A/N- You reviewers are making me want to change what I was going to do with the plot. RAWR! Maybe I'll just stick with what I had originally planned out. Xp
Ellaina knew that something was most certainly wrong. She could tell that Slendy did not want her to say anything about it though. He had returned to their box, not saying very much. He had simply sat down next to her, removed the disguise, and waited for the show to begin once again. He usually would say at least something to her when he was around her. She could sense that he was in pain, despite him doing his best to try and hide it. She could only hope that what he had said was true, that he was merely stiff from sitting idle for so long. He was, after all, more accustomed to moving around. She wanted to find some sort of logic behind his behavior.
Her thoughts preoccupied her from the show. She did not truly care what was happening with it any longer, though. Ellaina knew the plot well enough so she only half paid attention to it, really only listening to the music. Likely, she had nothing to worry about. Slendy did not get sick and she doubted that whatever was wrong with him could cause his death. The thought of him ever meeting Death was preposterous, right? If he were to ever die…no, she would not allow herself to think that way. der Ritter, der Groβman, did not die. He caused death, not fell to Death.
As her thoughts had kept her so busy, she had not noticed that the play had come to the final lair scene. The cry of agony from the Phantom did capture her attention, though. He had allowed Christine to leave with Raoul. Slendy crossed his arms over his chest, she noticed. It did not appear that he was happy with the play as it came to a close-Meg finding the masque and the music and light fading out with her. Slendy turned to look at her as the lights came back on and the crowds below them began to clap. Why would he let her go?
"He cared more about her happiness than his own feelings for her. He knew that she would not be happy with him, so he let her leave with the one who could make her happy," Ellaina explained, looking down on the stage as the actors took their bows.
Would you be happier with someone else, someone human? Slendy asked, voice quiet as he looked her over. She was too good for him. What right did he have to ask for her hand in marriage? And now with this chemical slowly killing him, he knew that he should just break things off and leave. It would cause her pain for him to leave, but it would be better than the pain she might feel upon seeing him die. Her "dying" in his arms had nearly destroyed him. No one should need to feel that pain.
Ellaina looked at him, an unbelieving look on her face. He could not still think that she didn't want him. She made it so obvious that she cared for him, loved him. "You really are stupid, Slenderman, if you think that way. I wouldn't have agreed to be yours if I wanted someone else." She stood up and turned to leave the box, not happy with him. Why did he doubt her so much? She was not going to betray his trust like his parents had. She would never hurt him, not intentionally anyway. She felt his light touch at her arm, but she pulled away. "No, Slenderman," she growled, glaring at him. "Why don't you trust what I feel for you? Why don't you trust me?"
I do trust you, my Ellaina. I doubt myself, not you. Years of being…like this, he gestured to the blankness of his face, have made believing others where their feelings for me are concerned difficult. Please, don't be upset with me. I meant to bring you here for fun, not this-this angst, but I suppose I am good at causing that. Slendy turned away from her, putting the disguise into place once again. He did not mind wearing this disguise, for it allowed him to be amongst the people without hearing their screams of terror. Those screams had never ceased. Anyone who saw him screamed and ran. They only saw him as a monster. The disguise let him feel normal.
She sighed, shaking her head. "It's getting late. Maybe we should just go back to the hotel." Ellaina would not look at him, but she did allow him to take her hand and lead them to the exit of the Opera House. They were one of the last couples leaving. She was not going to let him get off so easily this time. She was upset with him, even though she knew she should just drop it.
There was a man posted at the exit for security. There had been a man running around Paris killing people. The killer always dressed formally and kept his face hidden. Now, the killer's disguise was nothing special for any man could dress like him and not be the killer. So, as a precaution, any man who matched the killer's description was asked to show his face. The Police Nationale knew what the killer's face looked like, for they had nearly caught the man on one occasion. This security man noticed this last couple coming to them and asked them to stop.
"Is there a problem, sir?" Ellaina asked, surprised that this guard knew English. Was it that obvious that they were not from France? They must scream tourist or something.
The man smiled slightly. "No, Madame. We have a killer on the loose who matches the description of your partner." The man turned to face Slendy, who was none too happy with how things were turning out. The man continued, "If you could just show me your face, sir? It is just standard procedure, you understand."
"He isn't your killer," Ellaina stated, knowing that this could go badly very quickly. She took a hold of Slenderman's hand and tried to lead them around the man. Her grip on his hand was removed when the man pushed his way between the two. Hearing the man gasp in fright, Ellaina had a pretty good idea as to what had happened. She turned to find the black scarf falling from the man's hand, a look of utter terror on his face.
"What-what are you?" the man questioned, backing away as this-this thing came toward him, looking to be irritated. He had no way to escape with the woman standing in the doorway. He turned, trying to push her out of the way in order to run. He had to alert someone that there was something far worse than a killer in Paris. There was no telling what this monster could do to people. He did not get the chance to run, though, as he felt something wrap around his legs. He fell to the floor and was pulled back toward the monster. He found himself being held high in the air, upside down. The creature had somehow become taller. He was looking into the blank face of the monster. The man would have screamed had not another one of the things around his legs wrapped tightly around his face.
Do not scream; it will not help you, a voice entered the man's mind. His eyes became wide upon realizing that this voice came from the monster. He began to thrash about, trying to get free from the vice like grip. You will not escape. Why bother struggling, Human? The man stopped cold. This thing was going to kill him, wasn't it? He closed his eyes, resigning himself to the fates as he felt himself being carried away. His last thoughts would be of his wife and son.
Ellaina stood at the doorway, waiting for Slender to return. She did not like the fact that the man was going to be killed, but nothing could be done. He would have alerted half of Paris of the Slenderman's presence here. She had to wonder if this would be what her life would be like when she would begin living with Slendy. Would he always need to kill in order to keep himself safe? Then, she realized that he had likely been doing so his entire life.
Slendy slowly made his way back to where he had left Ellaina. The security guard was dead, but causing his death had not been something he enjoyed. The pain that had become a constant had becoming all the worse as he killed the man. Just holding the man up had been agony. He looked down on his hands, seeing that the black chemical had become more visible in his blood. Every little vein was black and visible against his white skin. He was forced to acknowledge the fact that this chemical would quickly overtake the rest of his blood and take his life by extension.
It was not fair. He had finally found a place in the world, had finally found love and happiness, and now he was going to leave this world. His blasted mother would even ruin his life from her lowly grave. She had destroyed his life all of those years ago, and now she would be ending it because of her damnable chemical. He growled in irritated frustration, turning to take his anger out on a wall. He was met with a mirror, something he would normally never pay any attention to. But, he paused at the sight that met him and fear came to him. The veins and the arteries, the only human part of him, were visible against his blank face. They were black, the same black as his hands, the same black as the chemical. He looked away with a half sigh, half sob, placing his face into his hands. Why did this have to happen now of all times? Why couldn't it have happened before he met Ellaina and found love with her? Fate could not be so cruel as to force him to leave this world after only just finding Ellaina. He did not want to die. He wanted to live, for he had someone that needed him, someone that he had needed for so long. For once in his life he wanted to go where life would lead him and he knew he would be strong. There was no way to beat the chemical, though. His dreams of leading a normal life with Ellaina were ruined and broken beyond repair. His mother had wanted him dead, and it appeared that she would finally get what she wanted.