Can't Say

Chapter 8

            It was probably the better half of an hour that you had stood there on the patio, waiting for Slenderman to return. Not a soul – or entity – came along to tell you what to do, though. A spark of panic began to twinge in your chest as you feared that maybe you were supposed to have gone somewhere else in the mansion. Would Slenderman be furious with you if you don't get there soon? Wherever “there” was, of course.
            You looked across the patio, gazing to the black and orange forest beyond. The idea of escaping this place crossed your mind, but the memories of being chased by the Tall Man reminded you of just how futile such an attempt would be.
            A growling in your stomach reminded you that nourishment had yet to be taken care of. You considered whether or not leaving the patio would be a risk, even if it was just to get to the kitchen. Since you hadn't been given direct orders to stay outside, you shrugged it all off and opened the glass doors. A musky, dark scent wafted into your nostrils. The dim lighting of the mansion was a huge contrast compared to what was outside. Your eyes slowly adjusted as you closed the door behind you and crept cautiously down the hall. It was probably the only hall you were familiar with on the first floor, since Slenderman had lead you through it earlier this morning.
            You reached the lobby without a single disturbance. Part of you expected to see or hear Jeff and Ben still chasing each other over who-knows-what. Utter silence continued to fill your ears, only accompanied by the blunt tapping of your shoes and that faintly rang. Curiosity about the condition of the living room struck you, so you took a peer around the doorway.
            To your surprise, the living room was back to its pristine appearance. Even the television had been replaced. A fleeting question in your mind wondered how exactly these Creepypastas acquired their furnishings so quickly. Perhaps you would learn of their tricks later on.
            You shrugged off your current wonderment when the churning in your stomach reminded you of why you were wandering around the mansion all alone. Again, you walked in silence down the hall across the foyer, making a bee-line for the kitchen.
            Upon entering the food distribution center, you found that - still - no one was around. Your eyes narrowed, curious as to what was going on. Surely the Creepypastas hadn't left you all alone in the mansion. You weren't exactly someone they could trust. Someone had to be watching you from a distance.
            You peered over your shoulder, expecting to see Slenderman or one of his Proxies standing in the doorway.
            Nothing.
            You shook your head and sighed. It wasn't worth it to get your nerves flaring in a mansion full of murderous people, right? If that were the case, you'd have died of a heart attack by now.
            Focusing on your primary task, you managed to scrounge up some slices of slightly stale bread, a nearly empty jar of peanut butter, and an old banana. The silly jingles that you were taught back in grade school chimed through your head.

            Peanut! Peanut butter!
            And bananas!

