HOMEOSTASIS

Prologue

"Understand that soon,
You'll run with better men,
Alone again."

⦻⦻⦻

Kate slammed the door shut, ignoring the deafening silence all across the mansion. Walking past the big and empty rooms, papers in hand, not at all looking forward for the next ten minutes or so. Her throat scratched and burned, making her cough violently, bumping her shoulders against doorframes, a panicked pace on her feet.

She was fast and rushed as she swerved each decaying corner, hand brought to the top of her head, as to cancel any light coming from the lamps on the ceiling. She's not very fond of light in general. She'd rather move during the night. At least, when she has a choice.

At last, she arrived at her destination, larynx still mercilessly scraping like nails against chalkboard. Not even bothering to knock, she entered the empty office at the end of the long hallway, this time closing the door nice and slowly.

Skeptical, she sat in front of the neat and clean desk in the center of the room, papers resting on her lap. The nerves grew from the pit of her stomach to the top of her throat, as a very familiar dread started spreading all around. She knows this ambience all too well. It screams madness and sickness, but God knows how used to it she is. But just because she's used to it, doesn't mean she likes it. Amongst all the silence and heavy breathing and coughing, soft thunder and violent rain poured outside the window, allowing her to focus on something other than the fear.

A big and cold hand pressed against her shoulder suddenly, and from the reflection on the window, she could see a tall and dark figure rising from behind her. The creature made its way to the seat across the desk, twitching and slowly, its empty gaze lingering upon her.

With careful and silent movements, Kate brought the papers up, but the slender figure didn't seem to budge.

"Uhm..." She started, "I got the... the police reports that you requested, master..."

The entity known as Slenderman brought its head down, almost as if looking at the papers. Suddenly, a loud vibrato resonated through the walls and shook her brain, a loud ringing filling her ears. It was his way of showing gratitude- that, she knew. But man, is it inconvenient to get that sensation every time he tries to "converse".

"Brian and Tim should be arriving any time soon, along with Toby." She closed her eyes as another ringing echoed through her skull and she sighed, "I... uh... Master, I've done what you told me. Can I go back to Oakside-?"

This time it brought her down to her knees, forced to cover her ears in hope of stopping the grainy screech that sounded all too suddenly. As always... never letting her finish even her own thoughts.

It's been three years- she can't believe it's 2016 already- since she's become Slenderman's proxy. His first of the generation and certainly not the last. She's been forced to do all the dirty work while she witnessed her own mental sanity degrading itself to inhumane levels, and she could do nothing about it. She had a will to live and a goal, unlike most people she and the others come across. But does she miss Oakside- her home. The last time she was there, she was forced to leave her childhood friends to die: Carl to his grave, and make one for Lauren. And God knows what happened to Charlie Jr., her cousin. Half of it has been a story that she can barely comprehend, yet she's lived through it. Much to her own demise.

All she wants is to go back home- no matter if she lives by herself in the middle of nowhere. Nothing but that thing in front of her scares her anymore, at this point. That place holds her like nobody else does. At least not anybody else in that mansion, because she'll be damned if she's even able to express herself to other people. She's been incapable of that ever since she caught the Slender sickness, and became a proxy, a slave. Oh, but she's a leader. She knows she can if she needs to. The four proxies are close, but maybe not enough. That's okay with her.

However, her master has other plans. He always does.

Before she even opened her mouth to try and speak, the big wooden doors from downstairs slammed shut, and her attention was brought to another target. She looked back at the faceless figure behind the desk, and it nodded slowly and creeping. So, she adjusted her mask and put herself back on her feet.