I thought it was over. Done. That this blackness was what waited for everyone. I thought my childhood friend had ended my life in a fit of maniacal rage. I felt the pain of my death causing wound and thought that it was sucky that I would be stuck with that for eternity. Then the voices came. Quiet, hushed voices and the beeping of a heart monitor. I realized I was breathing. My heart was beating. I was alive. I opened my eyes and I was in a dimly lit room. Slenderbeings were in the room along with one human woman in a doctor's coat. She was a tall blonde, talking to Maximus. His usual air of tough guy was gone and he was practically purring. The woman must be his fledgling.
"She's lost a good bit of blood, but she should pull through." She spoke with a pleasant English accent
"Good." Maximus said, turning his attention to me in the bed.
"Echo, you're awake!" He nearly exclaimed, the woman turned and looked at me. I nodded weakly. The woman came over and took out her stethoscope.
"I grew up in an age where doctor's actually had to work, not pay attention to machines and determine paths of action from there. So I'd like to listen to you breathing." She told me. I nodded, not having the energy to speak. She assisted me in rolling onto my side then pressed the stethoscope to my back.
"Breath normally." The woman instructed.
"So, what happened?" I asked.
"My brother-in-law pierced you through the stomach with a hunting tendril, causing massive internal damage-"
"I think she means after that, Elizabeth." Maximus interrupted softly.
"Oh. My husband knows more about that." Elizabeth said pointedly as she helped me roll onto my back.
"As soon as you passed out he snapped out of it. He just vanished after that. I got you here as fast as I could." Maximus told me.
"How long has it been?" I asked.
"A few hours. Jake's going to be worried when you get back. I'm still going to get you the blessing. What happened may have only been a temporary thing." Maximus told me. I nodded.
"Can I get a drink of water?" I asked. Elizabeth turned and filled a small cup with water and handed it to me. I thanked her and took a sip from the cup.
"How long am I going to have to stay?" I asked.
"A few more hours. We can't risk your suitor calling the police. We're bringing in a healer from the capital. The Head Councilman will be coming to perform the blessing. As soon as it's done you can go home." She told me.
"What's going to happen to Slen?" I asked. Elizabeth looked to Maximus and left the room.
"If he hasn't already done it himself he may get executed. Innocent humans are not to be harmed under any circumstances. The insanity plea doesn't exist here. I'm sorry, Echo." Maximus told me.
"He shouldn't be killed, it was my fault! I was the one that wanted to come here in the first place. If I hadn't-"
"It doesn't matter." Maximus told me mournfully. He was losing his brother.
"Isn't there anything that can be done?" I asked desperately. Maximus shook his head.
"I already tried to take the blame. The officials wouldn't have it. We have a court system. It isn't unjust. There's a chance that he'll be forgiven of his crimes. But like I said, there's a chance he's already gone. A Punisher hurt an innocent human once before. He couldn't handle the guilt and killed himself. And you were his intended. I'm not sure what my brother is going to do." Maximus said. I wanted to cry. Slen…
Elizabeth came in after a few hours of Maximus and I sitting in silence with two other Slenderbeings. One wore smoky grey robes and the other wore vibrant purple. Maximus stood on their arrival and knelt. I didn't know what to do.
"Rise, Maximus." The purple robed one spoke. Maximus obeyed and I assumed the purple robed one was the Head Councilman.
"My sincerest apologies for your trauma, Echo." The Head Councilman told me. I nodded.
"The Operator has been found and his trial will start as soon as possible. Our healer will return you to the state in which you were before you arrived and you will be sent home." He continued. I wanted to object but I knew that had the potential to be bad.
"Have you any comments?" The Head Councilman asked. I looked to Maximus and he nodded.
"I- I don't believe he deserves to be put to death…sir." I wasn't sure if I was supposed to refer to him as the Head Councilman, but I hoped he would forgive my informality.
"I share your belief but unfortunately your assailant does not." He replied. My jaw dropped and I nearly bolted up in bed but the Healer put a firm hand on my shoulder and kept me down.
"Can I talk to him? He'll reconsider if he knows I'm okay!" I demanded. What and idiot! Over four hundred years old and he's still a massive drama queen! I was enraged.
