Trenton

I don’t know how long I was out for, or how long I was aware of the cool, damp grass on my cheek, but I finally gathered enough energy to open my eyes. My eyes felt damp, and it wasn’t from the grass. I sat up and blinked as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. I looked around and saw a vague outline of trees. I sat alone in a clearing. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, trying to adjust to the nighttime darkness. I stood up and stretched my back and limbs trying to get the blood flowing. I had on my jeans, the softest shirt I could find, and a dark gray hoodie, but my teeth were still chattering. The dew of the grass soaked me to the bone, and the breeze that flowed through the trees made the temperature seem to drop. I jumped on the balls of my feet and started to run. I wasn’t sure where, but I had to find someone. I put my hands in my pockets for warmth and felt a small scrap of paper. I pulled it out, puzzled, and examined it. Blank on both sides, but it appeared to be made of the same paper as the other note. I slipped it back into my pocket and continued running. After a while of running, I slowed to a walk, and that’s when I heard the scream. A scream that shattered the stillness of the night. My nerves shot, I looked around, hoping to find the source of it, but I saw nothing. My hands trembled as I realized that I recognized that scream.

“Kylie,” I whispered under my breath. I started sprinting in the direction of the scream, and I finally saw a hunched figure in a clearing. I kept running, and finally I reached the clearing. I looked at the scene before me. Kylie was sitting on the ground, crying over what looked like a person. I took a closer look and saw that it was me! The color was gone from my face, and I saw a deep red bloodstain growing on my shirt. Kylie wept freely over the dead version of me and I stood on the edge of the clearing, tears starting to trace lines down my cheeks. I stood watching the scene before me, unable to tear my eyes away from the dead body. Kylie decorated my body in flowers she picked next to her. She finally stood up and turned. And saw me. Her eyes lit up with a light that was both incredibly happy, but a little reproachful. She finally decided I was safe and ran into my arms. She squeezed me tightly and put her head against my chest to hear my heart. She looked up into my eyes and the light grew brighter. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed me, and in that moment, I wanted time to freeze, for that moment to be the same moment for all of eternity. She stepped back and put her head on my shoulder.

“Don’t ever die,” she whispered.

“I wont,” I whispered back. “I will always be here for you.” She kept hugging me, and then looked up at me. I smiled and then we released.

“Let’s go find the others,” I said. She nodded and we walked away from the clearing, away from the dead corpse. I saw an envelope nailed to a tree, and Kylie grabbed it. She opened it and pulled out a piece of paper identical to mine. I pulled out mine and showed it to her.

“Maybe it’s like a puzzle,” I suggested.

“Yeah… it could be…” she said slowly.

“How do you know that was an illusion back there?” I asked.

“Because it’s not you,” she replied. “It’s dead. You’re alive. And I’m not ready to believe you’re dead.” We continued walking and came to another small clearing. In the middle lay a figure. I ran over and saw that it was Dawson. I kneeled down next to him and listened to his heartbeat. It was faint and fluttering, but it was there. I start shaking him. He slowly opened his eyes. He suddenly sat up and looked at me.

“Who am I?” he asked me seriously.

“Um, you’re Dawson?” I said nervously. He breathed a sigh of relief and lay back down.

“Um… okay?” I said questioningly.

“It’s a long story,” he explained. I stared at him as he slowed his breathing. Kylie came and sat down next to me. I put my arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. She rest her head on my shoulder as Dawson sat up.

“So what next?” Dawson asked. “We let our guard down and he struck. We need to be more careful next time.”

“I think… we should probably find the others,” I said thoughtfully. I stood up and held Kylie and Dawson to their feet. I reached out with my mind, totally forgetting about my power until now. I felt a tug and I followed a path. I finally connected with someone.

“Serena?” I asked.

“Trenton! Have you seen Eric anywhere?” she asked worriedly.

“No sorry. We can meet up and then we’ll look for him. I could only see you, but that may just be because we have similar abilities. I think this forest is dampening our power. Where are you?” I waited a moment before she responded.

“I’m near a big- no, massive tree. Shouldn’t be too hard to miss.” A memory flashed across my mind. It must’ve transferred to Serena’s mind because I heard her gasp. “Trenton! It’s the tree from the game!”

