Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays [10]

Jeff was in the mansion. He was younger than now, by only two years. He was sitting in a chair right outside the Slenderman's office. His arms were handcuffed behind him, and his legs were tied down to the legs of the chair. The proxies had informed Jeff politely that their master would be back soon to take any questions he had. Jeff politely told them to shove it, and was currently working on escaping while they were gone.

This was about a year before the Slenderman was able to successfully make Jeff his proxy.

Jeff bit his cheek as he focused, his hands trying to work the paperclip into the lock chaining his wrists together. His head was down in concentration, unable to watch his hands work. He didn't notice a puff of black smoke appear near him.

"You sure are determined, aren't you?" Said a voice. Jeff gasped, nearly dropping the paperclip as his head snapped up to look at the thing in front of him.

The guy was tall, to say the least. And definitely not human. He was completely monochrome, with a weird pointy nose and dark eyes that glinted mischievously at Jeff. The monster took a step back, lifting his clawed hands peacefully. "Oh! But don't let me ruin your concentration. You were doing so well!" He said, his voice nasally.

Jeff glared at him, squaring his shoulders and trying to look tough. "When I get out of these cuffs you'll be sorry," he growled.

"Right," the monster answered. He didn't sound convinced. He had a sharp smile on his face that infuriated Jeff. He tried to continue lockpicking, letting his spite fuel him, but the clown's continued presence and unyielding stare made Jeff uncomfortable. The burning anger he was accustomed to was unable to take hold, as questions popped into his head, melting away whatever focus he was trying to maintain.

"What are you doing?" Jeff asked finally, pausing his escape attempt. Was this guy waiting for him to escape so he could handcuff Jeff again? Why'd he even come down here?

The monster pointed with his thumb behind himself, down the hallway. "I have a room here. Was going to grab something from it, but this is a lot more entertaining." He motioned towards Jeff with both hands, an annoying smile still plastered onto his face.

"What? Watching me fail to escape?"

The monster quirked an eyebrow at Jeff. "Fail? You've already given up? I thought I was seeing the next Houdini in action." The clown joked. Jeff frowned.

"You aren't going to stop me?" Jeff asked doubtfully.

The monster shrugged, the piles of feathers on his shoulders shifting with the movement. "Don't see why I should."

Jeff thought about that for a moment. "So...can you untie me?" He asked.

The clown snorted. "No. Then it wouldn't be a challenge."

Jeff gave the clown a confused look. "Whatever," he said, and went back to lockpicking. He tried to ignore the monster standing a few feet away from him, and eventually, the lock clicked, and the cuffs slipped off, falling to the floor with a clatter.

"Yes!" Jeff said to himself, bending down to untie the ropes around his ankles. He jumped up, ready to go. That's when he remembered the monster, and stepped away from him. The clown slow-clapped him. He had been sitting in a chair diagonal to Jeff, watching him work with mild interest.

"What a show," he said lazily.

Jeff ignored his comment. "Do you know what they did to my knife?" He asked. It wasn't in it's sheath, Jeff realized, and a growing anxiety was cut short as the monster summoned it from out of thin air.

He offered the handle to Jeff, who took it cautiously.

"It was on the kitchen table," the monster said. "Figured it must belong to the new guy." He tilted his head sideways. "Love that smile, by the way," he added on, using a claw to trace Jeff's sinister carved smile across his own face.