::Summary::

Ecterina is a simple girl with a rare illness... She prepares for the worst until a faceless man gives her an offer- but does the catch leave her better off than her previous fate?

(Rated T for Language)

-Pre-story info-

Ecterina: means "innocent" Greek.

Dendritic cells (DCs): are immune cells that form part of the mammalian immune system. Their main function is to process antigen material and present it on the surface to other cells of the immune system, thus functioning as antigen-presenting cells. Named after the long slender appendages that sprout off the cell. They can be used as treatment towards Cancer and other diseases.

:—-{Chapter 8}—-:

We trudged through the brush at an even pace, barely exchanging words. The silence left me to come to terms with what I had just done…

I had… Killed someone- stolen an infant- let that infant be absorbed into this being of the forest. Hot tears began slipping down my cheeks. I couldn't believe that I had committed such ungodly crimes against my own kind. What the hell kind of monster had He turned me into?

I stared down to my hands, pale and shaking, my eyesight focusing on the small red spot of blood in high contrast to my flesh. The shaking moved from my hands to my spine and eventually my legs.

I killed someone's baby.

He turned me into exactly what he was.

A child murderer.

My knees gave out as a sob broke free of my lips, falling down to sit on the forest floor. I wept and shook, lips quivering, muscles taught and a hollow pit in my stomach.

I heard Predivian approach and my face tilted up to her. Her face was cold and very opposite to what I had seen from her personality so far. Another hiccup of a sob crumbled from my throat and i gave her pleading eyes.

She let out a small controlled breath of annoyance.

"I don't feel sorry for you. Don't expect sympathy from me." Her voice was as hard as stone, the words grinding out from her lips.

Her hands found her hips and she turned away from me, starting her strides again. She moved with such grace she seemed to float across the ground, inches from the surface.

"Get up, Ecterina. You need to be home." Her voice called from her shoulder.

With a sniffle I rose to my feet, palms wiping my cheeks clear of tears.

"He made you remember everything didn't he?" She asked after a moment of hesitation.

I only nodded, not bothering to utter a syllable.

"He only does that when we misbehave or do not complete a task to his liking. You brought this upon yourself." She scoffed and picked up her pace.

A lump placed itself firmly in my throat and I attempted to clear it away with a gulp then remained silent.

"So what was it?"

I lifted my gaze to the back of her head, fiery blood orange hair shifting with every step. "W-what?" I croaked out.

"Did you misbehave or preform your task sub-standard?" Her voice a level hum of curiosity.

"Uh- both… I think…" I admitted with a mumble.

She clicked her tongue in disappointment "Not good, you're gonna remember your hunts for a while…"

I wrung my hands in my sweatshirt, balling the fabric in my fists. "What ever happened to 'Us Proxies have to stick together'?" I growled lowly.

She was quick to face me with a glare "When you prove yourself as an adequate Proxy, then I will stick with you. Until then, do not disgust me with your lack of respect for The Tall One." her voice was an angry snap and her finger jabbed me in the center of my mark across my upper sternum.

I stared at her incredulously, was she crazy?

"Respect Him?! He's a child murderer, Predivian! Why in sans hell would I respect him?" I cried out in protest.

"Because you are god damned lucky that he gave you what you have! That is why! You where a dried up husk of a human riddled with a disease that I remember brought you to the point of suicide!" She pressed into my personal space, her height giving her an intimidating presence. "He cured you then literally brought you back from the dead and this is how you repay him? Respect and utter want to aid him should be your furthermost thought!"

I stared at the other proxy with a bewildered expression, "How could you blindly follow someone like that?" I blinked at her once, "Predivian, that thing is a monster."

"A… monster?" Her voice was dangerously quiet, before her demeanor changed drastically.

Her chest welled with rage, pupils dilating to a fine point. "It is not he who is the monster! It is us, Ecterina! Do not let that escape that hollow fucking head of yours!" She had me by the collar of my sweatshirt, shouting in my face.

