Creepalicious Ch1 (Ours and Their Town)

by Harvestcomet

What happens when the daughter of a renowned hunter has moved to a new home which oozes a spooky aura? Living in the orphanage actually gave her a decently normal life. Little does she know her past is back to haunt her, but is she ready to fight back? Especially against those she believed to be fictional?

Chapter 1- Ours and Their Town

My eyes drifted past the endless fields of vacancy and desolation. The air was dry and chilling, but my driver, who droned on and on about my new house, left the windows down anyway. I tried to tune her out while staring at the endless forests and plains. The woman next to me, called Mrs. Hondelfuff, pushed her glasses up. "Your mother just notified me this morning that the house is finally done and that they even have a room made for you!" She chirped. "They are very excited to finally have you join them. They already enrolled you at the high school as well. She told me two of your friends are waiting for you when you go to your first day! You must be happy to see them again. Your mother is such a gem isn't she? That must be where you get your politeness from." "She's actually my aunt, Mrs. Hondelfuff." I corrected patiently. I've had to correct her three times the whole car trip. My real mother was dead a long time ago, but it seemed my placement specialist had a hard time remembering. Oh well. I sighed and went back to see the skinny trees whizz by our windows with only the road visible. Mrs. Hondelfuff went on, "Well, I told her you didn't have too much to wear so she decided to take you shopping! Ooh how exciting! From what I've heard, this is somewhat of a small town so there aren't as many stores as there are in New York obviously, but I'm sure you will find a great place to get some hip clothing for yourself, eh?" She nudged me a little as she said this. I smiled slightly, but my thoughts were somewhere else.

When I was brought to the orphanage, I only had one relative alive and known. My aunt. I only vaguely knew her as being a bit…well I can't exactly define it, but it was something I never truly loved. Still, she was better than nothing. Which was close what I had at that moment. Nothing. However, when Mrs. Hondelfuff was finally able to reach her, it turned out she was living in Scotland with her husband. She told Mrs. Hondelfuff she didn't have the money to send me up there at the time. Neither did the orphanage. So it was there I lived. With children of all ages that cried in the night and filled with desperate hope in the day. Over time, small percentages were taken in by good-hearted couples and families with spare rooms. I used to watch all of them wave happily goodbye from the musty home. Free to live a new life and be filled with sweets and love. The first two years I envied them and wouldn't even talk to anyone for too long. Over time, my heart weakened from the anger that held it so tightly, and I opened up to my fellow housemates. I began to work a low-budget job in a book store and make sure to give the staff money for better food, if not presents for the children. Their smiles were rare, so it made me happy to see them jumping in joy and sugar over-dosing. And yet, every night I would go to my part of the longed window that showed the darkness spreading to the ground. I stared out as if to find the one who left me. The one who made me promise to stay in the tear-inducing place until it was time. Promise to be strong. I never understood since I was so young. So throughout the age of 11-17 I would look to the sky and whisper, "Why?"

I'd never get my answer though.

Years later, my aunt called the orphanage and told me she had moved back to America. She had found a house that was perfect for her and her husband and it had plenty of room for another person. Mrs. Hondelfuff realized their place was only four hours away and gladly volunteered to take me. I spent around a week packing my limited things and taking one last look at the place. Sure it was a bit depressing, but it was still an interesting place. Plus, it was my second true home. The other children watched with watery eyes and sorrowful goodbyes. I returned their farewells with calm replies of, "It'll be alright." I stepped out the front door. Mrs. Hondelfuff honked the car excitedly. "Are you ready to go to your new home?" I smiled, but the place I was going wasn't where I really wanted to be.

We had started out at 9 am to get an early start. But I had gotten little sleep that night and the radio was basically background car talk. I yawned quietly. I wasn't too sure how I'd feel about the house or, more my life actually. "It's just a shame the weather is so gloomy here." Mrs. Hondelfuff said. "So many clouds and gray..." "I like it." I replied, honestly. She scrunched her small nose. "Really? Why would anyone like this damp weather?" I smiled, turning forward again. "Because that's when most things come out." She didn't reply so I added, "It makes it cooler to walk outside." "Cool is right! I'm starting to shiver." She shuddered, turning on the heat. Why she just didn't roll up the windows was beyond me. Gas stations, farms, woods, they all were thrown to the sides as we sped along to the destination. She went back to admiring my "mother" out loud and even complimenting her husband's artistic perception. I let her keep talking, but I was starting to get more anxious.

Pretty soon we noticed a faded exit sign and took a violent turn towards it. The path began curve and twist more. It was weird to see and difficult for my driver. The trees began to bend in odd ways that arched them towards the car the farther we went. I was beginning to think that the last few would grab us. Suddenly, the last two trees bowed deeply as the town below appeared with light mist drifting around it. I raised one eyebrow. This place had to be one of the most ominous towns I ever knew. In my bones, I could just feel the crawling of a journey on my back. Another green board greeted us with the text saying, "Periculum County". I noticed the white paint was oozing slowly off the words. That's a good sign, (um, no pun intended). The name finally kicked some gears from my past. That's right; I used to go here before I lived in the orphanage. We used to have to visit this place more than once due to the…well it doesn't matter now. The car almost felt like a roller-coaster ride as Mrs. Hondelfuff swooped down the long hill to descend in the mouth of the town. I peered out to see what was around. She was right; it was small, but not that small. When I was little, I was certain it was bigger than this. People watched the car drive with curiosity, children played jump rope and ran around screaming, and even a few small animals poked their heads out from their homes to get food or just stare at the humans. The clouds broke apart a little, but it still felt like this place was in gray and white. I had to chuckle. I finally was free from one depressing place to just end up in another. Joy.

We drove through the central park full of widow trees and close-to-death bushes. Next there were the general stores and food places with parking lots too immense for the population of this town. Just past an Olive Garden was one of the small neighborhoods. Some houses seemed to be slightly old while others were just roughed up. I crossed my fingers and prayed to have one that wouldn't crush me in my sleep. However, knowing (kinda) my aunt, that wasn't gonna happen. Every house was bordered from the others by gnarled trees and aged fences which was interesting. Each one was slightly walled from one another. Why was it like that? A drift of icy air grabbed my right arm, making me slightly jump. I rubbed my arm for warmth as Mrs. Hondelfuff checked her piece of paper for directions. "We should be there any min-"She slammed the brakes so fast I could've been flung out the car in a second. Thank you, seatbelts. "What the heck was that?" I said, more confused and startled. "This is it!" She replied, cheerfully and pointed to my side of the car. I turned my head to see what she meant.

