Y/N's POV
Trees rattled in the wind. Sunlight shined through their leaves turning them a lighter green. Tall grass tickled the ends of your tail. It felt good to get fresh air after being cooped up in the mansion.
Masky was perched against a tree. He brought you here.
Forest patrolling. You felt a little uneasy by his pretense. Him hitting you for no apparent reason had made you unsure how to feel around him.
He had shifted his mask to the side to smoke. You could see his brown eyes and cheekbones. Shadows cast over his face and a cloud came billowing out his nose. He tapped some ash onto the grass, looking upward.
A small radio device clipped to his jean let a blaring sound. There was static on the other end before a voice erupted from the speaker.
"Masky.Masky.Masky.Masky.Masky.Masky.Masky.Masky.Masky.MAsky.Masky.Masky.Masky.MaskyMasky.Masky.Masky.MaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMaskyMasky-"
You recognized it. Toby? He didn't stammer once. Masky cussed under his breath, pushed himself off the tree, and jammed a button on the walkie talkie, speaking into it.
"What."
"T-that annoys you d-doesn't it?"
"Yes. Now tell me what the hell do you want?
"I- would like to know how the m-ermaid is doing."
Masky's face instantly darkened and you could see his every muscle in his face tighten.
"These walkie talkies. Are. For Important. Transmissions," he muttered in a terribly pissed voice. There was a moment before another reply came.
"T-the me-mermaid is impo-ortant. I-If a-an-anything ha-ppened to her, S-slender man would k-kill you. And t-then I'd bring y-you back to l-life and I'd kill yo-u again."
Masky licked his upper lip.
"Oh yeah?"
"Y-yeah."
"She's isn't dead."
"I-I want to hear that from h-her."
Masky stared down at the device. He pressed the reply button for a long time, thinking whether to say no or yes, before letting it go.
He threw the walkie talkie to you. You nearly dropped it. He was letting you use it?
Inspecting the several buttons you pressed the one that stood out the most once.
"H...hello?"
"Hold it down," said Masky, "And then speak into it."
You did what he said.
When you let the button go it let out a beep, startling you. Did that mean the message was delivered?
"H-hey!"
Toby replied. His voice bounced off the speakers. It worked!
"Toby," you said.
"Li-ttle m-mermaid. H-ho-ow are you?"
"F..fine."
"H-how does it f-eel to b-e in the forest?"
"T..there are so many kinds of birds. I'm use to just seagulls."
There was laughter on the other side of the audio.
"Only seagulls?"
You giggled, now finding the thought funny.
"Y...yu..yeah."
Toby cleared his throat.
"I-Is Ma-sky b-being n-nice? H-he d-does have a tendency to be rough. Even with the ladies."
"U...um...hm..."
You remember all the times he hit you, beat you. Masky gave you a look. You gulped.
"..I...I...didn't k..know."
"T-that's...huh. O-okay then."
You heard shuffling feet in the back of device audio.
"Me and Hoodie h-have to get back on p-patrol duty. I-It was... n-nice talking to you, m-mermaid. B-bye."
___________________________________
Hoodie's POV
Hoodie fixed his hood. His gun was loaded.
Forest duty. The walkie talkie hadn't made a sound since the mermaid called.
Toby trudged by his side with a axe slung over his shoulder. They followed a dirt trail. Sunshine shun on Hoodie's shoulder. Birds twittered. He smiled a little behind his frowning mask.
BANG.
Out of instinct Hoodie ducked. Dirt meet his cheek and his arms felt the impact. There were several more banging sounds. He didn't look up until he was certain his attacker was reloading. His cheek stung but he was more focused on his surrounding.
Toby wasn't down on the ground. He was up and charging at two people.
One was a woman in blue. A cop. Another was a man with curly hair who stuck close to her side. The woman held a gun. The two from the cafe. The woman kept shooting at Toby, hitting his shoulders and chest. He couldn't feel it but he soon began to stumble. He was getting close. Hoodie had almost got his gun out.
BANG.
Toby stopped in his tracks. Blood completely soaked his brown shirt. He had been shot right in the heart. Hoodie yanked out his gun.
"F*ck fu-."
