A/N: Credit to BlazetheDragonite for giving me the idea for this chapter!

It took a lot of explaining, but Tyler finally managed to convince Jake that he did not murder anybody, and that he wasn't secretly a girl on her (his?) period. He now sat on the chair by his study desk while his friend took a reclining position on the bed.

"That's messed up, man," said Jake, shaking his head. "Ain't no way that shit's real. Somebody must be pranking you or something, I don't know. This is college, after all."

"I don't think so," replied the bassist. "A lot of strange things have been happening lately. The bombings, the blood, the theories of a 'second Slenderman'..."

"Second Slenderman?"

"Here." Tyler showed him the picture of the tall black creature with glowing purple eyes. "Isn't it strange?"

Jake kept a straight face. "...You aren't making a racist joke, are you?"

"Wha-? Of course not! There is no way I was implying that this was you."

"I was just bustin' your balls, dude." Jake laughed. "Anyway, that picture is hella creepy, so I'd like to stay away from it, thank you."

Tyler took the phone away and tucked it in his pocket. "But it's just so... odd. Everything seems to be happening at the same time. There must be a reason for it."

"And what reason would that be?"

Thus the bespectacled teen was silenced.

"Eh, whatever," grumbled Jake. "My momma always told me that I should follow philosophy as a course, since I was always good at it, but my dad was the one who encouraged me to make music instead. My momma was so confused, but I don't regret choosing music."

"What are you trying to say?" asked Tyler, obviously confused by the sudden mention of his friend's family.

"What I'm tryna say is, just because you were taught to give reason to things, doesn't mean you should." Jake sat up and hugged his legs. "God made everything the way it's supposed to be. Shouldn't that be reason enough?"

Tyler was about to counter his argument about God, but decided not to. He didn't need a religion war to break out between him and his devout Christian friend. "Why did you choose music over philosophy and science?"

The statement brought a smile to Jake's face. "See? That's what I mean. You're tryna find a reason for my choices."

The bassist returned the grin. "I think you would have been better off in philosophy by the way you're giving me these fantastical ideas."

"Just like my momma said." The other male stretched his arms and got off the bed. "Do you have something I could drink? My throat's killing me."

"In the kitchen, in one of the cupboards, you'll find some glasses. There's a pitcher of water in the refrigerator, and- oh, don't touch the Sprite!" One of Tyler's guilty pleasures was drinking Sprite whenever he felt like reminiscing on old memories. The lemon-lime flavor of the soda brought back memories of high school, when he, Desmond, Craig, and another friend named Nate, would have breaks during band practice and rest up with a couple of cold drinks.

College tore the band apart, thought Tyler. At least I can still contact Desmond and Craig. Nate, however... it's not easy catching up with someone abroad.

"Hey, Tyler?" Jake hollered from the kitchen. "Since when did you keep chemistry flasks in your kitchen?"

Flasks?

'W-what?"

"C'mere, dude. You have like two or three of 'em in your cupboard. What are you, some sort of mad scientist?"

Tyler made his way to the kitchen, where his friend was holding one of the three flasks in his hands. "Did you say flasks?"

"Yeah, check 'em out." Jake handed one glass container to Tyler, and they both inspected them in curiosity. "Where'd you get them?"

"I... didn't."

"What?"

"I didn't get these," mumbled the bassist. "I never got them. Never in my life have I ever owned flasks."

Jake frowned and set the glass container on the table, eyebrows furrowed in suspicion. "Weird. Do you still have a cup though?"

"Weren't there cups when you found these?"

The other male shrugged. "Nothin'. Just those flasks."

Something is definitely wrong, thought Tyler. I can feel it.

"Well, then, I suppose you can't get a drink."

Upon hearing that, Jake pouted like a puppy. "Can't I like, drink straight from the pitcher or something-"

Tyler grimaced at the thought of having another person's germs on his belongings. "N-No, please don't."

"Not even with my hands?"

"Your hands?"

"I don't know, man. I'm just so damn thirsty."

Using hands to drink water was quite the thought. So much that it amused Tyler.

"Alright, cup your hands tightly. Let no cracks open, or the water will seep through." He went to the fridge and fetched the cold pitcher of water for his dehydrated friend. As he carefully poured the water, Jake was visibly shivering from the chilly temperature. When the hands were full, the other male lifted them to his mouth and drank greedily.

He was smiling the second he was done. "Mind if I have some more?"

Jake left the dorm after Tyler had given him his fill of water. With the flasks put away and the soaked sheets hanging out to dry in the bathroom, Tyler had nothing else to clean. It was nearing dusk when he decided he should make a list of the strange or bizarre occurrences that have happened to him and others so far. It was so he could keep track of things. He then took a sheet of paper and a sharp pencil, and began writing.

*Laptop won't charge
-Keeps turning itself on
-Left Minecraft open
-Hands came out of the screen to strangle me

*Strange dream about being eaten alive by foul-smelling assailants
-Woke up to a pool of black blood on my bed

*Found flasks instead of glass cups

*Bombings only affecting tech shops
-Traces of gunpowder found at the crime scenes

*Sightings of a tall, black creature with glowing purple eyes

*Craig's belongings are missing

*Amy found a skeleton in her dorm

The list was longer than Tyler had assumed; he was almost out of space on the paper he was writing on. Now would be the time to listen to relaxing music, since for a day of vacation, it stressed him out somewhat. He needed some downtime.

Tyler's idea of downtime was to have the lights off, with relaxing music playing in the background. Unfortunately for him, because of college duties, he hadn't found time to relax. Now the conditions were perfect. Dusk was approaching, and he was sure nobody would disturb him. It was a better time than any.

First on the list: to look for his speakers. The bassist kept them safely in a drawer... somewhere. He just couldn't remember where. Perhaps it was in his closet - and sure enough, it was.

Sort of.

What he found instead was a box-like device that was about the size of a large radio. There was a wide slit on its top surface; maybe you had to place a CD inside? Tyler was completely dumbfounded. Never in his life did he ever buy something like it. What's worse, he couldn't find his speakers.

So, feeling a little disappointed and confused at the same time, he resolved to at least turning the lights off. The switch was located by the door; it was the switch for the largest light in the entire room. Tyler strolled to the entrance, and was further at a loss when the switch he'd been using his entire life was not there; instead replaced by a wooden stick connected to a metal base. It looked similar to a switch, however it was anything but.

Tyler knew that this specific incident was definitely going on the list. Both his speakers and his light switch were replaced by two similar-looking objects-

A jukebox and a lever.

Just what the hell was going on?

A/N: Shit's seepin' through the pixels, baby.

Reviews of all sorts are always appreciated!