Chapter 3
As if things didn't seem to get worse…oh they did. Tobi had overslept in his last class, and now he had missed the bus. He had to walk home, in the pouring rain. He took in a deep breath, trying to calm down his anger. He needed to kill before he went on a burning rampage again. He reached up massaging his temples, wondering what the hell he was going to do now.
"Just kill the girl already." He thought, he wanted to alright, but then Slender wouldn't be too pleased.
"When is he ever pleased?" Smirking, he kicked a random stone.
"Well, might as well just walk home in this shit…" He sighed, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and marched on.
"HEY! WAIT UP!" It was her Zoe. He almost physically cringed at the sound of her squeaky voice, but he let out a sigh and pushed forward. He kept his head down, trying not to draw her attention to him anymore…but it was too late.
"Hey! I said wait up!" She was waking side by side with him, and he kept his mouth shut. He didn't want to say anything to her, he didn't want her to think that he was even remotely interested, but he had no choice.
"Sorry Z, I didn't hear you." She watched his cheeks rise in a smile. She shrugged it off.
"It's alright. I'm used to it. I just want to walk home is all." She gave a weak smile, and he nodded.
"Where do you live?" He asked, he watched her eyes darken.
"In the murder house." She wasn't being outright with him.
"Where?" Her eyes went wide in shock.
"The famous murder house. My family was butchered there when I was ten." His own eyes, widened.
"Ten? I wasn't even Slender's proxy that far back…it couldn't have been me." It was odd…VERY odd.
"S…Sorry I'm new around here." He replied. She just laughed it off.
"It's okay. I'm used to all sorts of snarky comments or insults." She gave off that dorky smile, and heart went right into his throat, his face turned red and he froze. Feet plastered on the ground like cement; he just couldn't move. When she realized he wasn't walking beside her anymore, she turned around slightly confused.
"What? Did I say something wrong? Why is your face red?" She jumbled his mind with a thousand questions. He shook his head in reply, and continued walking beside her.
"Nothing, sorry." He let out a nervous laugh. Why all of a sudden did he feel like someone punching him in the stomach? He couldn't figure it out…maybe he could ask Slender, since he's married and has two kids. Since he kicked Jeff and Miranda's ass out of the mansion.
"And everyone wondered why he only works out of the mansion now…" He chuckled out loud.
"What's so funny?" Zoe snapped him out of his thoughts, as he looked at her.
"Nothing, just…thinking about my ol'man and his new wife and kids." He didn't actually lie to her; he just…told her a white lie. Nothing too big.
"Oh!" Her eyes casted to the floor.
"Your mom's dead too? I'm sorry." If there was one thing this girl was, she was bluntly honest. He didn't seem to mind, he actually preferred it, other than Masky sugar coating shit.
"Well…sort of…" She was, and he put her there.
By the time they reached Zoe's house, they were drenched and clothing clung to them like a second skin. Zoe was shivering as she walked up to her porch, as Tobi turned to walk away, she called out to him.
"Come in and dry off at least. Please?" She was pleading, and he felt…compelled to.
"The fuck is wrong with me?" The internal debate was over almost instantaneously. It was when her eyes…her eyes looked at him, and just the softness of them. She wasn't much of a looker, but it was…because…she wasn't a socialite, or beautiful…that made him stall. There was something about Zoe, which made him ponder.
"What is it about her? That just makes me stop what I'm doing?" Without wasting any more time, he walked up the stairs to her house. She pushed the door open; it must've been warm in the house, because she seemed to smile and strip off the small very light jacket.
"It's the end of summer, why is the rain so cold?" She asked, apparently to him. But…this house, this house didn't seem familiar to him. He cocked his head to the side, looking around. Some things, yeah…seemed to look…recognizable. Then again…he did attack at night.
"Are you sure, you're the one who killed this girl's family?" He asked himself. For once, yet again…he didn't know. He couldn't remember weather he did or not…this was bad.
"I'm in uber deep shit now…" He thought.
"Hey…what's going on? You look really…really troubled…" When she wasn't screaming, or shouting…her voice almost seemed calming to his ears. He shrugged lightly, taking off he hoodie hanging it up on the coat rack. Zoe crossed her arms, and leaned against the dining room table. He looked back at her, and for a moment, they looked at each other in silence. There was no tension in the room, only silence.
"So, are you going to talk or stay silent?" She asked, leaning forward keeping her eyes on him. He tilted his head and gave her another questioning look.
