Running quickly down the path, he barely paused for breath. After so many years, you get used to this sort of thing. Funny, he never seemed to tire out quickly as he did before. Slowing to a stop as he got to the mansion, he walked over to another in a yellow jacket with a white mask on. The masked eyes looked at him, and the area of the black painted lips moved up a bit, the other was smiling underneath the mask.

"Hey Marked, things go as expected?" the other asked, hands in the pockets of his jacket.

Despite having a mask on himself, he smiled a bit and handed the file to him. "Noah is his name, hotheaded temper, in and out of mental problems. Just when the doctors think they got a drug set that works, it fails on the test." Marked shrugged at the other as they walked inside together, meeting up with two others inside a large study area. "How did your target go, Masky?" he asked.

"Rose seems to be a filler as we thought." Masky tells, "Hoodie over there got one that shows some promise." The hooded many nodded to that, but didn't say anything.

"And I had to again edit Toby's work." Masky gave a glare to Toby, the orange googles wearing guy.

"I thought some of the information I put was useful!" Toby protested.

Masky seemed to scowl, judging by the way the mask moved. Before they could get into it again, Marked looked at the files laid out, "Any that show promise?" he asked them.

Tension slowly dissolved, as Masky sighed softly, "None show the promise like you did during your trials." He says honestly, "There are a few, about three or five, that make the cut. However, I personally think they won't last a year after the trials."

Hoodie nodded, "T-This year seems j-just another mindless killing g-game." He stuttered out, much like Toby, it was his twitch. Something neither could control.

Toby's joints cracked a bit, then he grinned, his mouth guard lifting upward, "Who knows, maybe one of them will surprise us." He tried to stay optimistic as ever.

Marked nodded, "Let's h-h-ho-hope so." He said at the 'hope' part his left eye twitched and his head moving to one side for a moment, before he was fine again. One of his twitches also, though his was due to the fact when you get hit with enough charge to almost kill you, when you five, you have some problem. Water and electricity don't like each other, found that out when he was tiny. Now, ever since then, he sometimes will stutter on some word or twitch. It's not as bad as Hoodie's or Toby's, but it can seem weird to others.

Masky nodded to what he said looking at the files, "Honestly Marked, you're the first to have lasted long enough to see another trial take place." He tells the other.

His own white mask looked at Masky's, "Has it really been that long?" he asked, as he put away the ones marked as fillers. Ten years, eve ten years these trials took place. Seems ages now. He fell into the role of his proxy life easily.

Toby grinned at him, "You took better than any other canadines we had before, Marked. For once, I agree with Masky," Marky gave him a look at that, but Toby ignored it. "I'm sure most of the mentors agree, Slender seems disappointed in his list, though he has two favorites."

Marked blinked at that and shrugged at them. He didn't think he was that great, if anything he got by the trials with luck. But, ten years will change a person none the less. Hard to think he was just like these people they chose today. Unwilling to kill, scared, jumpy, and... human. He wouldn't consider himself fully human after ten years.

The topic soon changed to one of the contestants that showed some promise to Slender. Marked thought back a bit, a name, his old name, came to mind. A life he left behind when he joined the ranks of this twisted family.

Tristan Osborn

-0-0-0-0-

Ten Years Ago

-0-0-0-0-

It was the wee hours of the morning, so about two or three after midnight. The room was set up as normal, some posters on the wall, some clothing on the floor from what he wore yesterday. Orange bottles were on the nightstand, three of them. Each labeled differently, one of them was a type of sleeping pill.

There was a bang.

Brown eyes opened to darkness, save for the small bits of moonlight that poured in through the window. Tristan rubbed his eyes, and frowned, wasn't his window suppose to be closed? Then, he felt it, he was being watched. Scanning the room, as he had already sat up, alerting his attacker he was now awake. He paused, seeing a person crouch in the corner of the room.

Tristan's heart didn't pound, he should be terrified. His doctor always said if he was faced again with a situation like his dad's he would freeze up, it was only natural. Yet, he wasn't afraid, or frozen, he stayed calm. He watched the other, who watched him as well.

