I sit on my red blankets feeling the stinging pain that now layed on my right cheek. My lamp by my bed was the only light in the room.
That's what I get for giving sass, which was the first thing I did once I got to the front door. Though I've been slapped once before, the difference in it being a family member seems stupider for some reason. Yeah I was in shock, I couldn't even speak and was barely even listening to what my mom was ordering me to do next. What was it? Ask- no, tell Slenderman to leave, she said. That's obviously not going to happen. Laying my hand down, Slenderman already stood infront of me. When I glance up he immediately takes hold of my chin and to his advantage, turns my face to get a better view of my right cheek.
"Unbelievably." He lets go.
"It's your fault..." I squint my eyes downward but then look back up. "Why did you let them see you?" I order.
"...I wasn't expecting this to happen," He starts, "but, she didn't believe you. I wanted her to believe in me." All for that? But he should have known the consequences.
"But was it necessary...?"
"I think it was. As long as they don't see me now, it's fine isn't?"
"It's not that simple." I can only disagree.
"Is it?" I don't say anything. Slenderman makes everything seem simple, but it's not... "You're troubled then?"
"Of course I am!" He cups my mouth with his hand while also placing his finger over his 'mouth' in a hushing manner.
"They mustn't hear you either." Of course... I fidget a bit. He moves his hand away. "Sadly to say," He starts again. "I'm sensing frustration in both your parents for two very different reasons."
"So they're... going to fight?"
"I believe so." I stare a little before sighing. He kneels down infront of me. "Are you going to listen to this one too?"
"I don't listen." I retort.
"You do. You listen every time. Why?" I think hard about his question rather than his concern. But I don't really know.
"Because..."
"Because?" I feel my eyes start to strain. I don't like this topic.
"Because-... they're my parents." I say chipperly. "I'm supposed to be learning something from them. ...But since they don't teach me anything, I guess... that's what I'm supposed to learn from? I'm supposed to learn to be this, terrible person." My eyes start to strain more. "A person who lies, and never agrees and fights with the person they-... they're supposed to be in love with?" My heart starts beating a little while tears start to form in the corners of my eye. I don't want- "I don't want to talk about this." I turn, bringing my legs up onto my bed as I start to untie my shoelaces. I don't want to be anything like my parents.
"Blaye." His voice gets to me and I blink allowing a few tears to fall. Immediately, I wipe them away. He then surprisingly starts to assist me. Holding my leg, he slips off my shoes one at a time, in which then getting up and setting them down gently on the floor at the end my bed. I only watch him deeply. He's too kind; It's too kind. Coming back over, he kneels again in the same spot and holds my forearm firmly. "Listen to something else, like you always do." I look at him when he advises this. Like I always-? "Your music." My heart lightens a bit.
"Oh yeah..." I start to get off my bed when he moves out of the way for me. Opening up my top drawer, I start to hear it; I start to hear them. Putting in my earphones I plug them into my mp3. Turning to see where Slenderman stood, his structure was nowhere to be found. Panic shakes me all the way to my stomach. Where? I twirl around. Where is he? "No-" Tears start to soak my eyes again. "Don't go." With the palm and back of my free hand I wipe my damp eyes. "Come back." I stumble forward letting my legs lean on my bed for supporting my now cowering body. Dammit, that's not far. You're not supposed to leave... You're not supposed to leave me like that. Suddenly I sense his being again only for him to wrap his arms around me from behind.
"Please don't cry, Blaye." His comforting words hit my like a ton of bricks and I only tear up more. "You're not crying because of me, are you?" I gulp.
"You just suddenly left, what do you expect?" I try not to let my crying affect my voice.
"I'm sorry, I only went to check up on your parents."
"That's all?" I try to tease while wiping my eyes more. Nudging me to turn around, I do so, only for him to hug me again.
"I'm sorry, Blaye. So I beg of you, please stop crying." It's rare to find him this worried about me. I've never cried this much in front of him before, I've only teared up. And all this makes me think is: if anyone's causing trouble, isn't it me?
"I'm sorr-"
"Don't-" He cuts me off. "Don't- don't apologize." Shutting my eyes tightly I bring myself to hug him as much as he was me. With my arms around his thin waist, I stop thinking entirely and my tears start to dry up. Eventually my mp3 slips out of my hand which I wasn't holding onto very well and my earphones along with it plop onto my carpet. I let go of him as unrudely yet, shyly as I can to kneel down and retrieve them but, before I can, he grips my upper arm harshly, stopping me. A little fazed, I look up only for his face to already be leaning in, down to mine. Quickly, I shrivel up against him.
"Why?" I let out, "Why do you always do that?" I think if there was anything unanswered, it would be this. Since 'Am I a replacement' doesn't answer it, what will? "I'm not Elizabeth, so don't treat me like I'm her."
"You're not." He speaks in genuine offense.
While pushing him back, "So what am I?" I glare up for an answer.
"You're Blaye."
"Then why do you do that?" I demand.
With his arms out to hold me again he inches closer, "Because I-" yet, stops. Stops and only stares. "Forgive me, I assumed it be obvious..." Closing his hands away from me he lowers them back at his sides. Obvious...? Incapable of looking away my vision starts to shake and blur. There's no way- Slenderman doesn't feel that way about me... What way would he be? Why-? "You don't seem to comprehend that I got to watch you for a whole year, do you?"
"I do-" My voice came out nervous, blinking.
"Then you realize I had all that time to learn about you. To watch you suffer while they fought, to watch you cry or either listen," My distressed eyes, unfold into a stare, "-searching for an answer to it all. I watched you live with them the way you did." What point is he trying to make? "And the days they wouldn't fight, those were the days I saw who you really were. A passionate human being with the face of Elizabeth. But not just that, an artist; someone who played music as loud as they could when no one was home. Someone who would talk to themselves because they believed no one was listening, and even if someone was, why mind?" I watched him carefully as he spoke. "Someone who'd consider painting their entire room in one day, just because they could. I saw someone who loves living yet, who only knew of hatred..."
He pauses. "True, it was the way you look that kept you alive but, it's who you are that gives me no right to kiss you." A light blush grew across on my face. Is this really what he was trying to get to? "It's something I've been trying to re-create with you. Something I have no right to do. Elizabeth, is the one who kissed me like that." What are you talking about suddenly? "She kissed me as though I did have a mouth but, that was her and not you. I apologize if I've been causing you discomfort. I'll stop."
He ends it simply. What happened? He was talking about me and then all of a sudden, he's apologizing. I want to protest.
"Slenderman, I-" I bring my hands together in a nervous fashion. "I'm- um..." Kneeling down he grabs my mp3 that still layed on the ground. And as he hands it to me along with my earphones it makes me recall the first time we met. Just as his hand brushes mine I remember the time I handed him his jacket. The memory keeps going and I only hold my mp3 tightly staring hard at it.
"I love you." Like all my senses spring at the same time in a silent gasp, my eyes shoot wide open. Did the thought of him saying this really sound so real in my head, or... did I actually hear it? I jot my head up yet, making it seem like I didn't think he said anything.
"Did- you just say something?"
"I never answered your question. I ended up only giving an excuse, that's what I wanted to say." My whole body feels sore but, is sore really the word to describe it? Perhaps it's more like I ache with something. Embarrassment? Fear? Excitement? I almost feel sick yet, a light feeling danced around my head, heart and shoulders. Slenderman loves me? The words dazzled in my eyes and mind as my face started to burn a bright red. Love. That's what he was getting at before, talking about me... Yet he stopped instead and then gave an excuse. I guess I knew, but being so surprise, perhaps I really didn't.