Chapter Text
I sat against the wall of the crumbled building, feet dangling on the side of the ledge I was on. I reviewed my notes once more, my scythe lying next to me on the left. My notebook, now filled with information about these mysterious murderers, was the most valuable item to them. That was, if they could touch it without getting their hands chopped off. If this book got out to the public, their weaknesses would be exposed. Whether people believed in them or not, it didn’t matter so long as they were aware of the weaknesses.
However, the book wasn’t their only valued item. I was someone much more valuable, because I’ve memorised every single word in the book I created, plus much more. I was the only person who could figure out their weaknesses through simple deduction and experimentation. Their fears? A simple examination of their origins. Slenderman was the only one without an origin story.
But I still…
A tentacle flew towards the book and I slid off the ledge, grabbing my scythe in the process. I quickly pocketed my book in a small shoulder bag I always carry, and gripped my scythe, ready to swing. The tentacle retreated, but it was quick to return, only this time, behind me. I spun around, swinging my scythe. The tentacle dodged it by a hair, but I swiftly brought my foot up, slamming my heel onto it. The dagger embedded into my boot triggered and the blade impaled the dark appendage. Black blood spilled onto the blade and I removed my boot from the tentacle.
…knew how to get under his skin.
“She’d be ashamed to call you her father,” I stated coldly and the static I’ve grown used to grew louder. In the blink of an eye, Slenderman was in front of me, his tentacles whipping erratically in anger.
“Do not put words into my daughter’s mouth, you worthless lump of flesh,” Slenderman boomed.
“It’s been a decade, stop trying to get my book already,” I said before turning back towards my ledge. “I’m hunting. Go away.”
“One day, Dweller. You will falter, and I will be there to take advantage of it.” With that, the static disappeared, as well as Slenderman’s figure.
“Aw, another failure from ol’ Slendy,” spoke my unwanted companion.
“Don’t you have better things to do?” I muttered, hopping back onto the ledge and giving the grey man an emotionless glance.
“If I did, I wouldn’t be here with you,” he replied.
“As charming as ever, I see.” I took out my notebook again and switched on the speaker, turning the volume on high, and the man put on his earplugs. He stood from his spot on the far end of the room and walked to my side, plopping down next to me.
“How can you bear this noise?!” He screamed and I cringed.
I signed, ‘Don’t yell. I can hear quite fine, thank you.’
‘H-O-W’, he signed. I rolled my eyes and returned my eyes to my notebook, writing down more notes and speculations. ‘What’ve you got written down for me?’ I returned his question with silence and he continued to stare patiently at me. The music from my speakers was the only thing ringing in my ears, the noises from the world drowned out by the sound. ‘T-E-R-R-A!’ “TERRA!” he screamed and I sighed through my nose.
‘What do you want? I’m not showing you what I wrote about you.’
“Kiss me.”
‘No.’
Puppeteer huffed a laugh and smirked. “Not even the slightest reaction.”
‘As if I’d let a lowly Creepypasta affect me.’
“Lowly, huh?” His smirk widened as he continued to stare at me.
I glanced up at him momentarily and scowled. ‘Just leave me the fuck alone.’ Puppeteer grinned as he leaned over towards me. I quickly uncapped the other end of my pen, holding the blade attached to the end against Puppeteer’s neck. I glared at him and he backed up with a chuckle.
“You really think Sirenhead will come if you blast music?” Puppeteer wondered.
‘All you Creepypastas have anger issues. Noise will lure you all straight to me.’
Puppeteer huffed, slightly annoyed at my correct assumptions, but already used to me constantly insulting them. “And if he doesn’t come?”
“I find another way,” I stated confidently. Puppeteer’s eyes glinted with interest, always amused with the girl the Pastas knew as the ‘Forest Dweller’. Each has encountered her throughout her life, especially Slender, but none of them have actually defeated her. And when they planned to attack her in a group, she never showed up. It was as if she knew exactly what they were planning. And I did. Their mannerisms, patterns and tactics; I knew them all, but I’m still just a regular human. I could handle two, just barely three, but a whole group would be certain death. They’d tried to trap me once, but that backfired when I foresaw their entire plan. I set up my own traps, giving them a taste of their own fears and medicine. After that, they were too traumatised to try again.