"I will consider. Once we have determined that the Operator is safe for you to have contact with you may. But if he relapses to madness I will have to refuse it." The Head Councilman told me. I crossed my arms over my chest and pouted. The healer placed his/her hand on my stomach and mumbled under his breathe and the dull pain in my stomach faded.
"Sit up, Echo." The Councilman ordered. I obeyed. He brought out a strange colored blade, black, and cut his thumb, silver blood welled from the wound. My eyes widened.
"Show me the Mark of the Operator." The Head Councilman demanded and I obeyed, lifting my hand to him. Using his blood, he put a silver smudge across the crossed out circle.
"I release you of your intended and ward you against him. He will only be able to come forth if you wish. You are free, Daughter of Humanity." The Head Councilman spoke with unchallenged authority and his blood faded into my skin and Slen's mark vanished. I watched it go with a bit of sadness. If things don't go well… the only thing I would have to remind me of him would be gone.
"Maximus, take her home." The Head Councilman ordered. I stood on shaky legs. The two Slenderfolk left and Maximus handed me a change of clothes.
"Your others were ruined." He said simply and left the room. I huffed wearily and changed clothes. I hoped Jake wasn't too worried. I opened the door after I was finished and Maximus was waiting.
"Come with me, there's an exit point outside." Maximus informed me and I went along. He was taking his time.
"Where are we?" I asked.
"A hospital, where else?" Maximus told me.
"I don't know. I didn't think your kind had hospitals." I said. The Slenderbeing laughed.
"Of course we do, for our fledglings. Not all of us can heal. And some of the fledglings prefer to birth in a hospital rather than in their home. Our kind have spared no expense to keep the fledglings happy and healthy." Maximus told me. I nodded.
"You and your family… what do you think of me? Not being Slen's mate." I asked.
"We understand, Princess, don't sweat it. Most of us knew it wouldn't work out when my brother had told us he found you again. You were raised in a human society as a human. Not to mention you don't have even an eighth of Slenderbeing in you. The chances were slim. In retrospect we should have just told him to leave you be." Maximus told me. I frowned, believing his words but still feeling that perhaps there was some disdain that I brought to the family. We left the building and I gasped. The sky was gorgeous.
"Are you sure you're in a different plane of existence and not another planet?" I asked, gazing at the iridescent sky with it's three moons and peppered white star filled sky. Maximus laughed softly.
"Yes, Echo. Our level perceives and holds different planets and stars. But we are also kind of on another planet. Our planet and Earth occupy the same space only on different material waves." Maximus told me.
"So you're aliens." I said.
"Not exactly. We are a more advanced type of human. I thought my brother told you that." Maximus replied, coming to a stop.
"The advanced human part yeah. But how can you switch from energy planes?" I asked.
"Tears in the fabric of the universes. They're harmless against popular belief. We go in and out using the tears as highways. There's a massive one in the Bermuda Triangle." Maximus told me, offering me his hand.
"Really! Is this what happened to all those people!?" I asked. Maximus nodded and I took his hand, prepping myself for the effects of passing through energy planes. The roar of the ocean greeted me.
"We're here?" I asked. Maximus stepped away from me.
"Yep. That only happens to first timers." He told me. I nodded.
"When should I see Slen again?"
"I don't know. As long as it takes for the High Council to screen him." Maximus said. By now it was dark.
"Hey, can you walk me to my car? You know… mountain lions…" I said quietly. The Slenderbeing chuckled and started to lead the way.
"I hate that things are going to end if you can't convince my brother." Maximus said as we hiked through the woods.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I won't be able to have contact with you if you can't change my brother's mind. It's just the rules. No Slenderfolk will communicate with you if The Operator decides he still deserves execution." Maximus told me.
"That's a dumb rule." I muttered. We got to my car within fifteen minutes and I saw that my phone had been blown up. I said goodbye to Maximus and called Jake.
"Where have you been!? It's three in the morning, I've been worried sick! I thought that psycho got you! I was about to call the police!" Jake machine gunned.
"We don't have to worry about him anymore. And we don't have to move if you don't want to. I got a restraining order." I told him. Jake gave a sigh of relief.
"You get over here to my apartment now." He ordered. I grinned.
