Slender

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I woke up to my phone ringing. Four-thirty in the morning and I’d gone to bed two hours ago. I groaned and turned it over. It wasn’t anyone in my contacts, but it was a familiar area code so I answered it. “Hello?” I asked filled with sleep.

“Is this Cece Marlow?” A female’s voice asked.

“Yes, and this is?”  I asked sitting up in my bed.

“Gabby.” The girl’s voice replied. I was speechless for a second.

“Oh, yeah, hey!” I said unable to hide the surprise in my voice.

“I called to talk about what you mentioned in school…” She said.

“Oh uh…” I started. How could I say no? I reached out to her, not the other way around. And I a weird twisted way I wanted to hear it. It was my damn curious self acting up again. “What do you know?” I asked at last.

“I… I’ve seen him. I’ve been through the ark too. I’ve seen Masky, and Hoodie, and I know the boy who was killed last night. That was my little brother, and I know it was my fault. He’s targeting the people I love to get in my head. I’m losing my mind. I’m real sick Cece. I have it bad. I’m not just coughing up blood or getting nose bleeds, I’m vomiting blood. I can’t sleep at all. I’ve been up for four days. I’m seeing him even when I’m not. I hear the voices. He’s trying to talk to me. He’s trying to get me to go outside.” She said quickly turning into a sharp and frantic whisper.

“Gabby calm down.” I thought about what I’d learned from Micah. She was going to die. “Have you tried…”  I started but she cut me off.

“I stopped talking about it. That’s why I didn’t call you sooner. I stopped everything. I couldn’t do it. I was too far gone.” She cried. “I’m dying. I know it. And I know where the heart is.” She said in sobs. “It’s the barn in the east woods.” She whispered. “And watch out for rakes. They’re swarming.” She whispered faintly. “Goodbye.” She said in remorse. The line was dropped. She left me confused, curious, and eager in a sick way.

There was something about all of this that gave me that rush of adrenalin. It was a sense of adrenalin nothing could quite compare too. All the nights with my friends having fun, laughing, and doing crazy things out of fun never felt the way this did. I guess the closer you were to death the more adrenalin you felt. This was like walking on a hair line above death. In all this chaos I got a sick thrill and it was impossible to be sufficed unless done again. I’d pushed all the thoughts and urges to the back of my head forgetting them almost entirely some nights, but not it was right under the surface waiting for me to open the flood gate. I wouldn’t do it. I was safe. Did this information make me safe still? Was I safer with the experienced Slendy Club or remaining silent by myself? I wanted to give into the pounding rush in my heart that yearned for the rush I’d been trying to feel.

I was a changed woman. I no longer feared Slenderman or cried because of it. I hadn’t for a while now. I no longer was timid of the forest. I was intrigued. I wanted to know. I wanted to know everything. I wanted to have the universe’s knowledge in my hands. I no longer pushed away reality.

I was practical.

I was fearless.

I tied my hair newly dyed hair up and called Micah.