"Would you mind taking off your goggles at least? You don't have to take off the bandanna…" It was like she was testing him. He did as she was told, and took off the goggles. Pale gray eyes met Zoe's and she was almost dumb founded. They were…beautiful, innocent…but deep within those globes held something, she didn't want to know.
"And your bandanna…?" It slipped; she asked something she probably shouldn't have. Tobi shrugged lightly and sat down on her couch.
"Are you going to offer me a drink before we discuss my life? I take it that's why you wanted me to come over. To talk. Like I said I would at lunch." She watched his jaw move in wonder. She almost felt rude for not asking.
"Oh!" Her face turned a shade darker.
"Sorry, what would you like to drink Tobi?" She asked, all innocently, he almost smiled. Almost.
"Soda, any kind." He watched the disappointment cross her face.
"S…Sorry I don't drink soda…would…tea work?" Her face turned into a deep emberessment. He didn't mind the fact she didn't drink soda; actually he admired it.
"Yeah…mint or regular…please." He had to force the please out. She gave a smile, turning her back to him.
"Right now, stab her in the back…RIGHT NOW!" He had to calm the voice down; if not…he would act upon it. And Slender, wouldn't be happy, or approve of it. He was getting antsy…he needed to kill something, but because the ol'man put him on 'restriction' this had become…almost impossible.
"Maybe I should take off the bandanna just to shock her…" He thought it was brilliant…and it was. When she turned back around, she dropped the cup of steaming hot liquid on the floor, glass shattering.
"Holy shit!" Screaming, she took a step back, her barefoot stepping against a piece of ceramic. She yelped in pain, looking down at the pooling blood. Tobi wrapped the bandanna around his face again, and went to her side in quick easy strides.
"Do you still want to know?" Tobi's voice seemed darker, more even before. She looked at him, DOWN at him as he kneeled down to look at her foot.
"I…I don't judge…" She replied. Tobi stood, and looked at her.
"Do you trust me?" He asked, her eyes went wide for a second.
"I just met you I-" He interrupted her.
"Do you trust me." He ordered. Her mouth went to a thin line, and she nodded.
With every brain cell and neuron shooting away at what he was doing, was wrong, and against all he was…he lifted her up, carried her to the couch flopping her down.
"Where's your first aid kit?" He asked, she looked at him, a small amount of fear glimmered in her eyes.
"Bathroom…" That small squeak came back, and irritated his ears. But he sighed and with ease, found the bathroom upstairs. It wasn't difficult to find out where it was. Within a few minutes of rummaging around, he finally found it. Before he headed back downstairs, he stopped. Turned his head to the door with an open crack; with a gentle push flashbacks slammed against his skull.
"NO PLEASE! STOP!" The woman screamed, holding her child to her chest.
"You don't have to do this!" She screamed again, begging, pleading.
"I have to teach him some day." Replied a voice, he didn't recognize…at first. It didn't come to him right away. But as he kept looking around at the sight before him.
The room, from ceiling to floor, at first glance would be seemingly like red paint…wet red paint. But as the light balanced off of it, it came to him…this was blood. And on the floor was the woman, cowering in fear, holding a child. The child weeping, sobbing, and begging to be left alone by the mother, and murderer.
"YOU DON'T HAVE TO SHOW HIM ANYTHING!"The woman replied. Tobi stood, dumb founded at the scene before him. With almost no hesitation…something went out, and cleanly sliced the woman's throat.
"MOMMY!" The child cried.
"Tobi did you get lost?" Zoe's voice snapped him out of his flashback. Shaking his head, and looking deep into the room. It was plain, white, and barren.
"No! I had to take a leak. Gimmie a minute." He snapped down at her. He pushed another door open, revealing a bed, wardrobe, and a vanity mirror.
"Must be her room…" He didn't want to invade, but…
"Fuck it, she's going to be dead soon."
"Maybe…" His thought came out in a whisper. It was almost foreign to him now…the Unknown speaking, and trying to get him to kill. There was two sides to Tobi….there were Tobi and there was Unknown. When Tobi killed you would be able to tell, there was a mess and always something there that related him to the incident. And there was Unknown. When Unknown killed…that was when things went smoothly…and more…cleanly. Tobi hated being clean, Unknown loved it.
"Let me kill her. Slender will NEVER know…" He shuddered at Unknown's voice. He almost…feared Unknown…ALMOST.
Going back downstairs was a chore; his mind was heavy as was…his heart?
"Hah…fuck that shit." He almost laughed out loud. When he saw Zoe sitting there on the couch a small pool of blood on the hardwood, he knelt back down. He was gentle, as he pulled out a pair of tweezers.
