The Slender Man (a Hetalia fanfiction - Book 2)

Chaoter 9 - Seeking

Italy's P.O.V

"GERRRMANYYYYYY!" I wailed as I ran through the trees towards the two very familiar people.
"W-What!?"
"Italy!?"
I threw my arms around Germany's waist as I cried, "I'm so glad to see you! It's so scary! I don't like it here! That tall scary man is following us and I wanna get ouuuut!"
He seemed to hesitate, then I felt his hand patting my back. "It's okay, Italy. We'll get out of here."
I stepped back and wiped my cheeks, then looked up at him. "Are y-you sure...?"
Before he answered, I heard footsteps get closer to us.
"Germany, Prussia." Japan greeted as he walked over. "Konnichiwa."
"Where did you guys come from?" Prussia asked, raising an eyebrow. Gilbird, whom sat on his owner's shoulder, tweeted cheerfully.
"W-We both woke up in these woods..." I answered, willing my voice not to shake. Although I'm relieved to have found Germany and Prussia, I'm still frightened by the situation we're in. If they're here, then the others could be wandering these woods, too. This is bad. Really, really, bad.
"Germany...what is going on?" Japan asked Germany. Germany looked down, opening his mouth, but he seemed to be hesitating.
"It's...hard for me to explain."
Japan was about to speak up until Prussia spoke up.
"Hey! Look at what the Awesome Me found!" He exclaimed with a grin as he pointed to our right. We turned towards that direction and at first, I didn't see anything, but when I look closer...
"Is that an opening?" Germany asked, squinting his eyes.
"It is!" Japan said, sounding shocked.
I widened my eyes when I saw it. An opening in the trees, a way out of the woods!
"Ve! Let's go!" I shouted, running towards that opening and I can hear the footsteps of the three following me.
It's still pretty dark out, but as I got closer, I can see the beach and even the ocean! A smile formed on my face and tears pricked in my eyes as relief washed over me.
Once I passed through all the trees, and my shoes began to hit soft sand, I shouted with joy.
"Yay! We're free we're free we're freeeeeee!" I sang and laughed as I spun in circles, my arms spread out.
We won't get lost in those scary woods anymore! It'll be much easier to find the hotel now!
As I spun, I looked up into the sky, then I immediately stopped spinning to gap at all the stars I can see now. Without the trees, it's so much easier to see the stars, and there are so many!
"Ve! Germany! Japan! Prussia! Look!" I called to them as they emerged from the trees not long after I did. "Look at all the pretty stars!"
"Wow..." Japan murmured in awe as he looked into the sky also. The moon is shining over our heads and it just made the beach look even more pretty under the moonlight's luminous glow.
"This is awesome!" Prussia shouted, throwing his hands into the air.
"I don't think getting out of the woods will help us," Germany said quietly and shook his head. I noticed that he isn't as relaxed as I hoped he would be. His body is still tensed up and his eyes are averted away, staring into the trees where we had emerged from. His expression is distressed.
"Wait, look at that." Japan's voice had me glancing from Germany and to the owner of the voice. Japan is pointing at the sand. We all looked down, but I don't see anything strange.
"Are those...footsteps?" Germany mumbled, his eyebrows furrowing.
That's when I noticed at the dents in the sand.
"They're probably mine," I said, remembering that I was just dancing around, but Japan shook his head.
"No, there a lot more than just yours," he said.
"They lead down the beach," Germany pointed out.
"Should we-"
Prussia's voice was cut off when wind began to blow around us, and it's a familiar one. Whispers, of shaking and crying children surrounded is.
"He always watches."
"He doesn't have any eyes."
"He sees all."
"Can't escape his sight."
I shivered and whimpered.
"Not again..." Prussia muttered, growing pale.
Then, in the distance, I heard someone yelling. It was quickly drowned out by the whispering and the wind, but I heard it.
"Was...that...?" Germany muttered and we all looked down the beach where that shout came from. Is that one of the others? I felt relieved, but then that was sucked right out of me when I realized that they were shouting. Are they in trouble?
"Let's go check it out!" Prussia suggested and Japan nodded in agreement. I decided to follow, because I'm beginning to feel that uneasy, intense feeling crawling up my spine.
We ran down the beach, and soon the whispers and the wind faded away, but I don't see anyone here.
I noticed a random group of big rocks, and this area has a strange feeling to it...it's not a good one.
"The air is unusually heavy," Japan muttered, looking around.
"Ja..." Germany said, looking unnerved.
The awful feeling is pressing down on me and I whimpered again, stepping closer to Germany. I looked around us, but I didn't see anything until...until I looked at the rocks again.
The tall, scary man is standing there, watching us. I saw black shadowy tentacles sticking out from his back, swirling around into odd forms, reminding me a bit like an octopus, but those tendrils are nothing like tentacles.
I've never seen that before.
"G-G-Germany!" I stuttered, grabbing at the sleeve of his shirt and pointed at the man. "He's here...!"
The three looked in the direction I'm pointing, and each of them widened their eyes.
"Everyone, run, now!" Germany commanded in a loud voice, but I heard it falter slightly.
Then we began to run away, continuing to follow the footsteps in the sand as we ran from the scary man.
I don't want to look back to see if he's still there, because I know he still is.
"Wait! Look!" Prussia pointed into a small group of trees not far from the woods, just ahead of us.
If I looked closely, I can see people.
Familiar people