Author's Note: Hello, here's my latest story idea, Creeping Death. It is the sequel to Shadow of the Slenderman. I've played with the idea of doing one of these for quite a while now. Until now, however, I didn't have any idea what to do. Now, I have an idea for a story that could possibly continue as long as Shadow of the Slenderman did. I will try to make this twice as scary as the last.
This story switches PoV's every now and then. The PoV's are Kairi, Namine, and the occasional third-person PoV. I will indicate who is speaking before each switch. Enjoy, friends...
Kairi's PoV:
It had been four years to the date since we destroyed Slenderman for good. My heart was glad the threat was gone forever, but that victory came with a heavy price. I'd lost my cousin Larxene, some of my best friends, my parents, and even my boyfriend, Sora. It was the single most heartbreaking thing I'd ever gone through. I watched helplessly as the demon snapped his neck. I didn't even get to give Sora a proper burial because Slenderman dropped his body into the pits of Hell. The only comfort I had was in knowing that Sora's soul wasn't there. Somehow, I knew Sora went Heaven or whatever afterlife there was.
I had picked up the shambles of my life. Riku helped me out. His family was very wealthy and he was left with his family's fortune after Slenderman killed his parents. He still continued his college education and worked his part-time job even though he didn't need to. He and Namine had just gotten married last June. I was Namine's maid of honor. She was my best friend and one of the only ones I had left. She and I graduated high school after the Slenderman incident and went to college. I constantly tried to block out the painful memories of that monster. He took away everything that was precious to me. He took away my love.
I tried to move on after Sora's death. I had been dating a guy I met in college for the past two years. His name was John. He treated me right, just like Sora. Even though I still thought of Sora, I did love John. I knew Sora was never coming back, so I concentrated all my love to the people I still had in my life.
I was going to meet John to spend the day with him. I had no idea what he had planned, though. He just said he'd pick me up at my apartment. It was my day off work and I hadn't gotten the chance to be with John all week.
I waited on the front steps as John pulled up to the curb. I stood up and walked to his car. He leaned over and opened my door for me. He didn't have to, but he was always doing sweet things like that for me. He was so good to me. "Thank you," I said.
"Don't mention it Kai," he replied as he pulled back onto the road. He drove with his left hand and held my hand the whole way. "Something on you mind?" he asked.
I didn't even realize my inner sadness was showing on the outside. "Oh, it's nothing," I said, hoping he'd drop the subject.
"It's the anniversary, isn't it?" he said. I nodded. "Kai I'm so sorry about what happened." He let go of my hand and ran his fingers through my crimson hair. I touched my stomach and felt the indentation of my scar. I'd been shot there when I saved Xion—another of my friends that Slenderman killed—from committing suicide. She had been with Roxas, and after he and Axel died, she couldn't take life anymore. She tried to kill herself, but I saved her, risking my own life in the process. If I hadn't saved her, we probably would have never stopped Slenderman. She held him down long enough for me to fire a beam of light from the Void Gear through his stomach, but that beam also pierced her heart and I inadvertently killed her. We'd gotten so close just before her death. We bonded over our love for Sora. She was his ex-girlfriend, but she still had feelings for him. I'd been his girlfriend who wasn't ready to let go. It hurt me as I held Xion in my arms while she died from her wounds. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" John asked.
I looked over at him. His piercing green eyes held so much concern for me. He was still looking at the road, but I could see his eyes well enough to tell what he was feeling. I picked up my hand and ran it through his long, coarse, reddish-black hair. "Don't worry about me John," I said. "I just get like this every year on this day."
"I love you Kairi," he said.
"I love you too John," I said as we continued to our unknown destination.
Namine's PoV:
I woke up at the same time as usual. I rolled over to see my darling husband, Riku. We'd been married for five months. He must have still been asleep because he wasn't moving, which was odd. He usually woke up before I did. I didn't worry about it too much, though. I was just thankful that I still had him. My best friend Kairi hadn't been so lucky when Slenderman attacked four years ago. She lost her boyfriend. We all lost so many friends within the week Slenderman and The Rake terrorized us. It was so horrible.
I got up and took a shower. The warm water ran over my pale skin and heated it up. I had a slight reddish color all over my body from the heat. It was so relaxing. I stepped out into the cold bathroom and dried my body. I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I didn't look like I was only twenty-two. The trauma of Slenderman and the aftermath that came after his death had made me age slightly. I looked more like I was in my thirties. Strands of my blond hair started to gray shortly after Kairi killed Slenderman.
