Chapter Four: Markings.

Collin didn't know what I did to the gray squirrel. And I was perfectly fine with that, I can never let him know no matter what. And while we were walking I felt the sick need for more food, and it wasn't just squirrel I wanted, but the sane side of me had so many questions to keep me from diving into the twisted need.

'Why did I suddenly enjoy the taste of raw meat?'

'Why am I not getting sick from it, wouldn't a squirrels raw flesh carry diseases?'

'Will the Rake attack soon?'

'Where's Der Ritter?'

Each question left me asking more questions as the sun began to sink behind the horizon, casting long, dark shadows in the forest and in any clearing we came into. Our bodies were physically drained and Collin forgot to bring his potassium pills for his legs. I was afraid If we were to stop walking after this long his legs would cramp up, and he would scream; which would, in a turn off events, alert the Rake to our location. I didn't want us to stop, so I kept us going by trying to tell Collin some jokes I heard, all of them were incredibly cheesy, and some were bad puns. He smacked the back of my head for each bad pun, causing my hair bell to jingle softly.

Our fun stopped when we heard the anguished howl of the Rake once more, around the area where our camp was. The howl had another emotion mixed in with it, it chilled me to the bone that I knew what it was. Rage. Just pure, unbridled rage. It's other meal was missing from where it last saw us, and it was furious. Collin let out a small whine of fear and I reassuringly held his hand as I got out the flashlight, clicking its powerful LED lights on, and shined it upon our darkening path as the sunk sank lower past the horizon, leaving a trail of colors across the sky in its wake.

"How long until we're out of here Nicole?" He softly spoke, hearing the sounds of the forest die out around him as the stars and moon slowly began to appear.

"I... I truthfully don't know. I just want to get us out of he-"

Another howl tore across the forests, this time it was closer to us and it caused me to lose my footing as we made out way down a small declining hill, I slipped down the hill, my foot got caught on a raised root, causing my to cry out in pain as it twisteda harshly.

"Nicole!" Collin cried out at he carefully made his way down the hill trying not to slip like I did. I clutched much ankle trying to figure out how bad it was, gasping when a throwing pain blossomed throughout my ankle. I let out a soft whimper and looked up at Collin.

"We need to get put of here Collin! B-before it finds us, its close by didn't you hear it's howl?"

Collin frantically nodded and wrapped an arm around me, trying to keep me off my injured ankle. But we were severely slowed down by it, each rough movement from both of us caused the bells in my hair ribbon to jingle loudly, we headed for a nearby clearing. Both of us trembling as the inhuman howl shook the tree's, Collin's eyes were wide with terror as we entered the clearing, it was incredibly dark now, and without the flashlight, i probably wouldn't have been able to see my own hand in front my face. That's when we heard the cracking of branches, and the heavy, labored breathing. We both froze and Collin turned us around.

There it stood, it's chest slightly puffed out after seeing its prey couldn't run away. It's mouth was open, showing its inhuman teeth, coated in a bloody mixture of saliva and flesh. Maybe human, maybe animal, I really did not want to find out. I looked at Collin and moved away from him.

"Go... Go find mom and dad." my voice cracked and he looked at me wide eyed, shaking his head. "You have to, I can distract it, while you run away, okay?"

"No... I won't lose you too!" he clutched my arm and the Rake slowly moved closer to us, I looked at the Rake, fear written across my expression before I heard the jingle of a bell, it wasn't the bells from my hair ribbon, and my other hair ribbon was given to...

"Der Ritter!" i cried out happily as he stood at the end of the clearing behind the Rake. Collin stared fearfully at the Slenderman, a small nosebleed beginning to form and he shook his head.

"Nicole... My head hurts!" i looked to him, worry in my violet eyes. Apparently the Rake smelled the blood and let loose an inhuman screech before running at us. My eyes were wide in Fear and i looked at Slenderman with one word amidst the raging emotions in my eyes. Help.

