Do you know I count your heartbeats before you sleep? I bite my fingernails to bone

And then I crawl back under the stairwell to a place I call my home

Chapter Twelve

It wasn't easy filling in Kit and her friend about what was happening but after a while they seemed to understand somewhat.

Amy as I now know her, seemed less concerned than a regular person would be and I noticed she would keep looking through the rearview mirror at us in the back. It made me suspicious and my fingers fiddled with the knife I was keeping close just in case.

The car came to a stop not too long after for gas and as we piled out Amy came up to me.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Toby trying to start a conversation with Kit, it made my fists clench.

Why did he always have to try and get close to every girl I like? Not that I did like her anyway but it was getting annoying, even more so because she seemed to enjoy his attention, laughing at every word he said like he was some fucking stand-up comedian.

"Are you listening to me?"

I was snapped back to the present by Amy's voice and I glanced at her face to see her giving me a questioning look.

"What?" I couldn't mask my annoyance.

She sighed and stepped closer causing me to immediately take a step back.

"Just-- look," she rolled her eyes before showing me her phone.

There was a picture of the proxy symbol and under it steps to take when casting a protection spell. The wearer of the charm would be safe from harm as long as they wore it?

How gullible is this girl?

I tsked, "that's fucking stupid."

"Then how do you explain what happened with Slenderman. He totally could have killed us back there if he wanted."

"That's his game. He loves a chase and wants to feed on your fear as long as he can." I walked away, shoving my hands in my pockets but she continued, trailing behind me.

"And what about you not killing Kit even though you could've that night?"

My jaw clenched and I turned to her, "keep asking questions and you'll find yourself strewn up by your own insides."

Was it my imagination or did I see her cheeks redden ever so slightly?

"I know you like her," she smiled putting her phone away, "so I'm glad the protection spell worked."

"There is no protection spell," I grunted at her in annoyance, "there's no force on earth that can stand in my way if I really wanted to kill you or her so trust me when I say you don't wanna take that chance with Slenderman. That's why I'm trying to find these fuckers so they can help her before Slender grows bored with this game of cat and mouse."

"Only her?"

The question caught me off guard and I watched as her brows furrowed, "both of you," I lied.

She relaxed somewhat and smiled, "well, let's just hope your plan works then. "

"Let's go!" I ordered when Hoodie was done filing up the tank, "we're going to meet someone for some information."

Everyone headed back to the car and Kit turned to face me once the car was pulling away from the gas station, "ooh another friend?"

"I never said he was a friend."

"Who is he?"

"You'll see when we get there."

She was quiet after that and I gritted my teeth, upset with myself for snapping at her but it was like second nature at this point. I only hoped she didn't take it personally. There was just something about her that was starting to make me lose my cool and for some reason, I didn't want Kit to see me like that.

I let out a deep sigh and gave directions as best as I could. I'd decided on a way to beat Slender after all.

||KIT||

The sharp smell of alcohol and other fragrances I couldn't pinpoint assaulted my nostrils as we entered the small dimly lit shop. Masky had led us through the door like he owned the place and I looked around at the many absurd paintings on the wall along with other weird carvings and trinkets.

"Wait here," he told the others before grabbing my hand, I ignored the shivers it sent down my spine as he lead me through the curtain of beads into a backroom that was so fogged up with some fragrance it made me have a coughing fit. It was a pleasant smell but it seemed to seep into my very pores making my head spin.

"LJ!" Masky hollered and I almost jumped out of my skin when someone burst into laughter loudly from behind us, not unlike The Joker's laugh.

"Well hello there~"

His voice was pleasant but a little raspy and he was very tall and lanky, dressed in a black and white pinstripe suit that looked somewhat like a costume.

He was so pale that he looked slightly out of place, like one of those old black and white movies Sara and I used to watch on weekends.

Wasting no time Masky dropped my hand and went up to him, "We're trying to find someone, think you can help?"

"Who's this little morsel?" The tall man who Masky had referred to as LJ asked, ignoring Masky's question and coming around him to look at me. His blue eyes seemed to somehow pull my own gaze unexplainably.

"That's not important," Masky said from behind LJ sounding very agitated as LJ took to surveying me from head to toe making me blush in embarrassment from all the attention.

"How rude," LJ tsked, "you've brought such a beauty into my lair yet you don't even think to introduce us, that's a crime in my book."

I chuckled at the fact that he called his shop his lair.

"Can you just-"

"Forgive his sin, Darling," LJ continued, cutting Masky off and removing his hat whilst bowing deeply as he took my hand, "I'm Jack and it's an absolute pleasure to meet you."

This guy must drop panties for a living.

I couldn't help but smile warmly at him until Masky snapped, "we don't have time for this! We need to find him now."

"Would you like some tea?" Jack looked as if he couldn't give two fricks even if he wanted to.

