Welcome Home, Serial Killer

Chapter 5 - Explanation

Sans was, at first, not too surprised he heard his dog talk. Honestly, he figured that was the final push over the edge, that he was went truly insane.

His eye lights snapped down to the couch. For the entire conversation with Undyne, the girl had been flashing throughout his mind. The same blood. The same noise of a body being torn in half, like a broken record in his mind, playing forever. A harmony of despair.

Don't. Don't think about it.

"So you can... uh, you can talk?" Sans asked, hugging the blanket around him.

"Yes," Smile Dog said, lightly pawing at the couch as he got comfortable. "I've always been able to. I believe you can tell by my face, but I'm not a normal dog."

Sans nodded. That and the... the voice. Normal dogs couldn't talk. Maybe he was a special breed of monster dog?

"My name is Smile Dog, I'm glad you kept it," He said, "And I'm thankful for your kindness. You've been a great help to me, so... I would like to return that."

"Return it?" His voice came out as a whisper.

"The man you were talking about, I know who he is." Smile Dog lay his snout onto Sans' lap. "His name is Slenderman. What you saw was real."

Sans froze. Real. He was real.

So why did Sans feel worse?

"That's his power," Smile Dog said, gesturing to Sans' expression. "Anxiety. Paranoia. He intensifies those feelings until you can barely function in your day to day life. You might have had those after seeing the girl... you know, but he increases those feelings. It's especially worse if you have a history of mental illness."

"Oh."

Sans felt like he was going to throw up. He didn't know why, he just felt like throwing up.

"Hey, hey, look at me." Before Sans could respond, Smile Dog was licking at his chin, causing Sans to snort from surprise at the ticklish feeling. When he did look, the dog continued to speak. "What you're feeling is amplified anxiety and paranoia from him. He cuts you off from people around you and creates the perfect victim. You can't let yourself think for too long like that."

"Okay, okay," Sans said. Don't think about it. Just like he always tried to do! Don't think about the girl or the man or how that was real or -

He suddenly gripped the blanket tightly, wearily looking towards the window. He might be outside. Sans didn't feel safe anymore.

"Aren't you wondering how I know about him?" Smile Dog tilted his head.

Wait, yeah, how did he... Undyne worked with the Police and had all major criminals on a watch list. She said none of them looked like the suspect, and their faces were classified anyway. Why would some talking dog know about it?

"You're aware of the string of murders in this town, correct?" The animals asked.

"... Yeah. I... I do."

"This will take a long explanation. It's a long story to explain what we are." His ears tilted back, then he looked at the kitchen. "Why don't we both grab some dinner, then talk while eating?"

Dinner. Food. Eat something.

"I don't... I'm not hungry," Sans muttered.

"Bullshit, yes you are. You haven't eaten in days," Smile Dog said.

Sans flinched at his tone. He really didn't feel like he could eat. If he did, he'd throw up. He was going to be sick if he did.

Seeing the panic spread across Sans' face, Smile Dog sighed. "Just a bite, alright. You don't have to eat much, but you won't hear the story unless you eat something."