And that's when he sprang into action, running across the field, strange black anake-like things sprouted from his back and one wrapped around the Rake, picking it up, before slamming it hard into the ground, creating a small crater. This caused the rake to hiss out angrily and try to escape Slenderman's black appendages it clawed at him, trying to rip It's sharp fingers into him. I was worried so much for my new friend I didn't even notice Collin was currently on the ground, coughing hard enough to paint the ground with small patches of ruby blood. The Rake was screaming in pain as Der Ritter picked it up by the throat before roughly throwing it across the clearing. It didn't get up right away and I rejoiced turning to share my joy with Collin, but that's when I noticed his condition, he couldn't stop coughing, and each cough brought a spurt of his lifeblood. That psychotic feeling inside me rose again, like it did with the squirrel, but i held it back this time and knelt next to him; calling his name many times.

"Rake, you will not touch this girl." I heard Slenderman hiss to him, his voice still so relaxingly smooth to me as I tried to figure out what was wrong with Collin.

The Rake had looked up at my tall friend and make a series of different hisses and growls, that's when I realized, it was speaking to him. It was yelling at him. I couldn't understand it, but the Rake seemed upset; yet Slenderman seemed more upset. Standing up, the Rake let out a growl as Slenderman's tendrils waved around.

"You will not touch her." he repeated himself, and i wondered why he said this, I'm not that. How special am I? The Rake ignored him and tried to run around him to get to me, kicking up dirt as it ran across the field. And then, it seemed that time slowed down. As I held the coughing and trembling Collin I suddenly saw Slenderman vanish, before reappearing in front of Collin and I, using a pale white fist to smash the Rake into the ground.

"You shall not have her, she is mine." despite the current situation, I couldn't help but get a little flustered. Collin's coughing got worse the instant Slenderman got closer. The Rake got up slowly after that and let out a series of screeches and growls before ferociously screeching its inhuman howl at everyone before running off. I tried to console Collin, tried to keep him calm and stop his coughs and spasms, but it seemed to be impossible.

"I am sorry, his condition is my fault." I looked up at him as he knelt to sit on the balls of his feet.

"What do you mean, Der Ritter?" I tilted my head curiously, mesmerized by his tendrils as they waved behind him like long cat tails.

"The electromagnetic waves around me affect humans in negative ways, often bringing on a sickness, it seems your waves match mine, or you're immune to illnesses. Unlike this boy here, who was effected almost immediately."

"His name is Collin, he's my twin..." I frowned at hearing my new friend could cause people to get sick, and yet I couldn't help but drink in the fact I was immune to his sickness.

"Ah... That explains much. Your immune system strengthened by ten-fold, while his weakened. Come, i should get you home and make sure no other... Beings, like myself, can harm you."

"How are you going to do that...?"

"By placing my mark on you, people that are... Obsessed with me call it the mark of the Operator."

I nodded and looked to Collin, "Will... Will my brother be okay? I already lost Derrick..." he picked me up, and reassured me that everything would be just fine before he then moved to pick up Collin's twitching body. We walked in silence, besides the occasional cough from Collin. I was completely relaxed in his arms, enjoying the silky feeling of his black suit against my skin, it was so warm, i felt... Safe and protected. But time passed to quickly and we were at the edge of the woods behind our house. Slenderman set us both down, and looked to me.

"Turn around, and lift your shirt above your shoulders." I nodded, feeling a little shy before doing what he asked. "I'm sorry, this will hurt." I was about to ask what would hurt when I felt it, digging into my shoulder blade, it was one of his tendrils, and it was hot, and cut effortlessly into my skin. As I felt him first carve a circle, before making an X, as if he were crossing out the circle he just made. "Don't watch." I nodded silently, having bitten my lips to keep a cry of pain from escaping my mouth. The next thing I felt sent shivers down my spine, a soft, warm, and wet thing moves across the marking causing my cheeks to instinctively flush a deep shade of red when I realized, it was his tongue. And itchy feeling at the spot grow as he stepped away. I went to touch the spot when his hand grabbed mine.

"Don't it is healing." I nodded and pulled my shirt back down, hiding the healing wound. "I may have no eyes, Nicole... But I'll always be watching." I nodded a bit and suddenly hugged him.

"Thank you, Der Ritter..." he simply nodded in reply, but i could tell he was somehow smiling.

Going over to Collin, who's condition was currently stabilizing, i helped him stand as we both headed towards the house. Him barely walking, and I managing to make it over with one foot, the other was still in so much pain.