I didn't want Masky to pop a blood vessel so I politely declined Jack's offer with a smile, "Actually we're just here to see if you can help us find someone."

The tall man straightened a bit, smiling directly at me with eyes that seemed to capture mine in some mystical way until he finally looked at Masky.

"I know who you're looking for and you know that he doesn't want to be found. It'd be damn near impossible to locate his whereabouts hehe, if it weren't for me anyhow."

"Just give us something," Masky urged, "We're on a tight schedule right now."

"How so?" Jack didn't seem the least bit bothered by Masky's tone and instead started to pour himself a steaming cup of what appeared to be tea. Something about this guy really seemed off, yet intriguing in a way. I wanted to learn more about him.

Masky was clenching his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned even paler than they already were. I didn't want to see him blow up so I tentatively reached both my hands out to clutch one of his and smiled softly at him before giving Jack a pleading look, "Please."

The corners of Jack's lips tugged up and he snapped his long fingers, "fine, I will assist you Timothy, but only because your little bite-sized friend here is cute as a button."

Timothy? His name was Timothy?

That was such a normal name I couldn't imagine it belonging to the killer next to me. Then again, no one knows if their kid is gonna be a killer someday. Like Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer. What kind of names are killers supposed to have anyway if not normal ones?

"He knows where to find the entrance," Jack spoke handing something to Masky, I mean Tim, who grabbed it from his hand without even a thank you and immediately began to leave, dragging me behind him carelessly, almost causing me to trip over the monochrome rug on the floor.

"B-bye!" I called after Jack who raised a hand to say goodbye as a smile took over almost all his face.

"Farewell, snack."

"Your friends are very- strange," I commented to Tim once we were outside and I was trailing behind him since he'd let my hand go. All I got from him was a grunt.

I smirked a bit watching him under my dark eyelashes, "why didn't you tell me your name was Timothy?"

I saw him visibly stiffen but he didn't reply which made me pout a bit and I tugged on the back of his shirt, "What's wrong Tim?"

Did he just clench his fists? I tilted my head to the side, "It's rude to ignore someone when they're talking to you T-"

I almost let out a squeak when he turned suddenly and grabbed me by the collar of my shirt pulling me towards him, forcing me to look up at his masked face.

"Don't call me that!"

My heart fluttered around in my chest as I looked up at him and I swallowed, willing myself to not back down.

"Don't get your panties in a twist jeez," I let my hands stay at my side, "it could've been a lot worse like-"

He let out a huff and released his hold on my shirt before stepping back, "just shut the fuck up sometimes."

I suppose he doesn't like it. If it really made him that uncomfortable I decided I wouldn't tease him anymore and put him at ease, "sorry, you just seemed a little tense so-"

"A little? You do realize if we don't get you changed soon Slenderman's gonna rip you to pieces?"

I looked down at my clothes. I mean they did look a little slept in but it couldn't be that bad.

"What's wrong with what I got on?"

I could literally hear his eyeroll and he grabbed my wrist again and started dragging me the rest of the way to the car, "You think everything's a fucking joke don't you?"

I was a bit surprised at how sexy he sounded when he swore. It gave me a fluttery feeling in my stomach.

"Not everything," I muttered under my breath which he heard as I noticed his grip on my wrist tightened significantly, "I take food very seriously. Speaking of which I'm quite literally starving right now."

We'd just gotten back to the car and Amy was sitting on the hood. She slid off and came over to us with a sly smirk as Masky dropped my hand, "So, how did it go?"

Masky handed her the piece of paper that was given to him by Jack. It appeared to be a very condensed sort of map with a deep black X marking a location, "Do you know where this is?"

She squinted at it for a few seconds, "well not exactly but I'm pretty sure I can get us there, why? Is this where we'll find your friend?"

"First of all he's not my friend but yes, according to LJ that's where we can find him."

"It's pretty far away, we'll need to stop for gas again on the way there."

"That's fine."

"Can we also get some food when we do?" I interrupted clutching my stomach dramatically, "If I don't get some food in me soon I'm gonna murder someone."

"That would solve all our problems," Masky muttered as he started getting in the car while Amy closed the trunk.

I peeked in seeing Hoodie squished into the backseat still.

"Hey, how about you go up front?" I asked him, "It must be super uncomfortable back here for a big guy like you."

"Just admit you wanna sit next to Masky already," Amy laughed as she got in and I stuck my tongue out at her while Hoodie made his way to the front, sitting next to her as she turned the key in the ignition.

I got in next to Masky and looked over at him as he appeared to stare straight ahead. I then noticed that Toby was missing.

"Where's Toby?" I spoke up.

"Leave him," Masky ordered and I gave him a look.

"Don't be mean to hi-" before I could finish the car door opened and Toby got in quickly slamming the door.

"D-D-Drive!"

×××

NB: serial killer jokes aren't funny unless you execute them well.

Wink wonk