Chapter Forty Nine

||KIT||

†

"Thanks for coming to get me," I spoke at Zalgo's back once we had arrived at our destination. He went over to the bar at the corner of the room we were in, now back at his 'hotel'. The shelves that lined the walls were stacked with bottles containing fluorescent liquids of all colors.

Popping a bottle open he took a swig of the contents and turned to me, "you're quite the thrill-seeker I see."

I shook my head, chewing on my lower lip in embarrassment, "what makes you think that?"

"I've been keeping tabs on you."

He'd said that so casually I almost missed what it implied and I was about to complain before I realized if he hadn't been, my night might've ended very differently.

"Lucky I got there when I did."

I nodded in agreement.

He watched me for a few seconds, "it appears your relationship is being tested, doesn't it?"

"My relationship is fine," I hugged my arms, looking away.

He smirked, "is that so? You seem to be having a hard time."

I rubbed my left arm, chewing on my lip still, "it's not his fault he's been called away."

"You think his loyalty to Slenderman is the reason behind his actions?"

I lifted my shoulders on a shrug.

Based on everything I knew and what I saw on the camera, Masky had been going on these missions for a long time and who's to say that he could break away whenever he wanted? Maybe he was being controlled.

I imagined The Tall Man would not be happy with him spending his time with me instead of 'working'. At least, that explanation made more sense to me. It made a lot more sense than Masky choosing to avoid me for other more personal reasons.

I tried not to think about what he'd said to me when he had me pinned to the bed, that murderous look in his eyes.

'You're not special.'

I knew that.

I'd always known I wasn't anything special but hearing him say it was a new kind of pain. If he didn't think I was special then why did he say his feelings for me were incomparable to love? What was it then? How did I truly make him feel?

Maybe his illness was just getting worse.

Either way, I had told him that I loved him and the more I'd said it, the more I felt it. I was met with doubt but I was still determined to prove it true. Even if he didn't believe me I would keep showing him until he felt secure enough to say it back.

I'd decided to make that my goal now.

This way, him distancing himself from me was nothing I couldn't handle.

"Makes me want to see how this will all play out," Zalgo grinned, "is it destined to be a tragedy or will it have a fairytale ending?"

"You think we have the potential for tragedy?" I asked, genuinely concerned.

Zalgo lazily arose from the chair he was sitting on, "it's already tragic, little one."

I wasn't sure how to respond.

"Drink?" he asked, offering the bottle to me.

I crinkled my nose, eyeing the suspicious liquid and he laughed, pushing the bottle into my grasp.

"Don't worry, it's safe for human consumption."

"I don't really trust you," I spoke.

Not after that elevator stunt.

"To be fair, you're a terrible judge of character," he patted my head and crossed the room while I huffed, offended because he might just be right.

"Wait here," he called out as he left, "someone's here to see you."

I immediately perked up at that. Could it be Masky by any chance? Butterflies were dancing in my belly excitedly.

Once Zalgo was gone I sniffed the liquid before taking a small sip. My tastebuds were pleasantly surprised at the indescribable taste and I took a few big gulps in succession, finally getting something in my empty stomach. Should I even be drinking right now?

I was about to take another swig when the door slammed open and in marched the last person I expected to see right now.

Amy's eyes narrowed as they fell on me and I slapped a large smile onto my face immediately, "Uh Amy? W-what are you doing here?"

She raised her brows, lips pursed, "I asked Zalgo to take me to you."

I smiled forcefully, "oh that's nice I-"

"Don't act like you don't know what you did," she cut me off.

I sighed and as Zalgo re-entered the room I glared at him muttering, "snitch."

"Why haven't you been answering my calls?"

"My phone died, see," I pulled the phone from my pocket and waved it before her, "sorry."

"You don't actually believe you're a good liar right?" she asked, coming closer and tugging on my ear roughly. I winced and tried to turn my head out of her reach.

"I'm not lying though!" I whined, amid the pain.

"You lied about staying away from him," she let my ear go and crossed her arms over her chest as I rubbed my ear with a scowl.

"You realize how crazy you look sending Zalgo after me?"

"And what?" she asked, "I'm not wrong for stopping you from ruining your life."

"My life isn't ruined-"

"Yet."

I rolled my eyes, "this is just stupid, Ames. You know Masky's not going to hurt me."

I looked over to Zalgo for backup but he seemed to just be enjoying our little spat from where he was sitting, grinning at us with glowing red eyes.

"I've seen how he treats you," she spoke, her tone elevated, "and I don't think that's good for you."

"Good for me? Do you have any self awareness at all?" I motioned behind me with a thumb, "there is a literal demon sitting behind us! Nothing about our life makes sense anymore so what's good for me is irrelevant. We spent days with Masky and he never hurt me so why make a big deal out of it now?"

