Masks

Chapter 25

We still weren't any closer to finding a way out of the hell we'd been thrown into. Zac and Toby had nearly found us several times by now, though it was my thoughts that haunted me more than the fear of them killing us. All I could think of was my sister and what I'd done to her. It had obviously been a hallucination but everything had felt so real... and what I'd done to her, or thought I could've been doing to her, made me constantly feel sick from the guilt. She'd been a brat but even she hadn't deserved to die.

I gave a dry cough and walked back over to where Tim was sleeping. "We need to get out of here... even if it's just one of us."

The rules of the 'game' had never stated we couldn't get out- never said we could either but they wouldn't tell us how anyway. I couldn't help but wonder just how morbid the way to escape could be, given how cruel everything else was here. It wouldn't come to much of a surprise if death was the way to escape and this was just a fun 'minigame' inside the master plan- if things like Slenderman even had those. I picked up the knife from where Tim had left it on the ground and examined the sharp blade.

"We wouldn't know if death was the answer unless it was tested out." I looked at Tim, wondering if it was as easy to stick a knife in a real person as it was the hallucination... The knife fell from my grasp. "I'm not going to test that theory. I can't do that- they wanted me to turn on him! I won't play their stupid mind games."

I began pacing the small area in frustration. All we were doing at this point was prolonging the inevitable. No matter what they'd find and kill us eventually. "The trees are thinning out again like the area where we saw the hallucinations of Alex and Jay... what if we're close to finding something?"

The fact we hadn't seen Slenderman or The Operator began bothering me as I continued walking back and forth. They were obviously keeping tabs on us- even playing those tricks on us- but why weren't they showing up?

"Is it because of my theory? Because if Slenderman makes me attack him The Operator will just show up to defend his source? ...But I doubt he'd do the same if the opposite was true. Proxies are easily replaceable to him." I stared into the fog as I heard a branch crack. "Shit..."

Behind me Tim started coughing and I heard the footsteps steadily getting closer; they knew where we were. I grabbed the knife from the ground, wondering if our luck was finally running out. We'd avoided proxies and monsters, and Tim somehow managed to keep going without his medication- I couldn't let it end like this without a fight.

I could see two figures running through the mist. Thankfully they hadn't seen us quite yet, but it wouldn't be long until they did. "Tim, hey. Wake up."

"Huh?" He immediately looked around the area as he got to his feet.

"Take this and run." I put the knife in his hand. "They'll be here soon."

I bolted back the way we came from a day before, making sure Tim stayed in front of me. "If that theory is true... The Operator might save him if he's attacked. But not if I'm here helping him..."

I gradually slowed before turning and running diagonally back to where we started. The shouts got closer and this time I saw a flash of blue as Zac ran past nearby. Another call came a second later and I looked over my shoulder to see Toby chasing after me with Zac slowly joining after him with one last look back the way they'd been heading in. A grim smirk came over my face; I was unarmed and had two proxies ready to kill me right on my heels but I couldn't change my mind now.

A heavy force landed on my back and I heard Zac's sinister laugh in my ear as I was tackled to the ground. I wheezed, faintly surprised at how fast he'd caught up.

"Did you really think you could take us on without a weapon?" His stupid grin turned into a scowl. "No... You just had to be weak and give it to your partner. As if that'll save him. We're going to fucking kill you and then hunt him down like a dog... and I for one, am going to have so much fun with it."

I twisted around and hit him, faint blood trailing down his face from one of my nails as he fell back from the unexpected retaliation. The smile curling back across his face, however, made it clear that he enjoyed it and he paused to wipe his cheek before licking it off his hand.

"Gross." I coughed and slowly started getting up.

"Yeah... this is going to be fun. I'm going to make you beg for us to kill-"

Toby roughly pushed past him, silencing the newer proxy as he readied his hatchet. "D-don't waste t-time t-alking."

I barely avoided the first swing and stumbled back, nearly tripping back onto the ground. The second hatchet was already in motion and I dodged to the side. A cry of pain escaped and I looked down to see a deep glancing cut to my ribs- parts of the bone now visible between the blood and cut fabric. I staggered back, a hand over my side as I fled. With the wound they'd easily catch up, though I didn't doubt they were enjoying watching me try to limp away.

"This... wasn't... a good choice- should've known... I'd die..." I fell to my knees, my vision already blurring in and out with each breath.

Animalistic gurgling came from the right, barely registering in my mind before the grey skinned creature making it was on top of me. Another pained shout went through me before rising into an agonized shriek as I felt its sharp claws cut into my flesh like paper. My arms, which I'd put up initially in self defense against it, were painted crimson with my blood. The beast gave one last swipe to my abdomen before growling in frustration as Toby and Zac chased it off.

"Stupid thing... really took a few hours of playtime away from us." Zac sighed and knelt down, prodding the deeper gashes with a small folding knife.

I flinched and tried to get away only for Toby to plant a foot on my arm to restrain my weakening body. My jaw clenched as I held back the howl of pain, not wanting to give them the satisfaction. The attempt was broken through by a direct hatchet swing to the stomach. The screech died and was replaced by coughing from the blood filling my throat. My vision went blinding white from the pain.

Faintly I registered Slenderman's presence, though the pain in my head was nothing to the rest of me. "I should've... listened... should've... done- done something else..."

I could barely see anything. My eyes were starting to feel too heavy to keep open. Coughing wracked my body as I fought to breathe.

"Look... tragic hero..." I could hear Zac chuckle somewhere next to me. "Too late-"

Sounds of fighting reached me soon after, though it sounded muffled. Everything was starting to sound muffled. A scream managed to break through, though I couldn't tell who's- I prayed it wasn't Tim's.

There was a harsh kick to my side before Toby's voice broke through the fog. "-Go... be here... now!"

"Your fault I... Ticci piece of..." The voices were getting fainter, blurring together.

I struggled to force my numbed limbs to move. To do anything. The pain was fading but the bleeding wasn't.

"Ash." Tim's voice was right next to me, though the feeling of having cotton balls stuffed in my ears didn't go away. "Ashely... Dammit... why...listen...?"

I couldn't answer if I'd wanted to. Blood filled my mouth and throat despite my attempts to swallow it. Next to me I could hear Tim's coughing growing worse and the whitenoise putting pressure in my mind increased as The Operator arrived. I gave a choked whine from the agony as Slenderman tried to take control of me.

"Heh... d-damn... d-de...mon... can't-can't... be a.... Pu-puppet... if my... if my b-body's br-oken..."

"Ash... can't... on me too! ....Here..." Tim continued shouting but I couldn't make out what he was saying.

I felt cold. Everything was dark.