Creepypastas are monsters, so I became theirs.
Heavy footsteps sounded throughout the forest and my ears perked up at the noise. I rose from my spot and grabbed my scythe and rifle, jumping up the debris to get to the roof of the abandoned building. The music continued to play, but in the distance, I could hear the static sounds of the radio.
“Hey, monster!” I shouted down at Puppeteer. Used to the title, he glanced up at me with a raise of his eyebrow. “Throw me the megaphone in my bag!”
“You could at least say please,” Puppeteer muttered as he rose from his spot and lazily walked towards the duffel bag on the corner of the room. He grabbed the megaphone and chucked it up towards me before going back to his spot. I caught it easily enough and switched it on. I clicked the alarm button and it blared relentlessly.
“This is so fucking annoying,” Puppeteer commented, through the competing sounds. The trees within my line of sight rustled and I stopped the alarm, switching it to my own voice.
“Sirenhead, it’s time for your judgement,” I stated.
“Judge…ment! Why must…I? be…judged. For something. I didn’t do-!” He communicated through multiple radio stations, finally emerging out of the forest and onto the field in front of the abandoned building.
“Lives aren’t yours for the taking,” I said before chucking the megaphone down the hole in the roof, towards the gray-skinned man. Fortunately, he’d been watching me interact with the large creature, so his reflexes were quick enough to react and catch it.
“My life isn’t yours for the taking either!” He exclaimed irritatedly.
“The more you murder, the more I hurt you. It’s your punishment for taking innocent lives.”
“Humans…they deserve…it.” I scowled and threw my scythe towards the ground in front of him. Sirenhead stared at it expectantly and I loaded my rifle, aiming it towards his hip. I shot as soon as he looked back up and he stumbled back from the impact. Having memorised this building’s terrain, I jumped down and aimed at his other hip. I shot once I got a clear view, I pulled the trigger, bringing Sirenhead stumbling back again. His sirens blared deafeningly but I’ve long since gotten used to the high volumes. Ditching the gun, I grabbed my scythe and I charged towards him. His arm sweeped towards me and I slid under it, slashing his hand with my blade. He screeched in anger and attacked with his other hand, swatting me back and forcing me to roll on the ground. I hissed in annoyance but was quick to get back up on my feet and charge back at him. Note to self, he doesn’t use his legs to attack, I thought smugly.
“Behave yourself, Sirenhead,” I said before attacking him.
~~~
I took another sip of my soda, Puppeteer taking another fry from the bunch. As much as I hated having him spend time with me, I’ve long since given up on trying to fight him away. No matter how many times I anger him, insult him, fight him, avoid him, he will keep on coming back with that stupid shit-eating smirk.
“Say, Terra, how’s your job doing? Any tough customers?” Puppeteer wondered.
“None.”
“Any lewd ones?” Puppeteer mused.
“A few,” I replied, switching on my phone and throwing it to Puppeteer. The golden-eyed man laughed pervertedly and flipped through the pictures, sending them to his own phone.
“Damn, Terra, the detail is insane. Can you draw a sexy hot demon for me?”
“That’ll be $200.”
“What?! You only charge $100 for full body rendered.”
“You’re a Creepypasta, you should be glad I’m not tripling the amount.” Puppeteer huffed and a usual silence settled between us. I continued to eat my burger whilst Puppeteer mowed through the fries and continued skimming through my art commissions. “Any plans after this?”
“Nothing. Home, I guess,” he replied.
“Consider yourself busy.”
Puppeteer hung his head and groaned. “I’m supposed to be spreading fear and death, not children’s entertainment…” About three years into our acquaintanceship, I’d decided to run a few tests on his powers, mainly speaking his string ability. His string ability could be used to control people, yes, but he could also create shapes and forms. And when I found out about the poor orphanage at the edge of the town, I made a deal where he’d be able to stay with me so long as he entertained the children every once in a while. Being an orphan myself, due to certain monsters , I had wanted to give love and joy to the children who don’t get it from any adults.
