Into the Woods | Ticci Toby

.5.

A cold gust of wind in the dark room sent a chill up Maura's spine. The room had a sliver of light peeking through blackout curtains, so Maura could see what seemed to be a mahogany desk. Maura's heart beat out of her chest; she could see the movement of black writhing tentacles in the emptiness of the room.

"Hello, Maura." The voice reverberated in her head. It was if Maura had a pair of headphones in her ears. The static noise grew around her, and it was all she could do to not drop to her knees and clutch her ears. Suddenly, a bright glow filled the room, the static halting. Slenderman was sitting at the same desk she saw a few moments ago. He gestured for her to sit at the chair in front of her, and Maura sat down quickly. Slender pulled out a folder filled with paper from one of the drawers and laid them down in between the two of them. The faceless creature peered down at Maura. "This is your history. It also includes the reason I chose you. You may keep the folder, save the first page." Maura pulled the folder towards her. Her name was printed on the tab: MAURA SMITH. She opened it, and the first page was a large paper with gold lettering and intricate detailing in the words.

"I would like you to become my proxy, Maura." Maura swallowed, her breath caught in her throat. "Like Masky?" Slenderman nodded.

"How many proxies are in the mansion?" Slenderman smiled a slight smile, as  if he were a father entertaining a small child. "We have three in this Mansion. My brothers have their own, but I'm not sure which are still alive." Maura clenched her jaw, and looked down at the paper in her hands. It was a contract, and it was a very detailed one at that. Her head swam with all the words, and she looked up at Slenderman. "What will I have to do?"

Slenderman laced his fingers together. "I won't lie to you, child. It will not be pleasant. However, with your background, you should manage."

Maura looked down at the paper again to mask her confusion. Was he talking about her parents? There wasn't too much other than their general awfulness, but he spoke with a knowledge of something that she didn't know. She looked back up at him, steeling herself. "Where do I sign?"

Slender smiled, sharpened teeth showing. "Right here, my child. Oh, and sign with this pen please." He handed Maura a decadent fountain pen. She placed the pen on the paper, the red ink gliding over the paper as she signed her name. The coppery smell of the ink rose as she lifted the pen from the paper, placing it by the contract. Slenderman quickly picked up the contract, placing it in yet another drawer. "You may go now, child. Please don't forget to carry out your duties." Maura nodded hastily. She picked up the folder, and she made her way to the door. As she crossed the doorway, the light went out immediately. She turned back, but the room was pitch black. The door then slammed in her face, and she was left standing in the hall.

She turned around, sighing. She stepped forward, trudging to the kitchen. It seemed that she was going in circles. Perhaps that was just how everyone here liked it. Or they're trying to confuse me.

Maura shook her head as she rounded the corner. The light was still on, and Maura could see the sleeping figure sitting at the table. She stepped towards the person, leaning over to look at their face, and she quickly realized who it was.

"Hey, Toby." She gently tapped his shoulder, but the only response she got was a snore. "You can't sleep here! Go to your bed." She pushed him a bit harder. Toby snapped awake, grabbing Maura's wrist with panic clear in his eyes.

He calmed himself down after a moment of heavy breathing. "Hey, are you okay?" Maura asked, slightly concerned. Of course, she wanted to make sure he was okay, but a random person she just met grabbing her wrist? Not her forte. He nodded. "I'm sorry. I get spooked kinda easy when I'm sleepy." He smiled goofily at her, and she couldn't help but smile as well. He sat up and stretched. "I was waiting on you, actually!" Toby said, gaining a newfound energy. He jumped up, overtaking Maura's height quickly. "You signed the contract, right?" He asked excitedly.

Maura, slightly taken aback, nodded. Toby clapped his hands together, energy radiating from him. "That means we're partners!"

"What do you mean?" Maura asked.

"Well, Masky and Hoodie were here, before I got here, and no one has become a proxy since me. So now that you're hare, I get a ~partner in crime~." He grabbed Maura's hand, pulling her into the living room. He sat on the sofa, patting the spot next to him like a golden retriever thumping the ground with his tail. "I get to teach you the ways of the proxy." He said as Maura sat next to him. "Wanna watch Masky's old vlogs? He really wanted to be an internet star back in the day." Toby smiled, laughing a bit. Maura, sucked into the whirlwind that she'll soon come to find are Toby's antics, and, while slightly overwhelmed to say the least, she nodded. Toby pulled up a video labeled MARBLE HORNETS and pressed play.

Maura didn't really pay attention to the videos Toby was playing. She opened the folder, reading the cover page.

MAURA SMITH.

HYBRID SPECIMEN.

FEMALE.

17 YEARS.

"What the fuck?" Maura muttered under breath. Toby looked over to Maura and the folder she was holding, and chuckled slightly. "You got your folder?"

'Yes," Maura responded, "what does hybrid specimen mean?"

Toby shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"What did yours have in it?" Maura asked.

Toby's face went stone cold, and Maura knew she stepped over a line. "I burned it the night Slender gave it to me."

Maura's face went pale. The atmosphere, along with Toby, went from noon to midnight in about two seconds. Maura looked at Toby, unsure what to say. "I shouldn't have asked," she finally said, breaking the silence. She closed the folder, standing up from the couch. "I'll see you in the morning." She started to walk into the foyer.

"Maura."

She turned to look at Toby. He no longer had that cold expression on his face, but he wasn't smiling anymore either. "We have training in the morning at 10." Maura nodded. "Thanks, Toby." He held her gaze a bit longer, then turned to the TV. "I'm in the room across from yours. Knock if you ever need anything."

Maura looked his face over, from his brown hair or his flushed cheeks. She couldn't tell if he was joking. She nodded softly, flashing a soft smile. He didn't have to know that she didn't really trust any of them. She muttered something about a goodnight, and she turned towards the stairs, her smile fading as she opened the folder again.