I'm certain I'm at a point where I don't know how to feel about anything anymore.
So much has happened in such a short span; so many emotions I've had to feel, and all of it drastically changing in such small intervals of time that my brain can barely process.
I'm slow to a reaction as (Y/N)'s father, Ryan mowed (Y/N) down mercilessly to the ground with an AK-47 equipped in his hands. I watched blankly as (Y/N)'s body froze for only a few seconds before collapsing to the ground on the blood-soaked soil.
Silence.
It remained in complete stillness as everyone present at the scene slowly absorbed in the reality of what had just occurred. Even Masky dared not to utter a word as he too seemed taken aback by the deed.
After silence and waiting, my legs carry me forwards, slowly walking towards (Y/N)'s body while shaking. My emotions started to seep in after being delayed for some time; I felt tears beginning to form in my eyes.
No...this isn't what I wanted...this wasn't supposed to happen..!
I'm just about to reach the body, when I catch Ryan suddenly moving in the corner of my eye towards me and my focus quickly shifts to him in alarm. The man dropped his gun and stepped over (Y/N), throwing his arms around me and hugging me close to him.
"(Y/N)...." He shuttered, squeezing me as I stared past his shoulders with widened eyes. "God, we were so worried about you...I'm so sorry you were brought all the way out here...I'm so so sorry..."
"...."
I remained quiet and watched as Steven slowly made his way over and glared at the body of (Y/N) shakily before looking back to me and coming over to join the hug. His hand pressed into the back of my head and I could see that he was trying his hardest to hold himself together.
"We should've...we should've n-never let you go outside. N-Not after the murders in our neighborhood..." He barely uttered, "it's been too dangerous, yet we still allowed this..."
Again, I was trapped in a box of conflicted feelings. I...loved (Y/N)'s parents...after everything they did for me in the short time I was with them, even though it's true they never even knew I wasn't their real child. I wanted to genuinely enjoy the comfort of their embrace, I wanted to feel at peace and loved, but I knew I couldn't. It was all a lie, they didn't love me, nor did they even care about me.
They cared about (Y/N), and now thanks to our stupid mix-up, I allowed them to gun down their own child. Their real child.
I find myself starting to shake more violent as I come to realize all of this, and I felt myself growing sick.
"If it weren't for that man that came to us and told us you had been kidnapped and taken into the woods, we would've never known...we would've lost you," Steven began to speak again, now gently caressing my head.
"....Who....." I rasped lowly, slowly backing my way out of their hug. "Someone notified us that you'd been seen being dragged into the woods by this piece of shit bastard criminal here," Ryan sneered, slightly turning and jamming the steel of his boot against the unmoving form of (Y/N).
I flinched witnessing this, being the only one knowing he had kicked the dead body his own kid.
"He was kind enough to lead us here to where he saw you being taken," Steven stated. He then turned back and pointed from the direction they had came. I barely turn my head in said direction and see a man walking forth, a tall man with almost pale skin and silver gray hair wearing a casual black suit. His aura was strikingly familiar, and I didn't have to think much to know who this actually was.
I lower my head, gnashing my teeth together. It was obvious he had shape-shifted himself as a human so he could easily coax (Y/N)'s parents into coming here.
The 'man' walked up behind Ryan and Steven and glared straight at me with his glassy looking, white eyes. His face was twisted in a displeased scowl. I felt my forehead burning and I knew what fate awaited me.
There wasn't any use hiding anymore. It was all over. Both of my worlds had crumbled, and I saw no reason to conceal the truth any longer. Even if I tried, Slender was right here to immediately shut it all down. I'll never be happy again.
"Y-You're both wr-wrong..." I finally force myself to speak up, causing both Ryan and Steven to shoot me a confused glare. "I'm....I'm n-not...."
I looked down at my clothes—(Y/N)'s clothes that I was wearing and gripped the hem of the sweater, as my teeth begin chattering. Finally, I lift my head back up and look both Ryan and Steven in their eyes. I take in these last moments of them looking at me in concern—actual concern and care. I take a deep breath before finally calming myself and pushing back my emotions as far as I could manage.
"I-I'm n-n-n-not (Y/N-N). I l-lied to yo-ou. Both-th of you."
...Silence again. Then, Ryan gave an awkward chuckle, "What? Now's not the time for your jokes ...we need to get you out of these woods—"
"Look."
