A month had passed since that night I'd helped Landon and Mallory with their project. Since then I'd seen Slenderman several more times, though his hatchet wielding proxy was a more common sight... I tried not to stay out after dark.

I sighed, shaking thoughts of my nightmares and the bad memories from my mind as I walked into my old college's dining hall. I found my friends and walked over to them with a smile on my face. "Hey, what's up? Been a while."

Landon turned around, returning my smile with an enthusiastic one of his own. "Yeah, college got busy after we got back from break- new Spring schedule to adjust too... How've you been?"

"Good." I shrugged and grabbed a tray as I followed them. "...So, uh... how'd that project I helped with turn out?"

"We got a hundred percent!" Mallory grinned like a child, which was only emphasized by her short stature. "It was an easy class though, our English teacher was super nice."

"Wait, English?" I looked down at her in confusion while putting some food on my tray, wasn't that for one of their film classes?

"Yeah, she wanted us to do an essay as a video or podcast to make us explore more diverse writing styles." Landon responded before quickly thanking the worker for a salad and turning to look at us. "...Is that all you're getting?"

I glanced down at the water and container of fruit I'd grabbed before shrugging. "I'm not that hungry..."

He stared at me for a few more seconds, obviously not quite believing me, but was luckily distracted when Mallory began complaining about one of her new professors for the current semester. I half listened as I stood in line and paid for my food, occasionally adding bland comments to be part of the conversation. I wasn't trying to sound disinterested or like a bad friend but Landon and I were both used to these trivial complaints by now, even sharing a look as we went to sit down at a table.

"How's work been?" Mallory's sudden subject change caught me off guard. "You don't really talk about it- I bet you have a ton of stories. I know I would."

"Eh... It's like most places... Good customers and annoying ones- most are alright. It's pretty boring." I picked at my food as I spoke before taking a bite.

"When's your next day off?" Landon was staring at his phone as he spoke, most likely messaging Dillan. "We can make plans to do something together."

"I'd have to check." I stifled a yawn before either of them could notice.

Gradually our conversation died out as we continued eating and began checking our phones more than talking with each other directly unless something piqued our interest or demanded a response. My own phone hummed in signal that I'd gotten a message and I mentally sighed when I saw my ex's name on the screen along with a message asking how I was.

"It's like he doesn't realize we aren't together after how many years now?" I gave him a simple response saying I was fine and waited for the inevitable conversation that was to follow. "Doesn't he understand he knows too much? ...And after all I've done to him... he knows the risk if I'd stayed..."

I propped my head up with my hand and continued messaging Zac, trying to steer him away from asking me about my nightmares and Slenderman. "I shouldn't have let that incident slip last time we talked..."

A sigh of annoyance escaped me as I once more cast off Zac's worry with another response and sat my phone down on the table.

Landon glanced up from his own phone looking confused. "What? Are you bored? You don't have to stay... or we can go do something if you want."

"Sorry... No, I'm fine. Just haven't slept well- been working a lot of late shifts the past few days." I wasn't completely lying to them and the faint smile I gave seemed to convince him. Of course he'd fall for it; he wasn't one to dig up drama or trouble unless I brought it up on my own.

I focused on keeping on my metaphorical mask of being normal and happy the rest of the time I was with them. It wasn't difficult once I was aware that I needed to... I'd learned how to do it nearly perfectly over the years. Show them some funny things online that they'd find entertaining... keep them laughing, laugh when they show me something funny... it was a simple formula.

By the time the dining center was closing and we took up our trays I wasn't even questioned on why I didn't finish my small meal or how my tone had suddenly shifted. The three of us simply said our farewells and went our separate ways for the night; they went back to their dorms and I began walking back to my apartment a short distance from campus.

Once my back was to them and I was a block away however, I let my facade drop and felt the sense of paranoia creeping up on me once more. I glanced behind me, scanning the area to see if I was being followed. Nothing was there... not at first. But at the edges of light from the street lamps there was a tall figure. It stood there in the shadows of some trees, watching despite the lack of eyes.

"Of course..." I continued staring, not wanting it to teleport closer, but felt the usual sickening sensation that made me stumble to the side dizzily. "...I'll have to run... Hope... hope that proxy isn't around..."

I nearly fell to my knees as the nauseating feeling grew worse, the dark campus slowly starting to tilt around me as if I'd been spun in circles. With one last glare at the creature I turned and fled down the street. For half a second I thought he was going to let me get away... at least until I found myself nearly running head first into it. I skidded to a stop and stared up at it, expecting tentacles to come down and trap me again at any second.