He shot at her. She dodged his bullets and the curly haired man beside her tackled them both to safety into the bushes. However the cop left her gun behind.
Hoodie made a dash for it. He swiped her weapon, tucking it in his back pocket and slung Toby's arm around his shoulder.
He took him behind a tree. It was cooler under these branches of a Evergreen. He leaned his partner against it's trunk. Toby's breaths were shaky. Hoodie took off his hood, revealing his frowny shirt under it, and pressed it to his wound.
It absorbed a lot of blood. Hoodie grimaced. Toby looked at him, tiredly. He couldn't feel anything but it didn't mean he didn't know how hurt he was.
"Stay put," Hoodie grumbled. He begin to stand up but Toby held him back. The googled boy had a tight grip on his arm.
"N-no."
Toby sighed.
" I-I think t-this is it."
He was smiling but his eyes looked sad.
"Y-y-you're the....l-last thing I'm e-ever going to se-e."
He gave a grin.
"I don't know whether to be disappointed or not-"
Even while dying he could still manage to be a smart ass. Hoodie felt his vision blurring.
No.
NO.
"Listen....I'm glad. I'm glad I lasted th-is long. I'm g-glad I m-met you."
Toby straightened himself, writhing slightly.
"Y-you h-have to g-get back to p-patrol duty, rid-ding hood."
He clutched his wound.
"H-hopefully i-it's a w-while before we meet a-again."
Toby's cheeky grin slowly became frozen on his face. And the life left his eyes.
___________
Y/N's POV
Masky stifled a cough. You watched his chest heave. His heart beat fastened. However the cigarette stayed in his mouth.
Why did he keep smoking if it had this affect on him? You wondered.
"I see you looking."
he murmured. His brown eyes met yours. He looked different in the sun's lightning. Gentler. You didn't know what to say. He came closer and leaned forward, putting his weight on your armrests. Your noses almost touched. He purposely blew smoke right into your face. You coughed, tears coming to your eyes.
Masky smirked.
"That was rude" a voice said. It had come out of nowhere. Masky had his gun out, meaning he had heard it too.
"Who's there?"
"Just me."
"Show yourself."
"I am."
Masky glanced around.
"Where are you, coward."
There was laughter.
"I'm no coward, human. I assure you. I'm Land."
Land.
You've heard Sky and Ocean talking about Land. He was the being who took human and animal life.
"Land," you said aloud.
"Y/N! We haven't personally met, have we?"
"No," you answered, "H..hi."
A branch in the tree over you bent all the way forward and booped your nose. It then pointed down at Masky. The proxy looked bewildered and tried to hit it but it retracted quickly.
"Who's this pessimistic human?"
"Oh um- He's Masky."
"I work with Slenderman," the proxy snarled, "I was ordered to keep watch and protect this mermaid."
"Oh. Slenderman? That tall thing in the human suit?"
"...Yes."
Land let out a sound of endearment.
"I like him! He manages to scare those trespassers that cut my trees and throw plastic in my grasses."
"Actually we forest patrollers are the ones who scare and keep the trespassers away-"
"The Slenderman orders you to. Anyway Y/N...."
"Yu..yes?"
"The Ocean-"
The being hesitated.
"Well if you ask me he's been asking strange."
"S..strange?"
"Yeah I don't know how to explain it. He's changed."
"That's what global warming does to a place," muttered Masky.
"Excuse me. I'm going through Global warming too! But you don't see me being distant or cold. Maybe I'll get mad and start a fire but overall-"
You heard it sigh again.
"I wish more humans would take me into consideration," said Land, "Some humans don't even know global warming exists."
There was a moment of silence.
Masky spoke up, "Maybe. But we've also got some who do know and care about Global warming. Groups who pick up trash, inventors coming up with solar devices-"
You looked at him. His expression wasn't mocking. He looked sincere.
"Groups who save animals caught in plastic, groups who plant as many trees as they can-"
Masky's walkie talkie interrupted him. You heard him mutter 'shit .' There was static before Hoodie's voice came on.
"I've got the two witness from the cafe."
More static.
"Oh and Toby is dead."
__________________________________________
A/N: The book is coming to a end! Happy Newyear!