Tension was high for a moment, Tristan looking at him, then the other moved suddenly. He moved back off the bed as the attacker hit the spot where he would have been. The sheets gripped his legs, tripping him up a bit. But he moved away none the less, the attack moved quickly, going to pin him. Blood roared in his ears, Tristan gripped one of the more heavier objects on the ground, his history text book, and flung it, hitting the person in the stomach.

He managed to get the sheets off his legs in the time it hit the person and started to bolt for it. He got the door when his attack pounced on him. Tristan felt arms hold him in place as he struggled, a cloth was to his face.

Shit! He panicked for a moment, and tried to move to headbutt the guy. But, this attacker had abnormally strong arms. Despite his skinny frame. Though, Tristan could tell he was putting a lot into holding him down.

He needed to breath, he tried to hold it longer, until his lungs burned for air. A sickly sweet scent hit his mouth, and slowly his struggles became sluggish. The person's grip laxed as he hit the ground, Tristan looked to see his attacker bent down and picked him up. Then, it all went black.

How long was he out, Tristan couldn't tell. Only that when he came too, he was still dressed in his jeans and shirt he wore to bed. The ones he passed out in after a late class. He looked around, his vision came back, eyes adjusting, he saw he was in a simple room, only two doors, one led to a simple half bath, the other to what he could guess was the hallway. The window was boarded up, no escaping there. The wood was bolted into the wall.

As Tristan assessed his surroundings, he turned sharply when the door opened and he narrowed his eyes at the other. The masked man that kidnapped him. Now, he could see him better, his mask was white, save for the black around his eyes and on his lips. He wore a yellow jacket and blue jeans. His hair was also a dark brown color. Beside him was another masked guy, brown hoodie, with a black ski mask that had a stitched red frown on it and red eyes.

Tristan stayed on defensive, the three of you regarded each other, before the masked one spoke first. "Welcome to Slender Mansion." He said in a tone that was firm, sensible, and serious. Putting Tristan in mind of that one guy at work who speaks shortly, yet when he says something it's best worth listening. Before Tristan could ask anything, the man held up his hand, "You're here for the Proxy Trials."

He stared at that, his brown eyes looked confused and curious. "The what?" he asked them, speaking for the first time. If Tristan were to have other describe his tone, some would say it's soft, like that of a whisper. Cold and decisive, like he just caught you in a lie. Tristan didn't speak much either, preferring to stay silent save for around close family and friends, which he could count on one hand. His grandparents, his doctor/therapist, and his roommate Dan.

However, being that one-sided conversations weren't good in kidnapping situations, he had to speak more now. The hooded one spoke up first this time, having a slight stutter to his tone, "E-Everything will be explained i-in initiation." He told the other, "We j-just need you to f-follow us."

Tristan looked at the others hand for a moment, before taking it and letting the other help him to his feet before he let go. Giving the other a look of distrust. He seemed to shrug it off, as if he expected that.

They motion for him to follow, out the door and through endless corridors in a large area. This place didn't seem to have a liner way, rooms were all over the place. Rooms that lead into hallways and hallways that lead to deadends when he looked down them. Soon, they reached a set of double doors, deep oak color with trees carved into them. "Just through these doors is initiation, we'll see you later." The masked one said.

Tristan frowned, knowing he'd only get lost if he ran now, that seemed to be their idea when they walked. To confuse him. But, he looked at the doors, he was curious about why he was here and what these trails were. Carefully he opened the door and slipped inside silently, only the four near the wall seemed to notice him. Nine other people in the room seemed to fidgety to notice.

As he took a seat near the back, last seat, he looked at the four who watched him enter. Each one was more terrifying and interesting than the last. Tristan was known to learn more about the more supernatural side of things, being an amateur paranormal investigator with Dan's group. He was the tech guy, making him in charge of research and cameras. So, he knew about skinwalkers, wendigos, dog man, goat man, demon monkeys, and among other things. However, these beings alluded even his knowledge.