Like all the other houses, withered trees branched out to the sides of the yards with a mahogany based fence stripped in the front. The house had a light red base that seemed somewhat tainted. The outline and roof instead had a blinding white to it. It appeared out of place compared with the ambience of the outside. The door to the front opened slowly. A familiar face poked out, cautious at first, then had a look of surprise. "Fredrick, get down here! Anyalice's is home!" The woman had a neon pink turtleneck with gold necklace bangs swooping around her neck. Her hair was a shortened copper that stiffened at the shoulders and curved inside. Her skin was a nice light apricot that was just enough from making it look pale (only thing we had in common). She walked with the same clip-clopping sound you hear from horses and large high heels. Soon she rushed as fast as she could towards me. I had just grabbed my leather suitcase before her tall arms circled over me. I could hardly breathe from her squeeze and overpowering jasmine perfume. "Cough…hello Aunt Rina." I gasped. "Oh hello sweetie." She cooed, still not letting go. I could feel myself close to blacking out when her husband crept right behind us. Rina felt his presence and turned to see who it was. "Oh!" Rina let go of me, startled. As I began to regain oxygen, she gave him a small slap on the arm. "Fredrick, you scared me!" She giggled. Fredrick was an average sized man with a plastered straight face that only softened when he was reciting his artistic views and poems. Rina told me they met when she was in China and he had been sitting on some steps writing stanzas. He even wrote one about her and after that she fell in love. Luckily, he already knew English and they had many conversations about art and music. A week later, he traveled back to America with her so they could marry and soon they were off to Scotland (same time when I was left at the orphanage). His jacket was onyx leather and looked a little big on him with gray cargo pants. I wasn't sure if he was trying to be cool (his hair was gelled into little spikes) or something. "Frederick, would you mind taking Anyalice's suitcase to her bedroom?" She requested. He nodded, grabbing my bag and slowly heading to the house. "Um, you don't have to do that…" I started but I was interrupted by Mrs. Hondelfuff. "Hellooo Mrs. Ghiradellon!" She greeted joyfully. So…Frederick Ghiradellon? And he's Chinese? I began to think of the chocolate at that moment with a smile. Honestly, I didn't really know too much about my family, but I knew they weren't that normal. At least, that's what I was told. I never truly experienced it since we were all a bit…distant. It wasn't really because of family problems, we were just too far away. And always moving. Always moving…

I waited for the two to finally get acquainted and scoped the neighborhood. It was eerily quiet, with only the wind breathing softly in my ear. There weren't even any kids out playing. "Well Anya, it looks like you'll have a great time here!" Mrs. Hondelfuff told me. I turned my attention back to them with a smile. "I'm sure I will to." I answered. Rena nodded towards me. "She'll have a wonderful time. We're just so happy we could finally get her out of the orphanage and with family! And I'm sure my brother will be thankful that I have taken her in as well." The word in the last sentence panged a feeling resting inside me. I hadn't felt that emotion in years due to ignoring and distractions. I bent my head to the cracked cement, my eyes focused on the small ants and my mind focused on him.

Half an hour later, Mrs. Hondelfuff finally poured out all her heavy-hearted goodbyes at long last and drove away on the worn down brick road. Aunt Rina rubbed her hands together and said, "Alright let me show you to your room!" I nodded, walking gently behind her while hugging my black jacket for more heat. The longer we were out here, the more my blood chilled, so I was thankful we could go inside. Just as I touched the floor mat for the front door, I stopped. In the corner of my eye I could see a shadow standing behind the front trees. Wondering if it was a neighbor, I turned around. The empty path was alone. No figure at all. Weird…did I just imagine it? Even still, I walked backwards inside the house, keeping my eyes on the road just in case. The door slowly shut automatically. Still, there was nothing there.

"Here's your bedroom!" She cheered. I stared on at the flowering area that was my room. "Oh…um…" I stammered. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against flowers. They smell nice and they come in different colors and shapes. And pink? I have nothing against wearing a pink shirt with a good pair of light jeans. But the lace and fancy décor with overdoses of pink was just enough for an "in-betweener" like me feel uncomfortable. I feel like I won't be able to relax with all these expensive table objects. "Do you like it?" She asked me. I stretched out a forced smile. "Yeah…it's great." I replied. She squealed and hugged me again. "I'm so glad!" Rena began to walk down the hall calling, "We'll have to go shopping on Sunday since that's when my paycheck comes in! But Mrs. Hondelfuff told me you already have enough clothes for this week anyway!" I swallowed my fear. If she had decorated my bedroom, what would she buy me as clothes? I shuddered to even think about it. The bed had a feathered comforter laid on top that actually felt pretty nice. I splayed myself on the bed with absolute comfort and peace. It was a bit strange to have this much silence in a room. In the orphanage, there was either laughter from the playing or soft crying of remembrance of home. But silence? Never. It was a little hard to bear actually. "Anyalice!" My aunt cried out from the living room. "Frederick and I are to the store to pick up some groceries! We'll be back soon!" I straightened up on my bed. "Take your time!" I yelled. I waited patiently until I heard the door slam and knew they were gone. Afterward I scrambled off my bed to close my door. I tried to cover the windows, but the curtains were lace as well. Sigh…I sat back down on my mattress to study my bracelet, which was held together by stretching string and long polished wood circling my wrist along with a flat sphere in the shape of a flower/star . Remember when I said I had almost nothing when I lived in the orphanage? This bracelet was all I had besides my name.

With full concentration, I held my arm slightly in the air and closed my eyes. I breathed deeply, letting out a loud SNAP from my fingers. Suddenly, just a few feet from me, a dark spot began to grow slowly. The spot stopped growing after five seconds and began to bubble dark mist like dry ice in a witch's cauldron. Pretty soon, the bubbles began to advance into a taller and skinnier form. They started to clump and shape carefully as two glowing red dots travelled from the spot on the ground all the way to the top. The shape at the stop represents a hat while the shadow changed into something more solid.