I happened to look at the pair of white panties I'd slept in last night. There was a red mark on them around the right butt cheek. I picked them up and examined the stain closer.
It was blood.
I didn't think too much of it at first. Maybe I'd cut myself in the middle of the night. I checked my backside in the mirror, but there were no cuts or bruises. That's when I started to worry. I threw a towel around myself and ran into the bedroom. "Riku, I found blood on my underwear," I said. I received no answer. "Riku are you alright?" I shook his shoulder, but still nothing. I rolled him over and was disturbed by what I saw. "No, Riku!" I screamed as I saw the hole in his chest where his heart should have been. I could see clear through it to the bed sheets. His heart and left lung were on the floor next to the bed. I screamed so loud that the whole apartment complex could probably hear me. I didn't care, though. All that I could think of was that my newlywed husband was dead. I grabbed handfuls of his silver hair and cried into his neck. I sobbed uncontrollably as it sunk in how real his death was. And what made things worse, I could only think of Slenderman doing something like this.
I heard a knock on the door. "Namine, did you scream?" our landlord, Terra, asked. I ignored him and went back to crying for my love. "Namine, please open the door. I'm coming in, Namine." Terra unlocked our door using his master key and searched the apartment for us. He found me lying in my towel on the bed next to Riku's body. "What happened?" he asked.
"I…I don't…I don't know," I choked out. "I just…j…just took a…sh…sh…sh…shower and f…f…found him dead!"
He came closer and saw the carnage. "Namine, I'm so sorry," he said as he motioned me to get up and come closer to him. I hugged him tightly. His wife Aqua walked in. "Aqua, Riku's dead," he said to her. "Namine's in pretty bad shape. She's not hurt, but she's very shaken by this."
"Oh, dear, I'm so sorry," she said, trying to comfort me. She was a very motherly woman. She wasn't much older than me, maybe a five year difference, but she treated me like a daughter. "It's going to be alright. We'll find out who did this and they'll pay." All I could think about was how wrong she was. Only a spirit or demon could have done something like that. I had witnessed this particular brand of cruelty before. Slenderman killed using the same tactics. He'd kill only those he wanted to at the time. "I'm calling the police," she said as she picked up the phone from the bedside. She cringed when she saw a little of Riku's blood had splattered onto it.
The police arrived shortly after and closed off our bedroom as a crime scene. I knew there would be a long, hard road ahead.
Kairi's PoV:
"Where are we going John?" I asked as the scenery got less and less familiar. He was taking me out of town, I knew that much. I watched as Radiant Garden disappeared into the distance.
"You'll see," he said with a grin on his face. That grin always made my heart melt. Being with John felt like being with Sora. After driving to an empty field, John stopped the car. "We're here, baby."
"What do you have planned John?" I asked, not knowing why he brought me there.
"Just follow me," he said as he got out of the car, walked around the front, and opened my door for me.
"You know you don't have to do that," I said, appreciating his chivalry, but seeing how unnecessary it was.
"I know, but I want to. It's just how I was raised," he said as he took my hand and led me to the most beautiful patch of wildflowers. "Kairi, I've only known you for two years, but I've come to love you more than anything." He reached into the left pocket of his coat and pulled out a small, velvet box. He opened it to reveal a beautiful diamond engagement ring. "Will you make me the happiest man alive and be my wife?"
My mouth dropped open in shock. He had just proposed to me! "Oh my God, I don't know what to say," I said. My heart wanted to scream 'yes.' I started to open my mouth to speak the words I wanted to say, but my cellphone started to ring. I instantly knew it as Aqua, Namine's landlord. Aqua and Terra only called if something big happened. "I'm sorry, I have to take this. It's an emergency." I pulled my phone out of my pocket and answered. "Hello," I said.
Terra was the one on the phone. "Kairi, it's about Namine and Riku," he said. "Namine found Riku dead this morning. Somebody killed him in the middle of the night by cutting his heart and lung out." My stomach nearly heaved as I heard Terra describe the crime scene. "The police are investigating it right now. You'd better get down here. We're at the police station and they're questioning Namine."
"I'm on my way," I said. I wanted to cry, but I didn't let myself in front of John or Terra. Riku had been my best friend since Sora and I were children. He was my oldest living friend and my only tie to the past. Now that he was dead, I was completely alone. "Goodbye," I said as I hung up.