I slowly raise my hand and point to the body that was on the ground behind them. "That...that is (Y/N) (L/N). I deceived y-you and-d-d you kill-led your own ch-child."
Neither men said a word. I step up to the body, causing both Ryan and Steven to move aside in complete silence. I feel their eyes burning into me as I kneel before (Y/N) and examine their face. I pull off the mask that covered their mouth and brush their hair from out of their eyes.
I stare at the face of what looked like myself for a bit before pulling them into my lap, having their limp form face the two men.
I smiled, "A f-few days ago I snuck int-into your house with the i-intent of murdering every single one of—of you. Being that i-i-it is a job of mine, I was su-sup-p-posed to have ended everything quickly and quietly. However...I ran int-t-to the most strangest thing..." I gently poke (Y/N)'s cheek and chuckle, "this loser here...we qu-quickly found out we were each other's doppelgänger. We look alm-almost exactly alike...(Y/N) managed to get me t-t-to put aside my task at hand and m-mess around with them by dressing-g up like them t-to see how much alike we could lo-o-ok." I pull my finger from their face and my smile fades, "well, it wor-worked a lot better than expected...my p-p-partner who was also a killer mi-i-ixed the two of us up and ran off with (Y/N), leaving me-e behind to face you two." I looked up at Ryan and Steven, at the same time I avoid their expressions as I spoke, "We'd fucked up p-pretty bad...and it wasn't even supposed t-to go this far...but...when I-I met-t you two, it was unlike anything I've ev-ever-r experienced before. You were like..." I looked down, "...the family I a-always wanted...you were both-th the kind of D-Dad I wish I had...but I never got. Your kindn-ness, your care changed everything. I didn't want-t t-to give it up, but now I s-see what it has costed me..." I glance back down to (Y/N), "(Y/N) must've wen-nt mad, having been forced to act as m-m-me while I impersonated them. While I was in the saf-safety and comfort of your home, (Y/N) was exposed to th-things a normal conforming civilian should n-ever see...it got to a point where they ...outrageously thought i-i-it would be seen as justice to murder everyone th-tha-a-t I lived-d with."
I heaved a long heavy sigh before continuing, "None of this was supposed t-to happen. If I had just killed (Y/N) that one ni-n-night...most of my hou—housemates would still been a-alive. If I had just es-escaped and went home the same-e day you two brought me home, maybe (Y-Y/N) would st-still be alive and back in your arms. Maybe everything-g would've g-g-gone back to normal and we c-could've all pretended none of this ha-had ever happened."
I scoffed and let out a chuckle, "But no, I was selfish. I wa-wanted their life. And now I've t-t-taken it away."
I prepare myself before daring to look up at (Y/N)'s fathers again. When I finally look, it was all but expected what I saw. Steven's hand was clasped tightly over his mouth as his eyes kept darting between me and his true dead child in my lap. Ryan's whole body was shaking as he stared at (Y/N) slumped against me, his eyes were watery and he looked to be on the verge of a meltdown.
"Y-Y-You...." Steven slowly stuttered, now removing his hand from his face, "you...you...you li-little....."
He was lost in trying to put together words to use against me and he stared at me with furious, reddened eyes as he bit his lip, trying not to let anymore words leave his mouth.
Suddenly, Ryan broke out into a heart-wrenching scream that echoed throughout the trees, his hands clawing at his face like he'd gone mad. He'd realized what he'd done. The mistake he made was irreversible. He knows now, he shot his own child when it should've been me. It was supposed to be me. But thanks to me, he couldn't have told any different, and now it's too late.
"I—" I tried to speak again.
"DON'T!!!" Ryan shouted at me. He shook his head before he suddenly lunged forwards at me and clasped both his hands around my neck, forcefully dragging me up to my feet. I grabbed onto his hands but I didn't attempt to fight him; I only stared into his eyes now full of hatred, pain, and betrayal. I knew these would be the last emotions anyone would ever look at me with. I didn't care to defend myself anymore.
I stared at Ryan feeling empty as he began to shake me and scream relentlessly in my face. I quietly took the impact as he suddenly slammed me against the ground with all his might, attempting to smash my head against the ground. For a second, I see Steven's form watching us then quickly moving to the body of (Y/N) and throwing himself before it, cupping their face in his hands.