The shadowed man bowed deeply in front of me and asked, "Do you require assistance for something, madam?" I shook my head. "No, Bestovis, I just wanted you to get use to the new place." I never understood how Bestovis came to me. I had run away from the orphanage the next day I arrived. I didn't want to stay at all so I headed for the small forest behind it. I had climbed up in one of the trees and began to sob heavily. The trees shook with distress and tried to get me off. I clung tightly, not wanting to fall to my death. An hour past, and I finally let go when I spotted a red ant making its way towards me. However, the moment I let go, the minute the wind pushed the branch I was on. I fell head first, screaming. "HELP!" My neck would break and I would've died if it wasn't for him. My eyes were squeezed shut, expecting the worse to come. It didn't. I opened them finally and gasped. My body floated just a few feet from the ground. The only thing that held me up was a large hand of darkness that spilled shadowy mist from all around. I was frozen in the palm of its hand. Am I going to die? Was all I could think. It didn't move at first, but then it began to descend slowly to the ground. When my feet felt the solid dirt and grass, I released my breath. The large hand disappeared in a black spot on the floor. I blinked, stepping cautiously towards the circle. Whoosh! I jumped back as a figure climbed out of the spot. His eyes illuminated red and his body was composed of moving shadows. I gaped, not really knowing what to say. Before I could move at all, he brought one knee to the ground and bowed his head. "Do you require any more assistance, ma'am?" I looked at him with bafflement. That was the exact opposite of what I thought was gonna happen. He remained bowing when I asked, "W-who are you?" He lifted his head so it was the same height as mine. "I have no name." The shadow replied. "I am only a servant and guardian to my mistress." I pointed to myself, not believing it. "Me? Why me?" I wondered. He pointed to the bracelet on my left wrist. The bracelet had been on me ever since I was a baby. In fact, it even fit perfectly back then. So it was magic? I thought it was just a trick from whoever created it. My mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. Realizing there was nothing I needed, the shadow man rose to walk away. "If there's nothing else, I shall return." "Wait!" I cried. "Um, what if I need your help again?" He stopped. "You'll have to summon me. I'm not sure how you will though." He was right about that. I couldn't keep screaming to call him or else it would bring more. "What if I snapped my left fingers?" I asked. "That way it can, I don't know, activate the bracelet to get you." He walked towards me and nodded. "That is acceptable." His hand reached out towards me so I flinched. I then realized he was just reaching for me bracelet. With his index finger, he touched it. My wrist darkened slowly for a second before going back to normal. "What the-" "A summoning spell." He explained. "Now whenever you need me, snap your fingers on this hand." I nodded, and he sunk slowly back to the earth. This event made me a bit on edge, so I jumped when I heard my name being called. Mrs. Hondelfuff finally found me out in the woods. She scolded me for a while, but I think she was more relieved than mad. When she was done, I smiled to myself, touching my bracelet.

Pretty soon, I'd just snap my fingers and summon the shadow man just to talk when I was alone. I learned he lived in what he told me to call, "The Nether Void". A place full of darkness and shadows like him. He wasn't sure why, but he was connected to me and my bracelet, so he became a loyal protector and even a friend to me. I liked when we talked, because his voice was almost a whisper yet still carried a low masculine tone to it. He was a bit expressionless, but after some time he began to show sad and happy at the least. I soon began to call him "Bestovis", a name that just popped in my head one day after believing he's the best. He liked the name, so it stuck. We had been together for all these long years.

Bestovis floated around to look at my room. "I had believed you weren't a fan of these fancy things." He commented. "It was my aunt's idea." I said, exasperated. "She must believe I'm like her and enjoy stuff like this." He nodded. "At least you will live more comfortably, miss." "True." I admitted. It was nicer here, so it'd be cruel to complain. "Your aunt…" He began. "Is he your father's sister?" I nodded.

"Does that mean she's-"

"No. She's normal and lives a quiet life. The most she does is travel."

"Travel?"

"Yeah, but not the way you're thinking of. She goes to different countries for vacations."

"I see."

I watched him stare out the window of my room, which brought something else up. "Bestovis, can I ask you something?" I wondered. "Of course, madam. As long as you remember I have limited knowledge on certain things." He responded, not making eye contact. "Well, can you, like, sense other…entities? Ghosts or demons maybe?" He gave it some thought, closing his eyes as if to search with his powers. I waited patiently on my bed, a bit hopeful that he wouldn't find anything. He finally opened them and replied, "It's hard to say. However this place does have an air of caution around it. This could be just perhaps of the weather, but I feel something that could possibly cause harm if you aren't on guard. I'd suggest you being on guard in suspicious situations." I stood beside him, looking out the same window. "Alright. Thanks" I told him. A large space covered the back yard, but just a hundred feet away was a dark and immense forest that almost seemed to be staring back.

"Anya! Anya!" A boy in a blue hoodie called me over just as I got off the bus. I turned to him with confusion. He had blonde hair that went to his neck and wore a black beanie with a blue stripe through it. Beside him was another boy who was taller, and wore a sweater with glasses. His hair was short and had a raven shine to it. I walked up to them and said. "Uh, yes?" I asked, looking them both. They laughed out loud. "Aw man, are you serious?" The blonde one said. "You really forgot about us? That's low." I didn't reply. "We used to hang out every time you visited." The black-haired one added. Of course! "James! Thomas!" I realized aloud. They grinned at their own names. I couldn't believe I forgot about these guys. "James, you grew your hair?" I asked. He chuckled, "Yeah, it actually looks better if you ask me." "Even though you always wear hats now." Thomas joked. "Shut up, man!" James pushed him. "And Thomas! You grew out fast!" I exclaimed. "Came from drinking lots of milk." He told me in a straight face. He was teasing anyway.

"It's about time you came to live here." James thought aloud as we were getting our lunches. Luckily we were all in the same grade so we could have lunch together. "Why'd you decide to come now?" "My aunt moved here that's why." I explained "The past years I've been living in an orphanage." "Really?" Thomas looked at me with pity as I nodded slowly. "That's rough." James said with a sigh. "It wasn't that bad." I confessed. "The only problem was I was the oldest and no one was my age. The second was 13 before I left." We grabbed our lunch trays full of Alfredo chicken pasta and apples (except James which was cookies only). When we found a nice bench away from the usual hum of the other students, we continued our conversation. "So, couldn't find a boyfriend, huh?" Thomas wondered with a jesting smile. I laughed. "Not one on the same mental development as me." "Aw, give it a week." James muffled with cookies stuffed in his mouth. "The guys will be following her soon." "Yeah right." I rolled my eyes. I never really stood out in any way, really. I wasn't ugly, but I wasn't hot either. My hair was usually in a chocolate ponytail held high, while my eyes had a dulled yellow to them (which was pretty unique, but not enough to cause attention). I usually wore nice shirts with jeans with them, but not really accessory besides my bracelet. So what? I didn't really want to stick out anyway, so this was actually perfect. I wasn't someone you'd pay attention to, but I wasn't someone you would avoid as well. "I'm not looking for a boyfriend, guys." I insisted while sipping my chocolate milk. "Well, look who it is!" A voice interrupted our pleasant chat. "Seems like one's looking for you." Thomas mumbled under his breath. I groaned and turned to see who it was.

A boy stood a few feet behind me with a tank top and shorts (despite the bitter cold). He had a smooth head with no hair and skin the color of James's milk. Next to him was a skinny girl with stringy blonde hair that kept biting her nails timidly. That was his sister. "Hello, Richard." I smiled as politely as I could. "Didn't think I'd see you around here, Any." He sniffled before wiping his nose with his arm. "What happened? You finally done thinking you're better than everyone." I know why he was acting sore around me. A few years ago, I had been his only friend whenever I came to this town. Just before I left for good (or so I thought), he brought me a few daisies and confessed his feelings. As a kid, I was kinda grossed out, but instead I said "No thank you." And left. I guess he never got over it. "No, my aunt just moved here, so I'm living with her now." I answered. "Oh? Where were you living before this? A dumpster?" He laughed loudly while his sister grinned. James slowly rose, "Why don't you find somewhere else to get you kicks." Thomas stood up as well. Intimidated, Richard backed off. "Whatever, I've got better things to do than hang out with garbage." He turned and stormed off while his sister kept glaring at me. When they finally went away, I turned to my food. "Thanks guys." I whispered, picking at a noodle. James jumped back down. "That guy pisses me off. He's always showing off when everyone knows he's got nothing." "I don't think it's his entire fault." Thomas commented. "From what I hear, he's been having family troubles ever since we were young." James huffed. "Doesn't give him the right to be an ass just because a girl rejects you." He said. "True." Thomas admitted. "But maybe he just doesn't know what. Besides, who wouldn't go on a full rage if Anya rejected you?" "Thomas…" I shook my head. We began to discuss what we've all been doing for the past years. James claimed to be an expert on skateboarding and knowing all kinds of ice cream flavors while Thomas said he'd been writing short stories and playing basketball in his spare time. I was glad that they had been busy and contempt with their lives. I wanted that to always stay that way for them.