“Alright, let’s go. They should all be asleep by now,” I stated as I finished my burger, clapping my hands clean. Puppeteer sighed and hauled himself up, tossing me back my phone and throwing the trash in the bin on the lower floor. I shortened the handle of my scythe and hung it behind me. “Hood up.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
~~~
Puppeteer and I stood behind the molding orphanage, staring up towards the third floor bedrooms. The walls were covered with moss and the flora had started to devour the base of the building. Most of the caretakers that worked here already quit, leaving only two to take care of all the children here. When I asked what would happen to the children a few months ago, they said they’d have to relocate them if they couldn’t find a way to financially stabilise themselves. I’ve grown really attached to them during my day visits, it would be a hard farewell for me if they had to go.
“Race ya,” Puppeteer stated and I rolled my eyes as he started raising himself up to the window with his strings.
“As if,” I muttered, pulling on his string. Puppeteer yelped in surprise as he got pulled back, and once there was a long enough string for me to use, I slashed it with my sickle. Puppeteer shot a line of string towards me and I pulled my shoulder back, the attack missing me by an inch. Not a word passed between us as he continued upwards and I made a lasso. He was quick to land on the edge of the window, crouching down, and I threw the lasso towards the fence above it, hoisting myself up. Puppeteer snapped the string away once I joined him on the window and he smirked.
“I win.”
“Sure, monster,” I replied.
“Puppet…?” Muttered a child, rubbing her eyes tiredly. Puppeteer brought a finger to his lips in a shushing kind of motion and the girl grinned, nodding her head. Extending his hands, glowing golden strings slowly drifted out of his fingertips, flying over to hover over each and every bed. Once each child had a glowing sphere of string above them, Puppeteer lowered them onto their heads and awoke each of them. The children all gasped and beamed at the familiar sight, taking the sphere to shape what they wanted. I watched silently from the window sill, Puppeteer’s darkness shading the children’s vision of me. His ability included tapping into people’s fears, but it also could tap into people’s joy as well. Dolphins swam around the room, butterflies settled onto another child’s head, and there was a little boy dressed like a knight. I smiled slightly at their laughter and Puppeteer sighed.
“Absolutely disgusting,” he commented, instantly making me frown. I whacked his head with the back of my sickle and he hissed in annoyance. “Yeah, yeah. Ugh, I hate this so much.”
“Shut it, you still have an hour left,” I hissed.
“I’m aware, Terra, don’t need to remind me all the time.”
“Puppet!” Called the girl who first spotted us.
“What is it, Julia?” Puppeteer asked with a sigh. I whacked his head again and Puppeteer growled lowly. “Do you need anything, sweetie?” He once again asked with a sweeter tone.
“I made you this flower crown,” Julia beamed, pulling out said item from behind her.
I smirked. “Aw~.”
Puppeteer’s shoulders trembled in anger but he slowly took in a breath and exhaled, reaching out to Julia and taking the flower crown. “Thank you, Julia. It’s beautiful,” he said as he put it on.
“Die of embarrassment, monster,” I muttered smugly.
“I’ll kill you later, Terra.”
“If you can.” Puppeteer shot another line of string towards me and I blocked it with my sickle, slashing it with my sleeve dagger.
~
The children’s laughter continued on, and I kept a watch on the lights downstairs, which always turned on if the caretakers were awake. Puppeteer had been kidnapped by the girls for a tea party which, much to his repulsion, brought him to a small chair, his knees almost touching his face due to the chair’s shortness. A sudden brightness from below caught my attention and I whistled a bird call. Puppeteer perked up and used the shadows to teleport next to me.
“Back to sleep, children,” Puppeteer gently ordered as the golden strings diminished. The children, already used to this routine, hurriedly tucked themselves into bed. Whispers of farewells and thanks could be heard in the now dark room before Puppeteer and I jumped out the window, the door swinging open moments later. Puppeteer was able to slowly descend since he was a spirit, but I had to quickly latch onto the tangled vines crawling up the walls. It was a normal routine, so we were already used to our hasty escapes. I glanced back up towards the window and watched as it was closed shut. “Now, I’m going home. And you?”
“None of your business,” I jeered.
Puppeteer huffed a laugh. “See ya tomorrow, then.”