Chapter Two: Scissors
The woman who found Belladonna outside her home was named Clara. She was enchanted with the baby, to the point that she simply kept her rather than calling the police to report the abandoned infant.
Clara made it a point to learn all she could on child care, never having had a child in her life before, not even a sibling. The thing with that was, she learned childcare for "normal" babies...this child seemed...different. Not disabled or handicapped, but...different. She could bite from day one but rarely did unless told to do so, such as when she was fed mashed food and a piece wasn't quite as mashed as it should've been... Eventually, Clara gave up on the infant formula and simply fed the child Belladonna soft foods, like a toddler rather than a newborn.
Another oddity about the child was her hair. It at first grew out like normal hair, but once there was enough of it, it seemed to bind together quite easily into smooth dreadlock-like bands, no matter how often Clara was able to brush it. Belladonna did not like having her hair brushed for some reason. It seemed to hurt the child? But that couldn't be right...hair wasn't alive once it left the scalp...
At the age of 5, Clara had had enough of this particular quirk the child had. "Bella dear, come here. It's time to brush that mess."
Bella, currently playing with a rag doll, whimpered.
"That's enough of that. You need to keep your hair combed and pretty. If it knots up too much, we'll have to cut it all off, and you don't want to be bald again, do you?"
Bella covered her head with her hands, whining. Yet another oddity – she rarely said a word even though Clara knew the child could talk and read...
"Well then, come over here and we will brush it. I won't take long."
The violet-eyed child sighed and came over meekly, eyes filling with tears already. It hurt, badly, when the woman brushed her head. The woman said it shouldn't hurt but it always did! Her hair was as alive as the rest of her and she didn't know why...
Once within reach, Clara got out the brush and began. Bella flinched, but kept her voice mute. Clara was a nice woman, not a child beater, but once...just once, she'd gotten angry with Belladonna's crying and had struck her quickly on the cheek with her palm, saying THAT was worth tears, not brushing her hair.
Clara continued brushing, blissfully unaware of the child's fear and pain. Without aloud crying, the woman was clueless and thought perhaps the phase was over. Maybe now was a good time to show Bella that her hair wasn't alive...
"Bella, let's clip just a little of that hair."
The child stiffened in fear. What?!
"It's the best way to show you that your hair is just an extension of you, not a living part. I'll just-BELLA!"
She'd tried to bolt away, but Clara was quicker, pulling Bella's hair back, tripping the child onto the ground. "Oh goodness, look what you made me do! Are you okay?" Bella whimpered pitifully, scared out of her little mind.
Clara picked up a pair of safety scissors and got ready for the first cut. "It's okay...just breathe. This won't hurt a bit, I promise-!" Clara backed up, slowly. "What in all that's holy?!"
Belladonna was writhing on the floor, not like someone possessed, but like she was trembling badly. That wasn't what had scared Clara...it was that hair! It was swinging around like several whips, trying to keep the scissors was from her.
Clara crossed herself and muttered, "God help us...", before trying to get closer to Bella. "We need to get rid of that demonic hair! I don't know what's possessed it, but I won't let it hurt you, Bella! Can you hear me?!"
Belladonna...seemed to be not at home. Clara choked back a scream as the child turned her head, still trembling badly, to look at her. Her eyes were no longer violet...they were blood red...dripping blood as if crying.
"...This won't hurt a bit..." Clara felt a chill as Bella repeated her own words back to her...before one dreadlock seemed to sharpen and plunge into the woman's chest. "...I promise..." They both collapsed, the woman dead, the child exhausted...
POV change
"N-n-now I s-see why you w-w-wanted me to w-watch this house...she's a p-p-pasta!"
"More than that, Tobias. She's mine." Toby gasped. "You are to tell NO ONE!"
"O-of course, m-master Slender."
"Good...clean this place up, clean the girl up, then we need to relocate her...but where is the question..."
"...m-master?"
"Yes?"
"Do y-your brothers k-kn-know about her? M-maybe they can h-help...?"
"...you might have a point. I'll ask Splendorman...he might be my best bet to find a place for the girl..."
"G-good luck, s-s-sir..."
Ticci Toby went into the house and started cleaning up the mess the woman had made...or rather what the pasta side of the child made of the woman. He was surprised when the woman suddenly gasped and reached up for him! "HOLY F*%&!" He shouted, putting his axe in the woman's throat, killing her for good. "...d-damnit! Now I h-have more b-bl-blood to clean u-up..."
Once he disposed of the woman's body – taken back to the mansion for later...needs - he came back for the child...to find it awake and looking around in confusion and fear? How the hell did she wake up so fast?! Toby thought to himself.
Bella looked to Toby and blinked in surprise, tilting her head to the side. "Um...hi." He waved awkwardly to her.
Bella waved back, but seemed to be looking for something...
"A-a-are you l-lo-looking for that l-lady that was h-he-here?"
Bella looked to him and nodded rapidly, smiling. Did the kid not remember trying to kill her?
"Uh...s-she l-l-left. I d-don't think sh-she'll be b-b-back..."
The kid seemed to wilt, then looked around more. She pointed to the red on the floor that was smeared everywhere, including on her own clothing. Toby hadn't had much a chance to clean yet, hauling that woman's body away...
"Ooh...uh...p-p-paint?"
The kid smiled and started to playing with the 'paint'...drawing a circle with an X in it...Slender's symbol! Did she know who he was?
"W-what is that?" Toby asked, innocently.
The girl shook her head and smiled, shrugging. She knew the symbol but not what it meant. ...good.