One was bleach white in skin, long black hair, with a smile that was carved into his face. Oh, he also had no eyelids, thus no blinking could be seen. The one next to him had black eyes, red pupils, with blood dripping from them. He looked like a twisted version of Link from the Nintendo games. Next to him was a gray skinned man, hunched over in a gray jacket, his hair was a dark brownish black, with a blue mask on. The mask had two black holes where the eyes should be and leaked this black substance that looked like tar instead of blood. Then final was the tallest of them all, in a black suit with a tie, he was pure white, and had no face at all. He was hunched over also, due to being at least eight to ten feet tall.

Tristan looked at each of them, racking his brain for info. They didn't fit any of the creatures he and researched about. Maybe they weren't known? Then again, some cultures bleed over into others with some sightings of a creature, but major to minor difference. Based upon environment and things the culture feared.

"Welcome selected." A voice said in his head, Tristan awareness snapped back to attention. He noted the tall being moved closer to them and seemed to be the one 'speaking'. "I'm sure you all have question, which will be answered."

Tristan saw many moved nervously near him, but he stayed calm. He wanted to hear this out and see what he was dealing with. If they were supernatural creatures, they were already dead to begin with. Many stories said you were lucky if you escaped any of the beings he learned about. The man continued, "To start, our name, I am Slenderman." He when gestured to each of the beings, the one with the large smile was Jeff the Killer, the Link guy was BEN Drowned, and the blue masked guy was Eyeless Jack. "Now, onto what you are here for, the Proxy Trials."

Slender gazed each of them with his blank face, "So not to sugar coat it, only one of you will survive with trial. You will be expected to compete for a chance to be one of our proxy, and to do that, you will compete against each other. And each time one of you fails a trial, you will die."

A heartbeat of silence hang in the air as his words sank in, they'd be killed off one by one until one remained standing. Then panic broke out as people starting yelling at them some started to sob, others hyperventilate, or both. Tristan sat back in his chair at that, so that was their end goal.

Fight for his life or die trying, so chance of escape. There was no way out of this, even if he could get out of the house, he had a feeling these guys would track him. Tristan frowned in thought, his mind ran with it, he wasn't dumb by any means of the word. If he was to fight here, he wanted to know what the end was for him. If he lived. And, he didn't want to piss these guys off either, he was smarter than that.

"QUIET!" Jeff yelled out, as everyone went silent staring at him. Slowly they all sat back down.

"Thank you Jeff." Slender said smoothly and looked at them, "Yes yes, this is what these trials are. But, should the last one standing survive, you get the chance of being one of our proxies." He told them. "We will train you to help us in missions, kills, and among other things. And the ones I named off are your choice of mentors." He nodded to the ones near him.

Tristan again looked at them, some met his gaze for a moment, but looked away. So, he'll be expected to kill also rather than be killed, fan-fucking-tastic. Well... he did want an excuse to skip classes, if one wanted to morbidly optimistic about this situation.

The silence was tense still as Slender soon continued, "The first trail will be held in two days, we will have training areas set up outside and inside. Use them wisely tomorrow." He told them then motioned over the two guys who brought Tristan here. "Masky and Hoodie here will give you directions to areas of the mansion and make sure you are on time to everything." But something told Tristan they didn't want to be late and have these guys wake them.

"Until then, good luck, and we will see who makes it out." Slender told them, as he nodded to his two helpers. Slowly, they were allowed to leave one by one. Tristan sat there in thought, he knew if he tried to escape, well... something told him one of them would find out the hard way. And it's not going to be him. Soon, he was tapped on the shoulder by Hoodie, who lead him back to his room.

"I'm guessing if we try to run, you have permission to kill us." Tristan deadpanned, Hoodie nodded to that, the ski-mask moving lightly as he was frowning.

Walking into his room, Hoodie looked at him, "We'll g-get you all an a-alarm by the first trial, for n-now Masky and I w-will wake you." He told him, as Tristan nodded to him as the other left. Leaving him too his thoughts as the door was locked on the outside. Precautions, he supposed, he sighed getting ready for some more rest. After all that, he was exhausted. Out of habit he reached for his pills, only they weren't there. Tristan groaned; this wasn't going to be well.