After the incident, many of the others had started to warm up to me. Every time I passed them in the hallways, averting my eyes, they would say a greeting or just wave. While most others may be pleased with this development, all it did was remind me of my crime. I felt sick to my stomach when I walked into the common rooms, momentary third-person hallucinations plaguing me. When Toby had returned my weapons, clean of all traces of blood, I had yelped and jumped backwards. He was very supportive, thankfully, and gave the weapons to Slenderman so he could care for them while I recovered mentally. Sometimes, late at night, I would rush to the bathroom and bend over the toilet and spend the rest of the night heaving.

The others had begun to notice my change in behaviour, as well. Sally most of all. She had taken to invading my room on a daily basis, sometimes for hours, until she was satisfied I was feeling a little better. Most of the time, though, that was just acting. I felt as though I was never going to be okay, forever plagued by these hallucinations. I mentioned them to EJ once when he asked how I was doing, and he had given me some medication for it. The pills helped suppress them so they didn't happen as often but it was uncontrollable and unpredictable.

A hard knock taps on my door.

"Come in." I mutter, curled up underneath my blanket, facing my wall. The door creaks open and the person walks in. I don't bother to look up and see who it was.

"How long are you going to lay in bed feeling sorry for yourself?" Jeff asks sharply. I don't answer. I couldn't answer.

"You don't know how much this hurts." I whisper eventually. He snorts in disdain.

"Look, kid, I didn't congratulate you just so you could sit around all day hallucinating about dead people. You're letting this happen to you!" He snarls, sitting on the edge of my bed. "We've all killed before. We've all been hurt in some way or another. And yet we moved on. You're not even trying to get better!"

"How am I supposed to?! I see them everywhere! I didn't want to kill them!" I shout back, sitting up and glaring at him. He glares right back at me.

"It doesn't matter if you meant to or not! They're dead, and you're the one who killed them! The sooner you get that through your head, the better! Now get yourself together and stop wasting time!!" He yells, standing abruptly and storming out of the room, slamming my door shut behind him. I stare after him in hatred, laying back on my bed once more. Repeating his words over and over in my head, I realise he had some valid points. I wasn't trying to get better, not really. I wasn't in control of my mind anymore, and this allowed it to create those hallucinations. I sigh and close my eyes, reaching up to press my palms against them.

"God damn it..." I mutter, sitting up and swinging my legs over the edge of my bed. Taking a deep breath, I wait for a moment to close my eyes and calm down. It wouldn't do any good to leave my room looking like I was ready to murder someone. My breathing hitches slightly as I think of the word 'murder' but I quickly push through, reaching for my pills and taking an extra one, just in case. I head for the door and push it open, glancing down the hallway both ways for Jeff but he seems to have disappeared. I head to the common rooms, trying my best to avoid looking at the spot where I killed those four people. Despite my efforts, my eyes are drawn back to it, and the same hallucination flashes into view. Ghost-like outlines of our forms rise out of the ground, replaying what happened there in perfect clarity. I want to scream, or turn away, but I force myself to stare at the hallucination until it finishes and sinks back into the ground. Releasing a shaky breath, I press a hand over my pounding heart and continue to the game room, where livid shouting could be heard. That seemed to be a constant in this house.

"Oh come on, Ben! Stop cheating!" Masky whines. None of them notice me as I walk in, too absorbed in the game to glance away.

"I'm not cheating! You just suck at this game!" Ben shouts back. I smile, though I wasn't sure how to join them, so I just turn back around and leave the room. Slenderman was walking into the kitchen, so I opt to follow him. Once he realises I'm there, he gives me a warm greeting.

"Hello, (Y/N). Do you require something?" He asks, fixing himself a glass of water. I wonder how he's going to drink that before noticing Sally beside him, waving at me with a big smile on her face.

"I was wondering if I would be okay to go for a walk in the forest for a while. Being cooped up in here is... bad for me, I guess." I say. Explaining this sudden urge to escape the mansion for a while was beyond me at the moment.

"Of course you can. I would suggest you take someone with you, though, if only for the first few times. These woods can get very confusing." He says, nodding in understanding. I consider it for a second before shaking my head.

"I won't go far. I just need to clear my head a bit."

He nods again and hands the water to Sally. She thanks him and they leave the room together as I return to my room and grab a bag to carry a few snacks with me in case I get hungry, and a bottle of water to stay hydrated. (Water check! If you're thirsty or hungry, go eat/drink before continuing please! Stay healthy friends!)