            There wasn't much more to the song than that. Or rather, you couldn't really remember more than those parts. You mumbled the jingle to yourself as you prepared your peanut butter and banana sandwich, despite its poor quality. Considering the age of the rest of the food here, this was pretty fresh stuff!
            You reluctantly devoured your makeshift sandwich, bypassing the textures of mushy banana slices and stale bread as best you could. Gazing around the kitchen and taking note of its design seemed to distract you from your disgust in the food. The dim lighting made it difficult to accurately see everything, but your eyes had adjusted rather well. It would be nice to turn on the light just by walking in to a room, though, seeing as how there were no light switches. You silently hoped that it was an instant perk, once you became a Proxy.
            After finishing your sandwich, you snatched a bottle of water from the fridge and decided to go hang out in the living room. Part of you hoped that staying there would guarantee someone would show up at some point. You crossed the marble-floored foyer, passing the large double doors bearing stained glass. A twinge in your chest caused you to stop in your tracks, however. The sight of the doors reminded you that you had a chance to escape. You had a chance to get out of here and – then what?
            You couldn't show your face in public. The police were surely looking for you. Heck, living on the run didn't sound all that great, either. How would you make money? Did you even want to continue killing people just to survive?
            Flashbacks of your time with the boy down in the cellar had you questioning your own sanity. You had struggled to kill the boy – someone you didn't even know. There was no other reason behind his demise than Slenderman's encouragement. Honestly, if you had the choice, you would have let the boy live. He did nothing to you. You killed him because you wanted to survive.
            So, again, the question came up: could you live on the run, killing people for their money and belongings?
            Maybe.
            But how long would it last? And would you have a safe and permanent home to return to?
            Most likely not. Heck, you probably wouldn't last all that long, considering the street thugs out there. They were undoubtedly much more threatening than yourself.
            With a sigh, you hesitantly took a step forward, then continued your way into the living room. It was there that you reclined on the couch and stared up to the ceiling as you sipped on your bottle of water.
            Your mind wandered, having the idea that maybe Slenderman wanted to give you two tasks per day? That still doesn't quite explain why you were left secluded in their own home. You could easily destroy everything or even run to civilization and - get arrested on the spot.
            Right.
            That would be why the Creepypastas weren't all too concerned with your seclusion.
            The comfort of the couch soothed your body. Your eyes began to feel heavy as the rush of this morning's events began to catch up with you. It didn't take long for you to drift into a light sleep. A nap seemed like a good idea, anyway.
            A petal-soft surface gently brushed over your lips, tracing around their edges of lush pink with a focused curiosity. It seemed to take note of each crease, each wrinkle, that the inner edges of your mouth comprised of. Then, it slowly drifted itself over your chin, tracing your jaw line until it reached the lobe of your ear. The foreign object felt similar to a finger, but it was far too smooth and soft. You felt its presence cascade down your neck, heading to your collar bone as it left a trail of warmth in your skin. A sigh escaped you, pleasure filling you with a tingling sensation in your arms and chest. Your eyes fluttered open from their slumber, hoping to see who was inspecting you so carefully.
            The familiar white skin of your soon-to-be-master hovered high above you from the couch. His arms were tucked behind his back, and not one of his tendrils were protruding. You knitted your brows in thought, unsure if the touch along your face and neck was just a dream.
            “Good work, ____,” Slenderman echoed in the mansion's atmosphere. “You have passed your test of loyalty.”
            You parted your lips to correct Slenderman. In truth, you only stayed in the mansion due to reasoning with yourself of how much worse it would be with the humans. Instead, you shut your lips tight, deciding to allow Slenderman to think that you were actually loyal to him. You weren't against him, either, but that wasn't quite the issue here.
            “Your final test will consist of something far more,” Slenderman paused, “interesting.” There was a sly smirk to his words. They sent a chill down your spine.
            You sat up on the couch, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. “Do I get details of this test, or will I be going in blind like the other ones?” You tried your best not to sound rude with your questions, but they still had that crankiness in their tones.
            With every lack of a word, Slenderman raised his hand and snatched you up to his eye level by your throat. He gripped you only tight enough to hold you, but it did no good in keeping you calm. You tried to struggle, but the dim walls of the mansion were quickly replaced by modest daylight and “Halloween trees”. At this point, Slenderman dropped you to your feet, where you gasped and coughed. He vanished, once again leaving you to solitude.
            After quickly catching your breath, you assessed your surroundings. It was the same forest as when the Tall Man chased you. Trees, bushes, leaves, and haunting silence. Well, it was silent, until the crunching of leaves scratched your ears, making you whip around in its direction.
            A darkly dressed man with a blue mask stepped from behind a tree. In one hand, he held a scalpel. You swiftly recognized him as Eyeless Jack. From what you remembered of him, this was not the person you wanted to be alone with. Unfortunately, here you were. The man's mask dripped with its tar-like fluid. From how he leaned his head, you knew that he was eyeing you pretty hard, probably contemplating on how he wanted to kill you.
            “W-what are we here for?” You uttered the question, though you had a strong feeling of the answer already.
            Jack didn't bother answering you. He and Slenderman needed to stop doing that. Instead, the blue-masked man rushed toward you, closing the distance significantly fast. At first, you froze up like a deer in headlights. A shriek of terror escaped your lips as Jack raised a fist to your head. Instincts kicked in for you. Most of it was a blur. Somehow, you ducked just in time to dodge Jack's punch to your head. You then lurched forward and tackled the man with your shoulder, causing both of you to collide with the forest floor.