AN: Hey guys, I left you hanging on the cliffhanger for too long. Soooo here's #17!

Sorry I don't own Slenderman, eh?

Thank you very much kind readers, silent or not. You don't have to have an account to review you know, just leave one as a guest :) (p.s. to that guest who left ideas, thanks for your support, it's very much appreciated)

Chapter 17

I stare at him while he stares at me back. He lets his expression of surprise drop and lets it mold back into the same poker face my mother had. I copy his face, not letting a sliver of emotion surface. I can hear Heather shifting awkwardly behind me, unsure of what to do. My mother is unconscious right now, sleeping or not I really don't know. There is a get-well balloon tied to the post and some food on a tray beside the bed she's on. My eyes continue to look over the room, though I feel that every ounce of my father's attention is focused on me. For some reason, I can't bring myself to look at his eyes again, the ones I inherited. It hasn't even been that long since he left, though it feels like an eternity. He speaks directly at me.

"Andrea."

It's been a while actually since I heard a masculine voice out loud. I've heard Slenderman's, but in my mind, not to mention it echoed and had a whisper effect. It's hard to explain.

"Andrea, look at me."

I considered ignoring him, but at this point it's not a choice. I look up at him, and I'm being literal right now because of his tall height. Okay, he's not 6'11", but he's definitely taller than six feet.

"Andrea, can you hear me out?"

I don't nod or shake my head. Let him decide for himself. He sighs.

"I left your mother for a reason."

I blink at him.

"Andrea…?"

"Go on," I reply, "I'm listening."

He pauses a little after I speak but continues.

"How do I put this… I wasn't happy."

"I'm pretty sure that's why you took those pills."

To my surprise, he flinches.

"Your mother and I, we cared about each other, trust me. We just didn't have the same feeling we had before."

"You mean that feeling called love?"

He bites his lip. What has my father become? He's acting like a coward. I respect him, but if he continues this, I might lose it.

"We had a mutual agreement that it was best we go our own ways."

"I thought mutual meant you both were satisfied."

"W-well yes. That's what it means."

"Then why was my mom crying on the sofa for a few days, not speaking or even barely eating?"

"I don't know. I don't."

"Do you still care about each other?"

"Of course we do! If she needs help with something, I'll still help her."

"Even if a baby is on the way?"

"Ye- wait what?"

"She's pregnant. Thought you should know."

"She's w-what?"

"Did I stutter?"

By now, I'm fuming. I want to cry and shout at the same time.

"But how?"

"Do you want a whole explanation on how babies are made? Funny, I thought I was the one who had to hear it from you."

"No, b-but me? I'm the father?"

He's my father and I should love him, but he's making it really hard. I want to pound his face on the ground. I never thought I could hate my father so much, that is until that slipped out of his mouth.

"Why the hell would you ask that!? My mom is still faithful to you, she never slept with a man other than you!"

"So… it's mine?"

"No, it's Batman's. Of course it's yours! But now my mom is laying on that bed injured, and I don't even know how the baby is!"

"Well, I came didn't I?"

"And that's going to make up for what?"

"I'm supporting her."

"If you were, you wouldn't have left."

"I told you already what happened."

"Which is why my mom fell into depression."

"She doesn't hate me."

"She wanted to kill the baby."

He opens his mouth to say something but shuts it after a moment. He runs his hand through his hair. I take the opportunity to say something.

"You know, I loved you dad. I respected you. You were my role model. But now you've sunken so low, it's disgusting. I thought you were the king and I was the princess, but that's all one huge freaking lie, isn't it? I don't even know who you are anymore."

I stomp out of the room out of anger, trying to stop the coming tears. Heather stays in the room for a second to stare at my dad before running after me. She doesn't say anything, just takes ahold of my hand and squeezes it. Thankful for it, I squeeze her hand back. We go back down the stairs and leave our visitor passes. I walk numbly to the area of the trees where we were transported, leaning a little on Heather for support. When we finally reach the shade, I collapse on the ground and finally release all my emotions. I sob in my hands while Heather hugs me from behind. She rubs my back like how my mother did to me when I was little. With a huff, I stand up, and kick the nearest tree. I kick it again before sliding down next to the tree and sighing. Tears roll out but no sobs are heard. I focus on a bird perched on a tree ahead of me, and observe its wings shining in the light. The sun is setting now, and the sky looks like an artist picked out colors and brushes to paint all over it. I pick at a grass shoot, pulling it out from the dirt and peeling it between my fingers.

"Not to alert you Andrea, but how do we get home?"

"Wait for Slenderman I guess."

"But is he gonna come?"

"He better," I say, repeating what Heather said before, "Honestly, I don't know."

"How about you ask him?"

"Sure I'll just shout in the air and hope he hears me."

"I can do that," Heather offers, and screams, "HEY SLENDY? DUDE, WHERE ARE YA? WE GOTTA GET HOME!"

"Heather, I don't thi-"

You don't have to shout.

