Slenderman - The Building By the Lake

[bprd_agent_red]

He hasn't slept for days.

He hasn't seen Liz in a week, maybe longer (maybe not so long as that), time is screwed up, along with everything else and he can't seem to keep his head on straight.

He's hearing things, seeing things, and he's so scared right now it's making him Mad.

There's nothing to fight, no one to hit or overpower. There's nothing real that he can get his hands on and punish for making him afraid. There's only the constant cold and coughing, the things in the shadows that make him jump and cringe, that unsettling feeling of always being watched.

When he heard about the building that appeared by the lake he knew he'd find whatever it was out there.

He's spent hours (days?) skulking around the grounds, skirting the woods and giving a wide berth to the ruin on the lake shore. Afraid to go in, unable to stay away.

Whispered thoughts stir around in his head, telling him to go in, telling him to run away, taunting him for being afraid, bolstering him to charge in.

He can do this, he can't.
He's not afraid, he's terrified.
Stay, run.

Enter.

Stone grinding against stone, Red clenches his right fist, holding it close to his chest as he wades through the overgrowth and into the building.

Comments

[dont_turn_around]

[bprd_agent_red]

His eyes close and he keeps talking, the tremble in his voice matching the quake of fear running over him.

"Spooks are my business. There's nothing-- "

His hand slips into his pocket, searching.

"Nothin' you can do that I haven't seen before."

His fingers curl around his father's Rosary beads, and he pulls them slowly from his coat.

"I'm not afraid."

When his numb fingers fumble the strand his eyes open to watch the Rosary hit the floor.

"I'm not afraid... "

[dont_turn_around]

The Rosary comes to stop near a foot.

A foot attached to a very long leg.

[bprd_agent_red]

He sees the foot and starts following it up, stopping at the knee. His eyes close again and he fights to summon courage, to make his feet move, his mouth work, something.

His heart hammers loud in his ears, but it's not loud enough to drown out what's around him.

It's the fear that finally lifts his head. He's too afraid not to look, and when he does he all he can think is, 'Father, help me.'

[dont_turn_around]

There is no help here.

He waits.

[bprd_agent_red]

The figure before him chases all the breath from Red's lungs.

He stares at the faceless thing, taking an involuntary step backwards.

"What do you want?"

[dont_turn_around]

HUNGRY.

[bprd_agent_red]

"So get a cheeseburger." The quip sounds small, and scared.

He takes another step back, that 'voice' he hears in his mind chilling his insides.

[dont_turn_around]

He doesn't move toward him.

He doesn't need to.

All he need do is call Hellboy's name. His true name.

Anung Un Rama in a voice both silent and as loud as thunder.

[bprd_agent_red]

For a brief moment recognition and abject fear flash across his features as realization strikes. A heartbeat later, his expression slackens, and his head bows.

Don't surrender. FIGHT. Don't let him...

...in.

Starting in the center of the carved swirl on his stone fist, a spark ignites, setting off a glow like embers all along the the cracks of his right hand.

The sawed off stumps on his forehead sprout into full horns, curling back over his crown with a fire igniting between them.

Hellboy is somewhere far away, curled up in darkness, and cold, and fear.

Standing in his place is the demon Anung Un Rama, who looks to him in reverence.

[dont_turn_around]

If he could smile, he would.

As it is, his tentacles unfold from his back and reach out to touch Anung Un Rama's face, like a fond parent

Oh, we are going to have such fun.