You've Missed Mouthy

Game Over

(Vince the Proxy's POV)

For once I don't feel the need to complain about the environment. My skin is used to the chilling wind, and I've found my paranoia of being attacked by either Kate or Toby more of a haunting matter than hunger or thirst. I still have the few snacks I snagged in that tent, but they're not going to last me much longer if I keep up this trek. My shoes fair well on the rocks and leaves, but the bottoms of the cargo pants are rimmed with dirt. I doubt I'll ever get a stain like that out, even with all the laundry practice Toby drags me into doing. And aside from a consistently runny nose and a couple fits of sneezing, it's not the worse I've felt in the couple weeks that my mind can remember.

I tromped through the brush, kicking over saplings that were in my way, and wading through the low hanging branches. After a dozen scrapes up both arms, I finally decided running without a clear path sucks. It's much easier to walk quietly, then duck down if anything wants to find me. So far, it hasn't been a problem. I was sure that they would run towards the burning part of the forest, and just happen to find me on their way there. So I took the long way around in a hope to avoid that encounter.

However my decision has more cons than pros, because I'm unsure which way I need to go to get back to the Elementary. I'm torn here on an informal fork-in-the-road, standing in the center of a circle of trees with bushes surrounding me in all directions. The leaves above me blow quietly, just enough to make a monotone whistling in the air. Logically I want to go to my right, where it leads a straight path through the trees; the same path I have been taking for some time now. And yet, inside, I feel the urge to run left and go uphill. That would take a lot more energy, and may be worthless. But this feeling is undeniable, somehow dragging my feet without permission. Without a rational thought, I trek to the left.

My shoes step on more fallen twigs as my hands grab the low hanging branches to keep balance, rather than swatting them away in annoyance. This path is steep, I can feel both my calves burn after half an hour. I watch the path get steeper, and steeper, and steeper. By the time I start thinking of throwing myself down the hill, and hope I break something internally, this "Hill" becomes a cliff. I want to turn around and cuss myself out for thinking it was a good idea to come up here, but no, I can still sense that urge to move forward. "Just over this hill." It says. I'm an idiot.

I reach my hand to grab the side of the cliff, pulling myself up in order to grab the next piece of ledge. I step on the small chips of rock that juts out the cliffside, slowly inching my way up to the top. Definitely the stupidest thing I've ever done. My hands reach for another piece of the wall to put my weight on. My arms twitch at the muscle strain, but I have to make it to the top. I pause for a moment to breathe, turning my head to look behind me. The breath leaves me as I stare over the tops of the trees from here.

"Whoa." I voice in awe. I've never seen a view like this, the green tree-tops seem endless. The vastness of the world makes me feel small all of the sudden. I've only known a world made up of the training facility, the Elementary, and the forest floor. The powerful killer I see myself as seems to shrink as I look at the hundreds of trees and their many leaves that stretch on for miles. I need to reach the top, I want to see the rest of this domain.

I turn around to continue my climb, at a quicker pace, ignoring safety. I grab the final ledge and lift myself over it, dragging my bare chest over the rocks and dirt as I attempt to pull my legs up. Success, and I breathe out in relief. Flipping to sit in the dirt and brush myself off, I gaze over the view again. This time the trees went on for even longer, crawling over hills and mountains, filling the valleys, each fighting for the sun's rays. I catch myself tuning out the rest of my problems as the depth of the world overwhelms me, draining all of my energy with one look. There's no words that can explain the churning irritant inside of me. This strange urge to wander in an irrational path to a location unknown, when all of my insides are screaming for me to end my miserable life right here or to run while I still can. Slender's control over these woods... his power, it's too great. Running will get me killed, killing myself will benefit no one, and I have no guesses of what will happen if he's the one to find me.