As if Heather purposely summoned him, Slenderman appears. It looks like he increased his height a little, not to mention he has a few tentacles out. Why would he need that? I shake my curiosity off and give a small smile. It feels a little forced, but it's not so easy to make a genuine one right after all this happened. It looks like Slenderman noticed, because it's almost like I can feel the concern from him. Like if he were spreading his feelings out in vibes. Heather feels it too, because she's shifting her eyes between the two of us.

Are you ok?

By the lost look on Heather's face, I can tell that Slenderman only sent the message to me and not her. I nod slightly.

You can visit me in the woods if you need help. Just not in the night.

This time, I smile genuinely. Slenderman and his rules, he's acting like I would commit a crime if I break them. Not that I would break them, of course. He then uses his tentacles to teleport Heather and me out of there. We arrive in the woods, where the oaks are. Heather scuttles off somewhere, maybe sensing that she should leave Slenderman and me alone. Once she's gone, he turns to me.

Is your mother fine?

"She's unconscious, but that's not what I was so upset about."

Then what, if you don't mind me asking.

"You're being such a gentleman. Well, it's about my dad. You saw him in my memories."

The one who left you and your mother?

"I don't have any other dad, but yes, him."

I'm sure he was worried for your mother, Andrea.

"He's pathetic. One big coward."

I don't understand. I thought you loved your father. You told me yourself.

"That was before, now he completely changed."

Changed how?

"He kept on flinching and looking all nervous. How does he expect to support my mom if he could support himself? I mean emotional support. With all that money he got, he could have out family set for life. But no, he just didn't have that feeling anymore, one he couldn't even name anymore!"

Breathe, Andrea.

I calm my breathing after my little rant. Air in, air out.

"Sorry."

Don't apologize. You haven't done anything wrong.

"Thanks."

What do you mean 'that feeling'?

"He said that he and my mom didn't share a feeling anymore. He was talking about love. He couldn't even name it."

Do you know what could have happened to him to make him this way?

"Maybe the realization that he did a stupid decision."

What did he say to make you this mad?

"Everything. He just… I don't even know what. Different. I don't get it, he's like another person, not my dad."

I feel stressed out, upset, and so tired. I close my eyes, not wanting to think about all of this. I try to think about my friends. Slenderman, Heather, and maybe Mary… or Maria? I forgot already. I attempt to hold back a yawn, but I fail. I stretch my limbs when I yawn loudly. My eyes tear up a little as I do. I curl up next to the base of a tree, my body desperately wanting to take a rest. I think I can hear Heather's voice mumbling, talking to Slenderman I guess. The last thing I can remember before slipping into unconsciousness is the familiar feeling of being teleported.

I'm walking down a path overgrown with flowers. I can tell I'm in a forest, looking at all the trees surrounding me. The plants are a beautiful lush green, making the scenery picture perfect. I gaze at my environment as I take my little stroll. When I hear a giggle, I quickly turn my head to the noise. At first I don't see anyone, but then a movement catches my eyes. To my surprise, there was a little boy running through these woods all along. He has a blue shirt and overalls, but what I notice more is his blond hair. It's the same shade as my mother's. He glances at me and gives me a toothy smile, then runs away. I shake my head out of confusion.

As I continue down the path, there is a person in my line of sight. Looking closely, the figure turns out to be my mother in a long red silk dress, crouching down to smell a rose. Since when did roses grow in forests? She must have heard me because she gets up, and turns to look at me. The first thing I notice is her lack of a baby bump. Her ruby red lips curl up in a smile, and she waves. After she crouched again to smell more flowers, I smile softly to see her so happy.

I keep walking down the path. The bright forest gradually gets darker and I hear the chirping of the crickets. A light breeze makes me shiver a little, goose bumps raising on my skin. I see yet another person far off. Except this time, the person is running in my direction. I don't know whether to go to them or to run away, so I just freeze in place. That's when I finally see the mysterious form clearly. It's my father. He has a look of intense fear on his face, and seems to be running away from something. Before, I would probably try to help. But now he's on his own, I don't want to help a coward. He zooms past me. I look at him rush behind me, but curious to see what he's running from, I look ahead of me. The forest got dark quickly and the breeze got stronger. It intensified until suddenly— it stops. With no wind, it's still very cold. The crickets go still, not making a sound. I get chills down my spine. I know whatever he's running from is here. I look down at the ground, and to my shock, there's blood splattered all over it. My eyes widen when I hear a twig snap. I look up, and I see none other than… Slenderman.

I wake up right away, gasping for air. There are blankets tangled around my legs. My hands are gripping the mattress under me. How did I get here? Glancing around, I see it's my room. They must have dropped me off here after I dozed off by the tree close to the hospital. That dream though, what did it mean? That little boy… could he have been my future little sibling? Besides, I saw both of my parents. I'm going to have a little brother then, at least according to my dream. So first I saw my little brother, then my mother, then my father. And then Slenderman. Could it be possible that my father was running away from him? What about the blood on the ground? I shake my head. It was just a dream. It didn't even mean anything. The dream still repeats in my head, the odd events replaying in my mind.

