Ragdoll Maker

Chapter Seven: Decisions

It was getting cold.

Toby has survived plenty of winters in the past. Doesn't mean he enjoyed them, though.

There was heavy snowfall, and it was bitterly cold. There was no heater in his little shack. When he first moved into the shack when he was younger, he thought he was going to die from the cold. He stole plenty of coats and blankets, anything to keep him warm enough. However, that was a difficult feat when he was trying to stay away from the police.

It has already been a few days since he's met the Creepypastas. He's gotten to know some of them a bit more, which was great. Some of them were surprisingly nice.

He constantly thought about his decision. He's made it this far on his own, but on the other hand, he could live comfortably if he agreed. But what of his friends? Would they accept his friends as well? If they didn't, it would be quite a shame indeed, but if they did... he'd have even more space to keep more friends.

And he wouldn't have to face this winter alone.

The time to make his choice was now.

Groaning and picking up a thick fur-lined coat, Toby prepared himself for the cold. "I'm heading out..." he said lamely to his friends before opening the door. He had to fight the gusting winds that pushed against him as he walked out and shut the door behind him.

It was a long walk, and every step made Toby feel weak, but he finally made it. He raised a fist to knock on the door, but it was already opened by the tall man, Slenderman, himself. Wordlessly, Slenderman stared down at him before grabbing the hood of his coat and pulling him inside, shutting the doors behind them.

Toby let out a sigh, pulling down his hood and shaking off his coat. He was hit by a comforting wave of warmth within the mansion, starkly contrasting from the frozen forest outside. "Ah... thanks... were you... expecting me?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, looking up to Slenderman's blank face. He nodded silently, beckoning Toby to follow as he walked into the living room.

Hoodie was already seated at the couch. Toby smiled and waved before sitting beside him. "Welcome back, Toby," Slenderman spoke through Hoodie's lips. "Have you come to a decision?"

"I have, actually..." Toby nodded, looking at the floor. "I've decided... I'll stay here."

Slenderman nodded. "Good. You may have your own room if you wish. Also, you may leave whenever you so desire, so long as you return whenever you are needed," he informed. Toby nodded, though he had no idea what that meant. "Can I... can I bring my friends?" he questioned shyly. "Of course. You may want to wait until the weather calms down, first," Slenderman advised. "Hoodie will show you to you're room now," he said before leaving the room.

Hoodie stood up from the couch, his freedom of speech returned. "Uh, yeah. Just follow me," he said, turning and walking upstairs. He opened the door across from TT's room to reveal a room with soft green walls, a desk, some shelves, and a plain looking but neatly made bed. Toby smiled at it, walking in. It had been years since he had a real room. One that kept out the cold and the rain... one that didn't make creepy noises as the wind blew through gaps in the old wood...

Hoodie leaned against the doorframe. "Just call me if you need anything," he nodded before walking away.

Toby walked over to his bed and turned around, falling to the mattress on his back. Ah... this is what he missed the most... a comfortable bed...

Or... maybe this... wasn't what he missed the most...

He missed having a mom who would tuck him into bed at night and kiss his forehead. He missed having a dad who was proud of him, one that encouraged him to innovate and become even better than he already was. He missed having a mom who would sit next to his bed and read him bedtime stories until his eyelids got droopy and he fell asleep. He missed having a dad who would make toys with him and teach him how to make dolls.

He missed having a mom who was always there for him. He missed having a dad who always cared about him.

He missed his family.

Toby turned over, pushing his face into his pillow. He hasn't thought about this in years, so why now? Now wasn't the time to think about this. His life was finally changing for the better... or at least, he hoped so. Now wasn't the time to dwell on what was and could've been. After all, he was a good son, and there was nothing he could have done to prevent his father from falling into stress-induced insanity.

He groaned, curling in on himself and furiously wiping away at a few stay tears. This was enough. He shouldn't be thinking about this. There was so much that was happening now, and so much to be done. He could worry about his family later. Now wasn't the time for feelings.

Toby stood up and closed the door, getting used to his new surroundings.

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It took quite a while for the weather to finally calm down. When it did, Toby was given a coat and he headed out with TT and Jack to retrieve his belongings.

"Hey, so didn't you guys say there were others?" Toby asked, to which Jack nodded. "Then where are they?"

"Th-They don't l-like to h-h-hang out h-here as much," TT explained. "S-So th-they go off on th-their own."

"Huh..." Toby shrugged. He could understand that. To be honest, that's what he was probably going to do as well. At least until he got used to living with so many people after years of solitude. Save for his friends, of course, but they weren't much for conversation.

There was also Mary...

Where was Mary anyway? Toby hadn't seen her for a few months. She usually checks up on him more often. Not that he wasn't glad for the sudden lack of his possessed-ex-friend, but he was simply curious. Where had she disappeared off to?

"What are you thinking about?" Toby snapped to Jack after hearing his voice, being brought back to reality. "You were looking off into space," the masked man explained.

"Oh... nothing, really," Toby shrugged, not particularly feeling the need to explain Mary's story at the moment. He should probably let them know at some point, however. Mary had a knack for finding him, even if he didn't want to be found. Though then again, no one can find the Slender mansion without being led there...

"You're doing it again," Jack pointed out. Toby chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry. Anyway, we're almost there!" he smiled.

After a bit more walking, the shack finally came into view. Toby beamed upon seeing it, picking up his pace. He threw the door open. "I'm home!" he called cheerfully. "And guess what? We're moving! It's a place a lot more comfy than here! And there's a lot more room as well!" he explained. As expected, his best friends remained silent.

TT and Jack walked in, with the former looking around the cramped space. "Huh... s-small place," he mumbled. Toby grabbed his bag and, after removing his "going out" clothes, began carefully stuffing some of his friends inside. He would probably be able to get more clothes at the mansion, anyway... even so, he put on his scarf and eyepatch.

"Wh-What are y-you d-d-doing that f-for?" TT asked with a curious expression. "Ah... just wanted to take these, just in case I'd be going out someday," Toby shrugged with a small grin.

The three young men each took armfuls of dollsand, after Toby grabbed his suitcase with his "friend making" materials, setoff to go back to the Slender mansion.

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[A/N] Hey! Sorry it took so long for this chapter, but here it is!

Thank you so much for the positive feedback!

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~CakeEater4