A/N: Here's another prize one-shot! This one's dedicated to I Am Code for the 200th review of "A Slender Chance." This one's a little bit dark, but I really do think you guys will enjoy this one - I know I enjoyed writing it! So let's introduce a new face into Sky's world... (Set somewhere between "A Slender Chance" and "A Slender Child.")
The little house was a bit dingy from sitting vacant for so long, and as I looked around the place I felt an unexplainable chill go up my spin. How odd...
The realtor didn't seem to notice and went on talking about how low rent was because it'd been vacant so long, and how it had such a nice view of the woods. Everything about it seemed like something that could really work for my situation. It's location was only forty-five minutes from my college, and the low rent would be very nice considering currently all my money was either going into food or tuition. The woods were also a bonus, if not for me then for my boyfriend. I had a feeling that once I had my own place, it really wouldn't been too long before he just started living with me, and the forest was as much a home to him as anywhere else was, being that he was the Slender man after all. Not for the first time today, I wished that he was here with me, helping me make the right decision on where to live. I wasn't buying yet, just renting, but I still wanted to make sure that whichever I picked - whether the condominium or apartment I'd seen yesterday, this house, or somewhere else entirely - I wanted to make sure I chose correctly. This property defiantly had potential, except for one little problem... It creeped me the hell out.
Something about this place was very off, and my guess is that was the reason why it had sat vacant as long as it had. The air had a chill in it and a certain element of anxious suspense that made you feeling like you should be holding your breath, waiting for something to happen. Again, I found myself wishing that my Slender man was here.
"Now how about we go look at the backyard? It's got a nice open space and then the beautiful woods beyond that. A perfect set up for entertaining, and plenty of play space for kids," the realtor was telling me as she lead me outside.
I bit my lip to keep from laughing out loud. 'Kids?' Ha, that was never going to happen, considering that the person I planned to spend the rest of my life with wasn't human.
Impossibly, the cold atmosphere increased once we were outside. It wasn't as if the air itself was cold, but rather like there was something blocking the sun's rays so that you could no longer feel it's warmth on your skin. It was like that calm deadness that came right before a storm. My stomach clenched up and for some reason all I wanted to do was leave. Run. There was something very wrong here.
And that's when the realtor screamed and fainted.
An inhuman, sputtering snarl followed the scream and my eyes went wide with fright as the creature crawled out of the woods.
The thing looked like freaking Gollum from Lord of the Rings times ten. It was hunched over and its pale, hairless body was shriveled and skeletal looking. The creature was also completely naked. A metal contraption of some kind literally seemed to be growing out of it's arm and formed long razor sharp claws at the end of it's hand. That wasn't even the worst part though - it was it's face. Large empty eyes swept over the two humans - one frozen in fear and shock and the other unconscious on the ground - outside the little house, most likely trying to decide which one it wanted to attack first. It's gaze was black and soulless, like it had no other instinct or emotion than kill.
"Oh shit," I whispered hoarsely.
The creature's head snapped towards me and it snuffed at the air, another growl ripping from it's throat. Then, like something caught between a dog and a bear, it began lumbering towards me. I did the only thing I could at that point; I ran. Full of adrenaline and fear for my life, I took off sprinting, my legs carrying me faster than I'd probably ever ran before.
Only it wasn't fast enough.
I screamed as the cold metal claws raked across my back and sent me crashing to the ground. I rolled over and looked up into those cold dead eyes. Good God almighty this thing was terrifying. It brought it's hand up in what seemed to me in my adrenaline pumped state as slow motion, but before he could bring it back down and maul me, something stopped it.
Another growl, lower and much harsher than the creature's ripped through the air. The creature froze mid-swing and looked up at the source in annoyed surprise. "You," it snarled and I would have jumped back in surprise had I not been pinned beneath it on the ground. It could talk?
A black tentacle shot out and wrapped around the thing's neck, lifting it off me and then slamming it to the ground. "Get off of her," the Slender man hissed. "She. Is. Mine!"
In horror I watched as the creature slashed its claws across the tentacle that held it's neck. Slendy screamed in outrage and I cried out at the sight of the black blood spurting from where the thing had scratched him. I felt frozen in that moment when I saw my love's blood - I had never seen anything even come close to harming him before. Cold fear gripped my heart and I realized with sudden clarity that he was actually in real danger.
