DECEMBER JANE

December: They will hunt you

"What did he stop you for?" Laori asked. I shook my head. "Don't worry about it," I replied. We silently walked out of the Church and into the parking lot. Laori had to lengthen her strides to keep up with me. "I don't want to make you walk home," she said. "Do you want me to drive you?"

"No," I said. "It's okay."

She stopped walking. I turned to face her. "What?" I asked.

"You told me you're on college break, but you told Sean you were an intern. You didn't know it was November. You only walk home. You carry two pistols. You went crazy because of a flier on a tree."

"Okay? And?"

"Who are you?"

I stared at her. One last car pulled out of the parking lot and sped off towards downtown. "I..."

"Well?"

"I don't know."

"How do you not know?"

"I don't remember anything, Laor. I got stranded here-- I don't even know where this is."

"You... don't know what state you're in?"

I shook my head.

She sucked in a breath. "Wisconsin," she whispered. "You're in Wisconsin." Her eyes traced me thoroughly. "Is December even your real name?" she asked.

I shrugged. "I guess."

"What does that even mean?!"

"I don't even know how old I am anymore, damnit. Cut me some slack."

"What is your real name?!"

"I don't know!"

Laori didn't move. Her brows furrowed. "I... I'm sorry."

"It's cool," I said. "Just... I don't know, keep it a secret?"

She smiled lightly. "Of course."

I tilted my head towards her car. "Can I have my pistols back?"

She giggled and walked towards her car. "I don't know, can you?" I rolled my eyes. "May I?" With my belongings, she held her hands out to me. "Since you behaved well in church," she quipped. I slipped on my coat, slung my bag onto my shoulder, and wrapped my holsters back on my legs again. My eyes glanced back up at Laori, but my attention was grabbed by a figure in the distance. White sweatshirt, messed up black hair. I recognized it was that Kate girl that walked me home after one of my monster-hunting runs. She was waving for me to come to her, but when Laori turned to look in the same direction, Kate ducked behind a tree, completely invisible. Laori looked back at me. "What's over there?" she asked.

I patted her shoulder. "Don't worry about it," I said. "I'll see around, okay?"

"Is everything alright, Dee?"

"I'm fine. Is Sunday the only day of service?"

"Erm-- no. Wednesdays, we have evening service."

"What time?"

"Four P.M."

"Perfect. See you then, Laor."

Laori didn't say any more, so I ran in the direction of Kate, looking around the area where she hid. Behind the tree, nothing. Ditch, nothing. Behind several other trees, also nothing. I found myself deeper in the woods now, out of the sight of Keystone.

"Hello?" I called out. "Kate?"

Eventually, Kate stumbled out from behind a tree, disheveled and bruised. She wasn't wearing a mask this time. Her face was pale and shadowed as if she had never slept a day in her life.

"December, oh thank God, I found you," Kate said between gasps of air.

"I'm not hard to spot," I joked, shaking my burnt hand. "What's up?"

"You're being hunted."

I stopped for a moment, completely shocked. After a moment, I laughed a little. "It took you this long? You found me after I got those wacky flyers."

"Not Him. No, no-- worse."

"What is worse?" I said. "I'll wait."

Kate took a deep breath. "His servants," she said, finally.

I blinked several times. "His what?"

Kate swallowed. "December, listen to me."

"No, because what the fuck are the servants like?!"

"I'm one of them." She paused. "Listen, they're called proxies. There's four of them, all right-hand men for the demon you talk about."

I scoffed in disbelief. "You lost me at you being one."

"I know. But they're after you. Masky, he wants you dead. He's kind of the most dangerous out of us, only because he gets what he wants. Doesn't even have to ask half the time. And now, he's pissed at you, because when he dropped you off with Smiley, he thought you'd be dead."

"Why is me being alive a problem?"

"Slender will kill him. Maybe he'll kill all of us-- I don't know. You need to hide or learn to fight because you're screwed otherwise."

"Who is Slender-?"

"The demon, damn it!" Kate collected herself. "Sorry."

"Okay, what is this thing's name? Because I've heard two so far and I'm not sure if they're supposed to be euphemisms."

"Slenderman."

I frowned. "That's... it? I guess that makes sense--"

"What did you want?! Superman?!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," I urged. "What do I need to do?"

"Run," Kate deadpanned.

I snorted. "Okay, cool, be a pussy is what you're saying?"

"Or kill yourself trying to fight," she taunted.

I looked down at my overalls, pistols still intact at my holsters.

"I'll take option B," I said. "Why aren't you hunting me, anyway?"
"I'm not one of them," she said. "And He knows it."

I stared at her. She looked batshit crazy, with her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. But if there was one thing I recognized in that expression, it was that she was telling the whole and honest truth.

I grabbed her hands and pulled them off my shoulders. "I'm going to fight Him," I said.

She shook her head rapidly. "No no no no no--"

"Yes, yes, and yes," I said, stepping around her. "I'm going home."

"How are you going to fight, then?!" she cried.

I turned and smiled at her. "I won't. The bombs will."