“Yeah… I’m still trying to figure that part out…” I replied. I nodded to Kylie and Dawson, and we started walking towards Serena. “Stick tight Serena. We’ll be there soon.” She disconnected and we continued to walk. It was only minutes before we heard the scream. I looked at Kylie and Dawson and we sprinted in the direction of the scream. We arrived by an open plain full of tanks. Not the ones you drive, the container ones. They were covered with rust and had a hazard sign on it. The screams seemed to be coming from the center of the field. The tanks were huge up close. Sideways laying cylinders about ten feet in diameter and twenty feet long. There were about twenty-five of then scattered throughout the plain. We split up and followed the screams. An intricate maze was spread out before us. Dead-ends, splits, everything. The screaming got louder, and I seemed to be getting closer. I finally turned a corner, adrenaline coursing through my blood. Aly sat in the middle of a larger patch of empty grass.

“Guys, I found her!” I shouted. I ran over to her and started trying to calm her down. She was huddled up in a ball and had started to calm down. She had stopped screaming, and I was speaking softly to her, telling her she was fine. Her shoulders quivered with sobs. Kylie and Dawson came running up behind me. I held Aly in a hug until she stopped crying. She turned and hugged me back, stifling her tears. She finally went quite, then looked up at me with tear-stained eyes, icy-blue and piercing as ever. She hugged me again and we stood. She wiped her nose and turned toward Dawson and Kylie. They looked at her, then Dawson ran forward and hugged her. Kylie stood back with her smoldering gaze set upon Aly. Dawson and Aly turned towards me, a questioning look on her face.

“Okay. Dawson and Aly. I want you two to go and look for the others. Kylie and I will go to get Serena,” I explained.

“No!” Aly shouted. “I’m going with you to get Serena!”

“No,” I responded forcefully. “You guys need to go and find the others.” My voice starts shaking. “Kylie and I will get Serena, then meet up with you.” Aly steps back in shock. I turn around and start walking out of the maze. “C’mon Kylie. Let’s go get Serena.” I hear Kylie catch up with me, then we turn the corner and find a way out of the maze.

“What is this about?” Kylie demands. “What was that outrage all about?”

“It’s better that they don’t come,” my voice said bitterly. I grabbed her hand and tried to keep walking. Instead, she yanked it away.

“No!” she shouted. “No more secrets. You’ve become so vague on this mission. You barely look at me. Would you please just LOOK AT ME!” she screamed. I turned slowly and looked her in the eyes. I felt tears tugging in the corners of my eyes and saw some in hers too. Her countenance fell when she realized what was happening.

“Oh, no… No, no, no, this can’t happen! I just got you back, and now you’re going to die?” she said, the first tears falling.

“It’s going to happen Kylie. I’ve already seen it. Dawson and Serena too. I was… I was just to scared to tell you…” I stuttered.

“No Trenton! You’re not going to die. I won’t let you.” She ran forward and hugged me. I felt her hands fumbling behind my neck, then a faint click. Before I can ask, she talks, the words I’ve been dreading all this time.

“You can’t do this,” she sobs. I feel the words tumbling out of my mouth, unable to stop them.

“But I have to.” I hug her tightly one more time, then turn around and run. And run. And I don’t stop running. I keep going, tree braches whipping my face, scarring it, but I don’t care. I’m going to die. It doesn’t matter how I look. It’s strange. I always imagined when this moment came, thought I could avoid it, but now that I’m actually living it, I only feel the desperation of needing to reach Serena before it’s too late. I shove aside leaves and fallen branches. I know I need to get to Serena right now. Running feels like it’s taking an eternity, but in one second. After starting to run, everything’s starting to blur, and I only remember frames like a picture.

Frame 1: Running, running, and running.

Frame 2:Tripping and falling over a root, dirt smearing my face.

Frame 3: Hearing a screech, then quiet. Adjusting my course to the scream.

Frame 4: Seeing Serena in the distance.

Frame 5: Seeing the Slenderman approaching Serena.

Frame 6: Entering the clearing, seeing Slender reaching out for Serena.

Frame 7: Feeling something cold against my chest, and vaguely realizing Kylie has saved my life.

Frame 8: Jumping in front of Serena as she screams. Slender’s arm racing at me, and a faint laughter.

Frame 9: I’m on the ground, the Slenderman is receding, and a bright light encompasses everything.