Dead leaves crunch underfoot as I walk into the woods, one hand holding the strap of my bag. The forest was quiet save for a few birds chirping from high above. I glance upwards, rubbing my arms as a sudden wind blows past. Wishing now that I had a jacket, I continue onwards for a few more minutes when a soft wumpf behind me catches my attention. The sound had startled me a bit and I turn around apprehensively, noticing in surprise that a hoodie had been dropped on the ground. I glance around again and don't see anyone that could have put it there. A chill runs under my skin, but this time it's not due to the wind.

I leave the hoodie where it lay and start speed walking back to the mansion. The forest had gone entirely silent, even the birds. All that I could hear was the shuffling of leaves on the ground where I stepped.

"Hey, wait!" a voice calls from behind, startling me. I instantly break into a run, berating myself for not bringing a weapon. A shadow flies over me and splashes to the ground, morphing into a human.

"Wait! I'm not gonna- Oof!" they shout as I accidentally barge into them, going too fast to stop. She was female, and had short, pitch black hair. She groans as I try to roll off and start running again, but she grabs my upper arms, preventing me from getting up.

"Wait a moment! I'm not gonna hurt you!" She says. I stop struggling, staring at her in surprise. She smiles, releasing me once she realises I'm no longer in a panic. I stand up and offer her my hand to help her up, but she dissolves into a shadow again and swirls around in the air for a moment before reappearing on her feet.

"I-I'm, um, trying to get back to the mansion." I say awkwardly, gesturing in its vague direction, then immediately felt like slapping myself. Telling someone who I had just tackled where I was going? What was my brain doing? She gives me a lopsided smile.

"My name's Endo. I noticed you were walking around, in the cold, without a jacket or a weapon." She says in a very upfront manner. It stuns me for a moment before I avert my eyes, raising a hand to rub the back of my neck.

"W-Well, I..." I say, trying to think of something to say. Her mouth curls into a smile again, at my expense.

"Mind if I come with you? I'm sort of new around here and wanted to meet your crew to see if they'd take me on. My last operator was an asshole and talked shit about you guys, so I figured it was the best place to go." She says. I nod dumbly, still stumped for words. Her face breaks into a grin.

"S-So, um, do I just... start walking back, a-and you'll follow me?" I ask. She laughs.

"Sure, lets do that. I don't know the way anyway."

I turn around and start walking, almost painfully aware of her following behind me. After about a minute, though, her footsteps disappear. I glance back, my eyes widening as I realise she was floating in the air, parts of her body dissolved in shadow and floating aimlessly around her form. She was gazing up at the sky, her hands knitted behind her head. I turn back to the front again, not wanting her to catch me staring. My heart was slowly returning to its normal rate, but this Endo was making me immensely nervous. We reach the front door and she places herself on the ground again, though parts of her were still floating around.

"So this is your place? It's pretty big. How many of you are there?" She asks incredulously as I unlock the door and step inside, holding it open for her. Sally comes thundering down the stairs, throwing herself into my arms, sobbing.

"Hey, Sally, what's wrong?" I ask, my eyes wide. She removes her face from being buried in my chest long enough to stutter out that Masky had stolen her teddy and wouldn't give it back. I tilt my head slightly.

"Why would he do that?" I question.

"I don't know! All he said was 'Aren't you too old for this'!" She wails. Endo looks away awkwardly.

"Um, kiddo, if you could just, uh, point me towards Slenderman, I'll leave you two to deal with this." She says, one hand tangled in her hair and the other planted on her hip.

"His office is on the second floor, at the end of the hallway. Big wooden door." I say, adjusting my grip on Sally so she wasn't about to slip off. "Can you tell me where Masky is, Sally?"

"H-He's in the game room." She mutters, balling her fists in my shirt. I put on my best intimidating face and storm into the room, searching for Masky. At the sound of my entrance, Ben pauses the game he was playing, looking up in concern.

"Woah, what happened to Sally?" He asks.

"Masky stole her bear." I explain, searching for him. Ben was the only one in the room.

"He just left. Said he was going to get snacks." Ben says. I thank him and walk to the kitchen, getting angrier and more confused by the second. There was no reason Masky would take her bear like that. He was by the sink, reaching into a cupboard where chips and other similar snacks were stored.

"Masky." I say, catching his attention.

"Oh, (Y/N), I was wondering where-" He says, turning around. He freezes when he notices Sally in my arms, bawling into my shoulder.

"Where's her bear. You have three seconds to tell me." I threaten, though I had no idea what I was going to do if the three seconds were up. He hesitates, his eyes flicking from me to Sally.

"I, uh..."