The Operator didn't seem to even pay attention to the wound however. He flat out punched the damn thing as it leapt at his face with gnashing teeth. The blow slammed it to the ground with a harsh thud. As if unfazed the creature rolled over and out from under Slendy's hand and launched at his middle, talking him back to the ground with it. Stained metal raked across his chest this time and he cried out. Through the rips in his suit jacket his white dress shirt was rapidly turning black as the dark liquid seeped over it. Livid with rage, Slendy once more griped the thing around its throat and hurled it from him across the space and into a tree at the far side of the backyard. It landed against the tree with a sickening crunch and slumped to the ground, not moving. It's opponent drug himself to his feet and stood glaring and panting slightly in it's direction. I tried my best to ignore the coppery smell of blood.
"S- Slendy, are you okay?" I whispered in fear.
He ignored me. Instead he began stalking towards the slumped figure on the ground as it finally began to move again. As he walk, he grew in size until he stood towering overt the monster at over fifteen feet. "Leave my sight now before I kill you, you worthless mutt," he growled murderously, his tentacles swirling madly behind his back.
The thing cowered before its opponent and looked up with abyss eyes. "Fine," it spat in absolute hate. It's voice was gravely and raspy, but distinctly male. "Keep the scrawny human. Not enough meat there to be worth much anyway."
Another tentacle wrapped around it - him and slammed him to the ground again. "I said LEAVE!" the Tall One snarled. Not needing any more encouragement, the creature scrambled to its feet - or rather hands and feet - and ran off, a small dog like whimper escaping his throat.
I sat there staring after the thing for a few moments before managing to whisper, "What the fuck was that?"
Slendy spun around and shrunk down to normal size as he crossed the yard to me impossibly fast. Kneeling by my side he crushed his lips to mine urgently, and I was reminded of the last time I'd been attacked and he'd come and saved me. Only then I'd been attacked by humans. This thing... this thing definitely wasn't human. "Sky, are you alright?" he asked after the kiss broke and he worriedly cupped my face in his hand. He peered down in my eyes looking for any reassurance that I was okay.
I nodded as I thought about the question myself. Was I okay? "Yeah," I finally replied. "He scratched up my back pretty good, but I don't think it's too deep. Are... Are you...?" I couldn't even finish the question as I reached out gingerly towards the bloodied mess of torn fabric.
The Slender man grimaced and caught my hand before I could touch. "Yes, I'm fine."
I scowled at him. "Don't you lie to me. That's a whole lot of blood."
"If you weren't going to accept my answer, why bother asking a question?" he asked tiredly and I glared at him until he sighed. "I wasn't lying," he insisted. "See?" He pulled away the shredded cloth and showed me the area of his chest where only moments ago claws had ripped through his flesh. Instead of the gory mess I was expecting, instead I saw only faint pink scar lines. At the look in my eyes he chuckled - just barely - and reminded me softly, "Healing powers, remember?"
"Oh yeah," I muttered sheepishly.
"Speaking of which," he mumbled, and a cool tingling sensation spread through my body from where his hand still held mine. I could feel the gashes in my back stop bleeding and slowly start to close. Once I was healed I opened my mouth to thank him put was prevented from uttering a sound when he frightfully captured my mouth with his. I could feel him release all the tension and worry from the situation in that one kiss. In that instant I knew that he had been just as scared as I was, although for opposite reasons. I had been afraid for his life; he'd been afraid for mine. When the kiss finally broke, he puled back and glared at me sternly. "Don't you ever do that to me again. Once was bad enough, twice was almost enough to give me a heart attack. Let's not go for third time's the charm, alright?"
I giggled meekly. "Yessir."
If he'd had eyes, he would have rolled them at me. "Come on little one, let's get you home," he said, scooping me up in his arms. I snuggled against his chest, just happy to be alive, and happy that he was alive as well. I was also pretty pleased with the added bonus that his healing powers had prevented me from having to endure quite a painful and uncomfortable next few weeks.
"Hey Slendy?"
"Yes?"
"What was that thing?"
"He's a creature distantly related to my own kind."
I looked up at him curiously. "Really?"
"Mhm."
"Who is he?"
"The Rake."
I shivered involuntarily, thinking of those long metal claws. What an appropriate name. Quickly I moved on to my next question. "How did you know to come save me?"
He smirked slightly. "I was watching naturally."
I let out a strangled laugh. "I should have known. You can't let me out of your sight for two minutes can you?"
A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. "For good reason obviously," and I grudgingly nodded my head at the irony. A more serious tone entered his voice as he continued though. "Don't worry Sky, no matter how much trouble you manage to get yourself into, I will always be there to protect you."
I smiled up at him. "Promise?"
"Promise."
A/N: The Rake! How many people guess that was going to be the new face? I actually enjoy writing him, I think it is very possible that he may be showing up in some of my later stories now.
Anywho, hope you liked it. Favorite and review if you enjoyed, and as always stay awesome my friends ;D
- Erin