"Hey, you wanna go to a party Friday?" James asked me. I popped an apple slice in my mouth. "What party?" I asked. Thomas leaned slyly towards James. "Is this Julie's party?" He wondered. James leaned back and shouted "No!" so loudly, a few head turns. "Who's Julie?" I asked. "His girlfriend." Thomas replied.

"She's not my girlfriend!"

"But you WANT her to be."

"…"

"See? Look how he's blushing."

"I'm gonna flip this table if you don't shut up."

"Go ahead. It's bolted in the ground anyway."

James made one more face at him before turning to me. "Anyway, it's a spooky-themed party. She told me she couldn't have it on Halloween because she'll be gone next month." "A whole month?!" Thomas sputtered out. "Geez, where's she going?" James shrugged. "Beats me. But she really wants to have a party, but Friday's the only day to do it." Creepy themed…huh? I began to wonder if I could bring Bestovis with me. People would love his "costume". "So, if it's going to be creepy, what should we dress as? Vampires? Ghosts?" My suggestions caused them both to guffaw. I blinked, wondering what was wrong with dressing up as them. "Please, Anya." James said in absolute sincerity. "Think about it; everyone's gonna be dressing as those general creatures and everyone knows who they are. Plus, it's not as fun." I shrugged, not really understanding. "Okay, what do you guys have in mind then?" They grinned at each other before they shared their idea with me. "We decided we'd dress up as…Creepypasta!" Thomas exclaimed as if it was sheer brilliance. They high fived each other as my spine shook. They weren't talking about dressing a spaghetti with eyeballs or something like that. No no… much more disturbing. Years ago, a community formed together to share information, pictures, and clues about the strange anomaly killers that had never been caught and never were found. If anything…they came to you. The community was called Creepypasta. They all shared the things they would find like background stories, personal experiences, and ways to avoid these horrific people. Every now and then you would hear how some of these "survivors" disappeared days after writing their articles, but everyone believed they just moved away or stopped going on the website. I wasn't sure whether to believe in the stories, but I prepared myself anyway, learning what I could from each of them. Was I disturbed? A bit…However, I had to strengthen myself. Or… more like I was forced to be strong. So it didn't matter if I believed in them. I had to be on guard just in case.

And here my friends were staring at me with goofy grins, not believing the in the stories. "So…which Creepypasta characters will we be dressing as?" I asked. "Well, we were gonna go as Masky and Hoodie…" Thomas said. "But now that we have a third…we got to find a costume for you…" "How about Sally?" James suggested. "She's got the hair for it!" "Ha ha Anya in a dress…that'll be a sight to see." Thomas joked. I grimaced. Sally had been one of the stories I truly felt sorry for. Short summary, her uncle raped her one night, then the next few days she had been acting different. When her mother asked what was wrong, Sally tried to tell her what happened by saying, "She didn't like his games and him touching her." The parents thought it was only a nightmare (why they thought that made me really pissed). Pretty soon the uncle found out and asked to take Sally to the store. However, they didn't go to the store, rather he killed her. So now she's a vengeful ghost that attacks anyone that comes near here. When I told them how I felt about her story James replied, "Perfect! You'll have the solemn look down perfectly." I looked down at my tray as Thomas patted my shoulder. "Hey, come on. It's only a story." I tried to smile, but couldn't. "You're right." I nodded. "Only a story."

It was already Friday night and I was preparing my outfit. Aunt Rina had at first protested at the thought of me going to a spooky party at night. And with boys as well. It took time, but I finally persuaded her to let me go. Pretty soon she finally saw the perks in this: getting to dress me in a frilly outfit. The dress only went to the top half of my knees and even fluffed out so I felt the least amount of comfort I had in my life. Rina tied a large satin bow on the back of my white dress and added a smaller bow to my brushed out hair. I had to stop her from putting on little gloves as well. As she helped my get the white stockings on I asked, "Where's the fake blood and scissors?" She looked at me funny. "What makes you think you'll use those?"

"Aunt Rina…this is supposed to be a Halloween party…"

"I know that, but why would you even dare to ruin this beautiful dress? Besides! You promised to watch Mrs. Jenkins's kids tonight! Would you like to scare them out of their wits?"

"Oh that's right…"

I had forgotten that I was forced to take in a babysitting job for the woman down the street had asked my aunt if I could watch her twin daughters tonight. Not knowing I had been indirectly invited to a party, she said yes (which was one of the reasons she didn't want me to go). Eventually we made a deal. I would stay at Alice's house until nine, then head over to Mrs. Jenkins house. It seemed like the best deal I'd get so I agreed. So she was right, unless I wanted to traumatize the children, I had to look clean for the party. Which was an embarrassing thing for me. Ding dong! I opened the door to see my two friends. James was wearing a white mask with dark circles surrounding the eyeholes and Thomas wore a black full mask with red tint plastic for the eyes. They both wore the same yellow sweatshirts, except Thomas draped his hood over. They looked close to the real ones. Wish I could say the same for me. The two took one look over me and busted in laughter. My face blushed in slight anger as they kept laughing. "It's not funny!" I exclaimed. "My aunt wouldn't let me cut this or anything." "Aw, but you look so cute!" James had to hold his gut to calm himself down. "Nice dress." Thomas teased as I tried to pull the skirt down. Once they finally were done, I was more than happy to change the subject. "I thought we were gonna meet at your house, James." I said. "Nah, turns out your house is closer to hers." He replied, then grinned evilly behind the mask. "Plus you're closer to the Slenderman Woods." I shut the door behind me and froze. "What'd you say?" I asked, making sure I heard right. He chuckled. "Slenderman Woods. It seems like we aren't the only fans of it." Thomas nodded. "Yeah, it was never truly named anything before." He explained "Then one day someone put up a sign inside that read, "Slenderman's Woods." Pretty soon it just stuck. Whether you knew the story or not, everyone called it that." "Also people say that if you venture deep enough, you'll get eaten by you-know-who!" James added. Because I looked a bit cautious after that, Thomas rolled his eyes. "Yeah from wild animals. And besides, everyone knows not to go too deep in the forest late at night. It's just common sense." They began to argue whether the tales are true or not while I walked behind, staring at the forest beyond my house. I had that feeling of someone spying on me again, so I held my bracelet tightly. "Pick it up, Sally!" James called back to me. "Sorry!" I yelled, quickening my pace to keep up.