In the corner of my eye I see Masky now running towards me and Ryan, and on the other side, the silver haired 'man', was beginning to take shape of his true form. It wasn't long before Ryan was about to bash my head against the ground again but tendrils quickly wrapped around his waist and flung him off of me and onto the ground opposite side of me.
I wasted no time in trying to catch my breath before calling out to Slender as he stood towering over a disgruntled and bewildered Ryan. "S-SLENDER! Don't hurt—"
"Silence. You're done Tony. Nothing more from you."
I tried to pull myself up but Masky quickly dropped to his knees next to me and held me close to him with his one arm, attempting to calm me down.
"Masky, LET GO!"
"This has to happen, Toby—"
"NO!"
I struggled and watched helplessly as Slender slightly bent himself before Ryan.
"At first, I didn't care what became of you and your husband. I would've never even bothered to seek your presence again after gaining the allegiance of (Y/N)," Slender's voice scowled as he faced down at a now panicked, speechless Ryan. "But now that you've killed the most valuable vessel I could've ever owned, you've managed to induce my unforgiving rage."
I watched as his tendrils grab Ryan again and this time slam him against a tree. I only last a second flailing out of Masky's hold before he catches me again and holds me down while I start yelling. Slender of course ignores me. There's nothing I can do.
I watched Slender's aura visibly rise around him and Ryan's terror-stricken stare gawked at Slender's bizarre appearance. Seconds later, his tendrils penetrate the helpless male's body in countless areas, causing him to let out a choked gag before slowly fading away right then and there. His eyes were frozen in their wide, petrified state.
Slender eventually releases; Ryan's impaled body slumps to the ground and stays there in a crumpled heap of blood. I pound my fist against the ground in a wordless tantrum as my throat tightens at seeing the man I actually cared about now wasted away.
Slender turns and starts for his next target.
Steven remained on the ground hugging (Y/N)'s body. He didn't move, he didn't say anything. I couldn't tell if he even noticed what happened to his husband or not. He was...gone, it seemed.
I watched helplessly as Slender grabbed Steven by the neck and held him up in the air. Steven didn't react; he only stared. It hurt me. He was quick to end (Y/N)'s other father, in the same manner as Ryan, and carelessly tossed his body aside.
Masky finally lets go of me, but my next move is to instantly throw myself at (Y/N)'s corpse. I felt the presence of Slender gliding up behind me, but I ignored him; I kept my sole focus on (Y/N).
"You must be very well aware of the punishment for your numerous vices, Toby."
I don't even bother to look up at him. I don't care anymore. He was a traitor and a monster. I knew exactly what was in store for me, and I was wholeheartedly ready.
"I'm aw-aware."
I close my arms in a tight embrace around (Y/N)'s unmoving form.
"Subordinate. You may as well have broken every existing rule of a proxy while you were at it."
"May-Maybe I fucking should have s-since you were so eager t-to replace us in th-h-he first place-e."
Slender says nothing for a long while, then I see his aura visibly appear again. This was clearly it for me. This was going to be the punishment for my offenses against the code of a proxy.
Death, is the only thing fit for a disobeying vessel.
Even Masky looked at me with a distraught look in his eyes. "I'm—I'm sorry...s-so sorry Toby—" He barely stammered before getting caught on his words, and he had to turn away from me.
"Don't-t apologize. I'll fi-finally be free..." I murmured, glancing at Masky one last time before resting my head against (Y/N)'s. "I'm sorry, (Y/N)," I whispered, watching my tears drops onto their cold, grimy face. "I'm s-s-sorry f-or ev-erything-g..."
"Toby Erin Rogers, The Proxy," SlenderMan's voice boomed in my head, causing a ring of pain to surge through my body just from the sound, "I release you from your servitude. This vessel is no longer yours. Rest in banishment."
I feel the one and only symbol itself burning into my head. I could see blood—familiar black colored blood beginning to drip down my face in small droplets, then it began to pour uncontrollably. My vision started to go blurry and I felt myself being forcefully detached from my own body. I gaze at (Y/N) and barely force a smile as I look down on them. I hope...I really hope they were finally at peace.
"...Later then..." I exhale my last words before I feel a agonizing tear rip through my whole being and everything completely blacks out.
꧁꧂