"We are the tools and the will to something of a much higher power. We are the monsters, not him. Monsters are not given the type of power that he possesses!" She then let out a sarcastic laugh "What right do you think you have? Talking in such an ill manner of the one you willing bore the mark of? The being you sought for help when you lost all hope?"

She shook her head and threw me back, stumbling over my feet but catching myself before actually loosing my footing. This woman was insane! Her moral code was entirely broken!

"Predivian- I am no monster! I would never want to commit any of the crimes I have today!"

She laughed at me again, "Oh really? You never once thought of killing anyone? taking their soul away from their hell we call a body?"

I took a step back, flabbergasted "What? No! Never!"

"Oh, but you have." She scoffed before continuing "I can see why he put you through the treatment he has. You are truly a selfish creature. So selfish you only ever thought of committing one murder. You thought and even wished for your own death. You where going to be the one to bring yourself to an unnatural death because you think your life is too terrible."

"I had heart cancer!" I screamed in defense. "Do you have any idea what kind of life I would have? How short it was already destined to be?"

She rolled her eyes "Yes, poor Ecterina! Her suffering would last only a few weeks! For shame she put through such a short period of anguish!" She feigned sympathy, dramatically resting her hand against her forehead.

Before I could continue she waved at me dismissively, turning and walking away form me.

"You hopeless selfish child."

"I'm not a child! We're the same age!"

"I can assure you, we are not the same age."

For this, I lacked a reply and begrudgingly followed after her, fuming.

It wasn't much longer that we had left the cover of the forest and walked along the sidewalk, eventually arriving at my home.

I moved in front of her to open the door, immidiantly rushed with a livid Caffara. "Rina! Where the hell have you been?!"

I jumped back from her loud voice, the other Proxy's persona changing into an innocent friend.

"Sorry you must be her sister, I'm her friend Predivian! I invited her to come over after school for help on an assignment! I hadn't meant to keep her out for so late!" The red head eagerly shook my sister's hand, who just stared at the proxy with disbelief.

"Rina's… Friend?" She uttered before fixing her lips into a wide smile "Well, uh- sorry for yelling, the name is Caffara."

She pinned a harsh stare at me, "I wish I could stay longer, but I have a night class to attend to. It was great to meet you!"

My sister then cleared her throat and gave the red-head an apologetic smile before pushing past me.

"When I get home, we are having a talk." she uttered to me in irritation. I was quick to retort with a sneer and a roll of my eyes. The door shut behind her, leaving Predivian and I alone in the house.

"Next time don't expect me to cover for you." She was back to that utter hatred personality from before.

"I didn't ask you for help." I growled in reply.

"Lucky for you, He asked me to."

"Right and because you follow him blindly, you did as you where told."

"As you should as well. Seeing as all you do I is think about yourself, I advise doing the same. It will make your 'suffering' ease." She made a few strides toward the back door.

"I will not follow that thing." I growled out.

She stopped in her tracks, back still to me.

"The acts He orders us to that is but work of nothing short of a demon."

This eased out a slowly building laugh in her from. She turned to me finally, the look in her eyes saw me a naive child.

"Demons are nothing but fallen angels…" she breathed and her expression turned dark.

"Do not think so fully of yourself Ecterina, your feet already touch the ground. You have already plumeted-" Her eyes flashed a dangerous look, only to be accented in the glowing of her mark on the back of her neck.

"-and He has yet to even tip off the edge."

Then she disappeared.

Hey everyone!

I am soooo sorry for the long ass wait on this update! I know it's not the most exciting thing in the world but I have been trying to iron out the kinks in this plot and story so I can continue it with little issue. The next chapter will come within maybe a week and it's going to be very different from this one.

QUESTION TIME!

- So what do you think of Predivian seeing Slender as a "Guardian Angel"? What do personality trait do you think that gives her? Maybe an type of psychological illness? Also: what do you think Predivan suffered from before becoming a proxy?

LET ME KNOW! I LOVE TO HEAR YOUR IDEAS!

~FurrReal