Well that was a lie, but she didn't need to know that.

"Because now he's taking it too far."

I caught my breath, letting out a heavy sigh, "I know how it looks to everyone but-"

"You might not see it but he's changed you Kit. This isn't you," Amy rested her hands on my shoulders, looking into my eyes.

I raised both eyebrows, perplexed, "what are you talking about?"

"You almost gave Sara a heart attack for one," she tucked me against her side, "that's your mom. You have to mend things with her now. Come on, come back with me."

I shrugged out of her hold, "Amy I'm not going back until-"

"Kit!" She grabbed my wrist, pulling me back to her, "stop being difficult, please."

I clenched my fists, glaring at her hotly, "let go of me."

She seemed taken aback by my tone, her brows almost reaching her hairline, "oh it's like that now?"

I huffed, tugging my hand away again and she shook her head on a sigh, "I'm only trying to protect you, idiot. You know what he's capable of."

"I know what you're capable of too," I reminded her, wrenching my wrist free, "Or did you forget that I watched you murder the old man?"

I saw her cheeks flush red and her gaze shifted over to Zalgo for an instant, "I only did that so you wouldn't have to."

"Yeah, you've said that," I scoffed, "as if it makes a difference. We both changed and you're the one who wanted me to embrace the 'sick' parts, right?"

"This is not what I meant," she started.

"So I can kill someone but being with Masky is too much?"

"He hurts you, Kit."

My eyes met hers and I looked away, "I don't care."

She stood there, eyes unblinking and mouth pressed into a hard line before she spoke, "you're really in too deep, you know that?"

I looked away, chewing on my lower lip, "well that's none of your business is it?"

She rolled her eyes, throwing her arms up, "you know what, fine. I'm done trying with you. If you want to keep letting him hurt you then I won't get involved. When you wind up dead in a ditch somewhere I'll still say I told you so."

"Thank you!" I spoke, heavy on the sarcasm as I clapped my hands together.

I saw Zalgo rise from where he sat and when he strolled over to us we both looked up at his tall form.

"As entertaining as it is watching you two bicker, it's unnecessary. Your problem doesn't exist."

I raised a questioning brow.

What did he mean by that?

"You're worried about losing her," as he spoke he took the bottle I was handing back to him, his eyes on Amy, "but she's already under my protection. She'll always be safe as long as she doesn't enter Slenderman's domain. That's the only place where I am unable to lend her my power."

"But-" we both started, stopping once Zalgo held up a hand and we watched him chug the rest of the liquid in the bottle, his eyes glowing once he was done.

"Having her under my protection will ensure no harm comes to her."

Did that mean he would save me if I was ever in trouble like he did tonight with LJ?

"Well, that at least puts my mind at ease," Amy ran her fingers through her loose curly hair. "can you send us back home now then?"

I watched a large smile plaster itself across Zalgo's face. It wasn't a pleasant smile. It even appeared to suck some of the light out of the room.

"Her I can send home," he rested a heavy hand on my head, speaking directly to Amy, "I need your services tonight, however. I have a new mission for you."

I looked over at Amy, suspicious, "I thought you said you weren't starting until after we finished school."

Her face was red and as she hunted for words Zalgo chimed in, "there was no need to wait. She's quite the natural in the field," his laughter echoed around the room, "to think an unassuming girl like her was so capable of reaping souls. I'm impressed I'll tell you that, and thoroughly entertained."

So Amy had been hiding things from me. She'd secretly been submerged in the same world she was trying to keep me away from while I was none the wiser.

How long had she been doing that? I thought back to the kids going missing from school and wondered if that might have been her.

I wanted to say something about it but thought better.

She probably had her reasons why she didn't want me to know but also to attack me for lying when she was no better?

A bit hypocritical in my opinion.

"Can you take me to Masky?" I asked Zalgo, getting back to the matter at hand.

He shook his head, "he is in a domain I cannot enter for certain-" he paused, tucking Amy's loose hair behind her ear before finishing, "reasons."

I sighed deeply.

Useless. Everyone's useless.

"I think you should go home," Amy spoke, "fix things with Sara first. You know you'll regret it if you don't."

I wanted to argue but she was probably right and I blew out a long breath.

I really messed things up in my pursuit of Masky, didn't I?

"Are we...okay?" I asked.

"Yeah," she nodded, "don't worry about it."

I chewed on my lower lip, looking up at Zalgo who was wearing a suspicious smile.

"Ready?" He asked and I nodded.

Amy gave me a small wave and I watched the scene before me dissipate gradually until I found myself standing outside the front door of my house.

A part of me wanted to sneak in so I wouldn't have to face Sara but I knew that would only delay the inevitable.

I sucked in a breath as my hand closed around the doorknob.

Here we go.

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