"What's wrong?" John asked. He was probably waiting on my answer, which was yes, but that would have to wait for a more appropriate time.
"Riku is dead," I said, the phrase cutting deep wounds into my heart. I just couldn't take it anymore. I collapsed and John caught me in his strong, loving arms. I lost all control and started crying into John's chest.
"Shh, it's ok Kai," he said lovingly, but I knew it wasn't true. It was not ok, and it never would be. "Do they know what happened to him yet?"
"All they know is that his heart and left lung were ripped out. They didn't release any other details to Terra," I said as my tears became heavier and my heart broke even more. Riku didn't deserve that.
"Where are they?" he asked.
"At the police station," I sobbed. John picked me back up and led me to the car. "I'm sorry I didn't give you an answer," I said as I sat down in the black Charger.
"It's ok Kai. I'll wait until you feel better," he said. "I love you."
"I love you so much and I really need you now more than ever," I cried. "And, yes," I said.
"Yes to what?" he asked.
"Yes, I will marry you. I love you," I said.
"Thank you Kairi."
Namine's PoV:
"I'm telling you! I didn't kill my husband! I loved him!" I said as the police interrogated me. I didn't understand why they were doing this to me.
"We're not saying you killed him Namine," one cop said, the good cop. "We just want to eliminate all other suspects. Usually, we like to get family cleared first before moving on to other people. It's simple procedure."
"Besides, your fingerprints and DNA were found on his body," the other said, the bad cop.
"He was my husband! We had sex last night. Of course my DNA would be on him," I said. "And when I found him, I held him tightly."
"Why didn't you call 911 immediately?" the bad cop asked. I was truly starting to get pissed with him.
"Because I was so shocked and disturbed by what happened. Especially after what we went through four years ago," I said.
"Oh yes," he replied sarcastically. "You're talking about that Slenderman crap you came here with a few years ago. Did you know that you all were the prime suspects in that murder investigation? You came here with some made-up fairy tale about a demon killing your friends. You all should be glad you had rock-solid alibis." He got in my face and I thought he was going to hit me. I was so scared of him, it wasn't even funny.
"Rick, that's enough. Don't traumatize the poor woman," the good cop said. I think his name was Eliot. "She just lost her husband, for Heaven's sake."
"And I'm trying to do my job and find out who killed him. And right now, she's the best suspect we have so far," he yelled at his partner.
I did the only thing I could at the time. I cried. I cried for Riku, and also I cried because this man was destroying me on the inside. I knew I didn't kill Riku. I couldn't have killed him. I loved Riku more than anything else on this earth. I would have given my life for him before I would even think about taking his. And now, I'd never see his sparkling green eyes again, or run my fingers through his prematurely silver hair.
Eliot walked over to my side and put his arm around my shoulders. "It's ok Namine, we'll find the murderer and you'll get justice for your husband. You can count on us. I won't rest until your husband's killer is behind bars for the rest of his life," Eliot said, comforting me. I was thankful that he cared so much about me. I was only twenty-two years old and I was already a widow. My heart was broken beyond repair.
"I'm sorry, but can I please leave?" I asked. "I know my rights and I know you can't hold me here against my will without an arrest warrant. So please, just let me go and grieve for my husband." I stood up and wiped the tears from my puffy, red eyes. Eliot took me by the arm and led me outside while Rick sat at the table with his head in his hands. "Why does he treat me like I'm a murderer?" I asked Eliot.
"Don't worry about him. He just wants to put criminals in jail. His daughter was murdered a few years ago and he never got justice. Her killer walked away as a free man because of a corrupt judge and tainted jury pool. Rick isn't a bad person, really," Eliot explained. Now, I didn't blame him so much. I actually felt bad for Rick. At least we got justice for the people killed by Slenderman and the Rake. Xion sacrificed herself to buy Kairi enough time to destroy him. And now what, had Slenderman returned somehow?
"You don't think I did it, do you?"
"Of course not," Eliot said. "I don't even think you could kill a spider without a guilty conscience. You don't look like the type that would kill someone. And you're obviously grieving for Riku. Killers tend to not grieve for their victims."
"Thank you," I said as he led me back to the main office where Terra and Aqua were waiting.
