I'll protect you (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 10

Slender Man P.O.V.

~Memory Lane~

"Goodbye tall man!"

"Let's play again tomorrow!"

"Bye, bye!"

The children bid their farewells before embracing me one last time. With a grin on their innocent features, they waved goodbye before running back towards the cul de sac. I watched as they made their way out of the forest and towards the sidewalk.

Sweet innocent souls, it's almost time to leave them and let them fend for themselves. It never gets any easier leaving them. I suppose it's all worth it in the end. They grow to become fine, respectable, adults.

I stood behind a large tree and made my way through the shadows. Getting closer towards the cul de sac, I made sure each child made their way home safely. I can hear them speak to their parents in excitement, saying how much fun they had playing with the "tall man." I chuckled when their parents humored them and shared their own stories about the "tall man." I'm amazed some of the adults here were able to remember playing with me. Well I shouldn't be too surprised; children become wiser by the generation.

Watching as the last child made it home, I was about to make my way back towards my own home until I heard what sounded like whimpering. I look back towards the empty sidewalk. The crying wasn't coming from any of my children, no, this whimpering was from another child. The source of the crying was coming from the forest.

I rushed through the shadows desperately looking for the child in hopes that he, or she, wasn't injured. I came to a stop when I saw a small figure hunched over with something in hand. It was a small child, trembling and sobbing onto its ripped up teddy bear. His aura demonstrated sadness and heartbreak as he tried to put the teddy bears stuffing back inside its ripped body. "I'm s-sorry M-Mr. Bear," he sniffled, repeating his words again and again. My heart clenched tightly at the scene before me. Poor thing, I wonder what's happened to his stuffed animal? More importantly, how did he get here in the forest? Weren't his parents worried about him? I don't hear any panic coming from the town, maybe this child came to the forest unnoticed?

I grew closer to the small child. It was a little boy no more than four or five years old. His short hair was a beautiful gold color, his skin looked almost porcelain, and his eyes were hazel with long lashes. I was mesmerized with the boy's appearance. It's been a long time since I've seen a creature with such natural beauty. He looked... angelic.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when the boy's whimpers became louder. "Grandma, why d-did you have to g-go?" the boy hiccuped. "N-Now I-I'm all alone."

I should do something; it hurts too much to see this innocent soul cry. Tugging at my suit with my left hand I used my free hand to reach inside my inner pockets. I pulled out several small sheets of colored paper and quickly folded them each, with the help of my appendages, into different kinds of flowers. After finishing, I detached a few of my appendages from my back and quietly sent them towards the boy along with the paper flowers.

"Hng," the little boy sniffled as he wiped the tears from his face. He straightened his back from his hunched position and was about to start walking who knows where.

Little boy? I whisper in a soft voice inside his head. He gasps from the sound of my voice and quickly analyses his surroundings. I held back a chuckle; the children always react like this at first.

"H-Hello?" the boy asks in a shaky voice.

I move one of my free appendages towards a bush behind the boy and made a small ruffling noise to catch his attention. He quickly turns towards the bush and trembles fearfully. Don't be afraid, I said as I pull out an origami lotus flower out of the bush and waved it around a little, I'm a friend.