"HOW THE FUCK COULD YOU LOSE HER LIKE THAT SLENDY!?" Jeff roared, stabbing his knife repeatedly into the table top until it finally suck stiff in the wood.
It had been almost a week since Zalgo had abducted Claudia - a week since the Pastas had seen her - and everyone was on edge, and worried about the small child. Jeff, in particular, was becoming more and more agitated as the days progressed, and Slenderman feared what might become of them all if they didn't find Claudia soon. Jeff was rather unpredictable like that.
Why do you assume it is my fault? Slenderman demanded, his voice distorted slightly with static. I am as much to blame as you and everyone else.
Jeff growled, wrenching his knife free from the wood, twisting it as he did and causing the oak wood to splinter even more as he looked up to the faceless entity looming above him.
"I'm sure she's fine!" EJ said quickly before World War III could begin inside the living room of their home.
Jeff growled and tossed out a few choice words directed at the cannibal.
"All I meant was," EJ said, now talking to Slenderman, and ignoring Jeff, "that she's brave, right? Any one of us could have killed her at any time. Jeff, for example, was actually planning on it."
"I changed my mind!" Jeff protested.
"But why?" EJ shot at the raven-haired serial killer.
Jeff paused. "Because I. . . I. . ."
"Did she hug you?"
Jeff glared at EJ. "NO!"
Everyone stared at Jeff, calling his bluff.
". . . Maybe." When that didn't work, Jeff groaned, rolling his eyes. "Okay! Fine. Yes, she hugged me. But, that's not the reason!"
"Why did you want to know that EJ?" Masky asked.
"Haven't you all noticed that, no matter what we all thought when we met her, as soon as that little critter wrapped her arms around us none of that mattered?" EJ asked, glancing around at the others. "She's hugged all of us at least once. So, who's to say that maybe she's special?"
Now that you mention it, Jack, I do recall something Zalgo had said, Slenderman mused, his memory returning to that night one week ago. He had called her 'Unknown'. . . He said Claudia was not human.
"Not human?" Jane repeated, confused.
Slenderman nodded. He said her race was not known to him, so that is what he would call her: Unknown.
"This isn't helping," Jeff murmured. "We should be out there looking for her."
"How can we?" Hoodie demanded, his stern tone made several people jump in surprise. "After your little stunt down the main street, we have wanted posters up looking for us! You want to find her? So do we! So, suck it up Jeff, we've already tried it your way."
Everyone fell silent, standing there, looking at Hoodie, completely dumbfounded by what they had just witnessed.
Hoodie shifted his weight awkwardly. "Uhm, you know, if that's okay with you?"