When we reached the party, we could see five people already heading inside as well so I was sure it'd be big. Inside, I could hear "This is Halloween" playing, but in dubstep. "Yeah!" James yelled, throwing himself with ten other people dancing to the song. Strobe lights flashed quickly which kinda reminded me of a dream. James started waving his arms, having a blast while Thomas shouted out, "James! Don't end up in the middle of the crowd or else you won't be able to breathe!" I laughed. I myself was feeling the air being sucked away and turned into carbon dioxide, so I grabbed Thomas and went to the second living room. A table displayed bowls of candy and brownies with a punch bowl in the shape of a skull. In this room, an older woman tried to hustle a small child out the door. It was most likely Julie's mother and her little sister. As they rushed out, the woman glanced at my outfit and my bare knees with shock. Once they left, I tried to pull the skirt down once more and mumbled to Thomas, "I'm having the best time of my life, how about you?" He smiled. "Give it some time. Why don't we go talk with Julie? She's pretty cool and you two might get along." He led me to the kitchen, which was next to the second living room and began to call out, "Julie? You in here?!" A girl's voice replied behind the open fridge. "Right here, Thomas!" She said, closing the door. Her hair was a pale blond with black streams running down the back. Her sockets were surrounded by a charcoal that even dripped down to her ruby lips. A black cape enveloped her body, which made her seem like a zombie widow. "Who's your friend?" She asked, looking at me. "This is Anyalice." Thomas introduced. "She's supposed to be Sally, but her aunt wouldn't let her be the bloody version." "That's okay, she can be the normal one!" Julie brought her hand out to shake mine. "Nice to meet you, Anyalice." "Same." I grinned. "Nice party you have here." She smiled, bringing out some sour and green onion chips for the party while we followed. "Thanks." She said. "There are more people than I invited here, but that's alright. I'm pretty sure they're friends of the guests. The more the merrier right?" James dashed over to us, his mask lifted to bring more air in his face. "Hey…hey Julie." He panted. "Cool party." Julie smiled and went over to the table, while he then talked to us privately. "Dudes, look at that guy over there." He whispered. "He totally copied our idea!" Thomas and I peered over James to see who he was talking about. In the corner with three others was someone dressed in a white hoodie stained in blood and black pants. His hair was rung down in black strands and his face was covered in white powder. But what really got me was the face. The smile looked carved into the cheeks, almost near the ears. It was colored a bright red that looked exactly like the Joker's, but more menacing. And his eyes…he had somehow had the eyelids barely visible, so you could see the full circles of the eyeballs while circling the skin were dark rings that made it look creepier. He was watching the others play a game with a knife. Suddenly, he stared right at me. I turned back down to Thomas and James. "That's some wicked makeup though, am I right?" He muttered. Thomas nodded, "Well, we should've known this might have happened right?" James agreed with that as I remained quiet.

"Hey, let's play the knife game, guys!" Julie shouted over to us. We broke our small huddle we created and followed her to the couch. I noticed the guy had somehow left, and was nowhere to be seen. I shrugged and sat on the floor next to the couch. Julie pulled out a long solid board of wood and a rubber knife. "You guys ready?" She asked. "Aw, c'mon not a rubber one!" One of the kids complained. "The real way to play is with a metal one, Julie!" Another called out. "Get a real one!" A few began to chant. Julie tapped her chin thoughtfully. Hesitant, she finally caved in. "Alright, but don't get blood on the wood okay?" They all cheered except for me, James, and Thomas. They were still fine with it, however. "Careful guys…" James mumbled though his mask. We both nodded. The first to try was Julie. She splayed her left hand out on the wood and pulled out the knife while everyone began to sing:

Oh, I have all my fingers,

The knife goes chop chop chop!

If I miss the spaces in between then,

they will all come off

and if I hit my fingers the blood will

soon come out, but all the same

we play this game cause that's

what it's all about!

Oh chop chop chop

chop chop chop

I'm picking up the speed.

And if I hit my finger,

my finger will start to bleed!

Julie began to stab the sides of her fingers with the knife in a repetitive speed while everyone began to sing on. Pretty soon Julie pricked the knuckle of her ring finger and she stopped. It didn't bleed, however which was because she had made sure to be delicate. It was a good idea, honestly. "Okay, who's up next?" She asked. Everyone raised their hands, but Julie's eyes drifted towards me. "How about it, Anyalice?" She gestured the knife towards me. I shrugged, grabbing it while everyone shouted in excitement. I wasn't afraid of knives or sharp objects since I was trained to use them in dangerous situations. Still, had to be careful.

I gripped the handle of the knife and pointed it down. Everyone watched in silence, so I could feel myself drift back into my memories. A man stood towering over me, handing a dagger. His face was shrouded in darkness, but it wasn't Bestovis. "You can't be afraid to get harmed." His voice was soft and all around me. "The more you are frightened, the more it will hurt. Learn to tolerate pain just enough to stay focused, but don't believe you can take on a fatal wound." He grabbed my hand and placed it on the floor. "Try to hit the spaces of your fingers. Each time go to the last space, you must stab faster." I pulled myself back to the present and breathed in. Without warning, I plunged the knife in the wood between my index finger and thumb. People jumped and tilted back. With full concentration, I began to go around my hand while taking my time. As they began to sing the first three lines, I began to pick up the pace. Soon it only took me 3 seconds to circle around…2…1. My hand sped like a propeller as the guest nervously weakened their voices and began to stare in awe. I began to break a sweat as I remained in rapid speed. The knife briskly touched the side of my fingers, however they stay uncut. My hand kept dancing with the deadly object, not making any mark at all (besides on the wood). Meanwhile, Julie had walked around to entertain the other guest who weren't glued to my skill at the game. When she went into the first living room (with the crazy lights and music), she noticed the front door was wide open, letting an unnatural chill befall in the room. With a shudder, she closed it. That's when she noticed something white and small in the corner of her eye. Her eyes followed the path to a folded piece of paper on the table beside the door. She grabbed it…and began to unfold to read.