I lift my stiff limbs and slide off my bed. My alarm clock says it's almost midnight. Wow, I was really tired. I stumble over to the light switch, wincing from the bright light when I turn it on. Reconsidering it for a second, I turn it back off. I shuffle my way over to the window, and look outside. I peer my eyes at what looks like to be a person, specifically a girl running. She has a dress on, and when I look at her head, I can see her hair is in a braid. I gasp. It's Heather! What is she doing? It looks like she's rushing over to my house. But that means… she was just at the woods. I think of asking her later, but I still have that feeling that something isn't right.

I plan to sneak out the house without her knowing. Risky, but I'm willing to try it. I quickly set up my bed to make it look like someone's in it if she only glances. After, I hurry downstairs and hide under the table in the dining room. Hopefully Heather wouldn't turn on the lights. I wait in anticipation, and hold my breath when I can hear her turning the doorknob. The door opens, letting in the cold air.

Feeling my goose bumps spread on my skin, I regret not bringing a jacket with me. I hear Heather attempt to step quietly, though a few creaks escape from the floor here and there. When she's already far up the stairs, I open the door. I cringe when a tiny squeak comes from the hinge, but seeing that Heather didn't come back downstairs, I open the door all the way and step outside. Closing the door just as quietly, I shiver in the low temperature of outside. No time to complain, I have to get to the woods.

I take a deep breath before scampering off to the general direction of the woods. I remember the time when I raced Heather, and with that bit of inspiration, I urge myself to run faster. By the time I reached my goal, my lungs feel like they've been dipped in acid because they burn so much. I lean against a tree for support, catching my breath. I get back up and run again, considerably slower. I don't even know what I'm looking for, but I have the strangest feeling something is wrong. My suspicions aren't confirmed, that is, until I hear a blood-curdling scream. The same one from my dream. Could that be… my father? Without hesitation, I dash towards the source of the deafening sound.

When I get there, I see my father on the ground. I can't tell much from the moonlight, but one thing I can see is that his face is ghostly pale. I would have smiled because he resembles Slenderman, if not for the serious situation I'm in. He's scooting away from something, but I can't see what. By now I've hidden behind a tree, not wanting to be noticed right away. Where is Slenderman anyway? Wouldn't he have noticed my father's screams? I dare to peek out behind the tree, and I see my father cowering before something. He begs to be let go and says that's he's too young too die. I take a risk of exposing myself when I lean even more out from behind the tree to see what's going on. What I see shouldn't shock me as much as it did, but I can't help but freeze in place from my hiding spot.

It's Slenderman.

Not the everyday Slenderman I see. He has his tentacles out, and they seem more menacing in the moonlight. His height is exaggerated, looming over my shaking father. His hands resemble claws and his figure is jagged and twisted in a scary way. Those are just his physical features. There's a ringing in my ears and my sight fuzzes. I suddenly remember when Heather and Slenderman were fighting, and this is what I felt. I subconsciously check my nose for blood, and sigh quietly when I don't feel any of it whatsoever. When I look at my dad now, it's another story. He looks like a frightened child. His nose is starting to bleed now, a thin stream of crimson liquid going down his face. No doubt that this is the work of Slenderman. I want to call out but I'm afraid what'll happen if I do.

Slenderman must be communicating with my father, because my father is shaking his head and saying no repeatedly. A rip resounds in the forest. I look around to see where it came from, but when I do, I resist the urge to scream. Slenderman has a huge rip on his face, making it look like he has a creepy smirk. It opens up to a row of teeth or just more rips, I can't tell much from my position. My father makes a gagging sound and he's arching his back. Almost like if something was being pulled from him and into Slenderman's mouth. Wait a minute… that's fear! Slenderman is feeding right now! I put my hands up to my face in horror at what my father's going through. Ok, I really hated him at the hospital, but I can't help but worry for him when he's like this. Sure, he needs to get what he deserves, but like this? I gag myself when I see trickles of blood pouring from my father's mouth.

I can't watch anymore. I back away slowly and silently, and when I'm far enough I run out of there. I shiver uncontrollably, the recent evens repeating like a broken record in my mind. I'm not running home, but to somewhere else instead. The cave that looks like a pile of rocks. When I get there, I crawl inside the hole, wincing when I scrape my right calf on a sharp edge. Finally inside, I don't see a candle anymore, but a glint catches my eye. It's a flashlight. I know the last time I was here; Heather and me took the flashlight with us. She was here not too long ago. I turn on the flashlight, and I shriek in surprise, letting noise out since nobody's around.

The symbols are not the charred black they were, but a bloody red now. They even look like they're glowing a little, but that may be the effects of the moonlight. What is even going on?! What scares me most of all is a message written in a bold black.

Don't look or it takes you.