The Proxies (ENG)

CHAPTER 4: A Loss

Jack was devastated, days had passed since the last time he saw his sister, his head was spinning thinking about where the little girl could be, while he hung wanted notices in every corner he found. The news had become famous, Jack had been interviewed by the local press several times in the last few days, for him it was hell, a hell full of people who didn't really care about his sister, they just wanted to have more audience on their TV shows. He was tired, alone, and didn't know what to do anymore.

"Hey man... How are you...?" Jeff asked, walking over to Jack, who was posting notices around the school, next to Ben, who was comforting him.

"...the hospital called today. Dad killed himself..."

"Oh God... I'm so sorry."

"I don't know what to do anymore, brother... I'm tired... I haven't been able to sleep these last few nights..."

"Hey... it's okay... come here." Jeff said, opening his arms to him.

The three friends gave each other an emotional hug, tears began to run down Jack's face, finally, so many days of stress had broken him, since Sally left, an emptiness dominated his heart, an emptiness that consumed him more and more while Days passed, the hole in his chest only grew.

"Jack, I know it's not okay for me to ask this, but... what did your father say to you back there that day?"

"He... said that The Slender Man is real, and that all this is caused by him... he said that he wants us, all of us... at this point, I don't know what to believe anymore..."

Ben looked at Jack curiously about what he had just said.

"Did he tell you anything else?" Ben asked.

"He said... the end of the world will come, it's what we dream about... what he described sounded exactly like what we dream about..."

"I keep having nightmares, they haven't stopped since the apocalypse dream... I see death, destruction... I'm tired of this shit..." Jeff said

"Yes me too." Ben said.

Toby looked out the window, outside the school, with a remorseful expression that betrayed the sheer desperation he was in. The boy turned around, and started walking in the direction of Jeff's house.

When Toby arrived, he saw Milo outside, lying on the ground, almost out of energy.

"Hey, pss pss, hey, big guy!" Toby said as he took several dog biscuits out of his pocket, Milo lifted his head, acknowledging Toby, then he got up awkwardly, and started to follow him. The boy walked into the woods, leaving cookies on the ground for Milo to eat on the way.

Already deep into the forest, Milo began to tire more and more, walking slower and panting constantly, although trying to keep up with Toby, while the boy's guilty face widened. A sound was heard in the distance, almost like cracking wood, and Toby knew it was time. The boy closed his eyes, when a large black branch came out of the shadows, piercing Milo's chest, the dog whimpered in pain as he lay down on the ground, and died trying to eat the last cookie.

"Sorry, pal..." Toby said, almost in tears.

"Why are you sorry, boy?" Said the demonic voice inside Toby's head.

"They don't deserve this... they don't deserve to die..."

"I understand, boy. But, they don't die, and they won't die. They are reborn, reborn to support our cause, the cause of a better world. You see, little one. All of them, every person and animal you see on the street, all they are impure, they are a pest that must be eliminated. You, my boy, are special. You are more important than any of them. These people, these animals... they don't matter in the grand scheme of things. The only ones that matter are you, me, and whomever we purify. Do you understand?"