I had been relentlessly traveling around my hand for a couple of minutes now. It was the farthest anyone at the party had seen. I could hear my friends cheering me on, but it was almost gibberish. All I could hear was the muffled sound of the voices and music. The lights seemed to grow brighter, but I focused only on my hand. "Hey guys! Did any of you leave this note out there as a joke?" Julie wondered, looking at each of them. Everyone shook their heads. "What's it say, Julie?" James asked. She unfolded it again, to make sure it was exact. "Careful not to mess up." She read. At that moment, my head snapped up to hear the message. "Wha-" I said before feeling a burning feeling in my hand. THWACK! I jerked in pain and looked back at my hand. The knife was jabbed in my middle finger fiercely while my arm began to ache from the arm. Blood slowly poured from the wound as I pulled the knife out. As one girl screamed, the rest eyed it with utter horror. I gripped my hand with the other, only to have more blood rise. "H-hold on!" Julie cried, rushing to the kitchen. "I'll get you a towel!" My teeth grinded against each other while I breathed slowly to calm myself. James was frozen, but Thomas pulled me up and said, "Anya! Are you okay? How bad is it?" "I don't know…" I grunted, worried to look. "I don't think it's terrible." Julie came back in a silent panic and handed me a paper towel. In minutes, the towel was covered in red so she rushed to get small bandage wrap. Finally, James could speak, "Holy $#% Anya, you seriously stabbed yourself." He remarked in a trance. "Well that's the point of the game." Thomas mumbled. "Remember, that's what the song says." He waited for Julie, who came out with a first aid kit. He wiped away the dry blood from the unharmed skin and took a small cotton ball out to dip in alcohol. "Ow…" I scrunched my face when the liquid touch my cut. Luckily, the knife stopped from going all the way through, but the gash started from the joint closest to my hand to the center one. Pretty soon the party started again, although some glanced over to see how bad my finger was. Thomas gently wrapped the thin gauze around my finger and even on my wrist for security. I smiled, thanking him for treating it. "You should be more careful next time." He warned me. "You didn't have to go so fast." "Yeah really!" James chipped in, even holding a stolen bowl of chips. "When you kept going faster and faster, there was some serious rapid eye movement there. And your expression, it was like you were a different person!" I rubbed my neck. "Sorry, guys. I guess I got too focused on winning." I said. "There's no point in winning a game that's just plain stupid." Thomas replied, walking- no storming off to another room. I watched him go, feeling like a total jerk. But honestly, I didn't know what came over me. I felt like the ground was trying to suck my soul…my very being into some sort of invisible void. And yet, I remained the same, I just felt more intense about the surrounding around me. "You know, Thomas has a right to be worried." James said, breaking my thoughts.

"Huh?"

"I mean it, man. You were so close to cutting all your fingers off. Or letting go of the knife so it would run into someone."

"…Sorry…"

"Still, it was kinda weird how you instantly stopped when you heard that note. Must've really broken your concentration."

In truth, it did. I hadn't heard anyone speak clearly until Julie read the paper. That message…was it written for me? Did someone write that for me? I didn't tell James, because I knew he'd just really get in to that idea and began to theorize some crazy things. And Thomas would only shake it away, claiming it was just a coincidence. I kept it inside instead. Doubtful…but questionable.

I looked up at the clock to realize it was 9:05. "Oh shoot!" I yelled, squeezing through the people who began to garb some sodas. "Where're you going?!" James shouted. "I promised to watch Mrs. Jenkins's children tonight!" I said. As I opened the front door, Thomas saw me and asked, "Do you need a lift? I can drive you there." "That's alright. It's only a block away. You should enjoy the party." I assured. He looked like he was about to insist, but I was already out the door. It almost felt like freedom to breathe fresh air again. The land was so immense, I could see myself getting used to so much space without it being shared with large buildings and stores. I began to walk towards Mrs. Jenkins's place with a hurried pace however. I was already late…I didn't have time to enjoy the night. The leaves cracked with every step I took, and the wind hugged my bare legs. Autumn seemed to really thrive here. It made sense; the forests carried a spooky feel to them. That could've been my imagination, though. But Bestovis said…I bit my lip. Was there really something out there? I gave it a few seconds to cloud my mind before I shook it away. I held up my hand that was bandaged very carefully. I can't believe I got injured from a game…of all things! It didn't really hurt anymore as well. I chuckled at this while I continued walking. My soft laugh echoed in the dark, but the fainter it became, the more it didn't sound like my voice.

The porch light was on, so I figured they were still waiting. "Mrs. Jenkins?" I asked, opening the door. "Anyalice! There you are!" The woman in a beautiful blue dress descended down the stairs with a smile. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I lost track of time." I apologized. "That's quite alright, Louis was still getting ready. You made it just as we were about to go out the door!" She laughed. Her husband, Mr. Jenkins, walked down in a formal suit and asked, "Ready to go, love?" She nodded then turned back to me. "The girls are already in bed and only need you to read a bedtime story. They're quite tired, so don't be surprised if they pass out in the middle of reading." She instructed. I nodded, understanding. "Have a good time!" I said as they walked out. "Bye! We'll be back by midnight!" Mrs. Jenkins shouted before the door closed.

I checked on the two upstairs. They were already in their beds and yawning. "Hi Anyalice…" One of the girls said. "Hello Hannah. Hello Ophelia" I greeted them. Both were a bit difficult to tell who was who; they both had blonde hair and blue eyes. Hannah, however, had larger eyes than Ophelia. Knowing that, I could tell them apart, which made them happy. "Would you two like a story?" I asked. They nodded slowly, so I knew it wouldn't be too long until they were knocked out by energy loss. It was funny to see them like this, for the first time we met they were running circles around my front yard with a large red ball. They threw it back and forth to see the other get knocked down while Mrs. Jenkins's scolded them. Even their mother's scorn didn't stop them from playing. They even made faces behind my aunt's back, which was actually kinda funny. And now here they were with long faces and weary eyes. I pulled a random book from their mini shelf and sat on Hannah's bed. The two stared sleepily as I began, "Once upon a time, there lived a selfish prince…"

Just after the part where the young maiden and her father reached the monster's castle was when I looked over to see them both snoring lightly. I smiled, disbelieving the quick work of the night and sleep. I watched them for a few moments to make sure they were really asleep, and then went to the door to snap the light off. Since it went faster than expected, I wondered what to do next. The large house was so empty, I felt almost like an intruder imposing on the property. I wondered if I should watch some TV, but that would cause too much noise. Read? No, they only had children books and fashion magazines (which was a bit sad…). My phone was with low battery, so I couldn't even listen to music. Bored of just standing, I entered the room beside the girls' and realized it was a guest room. The night had taken my stamina, due to my costume, the injury, and my strange feeling…All I wanted to do was rest. With nothing better to do, I laid gently on the soft bed and stared at the ceiling. What a night. My mind reeled through everything that happened at the party. That message, "Careful not to mess up." It couldn't have been a coincidence. That was somehow connected to something. Maybe me…I kept telling myself that if anyone truly meant that for me, it was James who wrote it. It didn't work. James may pull a few tricks at times, but he did it light-heartedly. He'd never try anything that harmed anyone. Closing my eyes, I just wanted to forget everything and let Saturday just be another day while today was just an awkward memory created by myself. That's all I wanted.

I can't remember what happened next. I think I fell asleep on the bed.