"Alright, be there in like, thirty minutes." I told him and started the car.
Jake was waiting for me in the parking lot and he practically took my car door off the hinges and tore me out of the car. He encased me in an iron cage of a hug.
"I was worried sick. I couldn't sleep, I almost literally got sick. You should have called or something. I was terrified." He told me. He was a giant teddy bear. I smiled softly.
"I'm sorry, Jake. I would have if I could but I was really preoccupied. I won't do that to you again." I comforted him. He released me and took my hand, pulling me up the stairs and into his apartment.
"I'd feel better if you stayed here tonight, okay?" He told me. I nodded.
"I'm sleeping on the couch though." I replied.
"You should take my bed." He said.
"Nope, on the couch." I answered stubbornly. "I'm going to go get my pillows and a blanket from my place, okay?" I asked. Jake nodded and I went to my apartment, grabbed said items and went back to his apartment. I situated myself on the couch after stealing one of Jake's shirts to sleep in and I was out in seconds.
"She's alright." Maximus told the Operator. He looked at his brother. "You don't have to be executed." He continued.
"Punishers are not to harm an innocent human being at all. Since I didn't kill her I only nearly did." Slen told his brother. Maximus crossed his arms over his chest.
"Then I'm going to miss the little dork. I liked her a lot, but with you dying we won't be able to talk to her." Maximus said.
"Why would she even want to talk to you? Especially after my demonstration about how horrible Slenderfolk can be." Slen said. Maximus delivered a swift kick to Slen under the table and jabbed him hard in the knee.
"You need to stop being a drama queen!" Maximus ordered. Slender felt like returning the kick but if he did that wouldn't be good for his screening. He at least wanted to see Echo one more time before he died. Even if she didn't see him.
"Oh, Echo's going to talk to you. She's going to give you the verbal lashing of a lifetime. You're going to realize what your doing is unnecessary and call the whole thing off. The only reason you're going to trial is because you asked for it." Maximus said.
"Nothing she can say will convince me." Slen said, effectively ending the conversation. Maximus only shook his head and stood.
"See you on the outside, brother." He said, leaving the room.
Jake and I were still moving out, even though he didn't go through anything we both felt like we were ready for a change of scenery. I had a bag packed and we were going to the cabin in the mountains for the Stryker Family Get-Together. It had been a week and a half since I had been nearly killed and I was urgently waiting for Slen to arrive so I could speak to him.
"Echo?" I looked up and saw Maximus.
"Do you allow the Operator into your presence?" He asked formally. I nodded and Maximus disappeared. Replaced by Slen and two other Slenderbeings. I studied the trio, wanting nothing more than to hug Slen as tightly as I could.
"Can we have privacy or…?" I asked.
"We will go into the other room." One of the escorts said. I nodded and they disappeared into my unused bedroom. I looked at Slen.
"What the hell do you think you're doing!? What you did to me was an accident!" I spat at him, storming across the room. Slen gave a sigh.
"I hurt you Echo. I deserve it." He said.
"If slapping you did any good believe me I would!" I nearly shouted. "Do you think I want your death on my head!? Because believe me if you die, I'm going to blame myself and I will never get over it! How did you feel when you thought you killed me?" I asked. Slen looked up at me.
"That's right, I have a point." I said smugly. "From what I understand, you're the only reason you're going to trial. The Head Councilman has told me himself that the council doesn't think you deserve execution." I said.
"I understand that, but how am I supposed to get past the thought that I nearly took your life because I lost control?" Slen replied. I squared my jaw and narrowed my eyes at him.
"You just are. People do things that they regret. I regret a lot of things, you don't see me hurling myself off a cliff now do you? Don't you think I regret taking my kidnapper's life? Granted he abducted me and hurt me, but I still ended someone else's life. I pray for forgiveness every day! I'd give anything to forget but I can't. I just move on. And now I'm asking you to. If not for yourself for me." I said. Slen was quiet.
"Alright." He said. I grinned hard and threw my arms around his neck and gave him the biggest squeeze I could muster. I put a kiss to his cheek and buried my face in his shoulder.
"I love you, you're my only family besides Jake and I love you." I told him. He gingerly embraced me.
"I think that's enough for me, Echo."