Just as soon as I made it to my landlords, Kairi and John walked through the doors. "Namine, are you ok?" Kairi said as she ran to me and embraced me. "I was so worried about you. I'm so sorry about Riku."
"Thank you Kai, and I'm alright," I lied. "They just asked me some questions and I was finished answering them."
"I'm so glad you're ok," she said. "You're my best friend and I don't want anything to happen to you."
"Kairi, I have something to tell you," I said as I led her away from Terra, Aqua, and John. "I think Slenderman is back. Only someone like him could have done that to Riku. I pray that I'm wrong, but I'm afraid that's the only thing I can think of."
Kairi's beautiful violet eyes grew wide in shock and her face turned whiter than my dress. "No," she said as tears fell. I knew what she was thinking. She was thinking about Sora, Xion, Roxas, Zexion, and Larxene. She was also thinking about how, if Slenderman returned, Sora and Xion would have died in vain. They gave their lives to save us, but what good did it do if that awful demon came back? "He can't be back! Xion died to help me kill him!"
"I can't think of anything else," I said.
John walked up behind Kairi and touched her shoulder. She jumped, but relaxed as soon as she saw it was him. "I forgot to give you this while we were in the car," he said as he pulled out a small box. He opened it to reveal a beautiful ring, not unlike the one Riku gave me when he proposed.
"Is that what I think it is?" I asked.
"Yes," Kairi said. "John and I are getting married soon. He proposed just before Terra called me. I answered him in the car on the way here."
In my heart, I was so happy for her, but also sad. She was going to have a husband that loved her, but I never would again. I didn't think I could ever remarry after Riku. I'd never loved anyone like I loved him, and I didn't plan on replacing him either. "Congratulations, both of you," I said half-heartedly. A small tear for Riku crept out of the corner of my eye. I promptly wiped it away. "Let's go, I want to get out of this place."
"Ok, you can stay with me," Kairi said. "John, you should probably come too. If Slenderman is back, we don't want to be separated. I don't want to risk you getting hurt." She stood on her tip toes and kissed him. She had to pull herself up like that because he was so much taller than her. She stood at 5' 8" while he was exactly 6' tall.
"Alright," he said. "Let's go out to my car." We told Terra and Aqua that I would be staying with Kairi while my apartment was still a crime scene. They told us to be safe and take care. They were kind people and I loved both of them so much.
Third Person PoV:
Kairi, Namine, and John walked out of the police HQ toward John's black Dodge Charger. The three of them climbed into the vehicle, Namine getting in the back seat, Kairi sat in the passenger seat, and John stepped into the driver's side. Unbeknownst to them, a figure in a long, black trenchcoat was standing on a rooftop, watching them like experiments under a microscope. An evil grin formed on his scarred face and his eyes glowed red with lust for their death. The monster licked his lips in excitement, thinking of how their blood would taste. He wondered if it would be as satisfying as Riku's blood. "Your time will come soon enough, young people," he said. He pulled the hood of his coat over his head, covering his midnight-black hair that was pulled back into a ponytail and spiked in the front. "I will have my vengeance for my Master." The creature raised his hand and opened a Corridor of Darkness, leading to the very pits of Hell.
Author's Note: So, what did you think of it? Not a lot scary happened besides Riku's death. I promise, it will have plenty of frights. This is just to set the stage for what is to come. I enjoyed including my OC John, who has also appeared in my stories: Shattered Hearts, A Heart Divided, Hearts of the Olympians, and Her Scars. He also appears in a chapter of Dragginninja's story, Nobody's Heartless: Organization Days (with full permission given by me). In the in-universe stories, he is my interpretation of the Unknown from Birth by Sleep.
Just to get this out right now, I do not own the concept of the killer in this story. He is the property of my good friend Dragginninja. He has given me permission to use his currently-unused OC. I do, however, own my characterization of him. As of now, the killer hasn't appeared in one of Dragginninja's stories, so I have more freedom with the character. I promise one thing, by the time this is over, Kairi and Namine will be begging for Slenderman again. He's that evil.
About the cop, Eliot. His name is a tribute to Detective Eliot Stabler from Law and Order: SVU. It is my favorite crime drama, and he is tied for my favorite character with Olivia Benson.
Thank you to all of my faithful readers and subscribers for continuing to enjoy my work, and thank you to everyone who will read this in the future. I hope you enjoy this and continue to read/favorite/subscribe/review. Until next time, friends...