POP! I woke and sat straight up…just as the light in the room exploded. I blinked at the instant darkness. "What the hell…?" I muttered under my breath. The air became dense as my body felt more prickled and stiff. I got up slowly and looked around. It wasn't just my light, ALL the lights suddenly turned off. I wasn't exactly scared, but I became cautious. The door to the kids' room was open, so I made sure they weren't crying from the loud noise. They turned over once, but remained asleep. Looks like they can sleep through anything. I slowly closed the door and began to listen closely. I heard…dripping…slow dripping. It was coming from downstairs. The house shifted in a groan making me swallow the lump in my throat. I crept towards the stairs. Each step I took pressed the wood down even more than usual, making me feel even more on-edge. A loud THUMP shook my bones. It sounded as if someone dropped something heavy on the ground. My fists clenched until my finger reopened and dripped quietly. My breath was so quiet; I could feel myself becoming light-headed. Air flowed and whispered in my ear, trying to scare me. The very house turned from pleasant, to haunted. As more dripping came from the dining room, I tiptoed quietly over to the noise. The rooms were so dark, I could only see just a few feet ahead. I prayed that nothing would jump at me. Creeeaaaak…a long groan came from the wooden floor. My breath stopped for a moment. I faced the open arch that divided me from the dangerous sounds. Calm Anya…stay calm. Repeating the words I stepped lightly inside. My legs trembled like gelatin, feeling a splash of icy regret on my back. This was a bad idea. But it wasn't until I saw it did I realize there was no turning back.

The kitchen and dining room shared space, but the walls were confined and closed, which made me feel even more uneasy. The first thing I noticed…was the blood. It had been painted in elongated blotches that descended to the floor like sickening streams. Puddles gathered slowly and were pretty fresh as it reached for my white shoes. As I jumped to the side to get away while covering my mouth, I bumped into something. My head spun around slowly. "Oh…god…" I whispered. A face eyed mine with a blank stare. I backed away slowly, realizing he was dead. No…not just dead. His body was hung upside down and tangled in the chandelier. His arms had been nailed to it so his head could face forward at me. It was horrifying. The eyes were clawed out viscously and violently. And his mouth…his mouth was left in a traumatizing gape. Not just that, his jaw…it was broken to the side. Blood oozed out slowly, and somehow made loud sounds of dripping. I looked at the back of my dress, which was stamped by his vital fluid. His corpse kept staring at me while my whole body shook with disgust and fright. It wasn't done yet. In the corner of my eye, I noticed another dead body. It appeared this one tried to escape the terrible fate his partner had succumbed to. I stepped forward, regretting every step. The smell of rust and salt nearly overpowered me, but I pressed on. Nearing him, I saw that the window slammed down, cutting his body into two. The other half was outside, but I could see the faint outline of the torso outside. With another step, I kicked something in front of me. I turned my head down, wondering why my curiosity wanted me too see everything. I should've looked away, for in front of me…a round furry object began to slowly rotate towards me. I watched the thing roll quietly. The man's head was shown with complete detail, and complete goriness. The eyes had sunk in the skull from the pain of his death. I rushed backwards, slamming right in the wall. My stomach flipped twice with my heart quickening its beat. No…not this again…My thoughts crawled in my head with scarred thoughts of the past. I didn't want to see anymore. I didn't want the history rear its face back to me. Denying to have anymore knowledge of this, my mind reeled questions to rebel my wishes. Who were these men? What killed them so terribly? Was it the same thing that watched me? I didn't really care (at least that's what I told myself) so I rushed back to the front room where the stairs were. I began to pant heavily as if I had held my breath the whole time I was in there. I stood straight up. At that moment, something had hummed in my ear. No…it was laughter. Whoever the killer was, they were still here. I spun quickly to face the murderer. Nothing. "Wha?" I whispered. The dripping from the other room stopped. I was about to reach for my phone, when I felt something poke my back. It was cold and sharp, so I realized who was behind me. My skin transformed into stone and ice. "W-who's there?" My voice was slight higher than usual. "Me." A dark voice called out with an echo.

I slowly turned with my hands up in surrender to see who it was. It may have been dark, by my eyes could still make out who it was. The pale skin, the gashed edges on the cheeks. He was real. I couldn't believe it. His grin grew larger (if that was possible) "Y-you're…" I choked on my words as he brought a long, bloody knife to my neck. "Ssh, no need to worry, beautiful." He whispered with an evil tone. With the other hand, he grabbed my bandaged one to examine it. "Looks like you had an accident at that party." He kept staring. "You should leave the knives to the professionals." He knew about what happened. How? Was that him at the party? No…I realized that really WAS just a guy dressed as the real thing. This one's hair was feathered longer and had the color of midnight. He was leaner as well; wearing a white sweatshirt stained in blood and stitched black pants. "You're Jeff the Killer aren't you?" I finally spat out. Hearing his name, he bellowed a sickening laugh. "I didn't think I was becoming known." He mused, lightly stroking the knife on my chin. I didn't reply. Instead, I watched for an opening in his stance, but he remained in a focused position. "Hmm…so how will I end your life?" He asked bluntly. "Would you like to be grinded against this stone I found in my pocket? Or do you want your organs displayed all around the house?" I shoved him backwards in a desperate chance to escape. It worked and he stumbled while I ran towards the stairs. THWACK! My head began to spin like mad while I fell to the ground in riving agony. Jeff stepped towards me and watched as I began to fade into black.

I'm not sure when I came to, but I suppose it wasn't for too long. I woke up with my face pressed against a scratchy cloth. Looking around, I was confined inside a large bag with limited breaths. It took me a moment, but I understood what happened. After Jeff knocked me out, he must've stuffed me into this bag. But, why didn't he just kill me when he had the chance? I didn't want to linger on what horrors he'd have had in store for me if I stayed unconscious, so I tried to stand up. With effort, the top of the bag began to open. I poked my arms out to pull it down my waist and feet until the dreaded thing was off. Oh no…the children! Having no time to catch my breath, I rushed to the kitchen to grab my own knife and hurried up the stairs. Jeff stood right in front of the girls' room, reaching for the knob. "Stop." I growled, pointing the blade at him. His head looked up to see me. Even though his smile was still plastered on his face, his eyebrows were raised to a mild surprise. I took one step towards him and he moved next to me so fast I didn't react. He swung his weapon, disarming me in the process. I gasped and couldn't see if the knife had been thrown or was in front of me, so he laughed. I swung a fist for his face, which only grazed him slightly before he dodged to the side again. Pretty soon he was behind me. I could feel him readying another attack, so once he charged at me, I ducked and crawled under his legs to force him to miss. Now I was behind him. I grabbed his ankle and threw it in the air. He let out a small grunt, but kicked me in the stomach as hard as he could with the second foot. I fell to the ground in more discomfort. Fortunately, he had fallen when this happened, so we both were tied. "Finally," He breathed. "Someone who knows to have fun." I should've been nervous by this…and actually I was. Whenever there were any risky problems I'd let Bestovis take care of it. But I needed concentration to summon him, and the minute I closed my eyes I'd give an opening. This time I charged at him. When I was only a foot away, he plunged his knife towards me. Barely missing, I shifted my right hip sideways so it only cut the dress. This gave me an idea. I held my two arms together, and slammed them down right on the back of his head. This pushed him forward so he could hold his head in rage. As the pain burned in him I grabbed the back collar of his hoodie as well as the back of his pants. He froze, not knowing what was to happen next. I dragged him with such force that he was then thrown over the rail to the 1st floor. I could hear him scream in shock before the loud THUMP silenced it. I didn't check to see if he was dead, but I hoped that at least got him out of the way.