"(Y/N)? Why's Sally leaking? And why is Masky looking like he just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar?" Hoodie asks, wandering into the kitchen. I explain what happened to him and he slaps his hand against his forehead.

"Masky, you're a fucking idiot. That's not how you're supposed to take a kid's toy to fix it!" Hoodie says, sounding exasperated. Masky looks down at his feet and Sally stops sobbing enough to form words again. By this point, my shoulder was completely soaked through.

"Y-You took m-my bear to f-fix him?" She hiccups, twisting to look at him. He nods sheepishly. I sigh heavily, unable to believe this man.

"I-I... don't have anything to say to defend myself." He admits, laughing nervously. Sally giggles, calming down, though she doesn't let go of me.

"Well, as long as Charlie was okay with it, that's okay." She says, wiping at her eyes with her arm. The corners of my mouth curve up slightly and I turn to walk out of the kitchen, but Masky calls out after me.

"(Y/N), wait a moment." He says, sticking his hands in his pockets and searching for something in them. "I got a thingy I want to give you."

He pulls out a small, braided wristband. It was made of dark and light blue wool and was handmade. I take it from his outstretched palm, marvelling at it.

"It's good. Thankyou, Masky." I say, smiling at him. He smiles back in relief.

"Ooooo, someone's got a crush!" Hoodie smirks. Masky's smile drops and he whirls towards Hoodie, his fist raised.

"I don't, you moron! I'm just trying to do something nice!" He says, his ears turning red. I snicker at the opportunity he was giving me.

"Well, the fact that you denied it so soon and aggressively just proves he was right." I laugh, struggling not to snort as he turns back to me.

"I don't! I just wanna appreciate the fact that you're here!" He shouts. Hoodie breaks down in cackles, holding his stomach and leaning on the counter. I try not to join him as Masky rants some more, trying to save what little was left of his self esteem. He eventually gives up and sighs in defeat, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Well, obviously I'm just an entertainment source for you two. Enjoy your alone time, losers." He says rather lamely, shoving his hands into his pockets and leaving the room. I burst out laughing as soon as he's out of sight and need to put Sally down or else I'd drop her. Once I collect myself enough, I wipe my eyes and walk back out to the game room with Hoodie in tow.

"Hey, Ben, you up for a game?" I ask, joining him on the couch. He glances at me in surprise.

"You, uh, want to play a game? With me?" He asks incredulously. Not waiting for an answer, he turns to Hoodie. "Did she hit her head in the forest or something?"

"That's mean." I pout, crossing my arms. He grins and throws me a controller, starting up a multiplayer match.

"Don't get too hung up about it, I'm just joking. Be warned though, you're gonna get smashed!"

~

"Y'know, there's a severe lack of smashing in this game-"

"Shut up."

I laugh. Ben had lost almost every single game to me, even after he had attempted to cheat multiple times. Once, he even activated god mode on his character, but I disabled it faster than he could hit me. Hoodie watched this in amused silence, sometimes even giving me hints about puzzles or stuff that I missed, much to Ben's frustration. After about our fiftieth game (Ben didn't want to quit until he won), Slenderman clears his throat behind us. We immediately pause, turning around to give him our attention. Endo was standing behind him, though she now had a bandage poking out the collar of her shirt, and was slightly pale.

"I'm aware that you've already met this lady, (Y/N), but I need everyone in the room to welcome her to our group. Please come with me, it'll only take a minute." He says, walking out of the room with Endo in tow.

"Who's that?" Ben asks. I shrug.

"Her name's Endo, and she stalked me a bit in the woods, but I don't know much else. She can turn into a shadow and hover around, too." I say. He nods and puts his controller on the table, leading the way back into the common rooms. Everyone else was gathered there already. As we slip into the crowd, Slenderman starts speaking.

"This is Endo. She's my newest proxy, and you will all treat her as one of us. Now, would any of you like to show her around?" He asks, sounding like a dad, or a teacher introducing a new student. I guess the second comparison was more similar. She stares up at the roof, not glancing at any of us, and for some reason this irks me.

"I'll do it!" Offender offers, raising his hand. Slenderman stares at him until he hesitantly lowers his hand. "Or not..."

"I'll show the brat around, since no one else can be arsed to." Jeff mutters, climbing the stairs. Slenderman tells him where her room is and warns him to do a proper tour, not just ditch her somewhere. He just grunts in response and trudges up the stairs without checking to see if Endo was following him. They turn the corner and everyone dissipates back to what they were doing earlier, and I tell Ben I'd had enough of playing games for today. He nods and thanks me for the challenge and I go back up to my room, surprised to see EJ waiting for me on my bed. He was staring out the window and didn't notice me at first, his hands clasped together.

