Forever Alone (Book 1 of the Misguided Killer Series)

Chapter Seventeen: Strange Circumstances

"Ow!" Jeff swore, glaring at the male beside him. Ben growled, shoving him head into place again. Ben was currently sewing up the gashes in Jeff's face due to the killer's request. Though he certainly wasn't happy about it. "Fucking be careful you asshole!"

"Just shut up already," the blonde hissed, poking the needle through flesh again, "you're pulling the stitches. And remember that you did this to yourself you dumbass. God knows why. You're too fucked up to ever be mistaken for human."

'Thank god,' Jeff thought, crossing his arms with a huff. He felt the needle jab him again, though not where it was supposed to. "Damn it Ben! Either you're incompetent or doing this on purpose!"

"What is going on in here?" Came a sharp question. The two boys paused, Ben holding the needle threateningly and Jeff reaching for his knife. Masky stood in the door, looking unimpressed with the situation. Or as unimpressed as he could with his expressionless mask. He looked them over and shook his head, entering the room and nudging Ben aside. Jeff settled again as Masky reached for his blade, using the tip to cut out Ben's uneven stitching and re-threading the bloody needle.

"If I'm not needed anymore then I'm leaving," Ben announced, turning and walking out without another word. Jeff was more than happy to watch him leave. Masky silently pressed the needle through flesh, gentle in his movements.

'Strange,' Jeff thought, 'you'd never see him as gentle at first glance.' Jeff sat still as the proxy worked. After a moment Jeff decided to speak. "So Masky...how'd you ever meet Slendy anyway?" The man looked at him before turning back to his work. At first Jeff assumed the man wouldn't say anything, so when he finished off one side of his mouth and moved to sit on his other side Jeff stayed silent.

"It's a long story," Masky said after he'd started on the other side. "I was working on a video project with Hoodie and some other people. The situation was...less than ideal. Slenderman was watching the director, had been for a while."

"How did you meet him then?" Jeff asked, "If he wasn't watching you then how'd you become a proxy." The man shifted and Jeff could tell he was uncomfortable. Yet he continued to speak anyway.

"I was sick," the man said, "badly. I was basically dying, not that anyone wanted to say that. So during one of the scenes I went into the forest to take a smoke break. My sickness started acting up again. If Slenderman hadn't come across me and decided to make me his proxy, well...likely I'd still be out there. Dead." He finished off his other cheek, beginning to put everything away and clean up. "It was a good trade in my opinion. I wasn't going to die, and all I had to do was some tasks for Slenderman. My only regret was that Hoodie had no idea what had happened to me."

"So Slender made him a proxy too because of that?" the male asked, curious. He'd never cared about the backgrounds of the other Creepypastas, but now he wanted to know.

"The director of the film was planning on killing him," Masky said, pausing, "so I had planned to go take him out before he killed Hoodie. Instead, Slenderman told me to go in without my mask and play decoy. When Hoodie got close enough Slender showed himself. I had to fake my sickness again, and Hoodie nearly took off before I could explain anything. Yet he came with us willingly. I've never been more grateful to anyone than I am to Slenderman." He stood, walking away without another word. Jeff watched him leave before staring at the door. He sat in silence before deciding to go out for a walk.

He slipped through the window, taking off into the trees. It was cool now, the chilled air fresh against his skin. He smiled, humming to himself as he walked. 'Now I know why Slender lives out here,' he thought, 'it's nice.' Speaking of the tall man, Jeff's mind turned to him. What exactly were they now? He wasn't sure. 'Does he want a relationship like that? I mean, I know Ben and Jack are a thing now, and Masky and Hoodie have been a thing since god knows when, even if they won't admit it, but Slender's different. What does he want...?' Suddenly, long arms wrapped around his torso. He startled, before calming into the grip. He knew exactly who it was. 'Guess this answers my question a bit.'