."

"Well... yes, but... someone could've seen me on the news. If anyone saw me and recognized -- or even knew me -- they would search this forest. Nobody would be safe anymore, and we'd have to move. Slendy likes it here, and so does everyone else. So... I keep it on."

"... Sorry. I guess it's... a sensitive subject." I put my hands in my pockets awkwardly. "... But... if you're wearing it to protect you and the others, then why do you wear it inside, too?"

"... I guess I've just got used it. Plus, I'm the only one there who's mostly human. Well, more or less."

Before I know it, we arrive at my house. I stop right before I leave the cover of the trees as I see it.

"Is this your place?", Masky asks. "Wow... It's almost as big as Slendy's mansion!"

"... Well... It's not really my place," I explain. "It's my foster parent's place. It is pretty nice, but a lot of the areas are restricted, so..."

"Oh. That must suck."

"That's one way to put it, yeah." I stand there awkwardly for another few seconds. "... Anyway, uh... I'll be seeing you, maybe?"

"Yeah! You should really come back sometime. Everyone seems to really like you."

"Really?" My eyes go wide, and I blush a little at the compliment. "... I didn't think I was that likeable..."

"No, y-you really are! You're a, um, very n-nice person. Haha..."

I smile at the comment.

"... Uh... Thanks," I respond. I go towards the door. As I look back, Masky waves to me. I waves back. Then I open the door.

As I head inside, I notice all the lights are off.

Is everyone asleep already?, I think to myself.

As I go towards the stairs, however, the sudden sound of a light switch being flipped on makes me jump. I slowly look towards the kitchen. Jared is standing there, his arms crossed. He has an angry expression.

"... You haven't been home all day, Maria," he says. "Where the hell were you?"

"Where else?", I say. The way Jared keeps looking over my shoulder and keeping a leash on me is really starting to get on my nerves. "Where have I always been? Not here, that's for sure!"

"Maria, please. I'm just trying to make a better life for the three of us."

"Well, if you would just leave me the hell alone, it'd be a lot better of a life for me!! God, always the same excuse!! Why do you think I'm never here!? I don't want to be here because of him. If he so much as sees me, he thinks I'm doing something wrong." I realise my voice is getting higher, angrier; but I don't care. "And why do you think I'm always wearing clothes that cover my body; that I'm tired all the damn time!? He's cut me, Jared! With his broken bottles! I can't fucking sleep because I'm always afraid he's going to come in my room and hurt me!! And I don't go to school because I know I'll fail anyway. Then the school will call Daniel, and he'll be even more pissed at me. And at that point, he'll actually have a reason to hurt me!!"

I see that Jared is speechless through my blurred vision. I'm crying. It doesn't surprise me at all, though. I had bottled this up for so damn long, I forgot that Jared is just trying to look out for me. I've always given him the cold shoulder, yet I can't explain why. Not to him, or even to myself. Maybe I'm just taking the brunt of all the abuse, so that Daniel won't hurt Jared or Aaron. Do I feel like a danger to them? Is that why I separate myself from them; from my only family? Because I feel that I'm the danger?

I rub my eyes, trying to get rid of all the tears. But they just keep flowing; they won't stop. God, how long have I been holding this in?

Jared walks towards me and brings me into a hug. I haven't experienced a hug in so long. It feels... warm.

"... I am so sorry, Maria," Jared says. "I had no idea that he was doing that to you. But, I promised I'd protect you, didn't I? And that's a promise that'll never go away. I won't question you when you get home late anymore."

After hearing him say that, I start sobbing. I finally said it. I thought he'd be angry with me and say this was the best we could do at the moment. But he accepted it; he trusts me. It means so much to me to hear that.

After a while, the tears finally stop, along with the sobbing.

"You okay now?", Jared asks.

"... Y-Yeah," I respond quietly.

"Good." He smiles. "Now, you should head off to bed. I'll make sure Daniel stays away from you, alright?"

I nod. I say goodnight to him, then go up the stairs and to my room, closing the door behind me.

My window isn't open, but the curtains are. I close them. Don't want a certain maniac peeking in while I sleep. I also make sure to lock it.

I take off my sweatshirt, take the knife out of my pocket, then put it in my desk drawer. As I look into the mirror, I notice my eyes are red and puffy from crying. I hope that goes away in the morning.

I settle down into my bed and immediately drift off to sleep.