"Need something?" I ask, smiling slightly as he jumps, turning towards me.

"I wanted to ask you about Endo." He says as I sit beside him. I shake my head.

"I don't know much more than you do, unfortunately."

He nods in understanding.

"I know that. I still want to ask you though. Where did you find her? Or, rather, where did she find you?" He asks, and I could hear a small chuckle from behind his mask.

"Out in the forest, a few minutes away."

He nods again, pulling his legs up, wrapping his arms around them in thought. After a minute of silence, he speaks up again.

"Did she, let's say, intimidate you in any way?"

"Yeah, a lot. I felt really nervous and, um, hot around her, like if I moved wrong, she'd do something bad." I say, the feeling creeping up on me again just by talking about it.

"I don't think she's really here to join us." EJ admits, glancing away from me to look back out the window. "I think she's here as a spy or something. She's not right."

I was a bit surprised by this. I didn't feel safe around her, sure, but that was just because I was antisocial. Right?

"I don't disagree with you, but... I feel like we're passing judgement too quickly." I wasn't going to call someone I had met just over an hour ago a spy because she made me uncomfortable. EJ hums in agreement.

"You've got a point. I'll still keep an eye on her, though. I suggest you keep your distance, too. I don't think she would've waited for someone to guide her in here if she truly wanted to join." He says, standing up. He was almost out the door when I stood up as well and hugged him from behind. He stiffens slightly but soon relaxes, looking at me over his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" He asks, slightly flustered. I nod, releasing him and stepping back.

"Thanks for looking out for me. It means a lot." I say, looking anywhere but at him.

"No problem (Y/N). I mean, if you're gonna let yourself be so defenseless all the time, who else is gonna be stuck stitching you up?" He laughs. I knew he intended it as a joke and laugh along with him, grateful he wasn't reading into my sudden display of affection. He reaches back and messes up my hair, making it stick up vertically.

"Go get some rest. And, hey, I'm glad you're starting to feel better."

With that, he leaves me standing in the doorway, trying to smooth down the mess of hair strands he left on my head, glaring after him. Afterwards, I grab some spare clothes from my closet and make my way to the nearest bathroom. I hadn't been showering nearly as much as I should have due to dealing with my psychological trauma and my hair was starting to feel more like oil than hair. The water rushing over my bare skin felt amazing and I made sure to give myself a proper clean, scrubbing away dirt and dust clinging to my body. My skin was red after it but I felt better than I had in weeks. Once I'm dried and dressed again I drape a small towel around my neck and drop my dirty clothes in the new laundry hamper Slenderman had placed since almost nobody washed their clothes.

"Guess I'd better go eat something before I go to bed..." I mutter to myself, absently drying my hair with the towel around my neck. Hoodie was already in the kitchen and I have a sudden flashback to when we were in his and Masky's apartment and he made us dinner. As if on cue, my stomach rumbles loudly, catching his attention.

"You sound like a bear." He chuckles. I avert my eyes, searching through the cupboards for some bread or something.

"That's why I'm here. You know, so I won't sound like a bear." I say, finding my prize and taking out a few slices, stuffing them all in my mouth at once.

"You're... eating plain bread?" He asks incredulously, one eyebrow raised.

"Yeth. Pwobwem?" I ask, my speech muffled by the bread. He laughs as I manage to fit one more slice in before sealing up the bag again and putting it back where I found it. Now that I had my hands free I could eat at a more appropriate pace, holding what I couldn't fit in my mouth in my hands.

"Did you eat like this all the time?" Hoodie asks as he picks up a plate of food that looked considerably healthier than what I had opted for.

"Yep. I'm a terrible cook, so I always just had takeout or food that I could eat without preparing first." I say, tearing into my next slice. He sighs and heads for the table, me following him like a lost dog.

"I'm sure if you asked, nobody here would mind cooking for you. Except Jeff. Don't ask Jeff to cook." He adds hurriedly. I snicker at his expression, almost choking on my bread. He glances over at me in worry, making me laugh harder, before rolling his eyes and digging into his meal. I finish stuffing the rest of the bread into my mouth and decide I should stop bothering him and actually go to bed.

"Goodnight, Hoodie." I call as I walk away. He just hums, too busy eating to respond with words. Rolling my eyes, I ascend the stairs and close my door, falling backwards onto my bed. I mull over EJ's warning for a minute before rolling over, deciding to save it until tomorrow to put more thought in. Sleep creeps up on me and takes me swiftly.