I opened the door to Hannah and Ophelia's bedroom. They were still asleep after the fight, but that made me relieved. I decided it wasn't a good idea to stay in the house, which meant I had to grab them and get the hell out. I woke Hannah first. "Hannah…Hannah…wake up." I ordered, trying not to sound shaken. She complained at first, but once her eyes were open, I slung her over my shoulder. "What's happen…" She mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "We have to go." I replied, waking Ophelia and grabbing her as well. They felt like bags of flour that just hung over my arms. I stepped carefully downstairs to get to the front door. Just to be sure, I turned around to see how messed up Jeff's body became. Just as I thought…There was no trace of his corpse. I knew a fall like that wouldn't kill him. Not wanting to fight another round, I bent down to open the door. It was a bit difficult, but Hannah helped pull it so we could escape. I held them tightly now, for I heard a voice call from behind, "You're leaving already?"

With that, I went on a full sprint. I should've slowed down due to my injuries, but I didn't want him to catch us. IF he was even following us. The wind cut my face fiercely and the weight on my shoulders bobbed up and down. The two were wondering why I was going so fast and complained it was hurting them. I couldn't stop yet though. Better they hate me then die. I braked in front of a familiar house that was across from my own. Feeling we were far enough, I approached the front and rang the doorbell. A few minutes later, an old woman arrived. Her cheery smile changed to shock as she saw the cuts and blood on my dress. "Oh goodness, Anyalice!" She cried out. "What happened?" There was no time to clarify the situation. He was still out there, and the most she could do was lead him away from the children. "I need you to take care of the girls." I told her as they climbed off. They hugged her closely and mumbled, "Hi grandma…" She patted their heads dearly. "But, what's happened?" Her eyes showed she was worried, but she was mostly worried for me. "I can't say now…just call the police and bring them to your daughter's house when these two are in bed." I knew their grandfather would protect them if she left. She was about to protest and ask for more information until I retreated back to the house. My dress flapped wildly in the wind so much that if there was anyone around I'd have been really embarrassed. The stockings had been ripped and my skirt was lopsided with stains covering the whole outfit. I finally looked like Sally, but I'd rather have it fake than real. Reaching the house, I searched the entrance for any sign of him still being around. The door was wide open, with clots of red on the path. I figured he bolted right after I did, believing the party was over. I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. "Damn it." I said. I was hoping to finally finish our business now, instead of coming for me in my sleep. I wonder if he even knew where I lived. Wait…he can just find out. Believing he wouldn't return, I went to the door to close it. That way it didn't look leery or threatening. I slammed it close, which released something thin right on my head. Picking it out of my hair, I noticed it was a piece of paper. "Slenderman Woods." I read out loud. I blinked, not understanding what it meant. Hold on…is that where he went? It was a bad idea to go in the woods at night, especially with this killer on the loose. I bit my lip, thinking. It would probably end badly for me if I went. But…at least he gave me a warning and a moment to prepare. Besides, If I didn't go, it was likely he'd go after Hannah and Ophelia. I gripped the rest of my strength with somewhat false hope. I went back inside to find my knife resting silently on a table, which was left by him. "Hmph." I snatched it anyway and stormed off towards the Slenderman Woods.

A lone owl cried out from the branches above me while I followed the trail into the woods. I held the blade close to me and ready to strike anything that came too close. Surprisingly, the trees and mist made everything look a bit brighter in this forest. Was it a bad thing that this calmed my nerves a bit? Probably, but better than to be in hysterics. I eyed the enormous trees with caution and fear. I felt as if I was being watched by them all. Judging if I was worthy to live or not. Whether this was true, I couldn't stop now. Turning back now would make me vulnerable, which is what Jeff wants. "I-I'm not afraid." I told myself. I lied, but saying this covered my true feelings with bravery. Or ignorance. The mist swirled slowly around me when I finally stopped. There was only an inch left of the concrete. It was pure forest ahead. I looked ahead. This wasn't good at all…The trees silently glared to see how I would decide. My face remained solid, CRACK CRAK CRACK. Dead leaves broke with each step, as did my courage. The vines grabbed my dress and hair painfully, mud engulfed my right shoe twice, and I could feel bitterness right ahead. I didn't understand why anyone would even go beyond the path anyway. It was too tangled to really be worth anything. Yet, I'm here. I had hoped the police had went and taken care of the mess at Mrs. Jenkins's house. She hoped they didn't think she was the murderer, but it was all yet to be seen. Finally seeing an opening of the woods, I climbed up a slope to reach it. This looked like a place where someone would fight. "JEFF!" I yelled to the night. "I'M HERE!" Nothing but leaves rustled. My mouth slightly opened. Really? He's not even going to fight? I walked around some more. Where could he be? With a huff, I was going to start trekking further. Maybe I could find his hideout. Just then…a piece of paper floated down from nowhere and landed on the grass. I picked it off to realize it was another note. "Surprise!" I read. "You shouldn't let you guard-" BAM! I fell to my knees and planted my face down. I had been knocked out again. Jeff the killer grinned. "-down." He finished, giving an evil cackle. I slowly opened my eyes to find a way to escape. "Nope, sorry." He said, placing a piece of cloth in my face. The chemicals rose through my nostrils and to the brain. Every last bit of energy was drained, and I no longer had any strength to save myself. I was done for.

Bit Piece:

James: Still mad, bro?

Thomas: Not anymore. I'm sure Anya really didn't mean to hurt herself like that.

James: Well, she seemed to be fine afterward. I mean, did you see the way she ran out of here? Damn…

Thomas: I still wish I insisted on going with her to Mrs. Jenkins's house. The night in this town is...weird.

James: Yeah really. There's already been three killings reported last week! AND they still haven't caught the guy. Not to mention something freaky is going on in the woods. Five people were claimed missing yesterday. No one knows where they went. Plus, that note that Julie read had to be WAY beyond coincidence. It came just as Anya was doing that knife thing. Plus, no one claimed to be the writer.

Thomas: …

James: Above all, common sense wise, who walks in the middle of the night with no one anyway? That's like rule number one for our county. You'd have to be a fool to go out there on a night like this.

Thomas: Yeah, that's true. Now I'm worried about her.

James: Who, Anya? I'm sure she'll be okay! I mean, what could happen to her? All she's doing is walking down one block to get to the house. She'll be fine! Nothing could go wrong.

Thomas: I guess you're right.

James: C'mon man. Let's get some smoothies.