Loving a Monster

Good News Isn't Always Good

Reader's POV

Jack and I are walking through the forest a few hours before sunset, which is about dinner time. Our hands are intertwined. Each of us with gloves on, so I can barely feel his cold

Zalgo may be a horrible father, and I hate him for even suggesting my brother and I hurt each other, but he was a good teacher. He claims that tomorrow we'll start doing physical metamorphosis training. We'll learn to look more human, be able to get our bodies to function more human-like. At some point, we may even be able to eat human food without puking.

I can't wait until I can touch Jack again without hurting. Kiss him without having to pull away because I will end up passing out.

I withdraw from my thoughts when I spot a familiar tree. I stop in my tracks, my hand slipping from his. I look up at the pine and see the branch. Without thinking too much about it, I step up to the trunk. Almost immediately, my claw marks are evident.

I dig my new claws into their old markings and start to climb, slowly retracing my steps, hand-hold by hand-hold, foot by foot, until I reach the branch I once attempted to find sanctuary on. I dig my claws into their tracks and wrap up my tail, staring down at Jack with glazed eyes.

Behind the vision of the present, the night from the past is replaying. Jack, Tim, Brian, Toby, Jeff had all trapped me up here, cat-calling and teasing.

Looking past the memory, I see the confusion in Jack's eyeless sockets be replaced with recognition. I may love him, but even after four years, the memory of what he had said hurt.

Strangely, it wasnt that they wanted me down to kill me. It was that he would talk like that to any other girl that way, not that he talked to me like that in the first place. It was the idea that he had taken another woman, forcibly or not. It was the idea that his lustful sights would set on anyone, except me.

Before I know it, steam is rising from my cheeks as my tears evaporate.

As the memory closes, I mumble, mostly to myself, 'Ok. Back up. I'm coming down.' And so, I, once again, repeat my actions from that night, landing where I had landed, only a foot from Jack.

When I straighten, Jack shoves me into the tree, arms around my waist, face buried into my neck. Every where he touches is numb, but I don't care. I rest my arms around his shoulders, squeezing lightly, as I bury my face in his hair, smelling his amazing scent as I let my tears roll.

Jack starts to shake, though I dont think it's from laughing. It's too unsteady for that. He holds me tighter. I dont care that there are stars dancing in my eyes or darkness at the edge of my vision. I hold him tighter, one hand running up through his hair, the other stroking his back.

It seems like eternity that we stay there, hugging and comforting each other, crying silently over that night. When his breath starts to relax, he pulls away. I'm still crying, but I ignore my own tears and tend to his, wiping away the black fluids.

He grasps the sides of my face gently, lovingly. He closes his eyes, and puts his forehead to mine. I grasp the sides of his face, gently, lovingly, close my eyes, and lean my forehead back against his. This is the most comfortable, most loving, most understanding embrace I have experienced.

And there we stay until the sounds of our names being called filter into our ears and we sigh and pull away, just a moment, to lock eyes. In that moment, we both know all is understood, and, just a little bit, I forgive him.

When I smile, he smiles. We hug one last time, faces nuzzled into each others shoulders or neck.

"I love you," I whisper, still smiling into his shoulder.

"I love you too, beautiful," he whispers back.

Our moment is ruined by another closer, louder call of our names. We both sigh and laugh in frustration before Jack leans back, points his face away from me, and shouts 'just a sec' in a way that wont hurt my ears.

I can't help but laugh, even as our physical contact diminishes to our hands, clasped together, tighter then before. I just feel so amazing. Joy and pleasure is so strong in my chest, affection so potent, my heart is pounding on the inside of my ribs, demanding to have more space to expand and compensate for the fierce welling of pleasant emotions.

Jack just smiles and looks at me before clearing his throat. "Slenderman and his brothers came to a decision."

"The fact that I'm alive suggests something good," I remark hopefully.

"Yeah, well, youre definitely not in trouble. Mostly. You're crazy lucky Slenderman is the only one in his family that hates you. Anyways, they've given you the room across the hall from mine. I'm supposed to watch you, just like before. Oh, and Slenderman says that the next incident involving you will result in your immediate removal from existence," he mimics Slenderman's intoned voice.

I laugh, loving the jab. Then I realize what having my own room implies. "Just because I have a room... Doesn't mean I have to be alone at night, does it?" I ask, hoping he'll get what I'm trying to say without saying it.

He looks at me from the corner of his eye, a loving smirk stretching his mouth up. "Only if you'll be mine."

My heart stops for several seconds before deciding to double-time it. A small, passionate smile ripples across my mouth. "I thought you already knew I was."

Realizing how insanely cheesy we both just sounded, we double over laughing. At one point, we have to stop walking to lean on a tree so we don't fall over. Jack wipes a tear from his eye when the giggles subside.

"Alright, come on. I have a prize to collect and you have a dinner to attend." He says with mock superiority.

I glare at him. He playfully bumps me with his hip as we walk. I try to do the same, but he sidesteps, causing me to fall on my bum. He laughs, and eventually I join in. He helps me up and we walk to the manor.

I silently pray that this one wont go as bad as the last one.