"You still have a piece of ceramic stuck in your foot." He reached in and started digging; she yelped in pain but kept it to herself.
"So how'd you fuck up your face?" She asked, he looked back up with her with those soft gray eyes.
"Long story." He replied, she knitted her brow.
"I told you, I have time." With a sigh, he pulled out a rather large piece of ceramic. Pulling out a gauze and peroxide, he dabbed it. Watching it bubble he cleaned it, and bandaged it up.
"At least I didn't have to take her to E.J…and then I have to bypass Slender…THAT would've been a bitch…" Looking back up at her, her eyes were stern.
"Please…talk to me; I want to know more about my new friend. I told you what happened to my family…" Her voice seemed to get more and more solemn. Tobi stood and headed back to the kitchen.
"Don't worry about the mess, I'll clean it." He said, grabbing a few paper towels, he cleaned up what he could, and swept up the mess.
"I was six, when I killed my father…and accidently killed my mother in a house fire. Then a mythical creature saved me, when the cops tried to get me and fry me." That was his story…but there was more…much more. Like how his father, hit him with an axe…which caused his scar. He didn't know if he wanted her to get too close to him. But…what must be done, must be done.
"My father abused me as a kid. He hit me in the mouth, with the sharp side of the axe. I was lucky because…well…it didn't leave to much damage." He looked at her, and she was waiting. He gave one last sigh, flopping down next to her.
"So, after that…I…I tried to run away and someone helped me, took me in and here I am." It was simple, short, and not completely lying.
"How old are you really? And why are you at the school?" She narrowed his eyes.
"I'm actually twenty one, and trying to get my high school diploma." He replied. Rising a brow, she accepted this answer.
"Why didn't you tell me the truth?" She asked.
"I'm used to lying to get what I want." It slipped; he didn't mean to answer…completely truthfully.
"Do you know…who killed my parents and little brother?" She asked. He shook his head, at this point…even he was thinking he didn't do it.
"No…" It was soft, and gentle. As the silence dragged on, and time passed he looked at the clock and decided it was time for him to leave.
"Look…I gotta go…" He tried to stand, but her hand was soft and sent…a shiver up his spine when she touched his wrist.
"Please stay…I hate being alone…"
"So…the fire cracker, as a weak spot?" He thought.
Tilting his head he nodded.
"Just gimmie a second. I need to make a call." With that, he stood and headed outside. It was getting dark, he should've been home a while ago. He called the mansion, within two rings Masky picked up.
"Yo." He said.
"Hey…I'm going to be late…I'm staying and 'talking' with the target." Tobi didn't know how Masky would handle this…but there was a short silence.
"Okay, I'll let the Boss know. Try not to be too late." The sudden dead air, made Tobi realize…he had hung up. Sighing in frustration, he went back inside the semi-glamorous yet empty house and flopped back down beside Zoe.
"I'm here for as long as you need me. Let's chat." He dreaded this…but it was the only way to get back on Slender's good side. And it met…getting close to a human girl. He felt her head lean against his shoulder.
"I don't remember who, or how it happened…but my parents…were killed upstairs…next to my room. And the guy who did it…almost sounded…like a monster…" He froze the only three people he KNEW of…that sounded like monsters when they kill…
"The Rake, Slender himself and Unknown." At that moment, he didn't realize, his skin paled till Zoe looked at him with worry.
"What's the matter Tobi?" She asked as she sat up, the pain in her foot obviously long since forgotten. He couldn't look at her directly, so he looked in between her eyes.
"I know your not looking me in the eyes…please…please tell me." She tried to get it out of him, tried hard.
"I just…what you said reminded me of my father." Lie, after lie…when will he stop?
"You'll never stop…it's how you've always been Tobi…lie to get your way, lie to get out of trouble, lie to get someone else in trouble…hehehe…now you're lying to the girl you like." It was all a lie! What he was saying wasn't true.
"SHE'S A TARGET, NOT ANYTHING ELSE!" internal alarms were screaming at him, this was WRONG…this was all going to Zalgo in a hand basket…and if Slender found out…
"Oh god…if he found out…" He felt himself pale more…he can't stay here much longer…no. Can't stay ANY LONGER. He pushed her off of him; he stood…and made the mistake of standing. Zoe stood, trying to grasp him.
CRASH!
Tobi fell unconscious, the glass coffee table shattering as he fell through.
"Shit…" Zoe sighed, pulling out her phone and dialed 9.1.1