"Dammit!" I shakily glanced at the other side of the empty street before darting into the road, praying a car wouldn't drive by before I could reach the other side.

Half way across and my world literally shifted and changed around me. Suddenly I found myself running through a forest and tripping over the sudden change in terrain that now consisted of fallen branches, roots, and slick leaves. Another shift and I was back on cement, this time in a graffitied building. Another shift sent me back to a forest near a tunnel... then I was back in another ruined building. The scenes kept changing to the point I lost that monster and all sense of direction.

"I can't just keep running! It could wind me up in a lake or a highway...!" I was running out of breath as I tried to process what was happening.

Finally, everything came to a halt and I nearly crashed into a peeling wall of an abandoned building. I leaned against it and tried to catch my breath and wait for the churning in my stomach to go away. There was an obvious lack of Slenderman's whitenoise in my ears but his disappearance didn't comfort me. I still had no idea where I was or why I was brought here in the first place.

"I need to find a way out... Why was I brought here!?" I slowly began wandering the desolate white halls and staring uneasily out the broken window in ruined rooms to the foliage outside. "...Is it waiting out there? Is that proxy? ...This place looks like there was a fire... I wouldn't put it past him after my father..."

I paused as I heard footsteps echoing behind me. Sure enough, seconds after I stopped they came to a halt as well. A chill ran down my spine and I shakily looked over my shoulder, though I didn't dare call out after finding no one else was there.

"I need to get out!" I took another deep breath before bolting down the hallway, now clearly hearing someone chasing after me... I didn't dare look back.

I turned several corners, trying to reach the outer halls so I could escape into the forest. Unfortunately, I only managed to turn into a dead end. Panicking, I ducked into the closest room and hoped whoever was there wouldn't find me before I could double back. I put the sleeve of my jacket over my mouth to muffle my breathing as I heard crunching footsteps get closer. A whine of fear rose in my throat as I saw a man with glasses walk past with a gun in his hand. He froze and tilted his head back towards the room I was in before walking in and raising the gun up towards me.

"W-wait...!" I pressed back closer to the opposite wall. "P...please..."

I sounded pathetic, not that he seemed to care. He had an almost grim expression on his face, as if he'd done this several times already. "You're infected, aren't you! I know you've seen it!"

"Seen it!? ...Oh fuck... no... of course he knows that faceless monster! ...probably working for it or something..." I glanced at the doorway behind him, knowing I couldn't reach it without being shot or grabbed. "...Lie... Maybe... maybe he'll let me go...!"

"What... what are you talking about?" I kept my hands raised to show I was unarmed. "I-infected?"

"I have to do this. I have to stop it from spreading." A second too late I realized he was about to fire the gun.

I fell back seconds after the gunshot rang out. Blood was soaking through my jacket and down my arm from the bullet hole through my left shoulder. Pain laced through me as I pressed my right hand against it. Darkness already began spotting my vision. For a brief moment I was aware of Slenderman appearing in between us, his tentacles outstretched towards the man, before completely passing out.

***

"Am I... dying...?" I couldn't move and cold was seeping through my left side but... the right felt like something warm was against it. "...Wait... am I moving? ...Being... carried?"

I forced myself to crack open my eyes, barely able to make out my front door coming into view, before closing them again. "...So... was that real? I was shot? Who... who's carrying me?"

"Stop moving." I froze at the familiar voice.

"No... he... he's dead!" I wanted desperately to look up and confirm my thoughts but still couldn't find the strength to keep my eyes open. At least my voice sort of managed to work, abet more of a half asleep murmur than a real voice. "...Ethan?"

"...For the time being." I winced as my injured shoulder was jostled as he opened the door to carry me inside. When he spoke again, his voice distorted and sounded velvety with a growling undertone. "Don't expect us to find you- let alone help you- again. This is a moment of mortal sentiment and nothing more."

I felt my mattress beneath me and moments later my blanket was draped over me. A clawed hand brushed my face as the stranger gave a breathy sigh. "Shame that Faceless Twig already has a claim on you... I'd love to make a deal-"

Ethan's voice broke through again, though I was starting to drift off again by this point. "I'm sorry... I can't... control- gah... I have to go..."

I tried to move, to do anything to make sense of what was happening- if it was even real- but felt my consciousness being dragged down by horrific memories and nightmares.